Zhao Jing did not choose to ignore Jiang Tian as he had done before, because that would not hurt her at all, but would only waste his time day by day.

Jiang Tian was equally unable to resist any of his attempts to get close to her, because in the palace, he was the master of everyone, and no one could do anything without him.

Their lovemaking became increasingly intense that night.

Zhao Jing seemed tireless, wanting more and more.

He tried hard to please her and make her feel happy, but this happiness was too fleeting. After each time, neither of them spoke, and that loneliness made Zhao Jing feel inexplicably uneasy.

It seems like he's pushing her further and further away.

But if she chooses to compromise, then she is destined to leave.

Whether her heart drifts further and further away from him, or whether she disappears from his life as well, the choice he can make is self-evident.

The two still appear to be an emperor and his favored concubine, but what their true relationship is is unclear.

The palace servants around him could feel the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the emperor.

They couldn't understand why, despite his current success and the fact that he had found a suitable empress, he was becoming more and more depressed.

With a beautiful woman by his side and a dignified empress entering the palace that very day, becoming a model of virtue for the nation, what shortcomings could he possibly have?

The soldiers he trained also displayed formidable combat power, having captured more than a dozen cities in recent days without showing any signs of fatigue.

They made unification of the world a tangible goal, not something that everyone could only dream of.

Everything was getting better and better, except that the relationship between Zhao Jing and Jiang Tian seemed to have reached a dead end.

No matter how much gold, silver, jewels, silks, and satins Zhao Jing bestowed upon her, and how rich and luxurious her life was, she was never seen to show the slightest smile.

When the two were intimate, Zhao Jing could hardly hear any soft moans of pleasure.

It was as if they were torturing each other, or perhaps he was torturing her, but if he couldn't keep her, he could only let go, and he couldn't let go.

Zhao Jing didn't know how long he could hold out.

He thought he had plenty of time, until his personal eunuch stumbled and told him that Jiang Tian was injured.

Zhao Jing's mind went blank; he didn't even know how he had gotten from the imperial study to his bedchamber.

As he ran there, all the palace servants knelt down.

Jiang Tian was lying there when she was hit by something. Fortunately, it only hit her shoulder and did not damage her internal organs. She would be fine after applying medicine for a few days.

After watching over her for several hours, Jiang Tian finally woke up.

"You can dodge that thing."

This was purely an accident; no one sabotaged it.

Jiang Tian was tending to her part of the field at the time. She clearly saw something being thrown at her, but she didn't even try to dodge it.

Zhao Jing couldn't imagine such a scene; cold sweat even broke out on his forehead, and his heartbeat hadn't fully recovered yet.

"Yes, I didn't dodge. I was thinking how wonderful it would be if it hit my head and made me forget my imprisonment, so I didn't dodge."

Jiang Tian's voice was still somewhat weak, but she spoke very logically.

She absolutely did not want to remain imprisoned any longer, so she was willing to get injured in order to break the current stalemate.

Zhao Jing met her gaze. This woman's gaze had never changed; it always exuded an indomitable spirit.

And she never yielded even once.

Zhao Jing's gaze was somewhat vacant. He nodded and walked out without saying a word.

A few days later, he came again and said to Jiang Tian, ​​"I will not marry the Empress. You should no longer be a concubine. I will arrange for you to die in this identity. Wake up. You are my legal wife, so you should continue to be one."

He thought for a long time about what to do.

As someone driven by self-interest, he shouldn't have kept yielding to a woman. Even though in this era, women were supposed to be kept in the inner quarters to bear children, he still couldn't bear to part with her.

He couldn't even imagine how he would cope with the situation if he had driven Jiang Tian to the brink of despair and she actually committed suicide, leaving him behind.

If he doesn't marry that empress, he will indeed encounter a lot of trouble, and may even have to give up some benefits.

But compared to the pain of Jiang Tian's departure, which felt like his own heart had been ripped out, there was nothing to praise about it.

Even if he loses something, he can get it back in other ways.

So what if she's the empress? He can simply refuse to marry her.

At the same time, he also thought of the past when this woman was bullied by other concubines because of her lowly status.

It would be better to end it all and restore her status, then no one would dare to bully his legal wife.

Jiang Tian finally turned to look at him and asked, "Have you decided?"

Zhao Jing nodded. He had thought about it for several days and finally made his decision.

Once a decision is made, there's no going back. He stroked her fair and delicate face, his eyes finally softening with a rare gentleness: "I won't marry that empress anymore, and you shouldn't leave either."

Jiang Tian looked at him again: "Now that I've regained my original identity, are you going to make me your empress?"

Zhao Jing frowned slightly but remained silent.

Jiang Tian nodded calmly: "I understand."

"What do you understand?"

“I understand you’re in a difficult position. You can’t make me your empress. After all, my reputation is already ruined. Who in the world doesn’t know that I’m an unchaste woman? You’ve already taken a step back for me, and you can’t take another step back. I understand you.”

A hint of inexplicable joy suddenly appeared on Zhao Jing's face: "...You're finally thinking about me?"

Jiang Tian suddenly sighed again: "I don't know why you insist on forcing me like this, but you even gave up marrying the Empress for my sake. My heart is not truly made of stone."

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