Han Xichen?
Xue Zining frowned. Han Xichen had been impersonated by Hua Yunjin before. Who was the current Han Xichen?
After warning the waiter and the shopkeeper against further acts of greed, Xue Zining and Wen Yu prepared to infiltrate the imperial palace at night.
Upon arriving at the palace of the Han Kingdom, Xue Zining noticed that the guards seemed to have increased significantly compared to before.
She leaped onto the palace walls, concealing herself in the darkness. Her feet never paused as she followed her memory to Han Xixia's sleeping quarters.
There were guards stationed outside the door, which was unusual. They didn't look like ordinary guards; rather, they resembled those guarding someone under house arrest.
"You stay outside," Xue Zining said, throwing the words back before flying onto the roof. Picking up two roof tiles, she dropped into the room, landing on a roof beam. Just as she finished, the door was pushed open, and someone entered.
He wore a bright yellow dragon robe. Although not very close, she could tell this person was not Han Xixia.
However, the person soon spoke, "Han Xixia, look at you, confined to this dragon bed. But me? I get to sit on the dragon throne?"
The person on the bed had a livid complexion but remained motionless, his gaze conveying his current rage.
The newcomer stepped forward, bent down, and sneered at Han Xixia, "You probably don't know yet, but I have already dispatched troops to attack the State of An. Soon, An will be under my control, and then I will gradually annex other states to unify the realm."
"You dream..." Han Xixia mustered all his strength to utter these two words.
"Han Xixia, my good brother, the time I can spare for you ends here. Watch me ascend the throne from the underworld!" As he spoke, the man drew a bottle of medicine from his waist and grabbed Han Xixia's chin, intending to force it down his throat.
Xue Zining, determined, pulled a hairpin from her hair and hurled it at the hand holding the medicine bottle.
The man cried out in pain and was about to shout for help when a cold, gleaming dagger was pressed against his throat.
"You... What do you want? Release me at once, or you won't be able to leave this palace."
"Whether I leave or not is irrelevant, but I know I can kill you..."
"No, please don't kill me..."
"Who are you? Why are you imprisoning the Han Emperor?" Xue Zining asked coldly.
"I... I am the Grand Princess, the Emperor's sister... It's not me who imprisoned the Emperor; someone ordered me... ordered me to do this. I am merely following orders..."
"Is the person who ordered you in the palace?" Xue Zining asked.
The Grand Princess shook her head, "No, they went to the State of An..."
Upon hearing this, Xue Zining struck the Grand Princess on the neck with one hand, then caught the Grand Princess's collapsing body. She pulled down the bed curtain, bound her, and gagged her.
Having done all this, Xue Zining mimicked a cat's meow.
Wen Yu quickly descended from the roof.
Seeing the scene before him, Wen Yu was somewhat astonished. "Your Majesty, this is..."
"See how Han Xixia is," Xue Zining said.
Wen Yu nodded, stepped forward, and examined Han Xixia. "He has only taken a bone-softening powder. There is no major harm."
"Can you prepare an antidote?" Xue Zining asked again.
Wen Yu took out a medicine bottle from his waist and said, "It can neutralize all poisons."
Without hesitation, Xue Zining poured a pill from the bottle and put it into Han Xixia's mouth.
After half an incense stick's worth of time, Han Xixia could finally sit up. He looked at Xue Zining with a wry smile. "I never expected you to save me time and time again."
"What exactly is going on?" Xue Zining asked.
It turned out that half a year ago, the Han Kingdom suffered a severe drought. Han Xixia ordered the granaries to be opened and grain distributed. However, disaster victims still caused trouble. He decided to inspect personally, and on the way, he was framed by the Grand Princess and forced to drink the bone-softening powder. With the help of someone behind her, the Grand Princess quickly secured the throne and imprisoned him in his sleeping quarters.
"Have you been imprisoned here ever since?" Xue Zining asked.
Han Xixia nodded with a bitter smile. "Yes, if you hadn't come here, I'm afraid..."
Without Han Xixia needing to say it, Xue Zining knew that the Grand Princess intended to get rid of him. She had arrived just in time, otherwise, she might not even know how she died.
"Do you know who the person behind the Grand Princess is?" Xue Zining asked.
Han Xixia shook his head. "I don't know, but I heard the Grand Princess call him King..."
"Alright, I understand," Xue Zining said.
Han Xixia couldn't help but ask, "A Ning, do you know something? Can you tell me?"
He didn't want to be someone who knew nothing. After two months of imprisonment, he had already despaired.
Xue Zining looked at him and slowly said after a long pause, "I suspect Xue Wenjie is not dead."
Han Xixia trembled all over. He knew about Xue Wenjie.
When Xue Zining was still not yet of age, she had brought down the all-powerful Xue Wenjie.
He successfully ascended the throne.
Xue Wenjie was a legend. When the Barren Marsh was established, it was Xue Wenjie who fought alongside the Emperor of the Barren Marsh, establishing the State of the Barren Marsh.
Back then, he had vaguely felt that how could the former God of War, Xue Wenjie, die so easily.
"Where is he now?" Han Xixia asked.
Xue Zining said, "Do you still remember my Feng Yin Xue Yu?"
Han Xixia nodded. "I still remember that Feng Yin who betrayed you."
"He might be Xue Wenjie." Xue Zining said.
At this, Han Xixia was stunned and said incredulously, "No... it can't be possible. If he is Xue Wenjie, then what about Xue Yu?"
"Soul transference," Xue Zining said.
Han Xixia fell silent. He had heard a little about the art of soul transference.
It was an exotic art from Miao territory that could transfer the soul of a person on the verge of death to a living person.
This method was too uncanny and was not tolerated by the world. Yet, Xue Wenjie had acquired it.
"A Ning, the art of soul transference cannot exist in this world. Everyone desires immortality, and rulers spare no effort in their search for the elixir of life. If people find out, it will surely..."
"I know. The art of soul transference has already been destroyed by me, and no one in the world knows of it..."
"That's good, otherwise, it would surely cause unrest," Han Xixia said.
"Now, that person is likely not here. What are your plans?" Xue Zining asked Han Xixia.
Han Xixia looked at her and suddenly said, "A Ning, you impersonate the Grand Princess!"
Xue Zining was startled. "What do you mean?"
"A Ning, Xue Wenjie must die. You go and face him directly. Instead of confronting him head-on, it's better to wait for him to come to you."
"What do you mean?" Xue Zining continued to ask.
Han Xixia showed a mysterious smile and looked at Wen Yu behind her. "Since the Grand Princess wants to be the Emperor, do you think Xue Wenjie would agree?"
"You mean..."
A major event had recently occurred in the Han Kingdom. The Grand Princess ascended the throne, listing seven major crimes of the Han Emperor and imprisoning the Han Emperor in the imperial mausoleum, never to be released.
All the countries were shocked. The Empress of the Barren Marsh unified the realm, and now there was a Grand Princess Empress.