From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

"Heh, interesting." Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow, a sly glint in her eyes. "If you want to play big, then this old lady will play along." She rose like a whirlwind, her red dress flashing like flames across the silent palace.

She knew that she could not shake this deeply entrenched conspiracy group by herself alone; she had to unite all forces that could be united.

First and foremost is Lord Yang, a man of integrity and upright character.

Yan Ruyu went straight to the point, presenting him with the evidence she had gathered.

Lord Yang was initially shocked, then filled with righteous indignation, and immediately expressed his willingness to fully cooperate.

Then there was General Zhao, who held considerable military power.

Yan Ruyu knew that he was a cautious and suspicious person, so she reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, and finally succeeded in persuading him to remain neutral and wait and see, which actually laid the groundwork for possible cooperation in the future.

In the palace, Consort Li smiled charmingly, but her eyes concealed a cold calculation.

"Yan Ruyu, do you think you've won? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind..." She tapped her slender fingers lightly on the table, waiting for the show to begin.

Yan Ruyu shuttled between various forces, like a burning flame, igniting everyone's hope.

However, her actions also attracted the attention of the cabal.

"Hmph, a little brat dares to ruin our plans?" Prime Minister Wei sneered, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "Go, take care of her!"

As night fell, several assassins dressed in black sneaked into the Yang residence. Their eyes were cold and their movements were swift, like messengers from hell.

At the same time, in Consort Li's palace, Xiao Shunzi knelt on the ground trembling, "Your Majesty, General Zhao... seems to be wavering..."

"Useless!" Consort Li slammed the teacup to the ground, shards flying everywhere. "It seems we have no choice but to use our last trump card..."

A murderous aura permeated the air, and the surrounding people fled in terror, their shouts and cries mingling together.

Yan Ruyu and Lord Yang stood back to back, facing the ferocious assassins without the slightest fear.

"It seems tonight is destined to be a sleepless night." Yan Ruyu sneered, a sharp dagger appearing in her hand at some point, its cold light gleaming.

"Then let them see what a real 'group favorite' looks like!"

Yan Ruyu curled her lips into a cold smile, her slender fingers tracing a complex path in the air.

System startup!

"Exchange Skill: Heavenly Thunder Formation!" In an instant, the wind and clouds changed color, thunder roared, and dazzling bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking the black-clad assassin with pinpoint accuracy.

Before the assassins could react, they were struck by a powerful electric current, screams echoing throughout the air, which was filled with the smell of burning.

"That's it? I thought they were some experts, but they're just a bunch of noobs!" Yan Ruyu curled her lips in disdain, looking down at the fleeing assassins like a queen, exuding an aura of dominance.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed past, heading straight for Yan Ruyu's back!

"Watch out!" Lord Yang exclaimed.

However, the anticipated attack did not occur.

The male protagonist, Xu, appeared behind Yan Ruyu without her noticing and steadily blocked the fatal blow.

His eyes were firm, protecting Yan Ruyu like a rock.

"My lady, I'm late." Yan Ruyu turned around, her eyes sparkling, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"My husband, you've come at just the right time." The two smiled at each other, everything understood without words.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Nanzhu stood back to back, cooperating tacitly like two war gods, defeating the remaining assassins one by one.

"Retreat!" Seeing the situation was dire, the leader of the assassins uttered a harsh word and led his remaining men in a hasty escape.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Yan Ruyu sneered, about to give chase, but was stopped by Xu Nanzhu.

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy; be careful of a trap." Yan Ruyu nodded, took a deep breath, and calmed her excited emotions.

She looked around and saw that although Lord Yang and his servants were somewhat disheveled, they were all unharmed.

"Lord Yang, are you alright?" "Thank you so much, Miss Yan and Young Master Xu, for saving me. I am deeply grateful!" Lord Yang bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with admiration.

In the distance, the palace of Consort Li was brightly lit.

"Smash!" Consort Li slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground, shattering it into pieces.

"Useless! You're all a bunch of useless trash!" Xiao Shunzi knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to breathe.

"Your Majesty, please calm down..." Consort Li took a deep breath, trying to quell the anger in her heart.

“Yan Ruyu…I really underestimated you…” A glint of malice flashed in her eyes, “However, the game has only just begun…”

The atmosphere was heavy in the study of Prime Minister Wei's residence.

"Your Excellency, we... have failed..." Prime Minister Wei's face was gloomy, and he remained silent.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, "It seems we have to change our strategy..." He walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky, and his eyes gleamed with an inexplicable light.

"Yan Ruyu, Young Master Xu... are you ready?"

Inside the Golden Palace, Prime Minister Wei appeared calm and collected, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

Consort Li gently waved her feather fan, her eyes alluring, as if she had everything under control.

They had meticulously woven a trap, just waiting for Yan Ruyu to fall into it.

"Yan, do you know your crime?" Prime Minister Wei questioned sternly, his tone full of pressure.

Yan Ruyu sneered, showing no fear whatsoever. "Prime Minister Wei, I think you're the one who's senile. You've turned right and wrong upside down, calling a deer a horse. Do you really think everyone in the world is a fool?" Her eyes were sharp, and her aura was imposing, like a drawn sword pointing directly at the heart of the conspiracy group.

The officials in the court looked at each other, some whispering among themselves, while others watched quietly as the situation unfolded, creating an atmosphere of extreme tension.

"How dare you be so disrespectful to His Excellency the Prime Minister!" Consort Li scolded, trying to divert everyone's attention.

"The evidence is right here, there's no room for your sophistry!" Yan Ruyu took out the evidence she had prepared beforehand and presented it to him one by one.

Each piece of evidence was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the heart of the conspiracy.

Prime Minister Wei and Consort Li's faces turned deathly pale instantly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Their meticulously planned conspiracy was thus completely exposed by Yan Ruyu, leaving them nowhere to hide.

"This...this is impossible!" Prime Minister Wei's voice trembled as he looked at the evidence in disbelief.

Consort Li slumped into a chair, her face ashen.

The court was in an uproar when the ugly faces of the conspiracy group were exposed to the public.

The officials looked at Yan Ruyu with admiration; they had never expected that this seemingly frail woman would possess such wisdom and courage.

The emperor was furious and ordered that Prime Minister Wei and his faction be imprisoned and severely punished.

Consort Li was stripped of her title and banished to the Cold Palace.

In the imperial palace, justice was served and the conspiracy was thwarted.

Yan Ruyu stood in the center of the hall, receiving the praise of the crowd, like a triumphant hero.

The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers to celebrate this hard-won victory.

Yan Ruyu was dressed in gorgeous clothes, radiant and with a confident smile on her face.

She looked around and saw Xu's gentle gaze.

He walked up to her and tenderly embraced her.

"My wife, you're amazing!" Xu whispered in her ear, his voice full of love and pride.

"My lord, we won." Yan Ruyu nestled in his arms, feeling his warmth, her heart filled with happiness.

The male protagonist gently lifted her chin and kissed her passionately.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and only the sound of their heartbeats could be heard.

Yan Ruyu has established herself in the power struggles of the palace and has become the true darling of the female lead.