After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Pei Heng pulled his cloak tighter around himself, a faint smell of blood emanating from him, indicating that the assassin had managed to injure him.

He looked at the two very well-matched people in front of him. The matter of the Crown Prince Huaizhen and the Second Miss of the General's Mansion breaking off their engagement had caused quite a stir back then.

He had heard about it and thought that the two would be mortal enemies if he saw them again, but he didn't expect Wei Chengrui to save them.

"It's chilly at night, my dear minister, you should take care of Miss Shen's health."

With a slight twitch of his knuckles hidden in his sleeve, he said seemingly casually, "After all, the two of you are destined to be together."

Wei Chengrui frowned, and for some reason subconsciously blocked his gaze from Shen Lingyi, coldly replying, "That's all ancient history, why does Your Majesty bring it up? As for that assassin, in my opinion, he must have had accomplices to be able to infiltrate the palace so silently."

"Perhaps, Your Majesty should not focus your attention solely on the palace women."

He meant that there were still remnants of the Wan family in the court.

Pei Heng remained silent. Fu Quan, holding an umbrella, cautiously approached and said, "Your Majesty, we should go back now..."

"My dear minister, you should go back too." Pei Heng then turned around.

His footprints were quickly covered by fresh snow.

Shen Lingyi stood there pondering. She didn't know much about the affairs of the previous dynasty. Perhaps she should ask Jiang Shi about it when she returned...

"The person is already gone, there's no point in you looking at them anymore."

Wei Chengrui approached step by step, his aura even more urgent than when he faced the assassin earlier. "Shen Lingyi, you care about him a lot."

He was certain that after more than a decade of companionship, no one understood Shen Lingyi better than him.

She's the kind of person who wears her heart on her sleeve; if she wants something, she'll definitely get it.

Once, Shen Lingyi and a noblewoman both coveted a hairpin. The two fought over it, and when Wei Chengrui arrived, she used the hairpin to slash the woman's face.

Everyone was shocked, and afterwards, Shen Lingyi actually threw the hairpin away.

It turned out that the hairpin was stained with blood, and she felt it was dirty and didn't want it anymore.

Wei Chengrui protected her at that time and did not think that Shen Lingyi's behavior was wrong. He just thought that she was still young and inevitably impulsive. Later he realized that it was not that complicated. She was poisonous and evil!

Just now, the way she looked at Pei Heng clearly showed her determination to win him over.

Shen Lingyi inhaled only cold air: "That's His Majesty."

"Um?"

"I said, he is the emperor, the adoptive father of the crown prince, and I am not worthy of his status."

She had been cornered against the wall, and Wei Chengrui's tall figure completely blocked her view.

Shen Lingyi noticed the red ribbon tied around his wrist and realized that she had indeed seen this before.

That was a gift she gave to Wei Chengrui on her sixteenth birthday.

Everyone thought they would never separate, including themselves. Wei Chengrui made a promise with her that he would marry her in a grand ceremony after he had achieved military merit.

But later, when the Wei family ran into trouble, she demanded that the engagement be dissolved.

Wei Chengrui was also angry and questioned her. That night, he stood in the wind and snow and waited all night, but she did not turn around.

Then he cut off his finger and broke off the engagement, turning the two into bitter enemies, which shocked the capital.

Wei Chengrui grew increasingly resentful: "In your eyes, Shen Lingyi, there's only whether you want to do it or not, not whether you can."

"No matter why you want to get close to him, I won't let you have your way. I crawled back from mountains of corpses and seas of blood just to drag you down to hell."

Shen Lingyi looked up at him: "Do you really hate me that much?"

"I hate him to the bone." Wei Chengrui said, his eyes red, uttering each word clearly.

Shen Lingyi suddenly grabbed his hand, disregarding whether he would hurt her. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her pure black eyes seemed to have discovered something, revealing a hint of light.

"If you truly wish me dead, why are you still keeping the things I gave you?"

Wei Chengrui froze.

"You say you hate me, but when I'm in danger, you're the first one to rush out and save me. How can someone be so indecisive? Do you hate me, or do you hate that I don't love you?"

"Wei Chengrui, ask yourself if you've figured it out?"

The boy's breathing quickened, and he angrily grabbed her neck, saying, "I'll kill you..."

however,

Just like Shen Lingyi said.

He couldn't do it.

Their eyes met, and he saw his own reflection in them. Then, as if burned, he suddenly let go.

Wei Chengrui took a few steps back with a grim expression, casually tossing the blood-stained sword aside before disappearing into the snow.

With this incident, the banquet could not continue, and the women of each family were frightened and insisted on going home.

It's likely that Jiang is also looking for her right now, but Shen Lingyi doesn't want to go back so soon.

She glanced in the direction Pei Heng had left; it was a side hall.

Pei Heng should have already been affected by the Gu poison. When the Gu poison takes effect, he becomes ruthless and consumed by lust, and usually won't let anyone get close to him.

This is the perfect opportunity.

Shen Lingyi summoned a palace servant and asked him to tell Lady Jiang that she had been sent back to her residence by Prince Huaizhen. Then she went straight to the side hall.

Tonight's assassin, ironically, has done her a favor.

Relying on her status as the second young lady of the General's Mansion, she was exempted from the search. When she saw that Shen Lingyi was going to the side hall, the Imperial Guards, unaware that Pei Heng was there, did not stop her despite their confusion.

"Second Miss, please leave the palace as soon as possible."

Shen Lingyi remained unmoved: "I left my bracelet there. I'll take it and leave."

The wind howled, sounding like ghosts wailing in the empty hall.

"Who's hiding there?"

Even though Shen Lingyi tried to keep her footsteps quiet, she was still spotted immediately.

Pei Heng clutched his head, his eyes bloodshot like a demon's, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat dripping down his face. He struggled to stay conscious, muttering, "Another lackey of the Wan clan..."

He thought he was about to be assassinated, something he had experienced more than once.

Unexpectedly, a small hand boldly slipped into the belt, accompanied by a faint fragrance. "Is Your Majesty waiting for me?"

Recalling the intoxicating experience of a few days ago, Pei Heng's voice became slightly hoarse.

"Who exactly are you?"

He had searched the entire capital city these past few days, and the pearl flower was the only clue. But the problem was that it was too common; almost every woman had such jewelry in her dressing case.

Pei Heng could only be certain that the woman must have come from an official family, since ordinary people couldn't enter the palace.

Since she wasn't there to assassinate him, the only possible purpose is what she said.

For the sake of the dragon seed.

Pei Heng lifted her chin, and the woman obediently raised her neck. She had already taken off her clothes before coming in, and now she was only wearing a thin shirt, which could not cover anything at all.

He could smell her fragrance, and the strange restlessness within him subsided slightly.

The man was slightly startled, but remained calm: "Time and time again, I'll see who you are today."

As he spoke, he reached out to remove her veil.

"No, Your Majesty, please don't remove my veil!" Shen Lingyi cried out in alarm and rushed into his arms.

She clung to Pei Heng's narrow waist, tears streaming down her face, her voice filled with longing: "If we're seen, I'll never be able to see His Majesty again!"