夜幕低垂，宮燈昏黃，宋翠琳的寢宮一片寂靜。趙炎暉離去后的影，如同懸在頭頂的利刃，讓心頭籠罩著一層厚厚的愁云。春梨輕手輕腳地端來熱水，坐在床邊，細心地為拭著淚水。

“娘娘，您這是何必呢？為了父親的大業，您已經夠辛苦了。難道您真的不想活下去了嗎？”春梨的聲音中充滿了關切。

宋翠琳哽咽著，淚水落：“春梨，你知道的，后宮之中，每一天都是一場無形的折磨。那些人，表面上對我好，實際上卻在暗中算計。若不是為了父親，我寧愿放棄這皇后的位置，去平凡人家過一生。”

“娘娘，您不能放棄，您是這宇軒的皇后，您的一舉一都牽著天下。”春梨握住宋翠琳的手，眼中閃爍著堅定的芒。

“你說的對，我要忍！我要熬過這段日子，我要親眼看到那些背叛我的人付出代價！”宋翠琳的眼中燃起復仇的火焰，“春梨，你去派人找碧瓊，不管代價如何，都要把找到，我要親手讓付出代價！”

春梨應諾，心中暗自祈禱娘娘能夠撐過去。

清晨，金的過窗欞灑在趙炎暉的寢宮，他頂著濃重的黑眼圈， Step out of the bed and prepared to go to the palace. The national mourning was almost over, and the crowning ceremony was only a few days away.

In the royal court, ministers were discussing the grand ceremony. Suddenly, a Qin family member stepped forward and advised the emperor, “Your Majesty, after the crowning ceremony, the seventh prince should not be left in the palace. According to the precedent, Your Majesty should have the seventh prince enfeoffed and send him to his realm as soon as possible!”

His suggestion was met with applause from the ministers. A hint of coldness glided through Song Tai Fu’s eyes as he cast a glance at the emperor.

Zhaoguo distantly observed Song Tai Fu’s gaze and promptly agreed, “Alright, alright! After the mourning period, we will enfeoff my younger brother and send him to his realm!”

“The emperor is blessed!” The ministers cheered in unison.

“Your Majesty!” A crisp voice echoed from the doorway of the Imperial Audience Hall, as the seven-year-old crown prince Zhao Mian entered, kowtowing respectfully and then kneeling, his expression earnest and sincere, “Your Majesty, I, the Crown Prince, wish to humbly ask that I, with my mother, accompany the deceased emperor to the royal mausoleum and guard the tomb until I come of age, and then proceed to my realm!”

“A good suggestion!” Zhao Guo was delighted, slapping his thigh, “Alright! Since you have such filial piety, I shall grant it. Once the mourning period is over, we will set out for the realm.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! Your son, Zhao Mian, will now retire!”

After the formalities, Zhao Mian turned and bowed to the ministers before disappearing from the Imperial Audience Hall.

Qin Fei, upon hearing that her son had gone to the Imperial Audience Hall, rushed out with her attendants to intercept him. However, they were too late; when she arrived, Zhao Mian had already returned.

The two met on the road, and Qin Fei pulled Zhao Mian aside, anxious to ask what he said in the hall. Upon hearing Zhao Mian’s account, she let out a sigh of relief.

“What are your thoughts, son?” Qin Fei asked, stroking her son’s small face.

Zhao Mian opened his clear, bright eyes and replied with a clear, bright tone, “Mother, if I were to go to my realm, my elder brother would surely send men to eliminate our party on the road. He would not allow me to grow feathers and become powerful in my realm. If I were to accompany the tomb, everyone would know, and if there were any problems on the road, everyone would suspect. So, he would undoubtedly strike after I go to guard the tomb. Perhaps, he might not strike. After all, a prince guarding the tomb has no prospects…”

“My son is wise.” Qin Fei stroked his small face, “That’s good! Mother has prepared everything, and I’ve made connections. We will be met by someone on the road to the royal mausoleum.”

Qin Fei thought that she and her son would escape unharmed, but she never expected that the new emperor would concoct a frivolous charge and execute her father and several relatives in the government.

The purpose was clear: to cut off Qin Fei’s maternal power and prevent her from having other designs. From this, she knew that she might not have much time left.

Perhaps, her and her son’s death was imminent. Thinking of this, she sent urgent messages to both Xiao Han and her uncle in Kunzhou, and as soon as the mourning period was over, she took her son to the royal mausoleum.

By chance, they ran into Lin Bai and Lin Mo, sent by Wei Lingxi to assist them, on the road.

……

The mourning period ended, and the new emperor held the crowning ceremony. Afterward, he began to eliminate those who spoke against him in the court and offered forthright advice.

Song Tai Fu, holding the state power, decided to strike at the Wei family first, but he never expected that the Wei family had fled and even the Lang Yuku had disappeared without a trace. These people must have gone to South Zhou to seek Xiao Han. If they succeeded, the heavens of Great Zhou would be shaken.

Therefore, under the decision of Song Tai Fu, with the excuse that the national treasury was empty and the country had been at war for years, with the people not getting any rest or recovery, he issued three edicts, ordering Xiao Han to cease the offensive on South Dian and immediately return to the capital.

To his surprise, Xiao Han ignored the edicts and defied the imperial order.

At this time, Xiao Han had already captured Wange Shan with overwhelming force. The battle was not only saved by A Yin who infiltrated the royal court of South Dian, but also by Li Wanxi who passed on timely information, and even thank蔣Yun Yi for bringing Princess Liang and Lian Qi Zhi, revealing the two secret passages of Wange Shan.

It was these two secret passages that allowed his advance troops to infiltrate the storerooms of Wange Shan, burning their grain and their horses to a crisp.

With Wange Shan falling, Jingji Chuan would not be difficult to conquer. At this time, another incident occurred in the royal court of South Dian. The second prince, Mo Li Zhu, suddenly died, and the king of South Dian, unable to bear the loss of his son, passed away soon afterward.

This news was undoubtedly beneficial to Xiao Han, as he was preparing to crush South Dian. At this moment, the new king of South Dian ascended the throne and sent an offer of submission.

Xiao Han sat in his tent, looking at the submission letter, then he smiled and let it fall, “If you want to surrender, it is not impossible. Tell your king that if they can send these two people, we can talk. If not, they must wait for the destruction of their country!”

Xiao Han sat in his tent, looking at the submission letter, then he smiled and let it fall, “If you want to surrender, it is not impossible. Tell your king that if they can send these two people, we can talk. If not, they must wait for the destruction of their country!”