Qin Shuhuai was woken up in the middle of the night.

He was always a light sleeper, so he woke up when Jiang Chun called him at the door.

"What's wrong?"

Qin Shuhuai slowly closed his eyes, looking a little tired. Jiang Chun said respectfully, "Your Majesty has a high fever, and the Queen Mother called the Princess into the palace. The two of them had an argument. Now the Princess has temporarily sealed your Majesty's bedroom. Do you want to go and take a look, Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuhuai stood up and immediately said, "Let's go to the palace."

Qin Shuhuai moved quickly. After a quick wash, he rushed directly to the palace. As he rushed to the palace, he asked, "What exactly happened?"

"The news from Zhang Qian, the Imperial Physician, is that the Empress Dowager knew that the princess had taken His Majesty out to play, and she thought that it was the princess who caused His Majesty's high fever. She suspected that the princess had an affair with someone else and was conspiring to seize the throne, so she slapped the princess in the face. The princess was furious and had the palace gates locked."

After hearing Jiang Chun's words, Qin Shuhuai rode faster. After a long while, he finally said, "Nonsense."

This has happened before.

Back then, Zhao Peng's mother, Concubine Hui, was a woman who devoted all her attention to her son. It's not that she didn't love Zhao Peng. When it didn't involve Zhao Yu, Concubine Hui was extremely good to Zhao Peng.

When she was in the cold palace in the early years, Concubine Hui treated everyone equally. Later, when she was released from the cold palace, the struggle between concubines made this originally cowardly woman more sensitive. Like all other concubines, she invested her life and future in Zhao Yu. She could usually restrain herself, but when it came to critical issues, this woman would be like crazy and partial to Zhao Yu.

That year, Zhao Yu and Zhao Peng caught a cold when they returned to the palace. Concubine Hui made Zhao Peng kneel in the snow and hysterically shouted at him, "If Yu'er dies, you will die with him!"

Zhao Peng was no more than thirteen years old at that time. She had probably never thought that her mother would say such words. She became angry and knelt in the snow, not moving.

He stood behind her, holding an umbrella for her.

He was clumsy and didn't know what to say, so he could only say, "Don't kneel, she was just saying that in anger."

Zhao Peng didn't say anything and just knelt there. He had no choice but to stay with her. Snow fell on her and he wiped it off for her. When it was night, she was shivering with cold and he was not much better. Zhao Peng said to him tremblingly, "Why are you accompanying me? Go back!"

He shook his head, squatted down, opened his cloak, covered her with it, turned around and asked her: "Are you still cold?"

Zhao Peng was stunned for a moment, she turned around and looked at him in surprise.

Qin Shuhuai always showed little expression, and that day was no exception. He was calm and indifferent. When he saw her looking at him in surprise, he raised his eyes and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Zhao Peng immediately asked, "Don't you really hate me?"

Qin Shuhuai didn't know how to respond for a moment. He didn't like her very much, but for some reason, he got angry when he saw Zhao Peng jumping around in front of him shamelessly. He got even angrier when he saw Zhao Peng kneeling down after being bullied like this.

At fourteen, he was angry.

Later, when Zhao Peng became his wife and she would lie in his arms at night and ask him in her sleep, "Shuhuai, if I give birth to a girl, would you like her?" Whenever Qin Shuhuai thought back to the past, he would feel angry and distressed.

Only when I grow up do I understand that all the marks of my youth will remain in my life, like a brand from fire, leaving scars one after another.

He wished he could go back to the past, pull Zhao Peng up, stand in front of her, and protect her from the wind and rain.

Probably because of Zhao Peng, he hated women like Li Shu very much. When he heard what happened to Qin Peng, and that he was the one who actually took Qin Ming out, he naturally would not shirk his responsibility and went there immediately.

When they arrived at the palace, Qin Shuhuai's cronies had already surrounded the bedroom. Qin Shuhuai walked over, and an eunuch came forward and said respectfully, "Three people who were about to go out to report the news have all been caught.

"Find out who it is and kill him immediately."

Qin Shuhuai walked inside with a grim face. When he arrived at the door of the bedroom, he heard ghosts howling inside.

He frowned and looked at the eunuch Wang Yong next to him: "What's going on in here?"

"I haven't opened the door yet, so I don't know. All of them are the princess's confidants."

Wang Yong answered honestly, leaning over and whispering, "I just overheard something over the wall, and I'm afraid the princess has attacked the queen mother."

"This matter must not be spread out. Everyone who knows about it should deal with it cleanly tonight."

After Qin Shuhuai gave the order, he stood at the door and waited. He couldn't hear what happened inside, but could only vaguely hear the woman's screams. Knowing that everyone inside was Qin Peng's people, Qin Shuhuai didn't interfere too much and waited quietly at the door.

Jiang Chun looked around and came back, "Sir, the princess did a clean job. No outsiders were allowed in, and no outsiders saw what happened. The only eunuch was a master who squatted and eavesdropped from the corner, but he was also captured by the secret guards."

After thinking for a while, Jiang Chun added: "It is probably Zhang Ying's people."

"Yes." Qin Shuhuai nodded. Jiang Chun thought for a moment and asked, "What are you going to do next, sir?"

"Bring Liu Shuyan's clothes and mask over here."

Jiang Chun didn't quite understand what Qin Shuhuai meant. Recently, Qin Shuhuai was always pretending to be Liu Shuyan, so he carried Liu Shuyan's mask with him. After changing into Liu Shuyan's style clothes, Qin Shuhuai returned to the palace gate and waited quietly.

Jiang Chun couldn't help but feel a little strange: "My Lord, are you still waiting here?"

"Um."

"Waiting for what?"

"Give her a ride."

Jiang Chun was a little confused. Qin Shuhuai listened to the shouting of the people inside with a bitter look in his eyes.

"I wish she could have been like her back then."

Jiang Chun fell silent immediately and did not dare to answer. In fact, he felt that Qin Shuhuai was too lenient in interfering with Qin Peng's affairs, but Qin Shuhuai did not realize it, so he did not say much.

Jiang Chun thought that it might not be a bad thing if he could shift his gaze from the dead to the living. After thinking about it, Jiang Chun stepped back.

While Qin Shuhuai was waiting outside, Qin Peng was inside wiping Li Shu's face with medicine.

She had slapped Li Shu a little too hard, leaving marks on her face. If anyone saw it, it would be used as a handle. So she asked someone to ask the imperial physician to get some anti-edema medicine, saying it was for her own use. Then she wiped Li Shu's face with the look of a loving mother and a filial son.

Li Shu didn't dare to move at all. Her four slaves were tortured in front of her, calling her and crying for her.

The sound was so miserable and sharp that it was not difficult to imagine how much pain it was. Li Shu listened to the crying and the sound of the stick hitting the flesh, and watched the blood seeping out of her clothes. She felt as if the stick would fall on her at any time, and she could not help shivering.

She had never held a high position in the palace, and because she was not very smart, the concubines were too lazy to use any harsh methods on her. She knew there was a punishment like caning, but she had never seen it. It was not until she actually saw it today that she realized how terrible the punishment was.

However, the daughter who was in front of her, smiling gently and applying medicine to her, was even more terrifying.

How did she become like this?

When did it become like this?

Li Shu didn't understand at all. She could only tremble and let Qin Peng apply medicine. She listened to Qin Peng saying, "Mother, I am your daughter and Xiaoming's biological sister. We are a family. As a family, we should help and support each other. If I am not doing well, you and Xiaoming will not be doing well either. If you are not doing well, neither will I. But you have to understand that if I were not the eldest princess of Zhenguo, if I could not control others, then others would look down on the three of us. Why do you think Qin Shuhuai doesn't cause trouble to you now? Why don't the ministers bully you? It's not because you are the queen mother, but because I am the one who is arranging things."

"Look," Qin Peng glanced around, "Who are your people around here? You are surrounded by a bunch of cunning slaves. If I hadn't arranged for people to serve you, you would be surrounded by either Qin Shuhuai's people, Zhang Ying's people, and these slaves who bully their masters, but not me." Qin Peng saw that the scars on her face were almost healed, sighed, took Li Shu's hand, and said gently, "How are you going to live your life?"

Li Shu didn't dare to speak. Qin Peng narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes!" Li Shu jumped up in a hurry and said, "You are right!"

"Mother," Qin Peng patted her shoulder, "Don't be nervous. I'm your daughter, and I should respect you, right?"

"Yes..." Li Shu trembled, trying to figure out what Qin Peng meant. Qin Peng glanced at Bai Zhi and said, "Bai Zhi, leave a few skilled people for the Queen Mother to use."

Bai Zhi understood and called out the names of four people from behind. Qin Peng patted Li Shu's hand and said with a smile, "Mother, these people are the ones I left behind to honor you. You must have your own opinions in the future and don't let these servants play tricks on you and do things that will damage our relationship."

Qin Peng changed her tone and said, "You know there are many ways to make people disappear without anyone noticing in this palace. Even if you are the queen mother, your daughter is still worried!"

"Don't worry! I'll be obedient, I'll definitely be obedient!"

Li Shu promised immediately, almost crying.

As they were talking, the four maids who were beaten almost died. They were dragged out one by one. When the last one died, Qin Peng nodded, stood up, and asked the maid who had been taking care of Qin Ming: "Is your Majesty feeling better?"

"Better."

The maid was skilled in medicine. Qin Peng knew that Qin Ming was ill, so she brought him over. The maid said, "It's just evil spirits entering the body. It's not a big deal. Don't worry, Princess. His Majesty will be well tomorrow."

Qin Peng felt relieved, looked at the sky, and said, "It's late now, I will go back to Wutong Palace to wash up, and ask someone to prepare an imperial edict, saying that the emperor is ill and the morning court will be cancelled."

After saying this, Qin Peng turned around and said with concern: "If your Majesty is worried about your Majesty, you can stay here and take care of him. If you are tired, go and rest. I will take my leave now."

After Qin Peng finished speaking, he walked out with his people without waiting for Li Shu to speak.

When she went out, she felt that the road seemed particularly long. The moment the palace gate opened, it was almost dawn. The sun was behind the mountains in the distance, and a faint red light peeked out from the clouds.

The chill in the early morning made Qin Peng shudder in her heart. She looked at the mountains and rivers in the distance and suddenly realized that the world was so big, but she was actually the only one in it.

From childhood to adulthood, she has always walked alone. She has been giving constantly and always telling herself not to expect anything in return from anyone, so she can calmly walk through all the dark and long roads.

But when the cold wind blew suddenly in the early morning, she suddenly wished there was someone standing by her side, even without words, just standing there with her.

Let her feel that she is not alone.

She is also a girl who will be held in someone's palm, loved and protected, who will be helped up when she falls, and who will be carried on someone's back when she is tired.

She didn't know why she felt so weak, but when the past circumstances were mixed with the present, she couldn't help but think of the darkest years.

The most difficult emotion for her to face in her life was probably that her mother, deep down, did not love her.

All the people she had given her heart to, all the people she thought would love her, did not love her as much as she thought.

No one is born thinking that the world is dark and hopeless. It was only after she stumbled along so many paths that she finally understood the cruel truth of not having any expectations.

But at that time, in those dark years, when the thirteen-year-old was kneeling in the snow and torturing herself, there was a man named Qin Shuhuai who accompanied her, put a cloak on her shoulders and asked her if she was cold.

Now at the age of 25, she is really the only one left.

The people in the past have changed beyond all recognition, even she herself is no longer herself.

She stood blankly at the palace gate, her body trembling slightly under her clothes, unable to take another step forward.

At this moment, she suddenly heard someone calling her name - "Qin Peng".

She turned around and saw Liu Shuyan standing in the sunset glow.

He looked at her quietly, his eyes seemed to be tinged with the warmth of the sunset glow, and his calm expression vaguely resembled the young Qin Shuhuai.

He wore a white jade crown and a lake blue robe. The morning breeze made his sleeves flutter. The morning sun rose inch by inch behind him. He was bathed in the light, warm and dazzling, filling her entire sight.

Her heart was beating fast because of this person. She intuitively felt that this person seemed to be waiting for her, to pick her up, to support her when she was about to fall, to help her walk through this road that she could hardly go on.

She pretended to be calm and said hoarsely: "What are you doing here, Master Liu?"

Qin Shuhuai looked at the girl's eyes which seemed to be filled with moisture. Thinking of Zhao Peng's eyes that were filled with disappointment and sadness hidden in his stubborn and indifferent look, he couldn't help laughing.

"Come and take the princess back."

"Why did you come all the way to see me off?"

Qin Peng clenched his fists, feeling sad inside. Qin Shuhuai's eyes softened, and he felt as if it was the young Zhao Peng who asked him the same question.

He could hardly tell who was in front of him, nor did he want to.

So he slowed down his voice and said, "I think, at this moment, the princess probably needs someone to accompany her back."

"If you fall down," he said with a hint of joking in his voice, "there are people who can help you up."

Before he could finish his words, Qin Peng suddenly rushed towards Qin Shuhuai and slammed into his arms.

She hugged him tightly, her whole body trembling slightly. Qin Shuhuai was slightly stunned, and then he reacted. He softened his eyebrows and sighed: "Princess, if you are sad, just cry. It's nothing."

Qin Peng clenched his teeth and let his tears fall on the man's clothes.

His warmth flowed through her layers of clothes, finally driving away the chill of the early morning. Qin Peng had never realized so clearly that she was no longer Zhao Peng. She had come back to life and had a new life.

She will not be like Zhao Peng, without a lover or friends. She has the Wei family as her relatives, Qin Ming as her relatives, Liu Shuyan who calls her "Qin Peng", a long road ahead, and a new life.

Liu Shuyan called her Qin Peng, and she should live as Qin Peng, and live beautifully. She can like someone, and this time, she will never meet a man like Qin Shuhuai again, and she will find a very good man. She will stand at the pinnacle of power in this country, and then when she sees Zhao Yu, she will tell Zhao Yu - I am your sister, but it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not.

Even if Zhao Yu doesn't believe it, she will have a bright and beautiful life.

"Liu Shuyan," Qin Peng suddenly made up her mind at this moment, her voice trembling: "I promise you to support me for the rest of my life."

Qin Shuhuai was stunned for a moment before he reacted.

He was afraid that he had attracted a pretty queen to Liu Shuyan.