The arrow pierced straight through his left chest.

He knelt down, coughed up blood, and looked back to see someone he hadn't expected.

Jiang Tian, ​​dressed smartly and carrying a bow, walked slowly toward him.

The arrow that was just on the bow has now pierced his chest.

Blood kept flowing from the corner of Lu Zhixing's mouth. He wanted to say something, but he was powerless to do so.

Jiang Tian walked up to him step by step, looking down at him: "We were husband and wife, and I thought I would treat you well and be a good wife and mother. But you chose to abandon my life at the critical moment, so I don't need to have any goodwill towards you anymore."

"You chose the wrong side, so you should have considered the consequences. Compared to being slowly sliced ​​to death, giving you an arrow is already extremely lenient. You'd better think twice."

Lu Zhixing prostrated himself at her feet, using all his strength to finally utter two words: "Child..."

“I will not take in ungrateful children. They have nothing to do with me. They can abandon their mother, and I can let them fend for themselves. However, since the Duke’s mansion has been involved in treason, your son should be exiled.”

Lu Zhixing's eyes widened; he couldn't believe these were the words of his former loving mother.

"Tiger, tiger poison..."

Jiang Tian scoffed dismissively.

"I've also heard people say that couples should go through thick and thin together, even in life and death. Have you done that?"

Having dropped the question, Jiang Tian didn't want to talk to him anymore. She picked up her bow and walked straight into the distance.

Lu Zhixing's consciousness became increasingly hazy.

He thought to himself that he had no idea his wife could use a bow and shoot arrows; she was so skilled.

He now witnessed her ruthlessness and heartlessness, and finally came to know her in a new light.

If there were a way to undo regrets, he would never have given up on her...

But those were all delusions; his life was slipping away...

Will I still be able to survive...?

Having won this battle, Yuan Ye no longer had any worries.

That night, he had a good talk with his biological father.

The old emperor, for some unknown reason, can no longer control his saliva when he speaks.

He looked like a disheveled old man, with none of the former kingly aura that once dominated the world.

Yuan Ye didn't talk to the old emperor about anything; they had long since reached a point where peaceful coexistence was impossible.

He simply informed the old emperor of his decision.

The old emperor will issue an edict tomorrow, due to his serious illness, to pass the throne to the crown prince.

As the crown prince, Yuan Ye's ascension to the throne was only natural.

Then the old emperor will be secretly sent to a garden to receive meticulous care and enjoy his old age.

Seeing the resentment in his father's eyes, Yuan Ye walked out without looking back.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; he would never relinquish the throne to anyone.

For the next period of time, Yuan Ye was extremely busy.

After ascending the throne, he faced a very complex situation that needed to be sorted out step by step.

Furthermore, certain families who followed Grand Tutor Chen in the rebellion will certainly be purged.

The emperor, who had not yet reached adulthood that year, quickly seized power and began his own path to rule.

Outside the city.

Jiang Ruoqing was hurriedly shoved into a carriage. Before she could even speak, she heard the old woman say anxiously, "Miss, please don't come back. The capital is not a place to stay for long. Your aunt went to great lengths to get you out here. Now that the world is vast and the road is long, you can do whatever you want. Just don't go back to the capital!"

"Where is my mother? Why isn't she here? We agreed to travel together!" Jiang Ruoqing asked anxiously.

The old woman wiped away her tears: "Girl, please don't ask anymore. When Jiang Tian's mother passed away... it was partly the work of her aunt. She knew she was guilty and couldn't escape retribution, so she only wanted you to live a peaceful life."

Jiang Ruoqing's head buzzed; she hadn't expected that her mother had actually harmed someone.

She assumed her mother was simply turning a blind eye, just as she had done to her elder sister before, watching helplessly as someone plotted against her. Even though she had no say back then, and speaking out would have been pointless, she still acquiesced to everything and became the beneficiary.

Hearing the old woman recount the truth about her mother's murder of others, Jiang Ruoqing felt a chill run down her spine; she seemed to see the stark white bones beneath the glittering facade.

Even her own mother had blood on her hands, so what was she still fantasizing about?

Her dream of becoming the mistress of the house has been completely shattered...

Seeing the old woman's anxious expression, Jiang Ruoqing dared not linger any longer. She wiped away her tears and climbed into the carriage.

As the carriage gradually moved away from the capital, Jiang Ruoqing turned back and looked out the window at this bustling yet ancient city, feeling as if a knife had been plunged into her heart.

I thought of Lu Zhixing, who was shot by an arrow but received no medical help and eventually bled to death in the palace; I thought of my father-in-law and father, who were imprisoned in the imperial jail awaiting execution for being wanted for treason; I thought of the two young masters' terrified screams as disaster loomed over them—

Jiang Ruoqing closed her eyes slightly.

She knew that since her aunt was able to find someone to send her away, she must have been confident in her abilities.

But in all the vastness of the world, she didn't even have a place to hide.

No matter what, she must survive...

A full month passed before Yuan Ye was finally able to sort out all the matters at hand.

After becoming emperor, he felt little joy.

He had been planning this for many years.

From the moment he was named crown prince, he wanted to become emperor.

It's just that his father was too wary of him and didn't give him a chance.

Now that he has ascended the throne, he doesn't feel much emotion; instead, he is more focused on how to improve the lives of the people.

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