Chapter 44

News of the Empress's death spread at lightning speed and reached various factions. Her four palace maids, Jin, Zhi, Yu, and Ye, along with the commander of the Imperial Guards, perished in the flames.

The emperor burst into tears on the spot, and the prime minister was furious, immediately ordering a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire at Zhaoyang Palace.

The capital city, the Prince Cheng's residence.

"Your Highness, after leaving the palace, the Sixth Miss went straight back to Fengyun Money Exchange. I heard that Fengyun Restaurant will officially open tomorrow."

Jia Yi's words did not cause any reaction from the handsome man in the wheelchair. He sat there coldly and aloofly, without a trace of human warmth.

"Can we find out if Yuan Qiong is really dead?"

The fire at Zhaoyang Palace was shrouded in mystery. Why couldn't he recall any deep-seated hatred between that bearded man and Yuan Qiong? Why would he suddenly turn on him so ruthlessly?

"This... according to the information I've gathered, Her Majesty the Empress did indeed perish in the fire..."

Yuwen Zhe frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Does Your Highness mean that I should continue the investigation?"

"Hmm." Yuwen Zhe nodded: "This time, we need to investigate not only Yuan Qiong, but also the purpose of Black Beard's visit to the capital. I don't believe Yuan Qiong is dead. Send someone to find out where Black Beard is and who is with him."

If Yuan Qiong hadn't died, he would surely be in the hands of the black-bearded man. His desperate attempt to enter the palace as a servant must have been part of a long-term scheme!

"Once Yuan Qiong's whereabouts are discovered, we must eliminate him completely."

"promise."

Whatever the reason, he couldn't miss this opportunity! Yuan Qiong had to die, so that he would have one less major worry.

"Send someone to deliver a message to Guan Shengran, saying that the Empress has unfortunately perished in the fire, and that he should return to the capital immediately to offer condolences."

"promise."

In Yuwen Zhe's view, without Yuan Qiong as a formidable enemy, his path to becoming emperor in this life would undoubtedly be much smoother. Now, all he needed to do was appease his elder brother and then seize the opportunity to eliminate that old scoundrel, Yuan Su!

Meanwhile, Yuan Liuniang looked completely lost as soon as she emerged from the palace. The moment she returned to the money exchange, Smiling Tiger came out carrying an abacus.

"You're back?" He asked casually, with a hint of inquiry. "Have you arranged everything that Brother instructed?"

Yuan Liuniang forced a smile at him, but didn't want to say anything more, only nodding and saying "Mm".

"What's wrong? You look so unwell," the fourth brother asked with some concern. "Should I send someone to fetch a doctor?"

"No need. I'm fine."

Yuan Liu Niang waved her hand in refusal, her demeanor displaying a different charm than usual, which startled Lao Si.

He frowned: "Sixth Sister, you've changed a lot lately."

Has it changed? Yuan Liu Niang's smile faded, and her tone softened: "Everyone changes eventually."

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, and even the astute Fourth Brother had noticed some clues over the past few days.

He paused for a moment, then reminded him, "Whatever you do, don't make your older brother angry. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Yuan Liu Niang remained silent for a while, without answering.

Having been partners for so many years, he naturally understood what she meant, and without saying anything more, he turned and left.

Yuan Liu Niang raised her head, forcing back the tears in her eyes.

When her memories first returned, her mind was almost entirely consumed by a cacophony of negative emotions. In her past life, she had endured a life of hardship, striving with all her might, yet never obtaining what she desired.

She vowed that she would never repeat the same mistake in her life. She wanted to be happy, and she wanted to hold on tightly to the head of the household.

Therefore, she had Yuwen Zhe take her to the palace to see Yuan Zhen, hoping that Yuan Zhen would become pregnant through other means, and then she would secretly manipulate things to make Yuan Su turn against Yuan Qiong and support Yuan Zhen, who had a son, to take the throne.

She wanted to tear away Yuan Qiong's aloof and arrogant facade, to let the leader see clearly that the woman was not the orphan she claimed to be from years ago! She had been lying all along! She wanted the leader to understand the wolfish ambition and ruthless cruelty hidden beneath that woman's skin.

As a result, before her plan could even begin, the leader secretly arranged for Yuan Qiong to fake her death and took her away. And she herself was assigned to clean up the mess...

Yuan Qiong was always the person he cherished most. And everything she did seemed like a foolish, presumptuous joke...

Ha ha……

So, I'm just a joke?

Thousands of miles away, Lin Qiang had just settled Yuan Qiong, who was once again losing consciousness, when he felt a sudden pain in his heart. A wave of sadness spread through his chest, almost making him want to cry.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.

Something must have happened to Yuan Liu Niang again!

He suppressed his inner rage, opened the door, and called out, "Feng Zhi."

"exist!"

Feng, who was on standby next door, immediately jumped out.

"You don't need to come back to the mountain with us. Go to the capital and keep a close eye on Yuan Liuniang. Make sure she's safe. If anything serious happens to her, especially anything concerning Yuwen Zhe or Hong Shixian, send me a message immediately!"

"promise."

Feng scratched his head, somewhat confused by the order, but didn't dare ask any further questions.

"Boss, may I notify Lei Zhi to come and follow you?"

"No need. Just focus on your own tasks during this time, and you don't need to come looking for me."

"promise."

Lin Qiang entered the room, glanced at the pastries on the table, sighed softly, picked up the towel next to him, wet it, and sat on the edge of the bed to wipe her face, but Yuan Qiong waved him away.

"Stay away from me."

Her slender hands were soft and weak, but her tone left no room for doubt.

Lin Qiang smiled and didn't insist. He then got up and put the towel back on the rack.

"I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I've already punished Tan Xiaoque. If you're still angry, I'll let you punish me as you please when we get to the mountain, okay?"

The world is vast, and life is long. There will always be someone who makes you want to treat them gently.

He spoke softly, as if coaxing a child, but this did not appease Yuan Qiong; instead, it fueled a surge of anger within her.

She shouldn't have been so soft-hearted back then, leaving behind this scourge of a big black beard!

With her head spinning, Yuan Qiong barely managed to maintain a sliver of clarity, suppressing the rising anger within her, and said, "If you send me back to the palace now, I can let bygones be bygones. But if you insist on going your own way, I will never let you off the hook!"

The footstools in the inn were very narrow. Lin Qiang, dressed in his undergarments and barefoot, stepped on them, letting his dry hair fall down his back. He looked less like a bandit and more like a nobleman.

He bent down and pulled her, who was already unconscious, into his arms, and sighed, "Even though you can't open your eyes, you still can't help but say hurtful things."

This little girl's temper is really giving me a headache.

"Sweetheart, go to sleep..."

Sleep? How could Yuan Qiong possibly fall asleep peacefully in this situation! Her reason stubbornly cried out that she couldn't sleep, but she couldn't keep her eyes open, and soon her consciousness grew increasingly blurred...

Lin Qiang smiled as he watched her gradually drift off to sleep. The coldness on her delicate face slowly faded, and the sleeping Yuan Qiong looked incredibly docile.

He couldn't help but pinch her cheek, saying affectionately, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if you were always this obedient and well-behaved?"

He lowered his head and nuzzled Yuan Qiong's forehead, chuckling softly and affectionately, "In the blink of an eye, you're nineteen already..."

The little girl has grown into a young woman, but her personality hasn't changed at all.

This girl is ambitious, her heart and eyes are filled with power. Lin Qiang has no doubt that if he were to stand in her way, she would not hesitate to kick him aside and eliminate him.

This is her personality, a ruthless personality written from the very beginning; a personality destined for a lonely life, scheming for power, betrayed by all, and destined for a tragic end.

Lin Qiang pulled her to lie down on the bed. The petite Yuan Qiong nestled in his arms, her usually cunning fox eyes now quietly closed, her long eyelashes trembling slightly with her breath.

Looking down, Lin Qiang could see the top of her jet-black hair and her baby-soft, fair cheeks. He chuckled softly, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her into his arms. The tall, robust man and the petite girl seemed perfectly matched, as if they were embedded together.

"I will not let you be like what is written in the book."

It was precisely because she wasn't good enough—that she had a bad temper and was cunning—that he wanted to stay by her side and accompany her forever.

"You want power? I'll give it to you. You don't know how to wield it? I'll teach you."

Yuan Qiong lost to Yuwen Zhe not because of his mental and strategic thinking, nor because of his military power and personnel management, but because of the loss of popular support.

Born into a noble family, she had never been to or witnessed the hardships of the lower classes. Influenced by Yuan Su, she always regarded commoners as worthless and had no idea what it meant to be a commoner on a boat.

Therefore, it is necessary to let this girl suffer a bit and see the realities of human life firsthand.

**

Several days later, Yuwen Ting, who had already reached the outskirts of Jizhou City, learned of Yuan Qiong's death and immediately burst into laughter.

"Look! Heaven is on my side! My Yuwen clan is destined by Heaven! Those treacherous officials and villains of the Yuan family who are wreaking havoc on the court are destined to meet a bad end!"

"Hahahaha..."

"Your Highness is absolutely right! With Yuan Qiong dead, the Yuan family has lost a great ally. That old fox Yuan Su must be jumping up and down in a panic! Your Highness's day of achieving great things is fast approaching!"

A troublemaking advisor offered a beaming compliment. Yuwen Ting's mood improved even more.

"By my decree, the entire army is to rest and cease all clashing today! Each brother will receive two extra bowls of meat and vegetables for dinner! Hahahaha..."

"Your Highness is wise! He is so considerate of his subordinates. We have truly chosen the right master to follow!"

The other staff members echoed this sentiment.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:

Damn it, one bottle!

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!