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

"bird!"

Mo Yu and Qiao Yu waited outside the garden.

Because of her worries, Qiaoyu had to peek inside every now and then, and she was very nervous.

Just as Ling Xianru reached out her hand to Wei Rong, Mo Yu suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her view, and pointed to the sky: "What a huge bird!"

Qiaoyu grumbled, dissatisfied, "It's just an eagle, what's the big deal?"

Such a big person was blocking her view, completely obstructing her vision. Was she afraid of that eagle in the sky?

"Coward, get out of the way."

Mo Yu secretly glanced behind him. His master was half-embracing the Empress, who had fallen into his arms and rested her chin on his shoulder.

It was obvious that the Prime Minister was restless, with one hand around her waist and the other pressing down on the back of her neck, his thumb even lightly stroking the spot where she had been pinched.

Wei Rong trembled all over.

Such intimate gestures were something even Xiao Heng might not have done to her.

The man's sharp and powerful aura enveloped her tightly, carrying a fruity scent. Ling Xianru's clothes were probably scented with citrus or similar fragrances, which was refreshing.

Her heart skipped a beat, and Wei Rong instinctively pushed him away with her elbow.

The back of the neck was suspiciously covered with a layer of pink.

Perhaps fearing she might fall again, Ling Xianru didn't let go even after being elbowed, only releasing her after helping her to her feet. She still tried to take advantage of the situation, saying, "Your Majesty invited me to stroll in the garden, intending to throw myself into your arms."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wei Rong was both anxious and angry, with a hint of unspeakable emotion in her voice. "Ling Xianru! You've gone too far!"

It had been a long time since anyone had addressed her by her given name, but the Prime Minister was not angry. On the contrary, he found the Empress's embarrassed and annoyed expression particularly beautiful.

It looks much better than when she was in the palace, where she had to maintain a dignified and elegant demeanor at all times.

"Calm down," Ling Xianru said in a softer tone, "I guarantee not a single word of it will get out."

However, the Empress was clearly very angry and threw the thing she had been clenching in her hand at her.

It's that piece of warm jade.

"The items are far too valuable for me to accept. I request that the Prime Minister take them back."

Her purpose in keeping the person was to return the jade, but she was referring to both the jade and the person.

Because Ling Xianru had gone too far, she spoke harshly.

"What did your master do? Why is my mistress angry? She doesn't get angry often." After being 'released', Qiaoyu saw Wei Rong's sullen face.

Mo Yu honestly replied, "I don't know either: women are hard to fathom."

"Who do you think is hard to figure out?"

"..."

When Ling Xianru looked at the jade handed to him, he said that this jade was a good match for Wei Rong.

The pink fingertips were faintly visible beneath the translucent jade, making the hand appear as flawless as jade.

Ling Xianru stared at it for a long time without reaching out to take it, so Wei Rong handed it forward a few more times.

She could see the man's cold, hard, and smooth jawline, his thin lips, and—why were there piercing marks on his earlobes?

Wei Rong's attention was diverted.

Men in Dajing do not usually wear earrings. Although some ethnic minorities have this custom, could Lingxian be an ethnic minority?

"I never take back what I've given away," Ling Xian said, seemingly unaware of her thoughts. "Besides, I just helped you and His Majesty out of a predicament, and you agreed to a condition, which was that you accept the jade."

How can someone use their own vested interests to give gifts to others?

Wei Rong composed herself: "Why do you insist on giving it to me?"

"Only you are worthy of it, a beauty is worthy of fine jade."

Seeing that Wei Rong was about to glare at him again, Ling Xianru simply grabbed Wei Rong's hand, pulled her palm close, and pushed her back in front of her: "Your Majesty should return to the palace."

"He...he...he...he—" Qiaoyu's eyes widened in shock: "How dare your master disrespect my mistress?!"

Surprisingly, her mistress didn't struggle; she simply lowered her head and pondered for a moment before seemingly accepting the offer.

Mo Yu's eyes darted around, and he breathed a sigh of relief for his master.

If Wei Rong knew what this jade meant, she would also be very shocked.

The setting sun hung on the treetops, gilding the pink cherry blossoms with a layer of gold. A breeze blew, and the petals fluttered down, a few brushing against Wei Rong's cheeks and lifting a few strands of hair at her temples.

"Don't wear this outfit back to the palace," Ling Xianru said, looking away with a hint of assertiveness. "I've had someone fetch a ready-made set."

Wei Rong had no idea what had offended him about this outfit, but since it was an unmarried garment, wearing it back to the palace would only lead to some people making up stories.

but--

"What kind of clothes are these?" Wei Rong asked as Ren Qiaoyu helped her put them on behind the screen. "Is it necessary to cover up so much?"

Qiaoyu didn't understand either.

The people of Dajing are not considered conservative, and there are not many rules about women's clothing.

However, the blue cross-necked robe that the Prime Minister sent was so tight that it seemed he wanted to wrap her master's hands and feet completely.

Aside from avoiding the scars on her neck, nothing that should or shouldn't be shown is revealed.

"When Mo Yu brought the clothes over, I had some doubts and asked him. He said he was afraid that Your Highness would get cold."

Wei Rong felt so constricted by the clothes that she wanted to curse, "Damn it, my legs are freezing!"

This person is clearly domineering and controlling. She has nothing to do with him, yet he meddles in everything, it's unbelievable—

This is utterly disgraceful!

Qiaoyu fastened the sash for her and found that the blue color suited her mistress well, making her look gentle and beautiful: "Putting everything else aside, this color is a good choice."

Wei Rong's long hair was not tied up with a hairpin, but was left loose and tied to one side with a hair ribbon, which covered some of the scars on her neck.

A small crown adorns the top of her head, with tassels hanging down and pearls as decoration.

Ling Xianru has excellent taste, a fact that Wei Rong has to admit.

After changing her clothes, Ling Xianru was still there, chatting with Wei Nanfeng about tea ceremony. When she saw her come out, she raised an eyebrow.

The imperial carriage is right in front of the gate. Now that I'm back in the palace, I don't know when I'll be able to leave again.

Wei Rong instructed the Wei family not to seek the limelight or claim credit, not to get involved in court infighting, and not to kick the Shen family when they were down, no matter how Xiao Heng dealt with the matter.

Already in the eye of the storm with Xiao Heng, the Wei family members avoided the issue if possible.

But now, with the end of spring approaching in March, the spring hunt should be coming soon.

It's unclear when there will be a result regarding the letter sent by Wei Jin.

Once he returns to the palace, he will endlessly think about these things that he needs to scheme against.

Perhaps because her expression was too serious, Ling Xianru stopped her before she got into the car.

The other party, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, as if they had no worries at all, still maintaining their leisurely demeanor: "Your Majesty, things will work out in time, there's nothing to worry about."

It's unclear whether he genuinely sensed Wei Rong's anxiety or just said it casually.

But those eleven words were like an effective medicine, inexplicably calming Wei Rong down.

As dusk fell, the palace lanterns of the imperial city were hung early in the morning. From a distance, the palace was brightly lit, resembling a giant birdcage in Wei Rong's eyes.

Several months ago, she was stopped at the palace gate and only managed to get in after making a huge commotion in the snow all night.

A few months later, no one stopped her from taking the imperial carriage. However, the rumors of discord between the emperor and empress had spread to the point that everyone in the capital knew about it.

"Why is Your Majesty so late?" Shen Minglan, who had already heard about what happened outside the palace during the day, came over and mocked, "Oh, I heard His Majesty was furious. I suppose Your Majesty suffered quite a bit today."

Although he was kneeling, his tone was arrogant and full of sarcasm.

"Why is Guard Shen kneeling here again?" Wei Rong got out of the carriage and looked at him coldly. "The Imperial Guards patrol battalion, and even the Imperial Guards, are going to be reorganized. I wonder how long you can keep your official hat after what happened at Chuxiu Palace?"

A single sentence stung Shen Minglan, and he became agitated: "Your Majesty is indeed shrewd, but what matters in the palace isn't cunning, but rather where His Majesty's heart lies!"

Wei Rong was exhausted and didn't bother arguing with him: "Pampering can't save a murderer."