The queen is crazy and spoiled, and the tyrant bows to her

Lu Jinan told the story of the Yun family falling into trouble and Yun Shang losing her father at a young age. She sought shelter in her fiancé's family with a marriage certificate, but later Yun Shang left without saying goodbye. Lu Jinan gave a brief account of the past three years since they separated.

After saying this, Lu Jinan fell to the ground and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, I have been searching for her for years. Now we have finally met again. I hope Your Majesty will grant her permission to return to my side and reunite with me."

Ji Wuyuan supported his head with one hand, frowned slightly, and his face was calm.

Xie Zhiyan frowned and looked at Lu Jinan thoughtfully, his fingertips casually stroking the rim of the cup.

After a moment, Ji Wuyuan slowly spoke: "You and Yun Shang have already been engaged, so why are you so embarrassed when you meet again?"

Lu Jinan's face darkened, and his heart felt bitter and achy. "We've been separated for three years. When I first saw her, I was overly excited and lost my composure. I overstepped my bounds."

Ji Wuyuan pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "Yun Shang is now the Imperial Concubine's person. If you want her, you need Imperial Concubine's approval. I can't grant you that."

Lu Jinan was stunned for a moment, thinking of the cold and fierce woman who had just slapped him...

Xie Zhiyan then spoke up, "Lu Zhuangyuan just said that your fiancée was taken away from the mansion by her aunt three years ago, and there has been no news since then?"

Lu Jinan nodded and said, "Yes."

Xie Zhiyan paused, then said in a serious tone, "Are you sure you didn't recognize the wrong person?"

Lu Jinan was stunned and said with great certainty, "It's absolutely true. I can't possibly be mistaken. Besides, we have our marriage certificate as proof."

Xie Zhiyan's eyes darkened slightly, and his voice became a little colder: "But as far as I know, before entering the palace, Miss Yunshang was the most beautiful lady in Hongyan Garden..."

When Lu Jinan heard the latter sentence, his pupils trembled violently and he looked at Xie Zhiyan in disbelief.

"How is it possible? How could she..."

Didn't she leave with her aunt?

How could his Yun Shang end up in such a place?!

Thinking of this, his chest suddenly felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, and it was so painful that his internal organs were contracting.

Compared to what Xie Zhiyan said, he would rather Yun Shang's indifference and ridicule towards him were just because of her disgust for him.

All she suffered was leaving her hometown with her so-called aunt.

He simply could not accept that the pure and innocent girl whom he held in his heart had been living in a place like a brothel for the past few years.

Lu Jinan's face turned pale in an instant, but his eyelids were red.

No wonder...

No wonder she reacted like this when she saw me...

Xie Zhiyan twitched the corners of his lips, his smile not reaching his eyes: "Since Lu Zhuangyuan said that Miss Yunshang is your fiancée, why not first investigate what she has been through over the years? It's not too late to ask for her then."

Lu Jinan trembled and was speechless.

Seeing this, Ji Wuyuan on the high platform had nothing to understand.

He looked at Lu Jinan's increasingly ugly face and showed a rare mercy: "Forget it, I can let go of what happened today, but I will not forgive you for angering the imperial concubine."

"Go down and receive fifty lashes of the cane."

Lu Jinan kowtowed to express his gratitude, and then went down to receive his punishment.

The weather was gloomy and soon it began to rain heavily. The raindrops fell on the ground with a crackling sound, splashing water.

When the board fell heavily on his body, Lu Jinan seemed not to feel any pain. The pain in his body was far less than the pain in his heart.

His mind was filled with Xie Zhiyan's words, "Before entering the palace, Miss Yunshang was the most beautiful lady in Hongyan Garden..."

He didn't dare to imagine how the little girl who didn't even dare to step on an ant had survived the past few years without him.

The rain slammed down on his face mercilessly, and he could no longer tell whether it was rain or tears.

At a palace banquet, the top scholar, who was supposed to be the most glorious, ended up leaving in the most embarrassing way.

Everyone thought that this new top scholar had angered the emperor as soon as he entered the palace.

What is even more incredible is that this number one scholar, as soon as he left the palace, dragged his badly injured body to Hongyan Garden in the capital. He looked so anxious that he really couldn't wait even a moment.

So, outside the Hongyan Garden.

Citizen A: "Have you heard? That handsome and elegant young scholar who was parading through the streets in broad daylight is nothing but a lecher who pretends to be upright."

Citizen B: "Hey, men are all the same."

Citizen C: "On this day of passing the imperial examination, on this wedding night, a talented scholar and a beautiful woman, what a romantic and joyful occasion!"

Commoner Ding: "I wonder which beautiful courtesan could have caught the eye of the number one scholar, that he would be so desperate to come to her. Speaking of which, since the last courtesan was redeemed, no one in the Hongyan Garden can compare to her..."

"..."

In Hongyan Garden.

Hua Niang: "This young man is so handsome..."

Hua Niang: "Who are you looking for, young man? Do you want us sisters to accompany you?"

Lu Jinan: "Get away! Don't touch me!"

Hua Niang: "Oh, this young man is so vicious, he wants to eat people!"

"..."

At that time, Changle Palace.

After returning to Changle Palace, Jiang Wantang couldn't find Yun Shang for a long time. He walked around and finally found her curled up in the corner of her bedroom.

Jiang Wantang breathed a sigh of relief, walked over silently, sat down beside her, and stayed with her quietly.

After a long time, Yun Shang raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Wantang. There were traces of tears in the corners of her eyes, and it was obvious that she had cried.

This was the first time Jiang Wantang saw Yun Shang so vulnerable and heartbroken. Despite all the hardships in her previous life, she had never given in or shed tears.

It seems that Lu Jinan is very special in her heart.

Yun Shang looked at her and called out, "Sister..."

Two lines of tears slid down Yun Shang's face, and her eyes showed the traces of deep hurt.

Jiang Wantang reached out and hugged her distressedly, patted her back, and said softly, "It's okay, sister will always be with you."

"Sister, I haven't told you about my life story yet. I used to think that talking about it was like playing the victim and it was unnecessary."

"But now, I want to tell my sister."

Jiang Wantang knew some things in her previous life, but she didn't know about Lu Jinan.

She whispered, "Okay."

Yun Shang looked out the window, but her thoughts had drifted back to a long time ago.

"I was born into a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River. When I was five, my family suffered a tragedy, and I was left alone."

"The Lu family is a well-known official family in the Jiangnan area. Back then, my Yun family was indebted to the Lu family, so we arranged this marriage."

"I lost my father at a young age, and had no choice but to seek refuge with the Lu family with only a marriage certificate."

"That was the first time I met Lu Jinan, the cool, elegant, and upright young man who had lived in the world's praise since he was a child."

"When we first met, he was bathed in red plum blossoms and falling snow, holding a scroll of sages, and smiled at me tenderly."

"That was the first touch of warmth I felt in that cold winter."