Jinwei joins hands in rebirth: villains can also eat at the table

Rong Pei thought she was just frightened by what happened today, and repeatedly comforted her, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Emperor has already sent for the imperial physician to treat him. I'm at the scene. Guard Ling poured water on him the first thing he did when he came out. I guess they're just superficial injuries. They just look a little scary..."

"I understand. Rong Pei, you can go down first. Remember to help me visit Ling Yunche tomorrow. I feel a little uneasy and want to be alone for a while."

Upon hearing that he was seriously injured, Ruyi became distracted and had no intention of listening to any more. She turned around and sent Rong Pei away.

"Yes, then Madam, remember to call me if you need anything."

Seeing her strange expression, Rong Pei was filled with worry, but she could only go down and wait, leaving reluctantly.

Ruyi stared at the dancing flames on the candlestick in front of her, her heart in turmoil.

For some reason, perhaps because of that dream, she kept thinking of Ling Yunche carrying her out of the sea of ​​fire.

She didn't remember it clearly, only vaguely remembering the flying sparks, the panicked crowd, and his determined profile as he bravely carried her out of the sea of ​​fire.

Ruyi couldn't help but reach out and touch her chest. It was beating so hard that it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She vaguely sensed that something was wrong, and her brows knitted tightly together. A trace of panic rarely appeared in her deep eyes.

Ling Yunche, why are you always by my side when I’m helpless?

This was the case with the cold palace, with carnelian, and now with the fire and water disaster.

Why is he always the one who helps her when she is in trouble?

Ruyi had never been so flustered before, both mentally and physically.

She knew clearly that her heart was only on the emperor and only on the emperor.

With Ling Yunche... I just shared hardships with him, and our relationship was beyond that of a man and a woman.

Qingying, put away your inappropriate thoughts. You are the queen and the emperor's wife. In this life, the only person you can have is the emperor.

Ruyi covered her heart and spoke silently to herself, hoping to calm her chaotic heartbeat.

She sat there for a long time, and finally convinced herself to suppress the slight hesitation in her heart about Ling Yunche.

But she has never been the only one to decide the affairs of this world and the love between men and women.

Even though she had tried very hard to suppress this emotion, it had already grown wildly in places where no one could see it, like weeds in an abandoned old courtyard.

Ling Yunche was seriously injured. Although the fire on his body was put out in time, his exposed parts suffered a lot of injuries.

Not only were his hands covered in blisters, but his right cheek was also burned. Fortunately, the burn was located low, extending from his chin to near his ear, so his beard could block it.

Ling Yunche sat in front of the bronze mirror and looked at his current miserable appearance. He was very glad about the decision he made that day.

Fortunately, he had wrapped his cloak around the Empress. He was a man, so a small injury was nothing. If the Empress had been scarred, he would have had no peace for the rest of his life.

As long as she's okay, that's fine.

The fire that night was so fierce that it destroyed everything. Only the remains of the tents were left at the scene. The palace servants hurriedly put out the fire, leaving the scene in a mess and no useful clues.

Maybe the chaos was really caused by the palace servants' negligence?

Li Yu and his men searched for a long time but could not find any traces of human activity. They could only drag out the palace guards on duty that day and the people who managed the kennels and give them severe punishments.

The queen was pregnant with a dragon heir, so killing was forbidden. To accumulate merit for the child in her belly, she could only severely punish them and then punish them to stay here and do hard labor.

After this incident, the emperor was no longer focused on the autumn hunt. Fortunately, it was nearing its end, so he directly ordered his return to the capital early.

On the way back, the emperor and the empress rode in the same carriage as a sign of comfort.

Seeing that the Queen was often absent-minded, he thought she was frightened by what happened that day. The Emperor held her hand tightly, pulled her into his arms, and gently comforted her, saying, "It's okay. I've asked Li Yu to investigate. What happened that day was all an accident, not a deliberate murder. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt my Queen."

Ruyi was not afraid at all. She was worried about Ling Yunche's injury. As the queen, she could not see her in person. Even though she had asked Rong Pei to send something over, she still felt uneasy, which distracted her.

Hearing the emperor say this, Ruyi came back to her senses and responded with a faint smile on her face: "With your words, I feel relieved."

She half leaned in the emperor's arms, but her mind drifted away unconsciously. She stared at the scenery outside the carriage window in a daze, and the shadow of Ling Yunche appeared in her eyes from time to time.

After returning to the capital, the emperor was in no hurry to reward him, waiting for Ling Yunche to recover from his injuries. He specifically ordered him to rest at home for a month and even sent a royal physician to examine his injuries.

The emperor had a headache, wondering how to reward him.

On the one hand, this person has been unknown in the imperial court for several years. Except for the time when he saved Empress Xiaoxian who fell into the water and promoted his rank, he has no impression of him in the past few years.

The position of first-rank imperial guard was only for princes and nobles. They were the pillars of the country who would fight on the battlefield in the future. Even the Grand Councilor Fu Heng started out as an imperial guard.

If a man with no background, unknown talent, and born in the lower five banners is promoted to the first rank simply because he saved the queen, does he deserve this honor?

Obviously, he doesn't deserve it.

The emperor was feeling upset. Seeing his expression change, Yan Wan, who was serving beside him, couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what is troubling you? Is it because of the fire during the Autumn Hunt?"

The emperor nodded, then realized this wasn't a matter of state, so he told her, "I'm thinking about how to reward the guard who saved the empress that day. He came from a humble background and has been a third-rank guard for several years, indicating his average talent. If I only promote him one rank, it would seem that I'm looking down on the empress."

"Your Majesty, are you referring to Guard Ling? It just so happens that he's from the same hometown as me, and I know him a little bit. I have a way to relieve your Majesty's worries."

Yan Wan spoke frankly, with no intention of concealing their previous relationship from the Emperor. After all, the fact that she and Ling Yunche had been childhood sweethearts was no secret, and the Emperor could easily find out the truth by sending someone to inquire.

"Oh? You have an idea? Tell me about it."

The emperor suddenly became interested, put down the pen in his hand, pulled Yanwan into his arms, let her sit in his arms and answer.

"It's a coincidence that Guard Ling and I have known each other since childhood. We haven't been in contact since I became the Emperor's concubine. I heard that he is over thirty and still hasn't married. Perhaps it's because he has no relatives in the capital and no one to look after him. In addition, he is disfigured, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for a girl to be interested in him. It would be better for the Emperor to arrange a marriage for him personally. This would show that the Emperor values ​​the Empress, and it would also demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence and compassion for his subordinates."