Su Wanwan was stunned.

A fleeting soreness welled up deep in my nose.

That bastard!

He's back?

He Ying and the other palace servants recognized Lu Xingjian's voice and were overjoyed. When they saw Su Wanwan nodding with red eyes, they hurriedly went to open the door.

Under the torchlight.

Lu Xingjian emerged from behind the crowd.

His entire body was covered in armor, with only his eyes showing.

Su Wanwan stopped and looked him up and down carefully.

Seeing that he was fully recovered and had all his hands and feet intact, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes couldn't help but redden.

Lu Xingjian took a cloak and draped it over Su Wanwan, then gently touched her face.

His tone was somewhat reassuring: "Were you frightened?"

Su Wanwan shook her head, eager to leave: "Let's go quickly."

Staying in the palace for even a moment longer might mean facing more danger.

Lu Xingjian smiled calmly: "Don't be afraid."

After all, the palace had undergone two rounds of strict rectification, and there were far fewer evil spirits than before.

Although some may have escaped, they are unlikely to cause a major upheaval.

Su Wanwan's heart finally settled down after returning to Xiaoyuan.

She couldn't help but chuckle.

The West Garden was originally an ominous place where deposed empresses and concubines were imprisoned, elephants, lions and tigers were kept, and sick and dying palace women were settled.

Now it has become a more reassuring place to live than the imperial palace.

Only when the emperor and empress arrived here could they feel at ease.

It's really ironic.

Lu Xingjian looked approvingly at Guo Xun, the heir of the Marquis of Wuding, a young man of about twenty years old.

Guo Xun had served as a bodyguard for several years, and his father had passed away six months prior.

"As expected of the descendants of famous generals, a family with a century of official rank."

If Guo Xun hadn't reacted quickly and brought the troublemaking palace servants under control, it's hard to say what would have happened to Su Wanwan.

The palace guards had already undergone multiple rounds of screening and training by him, making them relatively reliable.

Unexpectedly, a coup attempt still occurred.

It was only because Wanwan was vigilant enough and retreated to Kunning Palace to hide in advance that a major disaster was averted.

Thinking of this, Lu Xingjian felt a wave of fear.

Guo Xun's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly expressed his gratitude.

He was truly flattered and overwhelmed by this hard-won personal commendation from the Emperor.

"This humble general is loyal to his lord; his sincerity is as clear as the sun and moon!"

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

Lu Xingjian was not in a hurry, and the palace staff handled the matter in an orderly manner.

He looked at Su Wanwan, who was quietly helping him remove his armor, and asked gently, "Is there anything you want to ask?"

Su Wanwan lowered her eyes, paused in her movements, placed the removed shoulder armor on the table, and simply shook her head.

"Are you angry?" Lu Xingjian grabbed her hand.

Su Wanwan then looked up at him, her expression serious: "No."

Lu Xingjian pulled her into his arms, lowered his head and gently nuzzled her neck, deeply inhaling her fragrance.

"It's so good to see my wife when I get home."

Su Wanwan froze.

After a long while, she reached out and hugged him.

His voice choked with emotion: "I thought... something had happened to you..."

Lu Xingjian thought she would be angry, but he didn't expect it to be like this.

"How could that be? What are you thinking?"

Su Wanwan felt a little embarrassed.

He wiped away her tears and continued to help her remove her armor.

Lu Xingjian lifted her chin, looked at her reddened eyes, and asked, "Don't blame me for leaving without saying goodbye?"

Su Wanwan shook her head firmly, sniffed, and her voice was still nasal.

The voice was calm, as if speaking of everyday matters.

"If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life; if matters are not kept secret, they will cause harm."

"You didn't even tell me, which means you have something important to do."

Actually, I have felt resentful and angry.

But ever since the rumor of "the emperor's death" spread, she dared not complain or be angry.

She would be thankful as long as he returned safely.

Lu Xingjian felt as if he had been punched hard in the heart, leaving it numb and tingling.

He used to dislike her pretentious and sensible manner.

But now, he has to admit that Wanwan is so sensible that it breaks his heart.

It made him feel a little ashamed.

He watched quietly as she busied herself around him like a diligent little hen.

A vague memory of him from when he was still the crown prince flashed through my mind.

At that time, Su Wanwan caused a scene at the palace banquet and burned Princess Rong's face, so she was confined to her quarters and forced to copy the palace rules.

He took the opportunity of paying his respects to his great-grandmother to visit her at her home.

"Prince Rong is not worth this."

He stood at the door, his tone tinged with schadenfreude and mockery.

She stood there quietly, unperturbed.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her slender waist.

His back was quite straight.

His eyes were clear.

Make him think that his words were a bit harsh.

She simply said, "Of course he's not worth it."

"Why ruin your reputation and offend Princess Rong?" he questioned her somewhat angrily.

To be so jealous and reckless, yet it all comes with no real purpose.

"Because someone deserves it."

Su Wanwan looked up at him quietly, said nothing more, and turned back to continue copying the palace rules.

He panicked immediately.

Who else could possibly deserve such attention from someone as usually low-key and timid as her?

Who else?

He even went through every man she could come into contact with.

It wasn't until someone pointed out the great-grandmother's painstaking efforts to support Prince Rong, Lu Youting, that he suddenly had a sudden realization.

The emperor could not tolerate him as the crown prince.

Until Prince Rong was supported and rose to power, he became increasingly influential and posed the greatest threat to the emperor.

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