The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Ruan Xianrong frowned slightly as she looked at Xie Chengli.

Doesn't he like Miaoyin?

He always sought opportunities to spend time with Miaoyin, and even tried to please her in order to find out her preferences.

He even wrote poems and painted pictures for Miaoyin, so how could he like her?

"Xie Chengli, are you crazy?"

Xie Chengli raised his hand and gently stroked her brow with his fingers. "I know I'm being despicable, but I have no other choice."

Ruan Xianrong finally reacted, abruptly shoving him away and taking two steps back.

"Your Majesty, I think you've really lost your mind."

As she turned to leave, someone hugged her from behind. "Niannian, don't be angry with me."

"I just want you to marry me, to stay by my side forever, and to see you every day, instead of having to be careful even to glance at you."

So, please don't reject me, okay?

"I will not marry you." She refused. Everyone tried to pressure her, but she was rebellious. The more they asked her to do something, the less she would do it.

"Niannian, you won't even lie to me?" Xie Chengli coaxed gently.

The moment he ascended the throne, the night his father passed away, he knew that he would not be able to hold the throne for long.

But since I'm still in this position, I can keep the person in my heart by my side.

Even if he only held that position for a day, he didn't sit there for nothing.

"I will come to marry you the day after tomorrow. You must wait for me."

After leaving the palace, Ruan Xianrong was somewhat dazed.

From that day on, she never left her house until her wedding day, when the palace staff came to do her makeup.

She put on the bright red wedding dress, and he placed the phoenix crown on her head. The palace maids couldn't help but praise, "No one can match the young lady's beauty."

Ruan Xianrong didn't speak. She hadn't slept all night and was in no mood to talk or have the strength to resist.

When the time came, she boarded the sedan chair that came from the palace.

An hour later, they entered the palace gates.

Xie Chengli, dressed in imperial attire, stood on a high place, looking down at the people below.

Before Ruan Xianrong could go up, Xie Chengli came down the steps and reached out his hand to her.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out her hand. Just as she was about to touch him, footsteps suddenly came from behind her. In such a solemn occasion, a guard came forward and whispered a few words in Xie Chengli's ear.

Xie Chengli's expression darkened as he looked at her. "I have some things to attend to. You should go back and rest until I return."

Ruan Xianrong knew that something important must have happened if the wedding ceremony had to be stopped.

They were too old to get married.

Ruan Xianrong was sent back to the inner palace, and she was no longer aware of what was happening in the court.

There was no one around, and the palace was heavily guarded; there was no way to get out.

Wouldn't it be more dangerous to keep her locked up in the palace at this time?

If a fire were set on fire, the people outside could escape, but she would be gone.

Is Xie Chengli out of his mind?

The people outside ignored her, and even the windows were sealed shut, so she couldn't escape.

The phoenix crown on her head weighed down her neck so much that she couldn't straighten it. She took off all the jewelry on her head, casually put her hair up, and then found a decent set of clothes in the palace to change into, so that it would be easier to escape later.

Xie Chengli's expression just now clearly indicated that something terrible was going to happen; everything else was secondary, she had to save her life.

But the wait was too long and quiet, and she lay on the couch and fell asleep without realizing it.

When I opened my eyes again, I vaguely felt that there was someone next to me.

She tried to get up, but someone covered her eyes, and after that she knew nothing more.

When I woke up, I stared blankly at the familiar bed curtains for a long time.

She sat up abruptly. Had she gone home?

Yinque happened to bring in water and saw her sit up. She was delighted and said, "Miss, you're awake? Are you hungry? I'll go get you some food right away."

"etc."

"How did I get back?"

"It was General Shen who brought the girl back."

Shen Qinglian?

"So... how's it outside now? What happened in the palace?"

Yinque didn't know how to start, but in the end she told the truth, "Now everyone outside is saying that the late emperor was just seriously ill, but was poisoned to death by the Third Prince in order to frame the Crown Prince."

"They also said... that the Third Prince was not the late Emperor's biological son, and that confusing the royal bloodline is a serious crime."

Was Xie Chengli not Emperor Chengxuan's biological son?

When did this happen?

Is this mentioned in the book?

"I knew that you would ask when you woke up, so I sent someone to inquire. Now... the Third Prince has been imprisoned, and Empress Dowager Meng is under house arrest in the palace."

The more Ruan Xianrong listened, the more bizarre it seemed; she even wondered if she had transmigrated into the wrong book.

"Even though Xie Chengli is in prison, Shen Qinglian will still be able to send me back?"

Yinque was puzzled. "What does this have to do with General Shen?"

Last time, Shen Qinglian even helped Xie Chengli take her away. It's impossible that they weren't involved, yet they weren't punished together.

"And what about His Majesty now...?"

"...It's His Highness the Crown Prince."

She closed her eyes and said nothing more. After going around in circles, she returned to her original path.

Xie Chengli not only lost, but now he's involved in this whole mess, leaving him with no chance of a comeback.

She didn't doubt Xie Chengyan's abilities, and even suspected that it might all be a trap set by him, including her.

Within a month, the emperor changed again and again. Regardless of the truth, the court would not allow another change of emperor.

Ruan Xianrong was not happy.

"Go, pack your things, we're leaving tomorrow."

Yinque didn't dare to ask any more questions and immediately went to pack her bags.

But before they could finish packing, people came in from outside.

It was Palace Attendant Feng. "Miss Ruan, His Majesty requests your presence."

"Go back and tell him I'm not going to the palace."

Eunuch Feng hesitated, "Miss Ruan, His Majesty is waiting. You'd better go quickly."

"I told you, I'm not going. Let him come and kill me if he dares."

That pervert, who wants to see him?

Having no other option, Attendant Feng had to return and report back.

That evening, however, the man appeared silently in her bedroom.

As soon as she lay down, she felt her side sink slightly and a hand resting on her waist.

She tried to move away, but was suddenly pulled back by that arm, his back pressed against hers, his breath on her neck. "Niannian didn't want to see me, so I had no choice but to come see you."

The man was choking her so tightly she couldn't breathe, and one of his hands had already slipped inside her clothes.

I was only wearing pajamas to bed at night, and in no time, the hem was pulled open, and they did whatever they wanted to me.

"Afraid to see me? Are you feeling guilty?"

She stopped the hands that were groping her. "What do I have to be guilty of? Wasn't this all part of your plan?"

A soft laugh came from behind, but the subordinate's actions became even more unrestrained.

"Since Niannian has already guessed it, she should know that you can't escape."

He forced her to turn around. Although she couldn't see him in the darkness, she could feel his eyes coiling around her like snakes.

"Do you think you can leave just because you don't come to see me?"

"Niannian, give up on that idea."

Ruan Xianrong couldn't hold back and kicked him. "Why are you so fixated on me?"

The person in front of her remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a seductive voice, "Give me a kiss, and I'll tell you."

Ruan Xianrong remained unmoved.

Xie Chengyan sniffed her neck and continued to coax, "Just once, okay?"

"Please..."