CHAPTER 1247: CHAPTER 1242: NEWS OF TIAN JIZI

"Xiaoran, without the support of the Ducal Residence, only mother and son are left. How many of your people remain? How are we to oppose them? It is undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock."

A fierce light flashed in King Jin’s eyes, and he sneered coldly, "Does the Empress wish for this son to continue enduring? Mother, they are plotting to usurp the throne. Once they succeed, they will certainly not spare our lives." He shook his head softly, "Even if I die, I refuse to be a slave of a ruined nation, nor will I be an accomplice to traitors. This world belongs to the Emperor, we are not alone and helpless; we still have the Emperor, Father!"

The worry on the Empress’s face grew even more intense, for who better understood than herself what Jin Moning meant to her?

She was nothing but a tool used by Jin Moning; invaluable when useful, hence she is the Empress. But once she becomes useless, the first to wish her dead would be the Emperor himself.

Decades of marriage, yet he never regarded her as a wife, at best a crucial chess piece.

Always wanting to make a move, yet always suppressing herself with the excuse that the time was not right.

She closed her eyes gently, her face etched with despair.

If she were to simply let others manipulate her, how could she be satisfied?

Ostensibly, Jin Yushu lived a life more glorious than anyone else in the eyes of outsiders.

Only she knew the true bitterness of it all.

And the one who held the reins of her fate, she certainly would not let things end like this.

"Madam has only ten days left... That child’s full-month celebration is on that day..."

...

Yue Rujing hurriedly came to find Jin Zijin at the Crown Prince Residence as time flew by; in the blink of an eye, winter had arrived.

He didn’t have time to brush off the snow clinging to his body before he rushed to tell Jin Zijin, "This is true, there’s news of Master in Nanzhao."

Jin Zijin’s expression darkened, his joy or anger indiscernible, yet it was evident he was troubled.

Yue Rujing urged, "In another half a month, leaving Beiping will become even more difficult. By that time, heavy snow will have sealed the mountain roads. To go to Nanzhao, one would have to wait until the snow melts after the New Year. Who knows what might happen over these months? Maybe our hard-earned clue will vanish."

"Indeed." Jin Zijin expressed agreement, yet he said nothing more.

Now was the best opportunity to deal with the Ducal Residence, and relying solely on King Jin was definitely not enough. How could he leave at such a time?

"Hey, Senior Brother, quit hesitating and go now. After searching for so many years, we finally have a reliable lead."

Jin Zijin turned his head to look at Yue Rujing and said, "I cannot leave now."

Yue Rujing: "..."

"Dealing with the Ducal Residence is of the utmost urgency; we’ve finally seized such a good opportunity."

"What about our Master? Is he not important anymore?" Yue Rujing rolled his eyes.

"No, of course, he’s important."

Yue Rujing: "...So?"

"So, you go, you should go quickly."

Yue Rujing’s mouth twitched as he said, "Considering your current status, it’s very inconvenient for you to openly manage matters of the Dao Sect. How will Sanqing Temple fare?"

"Leave it to Huo Li," Jin Zijin said placidly.

"Huo Li?" Yue Rujing said with a forced smile, "Are you joking? Can that kid Huo Li be trusted? Aren’t you worried he’ll betray you and side with the Dao Family’s power against you?"

Jin Zijin paused, his demeanor very calm.

With a disdainful side glance at Yue Rujing, he said, "The world will still turn without you. You’ve worked with Huo Li for so long and still don’t understand him. His biggest trait is being timid; he doesn’t have the guts to betray us. Rest assured, compared to worrying about Huo Li’s betrayal, finding our Master is more important."