Chapter 219

"Here, I can fulfill all your wishes and needs. You can do anything except stay with me. You will have great freedom."

The Empress spoke enticing words calmly, her eyes radiating powerful confidence.

Rong Rong opened her eyes wide, her red lips parted slightly, revealing a surprised curve.

The Empress's words sounded to Rong Rong as, "You can eat well, drink well, sleep well, and play well, do whatever you want, as long as I can see you every day."

Huh? Isn't this the laid-back life she's always dreamed of?

"I do!"

Rong Rong's eyes shone brightly, and her sweet voice sounded like it was filled with honey.

"So sweet!" The Empress's smile gradually widened.

That evening, the Phoenix Feather Flower was delivered to the Marquis of Zhenguo's residence.

At that time, Lu Linfeng and Lu Youning had just discovered that Rong Rong had been kidnapped by the Crown Prince and then sent out of the capital by the Crown Princess. On the way, she was picked up by people from the palace and brought into the palace.

They received the news only one day later than the heir of the Marquis of Anding.

It seemed that Rong Rong would never be able to return to the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion.

That's the imperial palace, where the most powerful people in the world live. No one would let Rong Rong leave after seeing her, and no one would harbor any unrealistic desires.

So, who kept Rong Rong here?

His Majesty the Emperor? The Crown Prince? Or perhaps the Empress, who wouldn't allow the Crown Prince to lose his mind for Rong Rong?

Lu Linfeng and Lu Youning remained silent for a long time.

The old lady sobbed softly. She still couldn't keep Rongrong alive. She only raised Rongrong for four years, too short, too short! If only Rongrong were her own daughter!

On the table, the precious Phoenix Feather Flower, which would make people fight tooth and nail for, lay there all alone, without a single person even giving it a glance.

Lu Youning kept his head down, his dejected aura even stronger than when he had injured his legs, as if his spine had been shattered. Lu Linfeng had a premonition that if left unchecked, his elder brother might never recover and would never be able to stand up again.

That wasn't a physical battle, but a spiritual one, a mental one. Lu Youning was still alive, but he would only be a soulless shell.

"Take the flowers back, I don't want them!" Lu Youning's voice was lifeless.

The old lady suddenly stopped crying and looked up in surprise.

Lu Linfeng: "Big brother?"

"I don't want the flowers if the engagement isn't canceled!" Lu Youning said, then turned his wheelchair around and left without looking back.

No one could see his expression; they could only sense the deathly aura emanating from him.

"Whether the engagement is canceled or not is not up to our Zhenguo Marquis's mansion. Besides, even if it is not canceled, Rongrong will never come back. It's just wishful thinking on your part."

Lu Linfeng gave a gentle reminder.

Lu Youning paused for a moment, then continued turning his wheelchair as if he hadn't heard anything.

He knew perfectly well what Lu Linfeng was saying. It was all wishful thinking on his part. He stubbornly refused to break off the engagement or use the Phoenix Feather Flower, so that in his heart, he could openly say that Rong Rong was his wife.

Stop fooling yourself!

Just as Lu Youning was about to step out the door, Lu Linfeng suddenly raised his voice and mocked coldly.

"You're a coward! The mighty War God of Dafeng is a coward? What a joke! Yiri Xie should see you like this; he'd probably laugh himself to death!"

Yi Rixie was the Xiongnu general who fought against Lu Youning. He was defeated by Lu Youning every time and was like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw Lu Youning.

However, that was all in the past.

Lu Youning finally stopped there, still with his head down, but still didn't say anything.

"Coward! If you truly care about Rongrong, if you truly care about Rongrong, then heal your leg! Go save her! Take Rongrong out of the palace!"

Like a bolt of lightning striking Lu Youning, he looked up sharply, Lu Linfeng's words echoing in his ears.

Yes, he can rescue Rong Rong!

When did he become so pedantic? He only cares about protecting his pitiful self-esteem, unwilling to use the Phoenix Feather Flower, and unwilling to rely on Rong Rong's sacrifice to heal his legs.

He knew perfectly well that even if he didn't use Feng Linghua Rongrong, she wouldn't come back!

Yes! He must stand up, he must regain his former fighting strength! Only by becoming stronger can he protect Rong Rong!

His inaction is what truly allowed Rong Rong to slide into the abyss!

Lu Youning finally turned his wheelchair around to face Lu Linfeng.

The two brothers looked at each other and saw the unwavering determination on each other's faces. They wanted to support Rong Rong and rescue her.

“But, that’s the Emperor…” the old lady murmured.

The Emperor is the most powerful person in the world. How can they bring Rong Rong back while she is with him?

In the minds of the old lady and the others, Rong Rong was most likely kept by the old emperor at this time. Even if there was no old emperor, there would be a crown prince, the future new emperor.

The old lady was in a state of utter confusion.

But a cold glint flashed in Lu Linfeng's eyes, and only Lu Youning, who was facing Lu Linfeng directly, saw this.

Lu Youning remained silent, his gaze gradually hardening.

The two brothers reached a certain consensus, and Lu Linfeng slowly curled the corners of his lips.

"Rongrong cannot marry the old emperor! Nor can the crown prince!"

Upon hearing the news at the Marquis of Anding's residence, Chen Liehu, who had already resigned himself to his fate, went mad once again.

He smashed the yard into a mess, but his actions didn't stop. He then punched and smashed down the artificial hill in the pond.

His face was manic, his eyes bloodshot, like a mad beast. The servants hid in a corner in fear, and no one dared to step forward to stop him. Of course, they couldn't stop him anyway; they would only lose their lives if they went up.

Finally, Prince Chen Mohan led his men into the courtyard. Five guards leaped forward to stop Chen Liehu, Chen Mohan's eyes were icy cold.

"The matter is settled. If you cause any more trouble in the future, you will never be allowed to leave the mansion again!"

Chen Liehu was panting heavily, his arms pinned down by the guards on either side, holding him firmly in place. As he struggled, more guards stepped forward to hold down his legs, until he could no longer move.

Chen Liehu glared at Chen Mohan with resentment, as if he wanted to rush up to Chen Mohan and tear him apart.

"Entering the harem might not be a bad thing for her; it's better than being an orphan or living under someone else's roof."

Chen Mohan laughed. When he said he was living under someone else's roof, he meant the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion. In his opinion, what was the difference between Rong Rong and the child bride raised by the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion? How could the life of a child bride be good?

Especially since Lu Youning injured his leg, his temperament will definitely change drastically, and he might even beat and scold Rong Rong to vent his anger.

Where could such a life compare to that of the imperial palace? Whether with the old emperor or the crown prince, with the old emperor one could live a life of leisure and wealth, while with the crown prince one could enjoy his favor.

"Good my foot!" Chen Liehu spat fiercely. "She was originally the daughter of a marquis, pampered and spoiled since childhood! She..."

"You know perfectly well that she's not related to us by blood!" Chen Mohan suddenly raised his voice, interrupting Chen Liehu. "What do you want to do? Are you going to take her back to the manor? Are you going to disown your own sister for her sake?"