The carriage stopped six or seven times along the way, and she saw with her own eyes that he was helped onto the horse's back. His limp posture made her feel guilty involuntarily.

Is the medicine this time too strong?

While the others were out hunting, Ling Yuan walked up to Wei Jie, who was leaning against a tree and gasping for breath, and asked carefully, "Are you okay?"

Wei Jie raised his eyelids with great effort and looked at her calmly: "The king is fine."

It seemed like a normal conversation, but the guilty Ling Yuan could clearly hear some gnashing of teeth in his voice.

"Well, why don't you take this pill first? It will be better for your stomach, uh."

Wei Jie's eyes, which seemed even sharper in the dark, suddenly shrank when he saw the pill in her hand.

His originally powerless body suddenly approached her and lowered his voice, "Thank you, I don't need it. Girl, remember, today's revenge, I will take note of it here!"

After saying this, she patted her chest heavily. That cold look almost froze her to death.

Ling Yuan has always been a person who responds to soft words rather than hard ones. She originally wanted to apologize or something, but after Wei Jie's threat, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

When she raised her eyes again, her gaze was no longer so cautious. She raised her cold eyes and met his cold gaze with pride.

"Isn't it a blessing for me that the prince thinks highly of me? Don't worry, I will repay you well from now on!"

Wei Jie was already furious, but years of experience had made him accustomed to hiding himself. But this woman had the ability to make you release pressure. Even if he wanted to suppress it, he couldn't. "Very good, then I will wait for your reward!"

Ling Yuan's eyes fixed, and she chuckled, "It's my honor, but please get on the carriage and rest tonight, Your Majesty. After all, you've been really tired on this journey. Don't worry, I, Ling Yuan, don't have any other skills, but I'm very discerning. Tonight, I will consciously keep watch, okay?"

Wei Jie frowned and finally couldn't help but burst out, "Get lost!"

Unexpectedly, Ling Yuan raised her lips and asked recklessly: "Get out? How to get out? Otherwise, Your Majesty, can you show me how to do it?"

Wei Jie was so angry that he almost vomited blood. Looking at Ling Yuan's dark face with trembling fat, he really wanted to go up and fill her up more.

How would the falconer feel if he was suddenly pecked by an eagle?

Capsizing in a ditch is just like this, right?

Wei Jie had rarely been in the hands of a woman since he was a child, especially this damn girl who had made him leave the alert list.

I never expected that in the end I would be treated like this by someone I trusted. Just thinking about it makes my heart break.

Ling Yuan was very aware of the situation. Seeing Wei Jie's horrifying expression, she left without thinking.

Qingxuan and the other three looked at their master worriedly. Their job as personal guards was not easy either. Seeing them worrying all day long, they could be said to be broken-hearted.

When a couple quarrels, they are actually more tired than the parties involved.

"What are you looking at? Why don't you hurry up and cook?"

Being stared at with such pitying and complicated eyes by his own men, Wei Jie's gaze darkened and a cold light flashed out.

Qing Xuan's neck shrank, and he waved his hands quickly: "Okay, I'll go right away, I'll go right away."

"Seventh brother, are you okay?" Qingchen looked at his still pale face worriedly.

"I won't die. Help me get in the car."

It was as if all the strength in his body had been drained away. Not only did he walk weakly, but he didn't even feel the slightest bit hungry.

When he looked at Ling Yuan again, his handsome face became as ferocious as the other side.

"This damn girl, I...hiss, ah,"

"Master, what's wrong with you? Master?"

"Don't, don't shout, it's okay, go, take me away quickly."

When Qingchen finally arranged for Wei Jie to get out of the carriage, Lingyuan had been waiting nearby for a long time. Unable to contain her concern, she asked in a low voice, "How is he?"

Qingchen knew that all this was caused by this woman. His eyes were full of changes, and he looked at her with a fake smile.

"What? The weasel knows to wish the chicken a happy new year?"

Ling Yuan glanced at him calmly and said, "Give him some more hot water. Here are some medicines. It's up to you whether you want to take them or not."

Having said that, he handed him a jade bottle and turned away.

"You," Qingchen wanted to ask something, but was quickly stopped by Qingye, "What are you doing?"

"What? What do you mean? Look at what this woman has done to our master. Can't I say a few words?"

Qingchen's face turned completely dark now. He has always been his brother's sweetheart. Now there is such a woman who is taking advantage of him and making his brother angry and suffer. Naturally, he is upset.

Seeing Qingxuan and the others looking confused, he became even angrier.

Several people were talking to each other and soon started arguing.

"Everyone, shut up!"

When several people were arguing fiercely, a sudden roar from the carriage made the surroundings quiet down instantly.

Even Ling Yuan, who was grilling fish, shuddered and looked in the direction of the carriage.

Qingchen and the others glared at each other with unpleasant expressions and then dispersed.

In the car, Wei Jie sat with a gloomy look in his eyes for a while, until the surroundings became quiet again, then he lay down on his side.

During this time, Qingchen gave Wei Jie some water mixed with antidote to drink. After taking the medicine, he calmed down and no longer made a fuss.

But this whole ordeal still wasted some time, and fortunately the horses needed to rest, so everyone simply delayed their departure until noon the next day.

Ling Yuan knew that he was in the wrong and did not dare to provoke him along the way.

Wei Jie saw that she was relatively well behaved and had no intention of fighting her to the end.

***

Ningsheng Palace, Buddhist Hall

Empress Dowager Wen knelt before the Buddha with a pious look on her face, her eyes half closed, looking at the wooden fish with her right hand, twirling the Buddhist beads with her left hand, and muttering Buddhist scriptures.

Behind her, four or five attendants were kneeling.

Half an hour later, Empress Dowager Wen slowly opened her eyes, the sound of the wooden fish stopped, her hands twirling the Buddhist beads paused, and she spoke softly, "Ruyan, what time is it?"

"Your Highness, it's already midnight, you should rest!"

A beautiful woman in her thirties slowly stood up from the back, walked to the side of Empress Dowager Wen, and spoke in a soft voice.

"It's already midnight? No wonder I feel tired. Okay, I'll listen to you. Help me up!"

Perhaps because she had been kneeling for too long, Empress Dowager Wen's steps were a little unsteady. The woman named Ruyan and the maid beside her held her steadily and prevented the old empress from falling.

Empress Dowager Wen is actually only in her early sixties this year. Although she looks a little thinner, her eyes are sharp and her body is still strong.

The current emperor Wei Yuchen is her adopted son, and Prince Rong is her biological son. As for why she assisted her adopted son to become emperor, the old lady actually knows it as clearly as a mirror in her mind, and she knows it better than anyone else.

In her opinion, ascending the throne to become emperor was not the beginning of happiness, but the beginning of suffering. She would rather her son live a free and unrestrained life than have him become the most miserable and tiring person in the world.

Even if you have all the power in the world, so what?

Perhaps in the eyes of others, she, as a mother, was too cruel, but only Prince Rong himself understood that Queen Mother Wen was the best mother in the world.

And this was obviously enough to appease Empress Dowager Wen's heart. No matter how many words she said, they were not as important as her son's trust.

However, what Empress Dowager Wen never expected was that the emperor, whom she and her son had worked so hard to assist, would actually do such a heartless thing.

Looking at the spirit tablet enshrined in the Buddhist temple, the old lady's eyes were filled with moisture.

"Yun Ge, your mother has been sitting with you every night until now. If you are still alive, please do not be jealous of Yu Chen. After all, he was forced to put your Du family to death. How could he feel good in his heart?"

"You don't know, whenever he's free, he'll come to this temple to see you. This kid is really thoughtful!"

"Mother knows that you are wronged, that you are suffering, and that you, the Du family, are heartbroken. But mother, how can mother be happy?"

"For so many years, my mother had nightmares every night. She dreamed of you covered in blood cursing our Siyou Kingdom."

"Although Yuchen is not my child, I have raised him since he was a child. How is he any different from a biological child? If you died, it would be over, but Yuchen blames himself and repents for your ranking every night. Yunge, he was wrong, he really realized his mistake. If you are still alive, please stop now, okay?"

"Empress Dowager, please stop talking. You should go and rest. If the Empress Dowager is still alive, she will hear your voice."

Ruyan glanced at the tablet on the stage, her eyes blank, and whispered a reminder in Empress Dowager Wen's ear.

"I am getting old after all. My health is getting worse day by day. I used to be able to kneel down without any problem, but now, I can't even stand steadily!"

"Empress Dowager, you have done your best. From now on, your health is more important!"

Queen Mother Wen patted Ruyan's hand, took one last look at Du Yunge's tablet, and sighed, "Let's go back to the palace."

Upon hearing this, Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief, signaled to the person behind her, and immediately helped Empress Dowager Wen out of the Buddhist hall.

After they left, eunuchs and palace maids came in to clean up immediately, and they finished it in just a quarter of an hour.

As these people left one after another, the huge Buddhist hall suddenly became quiet, and only the wisps of fragrance could be seen circling in front of the tablet and slowly rising...

After bathing and changing clothes, Queen Mother Wen sat in front of the bed with her hair loose, closing her eyes and enjoying Ruyan's massage, "Child, you have worked hard over the years!"

"My Lady Queen, I am so lucky to be able to take care of you. If it weren't for you, how could Ruyan be alive today?"

It turned out that Ruyan was none other than Ruyan, one of the four maids around Du Yunge back then.

With Du Yunge's death, Emperor Cheng wanted to kill everyone in Kunning Palace. When Empress Dowager Wen went there, she only had time to save Ruyan.

Xi Que and Jin Mo, who had returned to the general's mansion with Du Yunge, have now followed their masters, but Liu Ying has disappeared for twelve years.

No one knew where Du Yunge sent her. All they knew was that Du Yunge sent her out when he returned to the general's mansion.

But I didn't expect that twelve years would pass and there was still no sign of her.

Liuying, I guess you already know that something happened to the queen?

I wonder if the Du Zi murder that caused panic among the people in the capital has anything to do with Liuying?

"Child, are you thinking of your master again?"

Feeling that the person behind her had suddenly slowed down, Empress Dowager Wen slowly raised her head, grabbed her hand, and looked at Ruyan with burning eyes: "Do you hate the emperor?"

Ruyan looked at Empress Dowager Wen calmly, "Empress Dowager, from the day you saved me, I am Ruyan, not Ruyan. You are Ruyan's master. As for the Empress, she has passed away."

"Since ancient times, the imperial power has been above all rights. I am living alone in this world. Even if I have hatred in my heart, what can I do? Being able to stay by the side of the Empress Dowager and pray for the Queen every day is the greatest blessing of my life. As for other things, I dare not even think about it. I hope the Empress Dowager will forgive my nonsense."

"Get up, silly child. How could I blame you? Asking you to forget the past is a painful torture in itself. For so many years, you have been by my side all the time. Why should I be worried? Okay, I understand your intentions. Get up!"

"Thank you, Empress Dowager." Ruyan pursed her lips and was about to step forward, but Empress Dowager Wen waved her hand: "Okay, it's getting late, you should go down and rest quickly. You don't have to get up early tomorrow morning, so sleep a little longer. I also want to sleep in, understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." After helping Empress Dowager Wen to sleep, Ruyan instructed the palace maids and eunuchs who were on night watch, and then returned to her room exhausted.

The room was pitch black, but she had no intention of turning on the light. After closing the door, her originally strong face completely collapsed, and her body slid down the door frame softly. After a while, she began to sob.

"Useless thing, all you can do is hide in a place where no one is around and cry for the queen?"

Suddenly, a gloomy female voice sounded in the darkness. Ruyan's voice choked, and her tearful face was full of fear: "Who? Who's there?"

In the darkness, a dark shadow walked out without anyone noticing. When Ruyan saw the person coming, her heart instantly rose to her throat.

But even so, she was not at all panicked, because she could see that the other party had no intention of hurting her for the time being. Otherwise, she would have been beheaded as soon as she walked into the room.

"What do you want to do?" She said in a trembling voice, looking warily at the dark shadow in front of the screen.

"What do I want to do? Ruyan, oh no, it should be Miss Ruyan, can't you even recognize my voice?"

As the deep female voice suddenly returned to normal, Ruyan looked carefully and suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with unprecedented shock: "You, you are..."

The shadow laughed softly: "I didn't expect that after not seeing each other for twelve years, when we meet again, we are already strangers. Ruyan, are you okay?"

When the black shadow's facial outline gradually appeared in Ruyan's field of vision, she covered her mouth in horror and looked at the person in front of her in disbelief, "You, you are not?"

The woman in black pursed her lips lightly. When she lowered her head and raised it again, the human skin mask on her face had disappeared. Instead, it was...

Ruyan's body trembled, and she staggered back a step, her eyes wide open, looking at the face in front of her in disbelief, which was both strange and familiar.

Her pair of black eyes were already filled with tears of excitement. She stretched out her hand tremblingly, but did not dare to touch her face.

In the end, the woman in black suddenly reached out and pressed her cold hand to his face.

The temperature of the tentacles made Ruyan more and more excited. Because of fear, she covered her lips tightly, lowered her head, and cried miserably.

The woman in black saw her like this, and tears flashed in her eyes. She gently stretched out her hand and hugged her tightly in her arms: "Ruyan, my good sister, I'm back, I'm back!"

Ruyan buried herself in her arms, choking with sobs as she spoke incoherently, "Why, why have you never recognized me in all these years? We were so close, so close!"

"Do you know how much pain I have been through these years? I really wish it was me who accompanied the queen out of the palace, not Xi Que or Jin Mo."

"Over the years, my nightmares every night were of them lying on the cold ground covered in blood. We, we didn't even have the chance to take a last look at them. They died without a complete body, without a complete body!"

When they were excited, they both burst into tears at the same time. God knew how they had survived all these years. Every time they saw their enemy Wei Yuchen, they wanted to remove his bones and flesh and throw him into a mass grave to feed the dogs.

But, but these are just thoughts, because they know clearly that it is not just one person, it is an entire country. How can they avenge this revenge by themselves?

The Queen once told them that it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

Therefore, they must not lose their lives before their great revenge is taken. Otherwise, how will they have the face to go to heaven to see their masters?

But they endured it for twelve years. Back then, they were still ignorant little girls, but now, they have become old ladies in their twenties or thirties.

After a long while, the two finally stopped crying. They slowly separated, knelt on the ground, stroked each other's faces, and looked at each other carefully.

"Yingzi, you are old too. We are all old."

It turned out that the person who broke into Ningsheng Palace at night was none other than Liuying, who disappeared without a trace twelve years ago.

"Silly boy, we are already thirty years old, how can we not age? Look at the fine lines at the corners of your eyes, Yan'er, you have suffered so much over the years!"

Ruyan shed tears silently, "You are suffering too. But why do you clearly..."

Ruyan just started to speak, but Liuying quickly covered her mouth: "Girl, listen, our goal is the same, do you understand?"

"We must avenge this vengeance. Not only that, we must also make sure that Wei Yuchen has no descendants and no chance of turning things around. Although our power is weak, have you seen the 'Du Zi Ming Ming'?"

"This shows that we are not the only ones fighting. Back then, the tragedy caused by Wei Yuchen was said to have dyed half of Siyou country red with blood. Did he really kill them all? Oh, look, aren't we the two who survived that massacre?"

"So, we have a chance. The road to revenge sounds far away, but it is already within reach. Now, what we have to do is to stay calm. I am waiting for someone. As long as she comes, we will definitely have a chance of revenge."

Ruyan shook her head in despair: "The eldest prince is dead, and the queen is dead too. Where is the hope?"

"Don't talk nonsense. How can there be no hope? Do you believe me? Yan'er, look at me, look into my eyes, and tell me, do you believe me?"

Seeing the determination in Liuying's eyes, Ruyan seemed to have thought of something, "You...are you hiding something from me?"