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

Ruan Xianrong pursed her lips and refused to make a sound.

Xie Chengyan wasn't annoyed. He took the initiative to kiss her and said, "It's alright, I can wait."

"As long as you don't leave me, I'll wait for anything."

"What are you waiting for? Let go!"

"Shh." He gestured for silence. "You're too loud, you'll wake your little maid. Are you sure?"

Given his wicked nature, he wouldn't stop even if the room was full of people.

"Niannian, I've missed you these days."

I really miss you...

He put his remaining words into action, and the force of his grip was so strong that she couldn't help but cry out, "It hurts..."

The person beside her remained unmoved, and she dared not make a sound, but he deliberately made noise.

"Knock knock"

"Young lady, are you still awake?"

Ruan Xianrong nudged the person on top of her and whispered, "Wait a minute."

Not only did the man not stop, he also increased the force of his blows.

"girl?"

Ruan Xianrong tried her best to keep her voice from sounding strange, "I...I'm fine."

"You, you go to sleep, I don't need to be waited on."

Yinque outside the door was uneasy, feeling that the girl's voice sounded different today.

"Miss, how about I sleep with you tonight? It's getting chilly, and I can add some charcoal to the fire later."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Chengyan bit his shoulder, and she pinched his arm.

Afraid that Yinque would come in, he quickly told her, "No need... I'm not cold, you should go back now."

Silver Sparrow waited at the door for a while before finally leaving.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but her thoughts were pulled back, and she tossed and turned until the middle of the night.

After it was all over, she still asked, "That day at the palace, you deliberately said those things to me, knowing that I would tell Xie Chengli."

"Niannian didn't disappoint me." He wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"So you dug a pit for Xie Chengli to fall into, and then caught them all in one fell swoop."

Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened. "If he didn't have that intention, I wouldn't have touched him. Even if he's not Father's bloodline, he can still live."

"But he insists on taking that path, and I won't stop him."

Unfortunately, he was not suited to be an emperor.

The Meng family had long coveted the emperor. Since he had chosen to stand with the Meng family, he would live and die with them.

"Is Xie Chengli truly not of royal blood?"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Xie Chengyan was now much easier to talk to. "Why would I lie to you?"

Did Empress Dowager Meng switch the crown prince with a cat?

In the book, Consort Jia only gave birth to Xie Chengli, her only son. Now that the son is fake, could it be that she had an affair?

Xie Chengyan patiently explained to her, "Third brother was not born to Meng. Meng gave birth to a daughter."

Given this person's methods, they wouldn't have exposed this matter unless they were very confident.

"Who is that daughter?"

Jiang Wantang.

"Jiang Wantang is not the Emperor's child, but the child of Meng and another man."

Even though Ruan Xianrong had read so many novels, she had to admit, it was incredibly melodramatic.

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Xie Chengyan pinched her waist. "Worried about him?"

"no."

To her, there was no difference between Xie Chengyan and Xie Chengli.

"I'm just curious, since you had evidence, why didn't you arrest the person earlier instead of waiting until now?"

He ran his fingers through her hair, speaking casually, "He wanted that position, and I gave it to him. Don't you think I was very kind, Niannian?"

"I gave him a chance, but he couldn't hold on to it. Only after falling from a great height could he truly understand the despair of gaining and then losing something again."

How can you know what it feels like if you've never experienced it?

We should also understand that there are some people we shouldn't even dream of.

Ruan Xianrong was a little discouraged. Someone like her was easier to crush than an ant in Xie Chengyan's hands.

I broke out in a cold sweat.

She trembled slightly, but Xie Chengyan pulled her tightly into his arms.

"Scared?" His voice was close to my ear, tinged with the languor of someone who had just satisfied.

Ruan Xianrong didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper.

She didn't want to be a pawn.

Xie Chengyan likes her now, but if he doesn't, she won't even know how she died.

Xie Chengyan seemed to see through her thoughts and chuckled softly, "Niannian is different from them."

"I just want you to like me a little more, love me a little more, that's enough."

I don't know how much of that is true and how much is false.

Ruan Xianrong recalled the original owner's ending in the book, and then the various entanglements she had with him after transmigrating, leaving her heart in turmoil.

She didn't want to get involved in any messy things; she just wanted to live a quiet life.

If possible, next time she transmigrates into a book, could you please give her a less conspicuous identity?

"Go to sleep." Xie Chengyan tucked her in and said nothing more.

When I woke up the next day, there was no one beside me.

Ruan Xianrong stared blankly at the top of the tent.

When Yinque came in to help her with her toilette, she smiled and said, "Miss, Miss Miaoyin is back."

"Really? Where are they?"

"They're in the main courtyard; they should be here soon."

"Are you injured?"

"She wasn't injured, and she looks fine; she doesn't seem to have suffered much."

That's good, I'm relieved. Everything's alright.

While she was getting ready, Yinque leaned over and whispered, "Miss, I heard that His Majesty raided the Rongguo Duke's mansion early this morning. The Meng family's properties are countless, and they are richer than the national treasury."

The Rongguo Duke's Mansion has deep roots; the capital is only a part of it, and there are probably many more in other parts of the country.

"Young lady, shall we leave?"

His hands paused. Why was he still walking? It was too late.

Xie Chengyan learned of her plans when he came yesterday, and now she can't escape.

"Let's not leave for now. Let's put away the things we packed yesterday."

"Yes."

Fifteen minutes later, Miaoyin arrived. She checked the person over and found that he was indeed not injured.

Those people didn't hurt her; they even fed and drank her well, but they just wouldn't let her out. She's been cooped up for the past two days.

After seeing the person off, a card was handed to them from outside the door. "Miss, this is from His Highness Prince Qi."

"His Highness Prince Qi has always been on good terms with the Third Prince. He has come today, presumably to plead for leniency."

"Would you like to see the young lady?"

Ruan Xianrong looked at the post and didn't refuse. "Let him in."

Xie Chengming was prudent and self-preserving. Although he was close to Xie Chengli, he did not participate in the rebellion and posed no threat. Xie Chengyan would not touch him.

Xie Chengming entered and bowed, his attitude very polite.

"What is it, Your Highness?"

He remained the same as before, showing no urgency even though Xie Chengli was on the verge of death.

"I'm bothering you today because I have something I'd like to ask Miss Ruan for help with."

"Could you...go and see your third brother?"

Ruan Xianrong took a sip of hot tea, shook her head, and said, "I won't go. I'm sorry."

Xie Chengming was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"It seems my third brother guessed correctly."

"In that case, he asked me to give this to you."

He handed over a small box. "My third brother said that if you don't want to visit him, you should accept this and go see him when you have time."