The Mad King's Captive Pet 7698 (Completed)

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Khitan Dog
"You, you..." Zhou Wei raised her hand, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. Her large eyes, washed with tears, shone even brighter as she looked at Yelü Xiezhen with fear.
Yelü Xiezhen raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed tightly together. He didn't speak, but simply took off his outer robe and undershirt, revealing his muscular upper body.
Zhou Wei clutched her collar tightly, staggering back a few steps. Was he going to... her here?
Seeing Zhou Wei's fearful expression, a hurt look flashed in Yelü Xiezhen's eyes. Did she see him as just a man who only craved physical pleasure?
He had initially assumed Zhou Wei would submit to him upon arriving in the Liao Dynasty. He wanted to prove to her that the Liao dogs, in the eyes of the Han people, were far superior to them. However, things didn't go as planned.
Zhou Wei wasn't as weak as she appeared. Yes, if he was initially captivated by her stunning beauty, his subsequent interactions with her had completely won him over.
The stubbornness beneath her gentle exterior, the kindness in her innocent eyes—all of this made him begin to doubt whether his previous self-righteous, insulted pride was a mistake at all.
But that pride had grown alongside his childhood memories, becoming an unyielding thorn in his heart. That's why he wanted revenge on everyone who had insulted him, even
someone as kind as her whom he had fallen for at first sight!
What a laughable display of pride!
Seeing that Yelü Xiezhen made no further moves, Zhou Wei felt slightly relieved. Her bright eyes swept over the ferocious dog head with its bared fangs on his chest, then she looked away, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.
What tricks was he trying to play?
Yelü Xiezhen's upper body was strong and lean, with smooth muscles. Every movement seemed full of power, but there were many scars on his exposed skin, especially the large
scar pink granulation tissue was tangled together, as if the flesh had been bitten off by the sharp teeth of some ferocious beast.
Zhou Wei knew, of course, how the scar came to be. Seeing the ugly scar, her heart clenched. Scenes from the past flashed before her eyes. His selflessness had
undeniably moved her, but what was he trying to do now? Was he planning a ruse?
Yelü Xiezhen's hand was still bleeding, but a dagger had appeared in his hand. The candlelight reflected its cold, menacing gleam, and Zhou Wei couldn't help
but shiver. In the blink of an eye, the dagger was in Zhou Wei's hand. Yelü Xiezhen gripped her wrist, forcing her to hold the dagger tightly. His handsome face was icy, and his icy blue eyes held an almost frenzied expression.
"Since you hate me so much, then I'll give you a chance to kill me!"
His tone was as cold as a dagger, with a hint of barely suppressed excitement. But he dared not think about what he would do if Zhou Wei actually did it! So he gambled, gambled that Zhou Wei wouldn't be able to do it, gambled on how deep
her feelings for him were!
"..."
Zhou Wei's eyes widened as she watched him. She could see her own terrified reflection in the dagger. Was it a ruse? But he had no reason to risk his life.
Yelü Xiezhen gripped the dagger and plunged it into his own chest. Blood immediately seeped out, and Zhou Wei could almost hear the sound of flesh tearing. Terrified, she tried to let go, but Yelü Xiezhen held her
tightly . The dagger was pushed further in with Zhou Wei's struggles, and bright red blood gushed out. Yelü Xiezhen groaned, but still stood upright, his large hands still
gripping Zhou Wei tightly, his blue eyes filled with an intense, almost frantic, affection.
"No, no, let me go! You'll die!"
Zhou Wei's hands trembled. She looked up at Yelü Xiezhen's pale face, tears already streaming down her cheeks. She dared not struggle any longer; she was almost pleading. If this continued,
it would surely pierce her heart.
Yelü Xiezhen's lips curled into a smile, a sadness Zhou Wei had never seen before melting into his eyes. He laughed, "Don't you hate me? Then kill me!"
"No, no, no! I don't hate you! Let go! Let go!" Zhou Wei cried out. She loved her Brother Han, even though they had only spent a few days together, it was her most beautiful
memory . She hated Yelü Xiezhen because he had kidnapped her, concealed his identity, humiliated her, and destroyed her peaceful life.
"Weiwei, I love you!" Yelü Xiezhen knew he had won his gamble. From Zhou Wei's reaction, he knew she wasn't heartless towards him. He released Zhou Wei's tightly gripped hand, and the dagger
clattered to the ground. Ignoring the near-fatal wound on his chest and the blood flowing from it, Yelü Xiezhen reached out and pulled Zhou Wei close, holding her tightly as if afraid she would suddenly
disappear.
"I love you!" If he hadn't kidnapped her out of pride, but instead told her he was from Liao, would things be different now?
He said he loved her.
Zhou Wei buried her face in Yelü Xiezhen's chest, the smell of blood filling her nostrils. She bit her lip, trying to suppress her sobs. How could she believe him
? "Why, why!" Zhou Wei choked out. She had asked him this question before, on that summer afternoon, but he hadn't answered. Now she asked it again. Their
personalities were completely different, so why were they the same person? Since they knew each other, why wouldn't he take off his mask and tell her the truth?
Was it really just because of her careless words?
Yelü Xiezhen lowered his head, gazing at the person he had been longing for day and night. A light flashed in his blue eyes. He lowered his head and covered Zhou Wei's blood-stained lips again, no longer a violent invasion, but a gentle
sucking . Zhou Wei instinctively wanted to push him away, but the wetness on her skin startled her. His chest was still bleeding; she had to bandage him quickly.
"Let me go!" Zhou Wei murmured indistinctly, her long, feathery eyelashes fluttering against Yelü Xiezhen's cheek. Although she didn't resist, her eyes still held annoyance. Yelü Xiezhen's mood
inexplicably improved. He released Zhou Wei, chuckling softly, his eyes turning a beautiful sea blue, brimming with affection.
Zhou Wei found the medicine Yelü Xiezhen always carried. He picked out a bottle of pale yellow powder, opened it, and sprinkled it on his chest. A burning stinging sensation followed, but Yelü Xiezhen
didn't even flinch. His beautiful blue eyes remained fixed on Zhou Wei's angry face, watching her tear off a piece of her petticoat to bandage his wound, his eyes filled with an intense, unyielding
love.
After doing all this, Zhou Wei quietly walked to the side, her back to Yelü Xiezhen. She still couldn't figure out whether she hated or loved him; she needed to know the truth.
Yelü Xiezhen frowned slightly, grasped Zhou Wei's soft hand, and after a moment of contemplation, revealed his secret for the first time.
Zhou Wei turned around, looking at Yelü Xiezhen's handsome face filled with hatred, her large eyes showing undisguised surprise. So it really was just because of the words she had used to insult the Khitans!
She hadn't expected that Yelü Xiezhen cared so much about those words because when he was young, he had traveled with his parents to Han lands. Despite their efforts to conceal their whereabouts, they were
discovered by the soldiers, leading to a fight. He had become separated from his parents and was found by the county magistrate, who took him to his residence. The Han people in the border region between Liao and Han harbored
no less than the Liao people hated the Han people.
He was only five or six years old at the time, a carefree age, but a shadow was forever etched into his heart. He could never forget that humiliation because he had a Khitan totem tattooed on his chest.
Those people called him a Khitan dog, chained him up like a dog, made him sleep with dogs, and fed him dog food. Those days were indelible in his memory.
Even worse, the county magistrate considered his blue eyes an ominous sign and tried to gouge them out. Luckily, his parents found him and saved him.
The truth was so cruel!
Yelü Xiezhen spoke calmly, glossing over many details. He didn't tell Zhou Wei that he had been whipped mercilessly with a wet leather whip, so badly injured he
couldn't . When his parents finally found him, they didn't even recognize him.
Zhou Wei was still horrified. No wonder he hated being called a Khitan dog so much.
No wonder he hated her!
But—
…
In the next chapter, Yelü Xiezhen tries to take Zhou Wei away, but is stopped. Who is this person?

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Confrontation.

Yelü Xiezhen didn't tell Zhou Wei that his parents didn't recognize him at the time. In a fit of rage, his father slaughtered the entire family of thirty-nine people, including the county magistrate! A race renowned for its bravery and skill in battle, the royal family of the Liao Dynasty—how could a proud father allow his son to be so humiliated by those Han dogs!
He couldn't remember what happened afterward. The moment he saw his mother, he fainted in her arms. The tears he had been desperately holding back for days finally flowed. His mother also held him,
sobbing uncontrollably . From then on, he never shed another tear. He diligently studied martial arts and military tactics. He joined the army at sixteen, not relying on his family's power, but starting as
a foot soldier, fighting on the battlefield. He earned the commander's appreciation with his courage and wisdom, thus rising step by step to where he is today.

He vowed to become the strongest and make all those who looked down on him pay the price!
After Yelü Xiezhen finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the room. Zhou Wei, a pampered young lady raised in seclusion, had never heard of such a thing before. For a moment, she was stunned. So this was
the situation. A pang of heartache welled up in her heart, and she couldn't quite describe her feelings at that moment.
"But—" Zhou Wei bit her lip. She wanted to know if their meeting was a setup, but how could she ask?
"You want to know why I went to that peach blossom grove outside Jinling City?" Yelü Xiezhen saw Zhou Wei's confusion, his blue eyes narrowed, and he asked.
Zhou Wei nodded. She had always believed that he had some purpose in appearing there so coincidentally, and she desperately wanted to hear an answer from him that differed from her own guesses.
Yelü Xiezhen suppressed his domineering aura, gazing at the pure and beautiful woman before him. A sudden sadness welled up within him. He gently embraced Zhou Wei, burying his face in her neck, and sighed. His warm breath brushed against her ear, causing Zhou Wei to tremble slightly. However, her initial aversion to him slowly dissipated. She bit her lip, not pushing him away.
Yelü Xiezhen paused before continuing, "I didn't lie to you! My father and mother did indeed meet there! And I go there every year to pay my respects to them!" He didn't finish
his ; he didn't want to recall those unpleasant memories. He was returning to the Liao Dynasty tomorrow, and he only wanted to spend more time with Zhou Wei.
Zhou Wei stopped struggling; she visibly breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a deliberate trap!
But! Why did she feel a sense of relief? She clearly had feelings for him—
"You scoundrel! Let her go!"
Just as Zhou Wei was struggling with her true feelings, a loud shout interrupted her thoughts. The fleeting light she had almost caught flashed by, and Zhou Wei couldn't help but frown.
Turning , she saw a blue-robed man standing in front of the door, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Master..." Zhou Wei was stunned. Why was Master here too? Was he here to watch the Dance of Light?
Yelü Xiezhen held Zhou Wei tightly, not letting her go as Zhao Kuangyin had ordered. Instead, he held her tightly as if to show his power. His raised eyebrows arched, and a fierce glint flashed in his icy blue eyes.
So he was the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty!
It seemed that, as expected, this Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty had also clearly fallen for Zhou Wei. Hmph! Zhou Wei was his, and he would never let anyone else touch her!
Zhao Kuangyin hadn't originally intended to come, but upon receiving a report of victory from the Prince of Jin, informing him that the Song army had decisively conquered Shu, capturing Meng Chang and Lady Rui, and would soon return to Bianjing, he was overjoyed. He thus
came to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, also hoping to witness the world-renowned Flowing Light Dance. He wasn't afraid of another assassination attempt by the Mozi Sect; besides his three main bodyguards, he was
also protected by several top-tier martial arts experts.
Upon arriving, he was greatly surprised to find Zhou Wei dancing. After the initial astonishment, he was left only with awe; every smile and gesture deeply stirred his long-
dormant imperial heart, further solidifying his desire to marry her.
Earlier, when he saw Zhou Wei disappear, he was anxious and about to send someone to search for her when Mo Feng leisurely approached, a playful smile on his lips, informing him that Zhou Wei was in the Orchid Garden. He wasn't without
suspicion that Mo Feng might have set a trap, but then he thought, with so many people protecting him in public, it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, if Mo Feng wanted to
take his life, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths.
"Don't worry, the assassination order against you has been cancelled. You're no longer a target of the Mozi faction."
Mo Feng's words before leaving made him frown, completely baffled as to who could be so audacious.
Several figures flashed out from behind Zhao Kuangyin; they were his guards. When they saw Zhou Wei being embraced by Yelü Xiezhen, these loyal subordinates' eyes flashed with anger.
"Let go," Zhou Wei whispered, struggling awkwardly in Yelü Xiezhen's arms. Why was he here?
Upon hearing this, Yelü Xiezhen's blue eyes darkened, a flicker of anger rising within them. He didn't release Zhou Wei as she asked, but instead whispered angrily in her ear, "You are my woman! Why should I let go!
Could it be— " He glanced at the Song Emperor, who was pointing a sword at him, his eyes darkening, "You've fallen in love with him?"
"You, you!" Zhou Wei was speechless with anger, her face flushing crimson. What was he saying? How could he say such a thing? She only felt respect for him; she had absolutely no other intentions.
To others, their behavior appeared like flirting. Zhao Kuangyin's expression changed, and he immediately attacked with his sword.
Yelü Xiezhen's eyes turned cold. He shielded Zhou Wei behind him, the sword already piercing her face. Zhou Wei couldn't help but cry out in alarm, a sudden fear rising in her heart. She didn't want anything to happen to him
!
"No!" Zhou Wei tried to cry out, but it was too late. The sword, imbued with the wrath of the Song Emperor, hurtled straight towards Yelü Xiezhen's eyes with the force of a whirlwind. Zhou Wei felt her knees
buckle, and fear surged through her like a tidal wave. She closed her eyes, unable to bear looking.
But after a long while, she heard no screams from Yelü Xiezhen. Could it be—a glimmer of hope appeared in Zhou Wei's heart. She nervously opened her eyes. The tall figure before her was still standing upright,
and the faces of those she knew around her showed surprise. What was going
on? Looking again, she saw that Yelü Xiezhen had extended two fingers, trapping Zhao Kuangyin's vicious sword. If that sword had gone any further, it would have pierced his eyes.
He was alright! Zhou Wei's heart instantly relaxed. She gripped Yelü Xiezhen's clothes tightly, begging them not to fight.
Zhao Kuangyin angrily withdrew his sword, a wave of disappointment washing over him. Looking at Yelü Xiezhen's unusual blue eyes, he thought to himself: Could this person be the young Liao general Yelü Xiezhen, and the one
Zhou Wei loves?
The fact that he could react so quickly and catch his sword shows he is indeed as gifted as rumored—a true talent! It's said he's also a capable military commander, a
trusted lieutenant of the Liao emperor.
Zhao Kuangyin's hawk-like eyes narrowed, a fleeting glint of ruthlessness in them. If the Song Dynasty had such a capable general—no! If this man isn't eliminated, he will surely hinder his future unification of the empire.
Zhao Kuangyin clenched his fist tightly. They were currently within the territory of Western Xia, which had always been allied with Liao. Acting rashly would only leave him with no way out.
"How dare you! You dare disrespect the Emperor! Kneel down!" Wang Ji'en roared angrily. This Liao man with heterochromatic eyes was truly audacious!
"Hmph!" Yelü Xiezhen snorted coldly, looking at him with contempt, his eyes filled with deep disdain.
"Are you alright!" Zhou Wei was busy checking Yelü Xiezhen for any injuries. She didn't miss the change in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes either. No! She didn't want them to fight, but she also knew
that if they didn't fight today, they would inevitably clash on the battlefield in the future. One was the person she loved, and the other was the person she respected. She didn't want either of them to be hurt!
Zhou Wei suddenly stopped what she was doing, completely stunned. What was she thinking just now? Was Yelü Xiezhen the person she loved?
Mo Feng was secretly observing from the room next to Lan Yuan through a hidden compartment. He wasn't worried about whether Zhao Kuangyin would kill Yelü Xiezhen; he knew his elder brother's capabilities
. When he saw the confusion in Zhou Wei's eyes, he knew he had made the right move. Mo Feng raised the corners of his mouth and thought to himself: Brother, I'll help you this time as a
reward .
"Weiwei, come with me!" Zhao Kuangyin grabbed Zhou Wei and said coldly. Entering the palace as a concubine, rising to the top like a phoenix—this was the fantasy of countless women.
"Your Majesty, I—" Zhou Wei didn't know how to refuse. Before she could speak, Yelü Xiezhen pulled her back with such force that it almost broke her arm.
Yelü Xiezhen frowned slightly, displeased with Zhao Kuangyin's nickname for Zhou Wei. Before Zhou Wei could respond, he immediately said, "What a joke! She's mine!"
The two glared at each other, neither willing to give in, leaving Zhou Wei in a difficult position.
For a moment, no one dared to speak. Mo Feng also frowned, about to go over, when a clear and gentle voice rang out.
"She won't go back with you!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the newcomer.
...

Chapter Seventy-Eight Separation
"She won't go with you!" A clear and gentle voice rang out, and Zhou Wei was stunned. That voice was—
"What did you say?"
"What did you say?" Yelü Xiezhen and Zhao Kuangyin shouted in unison, then glared at each other, still holding onto Zhou Wei tightly.
"I said Wei'er won't go with you!" The voice rang out again, like an echo produced by the collision of metal and stone, lingering in the air, making people wonder
what kind of peerless beauty the owner of the voice must be.
A figure appeared in front of the door, a person dressed in black. Everyone frowned upon seeing him, unable to hide their disappointment. Could it be that he was the one who just spoke? They had originally thought that
someone with such a gentle voice must be like a beautiful jade, radiant and luminous. However, although this person's features could be described as handsome, compared to Yelü Xiezhen's unparalleled handsomeness and Zhao Kuangyin's noble bearing, he seemed far too
ordinary .

From the moment Zhou Wei heard that voice, her eyes were fixed longingly on the door. Upon seeing the person, a surge of joy welled up within her. Summoning strength from who-knows-where, she broke free from
Yelü Xiezhen and Zhao Kuangyin's grasp and ran towards the newcomer.

"Brother Li, Brother Li, you're not dead! You're not dead!" Zhou Wei cried out excitedly, completely ignoring the reactions of those around her.

"Wei'er..." Li Nanfeng smiled and embraced Zhou Wei, affectionately stroking her long hair, his eyes filled with deep longing. She was alright!
"Let her go!" Yelü Xiezhen roared. Damn it! How dare he touch Zhou Wei!
Unlike Yelü Xiezhen's impulsiveness, Zhao Kuangyin gripped his sword tightly, his hawk-like eyes narrowing, a hint of displeasure hidden within. Qinglong and the others stood silently behind him,
as if they didn't exist.
Mo Feng had originally intended to go over, but the sudden appearance of a stranger surprised him greatly, so he continued to observe through the hidden compartment. He chuckled lightly. It seemed the Song emperor was in a
bad mood. However, he wasn't worried about this group fighting. Both sides had their own hidden forces, and besides, this was within Western Xia territory, so both sides had their reservations.
But things were getting increasingly interesting.
Yelü Xiezhen strode forward, his blue eyes blazing with jealousy. With a wave of his hand, Zhou Wei was pulled into his arms by the force of his palm. He possessively held Zhou Wei, defiantly raising an eyebrow at Li Nanfeng. A sudden glint flashed
in his eyes —he recognized this man; wasn't he the one who took Zhou Wei away in Youzhou?
"Hmph! So it was you!" Yelü Xiezhen sneered. He took Zhou Wei away, yet couldn't protect her, letting her fall into the hands of the Song emperor. utterly useless!
Li Nanfeng didn't respond to Yelü Xiezhen's provocation, but secretly his hands clenched tightly, hatred flashing in his eyes.
"You—" Zhou Wei angrily shoved him away, "Let go!" Lan Yuan wasn't very large, and now it was packed with people, making it seem even more crowded. Zhou Wei glanced around, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"How did you run into your sweetheart?" Yelü Xiezhen frowned, lowered his head, and pinched Zhou Wei's chin, angrily saying in a voice only Zhou Wei could hear.
"You, talking nonsense!" Zhou Wei looked at Zhao Kuangyin standing to the side, his face dark with embarrassment, and couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. Did he really have to do this in front of so many people?
She reached out and slapped away Yelü Xiezhen's large hand, her eyes filled with anger. Brother Li treated her like an elder brother, how could this barbarian think that way? He was truly beyond help.
Seeing that Zhou Wei had embarrassed him in front of so many people, Yelü Xiezhen was about to get angry again, but thinking that he would be leaving tomorrow, he didn't want to have an unpleasant argument with Zhou Wei.
So he frowned and suppressed his displeasure.
Li Nanfeng had remained silent until he suddenly bowed and stepped back. In that instant of surprise, a handsome man in a moon-white robe appeared before them. His hair was bound with a jade crown; he had finely shaped eyebrows, bright eyes, a full forehead, a straight nose, and full lips. He wasn't particularly tall, but his noble bearing immediately captivated everyone's attention.
"Wei'er!" A gentle, smiling voice rang in her ears, just as it had been for the past ten years. Zhou Wei's heart sank, and tears welled in her large eyes.
"Brother-in-law!"
Both her brother-in-law, Yelü Xiezhen, and Zhao Kuangyin knew that Zhou Wei was the younger sister of the Queen of Southern Tang. Therefore, her brother-in-law must be Li Yu, the ruler of Southern Tang. Realizing this, their gazes simultaneously
fell upon Li Yu.
Li Yu smiled slightly and said, "Wei'er, come back with me!" He had traveled in disguise this time, and no one in the court knew of his presence.
There were many others like him here to admire the Dance of Light, so he wasn't worried about danger. Besides, he had brought many experts with him. He just hadn't expected to see Zhou Wei here.
"No!" Yelü Xiezhen hurriedly stopped him. He had traveled a long way to bring Zhou Wei back to Liao, how could he just watch her leave?
It was this Liao general who had kidnapped Zhou Wei! Li Yu's full lips curled slightly upward, his dark eyes filled with complex emotions. He looked at Zhou Wei, expecting her to return to Jinling with him without hesitation, but he hadn't expected her to hesitate.
Could it be that Zhou Wei had fallen for this Liao man? Li Yu's brows furrowed slightly, a surge of emotions he couldn't even explain welling up inside him.
"Brother-in-law, I—" Zhou Wei looked at everyone in the room, unsure how to speak. Her master had been kind to her, and as for Yelü Xiezhen, she still couldn't understand her feelings for him.
Li Yu looked at the two outstanding men in the room, a sense of understanding dawning on him. It seemed Wei'er had truly grown up.
"Ehuang and the Prime Minister both miss you dearly. Don't you miss them?"
"Father, sister—" Zhou Wei thought of her family far away in Jinling, tears welling up in her eyes. She choked out, "Are they alright?"
"Ever since you disappeared, Ehuang has fallen ill. Don't you want to see her?" Li Yu said, his eyes warming as he spoke of Ehuang.
Zhou Wei clenched her fists. In the end, family love triumphed over everything. She thought for a moment, then turned and bowed to Zhao Kuangyin, saying, "Zhou Wei thanks Your Excellency for saving my life. I can never repay this kindness
. Now that my sister is seriously ill, I am deeply worried. I must take my leave now."
She then turned to Yelü Xiezhen, who, with a thousand words to say, a mixture of love and hate, was speechless with emotion. She bit her lip, said nothing, and turned to leave with Li Yu.
"You—" Yelü Xiezhen tried to stop him, but Mo Feng, who had appeared beside him unnoticed, pulled him back. Mo Feng shook his head. Zhou Wei had been abducted by Yelü Xiezhen, which was already his fault
. How could he stop Zhou Wei from returning home to visit her seriously ill sister?
Yelü Xiezhen watched Zhou Wei's figure disappear, suppressing the urge to grab her. With a flick of his sleeve, he also left Lanyuan.
Zhao Kuangyin, however, remained grim, his mind racing.
"Your Majesty, should we—" Wang Ji'en approached and made a beheading gesture. Zhao Kuangyin shook his head. The Southern Tang was currently confined to the south of the Yangtze River, and its strength was still not to be
underestimated . To provoke a war at this time would be unwise.
As for Zhou Wei, there would be a day when they would meet again.
...

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Stopping
the Cold Wind Howled, Fallen Leaves rustled, a cold moon hung in the sky, adorned with a few cold stars.
The carriage was spacious and warm, with incense burning inside.
A man with a gentle, jade-like appearance leaned against a warm fur coat, his eyes warm, a slight smile playing on his lips
. Even a simple moon-white robe couldn't conceal his unparalleled elegance. As was her habit years ago, Zhou Wei sat on the fox fur coat, covered with a brocade and silk quilt, her head resting lightly on Li Yu's shoulder, her eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Li Yu looked at her, his eyes filled with affection. Wei'er had been close to him since she was young. When he met Ehuang, Wei'er was only four years old, a truly exquisite little child, round
and chubby , making one want to play with her.
Every time he went to see Ehuang, he would see her running shakily from the garden, clamoring for him to carry her. The Prime Minister would always scold her, knowing that he wanted him to
spend more time with Ehuang. Each time Wei'er was scolded, tears would well up in her large, dark eyes, her little mouth pouting as she looked pitifully at him and Ehuang. So, whenever he
and Ehuang had a date, a little girl would always be running around, making more noise than anyone else, and when she was tired, she would fall asleep on his shoulder.
After his marriage to Ehuang and his ascension to the throne, he never visited the Prime Minister's residence again. Several years passed in the blink of an eye. When he saw Wei'er again, she had grown into a graceful young woman, truly
possessing the beauty of a flower, the skin of ice and snow, the eyes of the bright moon, and the ripples of autumn water. She always loved green dresses; a light green gown wrapped her slender figure, and her waist
swayed like a willow branch as she moved.
That year, his mother summoned her to the palace to keep him company. He saw the grown-up Wei'er for the first time and was immediately captivated. He felt as if he were seeing Ehuang again from their first meeting.
Wei'er's liveliness pleased his mother, and from then on, she frequently summoned her to the palace. Wei'er was kind to everyone, and to him, just as she had years before, she would call him "Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law" incessantly. She remained lively and innocent, as clear and flawless as crystal. But to her, he was merely her sister's husband.
Suddenly, Li Yu was startled from his reverie. His hand trembled, and his handsome brows furrowed. What had he been thinking? How could he have such thoughts?
He was Ehuang's husband, Wei'er's brother-in-law! And Ehuang was the love of his life!
Another face, similar to Zhou Wei's, flashed before Li Yu's eyes. He sighed softly, "Ehuang—what a beautiful woman! But her illness…"
"Brother-in-law," Zhou Wei was startled awake. She looked up, her eyes filled with inquiry.
Li Yu smiled, concealing the turbulent emotions within him, and said, "I'm fine, it's just—" He stretched his arms and deliberately winked, and Zhou Wei immediately understood.
"Brother-in-law is so stingy, he can't even stand leaning against me for a little while!" Zhou Wei pouted. With her brother-in-law, she always felt like a little girl who would never grow up.
"Okay, okay, it's brother-in-law's fault, so can Wei'er forgive brother-in-law?" Li Yu reached out and flicked Zhou Wei's pert nose, teasingly.
"Let Wei'er lean on you, and Wei'er will forgive brother-in-law!" Zhou Wei tossed her head and blinked.
Her brother-in-law was very good to her. In front of him, she could be spoiled and act coquettish, and he would only look at her with a warm smile and tolerate her. Unlike that other person, who only knew how to bully her.
Although there was a smile on Zhou Wei's lips, the sadness that flashed in her eyes did not escape Li Yu's notice. " Who is Wei'er thinking of? The emperor of Song or the general of Liao
?" Li Yu wanted to ask her if she had fallen in love with the general of Liao, but before he could speak, he hesitated. Just then, the carriage stopped, and a commotion arose
outside .
Li Yu frowned. More than a month ago, Li Nanfeng returned to Jinling injured, informing him of Zhou Wei's whereabouts. He had already dispatched a large number of experts, but they lost sight of Zhou Wei along the way.
He shouldn't have left Jinling, but the internal and external troubles of the past few days had overwhelmed him. Ehuang was worried about Wei'er's safety; Wei'er had been searching for a long time without returning, and her illness was worsening.
He had come here in disguise, partly to clear his mind, and partly to search for Zhou Wei. Unexpectedly, a dance of radiance had yielded an unexpected reward. Wei'er on stage was truly beautiful!
No wonder everyone was captivated by her mesmerizing radiance.
He had originally planned to rest in Qingzhou for one night, but after finding Wei'er and seeing the way those handsome men looked at her, he realized that delay might lead to further complications, so he
set off that very night.
This time, bringing Wei'er back would surely please Empress Ehuang, and it would also be good for her health.
"Brother-in-law," Zhou Wei looked at Li Yu.
"..." Li Yu shook his head, his eyes flickering, but ultimately didn't ask.
"Your Majesty," Li Nanfeng reported softly from outside the carriage.
"What is it?" Li Yu opened the carriage window, and Zhou Wei also looked up. Outside the window was a dark night, the night wind was cold, and occasionally crows flew by, emitting chilling cries.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is—" Li Nanfeng glanced at Zhou Wei, a complex expression in his eyes. That Liao man had actually caught up with them again.
Seeing his hesitation, Zhou Wei couldn't help but wonder if it was him.
Li Yu noticed a glimmer of hope in Zhou Wei's eyes, a hint of excitement in her brows that she herself might not even realize. His heart sank. If Wei'er had fallen for him, perhaps—
"Speak freely!" Li Yu glanced at the slightly nervous Zhou Wei, his dark pupils narrowing slightly, and said calmly.
"It is! It's that Liao man who kidnapped the Second Miss before. He's blocking the road ahead, saying he absolutely must see the Second Miss!" That audacious Liao dog! If he dared to make a move, he would surely
kill him here, Li Nanfeng thought bitterly.
Hearing this, Li Yu's brows furrowed even more. If trouble arose here, it would likely arouse suspicion. That Liao general was a difficult opponent. Although they had the numbers, considering Wei'er's
feelings , if a fight broke out, Wei'er would likely be the one who suffered the most.
Hearing this, Zhou Wei was also alarmed. She stammered as she looked at Li Yu, her eyes filled with worry, but her heart was filled with resentment: that barbarian had actually chased after them again, and even wanted
to fight all the experts her brother-in-law had brought by himself—he was courting death!
Li Yu raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what Zhou Wei would say, but his mind was already clear.
The sound of clashing swords came from outside the car window. Zhou Wei's heart jumped. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her lips biting white, her hands trembling slightly with nervousness. She had a wound on her chest, and she didn't know
if it was properly bandaged. What if the wound reopened?
Seeing Zhou Wei's conflicted look, Li Yu sighed inwardly. He said, "Do as you think!"
"Brother-in-law, I don't—"
Zhou Wei didn't finish speaking before Li Yu pressed his lips to hers. He shook his head and said, "Go, don't regret it! I'll be waiting for you in the next town!" He hoped that Wei'er wouldn't disappoint him.
The fighting outside grew increasingly intense. Zhou Wei lowered her eyes, her small fists clenching quietly. After a moment of contemplation, she finally stood up, got off the carriage, and felt a chill. She shivered as the cold wind
swept over her, pulling her clothes tighter around herself. Zhou Wei walked forward.
"Your Majesty—" Li Nanfeng was anxious. He had finally found Wei'er, so why was the king sending her to see that Liao man?
Li Yu raised his hand, stopping Li Nanfeng's words, and said, "Let her go. She will come back." In just two short hours since their meeting, he had already seen that Wei'er was no longer the
innocent and lively little girl who knew nothing of love. Her heart was probably already lost in the distant Liao Kingdom.
But—Li Yu shook his head, a faint worry in his heart. If Wei'er had truly fallen for that Liao general, her path to love would be extremely difficult, and she would likely have a hard time getting past the Prime Minister.
...
Hardworking me (*^__^*) Hehe...

Chapter Eighty: Entanglement (Part One)
Yelü Xiezhen rode a tall horse, his silver spear wielding a relentless, impenetrable spear. He single-handedly fought against dozens of Southern Tang warriors, showing no signs of weakness. But only he knew that
his chest wound had reopened, and if Zhou Wei didn't come out soon, he feared he wouldn't be able to hold on.
He couldn't bear to leave Zhou Wei and chased after her relentlessly.
"Brother Li, quickly make them stop!" Zhou Wei cried out urgently.
Li Nanfeng's eyes flashed with hatred. He hesitated for a moment before shouting, "Stop!"
The Southern Tang guards retreated upon hearing this, but still gripped their weapons tightly, remaining vigilant.
Yelü Xiezhen breathed heavily, his large hand gripping the silver spear tightly. He didn't reach out to cover the wound that was causing him so much pain; he could endure that minor injury. The important thing was that he couldn't show weakness in front of
these Han people.
Zhou Wei pulled her collar tighter and walked towards him. Li Nanfeng grabbed her, his eyes filled with urgency. He didn't know why the king wanted Wei'er to meet that Liao man; he only knew that
Wei'er would be in great danger with him.
"Brother Li," Zhou Wei gave Li Nanfeng a reassuring smile, the determination in her eyes finally causing him to release her.
Yelü Xiezhen's fanatical eyes flashed with anger. He reached out and pulled Zhou Wei to sit across from him. Startled, Zhou Wei instinctively reached out and hugged his firm
waist tightly. Then, Yelü Xiezhen flicked his cloak, enveloping Zhou Wei in warmth.
"Giddy up!" Yelü Xiezhen pulled the reins, and the horse leaped up, its hooves whistling through the air, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Li Yu opened the carriage window, gazing in the direction the horse had vanished. A fleeting look of disappointment crossed his gentle, jade-like face.
The night was deep, an impenetrable darkness everywhere.
"Let's go!" a gentle voice rang out. Li Yu leaned back in his warm fur coat and closed his eyes.
"Let's go!"
The horses galloped off. Zhou Wei, wrapped in her cloak, didn't feel the cold. On the contrary, leaning against Yelü Xiezhen's chest, tightly holding his waist, listening to his strong heartbeat, a warmth
welled up .
Worried about his chest wound, Zhou Wei reached out and touched it, feeling a damp, warm patch.
"Ugh." Yelü Xiezhen couldn't help but groan, and the horse's speed noticeably slowed.
"Ah! Your wound—" Zhou Wei's heart clenched, and she cried out in alarm. It must have reopened during the fight.
"I'm fine!" Yelü Xiezhen gritted his teeth and said, "This little injury won't kill me!"

"No! Stop! Stop!" Zhou Wei felt a surge of anger. Was he always so reckless with his own life?
After riding forward for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the horse finally stopped. Yelü Xiezhen lifted his cloak, just as Zhou Wei looked up, her face filled with barely suppressed anger. He quickly
kissed Zhou Wei's cherry lips, a smirk playing on his lips, and said, "Are you worried about me?"
Zhou Wei felt her face burning again. She snorted and said, "Who's worried about you? I wish you were dead!" Seeing that he still had the mood to tease her, it seemed his injury was nothing serious
.
Yelü Xiezhen didn't seem to care. He dismounted, but his movements were stiff, and a tearing pain shot through his chest again. He frowned, and Zhou Wei hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Yelü Xiezhen reached out and pulled Zhou Wei down, his face already pale. He laughed, "Do you really want me dead that badly?"
Zhou Wei awkwardly turned away, ignoring him. He must be teasing her again!
Turning her head, she realized they were in a mountain hollow. A crescent moon appeared and disappeared in the sky, its pale light obscuring the darkness in the distance, but she could see
towering .
There was no wind here, and she didn't feel the chill of the late autumn night. Instead, the closer she got to the rocks behind her, the warmer she felt.
Zhou Wei frowned. How did he find this place?
Zhou Wei thought Yelü Xiezhen must be planning some trick to bully her again, but after a long while she didn't hear any sound behind her. She turned around with some worry and found Yelü Xiezhen
holding a protruding rock on the mountain wall with one hand and clutching his chest with the other. His tall body was slowly slumping down.
Zhou Wei rushed over in a panic, just in time to see the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest, she was utterly bewildered, and tears welled in her eyes. Trembling, she asked repeatedly, "What happened? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"As you wish, I'm about to die!" Yelü Xiezhen glanced at her, a glint in his blue eyes. He finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer. Zhou Wei immediately caught him, kneeling beside him
, her face filled with panic and unease.
"No, no, no! I didn't mean for you to die! I was just talking nonsense! Don't die! Don't die!" Zhou Wei reached out to wipe the blood from Yelü Xiezhen's mouth, almost crying with anxiety. What could she do ? She
didn't want him to die!
"Don't you hate me anymore?" Yelü Xiezhen asked, grasping Zhou Wei's trembling hand, his blue eyes burning with affection.
Zhou Wei shook her head frantically. How could she still hate him? She could only blame herself for saying the wrong thing and hurting his pride, and he was such a proud person! Besides, although he had abducted
her , he hadn't truly harmed her, had he? Although he had seen her body long ago, he hadn't forced himself on her under those circumstances.
So, after knowing the whole truth, how could she still hate him? If anything, only resentment remained in her heart—resentment that he had kept everything from her.
"I don't hate you anymore, I don't hate you anymore!" Zhou Wei buried her face in Yelü Xiezhen's chest, large tears rolling down her cheeks, her hands tightly gripping his clothes, as if afraid he would disappear.
Yelü Xiezhen smiled. In the dim moonlight, the color of his beautiful eyes gradually deepened, gleaming brightly. He struggled to sit up, wanting to embrace Zhou Wei.
Seeing that he had just been so weak and powerless, yet now sat up, Zhou Wei thought he had lied to her again, and couldn't help but feel furious.
"You!" Tears welled up in Zhou Wei's eyes and continued to roll down her cheeks. Biting her lip, her face flushed, she angrily shoved Yelü Xiezhen away and ran to the side. Damn
it! She'd been tricked again!
"Ugh—" Yelü Xiezhen's brows furrowed in pain, his eyes tightly shut, his handsome lips pressed into a straight line, his face deathly pale. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress
the .
"You, you're trying to trick me again!" Seeing his pained expression, Zhou Wei panicked. Although she had used all her strength, it shouldn't have been anything to him. Why did he seem to be in so much pain? Was he really seriously injured?
Yelü Xiezhen couldn't speak at all; he quickly circulated his inner energy to regulate his breathing.
Although Zhou Wei's stab wound wasn't very deep, he fought against dozens of Southern Tang guards single-handedly despite his injury. They were protecting Zhou Wei, and he didn't want to hurt them. However, even though he tried his best
to be patient, they pressed forward relentlessly, even resorting to deadly attacks from time to time. So he still suffered a loss and sustained internal injuries.
A stick of incense passed, and Zhou Wei was extremely anxious. But she knew he was healing, so she didn't dare disturb him. She simply sat beside him, watching him intently. Another stick of incense passed, and
Yelü Xiezhen's pale face slowly regained color. He opened his eyes, and Zhou Wei rushed over. She grabbed his large hand, her lips trembling, unable to speak, only tears
streaming down her face like broken pearls.
"Don't cry!" Yelü Xiezhen pulled her into his arms, tenderly wiping away Zhou Wei's tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears flowed, and Yelü Xiezhen's large hand was instantly soaked.
...
Chapter 81 Tender Entanglement (Part Two)
A profound stillness enveloped the surroundings, broken only by the occasional crow flying by. Zhou Wei's suppressed sobs sounded even more desolate in the silence.
The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and a thick, inky darkness enveloped the area, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.
"Don't cry, I'm alright!" He gently kissed Zhou Wei's eyes, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. It was so good to see her cry for him!
But Zhou Wei's tears flowed even more fiercely. The moment her burning lips touched her icy tears, an unstoppable climax ensued. Yelü Xiezhen's kisses gradually moved downwards, reaching Zhou Wei's somewhat pale lips.
He gently sucked on them, and Zhou Wei, her eyes slightly closed, trembled slightly. Yelü Xiezhen embraced her tenderly, as if trying to meld her into his very bones.
His nimble tongue pried open Zhou Wei's pearly teeth, probing into her mouth, finding her smooth, fragrant tongue, and immediately entwining with it, refusing to let go. The moment their lips met, his heart overflowed with happiness.
The intense masculine scent lingered in Zhou Wei's nostrils, sending a jolt through her body. She trembled uncontrollably, her hands gripping Yelü Xiezhen's clothes tightly, her face
flushed , her long eyelashes fluttering and brushing against his cheek.
Although he had kissed her many times, this was the first time she had responded to his teasing.
Zhou Wei's somewhat awkward response immediately pleased Yelü Xiezhen. His usually cold heart was now filled with tenderness, and his kiss deepened, his large hands beginning to roam freely over Zhou Wei's body.
"No!" Zhou Wei murmured, her soft, weak hands trying to push away Yelü Xiezhen's restless hands, but they were instead grasped by him, his hands still inside her
bra .
After a long while, just when Zhou Wei felt she was about to suffocate, the kiss finally ended. Zhou Wei, her lips slightly swollen and red, leaned against the man's broad chest, breathing softly.
Yelü Xiezhen satisfied smile on his face, continued to lightly kiss Zhou Wei's lips, his eyes filled with surging desire.
"Weiwei, I love you!" The heartfelt confession made Zhou Wei's pretty face flush even more. She shyly buried her head in Yelü Xiezhen's chest, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her throat. She thought to herself, thank goodness the night was so dark, pitch black, otherwise, if he saw her like this, she would be mortified.
But what she didn't know was that Yelü Xiezhen, having practiced martial arts for many years, had eyesight far better than the average person. Moreover, he saw Zhou Wei's unease, her shyness, and her responses so close to him
, and his heart ached for her even more. If he had explained the situation to Zhou Wei from the beginning, would this happiness have come much sooner?
"Give it to me, okay?" He wanted Zhou Wei, he wanted all of her.
Zhou Wei belatedly realized what Yelü Xiezhen meant by "give it to him" when his large hand reached down towards her.
"No!" she cried, grabbing him urgently, her voice urgent, "No, I can't!"
"..." Yelü Xiezhen's brows furrowed. The darkness didn't obstruct his vision; the panic on Zhou Wei's face sank his heart, which had just been filled with happiness.
Seeing his tense expression, Zhou Wei feared he might misunderstand and think she had someone else in her heart. She quickly explained, "We, we Han women value chastity and reputation above all else. If you,
if —wouldn't that make me look bad to others?"
He had abducted her; many would assume she had already lost her virginity. Knowing her father and sister's tempers, they would never forgive him. But as long as her virginity mark remained, it was enough to prove her innocence with him.
"Besides, besides your injury..." Zhou Wei bit her lip, her eyes lowered as she murmured.
Zhou Wei was worried about him, and a warm feeling washed over Yelü Xiezhen. He kissed Zhou Wei's hair, a handsome smile curving his thin lips.
Yes! Since he loved her, he had to respect her. Yelü Xiezhen recalled He Lanlan's words to him. He clenched his fist, suppressing the rising desire in his heart,
and looked at saying, "Alright! Then we'll talk about it when we get married!"
He whispered the last sentence close to Zhou Wei's ear, his warm breath brushing against her ear and neck, causing her to tremble slightly, and her pretty face flushed even more.
She buried her face in Yelü Xiezhen's chest. Good heavens! She had actually discussed this with him! How embarrassing!
"Weiwei, do you love me?" Yelü Xiezhen suddenly asked, his eyes filled with urgent longing. He gazed at Zhou Wei with some concern, his Adam's apple bobbing, showing his nervousness
.
Zhou Wei abruptly raised her head, but in the darkness, she could only see the man's strong silhouette, though she could clearly see his gleaming blue eyes.
Did she love him? It seemed she did!
When she saw him severely wounded, she could clearly feel her heart slowly freezing; when he held her hand and plunged the dagger into his chest, she could clearly feel her heart
being stabbed as well, a tearing, excruciating pain; when he rescued her from the jaws of death, her heart was clearly filled with joy and excitement.
Yelü Xiezhen waited a long time for Zhou Wei's answer, his heart sinking. He knew he had hurt her. In Youzhou, he had indeed used some methods to force her to submit to him. When Zhou Wei preferred
suicide to his affections, he was consumed by rage. He told her that if she dared to die, her corpse would be given to the soldiers. She clearly believed him, and from then on, she looked at him with resentment
and anger , but never mentioned death again.
Perhaps it was all just to scare her; he loved her so much, how could he bear to do such a thing?
"I—" Zhou Wei wanted to tell him that she loved him, but before she could speak, Yelü Xiezhen stopped her.
"Don't say it! I understand!" She must still hate him. A pampered young lady like her suffered so much because of his stupidity, living a life of hardship and deprivation. How could she love him?
If he were her, he probably wouldn't love someone who treated him like that either.
He understands, he understands what? Zhou Wei was speechless. She hadn't even said anything, and he already understood. But why did she feel sadness instead of joy?
Her girlish shyness made Zhou Wei embarrassed to say those words. After thinking for a moment, she took Yelü Xiezhen's large hand and pulled him to her arm. Underneath her clothes, there was
a bright red, blood-like cinnabar mark.
"It... I'll keep it for you." Zhou Wei whispered in Yelü Xiezhen's ear what was probably the boldest and most provocative sentence of her life. As soon as she said it, she was startled by her own words. She had only meant to express her love for him, to offer him her virginity, which she considered as precious as her life. But why did her words lead to such suggestive interpretations?
"Weiwei!" Yelü Xiezhen's heart was instantly filled with ecstasy. He knew what Zhou Wei meant, and her words were even more
exciting to him than if she had said "I love you" to him. He knew that the shy and inexperienced Zhou Wei wouldn't dare say the word "love," but he hadn't expected her to express it in this way. Seeing Zhou Wei's obvious embarrassment, he
couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Weiwei, you're so cute!"
"I... I didn't mean that!" Zhou Wei tried to explain, her whole body flushed red, as if she had been boiled alive.
"I know!" Yelü Xiezhen was so excited that he seemed to radiate light.
“You know,” he knew what?
“I know—you want to kiss me!” Yelü Xiezhen teased.
“I didn’t—um!” Zhou Wei protested angrily, but her lips were immediately sealed. Her eyes widened, and she only had time to see the affection surging in his dark blue eyes before she lost the strength to resist.
The moon gradually sank in the west. After a long while, the two separated, panting. Zhou Wei leaned against Yelü Xiezhen’s chest, while he leaned against the warm rocks behind him, his heart burning with warmth.

Yelü Xiezhen seemed to remember something. He took out a paper package from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Wei. As soon as Zhou Wei opened it, a faint, smooth liquid flowed out, and a shimmering green light illuminated the
small space. It was a uniquely designed hairpin, the head shaped like a rose, with a round bead set in the center of the flower, and the radiance emanated from this bead.
Yelü Xiezhen raised his hand and inserted the hairpin into Zhou Wei's hair. The soft halo of light diffused onto Zhou Wei's face, creating a gentle and warm glow.
Yelü Xiezhen maintained a smile throughout.
In fact, he was really handsome when he smiled!
"What are you looking at?" Yelü Xiezhen saw Zhou Wei staring intently at him and couldn't help but reach out and pinch her smooth cheek. The softness of her skin made him reluctant to let go.
"Don't you miss me? Then come back with me, okay?" Yelü Xiezhen said, his blue eyes sparkling.
"I... I miss my sister." Zhou Wei lowered her head. She wanted to go with him, but after being away from home for so long, she truly missed her family. Besides, if she told her father that she wanted to
marry a Liao man, she didn't know how he would react.
Yelü Xiezhen's eyes darkened. "Then, shall I come pick you up after you've finished watching?"
Zhou Wei nodded shyly. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Are you... going back to Youzhou?"
"Yes!" Yelü Xiezhen tightened his embrace. There was less than an hour until dawn. They had finally resolved their differences, but now they were about to part again.
"A rebellion has occurred, and the Emperor has summoned me back." A casual remark, yet Zhou Wei's heart trembled.
"Then why are you still in Qingzhou?" Since he knew the Emperor had summoned him back, how dare he linger here? Wasn't this disobeying the Emperor's orders?
Yelü Xiezhen didn't answer, only gazing at Zhou Wei with burning eyes. Why was he lingering here? Didn't she know?
Zhou Wei's face flushed again. Yelü Xiezhen chuckled and leaned down, as if embracing a priceless treasure, his warm lips covering hers...
Dawn finally broke. Parting was imminent. Yelü Xiezhen held Zhou Wei tightly, unwilling to let go.
"Is your injury alright?" Last night he was clearly on the verge of collapse, but afterwards he showed no signs of fatigue. Zhou Wei couldn't help but suspect that he was using a self-inflicted injury to
deceive her.
"My chest still hurts a little, but it's nothing serious." Yelü Xiezhen noticed Zhou Wei's doubt and immediately feigned a pained expression. Sure enough, Zhou Wei immediately and anxiously
touched his chest.
In fact, that injury was nothing to him; it was just the internal injuries inflicted by the Southern Tang guards that had temporarily brought him to his knees.
Zhou Wei suddenly remembered something. She reached out and placed her hand on Yelü Xiezhen's shoulder, asking, "Are your injuries here healed?" She remembered how his shoulder had been bitten by a fierce tiger, leaving it bloodied and
almost with flesh torn off.
"Does it still hurt?" Tears of heartache welled up in Zhou Wei's eyes.
Yelü Xiezhen shook his head. What could be more painful than losing her? He didn't tell Zhou Wei that after he woke up from his serious injuries, the first person he sought out was Yelü Qingqing. She had
dared to harm the person he loved! He was so impulsive that he wanted to kill her, and no one dared to stop him. In the end, it was Xian who stepped forward, reported to the emperor, and punished her by confining her to a palace for three years.
"What if the emperor punishes you when you return?" Disobeying the emperor's orders was a capital offense, Zhou Wei couldn't help but worry. "Right, just say you got sick on the way."
Yelü Xiezhen chuckled, his heart filled with warmth. It felt so good to be cared for by her.
"Okay!" he nodded.
For both Zhou Wei and him, time was of the essence. He mounted his horse, hoisting his cloak to wrap Zhou Wei, shielding her from the north wind. The horse galloped forward, its hooves clattering.
But this parting would be their last.
Years later, when Yelü Xiezhen recalled this past, the regret in his heart almost crushed him. If he had known the outcome would be like this, then even if Zhou Wei would hate him later, he
would have risked everything to take her away again! ...
Chapter 82: Ehuang Sighs at

the Southern Tang Palace.
Winter was nearing its end, the wind biting, and all the flowers in the imperial garden had withered, except for the plum trees, which remained vibrant.
In the magnificent palace, a beautiful, pale woman opened the window, gazing absently at the plum blossoms with their pale yellow buds. Her long hair was unbound, her white robes fluttering, and from afar she resembled
a fairy about to ride the wind away, breathtakingly beautiful, yet her beautiful eyes were filled with longing.
It's been a month, and Cong Jia still hasn't returned.
A cold wind blew by, and the beautiful woman hugged her shoulders, her thin body trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to endure something. Suddenly, a violent cough escaped from her mouth. She closed her eyes in
pain , feeling her heart pounding like a drum, as if it would leap out of her throat at any moment.
"Queen, Queen, what's wrong?" Ping'er, Zhou Ehuang's personal maid, saw the beautiful Queen of Southern Tang standing by the window wearing only a thin garment, bent over and
coughing . Ping'er couldn't help but cry out.
"Cough cough cough..." Zhou Ehuang couldn't speak at all; the violent coughing almost made it hard for her to breathe.
"Hanyan, Yuxiang, come here quickly!" Although Ping'er was anxious, her commands remained orderly.
Ehuang's face was deathly pale, almost transparent. Suddenly, she convulsed, one hand gripping the window frame tightly. After another violent coughing fit,
crimson . Cold sweat poured down her forehead. Unable to catch her breath, her frail body collapsed to the ground.
"Ah! Queen! Queen!" the palace maids cried out in panic.
"Longcui, Longcui, quickly summon the imperial physician!" The Queen was coughing up blood again! Ping'er was frantic. With the help of the other palace maids, she hurriedly helped Zhou Ehuang to the warm couch, patting her
back to soothe her. Once she had calmed down a little, she helped her lie down and covered her with a blanket.
"Queen, you're coughing up blood again! You..." Ping'er took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Ehuang's mouth, her eyes red and large tears rolling down her cheeks. Ever
since the King and Queen had a big fight and the King left, the Queen had been coughing up blood frequently. The imperial physician said it was due to depression and that she needed time to recuperate. He prescribed so much medicine, but only Ping'er knew that the Queen had hardly taken any of it. Every time she
drank it, she would feel uncomfortable and vomit it up.
Ping'er knew that the Queen missed the King, but what would happen if the King didn't return soon?
"I...cough cough...it's nothing..." Ehuang opened her eyes. On her face, which bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Zhou Wei, a smile appeared, beautiful and ethereal, yet giving people a sense of unreality.
Ping'er had served her since childhood and later followed her into the palace, always being her most trusted maid. She knew what Ping'er was worried about. Lately, she had been coughing up blood, and
so many medicines hadn't helped. She feared—
"Your Majesty, how can you be so careless about your health? What if the King sees you like this? He'll be heartbroken!" Ping'er said, looking at Ehuang's deeply distressed smile.
Ehuang smiled. Cong Jia, he should be back soon.
Since he left that night, her illness, which had shown some improvement, had returned to its initial state. This time, she didn't know if she could recover. The longing for him was suffocating her.
She shouldn't have contradicted him that day.
"Your Majesty, don't think like that! You are a blessed and noble person; you will surely live a long and healthy life!" Ping'er said, her eyes red.
Ehuang smiled, a smile as thin and transparent as if drawn on paper.
Good Ping'er, this time it might not be as you say.
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived," a palace maid announced as she entered. Ehuang nodded.
The physician wrote a prescription, which was then given to the Imperial Hospital to prepare. After a few more instructions, he withdrew.
A short while later, Ehuang took the medicine and began to feel drowsy. Thinking of Li Yu, she instructed Ping'er to fetch the poem he had written to encourage her recovery, *Tinghua Pozi*: "
Jade trees before the courtyard, jade grass beside the dressing mirror.
Last year the flowers did not wither, this year the moon is full again.
Do not let it be biased, with the moon and the flowers, Heaven grants eternal youth."
He intended to use this poem to wish himself eternal youth, but—
she sighed inwardly. Since Wei'er's disappearance, she had been somewhat melancholy. To cheer her up, Cong Jia had specially erected an eight-foot-long
glass screen in the Biluo Palace on the night of the Double Seventh Festival, using a hundred bolts of red and white silk to form the shape of the Moon Palace and the Milky Way. He had also carved golden lotus flowers in the palace grounds, adorning them with various jewels. On the night of Qixi Festival, a moon palace appeared, with the Milky Way stretching
across it. Four sides were illuminated by uniform glass lanterns, making the palace brightly lit inside and out. Inside, countless courtesans, dressed in flowing robes and cloud-like garments, played the "Rainbow Feather Garment Dance," their melodies clear and melodious, soothing
the soul.
The scene was as if one were truly in the moon palace. That night, she watched the dance with Cong Jia until dawn. Feeling cheerful, she drank a few extra cups of wine, never expecting to fall ill.
After watching for a while, Ehuang grew tired and closed her eyes. In her hazy state, she seemed to see Li Yu enter.
"Ehuang, Ehuang." A gentle voice clearly rang in her ears. Ehuang frowned, secretly amused. It was his voice. It seemed she had missed him too much; even
with her eyes closed , she could see him and hear his voice.
She slowly opened her eyes, expecting only the empty palace as before, but to her surprise, she found the person she had longed for for over a month before her.
"Your Majesty...cough cough..." She began to cough uncontrollably again. Li Yu patted her back tenderly, helping her catch her breath.
"Don't speak!" Looking at Ehuang, who appeared even thinner than when he left, Li Yu felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He was truly deserving of death; how could he bear to leave her while she was ill!
Ehuang obediently nodded, but the surging longing in her eyes was undeniable, as if she wanted to etch his image deeply into her mind.
Li Yu felt the same way.
"Your Majesty—aren't you angry with Ehuang anymore?" More than a month ago, seeing that he hadn't attended court for many days, and that her father had repeatedly asked her to persuade him, she advised him to focus more on state affairs
and not always indulge in composing poetry and music. Unexpectedly, this angered him. For the first time in years, they had never exchanged a harsh word, and in a fit of rage, he abandoned state affairs to
the prime minister and disappeared without a trace.
Li Yu knew he was in the wrong; he shouldn't have been angry with Ehuang, since she was speaking the truth. However, deep down, he felt that inheriting the throne was a mistake. He excelled at
poetry and songs, not the domineering presence and governing abilities expected of an emperor.
Fortunately, he had a good prime minister who could handle everything for him.
"Ehuang, do you know who I saw this time?" Li Yu embraced her, a slight smile playing on his lips. Ehuang would be overjoyed to know that Wei'er had returned.
"Who?" Ehuang asked.
"I saw Wei'er."
"Wei'er, really?" Ehuang's eyes lit up. Wei'er had been found!
Li Yu nodded and said, "She will come to the palace tomorrow. Don't worry, she's alright!"
...
Chapter 83 Ehuang and Nüying's
group traveled day and night, taking more than twenty days to reach Jinling.
Upon entering the inner city, Li Yu ordered Li Nanfeng to escort Zhou Wei back to the Prime Minister's residence. He himself returned to the palace first. The accumulated political affairs of the past few days certainly required considerable effort to handle.
And what about Ehuang? He wondered if her illness had improved.
Upon arriving at the Prime Minister's residence, Li Nanfeng helped Zhou Wei down from the carriage. The Prime Minister's family had already received Li Yu's letter and knew that Zhou Wei had returned safely. The entire family was waiting outside early.
As soon as Zhou Wei stepped off the carriage, Madam Zhou could no longer hold back her tears. Looking at the gray hairs on her parents' heads, Zhou Wei felt extremely guilty. After not seeing them for half a year, her parents looked much more haggard
. She couldn't help but burst into tears. Later, it was Prime Minister Zhou who remembered that his daughter had returned and couldn't just stand on the street like that. So he wiped his eyes and beckoned his family to come inside. He turned around and saw Li Nanfeng still waiting, so he said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Li. Why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?"
Li Nanfeng had something to say, but because of Prime Minister Zhou and his wife, he couldn't say it to Zhou Wei in person. He thought to himself that he would bring it up next time he saw Wei'er. He clasped his hands humbly and said, "Thank you
for your kindness, Prime Minister Zhou. Please forgive me, but I must return to the palace to report to the King. I will definitely pay you a visit next time."
Prime Minister Zhou nodded and said, "Very well, then thank you for your trouble, Lord Li."
Seeing that Li Nanfeng was about to leave, Zhou Wei turned back and smiled gently at him. Li Nanfeng felt a warmth in his heart, and his eyes revealed excitement. He mounted his horse and rode towards the palace.
Prime Minister Zhou watched all this, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.
As soon as he entered the hall, Prime Minister Zhou immediately dismissed all the servants. Madam Zhou held Zhou Wei's hand and kept wiping away tears. Zhou Wei missed her mother and nestled affectionately in Madam Zhou's arms.
Prime Minister Zhou took a sip of tea and said, "Wei'er, I'll go tell the kitchen to cook a few more of your favorite dishes. You and your mother can have a good chat." He then gave his wife a meaningful look, which she
understood.
As soon as Prime Minister Zhou left, his wife grabbed Zhou Wei, her expression serious. "Wei'er, I'm asking you, did that Liao man do anything to you?" The news of Wei'er's disappearance hadn't spread.
Apart from the steward and a few trusted maids, outsiders only knew that Zhou Wei had gone to stay at her maternal grandmother's house.
After all, if this matter were to get out, not only would the royal family's reputation be damaged, but Wei'er would also likely have difficulty finding a good husband in the future.
"Mother—" Zhou Wei blushed and clung to his wife's arm, acting coquettishly. If it were six months ago, the innocent and naive Zhou Wei would never have understood the meaning behind her mother's words, but now—
the image of Yelü Xiezhen kissing her suddenly flashed through her mind, her face turning even redder. Her shy appearance would dazzle anyone who saw her.
But when Madam Zhou saw Zhou Wei's expression, her heart sank. Wei'er's behavior was clearly that of a young girl in love; could she have found someone she liked? Could it
be that Liao man
? No! Impossible! How could Wei'er like a Liao man?
"Wei'er, tell your mother the truth, have you already—" Madam Zhou gripped Zhou Wei's arm tightly, her previously loving eyes now filled with sternness. Born into an official family, she
was a staunch supporter of the traditional virtues of obedience and submission. If Wei'er had lost her virginity before marriage, how could she ever marry again
? "Ouch, Mother, you're hurting me!" Zhou Wei felt as if her mother was about to break her arm. She frowned, trying to pull her arm back.
Madam Zhou loosened her grip, but her expression remained serious. Suddenly remembering something, she beckoned to Zhou Wei, who was rubbing her arm, and said, "Wei'er, come here
, come with me into the inner room." With that, she led the way into the house. If she were to ask Wei'er directly, and she truly intended to protect that Liao man, she certainly wouldn't tell the truth. In her haste, she had forgotten
a simple method: Wei'er had a red mark on her arm, a virginity test. As long as the mark was still there, it proved Wei'er was still a virgin.
Zhou Wei, somewhat bewildered, followed her mother's instructions and took off her outer garment. Upon seeing the bright red mark, Madam Zhou relaxed and nodded in satisfaction. The mark was still there
; she was relieved.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed, still harboring doubts: "That Liao man kidnapped you, why didn't he—" Madam Zhou paused, her eyes fixed intently on Zhou Wei. He had taken Wei'er away without reason
, yet released her; what was the Liao man's intention? Moreover, Wei'er was young and beautiful; the Liao man hadn't harmed her. Although this was what she had prayed for, she was still deeply puzzled.

Although Zhou Wei had long expected her mother to inquire about this matter, she only now understood her mother's intention in making her undress. She was immediately embarrassed and ashamed. She frowned her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows,
her autumn-water eyes filled with embarrassment, and pouted angrily, saying, "Mother, what are you saying!" Her mother cared so much, did her mother think chastity was more important than her life?

She had always memorized the "Admonitions for Women" that her mother had taught her. When he kidnapped her in Youzhou, when he kissed her and tried to assault her, she was prepared to fight to the death to protect her
chastity. However, under his intimidation, she gave up the idea of dying. Now, thinking back, if she had really bitten her tongue and committed suicide back then, then none of this would have happened. She would never have
discovered that their fate was already tied to that red thread.
Madam Zhou's expression turned serious. "Wei'er," she said, "you must remember, a woman's chastity is of paramount importance. Since ancient times, a woman has never served two husbands. The women in the 'Biographies of Virtuous Women' are
all paragons of loyalty. Although the social norms are different now, for a woman to lose her chastity is worse than death! It's good that you're back. Since you don't want to talk about certain things
, I won't ask anymore. In a few days, I'll have your father arrange for you to be chosen from among the nobles—a young scholar of both virtue and talent."
Zhou Wei was stunned. Was her mother going to choose a husband for her
? No! She didn't want to! She shook her head frantically, her eyes reddening.
"Mother, I don't want to get married—" Zhou Wei tried to whine to her mother, but Madam Zhou waved her hand, interrupting her.
“Wei’er, I’m doing this for your own good. Listen to me, it’s getting late, and dinner should be almost ready.” Whether Wei’er had fallen for that Liao man or
met , that was all in the past. The most important thing now was for Wei’er to marry into a good family.
Madam Zhou sighed, stroking Zhou Wei’s smooth hair, and said, “I’m relieved that you’re alright.” Wei’er had suffered a lot these past six months, wandering and hardship.
Mother and daughter leaned on each other, chatting intimately. But every time Zhou Wei wanted to finish dinner, Prime Minister Zhou told her that she had to go to the palace the next day to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, so he ordered
her to rest early.
Nothing more was said that night.
Early the next morning, Zhou Wei got up, dressed, drew her eyebrows, applied rouge, and put on floral decorations. A light green dress, elegant yet beautiful, accentuated her perfect curves. Madam Zhou nodded repeatedly in approval.
With her looks and family background, Ivy'er was more than a match for a nobleman. After the Queen left the country, her mother hoped Ivy would marry into a good family, perhaps even emulating the ancient tales of Ehuang and
Nüying… Madam Zhou recalled the idea Prime Minister Zhou had mentioned a few days ago, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
Sitting in the sedan chair leading to the palace, Zhou Wei was somewhat dazed. Her mother said she would arrange a husband for her; what should she do? Her heart was already occupied by that barbarian. She didn't want to marry
anyone else, but her mother was always the one with the final say at home, even her father feared her. Once she made up her mind, no one could change it.
Zhou Wei lifted the carriage curtain; they were almost in the capital, about to see her sister. She really missed her sister.
…
Dear readers, I've been busy with family matters these past few days, so updates might be irregular. However, I'll write as soon as I have time. There aren't many words left, so you'll see the ending soon
.

Chapter 84: Heartache
Winter in Jiangnan isn't very cold, but the air is damp, making it quite uncomfortable.
In the magnificent palace, the Queen of Southern Tang, draped in a thick white fox fur coat, reclined on a warm couch. Her long, ink-black hair was tied up, adorned with a golden phoenix, its head
held high as if about to take flight . Her face, bearing a striking resemblance to Zhou Wei's, was dignified and noble, but her complexion was deathly pale. Though rouge was applied to her lips, the color seemed superficial.
"Ping'er, why hasn't Wei'er arrived yet?" Ehuang asked anxiously. He had said Wei'er would come today, but it was already past noon, and she still hadn't come.
"Your Majesty, the Second Miss went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager first. She was kept talking by the Empress Dowager and only just had a moment to spare. Don't worry, she should be here by now." Ping'er
entered and saw the paper-white woman straighten up, her eyes fixed expectantly on the doorway. She sighed inwardly; the Queen's health was deteriorating. The room was filled with the warmth of the brazier, yet she remained
cold. Ping'er brought a hand warmer and handed it to Ehuang, comforting her.
"Is that so?" Ehuang lowered her head. The Empress Dowager seemed to like Wei'er very much.
"Sister, sister!"
Just then, a pale green figure, accompanied by a silvery voice, rushed in from outside the door. Zhou Wei entered the palace early in the morning and, as usual, went to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay her respects.
However, she didn't expect the Empress Dowager to hold her back so tightly. Worried about her sister, she found an excuse to escape.
Ehuang raised her head, put down the book she had been holding for a long time without turning a single page, and a look of joy appeared between her brows. Only then did she show a bit of life.
"Wei'er!"
Zhou Wei curtsied and looked up to see the thin Ehuang. Her once beautiful face was gone. Her cheeks were sunken, her large eyes were lifeless, and there were large
dark marks under her eyes.
“Sister…” Zhou Wei’s heart sank. Sister—how could she be so ill?
Ehuang tried to stand up, but as soon as she exerted any strength, she felt dizzy, as if ants were crawling in her throat. A violent cough broke out again. Ping’er quickly supported her, handed her a handkerchief
, and scolded the palace maid beside her, “Quick! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!”
Coughing until she had no strength left, Ehuang’s body went limp and she collapsed onto the soft couch. She covered her mouth and shook her head, “No! Don’t let anyone know!”
“Empress, Empress!” Ping’er pursed her lips, her eyes pleading for help as she looked at Zhou Wei.
Sister, what’s wrong?
“Sister, sister, what’s wrong?” Zhou Wei had been watching Ehuang anxiously. Her hands trembled as she gently patted Ehuang’s back, trying to make her more comfortable. But when she saw the bright red color on the handkerchief in Ehuang’s
hand , she froze, her big eyes fixed on the handkerchief, ignoring Ping’er’s pleading eyes.
"Imperial Physician! Why hasn't the Imperial Physician been summoned yet?" Zhou Wei cried out. Ping'er glanced at Ehuang, and seeing that she was trying to stop Zhou Wei's shouts, she became even more worried. The Queen's illness was getting worse, and
she couldn't drink the medicine prescribed by the Imperial Physician at all. She had thought that the Queen's condition would improve after the King's return, but—
Ping'er looked at Ehuang and made a decision. The Queen didn't want the King to know that she had been vomiting blood, but this couldn't be kept a secret forever. If the King found out, it would be
a crime of deceiving . For the Queen's sake, she had to go and invite the King.
Ping'er gave a wink to a palace maid beside her and took the opportunity to slip away.
Ehuang lay on the soft couch, her eyes tightly closed. She had no strength left to care whether Ping'er went to fetch the Imperial Physician or not, nor did she have the energy to stop her. She didn't want others to know about her
illness; she didn't want him to worry. But—
she had thought they could be together forever, but life is unpredictable. A mere cold had lingered until now, incurable by medicine. Had she known this would happen, she would never have indulged herself
so recklessly.
Now, all her regrets were too late; her health probably wouldn't last much longer.
She was truly unwilling to accept this!
Seeing that Ehuang had stopped coughing and closed her eyes to rest, Zhou Wei didn't dare disturb her. She stayed by her side, holding Ehuang's icy hand, her lips pursed, her eyes lowered,
her mind a jumble of thoughts.
"Wei'er," after a long while, Ehuang opened her eyes and softly called out, "You have something on your mind?"
"Sister, are you feeling better?" Zhou Wei asked softly. Her sister was much older than her, showing her both motherly care and sisterly intimacy. In her heart, her sister had always been as noble as a goddess, always so graceful and elegant, noble and generous. Everything she didn't know, her sister knew and patiently taught her.
But now her sister was so seriously ill. Her pale skin, her thin, bony hands, and the loose robes draped over her body made her seem as if she were about to be carried away by the wind. She had a bad
feeling ; the fear of losing her sister was so strong that she almost trembled slightly.
"Sister..." She grabbed Ehuang's hand, as if only then could she feel a little bit that her sister was still beside her!
But those hands were also icy cold, with traces of blood still on her palms, the crimson color like poppies blooming on pale hands, piercing her eyes.
Sister, what happened?
Ehuang waved her hand. After resting for a while, she finally caught her breath. She curled her lips into a weak smile and said, "I'm fine. The imperial physician said it's depression. I just need to rest."
"But—" Zhou Wei wanted to say that she was fine in this state, but before she could finish speaking, Ehuang interrupted her.
Ehuang's eyes shone brightly. She raised her hand and gently stroked the face before her, so similar to her own but much younger. She said, "Wei'er, this time, cough cough...
that Liao man... cough cough... did you..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing. Not because of the persistent cough, but because when she mentioned the Liao man
, she clearly saw the shyness and—love—in Wei'er's eyes and brows.
Could Wei'er have fallen in love with that Liao man? How could that be!
A flicker of doubt crossed Ehuang's eyes. If not, why was Wei'er's reaction so strange? It was clearly the coquettish behavior of a young girl moved by love.
"Wei'er, do you like him?" Ehuang asked tentatively. Sure enough, she saw Zhou Wei's face immediately flush red. What kind of person was that Liao man to have captured Wei'er's heart?

"Sister, I...I didn't!" Zhou Wei blushed and quickly denied it, but the deep affection in her eyes and brows couldn't be concealed.
Ehuang sighed. She lovingly reached out and gently touched Zhou Wei's beautiful face with her fingertips. Although she was the empress, she didn't care much about birth, but she worried that the innocent and naive Wei'er
would be deceived by that Liao man. After all, Wei'er had always been raised in seclusion, inexperienced in the ways of the world. If it were a seasoned womanizer, a little trickery would easily win her heart
.
"Wei'er, what kind of person is he?" She was very worried about Wei'er; she needed to know what methods that Liao man had used.
"Sister—" Zhou Wei said coquettishly, initially a little shy, but since childhood she had told Ehuang everything. Her purpose in entering the palace this time was to ask her sister for
help , so after a moment's thought, she began to recount her story, from her abduction and imprisonment in Youzhou to their reunion in Qingzhou, detailing every single thing she remembered. She
told Ehuang everything, her face radiant with excitement, her sadness and joy evident in her descriptions of happy moments.
Ehuang's brow furrowed more and more as she listened, especially when she learned that Wei'er and the Liao man had known each other before. She couldn't help but worry. From Wei'er's description, the Liao man seemed to be a very cunning
person, constantly exploiting Wei'er's kindness. It all seemed like a hunt; their meeting in the peach grove was just bait. Regardless of the Liao man's sincerity or what he did
to make amends, the prey was Wei'er—that was an undeniable fact.
Would such a person be good to Wei'er?
The two sisters talked and listened, one excited and the other worried, and time passed without them noticing. Their conversation only stopped when Ping'er called out a greeting outside the palace gates.
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived." Ping'er's gaze swept back and forth between Ehuang and Zhou Wei a few times, then she obediently lowered her head, awaiting Ehuang's summons. However,
a hint of . Just now, the King had clearly come with her to visit the Queen, but upon reaching the palace gates, he overheard the Queen and the Second Miss's conversation. The King ordered them to step back, but he himself stood
there, not going in, merely listening.
She didn't know what the Second Miss and the Queen had said, but the King's expression had turned so grim, and then he left without a word.
"Summon him!" Ehuang said calmly, her expectant gaze drifting towards the door, but the elegant figure she longed for did not appear, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed. Lowering her eyes to hide the desolation
within, before the imperial physician entered, she grasped Zhou Wei's hand and softly asked, "Have you mentioned this to anyone else?"
Zhou Wei shook her head. Ehuang said, "Remember, don't mention it to anyone, especially Father and Mother!"
"But—" Zhou Wei bit her lip, "Mother said she wanted to find me a talented young man from the royal family..."
Zhou Wei stammered, her watery eyes revealing grievance, "Sister, I don't want to marry anyone but him!"
Ehuang sighed, thinking to herself: Silly sister, how can we decide such a life-altering matter? If that person weren't a foreign Liao person, perhaps there would still be a sliver of a chance! If Father and Mother
heard these words, who knows how furious they would be.
At this moment, the imperial physician had already entered, prostrating himself on the ground to pay his respects. The two sisters fell silent. Zhou Wei carefully helped Ehuang lie down, straightening her wrist, and the imperial physician, as usual, took her pulse and inquired about her condition.
The sudden silence in the room instantly filled Zhou Wei's heart, which had just been filled with joy from pouring out her heart, with panic. Her eyes darted back and forth between Ehuang and the imperial physician.
Ehuang remained calm, though a hint of despair occasionally flickered in her eyes, while the imperial physician's expression was unusually grave. ...
Chapter 85 A Glimpse of Boundless Affection After

taking her pulse, the imperial physician bowed to Ehuang and said, "Your Majesty's condition has improved slightly, but she still needs proper care. I will prescribe some medicine for you to take first, and I will come back to check your pulse again the next day."
Ehuang nodded with her eyes slightly closed, but Zhou Wei saw the imperial physician's tightly furrowed brows and the constant trembling of his white beard, and a sense of fear crept into her heart.

The imperial physician respectfully withdrew, took out paper and pen, wrote out the prescription, and ordered his subordinate physicians to prepare it.
"I am tired, you may all leave," Ehuang said. She knew her condition better than anyone else; the imperial physician's words were merely to reassure her.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The palace maids curtsied and retreated outside the palace gate.

"Wei'er, why don't you stay in the palace for a few days to keep your sister company?" Zhou Wei was about to leave when Ehuang spoke.

"Yes, sister!" Seeing that Ehuang turned away and stopped speaking, Zhou Wei assumed she was sleepy. She stood up, tucked Ehuang in, moved the stove burning with fine silver charcoal to the warm couch
, glanced at it a couple more times with concern, and then left.
As tranquility returned, the beautiful woman on the warm couch opened her eyes, her gaze empty and lifeless. Hopefully, she still had enough time to arrange everything.
Ping'er,
following Ehuang's instructions, settled Zhou Wei in the painted hall of Yaoguang Palace, a secluded place.
Actually, Zhou Wei often came and went from the palace. Before, when she was younger, she always lived with her sister. But this time, her sister was ill and didn't like being disturbed, and was also afraid of spreading her cold to
others, so she specially arranged for her to stay here.
In the afternoon, Zhou Wei woke up from a nap, still in a drowsy state. She rubbed her eyes and called out, "Yun'er." But after waiting for a while, there was no response. Zhou Wei opened her eyes and found
a strange woman staring at her. Startled, she quickly sat up.
"Who are you? Yun'er?" Zhou Wei frowned and said, her tone already carrying a hint of anger. Where did this palace maid come from? How could she be so ill-mannered?
Yun'er was a palace maid sent by her sister to serve her. She had seen Yun'er attending to her before bed, so why was she nowhere to be seen? Moreover, this palace maid was plain-looking and unfamiliar. What palace was
she from, and what was she doing here? Besides, there were several eunuchs guarding outside; how did she get in?
Zhou Wei's gaze swept across the room, and she happened to see a figure crouching on the low couch beside the bed. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Yun'er!
"You, who are you? What have you done to Yun'er?" Was the scene in Youzhou about to repeat itself? Was this person also here to kill her? Zhou Wei was terrified and wanted to cry for help, but the
palace maid gestured for silence.
"Miss Zhou, don't be afraid. The general sent me." The person dressed as a palace maid carefully looked around, making sure no one was nearby, before taking out a brocade box from her bosom and handing it to Zhou Wei
.
"The general!" It was him! Zhou Wei's eyes lit up with surprise. Could it be someone he sent? She covered her mouth, suppressing the gasp that threatened to escape
her

lips. Heaven knows, ever since that night when they opened their hearts to each other and resolved their previous conflicts, the hatred that had arisen from the misunderstanding had completely vanished, leaving only a heart full of longing. Zhou Wei happily reached out and took the brocade box, her lips curving into a smile, her eyes brimming with undisguised elation.

"The general has military duties to attend to and cannot leave for the time being. He was afraid that you would worry, so he sent me to deliver this to you. The general also said that you would immediately understand his feelings," the newcomer said in a low voice.
The voice spoke, a pair of eyes slanting upwards, scrutinizing Zhou Wei with a probing gaze.
"Is he... alright?" Zhou Wei was worried about his injury. She wanted to immediately open the brocade box to see what he had brought her, but she hesitated because someone was present, fearing it might contain
something shameful. Her face flushed with anxiety.
"The general is well, please rest assured, young lady!" The newcomer took in Zhou Wei's shyness, a knowing glint in his shrewd eyes. Whether the usually arrogant and unrestrained general was attracted by her pure beauty, or whether the purity in her clear eyes had cleansed his heart, he was willing to risk disobeying imperial orders to stay in Qingzhou.
Suddenly, the newcomer frowned, her ears twitched, and she whispered, "Someone's here! I'll be going now." She glanced at Zhou Wei and added, "If you have a token to give to the General
, please give it to the eunuch Li Fu, who is on night watch outside the palace gate, at 9 PM." With that, she leaped out of the window. Before disappearing, a small pebble, with a whooshing sound, struck the sleeping
Yun'er on the shoulder. Yun'er immediately woke up with a soft "hmm." Opening her round, bright eyes, she saw that Zhou Wei was awake and panicked.
"Please forgive me, Second Miss. I don't know why I was so sleepy and fell asleep." She knelt on the ground, her shoulder aching, but the fear in her heart prevented her from paying attention to it. The Queen Mother had sent
her to serve the Second Miss, and she had fallen asleep! What was she going to do? She was sure to get another beating.
"Get up!" Zhou Wei gripped the brocade box tightly. Everything had happened so fast; she still had so many questions to ask, and now that person was gone so quickly.
"Ugh," Yun'er trembled on the ground, unable to believe Zhou Wei had let her go so easily. Her previous mistress was Consort Lin, known for her cruelty and domineering nature. She was extremely ruthless towards her servants, beating and scolding them for even the slightest mistake. Yun'er had suffered greatly following her. Once, she had dozed off, and Consort Lin had caught her, punishing her
with fifty strokes of the cane, leaving her skin lacerated and nearly dead. If the Empress hadn't happened to pass by and saved her, she would have been dead long ago.
This Yun'er seemed quite clever; why was she spacing out now? Zhou Wei was anxious to see what was in the brocade box, and seeing Yun'er still looking bewildered, she grew increasingly
anxious .
"Get out of here! What are you still doing here?"
"Oh! Is Wei'er trying to get rid of me?" Yun'er
didn't reply. Instead, a gentle voice rang out. Zhou Wei looked up and saw a handsome figure reflected in the screen in the center of the carved wooden door of the hall. The beaded locks hanging on the curtain jingled crisply.
"Brother-in-law, Your Majesty."
In the blink of an eye, the figure had already walked around the screen and entered the inner hall. Zhou Wei didn't expect Li Yu to come at this time. She was a little stunned and forgot to bow. She just stared blankly at the gentle and jade-like man in front of her.
Li Yu was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a jade crown on his head. His face was as beautiful as jade, and he exuded a strong scholarly air. At this moment, his charming eyes were looking at Zhou Wei with a playful smile.
Zhou Wei then remembered she was still in bed. Looking down, she realized she had just woken from her afternoon nap and was only wearing a light jacket, half her shoulder exposed. She blushed crimson with embarrassment and quickly called for Yun'er to bring her an outer garment.
Looking up again, she saw Li Yu's smile had vanished, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Brother-in-law, Your Majesty, why are you here?" Zhou Wei felt a surge of anger at Li Yu's lack of attempt to avoid her, but dared not speak it aloud.
She straightened her clothes and gave a slight curtsy, but Li Yu remained silent, his eyes seeming to ignite flames.
He hadn't expected to be in this hall either. He had come to visit Ehuang, but seeing the once stunningly beautiful woman's gaunt face filled him with pity and fear.
She was no longer the beautiful woman he remembered; her pale skin, sunken eyes, and eyes brimming with longing all weighed heavily on him. He loved her! But he couldn't bear to see her like this.
He ate lunch with Ehuang, watching her eat little by little, watching her drink the bitter, dark medicine, and watching her vomit it all up.
He was terrified, terrified that she would leave him like this. The imperial physician's words still echoed in his ears: her illness wouldn't last more than two months. He flew into a rage, severely punishing the palace servants who had served her, yet he still refused to believe that she, with whom he had spent over a decade, was about to leave him forever.
Perhaps the little medicine she reluctantly took later had an effect; Ehuang finally calmed her cough and fell into a light sleep. He then left Fengxiang Palace alone,
wandering aimlessly in this place that held countless beautiful memories for them. Unexpectedly, he came to Yaoguang Palace. He knew Zhou Wei lived there, and he felt a strong urge to see her. Seeing her would remind him of Ehuang's appearance when she first entered the palace—so charming, so beautiful.
Chapter 86 Frivolous
"Why doesn't Wei'er welcome me?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow, teasingly asking. His eyes held undisguised amazement, especially when Zhou Wei bowed her head,
the glimpses of her snow-white skin beneath her slipped outer robe making him dizzy with desire.
Zhou Wei felt uneasy under Li Yu's gaze. Her brother-in-law's eyes made her cheeks inexplicably hot, a vague unease rising within her. Why did her brother-in-law's gaze remind her of
his own burning, tender gaze, as if it wanted to scorch her?
No! He was her respected brother-in-law, the man her sister loved most. How could he look at her like that? If her sister knew, she would be furious.
"Wei'er was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival. Please forgive Wei'er for failing to greet you," Zhou Wei said, her eyes darting around before she suddenly knelt down, her voice unusually respectful. Only by creating distance could she
prevent him from developing inappropriate feelings for her.
Li Yu was clearly taken aback by his usually close younger sister's sudden formality. She had always called him "Brother-in-law," and this was the first time he'd heard her address
him as "Your Majesty." Li Yu was stunned, his long brows furrowing slightly, his slender hands slowly clenching inside his robes, a fleeting hint of unease and pain in his clear eyes.
He was quickly jolted by the sudden surge of emotion within him. No! Just now—what had he been thinking?
Li Yu's eyes widened in disbelief. He had actually harbored feelings for Wei'er!
The stunning beauty before him remained prostrate on the ground, her delicate face filled with determination. Li Yu paused, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, his tone no longer as flippant as before: "Wei'er
, no need for such formality. I merely happened to be passing by." He reached out to help Zhou Wei up, but Zhou Wei turned slightly, and before his long hand could reach her, she cried out "Long live the Emperor!" and stood to the side,
still head bowed and silent.
Li Yu stood there awkwardly for a moment. He withdrew his hand, touched his nose, and his eyes held a strange emotion.
"Then Wei'er, get some rest." Zhou Wei's sudden change of heart infuriated Li Yu. He coldly uttered these words and turned to leave.
Zhou Wei raised her head, which had been lowered, and watched the slender figure disappear. She bit her lip, and panic and confusion flashed in her large eyes.
Her brother-in-law's gaze terrified her. She had seen the same look in Yelü Xiezhen and Zhao Kuangyin. It was the look a man gave a woman, a possessive look. But this
was her brother-in-law, whom she had always respected since childhood. She had always treated him like an older brother. How could he
not? She had to tell her sister!
"Yun'er, change your clothes, let's go to Fengxiang Palace." She already had someone she loved; she wouldn't marry anyone else, much less her brother-in-law!
Yaoguang Palace was not far from Fengxiang Palace. Zhou Wei left Yaoguang Palace and, in less than half an incense stick's time, saw the outline of Fengxiang Palace.
But just as she was about to step into Fengxiang Palace, Zhou Wei hesitated. Was she being too sensitive? How could she so easily judge her brother-in-law's thoughts based on just one look? Perhaps her brother-in-law
didn't have those thoughts; he had always doted on her, hadn't he?
Her brother-in-law and sister had such a deep relationship; how could he treat the sister of the person he loved most like that? What if she misunderstood, and she rashly told her sister? Wouldn't that embarrass her sister, and embarrass herself as well?
Besides, her sister was still ill; how could she bother her sister?
No, no, no! She couldn't go! Zhou Wei stopped in front of Fengxiang Palace, clutching the hem of her clothes, at a loss.
"Second Miss, why are you standing here?" Xiao Linzi, a eunuch from Fengxiang Palace, noticed Zhou Wei standing motionless at the foot of the palace steps and curiously approached to ask. Although it hadn't
snowed yet, the weather was already quite cold; the Second Miss standing there like this might freeze her.
"I—" She couldn't say it! Banishing her bad mood, Zhou Wei smiled sweetly and said, "I came to see my sister. Has she gotten up yet?"
"Her Majesty just took her medicine and is in Yuehua Palace."
Zhou Wei nodded, called to Yun'er, and walked towards Yuehua Palace.
Upon entering Yuehua Palace, Zhou Wei immediately saw Ehuang wrapped in a thick white fur winter coat, leaning against a chaise longue, deep in thought, fiddling with a chess piece. Sitting opposite her was none other than
King Li Yu, who had just spoken rudely to her.
When Ehuang saw Zhou Wei, a look of joy appeared on her thin, pale face. She beckoned, "Wei'er, come here quickly!"
Zhou Wei's peripheral vision caught sight of the still-gentle and refined Li Yu, who was also smiling at her, his deep eyes filled with an unfathomable darkness. Zhou Wei's hand
trembled slightly at her side. She lowered her head imperceptibly, bowed respectfully, and stood beside Ehuang.
"Wei'er, look, what should we do next?" Ehuang coughed softly, covering her mouth. Every time she saw the man opposite her, her sunken eyes would light up, and her pale
cheeks would seem to flush.
Zhou Wei saw this and felt even more fortunate. Her sister's feelings for her brother-in-law were so deep; she could never accept it!
"Sister's chess skills are far superior to Wei'er's. If even sister doesn't know it, how could Wei'er?" Zhou Wei laughed, nestling close to Ehuang, deliberately trying to avoid
the gaze that had been subtly fixed on her since she entered.
"Wei'er, there's no need for modesty. I've heard from Empress Ehuang that your chess skills are already on par with hers," Li Yu said with a faint smile.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Zhou Wei blushed, lowered her head, and remained silent, her brows furrowing deeply. Was it really just her imagination, or was this how her brother-in-law always treated all women
...?

Chapter 87 Carrying Golden Shoes
The deep winter night came exceptionally early, and the palace was already brightly lit with candles.
With Li Yu by her side, Empress Ehuang was in much better spirits today. Even the medicine that Ping'er brought, which usually made her nauseous and caused her to vomit, she
drank , although she vomited most of it out. At least she drank some, which relieved everyone.
Dinner was arranged in the Moonflower Palace. Empress Ehuang said she wanted to welcome Zhou Wei and specially invited her to dine with her. A steady stream of palace maids and eunuchs brought in all sorts of dishes,
filling the table to the brim. Li Yu sat with Ehuang on a fox-fur-covered stool, while Zhou Wei sat opposite them. The room was filled with enticing aromas, but the atmosphere made Zhou Wei extremely awkward
.
Ehuang was weak from illness, so the imperial kitchen prepared mostly exquisite vegetarian dishes, with medicinal cuisine prepared using secret methods making up the majority. However, Ehuang felt nauseous at the smell of medicine, so she
only tasted a little before putting down her chopsticks.
Zhou Wei disliked the smell of medicine, and the meal was tasteless. Li Yu's insincere gaze made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles; she couldn't fathom his thoughts, and her sister's illness
worried . At the same time, the brocade box in her sleeve felt like a burning ember.
The mysterious man handed her the brocade box, and she was overjoyed. Just as she was about to open it, her brother-in-law, the King, lifted the curtain and entered. Startled, she hid the box in her sleeve. Later, his
obviously frivolous words threw her into a panic. On one hand, she was eager to know what was inside the box, and on the other hand, she was furious at Li Yu's frivolous behavior. In a fit of anger, she came to Fengxiang
Palace, originally intending to complain to her sister. However, when she reached the door, she realized that a single word or glance could not prove that
her sister was seriously ill, and she shouldn't bother her with such a matter. Moreover, she thought that her sister and brother-in-law had a deep affection for each other, and if she were to be suspicious, wouldn't that be seen as trying to sow
discord
and Empress? Zhou Wei sighed inwardly. Tomorrow morning, she would ask the Empress Dowager and her sister for leave and return home. She could no longer stay in the palace.
"Wei'er, why aren't you eating?" Ehuang, who had been forcing herself to serve Li Yu, noticed Zhou Wei's absent-mindedness and asked with concern. Inwardly, however, she was thinking, "Is Wei'er still thinking about that Liao man? I should find a way to make her forget him. They have no future together, so I need to eliminate Wei'er's hopes as soon as possible."
Perhaps her mother's suggestion was worth considering. Ehuang coughed twice, already having a plan in mind.
"Wei'er, your mother and I are doing this for your own good. I hope you won't blame me." "Sister, Wei'er is full," Zhou Wei put down her chopsticks, took a handkerchief from a maid, wiped her mouth, and said, "Sister—" She wanted to ask her sister if she could go home,
but before she could finish, Ehuang interrupted her.
"Wei'er, is the food not to your liking? I'll have someone make more." Ehuang took Zhou Wei's hand, and Li Yu stopped what he was doing, his phoenix eyes fixed on her, filled with
a calm and concerned expression—just like the way he had looked at Zhou Wei every time in the past ten years.
"No, no!" Zhou Wei quickly shook her head, lowering her eyes and secretly breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed she had been overthinking things. How could her brother-in-law have any improper thoughts about her? You
could tell from his feelings for her sister; her brother-in-law only had eyes for her.
Clearly relaxed, Zhou Wei's mind was preoccupied with the brocade box the mysterious person had given her. She was eager to go back and see what was inside. Her heart, which had been occupied by speculation, was now filled with a
deep longing for him. She couldn't stay at her sister's place for even a moment longer.
Ehuang noticed Zhou Wei's urgency and frowned. Was something wrong that Wei'er was in such a hurry to return?
"Wei'er, are you feeling unwell?"
Ehuang asked, but Zhou Wei was lost in thought and didn't hear Ehuang. Ehuang raised her voice and asked again,
"Wei'er!" Her voice held a hint of displeasure. Wei'er's return this time was clearly different from before; she never used to be so absent-minded.
"Oh," Zhou Wei suddenly looked up, "Sister."
Before Ehuang could say anything more, Li Yu put his arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her into his embrace. He glanced at Zhou Wei and said, "Ehuang, look at Wei'er's face. Perhaps she's
not feeling well. After all, she's been away for the past six months and may be unfamiliar with life in the palace."
With that, Li Yu smirked and winked at Zhou Wei. Zhou Wei was startled for a moment, then instantly realized this was a little secret between her and her brother-in-law. When she was young, her sister had brought
her to the palace to learn music and dance. Because she was playful and missed her lessons, her sister punished her. Her brother-in-law, seeing this, deliberately told her sister that she was unwell, and she would also feign
weakness and pitifulness. This trick always worked, fooling her sister each time.
As expected, upon hearing Li Yu's words, Ehuang looked at Zhou Wei with concern and said with heartache, "If Wei'er is unwell, she should go back and rest early."
Zhou Wei was overjoyed at this and quickly bowed, "Yes, sister." She turned to leave, her eyes catching sight of Li Yu out of the corner of her eye. He was looking at her thoughtfully, and in that instant their eyes met, Zhou Wei seemed to see a smile in Li Yu's eyes.
She rushed back to the painting hall and ordered Yun'er to close the door and stand guard outside. She then sat on the bed, lowered the curtains, and, after confirming that no one was around,
carefully took out the brocade box that still held her body heat. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright.
Zhou Wei carefully opened the box wrapped in blue satin. As soon as she opened it, she frowned. Inside
was a piece of jade, about the size of a copper coin, but as thin as paper. It gleamed brightly in the candlelight. Zhou Wei picked up the jade and held it up to the flame.
The pattern on it immediately appeared: a dog's head with bared fangs and glaring eyes, the same as the tattoo on his chest, only lacking the menacing ferocity. She
had thought he would give her something. Playing with the jade, a smile crept onto her lips. There was also a piece of paper in the box. Zhou Wei unfolded it, but was even more at a loss for
words . On the paper were only two words: "I miss you!"
But this was truly in line with his style—decisive and efficient, never saying or doing anything unnecessary! She didn't want to say much sweet talk, or perhaps she was too embarrassed to.
Zhou Wei's heart was filled with longing and contentment. She strung the jade piece on a ribbon and hung it around her neck. The mysterious person had told her to bring him a letter and to find the eunuch on night watch. But what should she
say?
Zhou Wei picked up a pen, but didn't know how to express her feelings. Time passed slowly. Yun'er knocked on the door, preparing to help Zhou Wei to bed. But when she opened the door, she saw a stunning
beauty sitting by candlelight, staring intently at a piece of paper, her face flushed.
"Second Miss," Yun'er called out, her round eyes fixed on Zhou Wei. "Second Miss is so beautiful!
" "Oh," Zhou Wei snapped out of her reverie. Seeing Yun'er approach, she quickly put away the letter. She couldn't let anyone see it. If someone with ulterior motives spread it, her parents and sister would definitely be
angry . She had also noticed today that her sister didn't seem to like him after hearing her description!
"Second Miss, it's time for bed." Yun'er took a long time to come to her senses. Before entering the palace, she had heard that the Queen of Southern Tang was the most beautiful woman in Qiantang, rumored to be able to captivate a nation with every smile and gesture. But now, seeing the Second Miss's youthful and radiant beauty, even that couldn't compare.
Zhou Wei was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice Yun'er's daze. She said softly, "You can go now, I'll do it myself."
The night deepened, a crescent moon cast its cold light across the sky, and the wind howled. Zhou Wei wrapped her fur coat tighter, breathed on her hand to warm it, and touched the thing in her arms, a
happy .
She had thought for a long time but didn't know how to express her longing. As midnight approached, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She took out the dagger she always carried, cut off a lock of her
hair , tied it with a red string, and put it into the letter that held her unspoken feelings.
He would see this lock of hair and understand her heart.
I really want to see him right now!
Zhou Wei arrived at the palace gate and easily found the young eunuch, a plain-looking, thin young man. Upon seeing Zhou Wei, he didn't bow, but just looked at her with his slanted
eyes . Zhou Wei felt a little uneasy under his gaze and was wondering if she had the wrong person. Just as she was about to leave, the man spoke up: "Second Miss, is there something you need to give this servant?"
Zhou Wei was taken aback. If he wasn't the person the mysterious person had mentioned, how would he know that she had something to give him?
"You..." Zhou Wei still wanted to confirm.
The young eunuch frowned, his eyebrows barely visible, and said, "Second Miss, there's no need to doubt. This servant is the one the General sent to protect you."
Protecting her in this deep palace, surrounded by top-tier martial arts masters, how could she possibly be in danger?
The servant seemed to sense Zhou Wei's doubt. He cupped his hands and said, "If Second Miss is truly devoted to the General, then it's best to leave this palace." Although the Southern Tang ruler possessed exceptional
talent , his character was frivolous. He had long seen through Li Yu's shifty gaze towards his sister-in-law, clearly wanting to embrace her. Since he was ordered to protect Zhou Wei,
he would do everything in his power to safeguard her, because she could only belong to the General!
This servant wanted her to leave immediately! Zhou Wei frowned inwardly. His tone seemed to be lecturing her, but the implication in his words suggested he had also discerned something.
Did he also believe her brother-in-law might have feelings for her
? Judging from her brother-in-law's attitude towards her sister this afternoon, it was clearly one of deep affection, with only each other in their eyes. He wouldn't fall for anyone other than her sister.
"If Miss needs anything, you can ask Xiao Dezi on night watch to pass a message to me." The young eunuch glanced thoughtfully at Zhou Wei, then turned and walked away.
The heavy night enveloped the earth. Every few steps along the palace wall stood a lampstand, its candles now mostly burned, dripping with the cold wind. Zhou Wei stood alone before the palace walls, circling again and again, finally admitting she was lost.
Frustrated, she rubbed her numb, frozen hands, trying to find her way. After parting ways with the eunuch, she had retraced her steps, but she realized it wasn't
the way back to the Yaoguang Palace's painting hall. Although she frequently entered and exited the palace, there were many areas in the inner palace she had never explored before. Now she was walking along this obviously secluded path, anxiously
waiting for someone to pass by so she could ask for directions.
But her legs were almost numb with cold, and she still couldn't see a soul in sight. Damn it! "Am I going to freeze to death out here tonight?"
Zhou Wei thought dejectedly. Running out alone at night was already an immoral act; if her parents found out, she'd be nagged for ages, or even grounded. But being grounded was better than freezing to death here. "
Fine," she thought, "almost a quarter of an hour has passed, and nobody's been around. I'll just have to go look for someone myself."
With that thought, Zhou Wei stamped her foot and chose a wider path. The wider the path, the more people would be walking, and the greater the chance of encountering someone.
Under the cover of night, Zhou Wei walked alone along the path, but the further she went, the more puzzled she became. It was already deep winter; just moments ago she had been shivering, but now she felt...
A gentle warmth wafted towards her, not the unbearable heat of midsummer, but like a warm spring breeze caressing her cheeks. She involuntarily relaxed, even the
fur coat uncomfortable.
The enormous plants lining the road emitted an intoxicating fragrance. Zhou Wei took several deep breaths, her lungs immediately filling with a fresh scent, different from the cold fragrance of plum blossoms, but warm and comforting
. She couldn't help but wonder, in this winter when all other flowers had faded, what could still bloom alone?
As Zhou Wei was immersed in the intoxicating fragrance, she suddenly heard a faint melody in the air, seemingly the sound of a flute.
She stopped and listened intently,
but the flute music stopped. Zhou Wei was somewhat disappointed. After a long while, just when she thought it was merely her imagination, the flute music resumed, playing an unfamiliar tune, but one that was mournful and lingering, like a lament, as if expressing the listener's heart, filled with endless longing.
So late at night, who could be playing the flute here? Who is he longing for?
And where is this place? It's supposed to be deep winter, so why is it warm like spring here?
Zhou Wei, filled with questions, followed the sound of the music. On the empty road, the lingering flute melody guided her in an unknown direction.
If she could have foreseen what would happen next, she wouldn't have taken another step, even if it meant dying on the spot.
But Zhou Wei was completely captivated by the flute music. She wanted to know who could play such a tender and poignant tune, just as she longed for him at that moment.
The flute music was intermittent, forcing Zhou Wei to stop repeatedly, trying to discern the direction. To avoid the sound of her gold-embroidered shoes interfering with the music, Zhou Wei even
took them off and carried them in her hands. Her fur coat was long gone, and she gradually walked towards the octagonal pavilion hidden in the woods.
In the octagonal pavilion, a refined man in a moon-white robe finished playing a piece and was drinking from a wine cup. A drop of the emerald-green wine dripped from his lips onto his white robe, instantly spreading and
forming a green flower.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the approaching emerald-clad figure, and a glint of light silently flashed in her eyes.
...
Chapter 88 Loss of
Virginity. Zhou Wei approached and discovered that this was actually a hot spring. Steam rose from the spring, as if it were the height of summer, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Flowers bloomed beside the spring, out of season, a riot of colors. Zhou Wei casually plucked a rose and tucked it into her hair. Looking around, she saw no one and,
puzzled, lifted her skirt and walked towards the octagonal pavilion.
A warm breeze swept by, causing the light gauze curtains around the octagonal pavilion to flutter in the wind. Zhou Wei parted a corner of the curtain, revealing an empty space, except for wine vessels on the stone table. She was somewhat surprised; this was the end of the pavilion
, and the sound of the flute had clearly come from here. Why was there no one around? As Zhou Wei was still bewildered, she caught a whiff of fragrance, like the scent of blooming flowers in spring. It immediately drew her attention. Looking around, she discovered that the fragrance was emanating from the wine vessel on the stone table. The sweet aroma whetted Zhou Wei's appetite. She looked around but saw no one. She intended to leave, but as soon as she took a step, she couldn't resist the temptation. She put down the gold-embroidered shoes she was carrying and carefully poured herself a cup. The emerald-green wine's aroma assaulted her senses even more intensely. Zhou Wei licked it with her delicate tongue. It was sweet and refreshing. As soon as it entered her mouth, the flavor spread, seemingly reaching every part of her body, giving her an indescribable feeling of comfort. This seemed to be the Hundred Flowers Dew her sister had given her before. She never expected to find it here. Zhou Wei grinned, happily downing the remaining liquid in her cup in one gulp. Not satisfied, she poured three more cups and drank them all in one go. Her sister had said that this Hundred Flowers Dew was brewed from , its flavor rich and initially sweet and delicious, but it shouldn't be drunk in excess. While it wouldn't make her drunk, it would leave her feeling weak and limp. Her sister had only given her half a cup then, refusing to let her drink more no matter how much she pleaded. Now, someone had left this pot of Hundred Flowers Dew here, and she had drunk three cups in one go— Zhou Wei belatedly realized the seriousness of the situation. What ! She had to get back before the effects of the alcohol took hold. She struggled to her feet, her head spinning, her limbs weak and limp. She barely managed to stand before shakily sitting back down on the stone bench. Oh no! Zhou Wei felt a sense of foreboding. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a solution, but she could only lie there helplessly. Just as she hesitated, she caught a glimpse of a moon-white figure approaching. His bearing and elegance were unparalleled, radiating a gentle, jade-like aura. "Sister, brother-in-law!" Zhou Wei was secretly delighted. It was her brother-in-law; she was saved. But Li Yu's next actions horrified Zhou Wei. What was he doing? Why was he so close to her? She could feel his hot breath. Zhou Wei struggled desperately to push away the handsome face that was drawing ever closer, but she stumbled, her body trembling as she collapsed to the ground, her voice shrill: "Let me go!" "Let me go!" Zhou Wei's body was limp and powerless, her angry shouts barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz. She was now filled with regret; she shouldn't have drunk that Hundred Flower Dew. What was she to do now? Did he know what he was doing? How could he do this to her sister! Lying on the ground, Zhou Wei's large eyes were filled with terror, her beautiful face turning pale and colorless, her heart filled with despair. Beneath her lay a fine velvet carpet, embroidered with intricate patterns. Her clothes were being torn off piece by piece, and Zhou Wei almost contemplated suicide. The man before her had a glazed look in his eyes, two unnatural blushes on his fair cheeks, and his full lips parted, uttering words that could almost shake Zhou Wei's soul: "Ehuang, don't go! " No, how could he! How could he! How could he treat her like his sister! No! A surge of anger welled up in Zhou Wei's chest. She clenched her fists, trying to snap the crazed man out of her daze, but she had no strength left. Even her fingers were paralyzed. She could only watch helplessly as the man lifted the last piece of clothing covering her body, her bodice. As he bent down, she closed her eyes in despair. She seemed to hear Yelü Xiezhen's tender voice calling again: "Weiwei, Weiwei..." Farewell, Brother Han! I'm afraid Zhou Wei will never be with you again in this life. The stinging pain of her defilement washed over her, and crystal tears streamed down Zhou Wei's face. Let all promises vanish with the wind; they may never be fulfilled in this lifetime. But why in such a way? The next day, in the Yaoguang Palace, within the painted hall, the man in moon-white robes no longer possessed his usual serene and radiant appearance. His usually gentle and refined eyes now held a hint of worry. Holding a bowl of bird's nest soup , the dashing emperor tenderly comforted the stubborn woman lying on the bed with her back to him: "Wei'er, this was specially ordered for you by me." Facing the stunningly beautiful yet aloof woman before him, Li Yu's gentle eyes gleamed. Zhou Wei, with her back to Li Yu, gripped the brocade quilt tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning blue, her cherry-like lips bitten until they bled.

"Get out!" Zhou Wei gritted her teeth and shouted, her large eyes filled with intense anger. Hypocrite! She had respected him so much!
"Wei'er, you—" Li Yu frowned. Didn't she forgive him? Last night, he had indeed been unable to control himself, but he was, after all, the king of a nation. All women belonged to him. Wei'er
had spoken ill of him because of that Liao man.
Li Yu slammed the bowl aside, his gentle face contorted with anger. He had favored her, yet she acted like she had lost her parents. Did he mean less to her than that Liao
man?
"I will take you as my concubine!" With that, Li Yu turned to leave, but a soft sigh reached his ears.
"How are you going to tell my sister?" His sister loved him deeply, yet he had done such a despicable thing. Taking her as his concubine? She only wished to be one man's bride for the rest of her life. Zhou Wei
had already .
Chapter Eighty-Nine: Family Power
"..." Zhou Wei's words were like a pebble thrown into Li Yu's already troubled heart. She's right. How is he supposed to explain to Ehuang that they've been married for ten years, and now that she's seriously ill,
will she accept that her husband has fallen in love with her sister?
He frowned, his long, slender fingers clenching tightly. Even with his back to Zhou Wei, he could feel the resentment in her eyes. Yes, he had ruined her reputation, but he had done it
for her own good. She loved that Liao man, but the Prime Minister would never allow her to marry him. And Zhou Wei's personality was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside; who could guarantee what she wouldn't do? Wouldn't that be harming her
? And he truly loved her. He didn't know when it had started, but a beautiful, emerald-green figure had appeared in his heart.
Li Yu pursed his lips, pondering silently. The conclusion he reached made him feel a little better.
Even if Ehuang couldn't accept it at first, once she understood the stakes, she would probably agree. Zhou Wei was, after all, her own sister. Even if Ehuang felt uncomfortable, she would
never show it.
Lost in thought, Li Yu returned to his palace. Eunuchs and maids helped him don his imperial robes, and he boarded the imperial carriage for the morning court.
The attendants were puzzled; though a hint of joy lingered between the king's brows, his face remained somber, making his emotions unreadable.
Only Li Yu's chief eunuch knew the reason. Last night, the king had only gone to the Fragrant Pavilion to admire the epiphyllum flowers, but unexpectedly, Miss Zhou had stumbled upon it. Knowing the
king's interest in her, he suggested the king play the jade flute and placed a hundred-flower dew in the pavilion, finally granting the king's wish.
However, to his surprise, Miss Zhou did not display the usual joy of a woman favored by the king. Instead, she remained silent, eerily so, her beautiful eyes filled with deep
sorrow.
The king had stayed with her since last night, but she showed no appreciation. The king was probably suffering because of this.
Upon entering the court, the ministers chattered amongst themselves, discussing how the Song Dynasty had defeated Later Shu, captured Meng Chang and Lady Hua Rui, and was currently on its way back to the capital.
Li Yu frowned, his face showing impatience. He found the constant talk of these matters truly tiresome.
"Your Majesty," said the Minister of War, "the Song Dynasty is currently at its zenith, and Zhao Kuangyin possesses the ambition to unify the world. This old minister believes that our Southern Tang should strengthen its military forces along the Yangtze River to guard against a Song attack."
The other ministers echoed his sentiments.
"Alright, alright, I understand!" Li Yu waved his hand impatiently. These people were just spreading alarmist rumors. With the Yangtze River, a natural barrier between Song and Tang, how could the Song army possibly conquer Southern Tang?
The Minister of Rites, observing Li Yu's impatience, stepped forward and said, "Minister Chen, you are mistaken. Our Southern Tang resides in Jinling, with the Yangtze River as a natural barrier to block the Song army. How could
we fear that bandit Zhao Kuangyin?"
These words pleased Li Yu greatly. His expression softened slightly, but upon seeing Prime Minister Zhou, he lowered his gaze and asked, "What is the Prime Minister's opinion?"
Prime Minister Zhou bowed slightly and said, "This old minister believes that Minister Chen's words are reasonable, and we should strengthen our defenses."
...
The entire morning court session passed by in debate over whether to strengthen the defenses along the Yangtze River.
"Court adjourned!"
The eunuch's shrill voice rang out, and the ministers knelt and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" Li Yu rose and left, and the ministers followed suit. Prime Minister Zhou walked last. As soon as he came out, he saw Ning'er anxiously waiting at the bottom of the stone steps. Prime Minister Zhou was puzzled. Shouldn't Ning'er be by Wei'er's side at this moment? Why was she here at the morning court?
The day before, news came from the palace that the Queen Mother wanted Wei'er to stay for a few more days. To make it easier to take care of Wei'er's daily life, he had ordered Wei'er's personal maid, Ning'er, to pack some of Wei'er's usual clothes
and send them to the palace.
"Master—" As soon as Ning'er saw Prime Minister Zhou, her legs went weak, and she could no longer stand. She collapsed to the ground, and her eyes rolled down her cheeks.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?" Prime Minister Zhou quickly helped her up, his tone urgent.
"Second Miss, Second Miss, she—" Ning'er bit her lip tightly, trying her best to hold back the tears that were about to spill out.
Prime Minister Zhou's heart immediately tightened. What happened to Wei'er?
"Tell me quickly, what happened?" He grabbed Ning'er's shoulders tightly and shook her.
"Second Miss hanged herself... she committed suicide, sob sob sob..."
"What?!" Prime Minister Zhou stared wide-eyed in disbelief. How could Wei'er commit suicide? No! It couldn't be! He didn't even bother to call the attendants waiting outside the palace gates, and lifted the hem of his robe as he ran towards
the inner palace . At this point, he couldn't care less about formalities.
Wei'er was perfectly fine, how could she commit suicide? Or had she suffered some injustice in the palace?
Prime Minister Zhou was frantic with worry. He ran all the way to the painting hall where Zhou Wei lived, but the deserted entrance made him frown. Such a big thing, why was no one here?
He entered the painting hall and immediately saw Li Yu with a worried expression. He also disregarded etiquette and asked nervously, "Wei'er, she—" But the words stuck in his throat. Prime Minister Zhou's
old face was deathly pale, and his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat from running all the way.
"She's alright. Fortunately, Ning'er brought her clothes and found her. She was rescued in time and is not seriously injured," Li Yu replied, but he was filled with lingering fear.
"Wei'er was perfectly fine, how could she have hanged herself?" Prime Minister Zhou rushed in to check on Zhou Wei. Seeing that she had taken the sedative medicine prescribed by the imperial physician and was asleep, and that she seemed alright, he
withdrew . However, Zhou Wei's tear-streaked face and pale complexion pained him. He quickly noticed something strange; logically, if Wei'er had an accident, it should be Empress Ehuang who was here
. Moreover, Wei'er was a woman, and the emperor, considering his status, shouldn't be entering a woman's residence. He looked around but didn't see Empress Ehuang, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.
Li Yu knew what Prime Minister Zhou was thinking. He lowered his head guiltily, his eyes flickering. Prime Minister Zhou observed this, secretly speculating whether Wei'er's suicide was related to the King.
A chill ran through him, a fierce glint in his eyes. He wondered if Empress Ehuang knew about this.
Li Yu, under Prime Minister Zhou's watchful gaze, felt as if he were being watched from behind. He wasn't a capable ruler; it was only because of his father-in-law, the King, that he was relieved of many burdens. Prime Minister Zhou's devoted service stemmed from the fact that his daughter was his Queen. If Zhou Wei were to die this time, Prime Minister Zhou would likely be furious. How could he explain this to the Prime Minister?
While Li Yu racked his brains for an explanation, Prime Minister Zhou was secretly calculating. It wasn't entirely impossible for the two sisters to share a husband. Ancient
legends tell . Now that Ehuang was seriously ill, if Wei'er could enter the palace, it would be entirely beneficial to the Zhou family.
Wei'er had been kidnapped by the Liao people for half a year, and rumors were circulating that it would be detrimental to her future marriage prospects. But if Wei'er could also marry the king, wouldn't that be wonderful?
For a moment, the painted hall fell silent. The two men, each with their own thoughts, considered what would be most advantageous to themselves.
Unbeknownst to them, Zhou Wei had become a bargaining chip for their family to consolidate power.
The impending changes caught Li Yu off guard. ...
Chapter Ninety: Rumors
When Zhou Wei woke up, the first thing she saw was a gentle, refined face, her kind eyes filled with concern.
Zhou Wei turned her face away in disgust, clenching her teeth and forcing out two words: "Go away!" She never wanted to see that hypocritical face again.
"Wei'er—" Li Yu wanted to say something, but seeing the coldness in Zhou Wei's eyes, he shut his mouth. At this moment, she probably wouldn't want to hear anything he said.
He hardened his heart, his jade-like face turning frosty, and said coldly, "If you dare to seek death again, then the entire Zhou family will be buried with you!"
Zhou Wei was immediately startled by his words. She felt a chill run through her, mixed with a surge of anger about to erupt. She sat up abruptly and shouted angrily, "You dare!"
How could he use the entire Zhou family to threaten her!
Li Yu suppressed his pent-up frustration and glanced sideways, saying, "I am the ruler of a nation. How dare you, a woman, question me? I can punish you right now!" Yes, he was threatening
Zhou Wei. He wanted to exploit her kindness and her concern for her family—how despicable! But how could he change Zhou Wei's mind without doing so?
"You'd better kill me now!" Zhou Wei gritted her teeth, her anger almost bursting forth. Was this man still her respected brother-in-law who had treated her so well since childhood? And did her sister know what he had done?
"Kill you? Hmph, it seems you want to use the entire Zhou family to pay for your death," Li Yu sneered, a bitter feeling welling up inside him.
No, he wouldn't dare. He was just bluffing her. Her father was a veteran minister of several dynasties, now the Prime Minister, and her sister was the Empress. How could he easily shake the Zhou family?
Zhou Wei forced back the tears welling in her eyes, biting her lip as she thought to herself.
Li Yu seemed to understand her intentions. He curled his lip, pulled a stack of papers from his sleeve, and threw them in front of Zhou Wei, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes. He relied on Prime Minister Zhou, but that didn't mean he
didn't have his own ideas. The Zhou family held immense power, wielding considerable influence in the court. Many ministers followed their lead, and numerous members of the Zhou clan held official positions. With so many people, naturally some were
corrupt, and Zhou Wei's brother was one of them.
He didn't interfere much in court affairs, but that didn't mean he was unaware. These papers contained evidence of the Zhou family embezzling military rations and disaster relief funds. He had previously hinted to Prime Minister Zhou to know when to stop, but he hadn't acted because it involved too many people. However, if anyone wanted to bring down the Zhou family, he wouldn't tolerate it, since the Zhou family's power had, to some extent, surpassed that of him, the ruler of the country.
Zhou Wei grabbed the scattered papers, which listed some of the Zhou family's unknown deeds. Her face turned pale, her mind buzzing. She naturally knew
the significance of these documents. She just had no idea that her father and brother had been doing such things behind her back.
"You—shameless!" She angrily tore the papers to shreds, but she knew perfectly well it was futile.
But how could he use these to blackmail her? Didn't he have a sister?
Li Yu's expression changed slightly, then he smiled sneer, "Shameless? Who can compare to what your Zhou family has done?"
Zhou Wei was speechless. She clutched her clothes tightly, her beautiful eyes bloodshot. What should she do? Did she really have to marry him for her family?
But how could she bear it? How could she face Yelü Xiezhen?
But if she didn't comply, wouldn't
she be unfilial? "Think it over carefully. I have other matters to attend to. Give me your answer when you've thought it through." Li Yu turned to leave.
"You really will spare the Zhou family for my sake?" Zhou Wei was still unsure if she was that valuable, and she asked cautiously.
Li Yu was overjoyed; it seemed Zhou Wei had come to her senses.
"Of course, as long as you remind your father and brothers not to go too far in anything, I will not make things difficult for the Zhou family."
In fact, Li Yu was well aware that the Zhou family was powerful and influential, and Prime Minister Zhou held great power. It would be extremely difficult to overthrow them overnight. However, as long as they obeyed the rules, for the sake
of Ehuang and Wei'er, he could let bygones be bygones.
"Okay! I promise you!" These words were almost squeezed out from between her teeth. Only Zhou Wei herself knew how much courage and willpower she had used to force herself to say them, and her
fate changed from that moment on.
In the Phoenix Palace, in the bedchamber, on the bed, Ehuang opened her eyes, trying to sit up, but her body was weak and powerless. Her health seemed to have worsened in the past few days; she always felt
very tired and was drowsy every day.
No, her two sons were coming to pay their respects today, and she had to get up quickly to dress; she couldn't let them see her sickly state.
"Someone come here!" A faint, mosquito-like voice rang out, but no one answered. Ehuang frowned. She forced herself to stand, supporting herself on the edge of the bed. Just then, a murmur
of whispers Ehuang shook her head. These maids must have heard some rumors and were spreading them privately. She disliked gossip the most, and even in her palace,
such talk was forbidden. These maids must think she was too ill to care.
Ehuang was about to speak up when she vaguely recognized a name. They were talking about the king—
how audacious!
She wanted to stop them, but instead, a soft cough escaped her lips. Even so, the maids remained oblivious, their conversation growing even more animated.
"It's so hard for me to come out, yet you pamper me as you please. Look at this poem, it makes one blush and their heart race! Our king is truly blessed to have such a beautiful woman; every man in the world
must be envious."
"Yes, but who would have thought that the second young lady of the Zhou family, who looks so innocent, is also trying to climb the social ladder? Tsk tsk, appearances can be deceiving. But do you think the queen knows about this
?"
"Yes, does the queen know that her sister is about to become the king's concubine?"
"No, but seeing that the queen has been in a coma these past few days, I reckon she probably doesn't know."
"..."
Ehuang's heart felt like it had been ripped open by a knife, the pain almost unbearable. She shook her head desperately, her long black hair disheveled, large tears rolling down her thin cheeks, the tears
like broken strings, seeping into her clothes and instantly turning into a puddle of water.
How could this be? Wei'er is going to become his concubine? No, she couldn't believe it. How could the two people she loved most do such a thing?
Ping'er had only been gone a short while, going to the back hall to fetch the decocted medicine. When she returned, she saw Ehuang shaking her head frantically, as if possessed. The veins on the back of her hands
were bulging , her nails digging into her palms.
"Empress! Empress!" Ping'er hurriedly put down the medicine bowl and rushed over to embrace the frantic Ehuang. What had happened? She had only been gone a short time; how could things have turned out like this? The palace

maids who had been chatting happily outside, upon hearing Ping'er's cries, all paled and scrambled into the inner palace. Seeing the Empress's state, they knew something was wrong; they must have said something careless, and the Empress had overheard them.
"Empress! Mercy! Mercy!" The leading maids kowtowed repeatedly, their faces filled with fear.
Ping'er immediately flew into a rage. These little vixens must have said something inappropriate, and the Empress had overheard something terrible.
"You still dare to ask the Queen to spare your wretched life? I'll cut off your tongue!" Ping'er said, reaching for the scissors. The lead maid, terrified, crawled to Ehuang's feet, embracing her leg
, tears streaming down her face, begging for mercy.
Ehuang gradually calmed down, but a chill spread through her heart. She felt her limbs stiffen. "You just said the Queen composed a poem, didn't you? Bring it here, let me see
."
The maids exchanged glances, unsure what to do.
Ping'er's face changed. Did the Queen know about that? She glared fiercely at the maids. These wretches! The Queen was frail; how could she withstand such a blow?
"Your Majesty, please stop looking. Drink your medicine first; it's getting cold." Ping'er tried to dissuade Ehuang from her thoughts. She had seen that poem before; it was truly erotic. She never expected the Second Miss to be
this kind of person. The Empress had been so good to her, yet she had gone to seduce her own brother-in-law.

Chapter 91 Heartbreak.
"Give it to me!" Ehuang ignored Ping'er's words, staring fixedly at the head palace maid, her eyes filled with death.
The palace maid glanced timidly at Ping'er, and seeing Ping'er winking at her, she hesitated for a moment.
Should she give it or not? She dared not disobey the Empress's order, but if something happened to the Empress after seeing it, she wouldn't have enough heads to lose.
"So, you're changing your mistress now, aren't you? You don't even respect me anymore!" Ehuang coughed repeatedly in anger, and the palace maid was so frightened that she kowtowed repeatedly, uttering
apologies.
"The Queen has been kind to me. If I had harbored such thoughts, I would have died a horrible death!"
Ehuang stopped coughing, sneered, and said, "Then I'll have you dragged away right now and skinned alive!"
"Guards! Guards!"
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!" the palace maid cried out in panic, desperately trying to break free from the guards who rushed in to grab her. The other gossipy palace maids, seeing this, were terrified and lay prostrate on
the ground, none daring to raise their heads or speak.
Even the Queen, usually so gentle and kind, who treated her servants so well, was enraged. One could imagine the enormity of their transgressions; at this moment, they wished they could cut off their tongues immediately.
Just as the palace maid was struggling, a white silk handkerchief fluttered from her sleeve. The black writing on the handkerchief was very clear. Ehuang's hand trembled, her pupils contracted slightly. She bent down to pick up
the handkerchief Ping'er tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"Your Majesty, perhaps you shouldn't look at it." Ping'er tried to take the white silk from Ehuang's hand, but in that instant, Ehuang clearly saw the contents: "Bodhisattva's Charm:
Flowers
bloom, the moon is dim, shrouded in light mist; tonight, I'll go to my lover's side! Socks tread the fragrant steps, golden shoes in hand. I see him on the south side of the painted hall, trembling as I lean against him. It's so hard for me to come out,
so let my lord cherish me as he pleases." What a beautiful line, "golden shoes in hand," what a beautiful line, "let my lord cherish me as he pleases! "
This was her beloved younger sister!
Ehuang raised her head, tears streaming down her face, her lips curving into a beautiful smile, yet a smile filled with utter desolation.
What was
"Your Majesty—" Ping'er called out anxiously. Apart from the pleas of the palace maids being dragged away, the bedchamber was eerily quiet; everyone could almost hear their own heartbeats.
Ehuang lowered her head, looking at the words in her hand that expressed endless love and affection. Her heart burned like fire one moment, and felt as if it had plunged into endless ice the next
. Such a lover, such a family—she would become a laughingstock of the world.

"Pfft—" Ehuang felt a sweet taste in her throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out, the bright red color instantly staining her white robes. In her last moments of consciousness, Ehuang seemed to see Li Yu's gentle
eyes looking at her with deep affection and concern.
Ha! Would he still care about her?

Three days later, outside Fengxiang Palace.
"Second Miss, you should go back. The Queen will not see you," Ping'er said, looking at Zhou Wei, who was kneeling pale-faced on the steps. Since the Queen had fainted from vomiting blood three days ago, the Second
Miss had been serving her. But after the Queen awoke, she ordered her to be driven away, declaring that she would never see her again, even in death.
The Queen had completely given up on this younger sister she had always loved most. Ping'er pursed her lips, a look of disgust flashing in her eyes. No wonder the Queen was so heartbroken; one was her
husband, the other her dearest sister. How could she bear being betrayed by such two people?
It was already deep winter. Three nights ago, Jinling welcomed its first snowfall of the winter. The snow wasn't heavy, but it covered the ground.
Zhou Wei looked up, the pure white world making her dizzy. She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for them to adjust before opening them again. Everything was still blurry. Her body
was stiff; she had been kneeling there for three hours, her hands and feet numb with cold. The Queen had repeatedly asked her to get up, but she had refused.
How could her sister misunderstand her? She wanted to see her sister, to explain clearly that marrying the king wasn't her intention. Her sister knew perfectly well that she already had a lover in her heart, so how could she
believe those rumors
? "Ping, Ping'er, sister, sister, please, go, go tell, tell, Wei'er, Wei'er wants to see her." Her tongue began to tremble, Zhou Wei's face turned ashen,
she felt stars flashing before her eyes, and her body began to sway. Ping'er
shook her head, unable to describe her feelings. Judging from the second young lady's appearance, it seemed she had some kind of hardship, but even if she had a hardship, did that give her the right to steal her sister
's husband?
Besides the queen, the king had several concubines, but he was always devoted to the queen. The queen could tolerate the king taking any woman as a concubine, but she couldn't accept her most beloved
little sister sharing a husband with her. The second young lady had just stepped on the queen's sore spot.
Zhou Wei watched Ping'er walk in, a smile playing on her lips, a renewed hope rekindled in her heart. However, her body was already frail, and she could no longer withstand the freezing cold. She swayed,
her vision black, and she immediately fainted.
It turns out, darkness is the safest place; here, you don't need to do anything to hide yourself.
This was the first thought that popped into Zhou Wei's mind when she awoke.
"Wei'er, you're finally awake! You scared your mother to death!"
Before her stood a dignified and elegant woman, whose face, etched with the marks of time, still faintly revealed the beauty of her youth.
"Mother!" Zhou Wei felt a pang of injustice; her nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes. Just one trip to the palace, and everything had changed, leaving her
completely unprepared .
"My dear daughter, you've suffered so much." Madam Zhou's eyes were red and swollen. She tenderly embraced Zhou Wei. She had heard everything from Prime Minister Zhou; Wei'er was about to become the King's new consort.
She should be happy, but why did her heart ache so much?
"Waaah..." All her grievances turned into tears. Zhou Wei nestled in her mother's arms, the emotions that had been building up for days releasing like a torrent.
"Mother, my sister doesn't want to see me! My sister must hate me to death! I want to see my sister! I want to explain everything to her!" Zhou Wei choked out, trying to get out of bed.
"Wei'er—" Madam Zhou immediately stopped her, her eyes flickering as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, saying, "Wei'er, you can't go!"
Zhou Wei was stunned, looking at her mother in disbelief. What was her mother saying? She couldn't go to her sister to explain.
Madam Zhou thought for a moment, as if she had made up her mind, and then said, "Wei'er, have you ever thought about why Ehuang is sad?"
Without waiting for Zhou Wei's answer, Madam Zhou continued, "You must think that Ehuang is angry because you and the King are having an affair, right?"
"Mother! I didn't!" Zhou Wei hurriedly protested.
Madam Zhou patted the back of Zhou Wei's hand, feeling sorry for her, and said, "Mother knows, Mother knows it's because of the Zhou family. Your father told Mother everything."...

Chapter Ninety-Two Death

Madam Zhou looked at Zhou Wei with loving eyes. She and the Prime Minister hadn't expected that the King, who outwardly seemed indifferent to politics, had secretly collected evidence of the Zhou family's crimes. Those things were shameful, and if they were exposed, the entire Zhou family's position in the court would inevitably be affected.
To save the Zhou family, they had no choice but to sacrifice Wei'er. In fact, the Prime Minister had long intended to matchmake the King and Wei'er. If both sisters were in the palace, the Zhou family might lose its
status as the most prestigious family in Southern Tang
. Zhou Wei looked at her mother, wondering why she said such things. Madam Zhou didn't explain, but only looked at Zhou Wei with affection, saying, "You must think that Ehuang doesn't want to see you because she's
angry that you and the King have betrayed her." Madam Zhou paused, then continued, "But haven't you noticed that Ehuang doesn't want to see you, but is willing to see the King..." Madam Zhou didn't
finish her sentence. With Zhou Wei's intelligence, she must have already figured out the crux of the matter.
Sure enough, Zhou Wei stared blankly at a point in the distance, her eyes filled with confusion. Did her sister really think she had seduced her brother-in-law?
A sharp, icy pain suddenly shot through her chest. Zhou Wei whimpered, her brows furrowing tightly. She bent over, clutching her chest, her face pale.
Her sister didn't trust her! "No! I have to go and explain to my sister, it's not like that!" Thinking this, Zhou Wei was about to get up when Madam Zhou immediately stopped her, shouting, "You can't
say it! You can't go and say it! It will cost Ehuang her life!"
Zhou Wei froze. If saying it would cost her sister's life, then what about her own? It turned out that in her parents' hearts, only her sister was the most important, and she was merely a secondary tool.
"Wei'er, Wei'er, don't be agitated." Seeing Zhou Wei's pained expression, Madam Zhou became anxious as well. Both daughters were her own; she loved them both equally, and she couldn't bear
to see hurt. But now things had come to this, and Ehuang was seriously ill; she could only wrong Wei'er.
"Ehuang and the King have been married for over ten years; their love is unparalleled, and the King's poem—" Madam Zhou hadn't finished speaking when a voice announced from outside the door:
"The King has arrived!"
Madam Zhou quickly tidied her appearance to welcome him.
What words did the king write that would cause his sister such grief? Why didn't she know?
Upon entering, Li Yu found Zhou Wei leaning against the bed, her face ashen. He quickly said, "Wei'er, there's no need to get up."
Madam Zhou wanted to say something to Zhou Wei, but with the king present, she hesitated to speak and bowed before leaving.
Before leaving, she gave Zhou Wei a meaningful look, hoping she would understand.
Zhou Wei showed no joy at Li Yu's arrival; she remained lost in her own thoughts. Li Yu had been handling affairs in the imperial study. Upon learning of her fainting outside Fengxiang Palace, he rushed
to visit her. He had told her not to kneel in the freezing cold, that he would explain to Ehuang, but she wouldn't listen.
Now, seeing her unharmed, Li Yu felt somewhat relieved. Just then, a eunuch came to report that a minister had something to report. Li Yu comforted Zhou Wei for a few moments, then put on his coat and cloak and left the painting hall.
Zhou Wei's mind was in turmoil; she couldn't sort out her emotions at all. Her sister wouldn't see her, even after she knelt in the snow for over three hours in this freezing weather, her sister
hadn't softened. It was clear her sister hated her intensely. Yet, her sister hadn't treated the king this way. This could only mean her sister believed she had seduced the king!
No! How could that be? Zhou Wei frantically rubbed her hair and pounded her head repeatedly. She truly hated him, and she hated herself.
"Miss, Miss, what's wrong?" Ning'er entered carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup. Seeing Zhou Wei's state, she was startled and rushed over. Zhou Wei grabbed her arm, urgently
asking, "Where's the poem the king wrote?"
"What poem—" Ning'er was stunned. She had followed Zhou Wei for years, studying and learning to read with her. The poem was quite awful; she was afraid her mistress would be angry if she saw it, so she
secretly hid it. She hadn't wanted her mistress to see it, but unexpectedly, it had spread throughout the palace.
"Quickly, bring it here!" Zhou Wei wanted to know what kind of poem could make her sister so angry.
"Miss—" Ning'er wrung her hands anxiously. Zhou Wei watched as Ning'er took out a roll of Xuan paper from her sleeve. She snatched it, eagerly unfolding it. Beautiful calligraphy leaped out, the strokes vigorous and powerful, yet elegant, making one imagine that the person who wrote such beautiful characters must be a very refined person.
But after seeing the content of the poem, Zhou Wei felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, a chilling sensation running through her from head to toe. "
Flowers bright, moon dim, shrouded in light mist, tonight I'll go to my lover's side! Stockings on fragrant steps, golden shoes in hand. I see him on the south side of the painted hall, trembling as I lean against him. It's so hard for me to come out, let my lord cherish me as he pleases."
Good heavens! Was he announcing to the world that she had seduced him, seduce him? How could he! How could he!
Zhou Wei could no longer hold back. She collapsed to the bedside, sobbing uncontrollably. The Xuan paper in her hand crumpled into a ball, her tears blurring the ink, which gradually faded into a dark mass, a darkness as desperate as
the despair in Zhou Wei's heart.
No wonder her sister was angry and hated her.
But what could she do now? Explain to her sister? Even if her sister was willing to see her, would she believe her?
And her mother's words still echoed in her ears. Her sister believed that she had betrayed her, not her brother-in-law. If she revealed the truth, it would be an even heavier blow to her sister. Could her sister, with her health, bear it? It was an
undeniable fact that she was about to become the king's concubine, and that erotic poem, "Bodhisattva's Barbarian Tune," had already made her a promiscuous woman who had seduced her brother-in-law.
Zhou Wei covered her face, large tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't imagine what Yelü Xiezhen would think if he saw this poem.
Now, she feared she would never have the face to see him again.
In half a month, she would become a concubine of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and the days passed in a state of constant anticipation. Calmness, yet turbulent undercurrents.
She could say nothing; she could only bear all the blame and contempt alone. She suffered in silence, instinctively rejecting the comfort of those who loved her, isolating herself
in a corner. The past was gone, and the future filled her with uncertainty.
Although unwilling to deal with those who offered congratulations, whether insincere or sincere, Zhou Wei still knelt before the Fengxiang Palace for an hour every day. She believed that in time, her sister would
see her sincerity. As the Queen had said, they were, after all, sisters; how could Ehuang bear to see her suffer?
Ten days later, Zhou Wei, as usual, got up early, washed up, put on her outer robe, and, accompanied by Ning'er, headed towards the palace where the Empress Dowager resided. Her daily morning and evening greetings
were a must. After paying her respects to the Empress Dowager, she was on her way to Fengxiang Palace when she felt uneasy. A sudden, inexplicable panic made her frown, her heart
pounding in her chest, and her eyelids twitching.
Zhou Wei's heart sank; could something be about to happen?
Halfway there, Zhou Wei saw a young eunuch, about fifteen or sixteen years old, running past in a panic. She quickly called out to stop him, asking, "What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?" As she drew closer, she recognized the young eunuch as Xiao Junzi, who always accompanied the King.

Since that night, she had rarely seen the King. Ning'er said he was busy with state affairs, but Zhou Wei didn't think so. She believed he didn't come to see her because he felt guilty, having plotted to win her over and written such erotic poems—it truly disgusted her. When
Xiao Junzi saw Zhou Wei, tears streamed down his face. He stammered for a long time, only managing to utter two words: "Queen—"
Hearing it was about her sister, Zhou Wei panicked even more and grabbed him, asking, "Sister
, what's wrong?" "The Queen...the Queen is unwell!" Xiao Junzi knelt down with a thud. Zhou Wei couldn't hear anything else; her heart felt like it was covered in ice, and even breathing
became difficult.
Ignoring the stares of the people on the road and not bothering to call for a sedan chair, Zhou Wei rushed to Fengxiang Palace. Her sister couldn't be hurt!
Outside Fengxiang Palace, a large number of eunuchs, palace maids, and imperial physicians had gathered, all looking deeply worried. As Zhou Wei approached, everyone instinctively stepped aside
to make way for her. Ignoring whether her sister wanted to see her or not,
Zhou Wei rushed inside, disregarding the eunuchs' attempts to stop her. Inside the bedchamber, a strong smell of medicine filled the air. Zhou Wei stumbled upon entering, overwhelmed by the odor. A quick glance revealed the King there, sitting by the bed, gently cradling Ehuang
's frail body, his face filled with unconcealed sorrow and despair.
Two young princes lay on top of Ehuang, weeping softly.
"Sister!" Zhou Wei called softly, trembling all over.
Hearing the voice, Ehuang opened her deep-set eyes. Upon seeing Zhou Wei, her eyes suddenly lit up, her lips curved into a smile, and a blush spread across her thin, pale cheeks. "Wei'er,
you've come," she said weakly, raising her hand. "Wei'er, come here!"
At that single soft call, Zhou Wei almost burst into tears. She clutched her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white, her eyes blurry. Zhou Wei walked towards Ehuang. Li Yu also looked up at Zhou Wei, his eyes brimming with tears. He glanced at her, unable to describe the feeling in that glance, then lowered his head and gently stroked Ehuang's cheek, his gaze deep
and focused.
At that moment, Zhou Wei suddenly felt a significant reduction in the hatred she felt for him.
Zhou Wei walked towards Ehuang step by step, but with each step, her heart sank a little deeper. Why was she so flustered? It was as if if she reached her sister, her sister would
leave forever.
Zhou Wei knelt beside Ehuang's bed, taking Ehuang's thin, bony hand in hers, tears instantly wetting Ehuang's palm.
"Wei'er, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have refused to see you," Ehuang said gently, holding Zhou Wei's hand.
"Sister—" Zhou Wei choked, unable to speak. Ehuang's complexion improved slightly, but Zhou Wei knew it was her last glimmer of hope.
Ehuang spoke something to Li Yu, who nodded and left with the two young princes, leaving the two sisters behind.
At Ehuang's request, Zhou Wei sat by the bed. Ehuang took her hand, tenderly stroking her thin cheek, and said, "Wei'er, I'm so sorry. You've suffered so much!"
"Sister?" Zhou Wei didn't understand what Ehuang meant. She opened her eyes wide in confusion.
Ehuang sighed and asked again, "Do you hate your sister?"
Zhou Wei quickly shook her head. How could she hate her sister? Her sister was the best person to her in the world besides their parents. In some ways, her sister was even better to her than their parents. At least
her sister wouldn't try to use her for any ulterior motives.
"Wei'er," a tear rolled down Ehuang's cheek. She bit her lip, as if trying her best to hold back something.
In this situation, Zhou Wei's mind began to become chaotic. She suddenly wanted to hug her sister and cry her heart out, telling her the whole truth.
"Sister, it's actually brother-in-law—"
Ehuang reached out and gently pressed her finger to Zhou Wei's lips, whispering, "I know everything!" She had indeed been furious at the poem at first, but then she thought about it again. With Wei'er's
innocent nature, how could she have thought of doing such a thing? Besides, she knew that Wei'er loved that Liao man. Wei'er would never do such
a thing just to become the king's concubine.
But her heart was filled with turmoil. She was angry with the king, but she knew her days were numbered. If she didn't cherish them now, it would be a lifelong regret. Adding to this, the rumors circulating
in the palace had insulted her dignity as queen. In her anger, she had vented it all on Wei'er.
She truly regretted it now; she hadn't expected her remaining days to be so short. She had planned to have a proper talk with Wei'er in a few days. With Wei'er by her side, she could rest easy after her passing, even though Wei'er had suffered so much in her life! But things had come to this point; what could a woman do?
"Sister knows everything, my dear Wei'er. It was my fault. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you," Ehuang murmured softly, her eyes filled with guilt and heartache.
Zhou Wei was choked with sobs, unable to speak, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls, falling onto the sisters' tightly clasped hands: "Sister, no, don't leave Wei'er."
Ehuang gently stroked Zhou Wei's pretty face, her lips bitten until they turned white. How could she want to leave! Although she had possessed perfect love and a glorious status in this life, why was it so
short?
Ehuang struggled to sit up, and Zhou Wei quickly helped her, only to see Ehuang pleading, "Wei'er, I beg you, after I'm gone, take good care of the two princes and—Cong Jia."
"Sister, what are you saying?" Zhou Wei couldn't understand why her sister would ask her to take care of the king.
"Sister has always known that Wei'er, though seemingly weak, is actually the strongest. And the King—" Ehuang coughed a few times before continuing, "Cong Jia, though the
King of the country, dislikes politics. He is exceptionally talented, yet he is confined to such a high position. And now the world is in turmoil; who knows how many more years the Southern Tang can remain in Jiangnan? So,
sister, I beg you, if it really comes to that, you must protect them. This is my last wish."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ehuang seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She collapsed onto Zhou Wei, her face as pale as paper, barely breathing.
Zhou Wei stared blankly at her palm, the bright red color still warm from Ehuang's body. She trembled uncontrollably, only snapping out of her daze after a moment, crying out in alarm, "Help
! Help!"
Li Yu, who had been waiting outside, rushed in upon hearing this. Seeing Ehuang's condition, he cried out, "Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"
Ehuang didn't look at Li Yu; her deep-set eyes remained fixed on Zhou Wei, the pleading and unwavering gaze in them only intensifying Zhou Wei's sorrow.
"Promise me! Cough cough cough..."
Zhou Wei couldn't utter a single word; she could only nod repeatedly. "I promise you, I promise you, sister!"
Seeing this, Ehuang finally released Zhou Wei's hand, ignoring the question in Li Yu's eyes, and smiled contentedly.
That day, the entire Southern Tang palace was in chaos. The Empress Dowager and Zhou Wei's parents arrived one after another. After numerous attempts at treatment, the imperial physicians shook their heads, declaring the illness incurable; even the most
skilled physicians couldn't help.
That night, the funeral bells tolled, the Queen passed away, and the entire nation wore mourning. ...

Chapter Ninety-Three: The

Grand Funeral. On the day of the funeral, the sky was overcast, and the north wind howled.
The funeral procession stretched for ten miles, everything was dressed in white, and everywhere there were mournful cries.
There were two coffins; Queen Zhaohui was buried with her youngest son in the Yi Mausoleum. Zhou Wei stood on the high platform with Li Yu, the biting cold wind hitting her face, but she no longer felt the pain .
Zhongxuan was only four years old when he died young from illness, and her sister's illness had not improved, probably because of this.
However, her sister's life was fulfilling, while her future was bleak.
Looking at the mourners below the platform, Zhou Wei felt a strange pity. How many of those who were crying were truly sincere? Most were probably just laughing at her. Yes, her
status so awkward; standing on this high platform with the King now would probably attract more gossip.
However, she no longer cared. The people and things she cared about were all gone. Her sister was gone, and Yelü Xiezhen—they could never go back to the way things were.
The king began to read the eulogy. After his sister's death, his pain was indescribable. It was indeed love from the bottom of his heart, but if they loved each other so much, why did he have to hurt her in her final days?
"Pearls shatter before my eyes, flowers wither in a worldly spring. The hatred in my heart has not yet faded, and now I have lost the one I held in my palm. The jade box still holds the remaining medicine, the incense burner is already covered in dust. The grief of the past will give way to the grief of the future, and there are no tears left to wet my handkerchief."
Although that mournful and affectionate voice was close at hand, it was as distant as the sky to Zhou Wei.
Li Yu's voice still echoed in her ears, and the sorrowful faces of her parents below the high platform were still before her eyes. The coffin was about to be sent into the mausoleum, and the cries of grief shook the heavens.
Zhou Wei's eyes, however, were unusually dry. She had already shed all her tears, for her sister, and for her own ill-fated destiny.
Her gaze unconsciously swept over the kneeling crowd below the platform—a sea of white, paper money scattered everywhere, the funeral procession vast and imposing.
But then, in that instant, Zhou Wei's body suddenly stiffened, her eyes widening in disbelief. She stared in that direction, and even amidst the sea of people, she spotted
him instantly.
He was here! He had come after all! Zhou Wei felt her heart pounding faster and faster, almost leaping out of her chest. Her breathing became rapid, she pressed her hand tightly to her chest, her lips clenched tightly, her
long-held longing manifesting in her eyes. But what answered her was the barely suppressed anger and hatred in those unyielding blue eyes.
Yelü Xiezhen stared directly at Zhou Wei. He stood out from the crowd, at the very back. Unlike the others, he wasn't kneeling; instead, he stood ramrod straight,
his blue eyes filled with fury, as if silently accusing her of betrayal.
No! No! She hadn't betrayed him! Zhou Wei shook her head, desperately suppressing the urge to rush towards him, screaming frantically in her heart, "She didn't betray him! No, no..." Her
long-dry eyes welled up with mist, but couldn't turn into tears. It felt like a small knife was slowly slicing through Zhou Wei's fragile heart. Why did he look at her like that,
as if accusing her of infidelity and depravity?
Zhou Wei hadn't expected to see Yelü Xiezhen again, much less in such a setting. Her heart was bleeding. She lowered her head. No! How could she face him with
those eyes? He had already decided in his heart that she was unfaithful. What else could she ask for
? Let him hate her, let her bear everything alone, as her parents wished, as the king wished, and as her sister's last wish.
"Her beauty rivaled that of a fragrant tree, her fate as precarious as his. She grieved for the fallen leaves of spring, and suffered the devastation of rain. Where is her former splendor now? All is vanished. Deep and silent, she has
passed away, forgotten by the east wind for a thousand years." The king's eulogy was still being recited. The early spring wind carried swirling paper money through the air. The coffin had been carried into the tomb. Just as the tomb doors were about to close,
the king, who had been standing before Zhou Wei, suddenly rushed down from the platform and threw himself towards the tomb door. His mournful cries shocked everyone, and he continued to call out the name of Ehuang.
Zhou Wei was stunned. She hadn't expected the king to act this way, to disregard his status and grieve so deeply!
But after only a moment of shock, Zhou Wei immediately realized that since she had promised her sister to take care of him, she couldn't break her promise, even though he had treated her that way before!
Her skirt swirled, her dark hair arcing through the air. Zhou Wei followed Li Yu down the mountain. Before anyone could react in shock, just as Li Yu was about to crash into
the heavy tomb door, she grabbed him. Li Yu struggled for a moment, then buried his face in Zhou Wei's neck, sobbing softly, tears streaming down his face. Zhou Wei felt
her body pity and sorrow.
This man, in truth, was also pitiful!
When she instinctively turned to look at the crowd, that figure had vanished, but she could still feel the surging anger in the air.
That day, Zhou Wei spent in a daze, her mind a jumbled mess. After returning home, she fell ill and was bedridden, refusing food and water, only sleeping in a deep sleep. Her parents were extremely worried, but even the imperial physicians were helpless.
Just when everyone thought Zhou Wei was about to follow in Empress Ehuang's footsteps, she miraculously awoke three days later. Aside from feeling listless and weak, she appeared perfectly fine. However, she had become quiet and taciturn, indifferent to everything. While
all the enemies mourned Empress Ehuang's passing, Zhou Wei still evoked a lingering, alluring image in people's minds. She had appeared with that incredibly seductive "Bodhisattva's Lament," seducing her brother-in-law and causing the death of her own sister, leaving a despicable impression on the people. But no one dared to speak of this, for she was about to become the
new Empress of Southern Tang.
Li Yu remained immersed in grief over the loss of his wife and son. Whenever he visited Zhou Wei, he was always on the verge of tears. Because Zhou Wei resembled his late wife, Ehuang, he often fell asleep in her arms, calling Ehuang's name, after drinking.
Zhou Wei did not resist him. Deep down, she had gradually forgotten all her dreams; all she needed to do now was play the role of Empress well and keep her
promise .
However, Zhou Wei had the power of Empress but not the title. Because Li Yu loved his wife dearly, after Ehuang's death, he called himself "Widow Yu" and vowed to observe three years of mourning.
Therefore, Zhou Wei's coronation ceremony was postponed for three years.
This didn't bother Zhou Wei; she didn't care about the title anyway. However, the rumors circulating were unbearable.
She had only seen Yelü Xiezhen from afar on the day of the funeral and had never seen him again. Sometimes, in the dead of night, Zhou Wei would sigh inwardly, wondering if seeing him that day was just a
figment of her imagination. However, it was good that he hated her and had given up on her; in this life, she had indeed wronged him!
Days flowed by like water, unnoticed and gone, never to be retrieved.
Three months later, Zhou Wei had adapted to life in the palace. Li Yu didn't have many concubines, and initially, they all held Zhou Wei in contempt. Zhou Wei didn't want to stoop to their level
, because her family was powerful, and those women didn't dare to do anything outrageous. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager favored Zhou Wei greatly, so her position in the palace was secure.
Li Yu didn't often visit Zhou Wei's palace; Zhou Wei guessed he felt guilty towards her. His absence allowed her freedom; she spent her days burning incense and embroidering, and in her spare time, she would go to the imperial garden to gather flower petals to make
her own incense.
Unexpectedly, one evening after dinner, an uninvited guest barged into her palace. ...

Chapter Ninety-Four appeared
in April. Outside Fengxiang Palace, flowers bloomed in profusion, and the landscape was a vibrant green.
Zhou Wei had finished her dinner and was sitting alone in her bedchamber making incense. Rose petals were scattered all over the table. She picked up the rose water that the Persian merchant had brought as tribute and smelled it. Her brows furrowed imperceptibly. Why was the fragrance she made still not as pure as this rose water?
"Miss, it's time to take your medicine." Even though Zhou Wei had now entered Fengxiang Palace and was in effect Empress, Ning'er still stubbornly called her Miss. She knew that Miss didn't want her to call her Empress either.
Ning'er brought in a tray to serve Zhou Wei her medicine. Since her last illness, Miss's health had been fluctuating. The imperial physician had instructed that this medicine must not be discontinued, but months had passed, and
Miss 's face was still so pale, and her complexion had not improved.
"Put it down." Zhou Wei couldn't help but feel nauseous when she saw the thick, dark medicine.
"Miss, remember to drink it!" Ning'er reminded her. She knew her mistress was afraid of bitter medicine, but for her health, she had to drink it even if it tasted bad.
Zhou Wei nodded and said, "You can go now." She knew Ning'er was doing it for her own good; perhaps Ning'er was the only one who truly cared for her now.
Ning'er carried the tray out, glancing at Zhou Wei with concern. Her mistress was too quiet and reserved these days, seemingly indifferent to everything, and she was genuinely worried.
Watching Ning'er's figure disappear behind the gauze curtain, Zhou Wei buried herself in studying the rose water, completely unaware that someone had entered the bedchamber. It wasn't
until the person approached that Zhou Wei was startled. She abruptly looked up, only to be stunned. Before her stood a young man dressed in black, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of narrow
eyes . Those eyes were fixed on her, and when she turned to meet his gaze, she clearly saw a predatory glint in his eyes, like a wild beast spotting its prey.
Zhou Wei was startled, realizing an assassin had arrived. What should she do? Her mind raced. Calling for help? But the man had entered Fengxiang Palace undetected, indicating he was highly skilled in martial arts. Perhaps before she could even speak, he would kill her.
Zhou Wei pursed her lips. He merely observed her, making no other move. Mustering her courage, she asked, "Who are you? What is your purpose in infiltrating my Fengxiang Palace
?"
The man's eyes flickered, but he didn't answer. Under that gaze, Zhou Wei panicked.
Just then, another person jumped in through the window. Zhou Wei felt a sense of foreboding. What were these people's intentions? The palace was heavily guarded; how had they gotten in?
The man's eyes lit up upon seeing Zhou Wei, and he ran towards her. Zhou Wei instinctively stepped back, only to find the man in black behind her, who had somehow moved behind her and was now making a move to embrace her.
The man who came later frowned and hissed, "Second Brother!"
Seeing the man glaring at him, the man in black seemed to realize something. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly snorted coldly, turning and leaping out the window.
Zhou Wei was frightened. She clenched her fists and shouted at the newcomer, "Who are you?"
The man hesitated for a moment, then suddenly pulled down his black veil, grinning, "It's me!"
Zhou Wei was completely stunned. "Ting... Tingmei!" She couldn't believe it was Tingmei. Wasn't the man he called "Second Brother" Zhao Guangyi, the Prince of Jin of Song? How could they be here?
"
Why are you here?"
"It was my imperial brother who ordered me to come find you." Tingmei looked at the stunningly beautiful Zhou Wei in her elaborate attire, his eyes shining.
"Grandpa wants to see me?" Zhou Wei was a little confused. What did Grandpa want with her? Tingmei
looked at Zhou Wei and said, "Your Royal Brother wants us to take you to Bianjing. He... he wants to make you a concubine." As he finished speaking, Tingmei's words were tinged with bitterness. He liked Zhou Wei no
less than his Royal Brother, but—
"Make me... make me a concubine?" Zhou Wei couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes widened, and after seeing Tingmei nod heavily, she didn't know what to say.
She paused, then smiled bitterly and said, "I am already the king's woman, how could I—"
"No! I don't care!" Tingmei blurted out, then realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, "Your Majesty said you don't care! You can do anything as long as you're willing!"
They all thought they were doing her a favor, but what could she do? What right did she have to do anything?
Zhou Wei shook her head. Tingmei panicked, grabbing Zhou Wei's hand and saying, "Southern Tang has been confined to the south for too long. Now, our Great Song is at its zenith, and other small countries have been conquered by Song. Southern Tang cannot remain peaceful forever. You must think carefully."
"To be a slave of a conquered nation or a concubine of my Great Song?" The man in black reappeared, asking coldly.
Slave of a conquered nation. Zhou Wei smiled. Everything here was familiar to her; how could she betray it?
"I wish to be born here, and die here!" Zhou Wei pulled her hand away, her eyes unmoved. The man in black sneered several times, while Tingmei grew increasingly anxious.
"You speak so sweetly, as if you were some virtuous and chaste woman. If that were truly the case, how could you have committed such a disgraceful act as seducing your brother-in-law? My Great Song Emperor doesn't despise you, yet you are so ungrateful. Then don't blame me for being ruthless. When the Great Song conquers the Southern Tang, you will surely kneel and beg my Great Song!"
"Tingmei, let's go!" The man in black finished speaking angrily, grabbed Tingmei, and jumped out of the window despite his resistance.
Zhou Wei gritted her teeth, trembling with rage.
As soon as Ning'er entered, she saw Zhou Wei collapsed to the ground. She hurriedly shouted, "Someone! Someone! Quickly summon the imperial physician!" But no one came in to answer. Zhou Wei caught her breath and knew that Tingmei and his men must have done something to her; the people of Fengxiang Palace must have been subdued.
"I'm fine, Ning'er, quickly go outside and call someone to come and check on me." Zhou Wei also instructed Ning'er not to mention this to the King.
Several days passed after Tingmei and his men appeared that day. Ning'er still went to tell Li Yu about the night the guards of Fengxiang Palace had been subdued. Li Yu suspected that Zhou Wei had met with someone in private, but since she didn't mention it, he didn't ask. He simply increased the number of guards and patrols outside Fengxiang Palace.
Zhou Wei remained calm and composed, seemingly uninterested in anything except in incense making.
That morning, Zhou Wei got up early without any maids. She put on her cloak and went to the Imperial Garden before dawn to collect the dew-covered petals.
Walking along the lake, carefully searching for the budding flowers, Zhou Wei was suddenly grabbed and pulled into a treetop. She tried to scream in terror, but her mouth was immediately covered. A
familiar scent wafted towards her, and Zhou Wei turned her head to see a pair of blue eyes filled with anger.
She was completely stunned.
...
Chapter Ninety-Five: The
distant horizon revealed a sliver of dawn, the spring morning wind still biting. Zhou Wei was tightly bound to Yelü Xiezhen's warm chest, as if her entire being was perfectly integrated with his,
unable to break free. Zhou Wei struggled for a moment before becoming still, finding herself drifting and soaring through the air with his movements. The wind whistled past her ears, lifting
her long hair. She was momentarily stunned, her heart overflowing with indescribable emotions. She felt as if she had returned to that March when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, to the peach grove ten miles away, where he had carried her through
the air in the same way…
Zhou Wei felt herself being carried towards the horizon. Suddenly, birdsong filled her ears, and gradually, the sounds of birdsong, the babbling brook, and the wind rustling through the trees became clearer.
Zhou Wei felt her feet touch the ground, but the arms tightly embracing her didn't loosen. His hot breath brushed against her neck, and his large, burning hands encircled her waist. Zhou Wei bit her lip, struggling with whether to push him away. Although her heart screamed with longing, she rationally pushed him away.
She was a married woman; seeing him would be against traditional virtues. Besides, since there was no possibility of being together again, she shouldn't leave any lingering thoughts.
To Zhou Wei's surprise, she easily broke free from his embrace. Taking a step back, she looked up and saw the handsome face she had longed for. He was thinner than when she last saw him
, and his chin was covered in stubble. Zhou Wei cruelly looked away and took another step back, but the deep, unyielding affection in his dark blue eyes struck
her heart. She turned her head away, forcing back the tears that had welled up in her eyes, and whispered, "You shouldn't have come!"
Yelü Xie Yelü Xiezhen didn't speak. After a moment of silence, he suddenly strode to Zhou Wei's side and pulled her into his arms from behind. Before Zhou Wei could react, his hot
lips were already on hers. She stared in shock, her eyes reflecting Yelü Xiezhen's almost frenzied expression. The familiar taste filled her mouth, and Zhou Wei couldn't help but tremble. Her legs went
weak, and she felt as if she couldn't stand. She quickly reached out and clung tightly to him, tears streaming down her face.
They were in the same peach grove where they had first met. It was April, and the peach blossoms had all fallen, with tiny fruits emerging from the dense green leaves.

Yelü Xiezhen sucked and nibbled at Zhou Wei's lips almost frantically until her tears slid into the corners of his mouth, only then did he come to his senses. As if scalded, he recoiled abruptly,
his blue eyes darkening instantly, muttering repeatedly, "Weiwei, Weiwei—..."
"Why, why?" A look of anguish spread across Yelü Xiezhen's face. This man, always so strong and powerful, revealed fear for the first time in front of others.
Yes, he was afraid!
The day he received the gifts from Zhou Wei, he was overjoyed. He knew the Han people had the custom of tying one's hair together, so he understood that his Weiwei giving him her own hair was a declaration of love.
She loved him, and this fact filled him with ecstasy. He was eager to see her, but although the rebellion had been quelled, he still had to remain on the grasslands to prevent reinforcements from other tribes.
After finally managing to escape and report to the capital, he rushed to Southern Tang, but on the way, a rumor he overheard shocked him. How could his Weiwei have married someone else?
Especially when he heard someone jokingly say that the Queen's sister had seduced her brother-in-law, causing her own sister to fall ill, he almost snapped that person's neck. He absolutely refused to believe that his Weiwei would betray him!
But upon seeing that incredibly sensual "Bodhisattva's Lament," in that instant, his heart felt as if it had been ripped out. "Let him pity me at will, let him pity me at will!"
Zhou Wei's shy expression was still vivid in his mind, only this "he" was not him!
Yelü Xiezhen suddenly revealed a fierce look. He grabbed Zhou Wei and said sharply, "I know, it must be him who forced you, right? Come with me!"
He then tried to pull Zhou Wei away. Hearing those words, Zhou Wei's heart was filled with boundless bitterness and sorrow.
"No! Let me go!" For a moment, Zhou Wei truly wanted to leave with him, but deep in her mind, she subconsciously reminded herself: if she left, what would happen to the Zhou family? How would she fulfill her sister's dying wish? Was she to be an unfaithful and unfilial person, abandoning her parents and relatives
? No! She couldn't leave!

Besides, she was no longer a virgin; what face did she have to be with him? He deserved a better woman to love him! Instead of her current state, a disgraced and broken woman!
Yelü Xiezhen didn't release Zhou Wei as promised, but the pain in his blue eyes was almost overwhelming.
"Let me go!" Zhou Wei hardened her heart and said, "Now I am the Queen of Southern Tang, you shouldn't—" She wanted to say that he shouldn't be so disrespectful, but the words
wouldn't come .

But she knew that if she wasn't ruthless, she wouldn't be able to stop his thoughts. If she continued to pester him, wouldn't he be in great danger if they were discovered?
"Come with me, and I can give you honor and status!" Yelü Xiezhen said.
Ha! Honor? Did he think she wanted something so superficial? He didn't understand her at all!
"Can what you can give me be higher than my current status?" Zhou Wei said ruthlessly. She lowered her eyes, and the desolation in them was like that of an old man who had seen all the world's affairs, without a trace of life.
"Queen, you wanted to be Queen so badly that's why you seduced Li Yu!" Yelü Xiezhen's blood rushed to his head upon hearing this. He knew perfectly well she couldn't be that kind of person, yet
he blurted out the words without thinking. He froze, then continued, "So that poem was real! You really are such a shameless person, disregarding morality for fame and position,
committing such a despicable act—"
*Slap!* His beloved didn't believe him; his heart was numb with pain. He angrily slapped her, a chilling glint in Zhou Wei's eyes. She should have realized it long ago.
Yelü Xiezhen didn't speak again. He wished he could bite off his own tongue. He didn't mean it that way, but the words that came out were so hurtful.
"Weiwei…"
Zhou Wei's hand trembled slightly in mid-air. She clenched her fist, her nails almost digging into her palm, but she felt no pain. Her heart was bleeding; what did this physical
pain matter ?
Zhou Wei gently lowered her hand, no longer looking at Yelü Xiezhen's regretful face. She turned around, her voice devoid of warmth: "I don't want to see you again! Let's pretend we've
never met!"
Even if the whole world misunderstood her, she didn't care, only he couldn't!
But he disappointed her!
She said they should pretend they'd never met! Yelü Xiezhen couldn't believe she would say such a thing. His blue eyes seemed to surge with a raging storm. He said sharply, "I won't let you leave!" Today
, no matter what, he would take her away!
"I'm afraid it's you who can't leave today!"
Just as Yelü Xiezhen was pulling Zhou Wei, a chilling male voice rang out, filled with murderous intent.
It was already broad daylight, and the peach orchard was a vibrant green. The birds that had been chirping earlier were nowhere to be seen. From the foot of the hill, a figure in bright yellow slowly approached,
followed by several men in tight-fitting clothes. Zhou Wei's heart sank; she felt countless eyes watching them. ...
Chapter Ninety-Six: A Bond of Love and Destiny.
Li Yu stood only a few feet away from Zhou Wei, extending his hand towards her: "Wei'er, come here!"

"Your Majesty, I—" Zhou Wei was tightly embraced by Yelü Xiezhen, unable to break free. She hadn't expected them to discover her disappearance so quickly, but how could they
have found her She glanced unintentionally at Li Nanfeng, whose eyes shone with deep concern when he saw her. Zhou Wei remembered that it was Li Nanfeng who had escorted her to Shili Slope last year, and she understood—it must
have been him who brought the King here.
Seeing that Zhou Wei didn't respond, Li Yu grew anxious. His outstretched hand awkwardly arced in the air. Except for Li Nanfeng, the imperial guards behind him retreated three miles away.
He didn't want too many people to know about Zhou Wei's affair with the Liao man.
"Your Majesty!" Li Nanfeng was puzzled. He worried that without the guards' protection, the Liao man might harm the king and Wei'er—no, the queen.
Li Yu waved his hand. Nearly a thousand imperial guards were lying in ambush around them. Even if the Liao man was brave, he couldn't withstand ten thousand men. Besides, he was in the open, while the archers were in the shadows. If he made a move
, a single gesture from Li Yu would be enough to kill him with a thousand arrows.
Yelü Xiezhen had naturally considered this as well. Given his temperament, he wouldn't care about a thousand troops in front of him. However, he didn't want Zhou Wei to get hurt. Therefore, facing the
man who had harmed Zhou Wei, he didn't move. But the coldness in his eyes almost froze Li Yu.
"Wei'er!" Li Yu looked at Yelü Xiezhen's hand wrapped around Zhou Wei's waist, and a sudden pang of sadness welled up in his heart. He raised his voice, his usually gentle eyes now showing displeasure.
"I won't allow it!" Yelü Xiezhen held Zhou Wei tightly, roaring in her ear. Zhou Wei looked up, meeting those bloodshot blue eyes. The sound of her heart breaking
echoed so clearly in her ears. If none of this had happened, she would have left with him without hesitation.
But what right did she have now to be with him?
She carefully pried open the fingers gripping her waist, tears mingling with the blood in her heart. When she finally freed herself from Yelü Xiezhen's large hands, the pain was unbearable. This time, she truly had to sever all ties with him.

"Our fate ends here. Forget me!" Zhou Wei turned and walked step by step towards Li Yu. She tried desperately to stop herself from looking back, but why did her heart ache
so much ?
Seeing this, Li Yu felt a sense of relief, and his clenched fist gradually loosened.
Just as Zhou Wei was almost in front of Li Yu, Yelü Xiezhen, who had been silently watching her, suddenly roared as if possessed:
"No! I won't allow it!" A gust of wind swept by, and Yelü Xiezhen's figure shifted. Li Nanfeng immediately drew his sword to protect Li Yu, but in the blink of an eye, Yelü Xiezhen had already disappeared among the mountains with Zhou Wei.
Li Yu was furious and ordered his men to search immediately. However, he knew that not giving Zhou Wei time to resolve the situation was unacceptable. Calming down, he waved his hand
dismissively. He was gambling—gambling on whether Zhou Wei
would abandon the Zhou family. This half-hour felt like the longest time of Li Yu's life. Although he was certain Zhou Wei wouldn't abandon the Zhou family, he was still afraid, terrified. What if—
when Zhou Wei's haggard face appeared before him, he could hardly describe the overwhelming joy he felt.
Without asking what Zhou Wei had done in the past half-hour, Li Yu pulled her into his arms, a slight smile playing on his lips. Looking at the man standing forlorn and pained on the hillside not far away, Li Yu felt a sense of victory. Wei'er belonged to him!
Seeing the king frown and give him a meaningful look, Li Nanfeng understood. He strode to the side, made several hand gestures, and the archers lying in ambush immediately drew
their bows and fired arrows like rain.
Zhou Wei felt like a walking corpse, her heart aching to the point of numbness. She thought she could be even more ruthless and completely sever ties with him, but when he led her to
the cliff where they first met, tears streamed down her face. She couldn't abandon her parents and family for her own happiness, so even with hope in her heart, she couldn't do it.
Her life had come to an end, his was just beginning.
When he finally stopped bothering her, why didn't she feel any relief?
Zhou Wei hadn't expected Li Yu to want to kill Yelü Xiezhen. When she saw the volley of arrows, her eyes almost burst, and a shrill scream escaped her throat: "No
! Stop!"
Yelü Xiezhen's figure was engulfed by arrows. Zhou Wei broke free from Li Yu and ran towards Yelü Xiezhen. No, he couldn't die! He couldn't die! " What's the point of her living if he's dead
? Don't go! Wei'er! Come back! Danger!" Li Yu hadn't expected Zhou Wei to break free from him. Seeing her run towards the rain of arrows, he quickly signaled the archers to stop.
But one arrow, unable to stop its momentum, flew straight towards Zhou Wei.
Zhou Wei seemed oblivious to the danger. At that moment, she was only thinking of him. Even as wave after wave of arrows engulfed him, she remained convinced he would be alright.
So, when Yelü Xiezhen shielded her from the arrow that had almost pierced her chest, Zhou Wei collapsed into his arms.
She wished time could stop at that moment, so she could stay close to him forever, listening to his strong heartbeat. But—
Li Yu's heart, which had almost stopped beating, was jolted again by their appearance, especially under the watchful eyes of so many people around. He clenched his fists tightly, and Li Nanfeng, remembering
the humiliation she had suffered in Liaodong, also gritted her teeth.
Just as they were about to issue another order to kill Yelü Xiezhen, Zhou Wei seemed to sense something. She suddenly stood up, pulled the hairpin from her hair, and stared
intently at Li Yu, the hairpin already pressed against her throat: "Let him leave!"
"Weiwei—" Yelü Xiezhen was speechless. He had already learned of Zhou Wei's concerns and difficulties on the mountaintop. He knew that Zhou Wei's mind was made up, and he shouldn't force her.
She.
She was such a pure and filial woman, how could he use his love to bind her and burden her with a lifetime of responsibility?
"Wei'er, you!" Li Yu's brows furrowed tightly.
"Let him go!" Zhou Wei pushed the hairpin in her hand a little further in. Yelü Xiezhen felt a great pain in his heart, but Zhou Wei wouldn't let him touch her.
When Li Yu saw the blood dripping from Zhou Wei's neck, he could only abandon the idea of killing Yelü Xiezhen.
The archers withdrew in an orderly manner. Yelü Xiezhen stared deeply at Zhou Wei, and Zhou Wei also looked back at Yelü Xiezhen. That one glance contained all her emotions.
The tall figure disappeared into the mountains and forests. The hairpin in Zhou Wei's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," and her body went limp. Before losing consciousness, she tightly clutched her waist, and her heart
finally settled.
Back in the palace, Zhou Wei dismissed everyone and took out the exquisite purse from her waist. She recognized it; it was the purse she had embroidered herself as a gift to him, containing a lock of her hair. Now he was returning it to her, severing all ties between them.
When Zhou Wei opened the purse and saw what was inside, she could no longer hold back her sobs.
Inside, a lock of hair was tightly tied with a red string, and a piece of paper lay there, on which were written: "Bound by fate, I will never abandon you!"
Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Roses Wither
Ten years later, Bianjing, the Imperial Palace.
Time flowed by like water. It was late March, the winter chill had long since dissipated, and spring was in full bloom, greenery everywhere. A warm breeze swept through the corridors, entering the Hidden Beauty Pavilion, located in the Song Dynasty Imperial Palace, adjacent to the Imperial Garden, and the fragrance of flowers immediately filled the air.
Beside the Hidden Beauty Pavilion, a woman of unparalleled beauty sat alone by the lake. The warm sunlight shone on the water, casting a golden glow upon her. Ignoring
the strange looks from the passing eunuchs and maids, she stared blankly at the water droplets sliding through her fingers, shimmering like memories of her dreams. But the past is the past
; whether beautiful or ugly, it has long been swallowed by the river of time. The once-glorious splendor is now gone, the country has changed hands, and she is now a slave. If not for
the promise she still carries, she would no longer be in this world.
The moment the kingdom fell, she understood the source of her sister's worries. The king was indeed incapable of governing. He was a man of refined taste and unrestrained spirit, yet he couldn't withstand the Song army's iron
hooves . He was weak his entire life, but in the end, to protect the people of Jinling from the ravages of war, he surrendered, stripped to the waist, and boarded a Song dynasty ship with his harem, nobles, and ministers, becoming
slaves of a conquered nation.
She, too, had the opportunity to leave, but she chose not to. She knew that if she left the king, he would surely perish.
"Madam, the Emperor is waiting for you in the painted hall." Lost in thought, a palace maid suddenly reported this. The woman's stunningly beautiful face turned deathly pale, but she hesitated only for a moment before
biting her lip and following the maid into the painted hall.
The painted hall—ha, that beast who murdered his brother and usurped the throne placed her here merely to humiliate her. But now, her mind was far from so easily broken.
A palace maid led the woman inside, then bowed and withdrew. A moment later, a terrified scream suddenly pierced the morning's tranquility from within the Hidden Beauty Pavilion.
"No! Don't come any closer!"
A tearing sound rang out, revealing a scene of sensual beauty within. A man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a cloud-patterned crown
brought a strip of silk torn from the woman's body to his nose and sniffed it. Looking at the beautiful woman trembling in the corner, a lewd smile, incongruous with his status, spread across the man's dark, resolute face.
"Don't come any closer, Wei'er. It's been so long, and you still manage to arouse my desire!" The deliberately lowered voice carried a sinister undertone. The man leaned forward, grabbing the woman who tried to
escape . His hot breath brushed against her ear, and the woman grew even more terrified, struggling desperately in his arms. But how could the frail woman break free from the embrace of the Song Dynasty emperor, a man of military background
? Zhao Guangyi pressed her against the wall with his chest, his large hand reaching inside Zhou Wei's bodice, grasping her full breasts. His other, unruly hand reached down to her lower body, attempting to pull down her
underwear. The moment the rough hand touched her smooth, slippery skin beneath the thin fabric, Zhou Wei shuddered, her beautiful eyes widening in shock. Although he had been summoning
her to the palace under the guise of the Empress since last winter, and while he had been physically indecent, he had never gone this far. The humiliation she had endured for months surged into her heart. Suddenly, drawing strength from who-knows-where, Zhou Wei kicked at the source of
the man's desire. Taking advantage of Zhao Guangyi's momentary dodge, Zhou Wei quickly lifted her skirt and rushed towards the door.
Zhao Guangyi nimbly dodged the weak blow, and in a flash, he blocked Zhou Wei's path, who had already reached the door. His authority challenged, his face darkened, and the lewd aura he had just displayed vanished
instantly , replaced by cruelty and ruthlessness in his eyes. "You bitch! How dare you dodge!" You really don't know what's good for you!
"Slap!" A large hand immediately struck her terrified, stunningly beautiful face. Regardless of whether Zhou Wei could bear it or not, Zhao Guangyi snorted coldly. More than ten years ago, he had
heard . However, at that time, he did not know what kind of beautiful woman could bewitch his imperial brother so much that he would ask Tingmei to bring her to Bianjing
and make her a concubine even though she was already a wife. So he went along with her. Unexpectedly, after just one meeting, her image was deeply imprinted in his heart. For the past ten years, he often dreamed of holding her
in his arms loving her freely. However, after waking up, he was even more disappointed. It was not until the Southern Tang was destroyed by the Song Dynasty and Li Yu surrendered naked that he rekindled his hope.
When Li Yu brought her to court to meet the emperor, he saw her again. He was astonished to find her even more breathtakingly beautiful than ten years ago. But beside her stood that good-for-nothing Li Yu.
How could such a stunning beauty be defiled by a bookish, subjugated slave? From that moment on, he harbored a desire to possess her, even if she was the one his elder brother longed for
!

Now, he was finally about to achieve his goal. For months, he had tried everything to please her, but she paid him no heed. Well then, he wouldn't hesitate to ruthlessly destroy her!
Zhou Wei's slender body was lifted by the force of the palm strike, slamming straight against the wall. With a loud thud, her delicate body, like a broken kite in the wind, slowly slumped against the wall. She curled up
, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, cold sweat dripping from the pain, and half her face immediately swelled up from the blow.
"You wretch! You don't know what's good for you!" Zhao Guangyi sneered, a ruthless glint flashing across his icy face. His eyes held no pity. Now he was the emperor; what woman could
n't ? He offered her wealth and honor, even offered to make her a concubine, yet she dared to defy him time and again. Since that was the case, he would make her pay!
Zhao Guangyi flicked the hem of his robe, turned, and sat down on the low couch. Staring at the beautiful woman trembling before him like a leaf in the wind, he shouted in a deep voice, "Guards! Summon the Duke of Longxi to the palace!"
With that defeated traitor Li Yu present, he refused to believe Zhou Wei wouldn't submit to him.
Zhou Wei was startled, her eyes snapping upwards, blazing with intense hatred. This beastly man was using Cong Jia as leverage again! What should she do? Did she really have to
submit to him? But how could she bear that?
Zhou Wei struggled to her feet, leaning against the wall, her body trembling with fear. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her hands gripping her skirt tightly. Tears streamed down her face as she met the gaze of
the Song Emperor, who sat on the couch, looking at her smugly through the twenty-four embroidered beams of his cloud-patterned crown.
"Your Majesty!"
Outside the door, Eunuch Li, seeing that the Emperor had said nothing more, knowingly inquired, "Should we summon the Duke of Longxi to an audience?"
The Song Emperor's bloodshot eyes stared at the stunning woman before him, a faint smile playing on his thin, chiseled lips. He said, "That depends on whether Lady Zheng misses the Duke of Longxi
!"
Zhou Wei wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, immediately causing a burning pain in her swollen cheek. She gasped, her body feeling as if it were falling apart; every movement brought more pain.
Lady of Zheng, this was the title bestowed upon her by the King. Her reputation had been ruined ten years ago because of that poem. Everyone misunderstood her, even the King, whom she respected.
Lady of Zheng, what a humiliating title! Confucius once said, "The people of Zheng are licentious." In the King's heart, she was nothing more than a wanton harlot.
Zhou Wei closed her eyes, forcing back the tears. She endured the pain, took a deep breath, clenched her fists, then relaxed them, then clenched them again.
"No! This humble woman does not miss him!" she said through gritted teeth, uttering words against her will. In her heart, Zhou Wei had already cursed Zhao Guangyi a thousand times. She had been imprisoned in the palace for half a month; heaven knows how much she missed him!
She wondered if he was going crazy with worry because he couldn't see her.
Although he had used a scheme to force her ten years ago and used the entire Zhou family as leverage, causing her to bear the humiliation of being cursed, he had treated her extremely well for the past ten years. He never
forced her to do things she didn't want to do, which allowed her to stay in Fengxiang Palace, keeping her promise to her sister and guarding her past, which had faded away like petals. She was immersed in her own world,
longing for him. With Cong Jia, perhaps their kinship was now unbreakable. The country was gone, and only they remained to rely on each other in this chaotic world.
But it was all because of that damned scoundrel! He coveted her beauty and committed the despicable act of adultery with another man's wife.

"Since Lady Zheng doesn't miss the Duke of Longxi, then what you should do next is none of my business, is it?"
Zhao Guangyi wasn't in a hurry. He simply crossed his arms and stared at that stunning face, his eyes burning with smugness and a desire to seize. He knew that as long as he brought up that
good-for-nothing , Zhou Wei would inevitably submit to him to protect him.
This trick had never failed him!
Sure enough, a moment later, Zhou Wei opened her eyes, her beautiful gaze fixed firmly on the void, her voice barely a whisper: "Yes! This subject understands." For the safety of Cong Jia, she had to repeatedly set aside
her pride and endure the humiliation of this beast in human form before her. And this time, perhaps—
Zhao Guangyi was even more pleased with himself. His eyes deepened as he followed Zhou Wei's movements, and his desire grew even stronger. Before Zhou Wei could undress, he roared, pulled her close, and pinned her down on the low couch. His lips roamed over her delicate body, and he hastily removed her underwear. Zhou Wei's body was already fragile, and the impact and the Song Emperor
's roughness tore at her wounds, causing her to scream in pain and immediately faint.
When she slowly awoke, opening her hazy, beautiful eyes, she met the lewd grin of the Song Dynasty emperor beside her. She angrily turned her face away, unwilling to look at him again.
But Zhao Guangyi wouldn't let her go. He had suppressed his desire while she was unconscious, waiting for her to wake up so she could witness how he would possess her! He wanted to see her
beg for mercy beneath him!
Zhao Guangyi pressed down on her. Zhou Wei gripped the blanket tightly, wanting to resist, yet hesitant. But as soon as she turned her head, she was horrified, her body stiffening. A
chill ran up her spine from her feet, and her beautiful face flushed crimson with terror.
In the room… how could there be so many people?
Ignoring the pain that felt like her body was falling apart, she grabbed the quilt on the bed to cover her nearly naked body, but Zhao Guangyi seized her wrists, the quilt slipping down to her waist
, revealing her half-exposed, fair breasts. Zhou Wei stared in terror at the lewd smile on the
face of the Song Emperor, her voice trembling as she asked, "You, you, what are you going to do?" "You'll soon find out what I'm going to do! Hahaha..." The Song Emperor's cloud-patterned crown had been removed, replaced by a golden turban, equally symbolizing imperial majesty. His
muscular upper body was bare as he ripped off the cotton quilt around Zhou Wei's waist, causing her to scream repeatedly.
"Ah! You, beast!"
"Beast, hahaha... Whether I'm a beast or not, you'll see more clearly soon!" Zhao Guangyi pinched Zhou Wei's delicate chin, forcing her to look up at him, while gently
biting her delicate earlobe, speaking softly.
Zhou Wei's left cheek was red and swollen; the pinch caused her to wince in pain, her eyes filled with agony.
"If you don't love me, then hate me!" After the soft whisper, the Song Emperor let out a wild laugh.
The humiliation Zhou Wei had suffered in her life paled in comparison to what was about to happen. At this moment, she watched helplessly as five expressionless palace maids approached her, while behind a screen, several
white-bearded court painters, brushes in hand, peered out in terror.
"No—no—no—" Her hands were restrained, and she struggled violently, the jade pendant hanging on her chest swaying with each movement. Unaware that this only accentuated her fair, jade-like skin and perfect curves, she cried out. Zhao Guangyi looked at her triumphantly, his lewd smile growing even more piercing. His eyes deepened, like the sky before a storm.

"Get away! Get away! Get away!" she screamed uncontrollably, her long, jade-like legs kicking wildly.
"You wretch! Don't think I don't know—besides Li Yu, you also climbed into Zhao Kuangyin's bed! Hmph! Now that he's dead, no one will come to save you! Hahaha…" A
murderous aura gathered on Zhao Kuangyi's cold, hard face, his eyes turning bloodshot. "Why? The two Zhou empresses, the elder and younger, and Lady Hua Rui—why must all the beauties of the world be monopolized by that good-for-nothing Li Yu and Zhao Kuangyin
? He's already got the world, surely he can have women too! Humph! Now, apart from the deceased Elder Zhou empress, aren't the two most famous beauties in the world, the younger Zhou empress and Lady Hua Rui, all under Zhao Kuangyi's
thumb and his complete control?!
" "You! You beast!" Zhou Wei shrank back into the corner, hugging herself tightly, her large, beautiful eyes filled with anger and shame. Before she could finish her curse, Zhao Kuangyi stretched out his long arm and pulled her in front of him
. Zhou Wei screamed in terror, but Zhao Kuangyi only frowned, his cold eyes fixed on the jade pendant swaying on her chest, as if he had remembered something.
When his gaze returned to Zhou Wei's face, Zhao Kuangyi's expression became even more violent. He waved his hand, and the palace maids waiting nearby immediately stepped forward to restrain Zhou Wei.
Zhou Wei's hair was disheveled, the floral crown on her head tilted precariously, and her red socks were half-fallen off. Naked, she was supported by five maids: two under her armpits, two on her hips, and one behind her, her body suspended in
mid-air . Zhou Wei was momentarily unable to move. She remained silent, biting her lip tightly, tears streaming down her face, a profound and inky sorrow welling up within her.
Zhao Guangyi's hands gripped Zhou Wei's soft skin tightly, leaving several red marks. Looking at this beautiful body he had longed for for over ten years, a lewd glint appeared in his eyes. Zhou Wei
Turning her head away, she closed her eyes tightly, shielding Zhao Guangyi's face with her hand, her teeth biting her tongue.
She could no longer bear such humiliation. "Sister, I'm sorry, Wei'er can no longer keep that promise.
Farewell, Brother Han!
" Zhao Guangyi, while wantonly ravaging Zhou Wei's smooth, jade-like skin, commanded the painters with his eyes to hurry. Suddenly, Zhou Wei let out a painful groan. A palace maid beside her bent down to check, but cried out in horror, "Lady Zheng, something terrible has happened!"
"Insolence!" Zhao Guangyi was about to thrust in when he harshly rebuked the shouting maid. Just then, he noticed that the place his hands touched was becoming increasingly warm and slippery. He looked down and immediately froze in horror.
There—
Zhou Wei's eyes were slightly open, blood gushing from her mouth, her once fair breasts now stained red, gleaming dazzlingly alluring in the soft morning sunlight.
Was she dying? Why couldn't she feel the pain? Was the pain in her heart so intense that she couldn't even feel the physical pain?
Zhou Wei's consciousness drifted away. In her hazy state, she seemed to see the beastly Zhao Guangyi, his brows furrowed, carefully checking her breath. Ah, now, it was as he wished.
Zhou Wei felt herself floating in the void. She watched Zhao Guangyi make the decision to dispose of the body. To silence the old ministers in the court and to prevent the people of the Southern Dynasty from knowing the truth, Zhao Guangyi ordered his men to secretly transport her body out of the palace and bury it in a mass grave.
Zhou Wei sighed softly, a vast, dark sorrow, as deep as midnight, filling her heart. As her last wisp of consciousness dissipated, she slowly closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, far away in Shangjing, Liaodong, at the Southern Court King's residence.
Over the years, Yelü Xiezhen had fought on the battlefield, accumulating countless merits, and had long since risen to the position of Southern Court King. However, he never married. Emperor Jingzong Yelü Xian repeatedly tried to arrange a marriage for him,
but he refused each time. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry, but rather that his heart already held a beautiful woman, and there was no room for any other woman .
He also dismissed all his wives and concubines from his general's mansion. Initially, those women were indeed unwilling to leave, but his mind was made up. After giving each of them a large sum of money, they
had no choice but to leave. And so he remained alone for all these years.
He also discovered that his mother's death was indeed related to Sun Rong. This venomous woman loved his father but received no reciprocation, so she had been plotting against his mother and Yelü Feng. She poisoned his mother, and she sent Yelü Feng to Mozi's sect to kill Mo Xiong. The reason she didn't harm him was because he looked remarkably like his father.
Now that woman was dead. Three years ago, she had died of illness in that dark, damp, dilapidated house, but Yelü Feng was still wandering outside, unwilling to return.
That day, Yelü Xiezhen was restless and anxious from the moment he woke up. He almost cut himself while practicing his sword.
What was wrong with him? Yelü Xiezhen frowned, his blue eyes filled with impatience. Now past thirty, he looked more composed than he had ten years ago, exuding a masculine aura
and a domineering air of looking down on the world—a temperament forged by time. His blue eyes were still pure, as vast as the sky, without a trace of impurity, but
the arrogance of ten years ago was gone.
He took a sip of tea brought by a maid and coldly looked at the sky. What was wrong with him today? Since he couldn't practice his sword, he tidied up and went to his study to handle military affairs. Passing by the rose
garden, he deliberately stopped. Clumps of bright red roses had quietly bloomed, their vibrant colors everywhere. Looking at this patch of roses planted for her, Yelü Xiezhen seemed
to see Zhou Wei's bright smile.
He is now busy with official duties, but every year during the peach blossom season, he still goes to Jinling to linger in the peach grove at Shili Slope. Sometimes he will secretly sneak into the palace to catch a glimpse of her from afar; knowing she is doing well puts his mind at ease. When
the Southern Tang Dynasty fell, he risked his life to sneak into the palace to take her away, but to his surprise, she refused to leave. She said they were not meant to be, that her burdens were too heavy to be shed, and that she could only carry them until death. Faced with her resolute stance, he had no choice but to send his most trusted guards to protect her secretly . Now she is in Bianjing, and there has been no news of her for a long time; he wonders how she is doing. Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from outside the courtyard. Yelü Xiezhen went to the window and saw that the sky, which had been clear and sunny just moments before, had suddenly become covered with dark clouds. The dazzling sunlight was blocked by and a strong wind suddenly arose, whipping up sand and stones, making it impossible to open one's eyes. His heart sank inexplicably, and the sudden panic made his hands tremble. Yelü Xiezhen frowned tightly. What was going on? He, who afraid of this sudden storm. Yelü Xiezhen's eyes widened suddenly. This sudden downpour would surely destroy the rose garden! No! He would not allow the rose garden she had carefully nurtured to be destroyed. Now, this was the only place he had left to remember her. A bad premonition gripped his heart. Yelü Xiezhen turned and rushed into the rain. When he reached the rose garden and saw the branches flattened by the downpour and the petals scattered by the wind, lying in the rain , his heart felt as if it had been slashed by a knife. "No!" he cried out to the sky, his painful roar echoing through the heavens. He knelt down, rain streaming down his face, mingling with tears as they rolled into the mud. His heart ached so much he could hardly breathe. His family, who arrived later, dared not approach. They looked at the rose garden, now utterly devastated, and an endless sorrow welled up in their hearts. Was this sudden storm really foreshadowing something? Flowers falling, roses withering! "Send men to the Song capital immediately!" Yelü Xiezhen scooped up handfuls of mud-stained petals, clutching them tightly in his hands. Blood from the corner of his mouth shone brightly, but it was quickly washed away by the rain. "No! Weiwei won't leave! No—" Historical records state that after the fall of his kingdom, Li Yu was deeply depressed. In Bianjing (Kaifeng), he wrote extensively about his grief over the loss of his country. The line "How much sorrow can one have? It's like a river of spring water flowing eastward," expressing his patriotic sentiments, pioneered the use of poetry to express emotions. However, it was this very poem, "Yu Meiren," that ultimately led to the downfall of this great poet. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Zhao Guangyi poisoned Li Yu with poisoned wine, and Xiao Zhouhou also committed suicide out of love. The romantic love story hidden behind this tragic history will eventually be buried in the dust of time. ... Chapter Ninety-Eight: Blood Rose (Final Chapter) Blood Rose Outside Bianjing, in the western suburbs, at a mass grave. As the last rays of sunset faded and night fell, the city of Bianjing was just beginning to light up. However, ten miles outside the city, the mass grave was utterly deserted. The moonlight was obscured by large, dark clouds, and will-o'-the-wisps floated around the graves. A chilling wind swept in from nowhere, and crows on the withered branches suddenly cawed loudly before flapping their wings and flying away. All around was pitch black; in the darkness, a group of people silently appeared at the mass grave. "Stop!" The leader gestured, halting first. He cautiously looked around and said in a hoarse voice, "Just throw them here!"

The words had barely left his lips when several thuds were heard, and the weeds beside the graveyard were flattened by something.
"Go!" The leader didn't say much, his hand swiftly waving, and several dark figures vanished instantly into the thick night.
On the desolate mass grave, nameless mounds rose everywhere, will-o'-the-wisps flickered, and only a few crows fluttered their wings and circled low. Dim moonlight filtered through the clouds, and
a loosely tied straw mat in the grass revealed a beautiful yet lifeless face. A sudden gust of wind rustled through the overgrown weeds, and a few lonely stars twinkled in the distance
, seemingly whispering a silent lament.
"Awooo..."
The mournful howl of a pack of wolves echoed from afar.
The night deepened, the wind grew colder, and another figure appeared on the path leading to the mass grave, moonlight illuminating his anxious and worried face.
"Where? Where?" The man, head bowed, paced anxiously among the grave mounds, searching for something. His hands trembled slightly with worry, and his lips quivered
as if he were cursing.
Suddenly, the sound of gnawed flesh mingled with the low growl of an animal. The man's ears twitched, his heart leaping into his throat. He followed the sound, gripping his sword tightly.
By the dim moonlight, he swept aside the weeds obscuring his view. A heavy stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, causing him to hold his breath. But when he saw the scene before him, he felt
a jolt in his mind, as if something had exploded. A chill ran down his spine, and his hands trembled so much he could barely hold the sword hilt.
In the darkness, several emerald lights seemed to suddenly illuminate the scene. Li Nanfeng, his eyes bloodshot, stared at the pack of wolves with their mouths full of minced meat. His heart felt like it was bleeding.
How could this be? How could this be?
Looking at the pile of flesh and bones on the ground, Li Nanfeng felt a surge of anger rise in his chest,
and a chilling pain shot through his nose. He turned his eyes away in grief and anger, his teeth clenched. The wolves, disturbed from their meal, began to stir. Their small, emerald eyes gleamed with treacherous cunning, and their sharp fangs, still stained with blood and bits of flesh, gleamed coldly. The wolves growled and
scattered , surrounding Li Nanfeng. One wolf moved behind him and suddenly pounced.
Li Nanfeng, already overwhelmed by grief, gripped his sword with a cracking sound. Without turning around, he simply swung his sword sharply backward. In the flash, the wolf was decapitated.
This startled the other wolves. As if assessing something, the lead wolf growled a few times, its hostile gaze sweeping over the corpses and Li Nanfeng. Suddenly,
it let out howl and vanished with the pack into the graveyard.
Li Nanfeng felt as if all his strength had drained away. He collapsed to the ground, his bloodshot eyes filled with disbelief. How could this be? How could this be? He had been following those people the whole time. He appeared as soon as
they left—that was his fastest speed. But Wei'er—
"No!"
The heartbroken man knelt on the ground, howling to the heavens.
After the fall of the Southern Tang, he surrendered to the Song Dynasty and became a member of the Imperial Guard, protecting the palace. He had long heard of Wei'er's experiences in the Song palace, which Zhao Guangyi had already spread as a romantic tale
. He had always wanted to rescue Wei'er, but she had endured Zhao Guangyi's humiliation to protect Li Yu, which had always infuriated him. Li Yu, as ruler, enjoyed the company of
two beauties, yet after the fall of his kingdom, he still needed women to protect him!
Then, this morning, before dawn, he went on patrol of the inner city and saw the emperor's most favored eunuch, Eunuch Li, instructing his junior eunuchs to prepare gifts, saying that
the emperor had returned from hunting and would reward him handsomely. From Eunuch Li's casual remark, he learned that the prize was none other than the
Southern Tang's Little Zhou Empress, whom the emperor had long coveted but had been unable to obtain due to his status.
This news struck Li Nanfeng like a thunderbolt. He was extremely anxious, wanting to inform Zhou Wei, but he knew that given her nature, even if she wanted to escape, she would
be held back by worrying about Li Yu's safety, and would thus compromise with the Song emperor to save Li Yu's life.
However, he couldn't bear to watch Wei'er be defiled by that beastly Song Emperor. After much deliberation, he decided to take a desperate gamble. He knew Zhou Wei had been staying
at the Hidden Beauty Pavilion for the past few days, so he disguised himself as a eunuch and risked infiltrating the palace. He sprinkled a poison called "Blood-Cleansing Drink" into Zhou Wei's teacup.
This poison wouldn't kill, but it would induce a state of suspended animation, taking effect half an hour after ingestion. The poison would cause the patient to vomit blood and then become barely breathing,
giving the illusion of death. This poison was extremely rare in the martial arts world. He gambled that the imperial physicians had never seen it before, and he also gambled on the timing of Zhao Guangyi's desire to sleep with Zhou Wei
.
Fortunately, he won both gambles. When he finally learned that Zhou Wei and several other palace maids' bodies had been dumped in a mass grave, he rushed there almost without stopping. But—
he was still too late!
Looking at the pile of flesh and bones, Li Nanfeng knelt down. He was still unwilling to accept it, still unable to believe that the beautiful and pure woman had become a meal for wolves, and even less could he believe that the
mangled flesh before him was the woman he loved most.
But when he saw the familiar jade pendant among the remains, his heart almost stopped beating. He recognized it; it was the pendant Wei'er had worn since childhood. Although
she hadn't shown it to anyone since she grew up, its unique design was unforgettable.

Li Nanfeng's hands trembled as he picked up the blood-stained jade pendant, tears welling in his eyes—tears as red as blood.
"No—" Wei'er, Wei'er, it was all his fault! If he hadn't been so clever, she might still be alive and well.
"Pfft!" Overwhelmed by the shock, Li Nanfeng coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face turning ashen.
Meanwhile, three miles away from the mass grave in the western suburbs, a caravan of carriages was slowly moving forward. In one of the carriages, two women and a man were huddled in a circle, their eyes fixed intently on
a stunningly beautiful woman lying to the side, her face pale.
"Sister Lan, do you think this girl can be saved?" the woman, who looked no more than twenty years old, asked the slightly older woman with concern. The
woman called Sister Lan frowned, her shrewd and worldly eyes falling on the still unconscious, beautiful woman's face, a hint of doubt flashing in her gaze.
"Sheng Yan, you really found her at the mass grave?" A sudden flash of insight struck Linglan. She remembered that more than ten years ago, when she was still the manager of Zuixianlou, she had devoted herself to preparing for
that year 's Flowing Light Dance. But on the day everyone gathered, the renowned dancer Yaoyue fell ill and couldn't recover. She had no choice but to seek
help from Mofeng, the protector of the Mozi Sect, the actual owner of Zuixianlou. The woman Mofeng brought to replace Yaoyue was none other than the seemingly lifeless woman before her.
This woman had captivated the world with her dance; many years later, people still reminisced about that dance, but she vanished swiftly after that breathtaking performance. Linglan had asked Mofeng before
, but he refused to reveal the woman's true identity. However, Linglan knew that with such elegance and captivating beauty, she was no ordinary girl.
She had inquired about her in the martial arts world, but to no avail. Later, the Mozi Sect was wiped out overnight by a mysterious organization, its leader was killed, and the two protectors, Feng and Yu, disbanded the sect.
The Drunken Immortal Pavilion also went bankrupt, so she took a few trusted followers and began performing in the martial arts world.
Seeing Linglan lost in her memories, Sheng Yan didn't interrupt her. He waited until she asked before saying, "It's quite a coincidence. Today, I saw some thugs on the street kidnapping an old man
's daughter. I was so angry that I taught them a lesson." He blinked and continued, "I thought those people were used to doing evil, so I wanted to scare them.
I threw them in a mass grave. Just as I was about to leave, I saw some people acting suspiciously, and that's when I found her."

"What happened to her?" Linglan asked. She knew that Sheng Yan's medical skills were quite profound; he must have noticed something was wrong to bring her back.
Sheng Yan no longer concealed anything, and said solemnly, "I think she seems to have been poisoned by the Blood-Cleansing Drink." He had sensed something was amiss when he saw her in the overgrown mass grave.
"Blood-Cleansing Drink?" The two were puzzled, clearly having never heard of this poison.
Sheng Yan explained briefly, then analyzed, "I remember Master mentioning this poison before. This is the first time I've encountered it myself. Do you see anything different under her eyes?"
"Yes, why is it golden?" Linglan asked疑惑地.
"This poison is extremely rare. It causes signs of suspended animation, and most people, unaware of it, would bury it as a corpse. If my master hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known either. People who ingest the Blood
-
Cleansing Drink will have golden powder under their eyes, and look, isn't there gold around her pupils too? I don't know how she ingested this poison." Sheng Yan shuddered, recalling the howls of wolves at the mass grave. If he had been a step slower, this woman would have become food for the wolves.

"Furthermore, there is no antidote for this poison, but it will dissipate in six hours." As soon as Sheng Yan finished speaking, the woman, who had been lifeless, suddenly moved. Then, her long, feather-like eyelashes
began to flutter, and a pair of dark, jade-like eyes, hidden behind them, opened, instantly captivating all three of them.
A month later, in the distant Western Regions, a bewitching dancer with captivating beauty rose to prominence—Blood Rose.
From then on, Zhou Wei ceased to exist.
A year later, in the capital of Liao, at the Southern King's Mansion.
Since the Battle of Gaoliang River, where Zhao Guangyi's Song army suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Liao army
,
with Zhao Guangyi himself wounded by two arrows and forced to flee to Youzhou City, the Liao army had steadily advanced, achieving victory after victory. The Southern Court King, Yelü Xiezhen, had undoubtedly played a crucial role in this. Winter had arrived, and the capital had been blanketed in snow for days, transforming the landscape into a pristine white wonderland. Yelü Xiezhen, clad in a silver cloak and a white fur hat, stood by the window
, gazing intently at the plum blossoms blooming proudly amidst the snow. His icy blue eyes were fixed on the pale yellow stamens, his handsome profile etched with melancholy. His fingers tapped absently on the windowpane,
lost in thought.
"Oh dear, the snow this year is truly heavy!" A melodious voice suddenly rang out. The door opened, and a cool, fragrant scent mixed with snowflakes rushed in. Yelü Xiezhen turned, saw the visitor,
and bowed respectfully.
"Oh dear, no need for formalities, Your Majesty, where is Your Majesty?" Dressed in red, Xiao Yanyan brushed the snowflakes off her clothes as she entered. She took off her hat and handed it to a maid, her large eyes
darting around.
"If Her Majesty the Empress wanted to see His Majesty, why isn't she looking in the palace? Why is she here with me?" Yelü Xiezhen said calmly, his handsome face expressionless. He then turned to look outside,
ignoring the flustered Xiao Yanyan. In fact, his seniority was higher than the Emperor's, and their relationship was very good. His empress, being virtuous, was also unpretentious. After leaving the court

, they were less reserved.
Xiao Yanyan wasn't annoyed. Although she wasn't young and was a mother, she remained lively and active, her clever mind always scheming
.
She watched Yelü Xiezhen's tall, straight back, covered her mouth and chuckled. Suddenly, her eyes darted around, and she deliberately said, "The women from the eight tribes who were considered for the marriage all entered the palace yesterday. The Emperor and I have chosen a few

beauties, and they will be sent to you tomorrow. You can choose one and get married quickly." She wanted to see how long he could remain calm.
As she expected, Yelü Xiezhen didn't even turn his head after hearing this; only his cold, hard voice drifted over him: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty and Empress. I appreciate it, but I have no intention of getting married, so

I won't trouble Your Majesty and Empress." He would never marry again in his life. No woman could replace Zhou Wei in his heart, even though she was no longer alive!

Xiao Yanyan frowned slightly. His answer had remained unchanged for over a decade. She had heard his story and felt deep sympathy for him, while also admiring his
deep affection After a moment's thought, she asked again, "If she hadn't died, would you still want her?"

"Yes!" Yelü Xiezhen turned his head, his eyes filled with the same deep affection that had remained unchanged for over a decade. His thin, knife-like lips had once been seen as a synonym for ruthlessness, yet he was
so deeply devoted to a woman who could never be his wife.
"But she was once someone else's wife, and she was once taken by Zhao Guangyi—" Xiao Yanyan didn't continue. She had seen the picture circulating from the Song Palace of Zhao Guangyi having sex with Zhou Wei.
She couldn't imagine how such a weak woman could have such strong endurance. Was it just for a promise?
Upon hearing this, Yelü Xiezhen's face turned deathly pale. He gritted his teeth, thinking of the Song emperor who had escaped by chance in the Battle of Gaoliang River, and wished he could kill him immediately.
If it weren't for that beast, how could he and Zhou Wei be separated by death
? However, the two arrows he shot back then had already ruined that dog emperor's reputation. He was probably going to suffer now.
"I don't care what her past was, I just want her! As long as she's alive, I'd rather she were someone else's wife!" His voice instantly turned low and desolate. Regret and remorse churned in Yelü Xiezhen's dark blue
eyes . He had once cared so much about her virginity. The memory of that year, by the stream outside Youzhou City, suddenly surfaced with unparalleled clarity, his chest feeling as if a heavy stone had crushed it
, making it hard to breathe.
If he hadn't been so arrogant back then, if he had made everything clear the moment he fell in love, could this tragedy have been avoided?
But no one in this world could answer him anymore, and no one would whisper in his ear after a shy, shallow smile, "I will keep it for you!"
Yelü Xiezhen bit his thin lips painfully. Xiao Yanyan didn't know what to say to comfort him. She gripped the handkerchief in her hand, already having made up her mind.
"Three days from now, the Emperor is hosting a banquet for the Song Dynasty's envoys. He'll be inviting a very famous troupe from the capital to perform. As the Southern Prince, you can't be absent!"
Xiao Yanyan looked at Yelü Xiezhen meaningfully. The latter showed no curiosity, which disappointed her somewhat. However, she knew that even if Yelü Xiezhen had previously planned not to
attend the banquet, her presence would compel him to go.
And that was her purpose. She could only hope that Yelü Feng's speculation was true!
A maid helped Xiao Yanyan put on her fur hat, and then the group disappeared into the vast snow. Yelü Xiezhen watched the red figure disappear into the corridor, raising an eyebrow.
He knew that dance troupe; he'd heard the Emperor had specially sent someone to invite them. They'd performed two shows in the capital in the past few days, both practically sold out. For a time, everyone in the streets and alleys was talking about
the woman with the captivating, unparalleled dance. It was said her dance had a fatal attraction; once she started dancing, people couldn't take their eyes off her. It was also said that when she danced,
a refreshing fragrance emanated from her, and a radiant glow enveloped her, like a fairy descending from heaven…

There were many such rumors. Yelü Xiezhen scoffed; they were all just hearsay. Who in this world could dance better than Zhou Wei? He wondered what method this woman had used
to attract the Emperor's attention, but her purpose was clear: to use this performance for the royal family to make a fortune.
He hadn't originally planned to attend the banquet, but since the Empress herself had come, he couldn't very well disobey the imperial decree. Then let's go and see for ourselves, see for ourselves what this dancer, whom everyone talks about as a fairy, is all about – her dance is truly breathtaking!
Since the Song Dynasty's defeat at Gaoliang River, and the emperor being wounded by two arrows, the war has been a series of setbacks. Within the court, there were opposing voices: those advocating war and those advocating peace. Ultimately, the peace faction prevailed, and Zhao Guangyi
sent an envoy to the Liao capital to discuss peace talks.
On this day, Yelü Xian hosted a banquet in the palace to entertain the Song envoy who had traveled a long way.
Yelü Xiezhen did not appear until the banquet began. Wearing a white fur cloak and a matching fur hat, his bearing was extraordinary, commanding respect at first glance.
After taking his seat, Yelü Xiezhen ignored everyone else, simply picking up his wine cup and pouring himself a drink. Feeling a rather unfriendly gaze fixed on him, he abruptly looked up
at the man dressed in Song Dynasty attire opposite him. The man, upon being spotted, lowered his head somewhat awkwardly, his eyes darting around.
Yelü Xiezhen frowned, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. He felt he had seen this Song envoy somewhere before.
Before he could dwell on it, the banquet began. After several rounds of drinks, Yelü Xian whispered a few words to Xiao Yanyan, then turned and announced loudly, "Today, to welcome Lord Li to our Great Liao to discuss
peace, we have specially invited a dance troupe to perform and celebrate the truce between Liao and Song!" As soon as
he finished speaking, everyone shouted "Long live the Emperor!" At the same time, music began, and several women in colorful dance costumes appeared, their sleeves fluttering, their beautiful faces like flowers. Everyone
watched .
Xiao Yanyan glanced at Yelü Xiezhen, only to see that he didn't even lift his eyes, just drinking one cup after another. Even with his impressive drinking capacity, a flush had crept onto his handsome face.
Xiao Yanyan curled her lips, looking forward to a good show. The previously soothing music suddenly became passionate and clear. Yelü Xiezhen frowned. Why did this music sound so familiar
? It seemed to be the same tune Zhou Wei danced at the Zuixianlou in Xixia many years ago. Could it be that the dance to be performed today was the one Zhou Wei had danced?
He then smiled. Even if someone could dance that tune, they could never surpass Zhou Wei. It would just be a case of trying to imitate someone from Handan and making a fool of themselves.
A fragrant scent wafted by, and the music changed from passionate and clear to melodious again, like a young woman's soft whisper. A moment of silence fell over the center of the stage. Everyone below held their breath, their eyes
fixed on the woman who had suddenly appeared on the stage.
Clad in a blood-red dance costume, like a rose in its first bloom, even with a veil covering her face, her charm and bearing were captivating. Her almost bewitching, crystal-clear eyes were mesmerizing.
Yelü Xiezhen suddenly felt his heart pound like a drum; a feeling of tension and unease gripped him. A strange emotion churned within him, clamoring for him to look up,
as if a single glance would reveal the greatest treasure in the world.
He looked up, and the figure on stage danced gracefully. Her flowing black hair, her alluring figure, and the elegance and beauty of every movement instantly struck his long-frozen heart
. How could this be?
How could this person feel so familiar? It was like Zhou Wei reincarnated!
Could she not be dead? But—
He abruptly stood up, unable to conceal his excitement. No, she must not be dead! If she were just someone who looked similar, how could he have such a strong feeling?
The people below the stage, seeing the Southern King stand up, were momentarily confused and began to whisper amongst themselves. Xiao Yanyan and Yelü Xian exchanged a smile. Judging from the current situation,
it seemed Yelü Feng was right!
The dancer on stage, hearing the commotion below, glanced over. Seeing the handsome man's face, brimming with undisguised excitement, her veiled face paled
, and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes. But she quickly looked away. After the dance ended, she bowed deeply and, without waiting for the emperor to speak, vanished from sight as if fleeing
.
The crowd was stunned. Then, seeing the renowned Southern King Yelü Xiezhen, known for his bravery and skill in battle, also rush out of the hall and disappear in an instant, they were even more astonished. Only Yelü Xian and Xiao Yanyan knew what had happened
. It seemed Yelü Xiezhen's deep affection had finally moved Heaven.
No one noticed that the Song envoy, Lord Li, who had been sitting upright, now had tears in his eyes. Wei'er, it must be Wei'er! She's not dead! That's wonderful!
The heavy snow that had fallen for several days stopped yesterday, leaving a world of pure white. In this vast expanse, a figure as beautiful as a blooming rose stood out starkly. When
Yelü Xiezhen chased after her, the figure was running towards the end of the corridor. Suddenly, something fell from her body, unnoticed by her.
Yelü Xiezhen went over and picked up the exquisitely embroidered purse. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat. He opened the purse and inside was a lock of hair tied together with a red string
. The hair varied in thickness, clearly not from one person. Beneath the hair was a slightly yellowed piece of paper. When he read the words on it, his heart ached so much he could hardly breathe.
"Tying our hair together, we will never abandon each other, even in death!"
Heaven had been kind to him after all!
This time, he would never let go again!
...
The End

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