The princess only wants to survive, and the cold-faced king of hell begs for mercy

Yun Shang raised the corners of her mouth slightly, outlining a faint smile, and said softly: "I'm not late, no matter how much you glare at me, it will be of no use!" After that, she leisurely walked to her workstation and slowly sat down.

However, she didn't immediately throw herself into her busy work. Instead, she sat quietly, her eyes a little hazy, as if her thoughts had drifted far away. Yun Shang was stunned for a long time, and then she came back to her senses as if waking from a dream and began to deal with the tasks for the whole day.

Time ticked by. For Yunchang, going to work felt like a long, grueling journey, gradually wearing her out. The frequent meetings were like a heavy yoke, weighing her down, making her feel almost breathless and ready to collapse at any moment. Finally, at nine o'clock in the evening, the entire office building was still brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

Yun Shang was already exhausted. She dragged her exhausted body slowly out of the office. Her steps seemed heavy, each one seeming to require all her strength. She slowly walked towards her cozy little rental house, her lonely figure stretched out by the streetlights.

As she walked, Yun Shang unconsciously raised her head and gazed at the deep night sky. The night was as dark as ink, thick and impenetrable, but the lights of this bustling city were as bright as day, illuminating the surroundings with a clear and bright light. For a moment, she had the illusion that she couldn't distinguish between day and night.

Yun Shang's gaze continued upward, finally settling on the few faintly glimmering stars in the night sky. At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—could Zhao Qiyan, thousands of miles away, be gazing up at the same starry sky as she was? Could these two, separated by millennia, have witnessed the same dazzling starry sky together? At this thought, Yun Shang couldn't help but feel an indescribable emotion well up in her heart...

As her thoughts reached this point, Yun Shang was suddenly jolted awake as if struck by lightning. Zhao Qiyan? The name flashed through her memory like a meteor, then vanished without a trace. Who was Zhao Qiyan? Yun Shang was consumed with anxiety, an indescribable anxiety gripping her heartstrings, as if a crucial puzzle piece had been lost in the corner of her memory.

Just as Yun Shang was deep in thought, a sharp creaking sound suddenly resounded throughout the room, like a shrill alarm piercing the silent night sky. The sudden sound of the door opening reached her ears without warning, instantly jarring her from her deep thoughts. Yun Shang's eyes widened, and she looked eagerly towards the source of the sound, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably.

After taking in the scene before her, Yun Shang finally woke up and breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't just a dream; she was still in that dark, enclosed chamber. As she watched the man slowly enter the room, Yun Shang's expression was surprisingly calm, showing neither the slightest excitement nor the slightest anxiety, as if she had already seen through everything and anticipated his arrival.

Yun Shang opened her lips slightly, and her gentle voice drifted in the air: "Mr. Jiu, you finally found the opportunity."

Mr. Jiu raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile: "That's right, Zhao Qiyan has withdrawn all the troops searching for you. Now we can set off with peace of mind."

Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn't help but frown, and said suspiciously, "How is this possible? I haven't even returned to the palace yet, so how could Zhao Qiyan easily withdraw all his men? Mr. Jiu, could it be that you accidentally fell into a trap set by someone and were completely unaware of it?"

Facing Yun Shang's questioning, Mr. Jiu remained smiling. He calmly waved his hand, signaling the guards who had followed him into the room to step forward and escort Yun Shang out. At the same time, he said, "The Empress has returned to the palace. Zhao Qiyan must, of course, order the troops to withdraw."

Yun Shang was shocked when she heard this. She immediately turned around and stared at Mr. Jiu with shock and disbelief on her face. She cried out, "What? You actually found someone to impersonate me and disguise yourself as me to return to the palace?"

Mr. Jiu raised his eyebrows, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes, and replied with a smile, "Yes, you can never imagine how ecstatic we were when I first saw that woman who looked almost exactly like you! It can be said that God is blessing us and helping us."

Hearing this, Yun Shang was completely stunned. She had never imagined that Mr. Jiu and his men could find someone so similar to her as a substitute. So, did this mean she would never have the chance to return to the palace and regain her original identity? At this thought, Yun Shang felt a surge of despair, as if the whole world was collapsing in an instant.

At this moment, sunlight shone into every corner of the deserted house, but this did nothing to alleviate Yun Shang's inner fear and despair. Two burly guards escorted her tightly, step by step, out of the long-abandoned house.

Then, she was roughly shoved into a shabby carriage. The carriage lurched to life, the wheels creaking, as if foreshadowing the unknown fate that awaited her. Inside, Mr. Jiu and Lin Zhiyi sat side by side, their gazes fixed on Yun Shang with piercing intensity. She felt like she was being stabbed in the back, with no chance of escape.

Yun Shang prayed silently, placing all her hopes on Zhao Qiyan. She silently hoped that he would quickly see through the fake "Yun Shang" and never give up on finding the real her. Because at this moment, her biggest worry was that if she helped Mr. Jiu and others achieve their ulterior motives, she would become a useless pawn and be killed.

Meanwhile, far away in the imperial study, Zhao Qiyan sat upright on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power. However, he looked incredibly tired, his brows furrowed in a knot, the stubble on his chin turning dark blue, and he looked quite haggard, clearly having not had a full rest in some days.

The young eunuch who had been waiting at the door would occasionally peek at the situation inside the room, his heart full of doubts.