Few things changed in Zhongqing Courtyard. Even though Junwang left a while back, it didn't make a lot of waves and ripples.

If any, the servants working in Zhongqing seemed to have doubled.

This should have been good news but Long Xu Le didn't see it as such.

The rats in the palace had become even braver now that she was alone. But they could never infiltrate to the core of Zhongqing.

It was a quiet night.

After hunting down all the cult members for seven days and nights, the King's coat didn't change color. But her subordinates had a rough idea how much blood it soaked.

Her Highness dealt with the higher-ups of the Black Crow cult alone and wouldn't let them interfere no matter what. As such, they also didn't know what information the King had learned.

Just as Long Xu Le entered her yard, rain fell. It was abrupt and heavy. The lamps outside the shield of the corridor roof were extinguished.

She raised a hand that had long turned the color of rust. Slowly, the endless drops of rain peeled that color away. She closed her eyes.

Wangye stood under the rain raising her head.

The blood on her hair, face, hands, and clothes was being washed away. It joined the rainwater flowing to the soil, therefore becoming unknown. Wasn't it convenient?

Just like that, the figure clad in black stood in the yard under the unceasing rain. The warm light sheltered by the winding corridors wasn't too far from her. And yet, if one looked from a distance, it seemed she was worlds apart.

Soon, she heard footsteps crunching the wet soil. The sound of rain didn't impede her hearing at all.

Kshhhh!

Lightning was immediately followed by thunder.

"Xu Le, let's go inside." Xiao Hao knew the King's outstanding capabilities.

But she hadn't slept for seven nights straight. Right now, she looked like a single stalk of grass barely being blown by the wind.

In the palace, no one wanted her Highness to get sick. But only a few people had the right and guts to approach her.

"Xiao Hao..." Long Xu Le opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words.

The things she discovered... She never knew she could still be shocked. What a joke this was. Her life was really a joke.

The Feng family and the Yao family...

For a second, her vision dimmed and she suddenly swayed.

"Xu Le!" Xiao Hao was really panicking now.

But Wan Li raised a hand to stop him.

He had no choice but to kneel under the rain. "Master, please."

For the sake of the throne. For the sake of the world. Please be strong.

That was what he wanted to say but he could only squeeze out two words.

These two words were echoed once somewhere. And then countless voices followed.

"Master, please!"

Long Xu Le's sharp peach blossom eyes swept to her surroundings.

Behind Xiao Hao, Danwan's elite forces were also kneeling. Her personal guards.

And under the shelter of the corridors, Cheng Gong and all the loyal servants of Zhongqing were solemnly kowtowing.

Two words. But suddenly, it sounded different to her ears.

Long live, long live, long live the Emperor!

A sacred wish. A momentous statement.

They need me. The people need a true dragon to walk among them.

And yet... why did her chest feel so empty?

Her shoulders had long felt heavy from the burden of Suliang and Dalong. Yet only now did they slump. The King looked tired.

"Ben dian understands. Retreat." She waved a hand and she was helped out of the rain.

When she had showered and changed into dry clothes, she left a last instruction to Xiao Hao.

"Call Adrina back."

And then Wangye retired to her chambers.

Xiao Hao immediately understood that there would be changes to their original plans. The master had made up her mind.

In the end, she still chose to follow her destined path. And leave the matters of her heart behind.

The Feng family.

As the King's longest-standing confidant, he knew that the Feng family's status among Wangye's allies would more or less be constant.

But after her Highness' discovery these past few days, even he didn't know what the Feng family's future would be.

Whether or not they would be able to escape this unscathed was unsure.

---

All of Suliang buzzed on the day of their beloved Junwang's wedding.

Some eyewitnesses told people that even Wangye's warhorse had auspicious small lanterns hanging from its reins.

Copper and silver rained on the streets to spread good luck. And every house plastered red fortune cutouts to congratulate the newlyweds.

It was like the whole Prefecture was the groom's family.

Long Sangyu also saw all of these and his eyes curved so much. He was clearly happy.

His imperial sister was in charge of security today so he could set his mind at ease. If it was her da jie, nothing could go wrong. They might have differences of ideas but blood had always been thicker than water. Their grudges never really went too deep.

The wedding was grand and the dowry seemed endless.

All day, the people unabashedly celebrated.

But Feng Yanyan didn't care about all that. All day, the only thing he was anxious about was going back to Wan Li palace.

These past few weeks, Wangye never reached out to him. Although he was disappointed, he also knew the King had more duties to attend to. And wouldn't spend too much effort caring about someone like him.

But still... his heart was stifled.

Sending a short message wouldn't even need too much time.

He had a lot of grievances and complaints but he held all of those in his heart.

As night time came and the guests from Ping Junwang manor were going home, Beauty Feng waited like a patient wife in front of the wangfu. He didn't need to attend the wedding so he got home early.

Sure enough, a grand carriage soon stopped in front of him.

The person he wanted to see the most was inside that carriage.

The first thing he saw was her stylish boots and her dark hanfu gilded with red. When he saw the whole person, he felt distressed.

How in the world did she grow so thin?

It was only a month and a half.

What were the palace servants feeding her?!

The two stood face to face but there was some distance between them. Feng Yanyan was on the top of the staircase to the wangfu gates.

Long Xu Le looked up at him. She knew that posture very well but when her Highness gazed at his face, her vision grew blurred.

The step she was about to take staggered.

When Feng Yanyan saw her like this, he panicked and was about to fly toward her.

But at this moment, a pair of strong hands assisted the King.

Beauty Feng's eyes widened. That person... came out of the same carriage as Wangye.

Adrina?!

How could he forget about this guy?

"My King, are you alright?" Adrina didn't dare to hold her for too long.

It was just a moment but Feng Yanyan felt his world collapsing.

Why?

Because he knew too well the manner that Adrina was dressed. His eyes zoomed in on the top of the other's head.

The standard jade crown of a first-ranked Imperial Concubine.

Beauty Feng sucked in a cold breath. Thin and narrow needles seemed to prick his heart. It started with one and slowly as if all the others were provoked, the needles relentlessly attacked him.

Someone held his elbow and forced him to bow.

"Greeting Wangye and the Imperial Concubine."

Long Xu Le walked past them without casting a single glance at Feng Yanyan.

The latter was still in a state of shock after the King had long gone.

JuZi hardened her heart and whispered to him cruelly. "Young master, if you want to live more easily, you cannot cry here. Let's go back to our residence first."

Feng Yanyan nodded with a pale face.

He didn't know what happened. Why?

He felt that they had an understanding. Why all of a sudden?

Even after the door to his courtyard was locked, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Maybe he was dreaming...

"Go back. Do not touch ben dian  recklessly in the future."

Adrina received a poisonous glare from the King before she flicked her sleeves and left.

"I know my place well." He bowed.

They were still in the middle of the path to Zhongqing. But in this life, he might not be able to enter there again.

The King needed him for one thing and one thing only. And he was happy to help.

After all of this, he was promised that he could go back to his homeland with a lofty status.

But what for?

His home was her. However, she didn't feel the same.

As a Persian Prince, it was already a blow to his pride to be subordinated to the woman who rejected him. When their mission here was fulfilled and he went back, his father would shower him with rewards and he would probably even get the throne.

Who made him foolish? It was only him.

"Wangye, have some bit of congee please." Cheng Gong's tone was almost begging.

He already received the report. Her Highness didn't eat even a bite of food during the wedding.

"Someone once told this servant that congee with vegetables and meat can be a full meal. Please, Wangye."

Of course, the old eunuch didn't dare to say who that person was.

Long Xu Le sat behind her desk. And looked at the bowl Cheng Gong left.

She had the urge to sweep it away. But she found her trembling hands taking it and eating spoon by spoon.

These few days, her body's situation was turning from bad to worse. She could barely hide it from the world.

After consuming half of the bowl, her Highness pressed on her temples.

She pursed her lips so much she started tasting blood.

Alas, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Cheng Gong!"

The old eunuch came in holding a bucket. It wasn't the first time this happened in the past week.

Long Xu Le hurled once she took hold of the bucket. Her stomach emptied its contents.

By the end of it, the dignified King was panting on the floor. She took the handkerchief someone gave her and roughly wiped her lips.

"Hah!" It was only a matter of time before word got out that she was seriously ill.

---

I think I'm the real villain of this book.

Do you want a daily update until Sunday again? Hehe if this chapter and the last chapter both have 10+ votes, I will do a daily update for  5 days~