Holding the script, I want to give up.

What are your plans next?

"Will you... let that child go?"

Shangguan Zitong wouldn't casually say he was just a child; after all, she had been seriously injured by Huangfu Hongxi's knife when she was a child. Someone who doesn't know their own strength needs to be taught a lesson so they'll understand the preciousness of life.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You must have experienced that incident in Beiji..."

"No, that child is definitely going to die."

“He will pay for this. My tolerance is limited. He has crossed a line.”

Mu Rongyi clenched her fists and said.

"Okay, sure. The wheelchair's here, I'll be going now. I feel much safer with you here."

When Shangguan Zitong saw Ying Shi arrive with a wheelchair, she didn't say anything more. Mu Rongyike had a maid push her back to Liu Yunwan's bedroom.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Should we stage a palace coup?

Xu Bin walked up to him and said.

"No rush, let's get rid of the traitor first."

"That child can't be kept alive either. We should deal with him before she wakes up."

Mu Rongyi Ke spoke to Xu Bin, her eyes darkening.

"Yes."

Xu Bin clasped his hands in a respectful bow and withdrew to carry out his duties.

Feeling rather bored after returning to her bedchamber, Shangguan Zitong asked her maid to show her around the palace again. She wanted to see the layout of the Dongchuan Imperial Palace.

"What's your name?"

Shangguan Zitong felt that she had known this person for so long, yet she still didn't know their name. She should ask.

"My name is Yue Ai. Have you forgotten me?"

The maid said something indifferently, and Shangguan Zitong froze on the spot, too embarrassed to say anything to ease the awkward silence.

"You've changed so much, I hardly recognize you!"

"I should have known better. How could Sister Liu possibly come to Dongchuan alone for a political marriage!"

"As her personal maid, you will definitely come along."

Shangguan Zitong turned her head to look at Yue Ai, who did indeed resemble her from a few years ago. But in reality, Yue Ai hadn't changed much; after all, people's appearances are set, it's just that Shangguan Zitong couldn't remember her.

"Yeah! So many days have passed, and you didn't recognize me, which makes me a little sad!!"

A faint sadness flashed in Yue Ai's eyes.

"I thought you would always be by Sister Liu's side taking care of her!"

"Sorry, I didn't recognize you in time."

"Then how did you recognize me?"

Shangguan Zitong felt that she had only spent three years in Xizhao, and was still a child. Now that so much time had passed, Yue Ai could still recognize her.

“I’m not stupid. I can hear them calling you Shangguan Zitong.”

No matter how much you change, I will always recognize you!

"Besides, His Highness is very good to the Crown Princess now, so he doesn't need my help."

At this moment, Yue Ai felt that Shangguan Zitong was still a bit silly, just like before.

"Oh, okay."

"Now? Didn't Mu Rongyi treat Sister Liu well before?"

Shangguan Zitong knew the reason, since she could check Liu Yunwan's situation in real time, but she pretended not to know and asked curiously.

"As for the past... that's a long story!"

"I don't understand the complicated love-hate relationship between them either. You can't just listen to my side of the story."

"You...you should go and ask the Crown Princess yourself."

"It's better for you to ask the person involved than for me, an outsider. After all, I only followed them here secretly."

Yue Ai sighed and pushed Shangguan Zitong to continue walking forward.

"Okay, I understand. I won't ask anymore."

"I'm not that curious."

"I see you are already of age to leave the palace, why don't you leave?"

"Is there no one outside the palace you care about?"

At this moment, Shangguan Zitong thought of Youzhi and Youxi.

"I'm an orphan."

"The only person I care about is the Crown Princess."

"That's why, when the Crown Princess came to marry into the royal family but didn't take me with her, leaving me in the palace to take care of her younger brother, I secretly followed behind the wedding procession..."

Yue Ai felt that although she was just a lowly maid, she wanted to take good care of Liu Yunwan. She had no way to repay the kindness shown to her, so she decided to spend her life with her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know about your past. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's good to have someone to care about, to have the will to live. You're quite loyal."

At this moment, Shangguan Zitong felt like a person without any ties. Someone like Yue Ai, who had no roots, was indeed quite easy to control.

"Don't you... have anyone you care about?"

Yue Ai couldn't understand why her two older brothers weren't concerned about her. If her family were still alive, she would have left the palace long ago.

"It seems...no."

"I can't think of anything right now."

"Let's go back. I'm tired and don't want to shop anymore."

Shangguan Zitong felt a chill in her heart; no one had truly entered it yet. Ah Li was now dispensable to her; after all, even if she completed her mission, she couldn't bring him back to their original world. He was a system, not some individual within a different dimension. If she failed, he would simply be annihilated, without even a chance to rekindle their past romance.

She could never compare her two older brothers to her brothers from the original world, nor could she truly treat them with sincerity.

"Okay, it's getting cold, we should head back."

Yue Ai pushed her towards Liu Yunwan's bedroom.

......

In the evening, Liu Yunwan woke up, and Mu Rongyi Ke sat beside her bed waiting for her to wake up.

"Are you awake? How do you feel?"

"Are there any discomforts?"

"Should I call the imperial physician over again?"

Mu Rongyi took her hand and asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, there's no need to trouble the imperial physician."

"How is Zitong?"

"And what about the child?"

Liu Yunwan wanted to get up, but it was too painful and she couldn't get up at all; it would also easily tear her wounds.

Why do you always think about others and never think about your own health?

"She's fine; she brought you here."

"She has a fairly strong will."

“I’ve sent that child out of the palace; he can no longer stay there.”

Mu Rongyi blatantly lied, saying that the child's fate was unknown! He said it so casually.

"Well, I understand, go and do your work."

"Just have Yue Ai come and take care of me."

Liu Yunwan was also surprised by Shangguan Zitong's behavior. Such a long journey, and she still... She must be very tired now, and she couldn't trouble her any more.

"You...I want to stay with you."

"I'll have someone go and call Yue Ai over right away."

Mu Rongyi thought that she was still angry, so she ordered Ying Shi to call Yue Ai over to watch over her. She then left the palace to meet with Xu Bin and resolve the issue.

Liu Yunwan actually knew his nature; the child was doomed. She didn't expose him because she shouldn't get agitated right now.

Shangguan Zitong didn't say anything when Yue Ai was called away, since there were other maids to take care of her anyway. She didn't necessarily need Yue Ai.

Inside the dilapidated ancestral hall outside the palace, a child lay on the ground, barely alive. Mu Rongyi looked coldly at the corpse-like figure on the ground, blood dripping from the sword in her hand. Xu Bin stood beside him, silent.

"I've tolerated you for a long time."

"I've never laid a hand on you because you're a child, but you're ungrateful and insist on running into a brick wall."

"Do you have any last words?"

Mu Rongyi walked closer to the child, her sword hovering above him.

"Cough...cough...spare my life, I...still...useful."

“I know... a lot of secrets, and I can tell you, but you... have to promise me I’ll live to adulthood.”

The child spoke weakly, but his eyes held an unyielding spirit.

"How much could a child like you know? You're worthless now."

"If I want to know anything, I will send someone to find out. I don't need you to tell me."

"I am your father's killer, how could I possibly let you live to adulthood?"

"Raising a tiger will only bring trouble; you're too naive."

Before the child could utter any more earth-shattering secrets, Mu Rongyike swiftly killed him with a single, swift sword strike to the throat. He then knelt down to check the child's breathing and pulse, and after confirming everything was alright, he took Xu Bin and left for their next destination.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I'll go dig a hole and bury him. At least we should give him a cenotaph."

Xu Bin asked Mu Rongyi Ke for instructions, saying that if Mu Rongyi Ke disagreed, he would secretly leave the palace to bury the person.

"Well, let's go."

As soon as Mu Rongyi finished speaking, Xu Bin rushed towards the dilapidated ancestral hall, buried the person, and then returned to Mu Rongyi's side with a clear conscience.

"Your Highness, that's enough, let's go."

Xu Bin called out to Mu Rongyi from afar.

"Hmm, have you dealt with the mole?"

Mu Rongyi Ke watched Xu Bin rushing towards him and couldn't help but want to scold him for being careless.

"I've solved it. Where do we go next?"

Xu Bin felt that following Mu Rongyi was not wrong, but it was just too much of a hassle.

"Just come with me. It's time for them to reflect on their actions; they've been living too comfortably."

Mu Rongyi said to Xu Bin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

......