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

Late at night, Fang Xiaoran did not ask for permission, but secretly sneaked into the imperial city.

She was worried about Emperor Zhao's condition. As long as he was alive, there was still room for maneuver. But if Emperor Zhao died, Zhao Jin might interfere and seize the throne.

If the eldest prince continues to be instigated, even if he had many supporters before, he will likely find it difficult to shoulder great responsibilities.

But clearly, the current fire is far from enough. If Zhao Jinru really wants to stir up trouble, he will only make the fire burn even brighter.

Therefore, the key to the outbreak of the fire lies with Consort Hui and Emperor Zhao.

It was precisely because of this suspicion that Fang Xiaoran entered the palace immediately.

But she never expected that she would receive the news as soon as she arrived in the capital.

Consort Hui died in Zhongcui Palace.

This incident was like a stone suddenly falling into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

The news spread throughout the palace, even alarming the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager, who were on their way to Zhongcui Palace.

Fang Xiaoran frowned. Even if the eldest prince was incompetent, he shouldn't have made a move at this critical juncture. Wouldn't that invite criticism?

Even if one wants to establish authority or seek revenge, it should be done after successfully ascending the throne.

Even if Consort Hui was not his biological mother, he was adopted by Consort Hui, so at least on the surface they were mother and son. If he were to kill Consort Hui for the sake of Consort Shun, he would inevitably be opposed by the court officials.

There must be something fishy going on; she has to go and see what's really going on.

Fang Xiaoran immediately rushed to Zhongcui Palace, but was blocked by a dark figure on her way there.

The other party wore a black mask and was dressed entirely in black, so his face could not be seen. However, he was very skilled. The two of them exchanged more than ten moves in a short period of time, and Fang Xiaoran was clearly being suppressed.

Regardless of who this person is, it is clear that they are trying to block her way and prevent her from going to Zhongcui Palace.

"Get out of the way." Fang Xiaoran's eyes darkened, and her fingers quietly slid towards the silver needles hidden in her sleeve.

The man in black remained silent, but his attacks were incredibly swift. He held a short, exceptionally sharp blade in his hand, and occasionally unleashed palm strikes that, even when Fang Xiaoran dodged, still resulted in injuries from the aftershocks.

And this move... it feels kind of familiar.

While Fang Xiaoran was puzzled, the man in black became increasingly fierce, his blade flashing like snow, drawing a cold arc under the moonlight.

Fang Xiaoran dodged to the side, but was still grazed on the shoulder by the palm strike, and a sharp pain shot through her.

"You..." She opened her mouth, but her attack did not diminish. Her short blade slashed horizontally, forcing Fang Xiaoran to retreat several steps.

Just as she was about to be cornered, the man in black suddenly changed his tactics, intentionally leading her to a certain place.

Although his actions were strange, Fang Xiaoran had already guessed who he was. While dealing with him, she and he disappeared into the shadows around the corner of the palace wall.

The man in black grabbed her wrist with his backhand, the force heavy but without any murderous intent, and whispered, "It's me."

The black mask was removed, and in the moonlight, she saw a familiar face.

It was the long-lost silver crane.

"How did you end up here? Why are you stopping me from going to Zhongcui Palace?" Fang Xiaoran looked at the person in front of her in confusion. She had sent people to search for a long time, but Yinhe seemed to have disappeared and could not be found at all. She never expected him to appear here.

“Someone has set a trap for you in Zhongcui Palace. If you show yourself, you will surely die.”

Silver Crane's voice carried a hint of coldness, but his eyes were unusually serious, clearly indicating that he was not lying.

"A trap?" Fang Xiaoran frowned slightly. Thinking about it carefully, many things had happened recently, and according to her habitual thinking, she would indeed go to the palace immediately to check the situation.

But who would do such a thing? And who knows her so well?

Yes, Zhao Jin?

still is……

"Come with me out of here first. There are too many front lines here, and we must avoid their sight."

As Yinhe spoke, his figure swiftly disappeared into the darkness.

Fang Xiaoran was skeptical, but compared to others, Yinhe was trustworthy. However, this referred to the Yinhe of the past. Was he still the same person now?

A single glance was not enough to discern his changes. Fang Xiaoran's expression turned solemn as a thin, cicada-wing-like dagger slipped from her sleeve and was tightly gripped in her hand.

As she was leaving, she released a Gu spirit and took control of the palace servant closest to her, just in case. If a crisis arose, she could use him to spread her message.

Silver Crane headed towards the Cold Palace, showing no intention of leaving the imperial city, which puzzled Fang Xiaoran.

Although she was suspicious, she didn't ask any questions, but remained wary of him at all times.

After passing through numerous palaces, they unexpectedly arrived at the abandoned and dilapidated Star-Picking Tower.

This place was originally built by the late emperor for Consort Li. Legend has it that the late emperor doted on Consort Li so much that he spared no expense in building this Star-Picking Tower to win her smile. The tower is nine stories high and located on the Star-Picking Platform, where one can touch the stars.

Unfortunately, Consort Li passed away, and the Star-Picking Tower was abandoned here.

There are even rumors that Consort Li did not die of illness, but jumped to her death from the Star-Picking Terrace, which is why the place was abandoned.

However, these are all rumors circulating in the palace, and no one knows whether they are true or false. It seems that the late emperor intentionally concealed the truth.

With a creak, the vermilion gate was pushed open. Contrary to Fang Xiaoran's expectations, the place, though seemingly abandoned, was still clean and orderly inside, without the musty smell of years of neglect.

Logically speaking, this place has been abandoned for decades. After Emperor Zhao ascended the throne, no one should have come to clean it. Why is it still as good as new?

"Come with me." Just as Fang Xiaoran was wondering, Yinhe suddenly spoke.

It was unusually quiet here, so his voice was exceptionally clear, even echoing.

Silver Crane walked towards the spiraling wooden stairs, and Fang Xiaoran followed closely behind. Before long, the two arrived at the Star-Picking Platform on the top floor.

The moment she reached the summit, a night wind howled, scattering the stray hairs at Fang Xiaoran's temples.

This place truly lives up to its name, the Star-Picking Platform; it seems that with just a slight raise of the hand, one can grasp the entire starry sky.

"Why did you bring me here?" Fang Xiaoran asked the silver crane curiously.

His expression remained unchanged, no different from before.

It was at this moment that she was certain that he was still him.

"What does this place remind you of?" He took a few steps forward, stood at the edge of the Star-Picking Platform, and pointed into the distance.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran looked in the direction he was looking. The terrain here was high, offering a panoramic view of the imperial city. Lights were scattered among the palaces like stars, and the glazed tiles of the main hall in the distance gleamed coldly under the moonlight.

Fang Xiaoran's gaze followed the direction the silver crane pointed, and suddenly her pupils contracted slightly. From this angle, the layout of the entire imperial city was completely consistent with the celestial chart on the Star-Picking Platform!

Wasn't the Star-Picking Tower built for Consort Li? Why is this scene appearing? Is it a coincidence, or was it intentional?

“When I ventured into the Netherworld Path with you, we accidentally stumbled into a secret passage. Through these interconnected passages, I discovered the secrets of Yan City and even the Imperial City.” At this point, Yinhe’s voice suddenly became ethereal, as if it came from a very distant place: “Beneath Yan City lies the Ghost Market, and beneath the Imperial City are dark alleys. The entire underground of Yan City is actually a huge underground palace connected by intricate mechanisms.”

"The dark web, is that what you mean?"

This news shocked Fang Xiaoran. She had thought that the Ghost Market was unusual, but she did not expect it to be a maze of traps and mechanisms. In that case, it was no wonder that Emperor Zhao's information was so readily available.

"You actually know this? This should be a royal secret, something only the emperor has the right to know. Do you know the real name of this so-called 'dark web'? Strictly speaking, what is the name of this underground palace?" Silver Crane suddenly asked.

Fang Xiaoran's eyes darkened slightly, and she asked with some surprise, "Isn't it called Ghost Market?"

"The Ghost Market is only a part of it. Its real name is Millennium Tower, which is the 'Shadow Palace' belonging to the Shang Kingdom's secret guards. In addition to intelligence gathering, it also trains secret guards and helps the emperor secretly eliminate hidden dangers."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran suddenly looked up, "That's how the Grand Tutor was eliminated..."

"It's not just him. Have you ever heard of any emperor in the Shang Kingdom who had internal troubles after ascending the throne? There were very few rebellions. Even if there were, they were probably just to establish authority. In reality, they never escaped the emperor's control."

“The rebellion of Prince Duan and the Second Prince was under Emperor Zhao’s control. In fact, even without the First Prince, the rebellion would not have been won.”

The reason why Emperor Zhao did not act in advance was actually to trigger the succession struggle and select the person who was truly capable of inheriting the throne. Perhaps what he valued was never the eldest prince, but... Zhao Jin.