Her eyes kept glancing towards the entrance of the main hall.

In the past, the emperor would appear shortly after Su Wanwan appeared.

Will it be the same this time?

She was somewhat looking forward to it.

The emperor and she had never seen each other since that cold treatment at Renshou Palace.

The relationship quickly plummeted to a freezing point.

As the saying goes, meeting someone can build up some affection. If Su Wanwan can use her entry into the palace to break the ice with the emperor, that would be perfect.

However.

Two hours passed, and the emperor still hadn't shown up.

Even more anxious than Empress Zhang was Consort Yu.

She stared longingly at the doorway, waiting for the emperor to come and support her.

Wen Zi was a man with considerable strength, and under his control, Yu Ji was powerless to resist.

The eunuchs and palace maids who used to fawn over her in the palace are now too scared to enter Cikang Palace, fearing they will become scapegoats.

When the emperor arrived late, it was already dark.

A figure in a dark dragon robe appeared at the entrance of the main hall.

Yu Ji immediately struggled, and Wen Zi promptly let go.

Yu Ji rushed into Lu Xingjian's arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

"Waaaaah, you're finally here! I thought you didn't want me anymore..."

Lu Xingjian held Yu Ji, looking somewhat helpless. "What's wrong? Were you bullied?"

With red eyes, Yu Ji showed him her swollen cheek. "Look, someone hit me, and you didn't even come to help me... Waaah..."

Lu Xingjian touched her face with a touch of tenderness and asked with concern:

"Have you seen the imperial physician?"

Su Wanwan looked at him quietly.

From the moment he entered the main hall, his gaze was completely occupied by Yu Ji, and he didn't spare a single glance for anyone else.

I tried to tell myself that he was just putting on an act.

However, the heartache and concern on his face were so genuine.

Compared to the other two, that night in Weizhou City seemed like a dream.

It made her feel like she was the joke.

Yu Ji, however, couldn't bother finding the imperial physician. Instead, she was eager to regain her composure, pulling Lu Xingjian along and pointing at Su Wanwan:

"This bitch hit me!"

Lu Xingjian's gaze gradually turned cold as he stared straight at Su Wanwan.

Their gazes clashed in mid-air.

Su Wanwan saw only coldness and ruthlessness in his eyes.

The coldness made her feel suffocated, and her throat felt dry and stiff.

"Apologize, make amends," he commanded coldly.

So high and mighty.

Yu Ji stood beside him, looking at Su Wanwan with a provocative and smug gaze.

That look seemed to say, "You bitch, you're dead today!"

Su Wanwan clenched her fists quietly, her blood seemingly freezing, but she had no intention of giving in.

"Your Majesty, I have done nothing wrong and will not apologize."

Lu Xingjian narrowed his long, narrow eyes and said in a sinister tone:

"Are you going to defy His Majesty's will?"

Su Wanwan lowered her head slightly, but remained neither humble nor arrogant:

"Your Majesty's will is unjust; I am afraid I cannot comply."

Lu Xingjian's expression was stern as he gave the order in a deep voice:

"Li Rong, issue an imperial decree: remove Su Nan from her official post and forbid this woman from ever setting foot in the palace again!"

Empress Dowager Zhang and Lady Jin were both stunned.

He clearly wanted to use Su Wanwan to ease the tension between himself and the emperor.

Why did Su Wanwan get punished the moment the emperor arrived?!

Has he really lost interest in Su Wanwan and become infatuated with Yu Ji?

They couldn't believe it.

But after glancing back and forth between Su Wanwan and Yu Ji several times, he had no choice but to accept the fact.

Yu Ji possessed a bright, flamboyant, and wild spirit that was absent in girls who grew up in the Forbidden City or even the capital and were bound by traditional etiquette.

Su Wanwan looked sickly and haggard, much more so than when she was in the palace with her legs and feet not in good condition.

How could an emperor who was used to seeing beautiful women still be interested in them?

Yu Ji was not satisfied with the punishment and tugged at Lu Xingjian's sleeve, pouting, "No, I want to fight back myself!"

As he spoke, he lifted his foot and walked towards Su Wanwan.

With the emperor backing her up, she was determined to avenge the three slaps today.

Lu Xingjian grabbed her wrist, his voice filled with concern: "Be careful your hand doesn't hurt. Come on, let's go back and put some medicine on it for you."

Yu Ji, however, was somewhat unwilling to give up, complaining as she walked: "I don't care, I'm going to fight back! You're not even standing up for me!"

Lu Xingjian smiled with a mixture of indulgence and helplessness:

"I've even started learning the Hui language, and I'm going along with you like this, and you call that not supporting you? Little girl, don't you have any conscience?"

Yu Ji was somewhat moved, "Really?"

Her mother was a dancer from the Western Regions and was very much favored by her father, so she could reply and mentioned it to him.

"My name is 'Shaji Aolan' (沙吉敖烂), and I have already given the order to have it printed on the porcelain sold to the Western Regions," Lu Xingjian said with a smile, putting his hands behind his back.

Yu Ji was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.

This is the Western domain name she suggested to him, meaning "brave emperor".

When she becomes empress, she will also have her name printed on porcelain so that everyone in her mother's hometown, young and old, will know her!

Yu Ji was so excited she almost flew away, and followed Lu Xingjian away.

Su Wanwan watched them leave in silence.

One is composed and elegant, the other is youthful and energetic.

The stark contrast and disparity created an exceptionally profound image that was deeply imprinted in her mind.

Although there is an age difference between the two, things are still alright.

Yu Ji's impulsiveness and wildness could not have grown in the power-driven environment of the Forbidden City.

This primal wildness actually resonates with Lu Xingjian's nature, which had been suppressed since childhood.

When they collide, they're bound to create intense sparks.

Empress Dowager Zhang frowned, her face dark and haggard.

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