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

The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the general's mansion.

Shen Lingyi stumbled as she got out of the car, and Shaoyao quickly supported her, saying, "Miss, be careful."

"Ouch, my legs are numb, I can't walk anymore."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a mocking and arrogant voice rang out.

"If your leg goes numb, just cut it off. This young master will be happy to do it."

Shen Lingyi turned around and saw that the person who came was handsome and dashing, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but his expression was strange and eccentric, more like a demon who had walked out of hell.

Shen Lingyi raised an eyebrow. In the original plot, she and Wei Chengrui met at a palace banquet and even got into a fight, becoming the laughing stock of the people in the capital. Why would he appear at this moment?

Wei Chengrui stared intently at Shen Lingyi with eyes as sharp as a venomous snake, his gaze filled with an undisguised, intense hatred.

He approached step by step, and was only a fist's distance away from Shen Lingyi. He could feel her breathing. Looking at the face that had brought him endless pain, he suddenly smiled.

He grabbed her snow-white neck, as if it would snap with the slightest force.

"Long time no see, Shen Lingyi."

The boy's smile didn't reach his eyes; his face was cold, and his tone was menacing.

Shen Lingyi felt a chill run down her spine, and a cold sensation shot from her feet straight to her brain.

Back then, the two had a bitter feud that could have been life or death. When Wei Chengrui pleaded with her, she dismissed him with disdain, saying that the loser was not worthy of being compared to her.

Now that Wei Chengrui has returned from the northern frontier in the name of the God of War, commanding an army of 300,000, and you can even smell the blood on his body, it is no surprise that he seeks revenge on her.

She grasped his wrist with her soft, boneless hand, gaining a brief moment of respite.

"Brother Chengrui..."

"We're not close, are you trying to seduce me by calling me so intimately?"

The girl's already fair skin turned a sickly pale from falling into the water and the cold winter. She bit her lower lip tightly, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.

However, the moment the boy finished speaking, tears streamed down his face like beads from a broken string.

When it landed in Wei Chengrui's hands, it burned his heart.

Wei Chengrui raised an eyebrow. "Playing dumb and being clever? I'm not the Crown Prince, I don't fall for that."

Shen Lingyi ignored her, coughing violently, her tears flowing more and more profusely, so hot that Wei Chengrui flinched and withdrew his hand from her neck.

Peony was so anxious that she paced back and forth. Taking advantage of the moment, she quickly said, "Young Master, my young lady just fell into the water and can't withstand this kind of ordeal. I beg you to be merciful."

She anxiously looked towards the entrance of the General's Mansion. Who was the gatekeeper today? How could they be so oblivious?

Wei Chengrui snorted, "I remember you're a good swimmer. And that drowning scene was just for the Crown Prince. Tsk, no matter how hard you try, his heart belongs to Shen Tingjiao."

"Don't you think this is retribution?"

"We've been apart for three years, and all I've done is think of you, but all I get in return is you wanting my life." Shen Lingyi's eyes were red, as if she had been heartbroken, and she swayed as if she were about to collapse.

squeak-

The gatekeepers rushed out and escorted Shen Lingyi into the mansion.

Wei Chengrui stood in the wind and snow for a long time, until the snow covered his head and the cold penetrated to his bones.

Qingyun brushed the snow off his shoulder and said, "Young Master, back then, Miss Shen showed no mercy and hurt you to the bone. You must not soften your heart just because of her words."

"Soft-hearted?" Wei Chengrui stopped in his tracks, a cruel smile on his face. "She's greedy and utterly hypocritical. Those who betray sincerity will always be betrayed. Killing her would dirty my hands. It's more interesting to torture her slowly."

"Young Master, where are you going?" Qingyun asked, puzzled, seeing his master abruptly change course.

Wei Chengrui moved swiftly, climbing over the west wall of the General's Mansion.

Shen Lingyi was mischievous and disobedient from a young age, and often sneaked out through the dog hole. Only the two of them knew the entrance to this place.

Half an hour later.

Wei Chengrui was on the rooftop, his brown eyes reflecting the flames leaping up from the opposite house, the fire growing ever stronger.

He muttered to himself, "I'll see if you're faking it or if you really miss me."

"Fire! Fire! Quick, save the Second Miss!"

The general's mansion was in complete chaos, with maids and servants all pitching in.

Wei Chengrui and Qingyun found a secluded spot to watch the play. Qingyun glanced at her master's face, which was flickering in and out of focus by the firelight, and pursed her lips.

Setting fire in broad daylight—only a young master like him would do that.

Another quarter of an hour later, the fire was extinguished. Seeing Shen Lingyi emerge covered in soot, Wei Chengrui smiled slightly and turned to leave.

"Wei Chengrui." Shen Lingyi gritted her teeth, knowing without a doubt who had done it.

Peony gently wiped her face, complaining, "The young master was too ruthless, showing no regard for Miss's safety."

They had completely forgotten how Shen Lingyi had made Wei Chengrui kneel in the snow all night and even burned down the Wei family's house.

It wasn't until late at night that the losses were tallied up. Shen Lingyi, with a long face, shut herself in and refused to see anyone.

Jiang was heartbroken and sent over many precious jewels and fine fabrics, saying that they could burn them as they pleased, as the Jiang family was so poor that all they had left was money.

Shen Lingyi never left the palace until Xu Yanqing sent someone to deliver a message confirming that her entry into the palace was arranged.

That night, Shen Lingyi instructed Shaoyao to stay at home while she went to the palace alone.

Wearing the clothes sent by Xu Yanqing, Shen Lingyi transformed from a young lady of an official family into a fair-faced eunuch.

"For some reason, the palace has been guarded more recently, and even I have to have my palace pass checked when I come and go," Xu Yanqing explained, adding that he had gone to great lengths to obtain the identity token.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Shen Lingyi's eyes crinkled with joy.

As they approached the Zichen Palace, Xu Yanqing suddenly grabbed her wrist, his Adam's apple bobbing. "If you regret it now, it's not too late. I'll just consider it a joke."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but my mind is made up."

Xu Yanqing opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He instructed, "I will send someone to meet you at 3 AM tomorrow. Remember not to be late."

Perhaps the young girl was just curious, and his attempt to stop her seemed to bother him.

"it is good."

Xu Yanqing watched Shen Lingyi enter the Zichen Palace before leaving.

With the guards' shift change times and route map provided by Xu Yanqing, Shen Lingyi moved with ease. Fortunately, the emperor did not have the habit of having servants attend to him when he went to bed, which allowed her to succeed so easily.

Shen Lingyi tiptoed into the Zichen Palace and lit rhinoceros horn incense. This incense could agitate the Gu worms in the emperor's body, causing brief arousal without affecting his health.

The Gu worm can only be removed after she subdues the beggar-doctor, but judging by the time it takes, it should be soon.

The moment she got close to Pei Heng, he grabbed her wrist and pinned her down.

"Who?"

Even under the influence of the Gu worms, Pei Heng subconsciously resisted the danger with his strong willpower.

Shen Lingyi wrapped her arms around his neck, her body coiling around him like a water snake. Their breaths mingled, and their heartbeats could be heard clearly. Her hot breath sprayed onto Pei Heng's earlobe, making him shudder.

Skin to skin, burning hot against each other, she removed her clothes, revealing large expanses of snow-white skin, her voice possessing a seductive power.

"I am a goddess sent down from heaven, by divine mandate to help the human emperor."

"To carry on the will of Heaven, govern the land, care for the people, and raise the dragon's offspring."