Prince Min, who was being spoken of, shivered, a cold chill running down his spine as he glared at the old man before him, his face frosty.

"What’s the use of you telling me things that undermine others’ morale? Although matters have gone beyond control, isn’t it true that we’re not yet at a dead end?" Prince Min eyed Mr. Ning, who had been rescued from the secret passage of a small courtyard in the west of the city, with an impatient tone.

Mr. Ning began to cough and inwardly cursed this ignorant child for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth.

"Do you not know, my lord, that once a crack appears, it will only expand indefinitely, rendering it uncontrollable in the end?" Mr. Ning’s face wrinkled into a frown as he said, "Back when you declared your intent to return to the capital, I agreed but advised you to exercise patience. And the result?"

Before Prince Min could speak, he continued, "Our numbers have been repeatedly reduced — granted, losing a few nails and spies isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t pose an insurmountable threat. My concern is that this increases our risk of exposure."

"Now, even the west of the city has caught up with us. Do you think the day they find us is far off? Our side has suffered continuous losses, while Emperor Chu’s Great Qing remains unscathed. We are merely becoming increasingly exposed under his gaze." Mr. Ning grew angrier as he spoke, erupting into violent coughs as if his lungs might give way.

Prince Min raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Ning, are you afraid?"

"I am afraid, afraid that years of planning may unravel without a battle, wasting my lifetime’s painstaking efforts," said Mr. Ning. "As you, my lord, have pointed out, I, as an old man, have few years left to live and naturally hope to witness the resurgence of Xia Country in my lifetime."

That midnight escape had indeed terrified him. At the time, he believed he might genuinely die in the secret passage. If such were his inglorious end, he would have preferred resting quietly in his family tomb long ago.

Prince Min thought to himself, a hopeful return is all well and good, but none of you possess the ambition to fight to the death.

"Your so-called gift of longevity, in my view, is nothing more than a path to self-destruction."

Prince Min’s eyes sharpened, glaring directly at Mr. Ning, who was unfazed but couldn’t help feeling chilled by the cruelty in his gaze.

After so many years of nurturing, it was ultimately a misplaced effort.

This person cannot bear the great responsibility.

Mr. Ning half-closed his eyes, his fingertips trembling.

"You say I am seeking self-destruction, but he was lucky his old mother suffered in his stead. Otherwise, it would be Emperor Chu lying on the sickbed." Prince Min revealed a sinister smile. "How could such an ordinary mineral evade even the Imperial Physician’s detection? Who could know what it was? Even if they believe the stone to be strange, how could they be certain? Even I was unaware that the screen could cause harm."

Mr. Ning, overwhelmed with anger, let out a bitter laugh: "My lord, are you truly that naive, thinking that everything depends on evidence?"

Prince Min frowned.

"What is an Emperor? An Emperor stands above all, and even if you claim ignorance, since the gift came from the Prince Mansion, it is your crime. If the Emperor declares you guilty, guilty you are. My lord, as they say, ’When the Emperor wishes a minister dead, the minister cannot but die.’ Do you believe the Emperor needs so-called evidence to convict you? Do you not understand what it means to add a crime to someone?"

Prince Min’s expression changed several times.

Mr. Ning, seeing him like this, couldn’t help but feel physically and mentally exhausted. Having a lord who drags one down indeed made his head hurt and his luck seem ill.

He took a deep breath: "Now that the grave mistake has been made — you, as Prince Min, cannot escape the charge of attempting to harm the Emperor. So, why not, let him return to his rightful place?"