My Lord, the princess doesn't want you anymore.

"You want the Emperor to issue a confession of guilt for a woman?" The dying Queen heard the news five days later. She was shocked at first, then burst into laughter.

Her scarred face became distorted horribly when she smiled, like a demon from hell.

"You will suffer the consequences if you commit evil. You will suffer the consequences if you commit evil...hahaha..."

After the Queen was injured, she truly realized how fickle human nature was. Seeing the Emperor's attitude towards the Queen suddenly change, the court officials who used to follow her and serve her as subordinates now stayed away from her, fearing that they would be implicated.

Even King Kang only came to visit twice.

She remembered that when he came the second time, he looked at her with a look of pity and despair, "Tell me, mother, what am I?"

The queen was stunned for a moment, "As long as your father doesn't depose the queen, you will still be the legitimate son, and then the crown prince!"

"Do you think I am safe in that position?"

"I will eliminate the King of Chu for you!" The Queen's eyes were fierce, "As long as I am still alive."

King Kang looked at her mutilated limbs and felt a sad pain in his heart.

He was silent for a long time before he said, "Why did you do those things? My mother is very scheming, very resourceful, and very courageous. She is no less capable than men in everything. Why did she do those things?"

"He forced me to do it!" Tears suddenly welled up in the Queen's eyes. "I have been strong all my life, but even the strongest woman longs for the love of her husband, complete love. When Li Mo Ran came, I lost everything. She took away everything that should have belonged to me... So, you don't understand?"

King Kang stood up and said, "Yes, I don't understand. I don't understand why my mother is so obsessed. Your man was the crown prince before and is now the emperor. This means that he cannot have only you as his woman! I don't understand why you are so vicious."

"Asshole!" The Queen was furious. "How dare you question your mother like that!?"

After a moment of silence, she calmed down and said, "You are right. I was indeed obsessed when I was young. I have become more open-minded over the years. Otherwise, I would not have allowed Concubine Cheng to live until now."

King Kang didn't reply to her and just left.

Never came back since.

The dignity and glory of the past seem like a world away.

Just as the queen was laughing wildly, Prince Kang came to visit for the third time.

She suddenly stopped laughing and asked directly, "What's going on outside right now?"

Prince Kang's eyes darkened. "The papers flying all over the sky detailed how my father used Wuchen Palace through a woman, destroyed Wuchen Palace after using her, and how he teamed up with my mother to kill Li Moyan after ascending the throne. Those papers asked my father to issue an edict of self-criticism. Wuchen Palace was a god-like gang in the past. Even though it was destroyed, there are still countless loyal palace servants after so many years. This is a force that cannot be ignored. Moreover, Wuchen Palace always contributed money and effort in disaster relief, road construction, and bridge construction. It has protected countless people, and the people are grateful. Therefore, outside the palace, the people are also extremely disappointed with my father, and rumors are everywhere. In order to quell the public anger, the court officials have knelt outside the palace for a day and a night, forcing the emperor to issue an edict of self-criticism."

The queen sneered, and she seemed to be in a very good mood. "It's really a case of bringing disaster upon oneself... Humph, which king's road to the top is not dirty and bloody? These untouchables are just because this is too different from the image of the emperor in their minds. These ignorant untouchables - then, what are you planning to do?"

King Kang's eyes darkened again: "I don't have the strategy and thoughts of my mother, nor do I have the forbearance and means of the King of Chu. I just want to protect my wife and children for the rest of my life..."

The queen's eyes flashed with disappointment and disdain. She turned her head away, no longer looking at him, and said, "You are not my son."

Prince Kang felt a pain in his heart: "My mother is right, I don't have a mother!"

The queen was not angry. Instead, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She only said, "Let's destroy together," then closed her eyes and no longer looked at King Kang.

King Kang felt a little sad and left stupidly.

That afternoon, Yan Ruobing issued two imperial edicts.

First: The King of Chu was appointed as the Crown Prince. As the emperor was not in good health, the Crown Prince would be the regent from now on.

Second: King Kang must go to his fiefdom immediately and is not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict.

At the same time, a secret decree was delivered to King Kang, which was a life-saving talisman he gave to his son.

At the same time, an edict of repentance was issued to quell the grievances. This was the last thing he could do for the crown prince.

Having let go of everything, Yan Ruobing felt more relaxed than ever before.

He never thought that one day he would voluntarily give up the power in his hands.

However, when he was really forced to let go, he felt unprecedented relief.

It turns out that being an ordinary person is so happy.

Happiness is so simple.

If that's the case, why bother fighting for it in the first place?

Wouldn't it be nice if I could just stay with her and live an ordinary life?

But there are no ifs in the world.

Her image reappeared in front of his eyes. To describe her as a beauty as beautiful as heaven would have been an insult to her looks.

He remembered that he waited for more than two months before he caught a chance to meet her when she went out alone.

The first time he saw her, he said in his heart: She is more beautiful than I imagined.

He watched her walk in front of him, bringing with her a scent. He was stunned.

She was wearing a plain white gauze dress. When she noticed someone was staring at her, she turned around and nodded politely to him.

Bai Meisheng.

He continued to stay there until the aides around him pinched him hard, and then he came to his senses.

Then I remembered what I was here for.

Next, she was attacked, he was seriously injured trying to save her... everything went smoothly.

He said he loved her, and she said she loved her too. She even cut a strand of her hair, put it in a sachet, and then put it in his hand.

But the Palace Master of Wuchen Palace refused, saying that the man's identity was questionable.

So he sweet-talked her into taking her away, and she nodded.

The moment she followed him into the palace, her face looked unhappy and she said that if she had known he was a prince, she would never pay attention to him or fall in love with him.

She wanted to leave, so he knelt down and begged for her forgiveness. He said he did all this because he loved her too much.

Although she is simple, she has principles and is determined to leave.

He hid her Yinshuang Sword and forced her to take cartilage powder every day while she cried and repented.

That day she was dressed in white, without any makeup, with long hair draped over her shoulders. She climbed up the city wall, and just as she was about to jump, he hugged her from behind.

He felt deeply that he could not control her, but he could not resist her temptation, let alone the temptation of power.

That day, he took her. She did not resist, but let him do it, stiff as a piece of emotionless wood under him.

He had to send his bride to Zhenguo. Before leaving, he took foolproof measures to prevent her from escaping. Unexpectedly, the Crown Princess handed the Yinshuang Sword to her.

He didn't dare think about what happened next.

"She's back, coming back to take my life..." Yan Ruobing's cheeks were deeply sunken, her eye sockets were deep, her eyes were a little dazed, and she muttered these words while her skinny hands were groping around.

Eunuch Fu quickly took out the old sachet from under the pillow and handed it to him, and only then did he calm down.

He placed the sachet on his chest, clenched it tightly with both hands, and fell asleep.

In the dream, she really came back.

She didn't wear her favorite white, but a red dress.

As red as blood.

The face is still the same face, still young as it was back then.