After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

In the quiet night, the candlelight flickers.

Everyone else is gone.

Her father asked her to stay and look after Shangguan Shu, and she did not refuse.

My father’s voice seemed to still echo in my ears, accompanied by a deep sigh.

"Ying'er, do you know why the disaster victims in Lingnan returned home safely?"

"Did you know that they built a shrine for you?"

"Do you know why, you committed a heinous crime, and the emperor wanted to punish you until you passed out on your knees, but after one night, he let you go?"

She didn't know before, but now she knows.

Four million taels.

It turns out that Zhao Ying is so valuable that she has one million taels of silver and the lives of three hundred thousand people...

After Emperor Jianxi's narration, Zhao Ying seemed to replay the scene in the palace that day before his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have a solution..."

"Oh, you are frank, my dear."

"I am willing to donate four million taels of silver to relieve your worries!"

"But I have one condition..."

"you say!"

"I beg Your Majesty to let me take Princess Chengqian home."

"Shangguan Shu, although your Shangguan family is a famous and prestigious family in the capital, four million taels is not a small amount!"

"It is... half of my wealth."

"Even if you didn't ask me for help, I wouldn't do anything to Cheng Qian. Why would you give up half of your wealth?"

"Your Majesty, please understand... For love, the princess is my wife, and she has always been weak. I cannot bear to see her kneeling in the cold weather. For reputation, the princess is of noble status. How can she kneel on the long street like this and endure the disdainful looks of the officials?"

"You say that, and it makes me seem cruel..."

"Your Majesty and I are in different positions. As a father, I naturally have to teach my son. As a husband, I just want my wife to be well... If Your Majesty's anger has not subsided, I am willing to take on the remaining punishment."

"That's all..."

……

It turns out that he wasn't just playing hard to get, he really was...

Why did he do this?

Doesn’t he love Zhao Yao deeply?

Even want to rebel for her...

She no longer believed in the love that Shangguan Shu talked about.

I really don't believe it.

But with all the facts before her, she...

The candles crackled and the shadows of fire jumped on Shangguan Shu's face.

He was thinner and looked more haggard.

It’s been less than a month since we last met.

Zhao Ying recalled that the last time they met was in the inner hall of Chongqing Palace.

She was busy acting for Zhao Yao and pretended to faint and went into the inner hall. She knew Zhao Yan would come over, but she was not afraid because Zhao Yan was hers.

But unexpectedly, the person who came was not Zhao Yan. Through the crack in the door, she saw Shangguan Shu walking towards her.

What is he here to do?

She was afraid that Shangguan Shu would ruin her good fortune, so she could only lie on the bed and pretend to be asleep.

Squeak.

The door opened and was gently closed by him.

The room was dark, with only a few rays of moonlight leaking in through the window.

It was so quiet that she could clearly hear Shangguan Shu's footsteps approaching her.

He sat down beside her bed and called softly, "Ying'er?"

She didn't answer.

But he said, "Ying'er, don't worry, I will help you detoxify..."

Then, she felt a weight on her body, and the man's fresh breath rushed into her nose, and then her lips felt hot.

At the same time, her waist was pinched...

She could think of the rest without even thinking about it.

She was very familiar with this process.

She couldn't pretend any longer, so she stood up, pushed him away, and then raised her hand to slap him in the face.

That night, Shangguan Shu was driven out by her in disgrace.

Later she found out that he asked Zhao Yan to go to Hu Yanxue's house.

He helped her again.

……

Zhao Ying called the maid and got a basin of hot water and a cotton towel.

She took care of him for a night as a reward for his kindness.

She wrung out the handkerchief and wiped his face with it.

Shangguan Shu was really handsome. Even though he had aged and lost a lot of weight, he still looked very handsome. No wonder Zhao Yao went crazy over him...

After wiping his face, she began to wipe his body. He was very hot, and she could feel his scorching body temperature even through a handkerchief.

She's not shy either, she's done this many times.

Shangguan Shu...had many near-death experiences.

For a general to be able to win the hearts of millions of soldiers, the price he has to pay can be imagined.

In the first few years, he was always the first to charge into the battlefield to kill the enemy.

Sometimes the injury is minor and one can recover in the army.

If a person is seriously injured and unconscious, he will be sent back to the capital overnight by the commander-in-chief. You must know that no one can afford to bear the guilt of a prince consort dying in the army. Even if they travel all the way, it will not be good for their injuries. Often, after returning to the capital, they will only be left with one breath.

He was carried sideways into the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion.

The old Duke's wife fainted several times from crying.

She wanted to cry, but she didn't dare to. She just stayed with him all night, wiping his body and feeding him medicine.

What my mood was like at that time is now vague.

Grief, despair?

But it was no more heartbreaking than that day when I learned that everything he did was for Zhao Yao.

She took off his outer robe and inner clothes, revealing his shoulders, back, and chest... She remembered every scar there clearly.

But at this time, there were some red marks on her shoulders and back, as if caused by friction. Large patches of them had broken the skin, and some flesh was still stuck on the clothes. It looked horrifying. She frowned and pulled the clothes apart, and blood immediately gushed out.

What was he doing?

And his palms and the soles of his feet. He is a military commander, not that delicate. What on earth did he do to be more destructive than practicing martial arts?

Zhao Ying wiped him clean with doubt, and half the basin of water was stained with blood.

She took out the ointment prescribed by the imperial physician and gently applied it on him.

Maybe it hurts... She saw him frowning.

Zhao Ying subconsciously said, "Be patient, it will be over soon..."

The end of the sentence was abruptly stopped.

Why did she comfort him?

It was extremely kind and generous of her to stay and take care of him!

However, the next second, she paused and saw tears streaming down Shangguan Shu's eyes.

Does it hurt so much?

Shangguan Shu had a dream.

In the dream, he came back from the battlefield injured, and Zhao Yingyi took care of him day and night. She bit her lip to hold back tears, her little face flushed red... Oh, how could this be a dream? This is reality. His princess loved him and felt sorry for him so much.

But why did he have an urge to cry...

The sadness grew thicker and thicker, pressing on his chest and making it hard for him to bear it.

Suddenly, the scene changed.

In the magnificent and dreary palace, the snow-white bed curtains fluttered in the wind, hiding the drowsiness and movement behind, and occasionally emitting a blushing sound.

"Ying'er, who am I?"

"...Uh...I don't know..."

"I taught you that I am Runlang, you should call me Runlang..."

"Run...Lang? Ah! Stop... Stop now... I'm not feeling well! I hate you!"

"You hate me? But I love you... Zhao Ying, did you hear me? I love you, I love you..." The man kept repeating this sentence. His low and hoarse voice was full of despair, mixed with the woman's crying, sad and sorrowful.

Shangguan Shu was clear-headed yet confused. Was this him and Zhao Ying?

Why are they here?

Then, behind the curtain, the chaotic noises stopped, and the man's voice came in a low voice, "I have nothing left. I only have you. You can't leave me..."

"Ying'er, give me another child, please?"

"Let's start from the beginning..."