The Crown Princess calculated with her fingers and the prince was terrified.

The Empress Dowager cried out in anguish, but the Emperor's expression gradually turned cold.

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all inevitable. Why are you so fixated on this, Mother? Isn't being emperor all about the sake of the country and its people?"

"Fool, utterly fool!"

At this moment, the Empress Dowager's tone became extremely cold and hard.

"What's the point of this world if we can't survive?"

The Empress Dowager's face was extremely pale, and she coughed up black blood, looking quite ferocious.

"My biggest regret now is that I chose the wrong person. And the Empress, she's too hypocritical and unfit for this country. You had so many capable women in your harem, yet you chose the most useless one!"

The Empress Dowager complained a lot, and finally collapsed to the ground.

The emperor knelt down, deeply grieved.

At this moment, the great formation had been opened, and everyone was exhausted. Inside the formation, Consort Zhuang was dead, as were several sorcerers, all of whom died in excruciating pain.

Only Jiang Xian Yue lay there, without any external injuries, but completely motionless.

There was also a large pool of blood next to her.

"Ah Yue, Ah Yue!"

Shen Shijing ran over. Was it already too late?

"Ah Yue, why are you doing this? We agreed to face this together, are you trying to abandon me now?"

Shen Shijing held Jiang Xianyue in his arms, looking utterly heartbroken.

Everyone gathered around.

Jiang Xianyue had already stopped breathing. The group poured their spiritual energy into her several more times, and finally, Jiang Xianyue's fingertips twitched slightly.

"Take it back quickly!"

At the old man's command, the group took Jiang Xian Yue and left.

As for the rest, that's easy to handle.

Liu Miaomiao was killed on the spot, while Shen Qinglan was thrown into the dungeon.

The Emperor had already lost faith in Shen Qinglan after the death of Consort Gui. Even if Shen Qinglan hadn't died, her future would have been worse than death.

Everyone gathered around Jiang Xianyue's bed, filled with worry.

After the old man went in and came out, everyone's spiritual power was damaged after breaking the great formation. Now, it will not be an easy task to save Jiang Xianyue.

Everyone was deathly pale, barely managing to keep Jiang Xianyue alive.

……

Inside the dungeon, Shen Shijing went to see Shen Qinglan alone.

At that time, Shen Qinglan had already become a prisoner.

In both his past and present lives, Shen Shijing had never seen Shen Qinglan so disheveled, so much so that Shen Shijing couldn't help but chuckle twice.

"Shen Qinglan, you've finally met your match?"

"Are you here?"

Shen Qinglan gave a bleak smile.

"After being reborn, I wanted to compete with you again, but I was too careless. I thought I was just one step away from victory in my previous life. You don't know who the instigator was. In this life, I can still fight you."

I never expected that the unexpected turn of events would involve Jiang Xian Yue.

“A-Yue was meant to be alone.”

Shen Shijing's face contorted in rage.

“In the past life, you stole A-Yue from me and didn’t cherish her. In this life, you’re still harming her. I should have killed you the day I returned.”

“Your Highness, that’s what I think too. If we settle things on the first day we return, we can start over and keep going, outwitting and outmaneuvering each other time and time again.”

"You think you can compete with me, the Crown Prince? You've only resorted to underhanded tactics."

Today, I will avenge A-Yue.

"It's revenge again, Shen Shijing. It seems you haven't won completely. Just like in my previous life, Jiang Xianyue still died by my hand."

But now I realize that the person who saved me was actually Jiang Xian Yue. I was wrong to trust Jiang Ru Yan, and to be manipulated by such a woman is truly shameful. If there is an afterlife, I will not give up either the throne or her.

Upon hearing Shen Qinglan's words, Shen Shijing grabbed Shen Qinglan's neck tightly.

"You can't have a next life."

Shen Shijing spoke with certainty.

"Ah Yue, you will not die, but you will die here today."

"What did you say!"

Shen Qinglan couldn't believe it.

"I said, A-Yue will not die; only you will die today!"

Finally, Shen Shijing grabbed Shen Qinglan by the neck.

"You damned bastard, you are vicious and covetous of everything that doesn't belong to you. You helped the Empress Dowager and caused the death of my mother. I should have torn you to pieces, but killing you now is too good for you!"

Shen Qinglan felt suffocated. Now that no one was there to help him, he struggled desperately.

As he lay dying, he remembered his resentment from his past life and struggled desperately, but at that moment, Shen Shijing snapped his neck.

Shen Qinglan's expression was cold.

"A-Yue will not die, only you will die, Shen Qinglan."

From the very first day of my rebirth, I wanted to do this.

The mysteries of my past life have been resolved, but drawing out the person behind it all will be incredibly difficult. Now, all of that is in the past.

……

Shen Shijing arrived at the Emperor's bedroom.

"Father, Shen Qinglan is dead."

Upon hearing of his son's death, the emperor was somewhat disheartened.

"Your Highness, why must you..."

"Actually, Shen Qinglan is not the Emperor's son."

Shen Shijing spoke calmly, revealing that some things had long been the subject of suspicion.

For example, Consort Lin and Luo Cheng were not clean.

This Shen Qinglan is the root cause of Consort Lin's control over Luo Cheng, her cultivation of evil arts, and her manipulation of the Emperor.

Shen Shijing had long suspected it, but evidence was hard to find, though he was fortunate enough to find it.

"If Luo Cheng hadn't died back then, it's uncertain who would rule the world today."

"The Empress Dowager's affair should have been cleared up by now."

"It is I who have wronged your mother!"

The Emperor now understands, but it seems a little too late.

"How is she?"

The Emperor mentioned Jiang Xianyue.

"All of this started because of the Luo family. In the future, the practice of worshipping sorcerers in this Duan Dynasty should be stopped."

These sorcerers boast of their spiritual powers and omnipotence; I should have realized this long ago.

Shen Shijing, however, raised the corners of his mouth in a mocking smile.

"This matter has nothing to do with the Luo family. It is probably related to people's greed. Luo Huaiqing and others have been dealt with, and the Luo family now has a new head of the family in charge."

The Empress Dowager's affair was only resolved thanks to the Luo family.

Shen Shijing didn't reveal certain things because he still wanted the throne before him.

However, the deep bond between father and son is no longer important.

"Father, the matter is settled. Your son will now return to take care of A-Yue."

Shen Shijing bowed and left, but his eyes were filled with gloom.

Some things cannot withstand scrutiny.

The Emperor wants to destroy the Luo family, but Jiang Xian Yue needs the Luo family, making this an even more painful choice.

Shen Shijing had always thought that his father was the victim, but now that he thought about it, the emperor had never been involved in changing the imperial star or plotting to usurp the throne, yet he was also a beneficiary of these events.

He was the only one who benefited from being alive.

He wasn't involved in the matter, and his hands were clean.

However, isn't using the Empress Dowager's greed to solve the problem of heavily relying on sorcerers something the Emperor has been doing in both his past and present lives?

Even their own mothers, who married far away to this place, became easy targets.

Even as the crown prince, he may not be able to secure the throne.

Now both sides are injured, while the fisherman benefits.

Jiang Xian Yue's final words clearly reflected this point.

Now all he wants to do is protect Jiang Xianyue.

At this moment, his only thought was to protect Jiang Xianyue.