The cold emperor reigns supreme, the arrogant empress begs for a truce.

Chapter 53: With me here, who dares to touch you?

In fact, Leng Yuling didn't know how to answer Mo Zhen's question. Or perhaps, she should have told him directly that she would definitely leave.

However, she couldn't utter a single word.

Watching Mo Zhen's departing figure, her left chest seemed to ache even more, a pain that came out of nowhere.

-

Finally, Jun Ao summoned them into the palace before Leng Yuling could break in.

Leng Yuling met Jun Ao in the imperial garden of the palace, not in the court or his study. This was not the first time she had seen him in person, but she knew nothing about him and fearlessly questioned him: "Jun Ao, where is my master?"

Jun Ao, however, did not seem angry. He said gently, "Ling'er, I was just angry a while ago. Why did you actually go to Nan Chu with Mo Xuan? If I hadn't mentioned the Sage of Medicine, would you have never come back?"

Jun Ao's gaze remained fixed on Leng Yuling, but Leng Yuling's mind was not on him, but on Bai Xiaozi.

"Why should I come back? Don't forget, you were the one who said the engagement was off. I even asked you if it was none of your business who I married." She suddenly switched to a cold expression, looking at Jun Ao, and asked, word by word, "What, don't you remember what you said back then?"

"I……"

Before Jun Ao could finish speaking, Leng Yuling interrupted him. She suddenly took Mo Zhen's arm, nestled against him, and said with a shy expression, "But in the end, A-Zhen and I still have to thank you for your kindness."

The more affectionate Leng Yuling and Mo Zhen appeared, the angrier Jun Ao became, even though the woman beside Mo Zhen was originally his.

From childhood to adulthood, he knew he was destined to be the emperor of the Northern Desert, so he disdained competing with his brothers, but he couldn't stand Mo Zhen.

"Is that so?" Jun Ao looked at Leng Yuling and Mo Zhen and asked in return.

In fact, he was implying that the real reason and purpose of Leng Yuling's return to the Northern Desert this time was to get Bai Xiaozi back, not to show off their affection.

Leng Yuling said so much, but Mo Zhen just cooperated without saying a word. No one could tell what he was thinking, including Leng Yuling.

"Stop talking nonsense, where is my master?" Leng Yuling was too lazy to play with him anymore, so she got up from Mo Zhen and put on a serious face.

Seeing Leng Yuling's anxiety, Jun Ao became smug, curling his lips into a smile, and said calmly, "It's easy to see your master, but Ling'er, you need to know what you have to do to get your master out of the dungeon."

Jun Ao said this not only to Leng Yuling, but also to Mo Zhen, and at the same time to show off to him. So what if she is his empress? In order to save another woman, Mo Zhen still has to obediently send Leng Yuling to his side.

However, Leng Yuling didn't care what Jun Ao's purpose was; she only wanted to make sure Bai Xiaozi was safe: "I know, but I need to see my master now!"

Leng Yuling insisted, and in the end, Jun Ao could only have someone take her to the dungeon to confirm Bai Xiaozi's safety.

Mo Zhen did not go with them.

"To save your concubine, you personally sent your empress to my side." Jun Ao still looked smug. "Mo Zhen, are you really willing to accept this?"

Jun Ao couldn't see any trace of emotion for Leng Yuling on Mo Zhen's face. He simply felt nothing anymore; Leng Yuling was now the well-known Empress of Southern Chu.

Now that he has personally sent Leng Yuling to the Northern Desert Kingdom, Jun Ao is very curious about what Mo Zhen is really thinking.

"Only the Sage of Medicine can save Yun'er." Mo Zhen remained calm and resolute, as if the one to be exchanged was not his Empress.

"Is this why you had Mo Xuan bring Leng Yuling to Southern Chu?" Treating her illness was a pretense; the real purpose was to control Leng Yuling.

After all, even though Leng Yuling is Bai Xiaozi's last disciple, she may not be as skilled in medicine as Bai Xiaozi. If they want to cure Ma Zhiyun's illness, they still have to find Bai Xiaozi.

However, Bai Xiaozi is from the Northern Desert Kingdom and his whereabouts are often unpredictable. Only by controlling Leng Yuling can Bai Xiaozi be made to obediently follow him back to Southern Chu to cure Ma Zhiyun's illness.

Mo Zhen's plan was very well executed. Even Jun Ao only realized it after Leng Yuling became the Empress of Southern Chu, which led to all the subsequent events.

Mo Zhen did not immediately answer Jun Ao's question, but calmly asked in return, "If I do not make Leng Yuling empress, will you let her enter the palace?"

Faced with Mo Zhen's questioning, Jun Ao didn't know what to say. Because Mo Zhen knew him very well, even if he lied, Mo Zhen could see through it at a glance.

So he said, "No." After a pause, he continued, "But now I think that even if she's not the empress, it would be nice for her to be a concubine."

Mo Zhen's face instantly darkened. Even though he had no affection for Leng Yuling, she was still his empress. Moreover, Leng Yuling was a different kind of person to Mo Zhen.

Seeing the slight change in Mo Zhen's expression, Jun Ao smiled smugly and said sarcastically, "I never thought that the dignified Emperor of Southern Chu would fall in love with a woman I had abandoned."

As soon as Jun Ao finished speaking, a voice from the doorway interrupted him: "What do you mean by 'the woman you abandoned'? You should look in the mirror and see what you look like. Anyone with eyes could make the choice between Mo Zhen and you in a second, okay?"

She had only come back to ask Mo Zhen a question, but she was so angry at what Jun Ao said that she felt like her head was about to explode.

Jun Ao, however, felt no guilt whatsoever. Instead, he was surprised to hear Leng Yuling compare him to Mo Zhen, and that he was even worse than Mo Zhen.

"Leng Yuling, don't think that just because you still have some use, I won't dare to touch you." Jun Ao shouted angrily, pointing at Leng Yuling.

Leng Yuling just smiled coldly, looking at him with a sarcastic expression, and said, "I bet you won't dare to touch me, so what?" After pausing, she looked at Mo Zhen and said smugly, "Besides, do you think Mo Zhen would agree to you touching me?"

Leng Yuling looked up at Mo Zhen, hoping he would cooperate.

The next moment, Mo Zhen put his arm around her waist, whispered in her ear, "With me here, who dares to touch you?"

Mo Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for Jun Ao to hear clearly, making him so angry that he couldn't say a word.

“A teacher for a day is a father for life. Since you are my husband, come with me to see my master. I think my master also wants to see you.” Leng Yuling ignored Jun Ao’s displeasure and spoke to Mo Zhen instead.

It seems she didn't realize that her purpose in coming to the Northern Desert was to bring back Bai Xiaozi, and instead she remained affectionate with Mo Zhen.

"Leng Yuling, soon you'll see whether I dare to touch you or not!" Jun Ao said through gritted teeth as he watched them leave.