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

"I'll say the same to you," Wei Rong's gaze swept over her lower abdomen: "In this palace, you only ever hear the laughter of the new concubines, never the tears of the old ones."

Shen Mingxiu sensed something was amiss and her expression changed: "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Consort Xian, please rest well in your tent. If you need to move around, remember to report to me. Otherwise, you are not allowed to go anywhere."

The imperial guards, upon receiving the order, stepped forward and urged Shen Mingxiu, "Your Highness, it is dangerous outside. There is a risk of being accidentally injured by arrows. Please return to your tent first."

"snort!"

Shen Mingxiu flung her sleeves and stormed back to her tent.

Qiaoyu pushed Wei Rong back to their tent.

As soon as the tent flap was lifted, Wei Rong's expression changed.

"Your Highness, this servant will go and fetch Physician Qian. Your medicine needs to be changed."

Wei Rong nodded and steered the wheelbarrow inside herself.

However, a person was standing with their back turned in front of the screen.

The newcomer was taller than the average man from Dajing, dressed in unusual clothes, and also had his hair in a braid.

Hearing the noise, he slowly turned around. When he saw Wei Rong clearly, his green pupils flashed with amazement, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He spoke slowly, "I never imagined that your Eastern lands would possess such a beauty, Your Majesty the Empress?"

Wei Rong gripped the handlebars tightly, but showed no fear on her face: "You are no match for me, King Su Meng."

If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, King Sumon would have even wanted to burst out laughing.

"Not only beautiful, but also very intelligent," he said, pouring himself a cup of tea without being asked. "How did Your Majesty know it was me?"

"If King Sumon does not want to reveal his identity, he should change the red gold incense he is wearing. My father once said that the Sumon royal family often uses red gold incense to show their noble status."

When Wei Beimu was mentioned, King Su Meng paused in his smile, a hint of regret flashing across his face.

"General Wei was a formidable opponent, but alas, his life was short."

Wei Rong smiled coldly: "My father died at the hands of your Sumeng people, and the Southern Frontier has been without a commander to this day. The Sumeng King's expression of regret makes me feel that he is hypocritical."

Of course she hated Su Meng.

However, after hearing what Wei Jin said that day, he became more suspicious about his father's accident, so he wrote a letter to Su Meng.

Having waited so long without a reply, I never expected that King Sumon would come in person.

I don't know what their purpose is.

"You East Asians always speak in circles. This is the first time I've met such a straightforward woman. Your Majesty, you wrote a letter inquiring about the details of Yimeng Mountain, wanting to know how my men knew General Wei passed through here, and how we annihilated them all in this easily defensible terrain. Don't you think someone else is more hypocritical?"

Wei Rong rubbed her palms together and asked calmly, "Who are you referring to?"

"If Your Majesty has no suspect, there's no need to ask me for details. You simply lack evidence, or rather—you're unwilling to believe he would betray you. Am I right?"

This King Sumon is probably a master of psychological warfare.

With just a few words, he can disarm others and skillfully guide them to seek the answer.

But Wei Rong knew that a man like him, a ruler of a country, would not come here for no reason, just to deliver the "truth" to her for the sake of his so-called respectable opponent.

"Speak, King Sumon's conditions."

Wei Rong was very direct, but King Su Meng couldn't understand her attitude.

A very generous opponent is the one whose motives are hard to figure out.

He carefully observed Wei Rong's expression, but Wei Rong's expression remained unchanged.

Even when she mentioned her father's death, she showed no reaction.

Such a person is either extremely cunning or ruthless.

But he didn't come to Dajing by trekking through mountains and rivers, traveling thousands of miles, just to chat with this young woman.

Just as King Su Meng was about to sit down on the chaise longue, he saw the curtain of the tent move.

"Qiaoyu, wait outside now," Wei Rong suddenly announced, stopping Qiaoyu from bringing Physician Qian inside.

Imperial Physician Qian asked with some surprise, "Is Her Majesty alone in her tent?"

This morning, because they had to go hunting, Physician Qian hadn't had time to change Wei Rong's dressing.

Logically speaking, Wei Rong should be the only one in the tent right now, so why is he waiting for her?

"Perhaps Your Highness is inconvenienced," Qiaoyu said, not giving a definitive answer, "we will wait for you."

The Prime Minister said that any movement or disturbance at the Empress's residence should be reported to him. Although Physician Qian found this strange, he had no reason to disturb her.

He had no choice but to carry his medicine box and wait with Qiaoyu to the side.

King Sumon was relieved.

If people find out he's here, forget about negotiating with Wei Rong; even protecting himself will be a problem.

Wei Rong lifted her eyelids slightly: "King Su Meng should make his terms as soon as possible. There's no need for us to waste each other's time. Otherwise, if people find out you're here, even if they take me hostage, you might not be able to leave Da Jing unscathed."

"I told you, the more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she is."

King Sumon stopped beating around the bush and took something out of his sleeve.

One page.

It seems that lately, something related to letters has been happening to her, making Wei Rong somewhat tired.

"What is this?"

"The battle at Yimeng Mountain was never part of my plan. It was because of it that I risked deploying troops to try it out," King Su Meng slowly approached Wei Rong, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And guess what happened?"

Wei Rong felt her heart stop beating.

She looked at that page.

Sumengduo used animal hides as writing materials, while most of the surrounding countries of Dajing used bamboo paper, and even those that used paper mostly used Xuan paper.

The gold-flecked paper in King Su Meng's hand could only be found on Xiao Heng's desk, even if one searched the entire continent.

Wei Rong's expression did not change.

But the fingernails under the sleeve dug into the flesh, drawing blood.

"Weren't you desperately searching for your father's body?" King Su Meng's aura grew increasingly dangerous: "You couldn't find it, because it wasn't my men who took it. When my men arrived, your father and two hundred soldiers had already perished in Yimeng Mountain."

Wei Rong couldn't hold back any longer: "What did you say?!"

"You can probably guess what's in this letter. It's just an invitation for me to go to Yimeng Mountain to collect your father's head. We need the achievement of conquering your father, and the person who wrote this letter needs to eliminate your father, this major threat."

The pain in her palm brought Wei Rong back to her senses, but her mind was clearly a complete blank.

Why—

Why?

"I had no idea that your emperor was so wary of your Wei family that he was willing to take their lives himself. If General Wei had been born in Su-Meng, he would surely have been a general whom I respected for my entire life."

They simply have different beliefs because of their different circumstances.

Wei Beimu fought to the death for the Great Jing Dynasty throughout his life. In his final moments, he was left alone with his head in the Yimeng Mountains, his body never found. Along with two hundred of his generals, he was killed on the battlefield due to suspicion and distrust.

King Sumon himself was not a good person, yet he still felt sorry for him.

When Wei Rong spoke again, she could barely maintain her composure; her voice was hoarse: "How can I trust you?"