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

It is Ling Xianru.

A long wind rustled the hem of his dark-colored robe. The bloodstains that had just been on him had long since dried, remaining lightly on the edges of his clothes. They did not appear ferocious, but instead accentuated his noble and aloof demeanor. His deep eyes and brows were like cold pools, concealing a cunning and secrets that no one could see through.

Qiaoyu looked at this and that, afraid of causing further trouble, and couldn't help but advise, "My lord, you must be exhausted after rescuing the emperor. Why don't you go back to your tent to rest? Our lady should also go back."

The surroundings were silent, and Ling Xianru's expression was unreadable.

Qiaoyu stood there in a dilemma, unsure whether to push Wei Rong away or not.

After a long while, Ling Xianru took the lead and slowly walked to the wheelbarrow.

He stood tall and straight, leaning slightly forward, his gaze fixed on her right hand hanging down.

That hand, which was usually dignified and composed, was now covered with a layer of white ointment, and the mottled wounds were hidden under the medicine, a shocking sight.

"Shen Mingxiu is not worth it for you to hurt yourself, and Feng Wantang is a trap you set yourself. This injury has another origin."

He was as certain as if he could read Wei Rong's mind: "This morning you only looked tired, nothing like before. When you looked at the emperor, your eyes were filled with murderous intent. When you returned to camp, who did you see?"

The Wei family's sincerity was scorned, a result of extreme disappointment, sorrow, and self-inflicted suffering.

But... how was Ling Xianru able to see it?

Wei Rong hurriedly looked up and was met with Ling Xianru's worried gaze.

She couldn't help but want to clench her fists again.

Only the pain could make her temporarily forget the chaotic and uncontrollable murderous intent.

But before her fingers could move, Ling Xianru had already grabbed her hand.

Ling Xianru's voice was low, suppressed by the cool evening breeze, devoid of the sharp edge she displayed in court, leaving only her unique calm and restraint: "Does it hurt?"

A single, simple word, unlike the feigned comfort of an emperor or the polite words of a stranger, directly pierced through all her hidden pain.

Wei Rong curled her fingertips slightly, avoiding his gaze, her tone flat and emotionless: "The Prime Minister has overstepped his bounds."

She has always been like this.

They are unwilling to show any vulnerability in front of others.

Ling Xianru did not look away.

He gazed silently at her pale, delicate profile, at the weariness and desolation hidden in her eyes, and parted his thin lips slightly: "Anyway, we've crossed the line."

It was so grand and dignified.

Just now, at the critical moment, Feng Wantang was injured while blocking an arrow, and the assassin was alone.

Shen Mingxiu's outburst of anger and mindless framing were blatantly stupid and utterly vulnerable.

He saw everything clearly, and naturally, Wei Rong's injuries could not be hidden from him.

Wei Rong raised her eyes and finally looked at him.

A sliver of light fell into her clear yet aloof eyes, concealing a hint of self-mockery: "So now you feel sorry for me, and that's why you act so frivolously and without any restraint?"

"What could hurt you like this is definitely not Feng Wantang's rise to power. You'd love for someone to compete with Shen Mingxiu," Ling Xianru said, her eyes deep and her gaze fixed on her. "Last time outside the Wei residence, you confronted the emperor, provoking him to risk his life. In fact, you suspected him. I can't think of anything else that could cause such a strong emotional reaction in you, except for your father's death."

However, in reality, since the incident at the Wei family residence, Ling Xianru had already sent people to investigate in the southern border region.

Just then, news arrived that King Sumon was not in Sumon territory.

Therefore, he guessed that Wei Rong's events today must be somewhat related to Su Meng.

Every word and phrase precisely dissects her layers of dignified facade, directly hitting her most secret and unspoken thoughts.

Wei Rong's heart skipped a beat.

Everyone in the world sees her as a noble empress, sitting firmly in the central palace, a model of virtue for the world, composed and unhurried.

Only Ling Xianru could see through all her bravado and embarrassment.

She paused for a moment, then a faint, chilling smile appeared on her lips: "Since the Prime Minister is so capable, does he have a way to help me escape this predicament?"

Xiao Heng is the ruler, she is the subject, the wife, and also a pawn in maintaining the balance of the court and protecting the family's honor and disgrace.

She wants to break this balance, and if she makes a wrong move, the Wei family will be imprisoned.

"No destruction, no construction," Ling Xianru leaned slightly closer, her breath light and carrying a unique sense of calm and pressure. "Your Majesty, do whatever you want to do."

Today's events are the best proof.

He would clear away any obstacle or person in her way.

Wei Rong lowered her eyes, looking at the ointment in her palm, and said softly, "Even if the Prime Minister is certain, one cannot accept a reward without merit. You have your conditions."

Who would teach someone to fish for no reason? In this world, the most stable relationship is one based on shared interests.

But Wei Rong was filled with resentment and had no one to confide in. She looked down at her hand being held and slowly said, "I never thought I married a gentleman, but if he is unable to distinguish right from wrong, criticizes indiscriminately, and persecutes good generals, it is no longer a question of whether he is a gentleman or not. If the ruler is muddleheaded, the Great Jing is in danger."

His tone was soft, without a sob or resentment, yet it was filled with a chilling coldness.

Ling Xianru listened quietly, the ink in her eyes growing even deeper.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly extending his hand.

The movements were extremely light and slow, with the utmost restraint and respect, without the slightest transgression.

He gently brushed his fingertips across her eyelids, which had become damp without him noticing, and felt a chill in his hand.

The force was incredibly gentle.

"Your Majesty need not let yourself be harmed and confined by such a heartless person."

A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, stirring the two figures' clothes; all around was silent.

Wei Rong looked up and met his deep, ocean-like eyes.

In Xiao Heng's eyes, there was always weighing, suspicion, imperial power, and advantages and disadvantages.

But in Lingxian's eyes, which were as dark as a pool, a clear reflection of her could be seen.

It was her forbearance, her grievances, her disheveled state, and her pain that no one knew.

The bitterness that had been building up in her heart for days quietly eased at this moment, yet she still managed to suppress it tightly.

Gently withdrawing her hand, Wei Rong straightened her posture, regaining all the dignity and aloofness of an empress, and said softly, "Prime Minister, please be careful with your words. There is a distinction between ruler and subject."

He's right. Why should she hesitate and grieve for someone as heartless as Xiao Heng?

He wanted power, so she took it away from him.

However, she did not want to accept Ling Xianru's help.

Schemes involving love and hate between men and women will eventually become a double-edged sword.

When two people are in perfect harmony, it's because they love each other. But once they turn against each other, all their past love vanishes like smoke.

Having gone through it herself, she understands this kind of heart-wrenching pain even better.

Between them lay the imperial court, mountains and seas, social status, and an insurmountable chasm.

If she couldn't reciprocate Ling Xianru's feelings from the start, why would she have bothered to use him?

Ling Xianru did not force her, and slowly withdrew her hand, wiping away the dampness with her fingertips.

In the blink of an eye, Wei Rong had composed herself, as if the vulnerable person from just moments before was not her.

"If Your Majesty refuses, then I will think of another way."

Upon closer inspection, he seemed to know his place and how to conduct himself, and he didn't put Wei Rong in a difficult position.

But why should he think of another way?

"But I want to tell Your Majesty," he raised his eyes, his gaze firm, his words solemn, "that from now on, through the storms of the court and the turmoil of the harem, I will be there."

"What do you want to do?" Wei Rong warned in a deep voice, "You have achieved what you have now, so you may be arrogant, but you should know what kind of person the emperor is. He is a minister in the morning and a loyal subject in the evening. He is capable of anything."