Just as he was about to say something, Li Gonggong, who had been standing in the distance, walked over and bowed to remind him: "Your Majesty, you have been out for half an hour, it's time to return to the Diligent Government Hall."

  Xu Rong's face sank, and his gaze at Chu Lianruo was filled with reluctance.

  Chu Lian heard the old man's words and a look of anxiety appeared on her face. She also urged, "Your Majesty, you should return quickly."

  He gently lifted a strand of hair from Chu Lian's temple to his nose and took a light sniff, softly saying: "Lian Ruo, wait for me, I will definitely bring you into the palace."

  Such an action, if it were the former Qin Zhaoxin, would naturally be excited and infatuated, just like an 18-year-old girl with a crush. But now, looking at the handsome face in front of her, Chu Lian's heart was filled with disgust.

  She made a shy expression, seeing Xū Róng turn and leave, the smile in her eyes slowly condensed, finally turning into icy hatred.

  The acrobatics in the Qính Policy Hall continued, but the emperor's sudden departure was unavoidable, making the princes uneasy. Xū Yang's face showed no unease, only a dark and solemn expression, with deep eyes that made it difficult for people to guess his thoughts.

  Outside the Diligent Government Hall, a eunuch's voice was heard announcing: "The Emperor has arrived."

  Xu Yang's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he looked out the door. When he saw the smile on Xu Rong's lips, his body stiffened abruptly.

  After a pause, Xiyang followed the other princes and stood up to pay their respects.

  Xu Rong seemed to be in a very good mood, with his bright yellow robe sleeves waving, he said loudly: "No need for formalities."

  Shi Yu Yin looked at the smile on Xū Róng's face as she walked in, and knew that things had definitely worked out. The corners of her lips also couldn't help but curve up into a smile. However, as the smile spread across her face, a sudden surge of bitterness rose up in her heart. If there was no other way, which woman would push her own man into another woman's arms? Shi Yu Yin suddenly felt a desolate feeling in her heart, having used all her ingenuity to get rid of one Qín Zhào Xīn, only to have a Chǔ Lián Ruò appear instead.

  Thinking of Chu Lianruo, Shi Yuyin's face revealed a ruthless expression. For now, let this cheap person be complacent for a while, wait until Yuan Mengdie is gone, and see how she deals with this cheap person.

  Xu Rong entered the palace and soon after, Chu Lian also returned to the Diligent Government Hall.

  She changed into a white and unblemished dress, her slender figure emerging from the moonlight as if she were a fairy walking out of the moonlight, leaving the kings in the Diligent Government Hall stunned.

  He gazed at her, his face momentarily stunned, a hint of tenderness emerging in his eyes. But soon, that tenderness was retracted into the depths of his pupils, and his expression returned to its usual calmness.

  Xu Rong sat in a high position, looking at the woman walking from outside the door, with an even more joyful expression in his eyes. Such joyfulness made Shi Yu Yin, who was beside him, feel suffocated in her heart.

  Chu Lian returned to Xuyang's side and sat down after paying her respects. She felt Xuyang's body tremble slightly, and naturally knew that with Xuyang's intelligence, he must have guessed what had happened during the time she went to change clothes. Thinking about it, a pang of heartache arose in her chest.

  He was once a proud man, but now he not only has to bear the reputation of being a good king, enduring the ridicule of the world. Now, he even has to watch as his own queen falls into the arms of his enemy. The bitterness in this man's heart is probably unmatched by anyone.

  Chu Lian couldn't help but sigh inwardly, although she had never met Meng Taigui Fei before, but in her heart, she couldn't help but admire such a woman. At the time when all the officials were watching with envy and hatred, she actually came up with this idea to save Xuyang's life. That Meng Taigui Fei was indeed not an ordinary woman, only that Xuyang did not follow her wishes, seeking a rural area to live an ordinary person's life. If Meng Taigui Fei knew about it after death, she would probably be disappointed too.

  Thinking this way, Chu Lianruo suddenly felt a sense of helplessness towards her fate. The emerald green wine cup in front of her was filled with grape wine that looked like blood, and Chu Lianruo lightly picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp. The remaining wine stain on her lips seemed to have a beauty that was similar to being drunk with blood.

  The banquet lasted for a while, and everyone was tired. After some insincere pleasantries, Xiurong announced the end of the banquet. The princes all stood up and said some flattering words before leaving the palace.

  When Xū Yáng turned around, he clearly felt Xū Róng's provocative gaze falling on him.

  Although the night was deep, the moonlight outside the window was like water, exceptionally bright and clear, which made people feel relaxed and happy. As he walked to the horse carriage, Xū Yáng hesitated for a moment, then stretched out his hand towards Chǔ Lián Ruò. Chǔ Lián Ruò was taken aback, but still extended her hand to him.

  Chu Lian was helped onto the horse carriage by Ruo, and the two of them returned to their original appearance, sitting on either side in silence.

  Xu Yang's gaze drifted out the window, looking at the bright moonlight outside the carriage, and casually asked: "Did you go to the Imperial Garden with him today?"

  Chu Lian was startled by his words. Although she knew that Xuyang had spies in the palace, she hadn't seen him leave just now, so how did he know?

  Chu Lian raised her eyes and looked at Xū Yáng, with a puzzled expression in her eyes: "How did you know?"

  Seeing Chu Lian's astonished gaze, Xū Yáng seemed to find it quite amusing, and the corner of his lips couldn't help but curve up into a gentle smile. As for the matter of the secret investigation, he didn't seem to have any intention of hiding anything either, and replied nonchalantly: "The little groom who led the horse told me just now when I got on the carriage."

  Chu Lian's expression of surprise was even more intense, although she had long known that Xū Yáng was certainly not as useless as he appeared on the surface, but she had never thought that his power would be so widespread and meticulous.

  Chu Lian raised her eyes and looked at Xū Yáng, with a hint of awkwardness on her face: "There's no need for you to tell me such confidential things."

  Xu Yang looked at Chu Lian Ruo, his expression unchanged: "Since we agreed to form an alliance, let's be sincere with each other. Moreover, if you encounter any danger and know that my people are around, perhaps they can still lend you a hand."

  Chu Lian seemed to lower her eyes and didn't say anything more.

  He saw that she didn't respond, so he turned his face towards the window. The silver moonlight outside shrouded the world in a dreamlike illusion. The surrounding silence made his heart inexplicably calm as well.

  Xu Yang suddenly wished that time would stop at this moment. As he thought so, the corners of his mouth curled up into a wry smile, as if laughing at his own absurd thoughts.

  After a while, Xuyang shifted his gaze back to the woman in white in front of him, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes: "At present, many officials in the court have already defected to my side, and the palace is also filled with my informants. Because five years ago I went on an expedition to destroy the barbarians, there are also my trusted men within the military camp." After finishing speaking, Xuyang paused, only to see Chulianru raise her eyes to look at him, her eyes devoid of their usual charming and flirtatious demeanor, replaced by calmness, as if like the quiet moonlight outside the window.

  Chu Lian seemed to be waiting for Xū Yáng to continue speaking without opening her mouth.

  Xu Yang had a difficult time opening his mouth: "Lian Ruo, even if you didn't help me, it wouldn't take a few years for me to seize Xu Rong's throne. So, actually, you don't have to..."

  "But I couldn't wait." The words that followed were cut off by the soft voice of the woman in front of him, who said, "You didn't have to surrender to him."

  Chu Lian knew the current situation in the imperial court. On the surface, everyone seemed to be loyal to the Emperor and the Prime Minister, but those who were aware of the undercurrents knew that the imperial court was now divided into three factions.

  Although Xū Yáng has accumulated a lot of power in secret, the current situation of three parties vying for dominance is difficult to break. Moreover, if Xū Yáng takes action, the Prime Minister and the Emperor will certainly join forces to deal with him together. Therefore, even though Xū Yáng has been secretly accumulating strength for many years, he still walks on thin ice in the court.

  At this time, the court is calm, but Chu Lian knows that this is the calm before the storm. Currently, if Xi Yang wants to succeed, he must need a very good opportunity. However, who knows when this opportunity will appear? If this opportunity never appears, can they just wait with their eyes open?

  Xu Yang also knew this in his heart, which was why he looked so hesitant on the surface. Although Chu Lian's appearance might not necessarily create that opportunity for him, he had no other choice but to believe in it. Therefore, when Chu Lian first mentioned cooperation, Xu Yang agreed without hesitation.

  Having received Chu Lianruo's reply, a hint of sigh floated across Xuyang's eyes. After a long while, he asked: "You truly do not regret it?"

  Chu Lian's lips curled up in a smile, smiling so beautifully that it could topple the city: "From the very beginning, I have never regretted."

  In Xuyang's eyes, a hint of despair rose, as if he had given up on persuading Chulianruo.

  Her expression made Chu Lian feel a surge of sympathy, so she turned her face away and looked out the window, saying in a flat tone: "Why don't you tell me about Empress Meng's story instead?"

  Xu Yang was taken aback for a moment, and then his gaze became distant, as if he had touched the softest corner of his heart. His expression also softened.

  "The queen mother was an extremely gentle and beautiful woman, but her character was extremely strong." Xū Yáng said, raising his eyes to glance at Chǔ Liǎnrúo. Many times, he felt that the woman in front of him resembled his own mother, a weak and delicate woman who seemed impossible to defeat.

  Chu Lian nodded slightly, she had long known that Meng Taigui was an extraordinary woman.

  It seems that she thought of something, and Xuyang smiled: "When I was still young, my father went on a expedition for three months. Originally in the deep palace, only my father protected us mother and son. Moreover, my mother came from a humble background and had no maternal family to rely on. After my father left, the concubines in the harem who were jealous of my mother's beauty tried every means to bully us mother and son."

  Upon hearing Xuyang's words, Chu Lian's eyes turned cold. In her previous life, she had already known about the dirty secrets in the harem. Even as an empress, she was treated with such disdain; those women without power or influence must have suffered even more.

  Xu Yang seemed to have not seen the sympathy flowing out of Chu Lian's eyes, and instead lightly laughed: "At that time, those blind slaves tried every means to please their master by deducting things from me and my mother. When our clothes were deducted, my mother would sit under the lamp and mend them for me while telling me stories. But later..." Xu Yang paused, his eyes also turning cold: "Those slaves became even more daring, actually starting to deduct food from me and my mother, giving us only two steamed buns every day."

  (

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