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

"I know who you are thinking of, but it is not him." Shang Linglan seemed to see through Fang Xiaoran's thoughts, shook her head slightly, and looked at the exquisite jade clasp in her hand. "You should have already had contact with her. You probably already know what kind of person she is."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran's eyes trembled slightly, and she suddenly looked up, "Shang Lingzhu..."

For some reason, she blurted out the name.

Even though she had little interaction with this person, and had only met him once or twice, she still thought of him immediately.

"Do you know why His Majesty did not punish me severely even though I did such a thing? I was not even banished to the Cold Palace. Although Hanlu Palace is remote, it is completely different from the Cold Palace."

"Why?"

"Because businesses are related to the fate of the nation."

Fang Xiaoran had never heard of this before, not even in her previous life. It seemed to be a royal secret that outsiders had no way of knowing.

“You don’t need to be surprised. Only the king knows about this, and even the empress and the empress dowager know it.” Shang Linglan gently stroked the rim of the teacup with her fingertips, her smile still present.

Fang Xiaoran narrowed her eyes, "Then why did you tell me?"

Shang Linglan raised her eyes and smiled faintly, "Because you are also deeply involved, you can't be considered an absolute 'outsider'."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran's eyes darkened slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Shang Linglan continued, "Shang Lingzhu and I, who are my younger sisters, were chosen when we were young. I entered the palace as a concubine, while she remained hidden in the shadows, in charge of the 'Dark Web'."

The so-called dark web must be the intelligence organization of the Shang Kingdom, and this intelligence must eventually flow to the emperor. This made her think of one person: Gu Yuqing.

This person appears to be idle and unable to inherit a title, but in reality, the intelligence he possesses is both fast and accurate. Without his help, many things would not have gone so smoothly.

According to Shang Linglan, he might be the one now in charge of the "dark web".

No wonder Emperor Zhao was not surprised by the rebellion of the Second Prince and Prince Duan; it seems he already knew about it.

Thinking about it this way, the royal family of the Shang Kingdom is rather frightening.

"What does this have to do with her killing my mother?" Fang Xiaoran didn't want to know too much about royal secrets; the more you know, the more dangerous it often is.

She had no intention of getting involved and therefore had no interest in what Shang Linglan was saying.

Moreover, she always felt that Shang Linglan was deliberately guiding her and making her deeply involved, which clearly indicated that her motives were not pure.

"What I mean is that she has the means and ability to take your mother's life. The evidence you have points to me, which is obviously due to her secret manipulation."

"What's the reason?" Fang Xiaoran asked.

She had her doubts about this, but there had to be a reason. Besides, what Shang Linglan said was just her opinion, and the truth of it was still unclear.

When this was mentioned, Shang Linglan was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "She has loved His Majesty since she was a young girl, how could she tolerate him having another person in his heart?"

"According to your logic, why isn't she jealous of you? There are many concubines in the palace, and there's no reason for her not to hate you. Besides, Mother and His Majesty have no dealings. Back then, she was just a naive girl who mistook a good man for someone else. Later, she was already married, so why would she risk her life for him?"

Fang Xiaoran simply couldn't understand it. If that was really the reason, then her mother was being wronged far too much.

"No matter how many concubines there are, they can never catch His Majesty's eye. Look at me, although I am favored, I have never won His Majesty's heart, because his heart is not here at all. Perhaps it was because A-Zhu saw through this that she was aroused with murderous intent." Shang Linglan sighed slightly, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes, while at the same time a hint of cunning appeared.

As she spoke, her voice grew colder, carrying a chilling undertone, "She can tolerate His Majesty's indifference, but she absolutely cannot tolerate anyone stirring up this stagnant pool."

"Such a reason is too ridiculous. You say my mother was killed by her own friend's jealousy?" Fang Xiaoran couldn't accept it, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart. In her opinion, the culprit behind all this was probably Emperor Zhao.

Shang Linglan's fingers lightly brushed across the teacup. The tea was already slightly cool, and ripples appeared as her fingertips touched it. She coughed twice, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth again, but this time she was too lazy to wipe it away. "They were friends for many years, but so was their hatred. Of course, that's only one aspect. Your mother and she, and even me, are destined to be on different paths."

“Since she is devoted to His Majesty, why was it you who entered the palace back then, and not her?” Fang Xiaoran didn’t quite believe what Shang Linglan said. There were too many suspicious points, and she needed to investigate them herself.

If Shang Lingzhu really did kill her mother, she would risk her life to avenge her mother.

“What I do is different from what she does. Her status disqualifies her from entering the palace; it was determined at birth. Therefore, she also hates me…”

Before she could finish speaking, Shang Linglan began to cough violently, interrupting even her soft whispers.

"I was also involved in your mother's death. The only regret I have is that I couldn't kill her with my own hands..."

"People like that shouldn't exist in this world..."

As Shang Linglan struggled to say these words, Fang Xiaoran had already stood up, her icy silver needle pressed against the other woman's neck. With just a little effort, she could take her life.

"Are you forcing me to kill you?" Fang Xiaoran chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't. Your foundation is already damaged, and you're destined to have an uneasy end. This is the best retribution for you."

"I have no fear of cause and effect or retribution." Shang Linglan laughed maniacally, but then she coughed again. This time, her cough was unstoppable, which frightened her maids so much that they rushed in to help her catch her breath and ordered someone to prepare medicine.

Fang Xiaoran also left Hanlu Palace at this time.

On the other side, a figure slowly stepped into the Cining Palace.

At that moment, the Empress Dowager was worshipping Buddha. Hearing footsteps behind her, she did not turn around, but simply said, "You've come."

"This humble woman greets the Empress Dowager." Jiang Yuke knelt behind the Empress Dowager with her eyes lowered, her gaze light and unreadable.

"When I chose you and sent you to the Marquis's mansion, it wasn't so you would go against me. You have truly disappointed me..."

The Empress Dowager sighed silently, her words carrying a hint of reproach, but more so of helplessness.

Back then, the Empress Dowager arranged for Jiang Yuke to marry Marquis Gu mainly to restrain the Shang family. At that time, the Shang and Gu families were united by marriage, and Consort Ning was at the height of her power in the palace. No one could stop the rise of the Shang family, so the most threatened person was Prince Duan.

But who could have imagined that after Jiang Yuke married Gu Hou, she would fall in love with him? With her biased heart, she would naturally not listen to the Empress Dowager. Just like this time when Prince Duan rebelled, the Gu family led troops to quell the rebellion, which was already a secret shift in allegiance.

These were not the Empress Dowager's wishes, but what's done is done and cannot be undone.

"It is my duty as a subject, please punish me, Your Majesty." Jiang Yuke's voice trembled slightly, but there was no remorse in her eyes. Since she had come here, she had no intention of leaving alive. The Empress Dowager might not let her off the hook. Prince Duan was in a precarious situation this time, so how could the Empress Dowager not need an outlet for her anger?

The Empress Dowager gently moved the prayer beads in her hand, and wisps of smoke filled the hall. Jiang Yuke knelt calmly, waiting for the Empress Dowager to punish her.

However, after a long while, the Empress Dowager let out a sigh of relief and said with a hint of helplessness, "Yu Ke, I have watched you grow up."

These words made Jiang Yuke's heart tremble, a ripple appeared in her eyes, and her hand hidden in her sleeve unconsciously clenched.

"Everyone says that matters of the heart are nothing. I have reminded you many times, but you never listen. Fine, since it is already a fait accompli, what difference does it make if I kill you?" As she said this, the Buddhist prayer beads in the Empress Dowager's hand broke, and the beads fell to the ground one by one with a crisp sound.

"You may leave. Just pretend I never helped you."

A Buddhist prayer bead slowly rolled down to Jiang Yuke's knees. She reached out and picked it up, gazing at the Empress Dowager's retreating figure, a sense of desolation washing over her. "Empress Dowager, this humble woman... takes her leave."

"Let's go. Things are about to get chaotic, and you might not be able to get out unscathed. Once you're in the mire, don't expect to escape unscathed."