After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

"Have you all caught a cold?"

Ziju received the notification that Fang Xiaoran and Fang Xiaoran had returned, and hurriedly went to greet them. However, the guards at the gate told her that the two had returned hand in hand but had both caught a cold, and the maids were currently brewing ginger soup.

Still worried, Ziju immediately ordered someone to prepare hot water, and then knocked on the door with the brewed ginger soup.

At this moment, Fang Xiaoran was sitting by the window, wearing a coat, writing prescriptions for herself and Gu Yuqing.

Fortunately, she was a doctor herself, so even if she caught a cold, it wasn't a big deal.

After writing the prescription, Fang Xiaoran pressed her face against Gu Yuqing's without expression, "Go get the medicine."

Gu Yuqing glanced at the prescription, then pushed it back with a hint of disdain: "I don't like licorice."

Fang Xiaoran sneered, flicked her finger, and the prescription flew back into Gu Yuqing's hand. "If Young Master Gu finds licorice too sweet, why not just chew on some bitter melon?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuqing coughed twice, then looked up suspiciously and asked, "Can Coptis chinensis cure a cold?"

Fang Xiaoran glanced at him sideways and tapped the table lightly with her fingertips: "Coptis chinensis clears heat and is especially effective for treating excessive heart fire in some people."

As she was speaking, she suddenly sneezed, the sound slightly crisp. She awkwardly touched her nose, and just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Fang Xiaoran straightened her clothes, sat up, and spoke softly.

Soon the door was pushed open, and Ziju and the others came in carrying ginger soup. Seeing that the two of them had clearly caught a chill but were still sitting in front of the bed in the wind, Ziju hurriedly went forward to close the window. "Night rain is already chilly, and the wind is especially strong tonight. We mustn't let their condition worsen."

"It's alright, I'm in good health," Fang Xiaoran said, but couldn't help coughing twice. Gu Yuqing smiled and said, "You are quite healthy."

Outside the window, the night rain surged in, the raindrops constantly pattering on the banana leaves, creating a noisy sound. Occasionally, two claps of thunder would fall, suddenly illuminating the entire palace.

The lightning seemed to have torn a hole in the sky, which was quite frightening.

"Ziju, go prepare a tub of hot water for me. I want to take a hot bath and sweat it out," Fang Xiaoran suddenly said. Ziju nodded slightly upon hearing this, "This servant has already prepared it for you."

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the wind was lashing against the windows. As the wind howled, a black figure silently stopped outside the window.

Fang Xiaoran, who was completely immersed in the hot water, noticed the situation outside the window and turned her head slightly. "How is it?"

"The Second Prince is leading Governor Li's troops in a secret operation and is already approaching the imperial palace."

The sound outside the window wasn't loud, and it was almost completely washed away by the rain, leaving almost nothing behind. But Fang Xiaoran could still hear it very clearly. Chu Qi was making a sound with his internal energy, and only people with a certain level of internal energy could hear it.

"So he was the one who acted first." Fang Xiaoran narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of coldness suddenly appearing in them. "It seems that he was most likely instigated by Prince Duan. Prince Duan has a good plan, making the Second Prince the scapegoat while he hides in the shadows and reaps the benefits."

On the seventh day of the lunar month, she asked in a low voice, "Should we continue to keep an eye on it?"

"Keep an eye on things, don't get caught, and report any suspicious activity to me immediately."

The rain continued for three days, the rain curtain as hard as iron, and pale lightning flashed across the dark clouds from time to time, making the mythical beasts on the eaves of the palace look ferocious and terrifying.

The Second Prince Zhao Xi stood before the palace gate, raindrops streaming down his black iron armor like tears, but the dragon-patterned sword bestowed upon him by the emperor remained dry, the silk scabbard completely blocking out the rain.

"Your Highness, all the gates of the palace are under control." Governor Li wiped the rain from his face, the iron wrist guards clanging against the scabbard. "However, what about the Empress..."

Zhao Xi did not discuss this matter with the Empress, but secretly sent someone to inform her. The Empress naturally opposed it, but Zhao Xi refused to give up.

He has already been convicted of treason and has no chance of making a comeback. This is his only chance, and he has to take the gamble.

As Emperor Zhao's own son, how could he not know his father's iron-fisted methods and cold-blooded ruthlessness?

From the moment he was crippled, he had no way out.

"Don't worry about her. She'll understand my good intentions once it's done." Zhao Xi gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white. He gritted his teeth, his mind made up. This time, there was no turning back, no retreat. The arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released.

A thunderclap cleaved the night sky, and a ghastly white light illuminated the palace gates. Zhao Xi raised his longsword high, its blade tracing a sharp arc in the rain: "Charge in! Whoever captures Emperor Zhao alive will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"

The rebels surged toward the palace gates like a tidal wave, the clanging of armor and shouts of battle shattering the silence of the rainy night.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Second Prince... he has led his troops to surround the palace..."

Just then, a palace servant rushed into the main hall, knelt down anxiously, and his voice trembled.

Upon hearing this, Consort Hui, who was pouring tea for Emperor Zhao, paused slightly, her face filled with worry and surprise.

"He really can't keep his composure." Unexpectedly, Emperor Zhao was not surprised by this, and only sighed slightly.

As intelligent as Consort Hui was, she naturally noticed the clues.

He wondered if His Majesty had known all along that the Second Prince would rebel.

A person imprisoned deep within the Imperial Clan Court cannot escape without an imperial decree; this second prince is clearly acting under someone else's orders.

Was it Prince Duan, or someone else?

Consort Hui was deeply troubled, but dared not show it, lest Emperor Zhao notice something amiss.

"Your Majesty, what should we do..." The palace servant, unaware of the situation, was terrified, her face ashen and her voice trembling.

Emperor Zhao calmly picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his sharp features: "What's the panic? The palace isn't so easy to breach."

As he spoke, he glanced at Consort Hui with a detached expression, "Continue."

Consort Hui was taken aback, and hurriedly continued to pour tea for Emperor Zhao.

In the rainy night, the sounds of fighting were deafening, yet drowned out by thunder. Only the scarlet blood gathered into trickling streams, a shocking sight.

Zhao Xi led the rebel army, passing over corpses scattered on the ground. His black iron armor was already soaked in blood. The east gate had been captured. He carried his blood-dripping longsword and stepped up the white jade steps.

The rain washed away the bloodstains on the sword, but it couldn't wash away the strong smell of blood.

"Your Highness, the inner palace is just ahead!" the lieutenant shouted excitedly, his face covered in a mixture of rain and blood.

Zhao Xi suddenly stopped in her tracks.

It's so quiet.

The breach of the East Gate went too smoothly; they encountered almost no significant resistance along the way.

Those so-called elite Imperial Guards were utterly no match for them.

Not right.

It's more like inviting someone into a trap.

The imperial palace was divided into an outer palace and an inner palace. Members of the royal family, close officials, and their female relatives lived in the inner palace. The outer palace was so poorly guarded, while the inner palace was always tightly closed and eerily quiet.

Zhao Xi suddenly realized something, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, "Retreat! Retreat now—"

But it's too late.

"boom--"

Suddenly, hundreds of torches lit up the inner palace walls, and in their light, the cold arrows of the Imperial Guard archers were already aimed at the rebels.

"My good nephew," Prince Duan's voice came from the inner palace tower, exceptionally clear in the rainy night, "truly has not disappointed me."

"Zhao Yuande, you lied to me!" Zhao Xi felt a chill run down her spine, and in an instant, she understood everything.

The reason why Prince Duan was so kind as to rescue him was simply to use him to rebel. He was a rebel, while Prince Duan was using the name of clearing out the rebels to actually usurp the throne!

Zhao Xi's eyes were bloodshot, and his long sword was pointed directly at Prince Duan on the city wall: "You planned this all along! You made me the scapegoat so you could reap the benefits!"

Prince Duan clapped his hands and laughed loudly, the sound particularly jarring in the rainy night: "Nephew, you only understand now, isn't it a bit too late?"

"All men, heed my command! Slay the rebels and protect His Majesty!"

Prince Duan raised his arm and shouted, taking a longbow from the imperial guard beside him, drawing it fully, and aiming the arrow at Zhao Xi. "Good nephew, I'll see you off."

"Hmph, Zhao Yuande, even if I die here today, I won't let you get away with it. You want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger? You'd better see if you have the life to do so!"

Zhao Xi roared angrily with red eyes, but before he could finish speaking, a sharp longsword pierced his back without warning. He turned around in shock and saw the cold and sinister face of Governor Li.

"You, so you were one of his people too..."