The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

In the instant her memories returned, the boy had already fallen into the snowdrift like a crane, and when she rushed over, she could only touch her hands covered in warm blood.

Shen Zhizhi squatted down, her body trembling, gazing at the boy who had closed his eyes in the snowdrift, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Zhang Jiali lay peacefully in the snow, a smile on his lips, as if he were thinking of something wonderful before he died.

With tears in her eyes, Shen Zhizhi turned her gaze to the bright yellow scroll beside him, her heart skipping a beat.

She reached out her frozen hand, grasped the scroll, and slowly opened it—

It was an imperial edict left by Chu Shi, on bright yellow brocade, written in neat characters, clearly stating that the throne was to be passed to the second prince.

Inside, there were two letters, one of which was slightly old, with yellowed paper and worn edges.

The other letter was brand new, with the words "To Miss Shen" written on the pristine white paper.

Shen Zhizhi paused, held back her tears, and gently unfolded the envelope.

Miss Shen:

Seeing these words is like seeing you in person; a thousand words are in my heart, yet I find it difficult to put them into words.

I imagine that you have now recalled the past and must hate me to the core.

Miss Shen, considering that we will never see each other again in this life, please forgive me this once.

I have already said too much in apology. Now that you have seen my corpse, can it appease your anger?

I have deceived you in this life, and there are many things I have not told you. It is not that I am unwilling, but that I dare not.

Let you forget for a moment...

Firstly, I hope you will treat me as you did before, so that I can be close to you.

Secondly, I will complete the heavy responsibility you bear for you. After all, this is the only thing I can do for you.

I entrust my life, along with the unspoken guilt of this lifetime, to you.

Please keep this in mind and lessen your resentment.

The imperial edict left by the Emperor did not specify who would inherit the throne.

You must be wondering why, since I have found the imperial edict, I do not write my own name on it.

There was also a letter bound inside the imperial edict; that letter was left to him by his mother.

Although the Emperor did not leave a single word, that letter was enough to tell the whole story.

If I were to write down my own name and accept the throne, I would be handing over the title of heir apparent to someone who has deceived me for half my life.

Under these circumstances, the only proper course of action is to pass the throne to the second prince.

My father is even more knowledgeable about political maneuvering than I am, and has been planning this for so long.

However, since he has deceived me so much and betrayed my mother so much, then I will make sure that he will never have any connection with my mother again after his death.

My mother is buried in the north, so I buried him in the south.

Separated by north and south, with mountains and rivers as the boundary, they will never meet again for all eternity.

However, even on his deathbed, Father Emperor still thought of his second brother...

I am extremely envious of this.

Could you please also ask Miss Shen to consider that my second brother already has someone who cares about him, and to share some of your thoughts with me, and to think of me a little more?

Miss Shen, I am speaking of this matter out of my own selfish motives.

With your kind heart, seeing this will surely break your heart, and perhaps you will also recall the good I have done for you in the past.

That's enough.

Words cannot fully express the feelings conveyed in writing.

It's a pity I can't see you in person.

In that case, may you remember Jiali every year and cherish the memory of Jiali every year.

It could also be considered a bit of my own selfish motive.

— Zhang Jiali's last words.

Shen Zhizhi's hand holding the letter suddenly trembled, and hot tears blurred her vision at that moment, but she still forced herself to finish reading the letter.

She looked down at Zhang Jiali lying in the snow. The boy's face was calm, and there was a smile on his lips, as if he had just fallen into a deep sleep, rather than saying goodbye forever.

She reached out and touched his cheek, her fingertips brushing against something icy cold, and a pang of sorrow welled up inside her.

The fact that the Soul-Devouring Gu in his body had not been neutralized proves that he did not harm his father; it was all a play he orchestrated himself.

Shen Zhizhi took a deep breath, forcing the tears back into her eyes. She reached out and grasped his cold hand, and finally, the tears flowed freely.

Do I hate him? Perhaps I once did.

But now, all that hatred has been dissolved by the scene before my eyes.

He gave his life as a price, leaving her with all the tenderness and honesty he had left in his life. How could she possibly hate him?

Shen Zhizhi lowered her eyes, her slender hand stroking his brows and eyes, her tone gentle.

"I'm sorry, in the end I still couldn't let you have this bowl of hot porridge."

call out--!

As the wind and snow began to rise, the kite string at the tip of the plum tree suddenly snapped, and the kite painted with fish scales spun and plummeted beyond the palace wall.

Shen Zhizhi lowered her eyes, staring at the thread reel in his hand, her eyelashes trembling slightly, shaking off a few snowflakes.

"Zhang Jiali, did you see that?"

"The kite string has broken; you are free."

......

Yin Qinian lowered his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, his mind clear as a mirror.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his sleeves fluttering in the cold wind, but his fingertips were clenched and his knuckles were white.

He stared into the dark night in the distance, as if he could see through the layers of mist and glimpse a deeper conspiracy.

Indeed, his disciple has always been exceptionally intelligent, meticulous, and meticulous in his actions.

Ah Li's scheme to fake Qu Yuanye's death was probably not merely to help him escape, but rather had another purpose.

It's likely that this was to gain his trust, so that he would send Fang Yan to transfer the Invincible Pavilion's secret guards out of Nanliyue Star City.

But why?

Why did Ali do this?

Yin Qinian frowned, his mind churning with thoughts.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in my mind and exploded at the end.

Like a bolt of lightning suddenly flashing across the night sky, it illuminated the chaotic fog in his heart.

He suddenly remembered the question Ali had asked him that day:

'Has Master ever lied to his disciple?'

At the time, he didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a casual question from his disciple.

Looking back now, although Ali's tone was calm that day, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible coldness in his eyes.

At this moment, the chill pierced Yin Qinian's heart like an icy blade, making him shudder.

Could it be that Ali already knows about the past?

Yin Qinian's heart sank, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

The past is his biggest secret in life, and the past he is most unwilling to mention.

If Ali truly knew about that matter, then his betrayal had a reason. But how did Ali find out? And when did he begin to suspect him?

Thinking of this, Yin Qinian was about to say something when a sharp female voice suddenly came from afar:

"The late emperor's edict has been found!"

Upon hearing the sound, everyone looked up and followed the sound.

Shen Zhizhi, holding a bright yellow imperial edict, hurried over. Her breathing was slightly disordered and her fingertips trembled slightly, clearly due to her rapid pace.

In the wind and snow, her figure appeared exceptionally thin, as if she might be swallowed up by the cold wind at any moment.

"Yin Qinian!"

Her voice was exceptionally clear in the wind and snow, filled with boundless anger.

Yin Qinian turned around, his gaze as cold as frost, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

Shen Zhizhi did not answer, but simply raised the imperial edict in her hand high, her voice cold and resolute: "The late emperor's edict is here, passing the throne to the second prince. What else do you have to say?"

Yin Qinian's pupils suddenly contracted, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.

He stared intently at the imperial edict, as if trying to see through the bright yellow brocade to discern every single word.

A moment later, he sneered, his voice low and dangerous: "Do you think you can turn the tide with just an imperial edict?"