Having received divine favor, the emperor and empress rode together on the way back to the capital.

Meng Qi left a few people behind to meet the demonic cultivators who had gone to hunt down Hu Ji at the makeshift palace before leading the rest of them to catch up.

Seeing "Shang Dongyang" and the little female bandit naturally holding hands in the imperial carriage, the sense of eeriness in his heart grew stronger.

"Boy, don't actually think of her as your empress. She belongs to His Majesty," Meng Qi couldn't help but warn him secretly.

Shang Xiye glanced at him sideways, wanting to reply telepathically, but she didn't know if these demons had taught Shang Dongyang this skill.

His mind raced, and he could only send a telepathic message to Bai Lu, saying, "Bai Lu, you should protect your master."

Bai Lu: "...?" Her body trembled involuntarily.

Is the prince really going to settle scores later?

That's incredibly fast!

Bai Lu glanced nervously at Shang Xiye, and seeing that he didn't seem angry, she quickly realized what was going on.

She stepped forward and said very rudely, "Your Majesty, they are already on the palanquin. Men and women should not touch each other. You should release our Princess Consort now!"

As she spoke, she reached out to pry Shang Xiye's hand away and snatch back her master's hand to protect it.

At this moment, Xiao Shunzi quickly stepped forward to stop her and kindly advised, "Miss, don't be rash. After the Emperor and Empress successfully perform the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, they must return to the capital hand in hand, make offerings hand in hand, and enter the ancestral hall hand in hand. They cannot be separated in the middle. This signifies that they are following the will of Heaven and informing the people and ancestors of the world. This is a good omen and is also a part of the Emperor and Empress's wedding ceremony."

"What right do you have to be so shameless for something you've forced into this?" Bai Lu retorted with a cold snort, but she didn't step forward to stop them anymore.

Meng Qi, who was standing next to him, also heard Xiao Shunzi's words clearly and subconsciously exchanged a glance with Shang Xiye.

When Meng Qi met Shang Xiye's seemingly innocent gaze, he was speechless.

He turned his suspicious gaze to Xiao Shunzi, and couldn't see any potential in Xiao Shunzi to be a spy.

Could it be that he underestimated Xiao Shunzi and was fooled by Xiao Shunzi's superb acting skills?

Meng Qi's gaze was too focused.

Xiao Shunzi sensed someone watching him and turned around to see that it was none other than Xiao Mengzi, who could even treat the emperor like a son. He was immediately overjoyed and approached with a fawning smile, asking in a low voice, "Eunuch Xiao Mengzi, are you tired and want to come up and rest for a while? Or, how about we switch?"

Meng Qi: "!!!"

You old bastard!

If you can't speak properly, then shut the hell up!

If the timing and circumstances weren't so bad, he would have loved to slap this eunuch to death!

Knowing the truth, Bai Lu overheard everything. She glanced at Meng Qi's furious and gloomy face and smirked.

Finally, he joked, "Little Shunzi, you are really generous. You gave up this job of serving the Emperor so easily. But did you ask the Emperor for his opinion on this matter?"

Or do you both think that the Emperor is just a nobody to you, and that it's a win for the Emperor if either of you goes to serve him?

Meng Qi: "..."

This girl's mouth must be blessed; she's always right!

Xiao Shunzi was startled and quickly reached out to cover Bai Lu's mouth, but Bai Lu turned her head away to avoid it.

He stamped his feet in anxiety and said in a low voice, "Miss, be careful what you say! If others hear this, your entire family could be executed!"

"Exterminate nine generations of your family?" Bai Lu, fearless and unrestrained, said, "My family is gone. Now, the Princess and the Prince are my family. So, do you want to exterminate my Princess or my Prince?"