Chapter 330: Come with me, storm the palace—do you dare?

"Dean!"

Jia Chuan lunged forward, then grabbed Jiang Yunchu's waist, leaned into her embrace, and burst into tears.

He also felt wronged!

He put on a brave face; as a nine‑year‑old, he had already endured enough.

In that moment, all the children in the room couldn't help wiping their tears, though the corners of their mouths were smiling; their uneasy hearts gradually steadied.

As long as the Dean was there, the sky wouldn't fall; with the Dean present, they were still the same children as before.

"All right, you all know what happened."

She gently patted Jia Chuan's shoulder; Jia Chuan felt a little shy, a child who always acted like an adult, his ears turned red, his eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look up.

"You should all understand the current situation; you already know in your hearts how you previously dealt with it. Write up a report together—this is tomorrow's assignment."

"Today, Jia Chuan is going with me; you all better study hard, because I'll be asking Ningguang about all of you!"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Jia Chuan and said, "Come with me, storm the palace—do you dare?"

Jia Chuan suddenly lifted his head, looked at the Dean, nodded firmly, and said, "Dare!"

As long as there is a sliver of hope, and as long as it doesn't implicate the academy, he is willing to do it.

He couldn't bear to leave this place, nor could he bear to leave his companions and the Dean.

"Good, not bad for my own child!" Jiang Yunchu smiled, then rose and strode out; behind her followed a boy in gray coarse cloth, a gray headband tying his hair, his back straight, his gaze resolute.

Compared to a few days ago, he seemed like a different person.

Jiang Yunchu walked out of the Wang Fu gate, where two crossed swords blocked her path.

"Tell Fang Zi Lun I want to see His Majesty."

"Princess Consort, please forgive any offense; kindly wait a moment."

A guard captain returning from patrol heard Jiang Yunchu's words, clasped his fists, and saluted.

Jiang Yunchu did not say to waive the ceremony, nor did she make things difficult: "Please rise."

"Yes."

That person stood up, then immediately shouted for someone: "Find the President!"

"Yes!"

That person immediately mounted his horse and left the gate of the Regent Prince's Manor.

"President Fang." Jiang Yunchu looked at Fang Zi Lun, then gave a cold snort, her face full of dissatisfaction, not hiding it in the slightest.

"The Imperial Guard has prepared a carriage; Princess Consort, please get in." Fang Zi Lun acted as if he hadn't heard, his face perpetually cold, expressionless, even his eyes occasionally flashing a gloomy look.

"I, the Princess Consort, will take note of everything the Imperial Guard does today."

She lifted the carriage curtain and climbed right in.

Besides Jiang Yunchu and Jia Chuan, no one may enter or leave the Wang Fu—not even Zi Su.

"Dean." Jia Chuan was a little worried, just about to speak.

Jiang Yunchu immediately raised her hand and gently shook her head: "Along the way, whatever you see or hear, pretend you didn't; know nothing, ask nothing—understood?"

Jia Chuan nodded: "Student understands."

Jiang Yunchu pulled open a corner of the carriage curtain and saw that, from various directions, people were watching the Regent Prince's Manor's every move; moreover, she saw several waves of people—whose people were they?

The Imperial Guard surrounded them, and Fang Zi Lun kept guard at the carriage's side; the carriage moved slowly away from the bustling street. At that moment, a faint sound came from outside the carriage—soft, in this enclosed space it was quiet enough to hear.

"Many senior officials are pressuring His Majesty; as for the roots of these people, no results have been found yet."

"Led by the Kang Clan, also the Chiang General's Manor, the Han General's Manor, and the Jiang General's Manor—all are opposing."

"Originally the situation had already turned unfavorable; at this point Prince Yong'an stepped forward, putting the situation into a strange balance."

Fang Zi Lun's voice was cold, but every word was clear.

"Understood."

Jiang Yunchu gave a soft reply, then closed her eyes.

Now many people in the imperial court have already surfaced; this time the Jia family's trouble is even more like a catalyst, and perhaps Madam Jia was originally one of them, used as a sacrificial pawn to test the waters—it's not impossible.

Jia Chuan widened his eyes, having previously thought…

But now…

He only remembered one thing: don't listen, don't look, know nothing; do whatever the Dean taught him to do.

"Princess Consort, bring him in and go inside yourself."

At the Imperial Study gate, Fang Zi Lun stopped his steps and performed a respectful salute.

Jiang Yunchu nodded: "Thanks."

The corner of Fang Zi Lun's mouth twitched slightly, but soon returned to its usual self; he remained that cold, ruthless chief of the Imperial Guard.

He kills without blinking, slaughtering people like hemp—that's him.

Even a baby stops crying at midnight because of him—that's him too.

But…

Jiang Yunchu curled her lips, gazing at the tightly shut Imperial Study door, wondering how one could judge by appearances.

"Let's go." Jiang Yunchu did not look back; her court robes made her look so dignified, inviolable.

"Yes!"

Jia Chuan gave a firm reply, head lowered, following behind Jiang Yunchu.

She gently pushed the door open; the room was somewhat dark, and for a moment her eyes struggled to adjust, but she quickly entered.

Regent Prince's Manor, Jiang Yunchu pays her respects to Your Majesty—long live Your Majesty, long live, long live forever.

Guilty commoner Jia Chuan pays his respects to Your Majesty—long live Your Majesty, long live, long live forever.

Jia Chuan had no hesitation, head lowered, his etiquette flawless.

The Ning Emperor on the dragon throne looked at Jiang Yunchu, lightly furrowed his brows, then helplessly hurried to answer, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Only then did the two stand up; Jiang Yunchu lifted her head, looked around, and even Eunuch Xi was not present.

"Where is Eunuch Xi?"

The Ning Emperor helplessly glanced over, seeing her unharmed, the worry that had weighed on his heart for over twenty days finally eased.

"I sent him out to get you tea; next time you tell Fang Zi Lun, be clear—his elm‑wood head almost forgot the important matter!"

"If he hadn't muttered to himself, just then reminding Fang Zi Lun, that elm‑wood head of his probably wouldn't have remembered it for half a lifetime."

Jiang Yunchu lightly laughed, "It seems His Majesty now knows what 'lizard shedding its tail' means."

The Ning Emperor gave a cold snort: "Person, I had Fang Zi Lun move the prison last night; only he and I know about that cell, no one else does."

"This morning, everyone sent in place of the Jia family died in prison."

As he said this, the Ning Emperor's eyes narrowed and his gaze grew sharper.

"If it weren't for Yun chu's hint, if it weren't for Fang Zi Lun remembering in time, if it weren't for Xiao Xi happening to know, those people's plan of lizard‑tail‑dropping would actually have succeeded."

Thinking back to the morning court, those people pressed step by step, wasn't it just because they lacked evidence?