She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

These powerful figures wanted to crush her pride inch by inch, to break her down from within.

For some reason, Yan Heqing felt a surge of emotion, but before he could soften his heart, he turned and left.

But this incident had a huge impact on him.

Just as Princess Yizhen had crumpled his sleeve, no matter how he tried to smooth it out, the mark was still left behind.

Ke Yizhen's identity is not simple, and she also has her heart set on Emperor Jing'an.

He couldn't rescue the brother and sister without them noticing.

After all, he wasn't alone; he had subordinates who were sworn to follow him to the death standing behind him.

A single misstep can have far-reaching consequences, and the entire army could be wiped out if one is not careful.

Only then did he understand the meaning of Master Xuqing's words. It was not just that his excessive contact with Princess Yizhen would arouse suspicion among the people of Northern Qi, leading them to discover his true background.

Her unwavering perseverance and pride inevitably stirred his compassion.

But he lacked the ability to help her escape her suffering.

Just as he was lurking beside his enemy, yet unable to immediately kill him, he felt utterly powerless.

Later, Chu Mingyuan confided in him about how to persuade Princess Yizhen to willingly enter the Crown Prince's residence.

He sensed the impatience in Chu Mingyuan's words; clearly, Chu Mingyuan's patience with Princess Yizhen had run out.

Based on his understanding of Chu Mingyuan, if Princess Yizhen still couldn't fulfill Chu Mingyuan's wishes, he would probably force her to marry him.

The brother and sister were powerless to resist.

Because they were abandoned by the Great Zhou, without the protection of their motherland, the people of Northern Qi wouldn't even consider them human. If the Emperor of Great Zhou cared about his two children, how dare these powerful figures bully them?

I fear that this brother and sister will never be able to return to their motherland before they die.

So, he went along with it and asked Chu Mingyuan to send Emperor Jing'an back to the Great Zhou in exchange for Princess Yizhen entering his residence.

Once Emperor Jing'an returns to the Great Zhou and ascends the throne, he can bring Princess Yizhen back to the Great Zhou.

Princess Yizhen received Chu Mingyuan's protection, and these powerful figures dared not humiliate her anymore.

Everything was proceeding as he had envisioned.

Emperor Jing'an returned safely to the Great Zhou.

Princess Yizhen also entered the Crown Prince's residence.

Everything is back on track.

The only difference is that, since then, Princess Yizhen has pretended that she has never known him.

If the two inevitably meet, she will call out, "Lord Yan."

Until that day, he shielded Chu Mingyuan from three cups of wine and took the carriage back to the Crown Prince's residence ahead of him. On the way, he felt his mouth was dry and his stomach felt like it was burning, which gradually made his mind become confused.

He immediately ordered Yan Yi to drive the carriage around to the Crown Prince's residence through the back gate, so as not to let anyone see him in such a disheveled state. But as soon as the carriage stopped at the back gate and he stepped inside, he saw Yi Zhen running towards him in a panic.

Her steps were unsteady, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and she looked flustered.

The next moment, he saw a man dressed as a groom chasing after him.

He immediately understood what was going on, and ordered Yan Yi to tie up the coachman. Then he grabbed Yi Zhen's arm and went out through the back door, and together they rode in a carriage to one of his private residences.

Yi Zhen's mind gradually became clouded, but when she saw that the person who was taking her away was Yan Heqing, her heart, which had been hanging in her throat, finally settled down.

In her heart, he was the only one who had no ulterior motives towards her and would never hurt her.

The carriage was too cramped and narrow. Yizhen felt palpitations and shortness of breath. She cried out that she was hot and her mind was foggy.

He still retained a sliver of reason, desperately ignoring her heavy, suppressed breathing. It was incredibly tempting to him, like a bewitching song from a mountain spirit, impossible to resist.

The space inside the carriage felt even cramped, stuffy, and humid than before, to the point that sweat clung to my body.

In the silence, only the restrained breathing and heartbeats of the two people could be heard.

His sanity was about to collapse. He closed his eyes and kept reciting the Heart-Cleansing Mantra in his mind.

However, when he closed his eyes, his senses became even clearer.

Her rapid breathing, her painful moans, and the rustling of her clothes were all amplified many times over.

The veins on his forehead were clearly visible, and hot sweat slid down his temples.

Unable to bear it any longer, he opened his eyes, and a small patch of fair skin came into view.

Yan Heqing pressed down on her hand, stopping her from tearing her clothes any further.

When he touched her hand, it was so hot, even hotter than his own body temperature. He should have been repulsed, but he greedily wanted to pull her into his arms.

Reason told him to let go, but his grip tightened.

Reason told him he should run away, but his body was getting closer and closer to her.

Just as their hot breaths fell on each other's faces and he was about to regain his senses, a pair of hands climbed up his neck, pulled him down, and he fell headfirst into a soft, warm dream.

When they woke up, they were all in a sorry state, unable to face the chaotic situation that had followed their transgression.

Yi Zhen's face was deathly pale, and her lips were completely bloodless.

He understood Yi Zhen's personality. Even though she didn't love Chu Mingyuan and didn't have a formal title, she was still Chu Mingyuan's woman.

Now, however, she has done something immoral.

She probably won't be able to accept this fact.

"What happened yesterday was not what either of us wanted, but the mistake has been made, and I will give you an explanation for what happened yesterday." Yan Heqing was the least willing to hurt Yi Zhen, yet he was the one who hurt her the most: "Or, is there anything you need me to do?"

There was silence in response to him.

Just when he thought he would not get a response, he heard Yi Zhen say softly, "Yan Heqing, you and I are no different. We are both people whose fate has arranged for us."

Upon hearing this, his expression turned solemn.

Yi Zhen turned to look at him: "What explanation can you give me? Or what can you do for me?"

Before he could speak, Yi Zhen shook her head: "I misspoke. You've already done enough for me."

As she spoke, she counted on her fingers: "My brother and I were bullied and covered in injuries. Almost every time, we would encounter doctors offering free medical treatment. I know it wasn't because my brother and I were lucky, but because someone was helping us behind the scenes."

"I fell into a lotus pond while attending a banquet and almost drowned, but someone jumped in and saved my life."

"The clothes I was washing were cut up by those people. I went to apologize to the customers and hoped they would give me some time to earn money to pay them back. Strangely, they were all very generous and didn't want me to pay them back. It was the last customer who let it slip that someone had paid back the money for me."

"When I was framed, someone came forward and presented evidence to clear my name. And..."

She seemed to remember something and suddenly couldn't continue, her voice becoming even softer: "There are too many things, I can't count them all at once. You did all of this, didn't you? I can't think of anyone else but you."

“You are someone the Crown Prince relies on. It would be too easy for you to protect me from being bullied. But you didn’t do so, which means you have your reasons and cannot be involved with me, a princess from another country.”

"You can't give me an explanation, and you can't help me with what I want to do."

Finally, she said, "Yan Heqing, my innocence is a very small thing to me. I have more important things to do. You don't need to worry that I will take my own life because of this."