This investigation actually uncovered some information.

Although the accusation that Han Lianjing was a traitor was indeed completely fabricated, all the letters of treason in his camp were secretly slipped in by one of his lieutenants.

But when talking about this deputy general, one must also mention his elder brother.

This deputy general was named Zhou Dian. His elder brother, Zhou Zhuo, had also been a military officer who died in battle two years prior. At the time, Zhou Dian was just a minor centurion, and no one knew of his relationship with Zhou Zhuo.

On that expedition, Han Lianjing and Zhou Zhuo were both of the third rank and went on the expedition together. It is said that because Zhou Zhuo misjudged the situation, after achieving a victory, he ignored Han Lianjing's advice and insisted on leading the troops to pursue the enemy. Unexpectedly, when they reached a valley, they were ambushed by the enemy, and the entire team was wiped out.

However, Zhou Dian knew that the truth was not like that at all.

Han Lianjing misjudged the situation, believing the enemy's forces to be routed. Thinking he could seize the opportunity to gain military merit, he stubbornly led his men to a valley where they were ambushed. Zhou Zhuo led his men to rescue them, but the enemy outnumbered them and had the geographical advantage. In the end, Zhou Zhuo perished at the bottom of the valley, while Han Lianjing and a few soldiers escaped in a sorry state.

To silence them, Han Lianjing went against his conscience and killed the remaining soldiers before returning to camp alone.

He thought no one knew about this, but he didn't expect that Zhou Dian was overlooked.

Zhou Dian knew that exposing Han Lianjing's mistake would at most cost him his official position, but Zhou Dian was determined to make him pay for his brother's life. From then on, in order to avenge his brother, Zhou Dian climbed the ranks step by step and became Han Lianjing's trusted deputy general, which led to the framing incident.

Han Lianjing, young and impetuous, had not changed his ambitious and boastful nature at all. It is said that one should not pursue a defeated enemy, but Han Lianjing seemed to have no memory. In the past year or so, he made many mistakes due to impulsiveness, and he turned several games that should have been won into defeats, causing Nanqi to suffer heavy losses.

These seemingly minor offenses, when added together, amounted to a considerable crime. In addition, Murong Ling already disliked him and intentionally made things difficult for him, so he permanently dismissed him from his post and exiled him to the frontier.

As for the Wei family, Murong Ling didn't even need to do anything. Upon hearing that Han Lianjing had been exiled, she fainted. When she woke up, she looked as if she had aged more than ten years, and her body had collapsed.

The Han family only had one son, Han Lianjing. He was exiled, and Wei Shi spent her days in tears, while also living in fear and hiding in the Han mansion, afraid of being killed by the spittle from outside.

The Han family's affairs did not cause much of a stir in the capital, only because a much bigger event had recently occurred.

The emperor, who had not appeared in public for a long time, suddenly returned to court and was going to establish an empress and hold a grand wedding. The empress's coronation ceremony was scheduled for more than two months later!

The common people talked about it with great interest, but they didn't really care who the emperor would marry. As for the ministers in the court, it was useless for them to care, because His Majesty didn't listen to them at all!

Luo Chaoxi also learned from the system that Murong Ling had set the day of Han Lianjing's exile as the day he was crowned empress. She strongly suspected that Murong Ling did it on purpose, wanting to make things difficult for Han Lianjing.

According to ancestral custom, Luo Chaoxi was to be married off from the Luo family. However, Murong Ling was afraid that she would run away secretly if she returned home, so he insisted on keeping her in the palace. Only three days before the wedding, after confirming that Luo Chaoxi had no intention of running away, did Murong Ling agree to send her back to the Luo family.

"According to custom, newlyweds are not allowed to meet before marriage, as it would ruin their happiness after marriage. Although I am reluctant to part with you, I would rather believe it than not. You should obediently return to the Luo residence to await your marriage, and I will bring you back to marry me soon."

Murong Ling cupped her face and kissed her, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Luo Chaoxi wasn't reluctant at all; it was just three days apart, not three months or three years.

She thought of other possibilities, "What if your headaches flare up again if I go home?"

Murong Ling said, "Why don't you leave your things to me? When my headache flares up, smelling them might help alleviate it a little."

Luo Chaoxi thought it was a good idea, so she took out her nightgown and placed it on the inside of the bed. "Then let my nightgown accompany Your Majesty to sleep."

"I don't want this." Murong Ling didn't even glance at it.

"Which one do you want? This is the one I'm wearing next to my skin, and it probably has the strongest smell on it." Luo Chaoxi glared at him, telling him not to be ungrateful.

Some people are already grateful for the smell, yet they still complain about this and that.

Murong Ling's gaze fell directly on her. "I want the one that's closest to me. That one has the strongest scent. I smelled it last time."

Luo Chaoxi, “!”

Who will drag this shameless person out?

In the end, Luo Chaoxi lost a small piece of clothing as the price for her to return home.

Regarding the matter of marriage, Luo Chaoxi said she was very familiar with it.

On the day of the wedding, an exceptionally luxurious sedan chair departed from the palace and stopped in front of the Luo family mansion. Luo Chaoxi, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, boarded the sedan chair. Once the red veils around her were lowered, those outside could no longer see the scene inside.

For the emperor's wedding, the wedding procession stretched for miles and seemed to have no end; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a ten-mile-long procession of red bridal dowry.

The palanquin departed from Luoyang and circled the capital. Armored guards lined both sides of the procession, and several palace servants scattered lucky money around them, causing the surrounding people to pick up the money with smiles on their faces while shouting "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

It was amidst this joyous scene that Han Lianjing was escorted by soldiers slowly toward the city gate.

Han Lianjing stopped in his tracks after the empress's palanquin passed by him from a short distance away.

He couldn't see the person in the sedan chair clearly, but the blurry figure seemed somewhat familiar, making him unable to move for a moment.

Just then, an old woman walked by, and Han Lianjing quickly grabbed her.

"Whose wedding is today? Why is there such a grand occasion?"

The old lady had collected a lot of lucky money today and was in a good mood. Seeing Han Lianjing's disheveled appearance, she didn't ignore him. "Hey! Today is our Emperor's wedding! This is the Empress, how can the ceremony be anything but grand?"

Han Lianjing understood and did not ask any further questions.

Unexpectedly, seeing that he seemed to know nothing, the old woman took the initiative to speak up, "I heard that our Empress is a second wife. Her ex-husband didn't know how to cherish her, and her ex-mother-in-law was even worse. She actually wanted to give her away while her son was not at home."

"Isn't this a complete waste of a good girl? Luckily, she met the Emperor and won his favor," the old woman complained.

"Oh dear, these are just rumors, I don't know if they're true or false, just listen to them and forget about them. Haha, just listen to them and forget about them, I'm leaving."

The old woman hurriedly left, but Han Lianjing's feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move, his gaze fixed on the sedan chair that was getting further and further away from him.