Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

It was just a very neutral statement, without much respect in its tone.

But the moment the words reached Wei Rong's ears, it was as if a drop of cool water had been poured into the boiling water, calming the surface.

The suffocating feeling of Xiao Heng gripping her neck finally dissipated, and she suddenly gasped for breath.

The arrival of Ling Xianru was a salvation for everyone present.

A bead of sweat the size of a bean fell to the ground from Wei Jin's forehead. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency Prime Minister. Please persuade His Majesty and the Empress to stop arguing."

Who would have thought that listening to the Buddha's teachings would happen even faster than Grand Tutor Nian's?

However, it must be said that this powerful minister, a close confidant of the emperor, was certainly more effective than Grand Tutor Nian.

If he wants to manage it.

It depends on whether he wants to get involved or not.

Ling Xianru seemed to be just passing by and had come to pay her respects after hearing that the emperor was there. The prime minister's carriage was parked a few feet behind her.

He remained calm and unhurried, continuing on his way even without receiving a reply from the emperor.

When the guards saw it was him, they made way for him, even though they looked hesitant.

Through the thin curtain, one could hear Wei Rong's rapid breathing and see the broken and chaotic mess on the ground.

A slight hint of doubt flashed in Ling Xianru's eyes.

In his eyes, Wei Rong had always been a smart woman who knew how to act appropriately and when to back down.

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, she would never have let things escalate to this point if she hadn't wanted to.

Arguing loudly with the emperor in the street would endanger her own safety and would do her no good.

—Unless she's trying to test something.

Today at Hongxiuzhao, he didn't notice anything unusual about Wei Rong. What was she trying to verify with Xiao Heng?

It was worth risking her life to provoke Xiao Heng.

If she already had suspicions, she wouldn't have needed to wait until she returned to the Wei residence to take action.

Did he return to the Wei residence and receive some news?

Ling Xianru composed herself and reached out to lift a corner of the dragon carriage's curtain—if anyone in the entire Yunjing City had this courage, it would probably only be the Prime Minister.

But what he saw still made him frown slightly.

Wei Rong could only stand by holding onto the table with one hand. Her beautiful face was flushed from lack of oxygen, and the red marks on her neck from being pinched hard would probably turn purplish-blue in a couple of days.

Xiao Heng sat with her legs spread wide on the chair, clearly not in a good mood either.

Ling Xianru turned around and gave Qiaoyu a look.

Qiaoyu quickly got up and walked over, bending over and not daring to breathe too loudly.

"Help your mistress to freshen up," Ling Xianru said, taking the lead. "Summon the physician to come and examine her injuries."

"Yes, sir."

Qiaoyu was inwardly amazed, but dared not show it. She helped Wei Rong up, said goodbye, and wished she could disappear into the ground.

Wei Rong paused as she passed Ling Xianru.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Ling Xianru said in a low voice, "I am well aware of the situation regarding the Imperial Concubine's matter. Only when the inner palace is at peace can the court be stable. Your Highness, please rest assured."

Whether Ling Xianru was truly loyal to the previous dynasty or not, Wei Rong didn't know, but his statement showed that he wasn't someone whose words didn't match his actions.

The statement, "Even if you want to kill her, I will not stop you," seems to be true.

Wei Rong wanted to respond, but her throat was too uncomfortable and her voice was hoarse, so she said nothing and returned to the Wei residence with Qiaoyu.

When Uncle Wei saw the strangulation marks on her neck, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty," Qiaoyu cried softly as they left the crowd, "I was terrified! His Majesty's demeanor... I was so afraid he would kill me!"

Wei Rong also felt, at some point, that Xiao Heng wanted her dead.

But clearly, he was afraid, filled with a fear that wanted to silence her—she felt that her suspicions were not unfounded; there must be some other hidden story behind her father's death.

As she released her grip, a hairpin fell from Wei Rong's palm.

It was the very same one that Xiao Heng had given her, the one she had lost and then found again on the day of the New Year's banquet.

If Xiao Heng really intended to kill him, this hairpin that was once a token of their love would pierce his body and be stained with his blood!

Qiaoyu picked it up tremblingly, even more frightened, her whole body shaking: "Luckily, the Prime Minister arrived in time..."

No one expected that the person who arrived and stopped this farce would be Ling Xianru.

Even Wei Rong thought that he left after sending her back to the Wei residence.

His presence here is illegitimate and improper.

The Prime Minister's residence is separated from the Guard's residence by two main streets.

It's a bit unreasonable for someone to wander here while taking a walk.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Heng was always suspicious, and Wei Rong's behavior just now had revealed some of his emotions, which made him very annoyed. "Your Prime Minister's residence is two streets away from Wei's residence."

"Liu Pingyan invited me to try his family's spring banquet, and to discuss whether there are any changes to this year's tax system." Ling Xianru replied without changing his expression: "Your Majesty's personal expedition has alarmed half of Yunjing City, so I came to take a look."

Liu Pingyan works for the Ministry of Revenue, and the tax system is indeed a set of regulations that Xiao Heng has recently asked him to take charge of.

The Liu family's residence happened to be located behind the Wei family's residence.

Xiao Heng asked with skepticism, "Didn't you come here to see if you also think that I was wrong about the Consort?"

"Your Majesty, when you govern, you must first gain the people's trust," Ling Xianru picked up a Qilin ornament that hadn't broken from the ground and casually wiped away the dust. "Even if you know that the Empress is forcing you, you should swallow your anger and give the people an explanation first."

Mentioning Wei Rong still filled Xiao Heng with indignation: "Wei Rong is doing very well now; she's already learned the trick of using the emperor to command the feudal lords!"

"You are the emperor, how could you be threatened by the empress? It's just that she comes from a military family and cannot tolerate any dissent."

Xiao Heng wanted to retort, but was interrupted by Ling Xianru: "Your Majesty, the matter of the Imperial Concubine has become a matter of state. If we do not act decisively now, the censors will take advantage of our position. You can discuss your grievances with the Empress behind closed doors. The show of force you gave her today should be enough for the Wei family to reflect on their mistakes."

Thinking about it, that's true.

The clever thing Wei Rong did in this matter was to use public opinion to put pressure on Xiao Heng.

If he continues to cover it up, both he and the Shen family will be drowned in scorn.

We will not rest until they are severely punished.

He just wanted Wei Rong to know that she wouldn't gain anything by confronting him head-on.

Frustrated, Xiao Heng kicked over another piece of furniture: "Back to the palace."

His reaction suggests he's likely taken it to heart.

Ling Xianru stepped out of the imperial carriage and stood outside, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

They made a mess of the Wei residence, then dusted themselves off and left.

Only after the imperial carriage disappeared around the street corner did the people kneeling in front of the Wei residence finally get up.

Uncle Wei wiped his sweat. Although he didn't usually interact with Ling Xianru in court, he was clear about right and wrong, and he had to thank her today: "Thank you, Prime Minister. I am very grateful to you for getting me out of this predicament today."

Ling Xianru waved her hand, her gaze sweeping over Wei Jin, but she didn't say anything.

As the imperial carriage traveled along the official road, Xiao Heng suddenly opened the window and glanced at the Liu residence.

He called out, "Let's go in and take a look."