After giving birth to twins, the princess became pregnant again, and the royal uncle took care of he

Inside the solemn and majestic imperial palace.

The once majestic and magnificent Eastern Palace is now nothing but ruins after the fire.

A somber and sorrowful atmosphere hung over the entire sky.

The empress slowly removed her magnificent robes.

Dazzling jewels fell from her cloud-like hair.

The phoenix crown, symbolizing supreme honor, was also gently moved aside.

At this moment, she appeared without makeup, her former radiant beauty now overwhelmed by endless grief.

The Empress sat silently beside the cold bodies of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, clutching a burning torch tightly in her hand.

The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs panicked and rushed forward to try to stop the noblewoman.

However, how could they possibly stop the queen, a woman with an iron will?

This is because Bai Jingning and the current emperor are childhood sweethearts and husband and wife, and their affection for each other is extremely deep.

We once fought side by side, galloping across the battlefield, and bravely killing the enemy.

His martial arts skills were so superb that they even surpassed those of the emperor.

Bai Jingning swayed and leaped up as lightly as a swallow, instantly passing over the group of eunuchs and palace maids.

With a flick of her arm, a sharp palm strike shot out.

They placed the torches on the bodies of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess without missing a beat.

In the blink of an eye, raging flames shot into the sky.

It mercilessly devoured the already mangled and indistinguishable remains of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Just then, the emperor arrived in a great hurry.

As he gazed at that beautiful face, flushed red by the firelight, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Even without dressing up, the Empress exudes a powerful aura that commands respect and her majesty remains undiminished.

However, a deep frown line had appeared between her beautiful brows at some point.

They will never see that innocent, smiling face of the past again.

Everyone was horrified and immediately knelt down, shouting:

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

In a short while, the entire Eastern Palace was filled with the anxious and uneasy sounds of people paying their respects.

The sudden sound was like a thunderclap, abruptly shattering the chaotic thoughts in Junlin's mind.

Jun Lin frowned slightly, but said nothing. He simply waved his hand casually, signaling everyone to leave.

Upon seeing this, the palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly got up and tiptoed out one after another.

In an instant, they vanished without a trace, leaving only Emperor Junlin and Empress Bai Jingning standing in the same spot.

Junlin slowly lifted his foot and walked forward.

Before the raging fire, a figure stood tall like a pine tree, not bowing or paying homage like the others.

This is Empress Bai Jingning.

Jun Lin approached Bai Jingning step by step, finally stopping beside her.

He remained silent throughout, standing there quietly.

Together with Bai Jingning, they stared at the ever-growing fire before them.

Time seemed to stand still as the two silently watched the flames leap and rise.

Finally, Bai Jingning took action, carefully placing the ashes of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess into an exquisite sandalwood box.

Just then, Junlin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke in a deep voice and asked:

"Ah Ning, are you feeling better? Don't be sad, you still have me."

His tone was calm and deep.

Upon hearing Jun Lin's question, Bai Jingning slowly turned her head, her clear and deep eyes staring directly at Jun Lin.

Her pupils were as black as ink, and her gaze was incredibly sharp, as if she could see into a person's heart.

When asked by Jun Lin, Bai Jingning did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment.

Then he countered, "Are you happy sitting on the throne of Dongjing Kingdom?"

Upon hearing this, Jun Lin locked eyes with Bai Jingning.

He felt an uncontrollable urge to avoid eye contact.

However, the waves of excruciating pain in his body kept reminding him—

Throughout his life, no matter how cold and ruthless he was to others, he never held back when it came to Bai Jingning.

Thinking of this, Junlin tightly gripped the hand hidden behind his back.

Then he turned to look at Bai Jingning, a barely perceptible bitter smile appearing on his lips, and slowly said, "Happy."

Bai Jingning's beautiful eyes gazed at him without the slightest ripple, like a calm lake.

He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Okay, as long as you're happy."

After speaking, she bowed slightly, her movements dignified and elegant.

Then he resolutely turned his head away, seemingly eager to leave this place.

Just then, Jun Lin's figure blurred, and he took several steps as fast as lightning, instantly arriving in front of Bai Jingning.

He reached out and tightly grasped her soft, boneless little hand.

His gaze was intense and unwavering as he stared intently at the woman before him, and he said urgently:

"My happiness is not because I am the emperor, the ruler of this world, but because..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Bai Jingning had already forcefully broken free from his grasp.

She bowed to Junlin again and said in a cold tone:

"I am not happy. I just want to go back to Kunning Palace to recuperate."

Then, Bai Jingning tightly hugged the urn in her arms, resolutely turned around, and walked away without any regrets.

Jun Lin stood still, gazing at her receding figure, and murmured:

"Ah Ning, you will never understand why I'm happy."

"I do not wish to sit on the throne, but only by ascending the throne can I be by your side."

"Therefore, even though I despise the throne to the extreme, I am willing to be the ruler of this country for your sake."

At this moment, Junlin secretly pondered:

"As long as I can be by your side, I would rather die than give up the throne."

"No one can take the throne from me, not even Jun Jiuxiao."

Thinking of this, he suddenly raised his arm and forcefully swung it towards the empty void, shouting sharply:

"All the guards who had the privilege of witnessing the Empress's true face without makeup shall be executed!"

A moment later, a deep voice responded from the ethereal void: "Yes!"

Junlin slowly took a few more steps forward, stopped, and turned his head slightly, his sharp eyes gazing into the void.

He asked in a deep voice, "Has everything been properly arranged regarding Jun Jiuxiao's matter?"

The sound echoed in the quiet air, seemingly carrying an invisible pressure.

However, only a brief and decisive response came from the void:

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this answer, Junlin's face instantly turned cold. He clenched his fists tightly, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Jun Jiuxiao, what's owed will eventually have to be repaid!"

Every word and sentence is filled with endless resentment and unwillingness.

After speaking, Junlin turned and walked steadily toward the Imperial Study.

After entering the room, he walked steadily to the desk and skillfully operated a mechanism on it.

With a slight clicking sound, the entrance to the hidden chamber immediately appeared.

It was because that place held the "old friend" he was so eager to see.

However, to Junlin's surprise, despite the mechanism turning smoothly, the door to the secret chamber did not open as expected.

Just then, a dark figure flashed out from the corner; it was none other than the spies, the guards responsible for protecting this place.

The scorpion said in a somber tone, "The master has ordered that you are not to meet with him in the coming days."

Upon hearing this, Junlin felt an overwhelming surge of anger.

He glared fiercely at the scorpion, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.

But in the end, he suppressed his anger and dared not say another word.

After all, disobeying one's lord's orders is no small matter, and the consequences could be unbearable.

Left with no other choice, Junlin looked at the thick stack of memorials.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then sat down at the back.

He was intently reading and annotating these memorials, seemingly pouring all his resentment and dissatisfaction into his writing.