Women disguised as men went to the battlefield and the emperor bowed down in submission.

Seeing that Physician Li had already begun to act, Xuanyuan Yu left the palace and went to the Imperial Physician's Office. He found that all 20 poisoned guards had already received acupuncture, so he asked the old physician to give him acupuncture as well.

Soon, the onset of the poisoning for everyone was prolonged, but there was no antidote, and the timing of the antidote's preparation was also uncertain.

Lin Ruoshui had Zhang Quan summon Xuanyuan Yu back to his bedchamber.

Lin Ruoshui looked at Xuan Yuan Yu walking towards her from a distance and felt as if a god from heaven had descended to earth. She had never seen such a majestic, domineering, and incomparably handsome person in the 21st century. She was unconsciously stunned again.

Xuan Yuan Yu glanced at Lin Ruoshui, who was staring at him with infatuation, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He usually disliked women, especially those who were infatuated with him, but with Lin Ruoshui, he found it quite pleasant to be looked at with such adoration.

Xuanyuan Yu walked up to Lin Ruoshui, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered, "Your Majesty, wipe your drool."

Lin Ruoshui was captivated by the man's seductive voice and couldn't help but wipe her drool.

She suddenly realized what was happening, turned her face to look at Xuan Yuan Yu, and as Xuan Yuan Yu stepped back, their lips unexpectedly touched.

Lin Ruoshui's heart raced as she stared into Xuan Yuan Yu's eyes with her bright and alluring gaze.

This casual touch can stir a person's heart more than a passionate kiss.

Xuanyuan Yu instinctively grabbed Lin Ruoshui's neck and pressed their lips tightly together.

Lin Ruoshui's breathing stopped and her face turned red.

Xuanyuan Yu stuck out his tongue and licked those delicate, soft red lips.

I don't know why, even though the two of them are complete strangers and don't love each other, their bodies are instinctively drawn to each other.

She thought to herself, "It's all just desire. How could it be because of love? We're just two strangers. How could Xuanyuan Yu possibly fall in love with me..." Lin Ruoshui sneered inwardly.

Xuanyuan Yu kissed her passionately, the kiss growing deeper and deeper. He suddenly felt Lin Ruoshui staring at him, so he restrained his desire.

He pressed his forehead against Lin Ruoshui's, panting heavily, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Lin Ruoshui remained expressionless, wiped the cool taste of Xuan Yuan Yu from her lips, took a deep breath, and said, "It's nothing. I hope it won't happen again next time."

Xuanyuan Yu was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting it, but also feeling that Lin Ruoshui's reaction was reasonable, after all, they only had a relationship of ruler and subject.

But the more you try to control desires, the more they will grow wildly until they devour a person.

Xuanyuan Yu released his grip on Lin Ruoshui's hand, put it behind his back, and clenched it into a fist.

The hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Xuanyuan Yu spoke first, asking, "What business does Your Majesty have with me?"

Lin Ruoshui said, "I think this assassination attempt is not simple. Moreover, the other party did not use poison to kill us, but stopped after confirming that we were under the influence of aphrodisiacs. They must have a backup plan. If we are not on guard, it will not be long before my secret is discovered by the concubines in the harem. Do you think the Chishui Kingdom will be in chaos then?"

Xuanyuan Yu said, "Don't worry, with me here, I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Lin Ruoshui's heartstrings were touched by these words; she hadn't expected Xuan Yuan Yu to say such a thing.

Xuanyuan Yu said, "The assassin acted so blatantly today, yet not a single Imperial Guard appeared. Only the 20 bodyguards on duty protected you. This proves that someone controls the Imperial Guard. Who do you think that person could be? If you were poisoned, who would be the one to be favored?"

Lin Ruoshui continued to deduce: "If I were to favor any of the concubines, the Empress would definitely be the first. Regardless of whether the Empress could give birth to a prince, as long as she had been favored, she could rightfully give birth to a prince, even if that prince was not the Emperor's. At that time, the Duke of Dingguo, Tu Yu, would, as the court had said, use the Emperor to command the princes."

Xuanyuan Yu nodded.

Lin Ruoshui said, "When the court session ended, I saw murderous intent in Situ Yu's eyes. I didn't expect him to send someone so quickly. It seems he was prepared in advance."

Xuanyuan Yu said, "We must make plans early. Once the poison takes effect, this palace will likely be the most dangerous place."

Lin Ruoshui said, "Shadow One, send all 20 guards who were poisoned today to various brothels in the capital to prevent the poison from taking effect. The guards who were not poisoned are divided into three teams. One team will protect me and the Prince of Chu. The second team will disperse to monitor the movements of the concubines in the palace. The third team will arrest people outside the palace, arresting anyone who comes to try to find out information. Don't let a single one get away."

Ying Yi replied: "Yes!"

Xuanyuan Yu couldn't help but move closer to Lin Ruoshui, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, and said softly as if to comfort her, "The palace is no longer safe. We can go back to the General's Mansion. If you disguise yourself and stay by my side, I'm sure no one will notice."

Lin Ruoshui felt that Xuan Yuanyu was inviting her to his home as a guest.

She felt that if she went to the general's mansion, she would definitely be taken advantage of by Xuan Yuan Yu, who seemed cold on the outside but was actually a huge pervert on the inside.

Lin Ruoshui awkwardly declined, saying, "There's no need. I feel like it's not safe anywhere. What if the poison takes effect when we return to the General's Mansion? You... I really can't bear that. Someone could die."

Xuanyuan Yu asked in confusion, "What?"

Lin Ruoshui said dismissively, "I'm praising you for being excellent, you really are excellent!" Lin Ruoshui gave a fake thumbs-up.

Xuanyuan Yu seemed to understand, a cold glint in his eyes, and a strange smile appeared on his face. He said, "How will you know if you don't try?"

Lin Ruoshui broke out in a cold sweat and stammered, "They say practice makes perfect. After all, I've been with your body for several days now, so there's no need to try. I...I know it all. King Chu is truly unparalleled in every way."

Xuanyuan Yu looked at Lin Ruoshui, who was so frightened that she stammered, and found her extremely cute, so he couldn't help but laugh.

That smile was natural and warm, like a stream flowing gently in a quiet valley, washing away the dust and noise of the world.

His eyes were like sparkling stars, and when the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, his smile was like a spring breeze caressing a flowerbed, bringing everything back to life. That smile carried a touch of refinement, a touch of nonchalance, and a touch of untamed boldness, making one unable to resist its charm.

The first time Lin Ruoshui saw him smile, she was once again captivated.

Xuanyuan Yu suppressed his smile, pinched Lin Ruoshui's fair cheek, and said, "Since you admire me so much, I will not disappoint you and will ensure that you experience it even more deeply."

Upon hearing Xuan Yuan Yu's words, Lin Ruoshui immediately woke up. She pointed to the roof and said, "There's an assassin!"

Xuanyuan Yu looked in the direction she was pointing.

Lin Ruoshui turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Xuanyuan Yu turned back, looked at the figure fleeing in panic, and smiled once again.