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

Chapter 78: Are you an idiot?

“More than the fabricated story told by this storyteller, I’m curious about your story with the girl you’re looking for.” Leng Yuling shifted her gaze from the storyteller to Ziqiao. “Could you tell me about it?”

She wasn't being gossipy, just curious. Seeing that Ziqiao seemed reluctant to talk about it, she looked away and whispered, "If it's inconvenient, then pretend I didn't ask."

She was unwilling to force people to do things they didn't want to do, and even less willing to force them to say things they didn't want to say.

But after she looked away, Ziqiao spoke.

"Actually, there's nothing special about it. I didn't come to the capital to look for her." Seeing Leng Yuling's puzzled look, he continued, "Because she's not in the capital."

Ziqiao was unwilling to say more, only saying, "She is the woman I am willing to spend the most time and energy to protect."

Although she didn't know their story yet, Leng Yuling felt it must be a beautiful one, and that the woman must be a very good person.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but say, "She must be a very nice girl." After saying that, she raised her cup and took another sip of tea.

Ziqiao laughed: "I haven't even described her to you, how can you be so sure she's a good girl?"

Leng Yuling shrugged, because she thought Ziqiao was a good person, so the girl that Ziqiao liked must also be a very good girl.

Some people can be identified simply by looking at the people around them, just like the girl Ziqiao mentioned.

"Although I don't know why you came to the capital, I hope you can achieve your purpose. I wish you and the girl you love a happy ending with this tea." With that, she raised her teacup, gestured towards Ziqiao, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Leng Yuling was probably the most straightforward and innocent girl he had ever met. Moreover, it must be said that although she seemed very casual, she was not someone who didn't know how to use her brain. On the contrary, she was very smart.

Leng Yuling and Ziqiao were sitting on the second floor by the window. She glanced at the street below and seemed to see a very familiar person. She subconsciously swallowed and then put down her teacup.

"Ziqiao, it's getting late, why don't we head back first?"

Because she saw that the person downstairs was none other than Mo Zhen and Di Ren. If Mo Zhen saw her here, he would definitely pull her back without hesitation, or perhaps, if he was displeased, he would execute her on the spot.

Leng Yuling's hurried appearance made Ziqiao even more curious, but when they arrived at the inn, he asked, "Miss Leng, did you see anyone? Why are you in such a hurry to come back?"

"Didn't I tell you? I made a mistake at home and I have to wait until my family calms down before I can go back." She breathed a sigh of relief after entering the inn. Even if Mo Zhen searched each inn one by one, it would still take time. At least she was safe tonight.

"So, Miss, you left in a hurry because you saw your family?" Zi Qiao was a smart man. Leng Yuling smiled but didn't say it outright. He had already guessed it, so why point it out?

However, after returning to her room, Leng Yuling saw Mo Zhen sitting on the bed and Di Ren standing to the side.

The latter respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Your subordinate greets Your Majesty the Empress."

Leng Yuling felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't expected that she would see Mo Zhen downstairs at the teahouse just a moment ago, so how did he end up here now?

"You walked so fast? I just saw you walking in the opposite direction!"

After saying that, Mo Zhen immediately continued, "So, you already saw me just now, but you still tried to hide from me?"

"Aren't you just going to hide and wait to be caught and beheaded?" Leng Yuling said softly, looking down at her toes.

She looked exactly the same as when she ran away from the wedding and was caught by Mo Zhen. Mo Zhen wanted to laugh, but after hearing her words, he couldn't laugh anymore.

"Who said I wanted to kill you?" Did he mean to say he wanted to kill her? If he did, even if Leng Yuling had nine lives, it wouldn't be enough for him to kill her.

Hearing this, Leng Yuling suddenly raised her head to look at Mo Zhen, puzzled, "You're not going to kill me? But I talked back to you in front of so many people that night, making you lose face, and you still won't kill me? Are you stupid?"

Realizing what she had blurted out, she quickly covered her mouth and stared at Mo Zhen, afraid of angering him again, which would be no fun.

"Do you think I would need to come out and find you personally if I wanted to kill you?" Mo Zhen suddenly stood up and walked towards Leng Yuling, approaching her step by step. "I just..."

Mo Zhen was interrupted by Leng Yuling before he could finish speaking. She asked curiously, "Just what?"

Her voice brought Mo Zhen back to his senses for a moment. He lowered his gaze and said, "I just don't want the Empress of Southern Chu to disappear without a trace." He looked up at her and said coldly, "Come back to the palace with me."

“Okay.” Leng Yuling replied almost immediately after he finished speaking.

Mo Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. He had been tense and worried for a moment, afraid that Leng Yuling would refuse to go back with him like before, and he really didn't want to tie her up and take her back again.

Inside the carriage, Leng Yuling stared at Mo Zhen. She never expected Mo Zhen to come looking for her personally. Was it because Mo Zhen was worried about her that he came out to find her?

Thinking about this, she couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come looking for me?"

"Because you are my Empress." Mo Zhen glanced at her, as if asking her: Don't you have any self-awareness?

But Leng Yuling smiled smugly. Looking at Mo Zhen, she saw that he was clearly relieved and concerned about her the moment he saw her, but he just wouldn't say it. What an arrogant man.

In fact, Leng Yuling was no better off. Although she had been outside the palace for the past few days, and this was the best opportunity to leave Mo Zhen completely, she had been waiting for Mo Zhen to come and pick her up.

She even stayed at the same inn she had stayed at before, but she only gave Mo Zhen a few days. If Mo Zhen still hadn't found her by the time she set in mind, then she would really have to leave, or rather, Mo Zhen didn't care about her at all.

However, after returning to Jingling Palace, Leng Yuling learned from Ziyan that Mo Zhen only found out about her disappearance on the second night after she left the palace.

He left the palace early the next morning and found her that evening. It seems that Mo Zhen had some understanding of her, or perhaps he knew that she did not really want to leave.

"Your Majesty, please don't be so willful next time. After learning that you were missing, the Emperor was very worried and even dispatched his secret guards to look for you."

"Secret guard?"

“Yes, their duty is only to protect the Emperor, but now the Emperor is willing to let them go to you.” After pausing, Ziyan nodded, “Look, Su Xi is the one the Emperor pulled out from the secret guards to protect the Empress.”