"Ahhhhhh..."

As dawn broke and the sky brightened, a terrified and incredulous scream suddenly rang out in the palace, instantly causing chaos throughout the entire palace.

"Oh no! The palace has been robbed! Someone, come quickly and catch the thief!"

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The palace has been turned into this overnight! Please wake up and make a decision!"

"Ah, how did I become bald? My eyelashes are gone too! Oh, a ghost! Help! Help!"

"Waaaaah, my jewelry, my money, where did they all go?"

"..."

Amidst the cacophony, Sheng Huang slowly awoke. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was countless heads forming a circle, which nearly scared him to death on the spot.

He was about to start cursing when he found himself unable to make a sound. He panicked. What was going on?

He kept hearing the terrified screams of people in the palace. After a while, he finally figured out the current situation.

hehe……

His vast palace, with its impregnable walls, was completely looted by thieves overnight, leaving not even a rag behind.

I'm so angry I could die.

Ah, his private treasury, his national treasury, his palace, his voice—who on earth is so audacious?

Upon realizing this, a look of panic suddenly appeared in Emperor Sheng's eyes. "Ahhhh, it must be Sheng Lingwei, it must be her who did it!"

Heavens above! Earth below!

That damned devil! Couldn't she have left him a way out?

——

Outside the palace, several older princes learned of the palace's ordeal immediately, their eyes gleaming with schemes and plots.

Haha, that's perfect, it's finally their turn to show off their skills.

The throne is mine to claim!

Only the Third Prince, Sheng Haoyu, remained oblivious to the outside world, staying in his residence and neither going out to win over court officials nor going to the palace to inquire about the situation.

But he was startled by the box that suddenly appeared on his bed.

There was such a big box on his bedside table. When he opened his eyes, he was almost scared to death, fearing that it contained a human head or other terrifying things.

Fortunately, he overcame his fear, and after much deliberation, he finally mustered the courage to have his trusted subordinates open the box.

He was incredibly grateful that Jin Yin had kicked him out of his room last night, which was why he was sleeping in the study; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the only one who was frightened.

His trusted subordinate was named Dazhuang. He was tall and strong, and his massive body gave him a sense of security, but his face was always expressionless.

She glanced at Sheng Haoyu without making a sound, but couldn't help but think to herself: I should have told him to open it earlier. He's wasting so much time this morning, and he hasn't even had breakfast yet!

"Master, the box contains ledgers and various pieces of evidence. You need not be afraid. I have verified that there is no poison, no hidden weapons, and no harm. Please come in!"

"Hehe, this prince is not afraid."

Sheng Haoyu stubbornly straightened his back, glared arrogantly at Da Zhuang, and then tiptoed to peer into the box.

Da Zhuang: "..."

With a thud, Dazhuang lifted the box to the ground, right in front of Sheng Haoyu's feet. "Master, please take a look."

Sheng Haoyu's lips twitched a few times, and he glared at Dazhuang with a resentful look. Fine, he wanted to see what was inside.

As it turned out, I was shocked when I saw it.

This place is full of evidence of crimes committed by court officials and princes. My goodness, who is so generous?

"Dazhuang, hurry, hurry, go and invite the Third Prince's Consort over. Tell her we have something important to discuss."

Da Zhuang bowed and accepted the order, "Yes, Master."

Before long, the Third Prince's Consort Ye Jinyin arrived at the study, went straight to the evidence in the box, and didn't even glance at Sheng Haoyu.

Sheng Haoyu, unfazed, chuckled and moved closer to Ye Jinyin. "Yinyin, you're here. Take a look at this evidence. I don't know if someone is deliberately framing me, or..."

"Shut up, you're being noisy!"

Ye Jinyin glanced at Sheng Haoyu lightly, then looked down at the evidence in the box.

Sheng Haoyu quickly and obediently covered his mouth, "Okay, I won't say anything. Yinyin, don't be angry. Since I've been so good, can I sleep in your room tonight?"

Ye Jinyin: "..." Those abacus beads are really making a loud noise!

Da Zhuang: "..." That's right, I could see that uniquely smug expression on my master's face from a long distance away.

Ye Jinyin quickly reviewed all the evidence, her expression grave, and let out a long sigh.

"Sheng Haoyu, I suppose some righteous warrior sent you this evidence of your crimes. Her intention is probably to make you vie for the throne. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

A struggle for the throne?

Sheng Haoyu abandoned his nonchalant expression, his face turned serious, and he looked down at Ye Jinyin intently with his deep eyes.

“Yinyin, before I met you, I never thought about vying for that position. As you know, my mother died early, and I was not favored by my father.”

For someone like me, who has no one to rely on, it would be good enough to just keep my life in a royal family full of intrigue and scheming, let alone fight for the throne.

But now you've married me despite your family's objections, and I'm deeply moved. I cherish our relationship. You may not know, but it's only after having you that I feel like a real person.

But those short-sighted princes and noble young masters always try to snatch you away. As your husband, I am naturally angry, but even more so, I despise my own incompetence.

"It's all my fault for being too cowardly and not strong enough. If one day I become strong, perhaps those demons and monsters won't dare to try and take you away anymore."

Ye Jinyin reached out and pinched Sheng Haoyu's cheek, her eyes filled with heartache and emotion. "So, you've decided to seize the throne?"

Sheng Haoyu nodded solemnly and held Ye Jinyin's hands tightly.

"Yes, Yinyin, I want to give it a try. Over the years, I've been careful to protect myself and avoid trouble, but that doesn't mean I don't have my own people behind the scenes."

Besides, my second brother and the others are exhausted from the burglary at their house. I'm confident I can give it a try. Don't worry, whether I succeed or not, I won't let anything happen to you."

Ye Jinyin's cold face softened at this moment, and she chuckled, "Fool, you underestimate me. I can help you. We will share the same bed in life and the same grave in death. We will stand together through thick and thin."

Sheng Haoyu sighed, then laughed foolishly.

"Okay, we'll stand together through thick and thin, Yinyin. Whether we succeed or not, you'll always hold a unique place in my heart, even more important than my life. So, the most important thing for you to do is protect yourself and never get hurt."

He knew Yin Yin's temperament; she was a woman of her word, and no one could change her mind once she made a decision. So, he could only go along with her wishes.

This woman is his destiny.