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

Chapter 74: Mo Zhen, Shut Up

Mo Xuan also stayed at Jingling Palace for dinner. With Leng Ruoxi, who had just moved in today, Jingling Palace was more lively than usual.

Mo Xuan was the first friend Leng Yuling made in this era, so she always spoke to him directly and without any reservations, but others saw it differently.

At the dinner table, Leng Yuling and Mo Xuan chatted and laughed, seemingly oblivious to Mo Zhen and Leng Ruoxi beside them, which greatly displeased Mo Zhen.

Seeing Leng Yuling and Mo Xuan chatting and laughing, Leng Ruoxi said in a low voice, "My elder sister went to Junshan when she was young and we rarely spend time together. I only heard Father say that my elder sister has a rather aloof personality, but after spending time with her these past few days, I have found that my elder sister is not aloof at all, but rather very lively."

"To be honest, when I first met my sister-in-law at the gate of the Northern Desert Imperial Palace, I also thought she was a rather aloof person, but on the way to Southern Chu, I realized I was wrong." After pausing, Mo Xuan turned his head to look at Leng Yuling, and the two looked at each other, then both smiled.

The more intimate and natural they appeared, the gloomier Mo Zhen's expression became, and the more Leng Ruoxi was able to use this as an excuse to make a scene.

"Ruoxi really envies her elder sister." Seeing Leng Yuling's confusion, she continued, "Elder sister's lively personality makes her likable wherever she goes. The Fifth Prince must also like her very much, otherwise why would he have specially come to the palace today to give her her favorite osmanthus pastry?"

Leng Ruoxi spoke seemingly casually, but Leng Yuling could hear the provocative meaning in her words. Therefore, there was a reason why she disliked Leng Ruoxi.

Having been in the Southern Chu Imperial Palace for so long, is Leng Ruoxi finally going to start making moves, or is she going to start with her directly?

Using Mo Xuan to sow discord between her and Mo Zhen was not a wise choice, and Leng Yuling was not stupid, nor was she someone who would easily fall into someone else's trap.

"You don't even know that the smell of osmanthus is what I hate the most?" Leng Yuling said casually. "I can't blame you for that. Maybe it's because I haven't been back to the Prime Minister's residence in Dongqi for too long."

From beginning to end, she never regarded the Prime Minister's residence as her own home, nor did she regard Leng Pingchu as her father, let alone Leng Ruoxi as her own sister.

As soon as Leng Yuling finished speaking, Leng Ruoxi felt embarrassed.

With her head slightly lowered, Ruoxi said, "When the Fifth Prince brought the osmanthus pastries today, I thought it was because my elder sister liked them..."

"What do you mean?" Leng Ruoxi was interrupted by Leng Yuling before she could finish speaking. She had never liked bullying the weak, not even those who pretended to be weak. But Leng Ruoxi had repeatedly crossed her line.

Leng Yuling's temper flares up just as quickly.

Hearing her tone, Mo Zhen and Mo Xuan could tell that she was displeased. However, looking at Leng Ruoxi's aggrieved appearance, they didn't think she had said anything wrong; it was just a misunderstanding.

"Ruoxi just said it casually, why are you being so aggressive?" Mo Zhen put down her chopsticks and looked at Leng Yuling, feeling that she was being a bit harsh on Leng Ruoxi.

Mo Zhen's words were fine until he spoke, when Leng Yuling remembered how he had saved Leng Ruoxi from Consort Jing's clutches and personally escorted her back to Miaofang Courtyard after she twisted her ankle. She felt terrible.

"Mo Zhen, shut up." Leng Yuling stared at Mo Zhen with displeasure. "Do you know that there are some things you have the least say in?"

As she spoke, Leng Yuling glanced at the dishes on the table, losing all appetite. She slammed her chopsticks on the table, stood up, and said unhappily, "I'm not eating."

"Leng Yuling!" Just as she was about to leave her seat, Mo Zhen called her name, causing the palace servants around her to be startled and lower their heads, not daring to look, knowing that this was a sign that Mo Zhen was about to get angry.

Leng Yuling stopped in her tracks. Seeing this, Mo Xuan spoke up to ease the tension, saying with a smile, "Brother, I think Sister-in-law is not satisfied with today's dishes. Why don't we have the imperial chef make another one?"

Mo Zhen turned his head to look at Mo Xuan, his tone flat but with a hint of displeasure: "You seem to know her very well."

As he was leaving, Leng Yuling called out to him, "Mo Zhen, don't think you're so smart. Go back and think carefully about why I'm angry!"

Leng Yuling's words were clearly meant to make Mo Zhen reflect on himself. Mo Zhen usually said such things to others. This was the first time she had encountered someone who dared to use such a tone to address Mo Zhen and say such a thing.

She had just taken a step when she heard Mo Zhen call her name coldly: "Leng Yuling!"

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

Mo Zhen, who was already angry, became even angrier upon hearing Leng Yuling's sarcastic voice.

He casually swept the table, knocking the cups off the floor with a loud thud that startled many. The next instant, all the palace servants hurriedly knelt down; Mo Zhen was truly angry.

When Leng Yuling turned around, she saw everyone lying on the ground. Even Mo Xuan and Leng Ruoxi, who were sitting and eating, had stood up. Only then did she realize the seriousness of the situation.

However, this was not a reason for her to soften her tone; on the contrary, it fueled the anger in her chest even more.

She didn't even care about the consequences of angering Mo Zhen. Instead, she walked to the side, picked up the vase that was placed on the table as an ornament, and smashed it heavily on the ground. Then, looking at Mo Zhen, she said angrily, "Mo Zhen, let me tell you, you're not the only one who expresses dissatisfaction by smashing things!"

Leaving behind a sentence, Leng Yuling walked towards the door. After a step or two, she turned around, picked up another vase, and smashed it on the ground, as if to show that she was really angry!

After returning to her room, Leng Yuling worried that Mo Zhen would be so angry that he would rush in, drag her out, and give her a severe beating or even kill her. So, she cleverly locked the door from the inside.

Seeing that the door was locked from the inside, she breathed a sigh of relief and muttered regretfully as she walked inside, "It's all over, I actually went against the emperor."

Mo Zhen is, after all, the emperor of a country. She gave him a hard time in front of so many servants and maids, which made him lose face. What if he killed her to save face?

After all, those in power in this era kill without hesitation. Thinking about the consequences she might face, Leng Yuling's legs trembled involuntarily.

"Leng Yuling, Leng Yuling, why did you act so impulsively? You shouldn't waste your youthful vigor on him." She was now filled with regret, but she had no idea what Mo Zhen would do next.

"No, I can't just wait to die here, I have to save myself!" With that, she grabbed a handful of pearls and jade from the jewelry box, put them in her bosom, and then quietly climbed out the window.