This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

"The time allotted for half an incense stick is almost up, Your Highness. Please make your decision quickly," Confucius sighed helplessly, offering this reminder.

"Sister, we..." Ling Feng looked troubled.

"Fine, I admit it..." Although unwilling, a filial son judging his mother was an act deserving of divine retribution, something she would never do.

"Wait a minute,"

Just as the eldest princess raised her hand to concede, Xiao Xingchen broke the silence with a single sentence.

"Since Your Highness has not lost, why admit defeat?"

Xiao Xingchen slowly walked up, his eyes fixed on the simply dressed woman. At this moment, he concealed his emotions, letting Xiao Jianren's longing surge forth.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an unremarkable-looking young man walk forward, all of them showing confusion.

"Who is this?"

"Perhaps it's some show-off kid. After all, everyone here today is a well-known figure in Yong'an. This guy probably wants to make a name for himself here."

"So he's just a greenhorn?"

. . .

Xiao Xingchen knew that if he didn't quietly live with Daji in Yong'an City, no one would notice him, and this attention would only worsen his situation. However, Xiao Jianren's obsession compelled him to stand idly by, not for any other reason than for this person who had given him the same care as a mother.

"Stop right there! Are you out of your mind?" Ling Feng's face showed anxiety. He never expected that his good intentions in helping someone would lead to such trouble.

Things were already bad enough, but now another young man has stepped out of their ranks. This provides further ammunition; if the Crown Prince makes a move, it will be another pretext.

Unfortunately, Xiao Xingchen completely ignored Ling Feng's attempts to stop him; all his attention was focused on the person standing hand in hand on the phoenix carriage.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he walked through the throng and leaped over Ling Feng.

He walked past Huangfu Lingxue in surprise, until he reached the imperial carriage. His gaze was fixed on the late Empress, and a flood of unspoken thoughts suddenly welled up within him—these were all Xiao Jianren's memories.

On a dark and windy night, he was chased to the cold palace, severely wounded. It was this woman before him who drove away the assassins and saved his life.

He secretly entered the palace, bringing her her favorite pastries; she mended his tattered clothes.

The two talked late into the night by candlelight. He told her about what he had seen and heard outside, and she gave him advice on how to avoid trouble.

Every act of kindness from her could make him happy for days.

Every time he came, she smiled from the bottom of her heart, as if she were seeing her own child.

They talked about everything and considered each other family. Although they were separated by palace walls, he would secretly go to be with her whenever he was alive.

For ten years, they cared for each other. Though they weren't mother and son by blood, they shared a mother-son bond. They had long regarded each other as indispensable people in their lives. And what's most tragic is that the day after Xiao Jianren was killed was her birthday.

The world only knows that he covets the Crown Princess, but he only wants to find Chen Miao to ask for a birthday gift for her, a pill called the Star Pill. This pill comes from the Star Pavilion and uses the power of stars to heal human injuries; it is the best healing medicine in the world.

Because she suffers from excruciating pain, she must endure this agony every three months. Within her body resides a Gu worm called Soul Devourer, which is the fundamental reason why, despite her immense power, she is imprisoned in the Cold Palace.

Each time the pain was excruciating, Xiao Jianren would hide in the shadows and silently wipe away his tears. He hated his own powerlessness; no one knew the torment he had endured all those years.

He hated this world, hated its injustice towards him. From childhood to adulthood, she was the only person who cared about him, so he absolutely would not allow her to endure this pain.

Relying on his powerful connections, he exhausted all his resources and finally found the Star Pill. At that moment, he disregarded everything and went to find Chen Miao.

Even at the moment of his death, Xiao Xingchen could sense that Xiao Jianren's only emotion was resentment and distrust of the deposed empress before him.

That was the unresolved obsession that remained buried deep within this body even after the soul had departed. This body instinctively wanted to see the late empress one last time.

Seeing a young boy standing before her, tears welling in his eyes, the deposed empress felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart. Even seeing her own children in distress hadn't stirred any sorrow within her, but this boy... for some reason, it caused her a sudden pang of heartache.

"You...who are you?" She raised her right hand, trembling, and couldn't help but stroke Xiao Xingchen's face. At that moment, everyone felt a surge of tenderness emanating from the deposed empress.

She was certain that this was the first time she had ever met this boy.

But how could this be? Her own children were right there, yet she was showing emotions only a mother would have towards a strange boy. How could this not be perplexing?

Especially Huangfu Lingxue and Huangfu Lingfeng, who had always thought their mother was naturally cold-hearted, now realized that she was only cold towards them.

With a "plop," Xiao Xingchen's tears streamed down her face, and she knelt down directly in front of her.

This move shocked many people, and an unbelievable thought arose in their minds: Could this be the illegitimate child of the deposed empress and Emperor Wu who had been living away from home?

This thought startled even the crown prince, let alone others; otherwise, how could they explain everything before their eyes?

Hidden in the crowd, Chen Miao's mouth dropped open in shock, as if she could swallow a stone. She pointed at Xiao Xingchen in disbelief and asked...

"He...he...he's the person we know, right?"

"Although I don't want to admit it, it probably is," Qingyu's lips twitched slightly. This scene was so shocking that she wondered if she was dreaming.

"Damn it, what's going on? If this guy is Emperor Wu's illegitimate son, then we'd better run away right now."

Chen Miao was getting anxious. This man knew perfectly well what they had been doing in Cangshan. Chen Miao only trusted him because he seemed to have no background. If this were a prince, Chen Miao felt the sky would fall. An enemy spy training with a prince? She was going crazy.

"Your Highness, please don't be hasty. It seems things aren't so simple."

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the boy beneath the phoenix carriage, who had begun to weep and wail.

“I have a friend who has a deep connection with you. Although we are not related by blood, he regarded you as his mother. Now that he has passed away, as his dear friend, I kowtow on his behalf, wishing you all the best and a long and healthy life.”

Xiao Xingchen spoke each word carefully, tears streaming down his face as he gazed at the woman before him with endless longing.

The deposed empress felt a pang of pain in her heart, and for some reason, her eyes welled up with tears. At that moment, it seemed as if a mother and son, separated for so long, were reunited, their hearts filled with unbearable anguish.

"Good...good...good child, get up quickly and tell me in detail,"

She didn't ask him if it was true, nor did she refuse. Her heart, dormant for many years, came alive completely the moment the boy knelt down. It was as if, in that instant, she had rediscovered the light in her life.

"No, listen to me, and everyone else is listening too. Today I am paying respects on behalf of a friend, my dearest friend, to repay a life-saving debt."

Xiao Xingchen didn't want to cause trouble, neither for himself nor for the Empress before him. In the current situation, he couldn't speak the truth. Despite his genuine emotions, he maintained a degree of rationality.

"Okay, okay, you bow, I will accept."

The deposed empress's eyes reddened. Although they were complete strangers, she felt a connection to him. He was someone of vital importance to her. He must have considered that coming out at this time would put him in the spotlight and bring serious consequences, but he still came.