"Jiang Xuanyin, what are you doing!"

  Behind him, Wu Zetian saw the situation and shouted angrily, coming forward to challenge his sword.

  However, Jiang Xuanjin reacted extremely quickly, stretched out his hand to pull Li Huaiyu over, turned her body around, and held her in a reverse grip, with the long sword pressed against her neck.

  She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.

  The fighting sounds outside gradually subsided, Xu Xian and Yun Lancheng seemed to be shouting something, the people around them slowly stopped moving, staring blankly in this direction.

  Hua Yu leaned against his chest, just like countless times he had held her from behind, pressing against his chest, and she could feel his warmth.

  But this time, she felt a chill all over her body, from her throat to her fingertips, and her eyes were wide open with no focus at all.

  "...You..." She heard her own voice, very softly asking, "Want to kill me?"

  Jiang Xuanjin sneered and pressed her sword half a point tighter.

  This action is already an answer, Huai Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and her eyes also turned red: "Why?"

  She was so worried about him, desperately trying to rescue him, not fearing death or chaos, but never thought that opening this door would welcome his sword.

  She couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard she tried.

  "Stop it, sir!" Xu Xian rushed up, looking at the scene in shock and hastily shouted.

  Jiang Xuanjin's face was filled with ridicule, and he said coldly: "Let your people put down their weapons and surrender."

  Surrender... and be captured?

  As soon as they heard this word, Yun Lianqing and Han Xiao quickly reacted, scanning the surrounding situation with a glance, their faces instantly becoming extremely unsightly.

  Got it!

  I mobilized the Imperial Guards, surrounded the Emperor's residence, and confined him in his palace. These actions are tantamount to rebellion.

  "No!" Li Huaiyu shook her head, took a light breath, and looked up to find Li Huailun who was just outside.

  Huai Lin knew that they were not rebels. He had thanked Xu Xian in the imperial court, and it was clear that he was trapped and needed their help to escape.

  But as they looked out, Huai Lin was already standing far, far away among the guards, his expression cold and stern, as if he had nothing to say.

  Holding jade in stunned silence.

  "There's no need to struggle anymore." The person behind her said calmly, "You can't escape."

  Xu Xian and others looked at the blood on Li Huaiyu's neck, and they all put down their swords. They were pressed to kneel on the ground by the guards who rushed up from behind. Jiu Zhuo was still trying to save her, his eyes filled with heartache and anger, but as soon as he moved, Jiang Xuanjin's sword pressed closer, forcing him to stand stiffly before being kicked in the knee pit by a guard from behind, making him kneel down heavily.

  Her icy fingers couldn't stop trembling, and Huai Yu almost couldn't breathe, with something stuck in her throat, she asked him word by word: "Didn't you say... you liked it?"

  Isn't it believed?

  Isn't it said... a lover is precious like a jade, when held in one's hands and heart, how can one bear to forget?

  What is this?

  What is this?!

  "Do you like it?"

  Chewing slowly on these two words, Jiang Xuanjin's face was expressionless, his eyes full of mockery.

  "How dare I, your humble servant, like Your Highness?"

  Your Highness.

  These two words came out of his mouth, still carrying the lingering scent of incense and the fragrance of osmanthus.

  Time seems to have stood still, and it's still March 27th, a good day for funerals. He replaced the poisoned wine with a long sword, ready to send her to the underworld once again.

  Her body shuddered, and Hua Yu slowly turned her head, allowing the sword to cut through the skin of her neck, blood flowing down continuously, and also faced him.

  "How did you know?"

  "Mountain stone bamboo forest." Jiang Xuanjin slightly furrowed his brow, "I was also behind that stone screen."

  The rustling of the bamboo could cover up her breathing, and naturally it could also cover his. He had heard all of her conversation with Liu Yunlie.

  I initially approached him and even thought of killing him.

  Hui Yu's face lost all its color as she recalled what she had said that day.

  "Can you trust me once again?" She reached out and slowly grasped his sleeve.

  Jiang Xuanjin smiled lightly, with no emotion in his eyes: "I've trusted you many times before."

  Then he found out that every time he was wrong, she had been deceiving him from the very beginning, what she liked about him, what she wanted to be with him, she originally just wanted to kill him, and all along the way, she was pretending to use him to clear her name.

  Danyang Princess Chang, what Liu Yunlie said is true. This person has a deep mind and ruthless hands. Even in death, she left behind a final move to deal with him.

  He almost lost his footing.

  Unable to stop her low laughter, Jiang Xuanjin asked her: "You watch me step by step into your trap, watching me fall for you, do you feel very comfortable in your heart?"

  The person who killed her in the past is now being played around by her, like a fool, completely unaware. This way of revenge, just thinking about it feels refreshing.

  Can killing by order compare with killing by heart?

  "No." Hua Yu shook her head, wanting to explain, but suddenly a large number of guards rushed in from outside and took Xu Xian and the others away without hesitation.

  "Wait!" she panicked, "Jiang Jing, they're all here to save you, you can't treat them like this!"

  Save him? Jiang Xuanjin said, "Ben Jun has been in the imperial study all along, why does he need someone to save him? Now that things have come to this point, is Your Highness still going to lie?"

  "The crime of plotting against the emperor is punishable by death. This time, it was you who personally sent the people around you to their graves."

  She took a deep breath, and her heart ached as if she had been stabbed. Tears finally rolled down her cheeks in big drops as she sobbed: "What's the point of rushing to me? They really just wanted to help me save you!"

  "I don't believe you." Jiang Xuanjin calmly spat out these three words at her.

  Hua Yu's anger got the better of her and she raised her hand to hit him, but just as it was about to land, he reached out and grabbed it.

  "Your Highness!" The person behind her struggled and refused to leave, looking at her actions, and shouted in surprise.

  Her movement made the wound on her neck even longer, it was shocking at first sight.

  Hearing his voice, Jiang Xuanjin turned his head and took a look, with an even deeper frost in his eyes: "No wonder."

  No wonder these people all help and protect her, the first face of Fei Yun Palace, more than a dozen people, each one has served as her personal attendant, they are all hers.

  "You're really something," he said.

  Hua Yu cried and stomped her feet, then fiercely grabbed his long sword. Her hand was cut but she didn't care, and in a hoarse voice, she said to him: "Don't you just want me to die? I'll do as you wish, let them go!"

  After finishing speaking, he pinched the sword and made a fierce slash at his neck.

  Jiang Xuanjin's pupils constricted, and with a hard twist of his long sword, he reached out to cover her throat.

  With one sword stroke, blood splattered everywhere.

  "Your Highness!" The person beside him, Cheng Xiao, growled in a low voice with reddened eyes.

  The long sword fell to the ground with a "clang", and Jiang Xuanjin, clutching his injured hand, stepped back two steps and said, "Tie her up."

  He paused for a moment and added: "And also stuff your mouth."

  "Yes." The guard beside him responded.

  Hua Yu stood still, looking up at the group of people being taken away outside, and finally glanced at Jiang Xuanjin.

  Emotions aren't something that can be moved by just saying so. Once emotions are stirred, all the soft spots will be exposed to him, and with just one strike of his sword, she'll be in unbearable pain.

  Second sister is right, if you didn't like it so much, it wouldn't be so painful.

  Danyang has always been clear-headed, so in over 20 years, she had never been hurt by anyone. But now, why is she acting like a lunatic, daring to talk about love with her enemy?

  Look at this, isn't it miserable?

  Ziyang Jun is Ziyang Jun, with a heart for the family and the country, being a straightforward and unyielding person. She can't be on the same path as someone as despicable and shameless as you.

  It is doomed to have no good ending.

  No longer looking at him, she lowered her eyes and let the guards escort her out, her heart feeling as if it had been hollowed out by a huge hole, the cold autumn wind pouring in and chilling her to the bone.

  Li Huailian stood on the square outside the imperial study, surrounded by guards. The eunuchs beside her knelt down, and when Huaiyu walked over, she stopped and gestured for someone to remove something from her mouth.

  She hesitated for a moment, then took out the cloth ball stuffed in her mouth.

  Huai Yu looked at him and asked: "Huai Lin, when did you recognize me?"

  He didn't dare look at her, Li Huailian remained silent, his slightly fluttering eyelashes revealing his guilt.

  Huai Yu suddenly understood and nodded slightly, saying with a hint of a smile: "The tricks that the Empress taught you, you've finally learned to use them."

  It turned out that the first one to taste it was also her.

  She withdrew her gaze, straightened her back, and pretended to be nonchalant as she let Cheng Xu continue to stuff her mouth, then walked forward.

  When he turned around to look at her, however, he saw that she was completely bewildered, with a thin layer of glassy tears in her eyes that would shatter into pieces with the slightest touch.

  "Your Highness." He frowned and shouted at her, "We still have us, we will never betray you!"

  Li Huaiyu couldn't hear anything, she stared blankly at the bluestone bricks beneath her feet, feeling as if she had just woken up from a nightmare.

  Won't she wake up from her dream soon? After waking up, she was still in Fei Yun Palace. Her father, the emperor, was still smiling at her with kindness, and Huai Lin was still calling out to her in that sweet voice: "Sister is the best!"

  The warm sunshine outside poured in, nothing bad had happened, she had her father emperor and imperial brother, everything was fine.

  Can she wake up? She can't hold on anymore...

  "Your Highness!" someone exclaimed.

  Hua Yu's strength failed her again, and she didn't respond. Her eyes turned black, and she finally fainted.

  In the eighth year of Daxing, on August 25th, the remnants of the Dan Yang party mobilized 30,000 imperial guards to plot a rebellion in the palace, holding Your Majesty hostage in the Imperial Study. Fortunately, the Ziyang Lord's reinforcements arrived just in time, and the Emperor was unharmed; all the remnants were thrown into prison and executed.

  The common people heard the news and were still discussing it enthusiastically.

  "This Empress Dowager has been dead for so long, yet her people are still causing trouble?"

  "It's all in one net, who cares about being a meritorious minister or not? Look at what they've done!"

  "You have rendered great service again this time, there should be more officials like him in the imperial court!"

  Lu Jingxing stood at the gate of Canghai Yizhu Pavilion, pale-faced and listening to the words outside, pinched his fan and walked out.

  An ordinary person can't get in, but he has the money to make a ghost push a millstone. He just waited two more hours until all the officials who came to interrogate had left, and then followed the prison guard inside.

  The prison cell was dimly lit and damp, the heavy yin energy of the dead lock still lingered. He walked to the innermost cell and saw the person leaning against the bars, softly calling out: "Huaiyu."

  Li Huaiyu had her hair down, wearing a prisoner's uniform, with a white cloth wrapped around her neck. Hearing the sound, she turned her head and smiled lightly: "I knew you'd come."

  Looking at her pale lips, Lu Jinghang furrowed his brow, squatted down and grasped the railing beside her, reaching out to touch her face.

  "Doesn't it look quite pitiful?" Huai Yu said with a smile, "It's rare that you're not teasing me, and your eyes are still full of sympathy."

  "Are you sad?" he asked her.

  Her smile froze, and she lowered her eyes: "Don't you know how to comfort people? When I smile at you, you should smile back at me. Saying these things makes me want to cry."

  Lu Jinghang handed her his handkerchief.

  Her throat tightened and she said in a hoarse voice: "I cry very badly."

  "I know," said Lu Jingxing, "after all these years, is there still a side of you that I haven't seen?"

  A wave of sourness surged up in her heart, and Huaiyu gritted her teeth, her forehead pressed against the railing, like a wounded little beast, unable to stop whimpering.

  "I've ruined Xu Xian and his family!"

  It's all because she was worried about Jiang Xuanjin, and it ended up harming so many people. It would have been better if she hadn't used Bai Sisi's body to come back to life in the first place. At least they would still be alive and well, unlike now...

  "No one expected it would turn out like this." Lu Jinghang held a handkerchief and gently wiped her face, "The decision was made by everyone together, don't blame yourself."

  "How can I not be blamed!" Hua Yu growled, punching the railing, "If it weren't for me, everyone wouldn't have entered the palace at all!"

  Lu Jinghang paused, reached out to pull her fist over, furrowed his brow as he looked at the wound on top of it, patted his sleeve pocket, and said dejectedly: "Ancestors, I didn't bring any medicine."

  "Huai Yu annoyed: 'Can't you scold me a couple of sentences?'"

  "Your request is a bit special, but I still don't want to satisfy it." Lu Jinghang hooked his lips, and there was a smile in his phoenix eyes.

  She gazed at him with a dazed expression, looked for a while, stretched out her hand to support her forehead, and couldn't help but laugh softly: "Who would have thought there's someone like you, who doesn't even know how serious things are."

  "I know, but isn't it that heaven doesn't cut off a person's path?" Lu Jinghang said, "As long as you're still alive, everything can be discussed."

  Wiping her face with a helpless smile, Huai Yu said: "Lu Jing Xing, do you like me or not?"

  "Your Highness is worrying too much." He replied fluently, "The commoner's eyes are still not blind."

  He exploded in anger and kicked a foot against the railing.

  Lu Jinghang hooked his lips, took out his folding fan from behind his waist, unfolded it in front of him, and said: "If Your Highness has a change of heart one day, you can say so. I've given dowry before, but I haven't tried what it's like to give betrothal gifts."

  "Go ahead and be poor-mouthed!" Li Huaiyu said with a mix of anger and laughter.

  The bright moon is in the sky, no longer as round as it was in mid-month. The cool night wind sends shivers down one's spine, and the sounds from the prison cell are faintly audible.

  Jiang Xuanjin leaned against the outer wall, silently listening to the laughter and scolding inside, a white cloth wrapped around his hand was somewhat eye-catching in the night.

  "I told you before, but you didn't believe me." Liu Yunlie sat on the shoulder sedan chair beside him, his face pale and his hand still covering his abdomen. "Now you're thoroughly convinced, aren't you?"

  Saying so, she muttered: "But it's no wonder you're like this, her husband is extremely numerous, naturally the most understanding of how to infatuate people's hearts."

  Standing upright, Jiang Xuanjin took a step forward and said, "You're too kind."

  "Even if my heart is wasted, it can make you see her true face." Indicating that the followers lifted the sedan chair and followed him, Liu Yunlie said, "Hurry up and write a divorce letter, it's not suitable to have any more involvement with her for now."

  He took two steps and stopped again, Jiang Xuanjin turned his head and asked him: "Xu Xian and others, why did they suddenly rebel?"

  He entered the palace, originally intending to confront Qi Han, but unexpectedly Qi Han said that Xu Xian had a heart of rebellion and had already prepared troops in secret, asking him to put aside other matters for now and focus on protecting the emperor.

  He was originally unbelieving, but after waiting quietly for five days, Xu Xian really moved the Imperial Guard and took control of Your Majesty.

  But what's the reason? Xuxian is not a impulsive person, with him in the court, even if Your Majesty encounters an accident, the rebels will not have a good ending, so why does he still want to do something that is unprofitable?

  Is it because... Danyang? Does Danyang want to rebel?

  But she has now changed her body, and the blood flowing in her bones is no longer that of the royal family. What's the point of rebelling?

  Just thinking of her, his heart was still aching, aching so much that his lips turned white.

  "What's going on in the traitor's mind, how would I know?" said Liu Yunlie, "But one thing is certain, they will now use all sorts of excuses to clear themselves for the sake of their lives, don't believe them again."

  Raising an eyebrow and looking at him, Jiang Xuanjin's eyes were deep and mysterious: "Can I just believe your words?"

  Liu Yunlie paused for a moment, then smiled and said: "You don't have to believe me, just believe what you see with your own eyes."

  "They have committed treason, it's a fact."

  Lowering his eyes, Jiang Xuanjin continued walking outwards, leaving the prison's range, and headed towards the Jiang Manor.

  When he got on the horse-drawn carriage, he was a bit distracted and didn't step steadily, almost falling off.

  "Master!" Chongxu hastily supported him, "Are you alright?"

  Dazedly looking at the cart shaft for a while, Jiang Xuanjin suddenly remembered the person who had lingered on it and refused to leave, insisting on going to the medicine hall with him.

  At that time, Li Huaiyu clearly knew who he was. What kind of mood did she sing "Spring Day Banquet" to him with?

  Spring day banquet, a cup of green wine and a song.

  I make three wishes: Firstly, I wish you a long life of a thousand years; Secondly, I wish myself eternal youth and health; Thirdly, I wish we can be together like the swallows on the beam, meeting each other year after year.

  "I want to be with you, see each other for a long time"

  His heart ached, Jiang Xuanjin clenched his teeth, and his eyes suddenly filled with hatred. He stood still for a long time, clenching his fists, before saying in a low voice, "Let's go back."

  "What?" Cheng Xiao thought he had misheard and looked around at their location again, then looked at his master.

  "Go back."

  He didn't want to ride in this carriage anymore and he didn't want to think about that person in prison again.

  But why? He also wanted to ask why, why someone who seemed to have affection in his eyes was actually deceiving him all along. Why the person who kept saying he cared about him actually had thoughts of killing him?

  Why did I promise not to cheat him, but in the end, I never told the truth.

  Why did he say that he would never let go of his hand, but in the end, he still let go in this way, causing him to fall into an abyss and shatter into pieces!

  Why...

  "You look so good, I want to peel all the sweetest oranges in the world for you to eat!"

  "It's not nonsense, I'm serious. After I marry you, I'll take good care of you, won't let you feel cold or hungry, when you're tired, I'll give you a shoulder massage, and when you're sleepy...when you're sleepy, I'll sleep with you."

  "A person like me who is consistent inside and out, when I say I like you, it means I really like you. My face shows that I like you, and my heart also likes you!"

  Jiang Jing

  With a stifled groan, Jiang Xuanjin reached out and grasped his chest, unable to take another step.

  "Master..." He hastily came over to support him and was shocked by his pale complexion.

  Obviously didn't suffer any serious injuries, yet his face was as pale as the white cloth in his hand, with no focus in his dark pupils, and he looked so weak that he seemed to be about to collapse.

  Yufeng also came up beside him and supported him, wanting to hurry back to the mansion.

  "Don't move." Before they had taken two steps, Jiang Xuanjin panted and called out to them.

  The night was deep, and there was no one on the street. Only the long streamers hanging outside the shops were blown by the wind and fluttered.

  Staring at the "wine" character on the flag for a while, Jiang Xuanjin broke free from the support of the two people beside him and walked straight towards the already closed wine house.

  Cheng Xiao and Yu Feng were both shocked.

  Jiang Shen was also extremely annoyed tonight, tossing and turning sleeplessly. Just as he was about to get up and go to the concubine's quarters, Cui suddenly appeared with a pale face.

  "Second Master, hurry up and help!"

  It's rare to see him so flustered, Jiang Shen thought about it and knew that something had happened to Jiang Xuanjin, so he hastily put on his clothes and followed him.

  The third son of the Jiang family has never done anything to worry his elders since he was a child, he is not tempted by worldly fame and wealth, nor has he ever had any bad habits, even drinking, only occasionally touching cups at banquets, usually he doesn't touch it.

  However, when Jiang Shen stepped into the wine house, Jiang Xuanjin had already placed five wine jars by his side, neatly arranged.

  "Second Brother." Eyes shining brightly, Jiang Xuanjin saw him and beckoned him over.

  Jiang's mouth twitched at the corner, and he knew he was already drunk, but still imitated his appearance, beckoning him over to ask: "Third brother, what are you doing?"

  Jiang Xuanjin pinched the sixth jar of wine and laughed with rosy lips and white teeth: "I'm drinking!"

  "I know, I'm asking you why you want to drink?" Jiang Shen sat down beside him, picked up the empty wine jug and shook it.

  Jiang Xuanjin paused for a moment, as if thinking for a while, before saying: "It's tough."

  "Do you know a saying 'raise your glass to drown your sorrows, but the more you drink, the more sorrowful you become'?"

  "I don't know." Jiang Xuanjin replied childishly, "The wine is good!"

  Jiang let out a long sigh, snatched the wine jug from his hand, poured a large mouthful into his own mouth, gulped it down with a gurgling sound, and slammed the jug down, saying: "Indeed not bad."

  Jiang Xuanjin frowned at the wine in his hand, looking unhappy.

  "I heard from your brother that something happened to Bai Si's younger sister." Jiang Shen handed the wine jug back to him and asked softly, "Is it because of her?"

  Jiang Xuanjin shook his head: "I don't know Bai Sisi, I only know the Eldest Princess."

  "After finishing speaking, he smiled at him again: "Does the second brother know the Long Princess? The one who had many concubines and harmed the court for eight years, the one I personally sent poisoned wine to."

  Jiang Shen was stunned, Jiang Chong didn't tell him about this, he had no idea.

  "Chang Gongzhu is really formidable, she can even come back to life after dying. Not only did she come back to life, but she also deceived me." Jiang Xuanjin muttered to himself, then finished the wine in his hand and turned to the shopkeeper, "Please bring another jug."

  The shopkeeper, wearing his nightclothes and an outer gown, was clearly summoned from bed, his face and eyes full of fear, he didn't dare say another word, and again presented several more jugs.

  He poured himself another full cup of wine, Jiang Xuanjin raised his hand to support his eyebrows, his ink pupils half-closed, seemingly smiling yet not: "No wonder Lu Jinghang is so good to her."

  Li Huaiyu and Lu Jinghang, everyone in Kyoto knows what kind of relationship they have.

  "Don't drink anymore." Jiang Shen reached out and helped him up, "Shall we head back to the manor first?"

  "No." Jiang Xuanjin shook his head, "Don't want to go back."

  He was in a bad mood and no one could persuade him. Jiang Shen thought for a moment, found Cheng Xu, and asked him to go buy some wine back.

  It's really hard to deceive him, but looking at our master's appearance, I still have to obey.

  Then, after drinking the last cup of wine, Jiang Xuanjin fell asleep very quietly and slept soundly.

  He had a warm dream, in which the spring scenery was beautiful in April, with lush grass and flying swallows, red flowers and green willows. He woke up under a tree and saw Bai Zhuji as soon as he opened his eyes.

  That porcelain-like small face smiled sweetly and happily said to him: "The tangerine tree I planted has borne fruit, how about peeling one for you to eat?"

  He couldn't help but follow her with a hooked lip, and said disdainfully: "Sour."

  "Not sour, not sour, I'll give you the biggest and sweetest one!" Her eyes curved into a crescent moon shape, she gestured to him with a shape as big as the moon, her voice softly coaxing him, "Taste it, okay?"

  Good. He heard his own voice answer like this.

  Sunlight filters through the branches, mottling people's faces, white pearls giggling and holding onto him, grasping him tightly, with no intention of letting go.

  ……

  The moon hangs quietly in the sky and looks a bit small from the window of the cell.

  Lu Jing walked away, and Huai Yu leaned against the railing, dazedly covering her lower abdomen.

  The situation was already a mess, she didn't dare to say more about her belly to them, but since waking up in the big prison, her lower abdomen had been constantly aching.

  She was a little scared, and could only try her best to calm down, as the doctor said, holding back from getting too angry or sad.

  But... how can this be controlled? Even if she tries her best to pretend that nothing happened today, not thinking about why Huai Lin didn't explain for her, the wound on her neck is still there, and it hurts, hurting so much that she wants to cry.

  The sound of chains echoed from the adjacent cell, Huai Yu was startled and quickly knelt up to see Xun Xian being pushed in covered in blood.

  "General!" she exclaimed.

  Seeing that she was unharmed, Xu Xian let out a sigh of relief and fell onto the straw, laughing: "Your Highness, don't worry, it's just a minor flesh wound, nothing serious."

  Isn't that serious? The prisoner's clothes are all stained with blood! Huai Yu got up and went to the railing between the two cells, grasping the wooden bars and looking at him, anxious but unable to do anything.

  Xu Xian moved her body closer and whispered: "Your Highness, they want us to admit to the crime of plotting a rebellion."

  "I know..." Huai Yu's eyes turned red, "I know what they want to do."

  Pretend that Jiang Xuanjin is in trouble and lure her into the trap to rescue him, then use the crime of rebellion to capture them all at once.

  "Uh..." Xū Xiān hesitated and asked, "Do you know who set up this scheme?"

  When asked this question, Huai Yu's face turned white and she lowered her eyes, tightly grasping the railing.

  "You still don't believe?" Xu Xian smiled lightly, "Earlier when you had an accident, we said that Your Majesty is not as innocent and kind-hearted as you think."

  Li Huailin grew up wearing dragon robes, although he was always under the protection of the Empress Dowager, but he is a very opinionated person, and many times when his sharp edges are exposed, they will be shocked.

  But Princess Chang had never detected... or rather, she had never suspected her brother.

  "He's only fifteen years old." Huai Yu said in a low voice, "How can I believe you?"

  She would rather believe that he was being deceived and used by those cunning people.

  "Do you think that if he didn't want you to die, who could force him to write the imperial edict to kill you?" Xu Xian couldn't help but lower her voice, "If he was truly innocent, why did he remain silent in front of the Imperial Study and allow you to be taken away?"

  "He..."

  "He followed Jiang Xuanjin from a young age and learned all the proper things." Xu Xian said, "And you... when doing those things, never explained anything to him. You kept him away from the dirty and filthy things, have you ever thought about how he would see you?"

  Which of the following Shang Gongzhu looks good in the emperor's eyes: the one who killed Pingling Jun, the one who tortured the old palace maid to death, or the one who holds absolute power and is arrogant?

  The little emperor grew up and he will also have a heart that punishes evil and promotes good.

  And his imperial sister was the greatest evil in all of Northern Wei.

  Holding onto the railing, she laughed softly: "Am... I being used by him as a warning to the officials?"

  Xu Xian nodded.

  The young emperor took power personally, lacking in majesty, and eliminating the Empress Dowager was his fastest and best way to establish authority.

  "But..." Yu Xi shook her head subconsciously.

  How can this be? How could Hua Lin possibly sacrifice her life just to establish his authority?

  She really treats him like her own little brother...

  She fell to the ground, holding the jade and taking a deep breath, with fine beads of sweat seeping out on her forehead.

  "Your Highness?" Xū Xiān was startled, "What's wrong?"

  "I... " She covered her lower abdomen with her hand, furrowed her brow and gritted her teeth as she took a light breath. "My stomach hurts."

  Stomach? Xuxian was taken aback, as if he had thought of something, and turned his head to shout for someone.

  "Wait!" Huai Yu hastily stopped him, saying softly, "If it's really as you said, and Huai Lin wants me dead, then I mustn't let anyone discover that something is wrong with me!"

  Xu Xian stopped in his tracks, looking at her with great concern, his eyebrows furrowed into a knot.

  Hua Yu lay down in the haystack and rested for a moment, slowly calming her breathing, and managed to get through this wave of pain.

  Don't worry, she's been through thick and thin in Dan Yang, these things can't bring her down, she'll be fine.

  Reassuring herself repeatedly, she gently stroked her belly and whispered softly: "They all don't want me anymore, you can't leave me either, stay with me, okay?"

  The pain gradually subsided, and Huai Yu's eyes sparkled with a faint light as she smiled to herself in praise.

  Physically and mentally exhausted, she didn't have the strength to get up again after this fall.

  The straw was dirty and smelly, but she was really too tired, as soon as she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

  The sky was a bit late, and after taking a look at the time, I stood outside the main building for a long time, hesitating before pushing the door open.

  You just opened your eyes, still a bit drowsy, with a hint of a smile on your lips.

  "Taking advantage of the emptiness." He asked, "And what about your wife?"

  Startled by his sudden movement, she looked at him with a terrified expression on her face.

  Jiang Xuanjin looked at him with an inexplicable expression, stretched out his hand to touch the empty bedside, and then looked around the empty room, only slowly reacting after a long time.

  What was done last night was just a dream.

  The smile on his face gradually disappeared, he got up, sat on the edge of the bed for a while, and his expression returned to normal: "Shouldn't we go into the palace?"

  "Yes." The servant replied, "It's already morning, breakfast is ready in the side hall."

  Nodding, Jiang Xuanjin changed and washed up as if nothing was wrong. He glanced at the thick protective charm on his dresser, picked it up and tied it to his waist: "Before I return, have Yufeng clean up all the unnecessary things in this house."

  "Is it redundant?" He was stunned for a moment, then looked at the amulet and suddenly understood, nodding his head in response.

  Most people in the mansion did not know what had happened, and even less knew that the rebellion in the palace was related to their lord's wife, so after Jiang Xuanjin left, Xu Chuyan was still confused.

  "Where is your wife?" she asked Lingxiu.

  Ling Xiu looked even more puzzled: "I don't know, young master hasn't returned for two days, and last night the lord didn't say anything either."

  Ziyang Jun returned to the mansion, so she couldn't bother them again. Xu Chuyan let the maid pack up and bid farewell, planning to wait until the couple returned and announced the good news before coming back to celebrate.

  There was no morning court today. All the officials gathered in Longyan Palace, and Li Huailian frequently looked at Jiang Xuanjin several times, asking him: "Is His Majesty all right?"

  Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes: "I have no objection."

  "Your wife is among the rebels, I suppose you were also caught off guard." Li Huailian said, "There are many rumors in the court, in order to clarify the truth, it's better to hand over this case of treason to Prime Minister Qi..."

  "Your Majesty." Jiang Xuanjin cupped his hands, "Prime Minister Qi still has a guilty name on him, and should be dismissed and investigated."

  Qihans face turned ugly: "Your Majesty, the case has clearly shown that it was a conspiracy by Princess Chang of Danyang. Why are you still holding on to it?"

  "If all the evidence is true, then he should be convicted." Jiang Xuanjin said coldly, "I have always looked at the facts, not the party struggle."

  Zi Han suddenly looked up at the emperor on the throne with some panic.

  Li Huailian said helplessly: "What you said is reasonable, but at present, the court lacks many people. If we are to punish the prime minister again, how can the government be stable?"

  "Yes." Sito Jing also chimed in, "Think thrice before acting."

  Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brow, glanced at them and said: "It's also possible to temporarily not punish."

  Everyone let out a sigh of relief, thinking that the lord had finally come to his senses. But then he continued with the second half of the sentence: "The case of treason will be tried by me."

  "Are you going up?" Li Huailian was slightly surprised, "But Mrs. Ke..."

  "Does Your Majesty think I would pervert justice for personal gain?" Jiang Xuanjin asked.

  Li Huailian hesitated and shook his head: "No."

  "That's good." Jiang Xuanjin cupped his hands, "I will definitely investigate all the relevant personnel and their crimes clearly."

  Having said that, he bowed his head and left the grand hall.

  The grand hall fell silent for a moment, Li Huailian gazed at his receding back and suddenly said in a low voice: "It's better this way."

  Zihan didn't understand what these two words meant and anxiously said: "Your Majesty, if those people in prison tell the truth..."

  "What's the difference?" Li Huailian smiled, "No one has any evidence."

  Zi Han was taken aback, then suddenly reacted and hastily bowed his hands: "Your Majesty is wise."

  It's not that he is clever, these are just the means of the imperial sister, making people die without leaving any evidence, and no one can do anything about it, right?

  Li Huailian smiled and gently stroked the dragon head on the armrest of his chair.

  Jiang Xuanjin went to the great prison, first taking Xu Xian and Han Xiao for individual interrogation, asking them one by one. As a result, these two confessed, saying exactly the same thing - they thought he was trapped in the imperial study, so they came to rescue him.

  "Save me?" He sneered, "My relationship with all of you doesn't seem to be that good."

  Han Xiao gritted his teeth and said: "Who is close to you? If it weren't for the prince worrying about you, who would be willing to go save you?"

  As soon as he heard this, Jiang Xuanjin's fingers stiffened slightly, and he slowly pulled his sleeves tighter, his eyes coldly saying: "Do you think I would still believe such a thing?"

  "Believe it or not." Han Xiao angrily said, "Your Highness is really blind, why did you have to fall for him!"

  Planting once is not enough, so I planted a second time.

  Having no patience to listen to his loud shouting, Jiang Xuanjin waved his hand and had someone come to take him away.

  "Are you going to interrogate others again?"

  Jiang Xuanjin remained silent for a long time before allowing someone to bring Bai Xue up.

  The elegant and refined person he used to see in the literary institute now knelt before him, with a sharp gaze and a hint of ferocity.

  "Is this thick volume of yours something that Dan Yang had you write?" Jiang Xuanjin asked calmly as he looked at him.

  "I don't know."

  "This matter has nothing to do with the case of treason," Jiang Xuanjin said, "but you'd better answer me seriously."

  She raised her eyes to look at him, with a hint of mockery in them: "If it's none of your business, why did you come here and ask?"

  Yes, he sat here to try the case of treason. How did he suddenly think of asking these questions? Jiang Xuanjin himself wanted to laugh, but looking at the person in front of him, he still asked persistently: "Is it?"

  Bai He fell silent, with a resigned look on his face as if waiting for punishment.

  Staring at him for a moment, Jiang Xuanjin said: "Unwilling to sell her out? You're quite loyal, what benefits did she give you that made so many of you willing to follow her to the death?"

  "What's the benefit?" Bai Xue thought for a moment and smiled lightly: "Your Highness only gave me a brush."

  An ordinary brush, but when giving it to him, he said: "From now on, you can write whatever you want, and if you want to take the imperial examination, I'll add your name for you. As long as you survive, you will find that there are many interesting things in this world."

  As he spoke, someone pulled him out of the Luohua River.

  At that time, the water on his body splashed her all over. He was a little flustered, but the person in front of him was laughing brightly and didn't mind at all, wiping off the water droplets on his face and pulling him to walk outside.

  "It's good for people to work hard and live a good life." she said.

  The tone of that sentence still remembered by Bai Xue now is full of vigor and hope, making people feel the power to live on just by listening to it.

  However, the person who said that almost cut his own throat yesterday.

  His eyes grew even colder, and Bai Ji said: "You are such an unfeeling person, how can you understand the preciousness of relationships? There's no use talking more, whether it's killing or beheading, just give me a quick word."

  The people of Fei Yun Palace are indeed stubborn. Jiang Xuanjin sneered and turned to Cheng Xu, saying: "Invite the four young ladies from the Bai family over."

  It's been a long time since I've heard this title from the master of our house, and I was taken aback for a moment before responding and turning to go fetch someone.

  Huaiyu slept for a while, her face was still pale, she kept vomiting after getting up early, the leftover food in the prison cell made her vomit even more, and she couldn't eat at all.

  It's really unbearable now, and the sound of "husband" echoed outside the prison cell: "Madam, the king has summoned you."