From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Ruyu glanced around at the guards, a playful smile playing on her lips.

She calmly put the jade seal into her bosom, her expression composed, as if she were not the one surrounded.

"Brothers, swords have no eyes, why don't we sit down and have a proper chat?"

The guards exchanged bewildered glances, clearly not expecting her to react this way.

The lead guard frowned, but his grip on the hilt of his sword loosened slightly.

"What do you have to say?"

“I have some news here that is extremely beneficial to Prime Minister Wei,” Yan Ruyu said softly, but with an undeniable confidence. “I believe he will be very interested.”

All around was silent, with only the faint sounds of breathing and heartbeats echoing in the air.

The guards exchanged glances, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Ultimately, the leader of the bodyguards made a decision.

"Take her to see the Prime Minister."

Inside the study of the Wei residence, Prime Minister Wei sat upright, his sharp gaze fixed on Yan Ruyu, who had been brought in.

He had assumed this audacious woman was there to threaten him, but to his surprise, she proposed a collaboration.

"Cooperation?" Prime Minister Wei sneered. "What qualifications do you have to talk to me about cooperation?"

“Just because I know the secret between Consort Li and Lord Yang,” Yan Ruyu met his gaze calmly, “and because I know who the Prime Minister’s real target is.”

Prime Minister Wei's expression changed slightly, and the air in the room seemed to freeze, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

He stared intently at Yan Ruyu, trying to discern something from her face.

Yan Ruyu smiled slightly and continued, "Prime Minister, our enemy is the same person..." She paused deliberately, observing Prime Minister Wei's reaction, and then slowly uttered a name.

Prime Minister Wei's pupils suddenly contracted, and he abruptly stood up. "You..."

Yan Ruyu walked gracefully out of Prime Minister Wei's study, a calm smile on her lips, as if she had not just walked into a tiger's den, but merely visited a neighbor.

She gently touched the peony embroidered on her cuff, her posture elegant and her steps composed, exuding an aura of "I am a queen, confident and radiant."

The Prime Minister's confidants looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

They watched helplessly as Yan Ruyu, their "cooked duck," flew away, taking with her a portion of their power. It was more disgusting than swallowing a fly.

One of his confidants couldn't help but ask, "Prime Minister, are we just going to let her go like that?" Prime Minister Wei stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently out the window, and said meaningfully, "No rush, the real show is just beginning..."

As Yan Ruyu walked out of the Wei residence, she glanced back at the plaque hanging high above her head, a sly smile playing on her lips.

She lightly patted her sleeve, as if brushing away something dirty, then turned and left, leaving behind only a confident and elegant silhouette.

The moonlight was like water, its cool glow spreading across the earth.

Xu, the male protagonist, stood in the courtyard, anxiously waiting for Yan Ruyu's return.

When he saw that familiar figure appear at the door, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

He rushed over and hugged Yan Ruyu tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

"Are you alright? I was so worried about you!" His voice trembled slightly, and his tone was full of deep concern.

Yan Ruyu felt the warmth emanating from Xu, and a sweet warmth welled up in her heart.

She gently patted his back and said softly, "I'm fine, I'm sorry to have worried you." The two embraced quietly in the moonlight, their heartbeats clearly audible, as if nothing in the world mattered to them.

"What do you plan to do next?" Xu, the male protagonist, gently stroked Yan Ruyu's hair and asked softly.

Yan Ruyu raised her head, her gaze fixed firmly on the distance. "Since someone wants to play, then we'll play along to the end..." She paused, her tone suddenly turning icy. "However, this time, the game needs to be changed."

"Oh? How do I change it?" the male protagonist asked with interest.

Yan Ruyu smiled mysteriously, leaned close to Xu's ear, and whispered, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind..."

Yan Ruyu and Prime Minister Wei reached a temporary cooperation agreement to deal with the ultimate mastermind hiding behind the scenes.

But the new enemy was clearly more cunning. Instead of sitting idly by, they began to implement a more insidious strategy of sowing discord.

The enemy spread rumors near Prime Minister Wei's residence, saying that Yan Ruyu was only cooperating with Prime Minister Wei to protect herself, and that she had actually been secretly colluding with other forces to bring down Prime Minister Wei.

These rumors spread like wildfire, and even ordinary people in the city started talking about them.

Although Prime Minister Wei was shrewd and calculating, he was not immune to the influence of these rumors.

His attitude towards Yan Ruyu began to become subtle, and he no longer trusted her as much as before.

The two often had minor disagreements when discussing countermeasures.

"Miss Yan, are you sure this news is reliable?" Prime Minister Wei asked with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Of course it's reliable, I guarantee it with my life." Yan Ruyu's tone was firm, but she was somewhat displeased.

The surrounding officials also noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere between the two, and they all cast curious glances and whispered among themselves.

Yan Ruyu felt as if she were being roasted on a fire, and her whole body felt uncomfortable.

Just then, the system's voice suddenly sounded: "Ding! Enemy's divisive tactics detected. Please be careful, host."

Yan Ruyu was overjoyed; the system was indeed powerful! She immediately thought of a countermeasure.

Yan Ruyu pretended to be angry and said to Prime Minister Wei, "Since you don't believe me, then let's call it quits!" After saying that, she turned around and left without any hesitation.

Prime Minister Wei panicked immediately; he hadn't expected Yan Ruyu to be so resolute.

He knew that Yan Ruyu possessed important intelligence, and if she really left, his plan would be ruined.

"Miss Yan, wait!" Wei Cheng hurriedly chased after her. "I misunderstood you. Please stay."

Yan Ruyu chuckled inwardly, but outwardly pretended to be hesitant.

Finally, after repeated requests from Prime Minister Wei, she reluctantly agreed to stay.

Yan Ruyu easily thwarted the enemy's divisive tactics, which instead made her understand Prime Minister Wei's bottom line even better.

Following the clues she had previously obtained, she continued to investigate the identity of the mastermind.

However, as the investigation deepened, Yan Ruyu discovered that the mastermind was not a single person, but a huge conspiracy group.

The group's power far exceeded her imagination; even the emperor might be involved.

Yan Ruyu looked at the clues in her hand with a solemn expression.

She knew that this opponent was stronger and more dangerous than ever before.

In the distance, the once clear sky suddenly turned gloomy, with dark clouds gathering, as if foreshadowing an even greater storm to come.

"It seems this game is getting more and more interesting..." Yan Ruyu muttered to herself.

"What should we do next?" Xu's voice came from behind.