Ruyi gently placed the tray on the table, turned around and closed the door, respectfully serving Prince Duan his late-night snack. However, the prince's desire grew stronger, and he reached out and pulled Ruyi into his arms.

Ruyi blushed slightly. Although she was happy, she still pretended to be reserved and called out softly, "Your Highness..." Her voice was also more melodious today. When Duan heard her, he even ignored the fact that her appearance was not even half as good as Wei Ji's.

Prince Duan's hands skillfully reached out and touched her, pressing Ruyi tightly against his body. Although Ruyi was a virgin and not young, she was as shy and clumsy in this regard as a young girl. However, she still remembered to maintain a certain degree of reserve.

However, she herself sensed the girlish shyness and awkwardness in his response. Yet, she still remembered to maintain a certain degree of reserve.

However, she herself also sensed that...

"Get out!" Prince Duan's voice was as cold as ice. Ruyi was lying on top of him. After he finished speaking, he got up, and Ruyi immediately fell to the ground. Her clothes, which had already been undone, were open, revealing her two snow-white breasts. Prince Duan glanced at her, his forehead veins bulging. He felt an unbearable heat in his heart, almost bursting out, but his lower body remained limp and powerless.

Ruyi's eyes sparkled as she gazed tenderly at Prince Duan, calling out in a sweet voice, "Your Highness..."

"Get out!" Prince Duan shouted, cutting off Ruyi's words, and kicked her in the chest. "Get out of here now!"

Ruyi cried out in pain and looked at Prince Duan. She saw that his face had become increasingly cold and stern, as if he were about to kill her. Startled, she hurriedly straightened her clothes and fled the room in a disheveled state.

Prince Duan forced himself to suppress the heat radiating from his body, his face ashen as he watched Ruyi flee the house like a frightened bird. He slumped into a seat, drenched in sweat, and pondered to himself, "Why is this happening?" He roared inwardly, "Why is this happening?!"

The medicine Ruyi administered was extremely potent, and he became increasingly agitated and restless, almost wanting to find someone to take his own life. His eyes were already bloodshot.

At that moment, there was another knock at the door. "Your Highness, Consort Wei has brought you a midnight snack." It was a slightly effeminate male voice.

Before Prince Duan could finish speaking, the door opened by itself, and a pair of beautiful hands came into his view. He stood up abruptly, turned his head away, and exuded a chilling aura, yet he could not help but want to look at those hands.

A strange fragrance wafted over, and he became drowsy. His body began to react, but unlike his previous reaction, this was a normal reaction that a man should have.

Before he could even feel joy, someone hugged him from behind, saying, "Your Highness, you are ill. This servant has a remedy."

Consort Zhang looked at Ruyi, who was kneeling on the ground, crying pitifully, and sighed softly, "Go down."

"A concubine?" Ruyi looked at Concubine Zhang in alarm. What was she now? Her body had been touched by the prince almost every time, yet she was still a virgin. Who could stand up for her?

Consort Zhang waved her hand solemnly and said in a deep voice, "Go!" She had no time to consider Ruyi's feelings at this moment; all she felt was disgust for the man she had loved her whole life. Ha...

Ruyi dared not disobey in the slightest, after all, her only support now was Consort Zhang, so she could only retreat slowly with tears in her eyes. After Ruyi left, Consort Zhang gently smoothed her hair, stood up, and without letting her maid follow, picked up a lantern and prepared to go and discuss the matter with Prince Duan herself.

However, she had never regretted her decision as much as she did now. If she hadn't witnessed that horrific scene, perhaps a sliver of hope would still have remained in her heart.

Consort Zhang arrived alone at Prince Duan's room. The door was slightly ajar, leaving a crack. Through the crack, she stood silently, staring blankly into the room. The man she so deeply loved was indulging in pleasure beneath a servant, so obsessively absorbed. Ha! The man she had loved her whole life was like this. What was she then? What had all her sacrifices amounted to?

She didn't remember how she got back to her room, turned off the lights, lay on the bed fully clothed, her heart aching as if she were suffocating, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. But she couldn't stay awake; she still had Neon, and her Neon needed her.

The next day, she got up as usual, and Ruyi came to serve her as always. Ruyi had big dark circles under her eyes and looked pale and haggard. Consort Zhang looked at her and said calmly, "You are now a concubine, so you don't need to serve me anymore. I will write a letter of divorce to the Princess later. Don't worry, you have been with me for a while, so I will not treat you badly."

Ruyi was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow, saying, "This servant thanks the Consort, this servant... this younger sister thanks the elder sister, elder sister's great kindness will never be forgotten."

Upon hearing the word "elder sister," Consort Zhang gave a self-deprecating smile, but still personally helped Ruyi up, saying, "Rest well. The Prince will definitely see you in a few days."

Ruyi naturally understood the deeper meaning, and after expressing her gratitude, she withdrew. Last night, she must have failed to serve the Prince well, thus incurring his anger. Next time, she would serve him diligently, striving to conceive a son so that he could have someone to rely on in the future.

Consort Zhang watched Ruyi's departing figure with an icy expression. She turned and went into the inner room, wrote a letter, summoned an old woman, and said in a deep voice, "Send it to the Marquis of Huainan's residence immediately, and we will reply."

The old woman was his confidante. After receiving the letter, she quietly left, avoiding everyone's attention. She exited the Prince Duan's mansion through the side gate and sped all the way to the Marquis of Huainan's mansion.

Time flies, and the days pass in the blink of an eye. As evening fell, Consort Zhang received a reply. After reading it, she wrote down a long list, ordered the servants to prepare the items, and then took out the key to open the sandalwood chest. She took out the auspicious robe that had been prepared many years ago, gently stroked it, and tears streamed down her face. She murmured to herself, "My dear Nihong, you must be well."

Three days later, Zhao Nihong, carrying all of Consort Zhang's savings and all of Prince Duan's properties in the capital as her dowry, was carried into the Wei family in a bridal sedan chair. She wept bitterly, heartbroken and unable to understand why her father had forced her into such a lowly marriage. What status would she have left in the Wei family?

However, the day before she was to marry into the Wei family, someone parked more than a dozen carriages loaded with weapons in front of the Wucheng Military Command's office. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Mingde quickly ordered the city gates closed and a thorough search to be conducted.

Consort Zhang, dressed in her finest attire, sat gracefully on a chair and asked slowly, "Changyan, how has your aunt treated you?" Zhao Changyan's gaze fell on Consort Zhang. He noticed her heavy makeup today, making her appear more vibrant than usual. He secretly pondered that this was likely because Nihong had married into the Wei family, a prestigious and powerful clan. The second young master of the Wei family was highly likely to become its head. Even if there were obstacles, he would do everything in his power to help the second young master ascend to the position of family head. At that time, even if Nihong became a concubine, she would still have considerable prestige.

He said in a deep voice with almost no hesitation, "My aunt treated Changyan as her own son, and Changyan remembers it all and will never forget it."

Consort Zhang's expression was solemn as she slowly said, "I have the travel documents here. Changyan, please leave the capital immediately. I hope you will take good care of Nihong in the future. You and your brother have a deep bond since childhood. I can only feel at ease entrusting her to you." She took out the documents from her bosom and handed them to Zhao Changyan, lowering her voice to say, "Actually, I believe that with your talents, Changyan, you are the most suitable candidate to be the heir. Changyan, I entrust Nihong to you."