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

Under Baili Heng's repeated insistence, Lin Ruoshui and Xiuyi moved into the palace.

Under Lin Ruoshui's meticulous care, Ouyang Xuri's injuries healed rapidly.

But Ouyang Xuri seems to have turned into a giant baby, sticking to Lin Ruoshui every day.

He used the excuse that his injury was serious and he needed careful care to ask Lin Ruoshui to visit him regularly every day.

He also made Lin Ruoshui carry him outside to bask in the sun for an hour every day, and the place where he basked in the sun could not be too close to his residence.

Xiu Yi and Baili Heng frowned as they watched Ouyang Xuri acting cute and affectionate in Lin Ruoshui's arms.

Baili Heng watched Lin Ruoshui's slender figure as she carried the prehistoric giant baby on her way to the Temple of Heaven to bask in the sun.

He said angrily, "Ouyang Xuri, that's enough! You can bask in the sun anywhere, why do you have to come to such a far place as the Temple of Heaven?"

Ouyang Xuri wrapped his arms around Lin Ruoshui's neck and said, "I feel that the sunlight at the Temple of Heaven is stronger and more conducive to my recovery."

Baili Heng said, "I can carry you there."

“You’re a man, you’re clumsy. What if you accidentally touch my wound?” Ouyang Xuri said.

Baili Heng gritted his teeth and said, "I'll be careful!"

"Yingying, my wound hurts," Ouyang Xuri said, looking at the stunningly beautiful Lin Ruoshui.

Lin Ruoshui said, "Then let Xiuyi carry you?"

Ouyang Xuri shook his head and said, "I don't trust them. If they touch me, my wound will definitely reopen."

Xiu Yi was furious when he saw Ouyang Xuri shaking his head and approaching Lin Ruoshui.

Xiu Yi grabbed him and used her inner strength to shatter his clothes and bandages.

When Ouyang Xuri was fully exposed, he didn't cover his vital organs, but instead covered his wounds.

Lin Ruoshui pried open his hand that was covering the wound, and the scab on the wound fell off lightly, revealing a completely healed wound.

Lin Ruoshui, her eyes blazing with anger, pulled out a specially made leather whip from her waist and shouted, "Ouyang Xuri, you were already cured, yet you still dared to lie to me. I'll whip you to death today!"

Seeing that he had been exposed, Ouyang Xuri fled in panic, but Lin Ruoshui pursued him relentlessly, her whip cracking loudly.

Xiu Yi and Baili Heng sighed in exasperation.

That night, after Xiu Yi and Lin Ruoshui finished their cultivation, he picked up the special leather whip that Lin Ruoshui had used during the day and said, "I want to try it too."

Lin Ruoshui asked, "Test what?"

Xiu Yi said, "This."

Lin Ruoshui suddenly understood what he meant, and after a series of actions, she took off running.

Xiu Yi was not about to let her go.

A gust of wind swept through the air, and Lin Ruoshui, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, collapsed onto the dressing table.

Baili Heng stood outside their hall for a long time, feeling both envious and sad.

The unbearable pain of unrequited love was like a giant python tightly coiling around him, constricting his entire body, making it hard to breathe, and keeping him awake at night.

Baili Heng looked up at the moon, his mind and body unable to calm down for a long time.

The next day, Lin Ruoshui was woken up by Xiu Yi in a special way, and she opened her clear and bright eyes.

Staring at Xiu Yi's collarbone, Xiu Yi said with hazy eyes, "It's time to wake up, we have to go to the morning court soon."

Lin Ruoshui said, "You still know I have to go to court?"

Xiu Yi said, "Mm."

Lin Ruoshui rolled her eyes.

At noon, Aiguo knocked on the door and asked, "Has the commander woken up?"

Lin Ruoshui sighed and said, "She's awake!"

"The Right Emperor Xuancang requests your presence in the Imperial Study for a meeting," Aiguo said.

Lin Ruoshui cleared her throat and said, "Okay, I understand."

After saying that, she picked up the dagger from the bedside table and put it to her neck.

Xiu Yi was startled and said, "I was wrong!"

As night fell, Aiguo knocked on the door and asked, "General, shall we go again today?"

Lin Ruoshui woke up groggily and said, "Tomorrow."

Then she closed her eyes, picked up the dagger from the bedside table, and was about to slit her own throat.

Xiu Yi gripped the dagger tightly and said, "I know I was wrong!"

……

The next day, the morning sun shone like a dazzling pearl, serenely and solemnly illuminating the magnificent palace.

Lin Ruoshui woke up naturally, feeling no fatigue. Xiu Yi had transferred her true energy to her for a long time last night, and now she felt comfortable and full of energy.

Lin Ruoshui summoned palace maids to do her hair and makeup.

Xiuyi was still asleep.

Lin Ruoshui glanced at Xiu Yi, who seemed a little tired, smiled smugly, and turned to leave.

Since yesterday, Baili Heng has had a dark expression all day. He has come to Lin Ruoshui's palace several times, but he has not been able to go in.

He was highly skilled in martial arts and had amazing hearing; he knew everything that was happening, but he couldn't stop it.

Lin Ruoshui walked into the imperial study with a bright and cheerful expression, glancing at Baili Heng's face, which was as black as ink.

She smiled and said, "Did you go to dig coal this morning?"

Baili Heng said irritably, "What coal mining?"

"Your face is so dark, did you go to dig a coal mine?" Lin Ruoshui picked up a book and lifted Baili Heng's chin.

Baili Heng's face turned from black to red, and he said, "You..."

Lin Ruoshui put down the book in her hand and said, "I'm sorry, you've worked hard."

Baili Heng's face turned from red to white, and he said indulgently, "I told you, once you become emperor, you can do whatever you want."

"But, but, can't you be a little more restrained? What kind of behavior is this, indulging in debauchery during the day?" Baili Heng said, getting angry again.

Lin Ruoshui said, "Then I'll move. This palace is too big, and it feels inconvenient to do anything."

Baili Heng thought to himself, "Convenient? What's the point of convenience? I just want to prevent you two from having any convenience."

Baili Heng quickly regained his gentle and refined demeanor and said, "Your status is different now. Living in the palace is safer than outside. For your personal safety, you should also live in the palace."

Lin Ruoshui nodded and asked, "What did you want to see me about yesterday?"

Today, Baili Heng's face looked like a palette of colors.

He then said with a stern face, "Yesterday, envoys from five countries arrived in Wuling together. I came to discuss receiving them with you."

"Why don't you just receive them? I'm not good at this kind of diplomatic stuff," Lin Ruoshui said, sitting at the table in the imperial study.

Baili Heng put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I guess they are here to congratulate the new emperor on his ascension to the throne, but in reality they are here for firearms or for you."

It's best if you don't leave the palace recently, or don't leave the palace alone.

I will double the number of guards in the palace, and I will have Ouyang Xuri moved to a nearby palace to make it easier to protect you.

"Is it that serious?" Lin Ruoshui asked, pulling his hand away.

“It might be more serious than I thought.” Baili Heng put his arm around his shoulder and said, “There will be a banquet tonight to welcome the envoys from various countries. We will attend together. You can find out their intentions so that you can have a better understanding of the situation.”

Lin Ruoshui naturally stood up, turned around, dodged his arm, and nodded.

After Lin Ruoshui left, Baili Heng summoned Ouyang Xuri and told him about Lin Ruoshui's current situation, instructing him to protect Lin Ruoshui as he was nearby.

Ouyang Xuri's eyes lit up and he said, "Leave this to me."

Baili Heng then went to see Xiuyi in person.

Baili Heng said, "I hope you can control yourself and not harm Yingying's body because of your greed."

Xiu Yi looked at Baili Heng calmly and said, "Do you know that she suffers from anorexia and insomnia?"

Do you know that she spends half an hour with Xuanyuan Yu in the back hall every day, and then sits there for another half an hour?

Her insomnia has recently worsened; she won't sleep unless she's completely exhausted.

Her anorexia has improved slightly, but she can only eat a little bit each day, and she will vomit if she eats even a little more. When she is extremely tired, she will eat a little more and vomit a little less.

Now, apart from practicing martial arts and seeking revenge, she has lost interest in everything else.

Before he could finish speaking, Baili Heng felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.

His eyes were sore and glistening with tears.

Ouyang Xuri, who was carrying bedding into the palace, also heard all of this. He was so surprised that he threw the bedding on the ground and turned to find Lin Ruoshui.

Xiu Yi remained expressionless, her gaze fixed indifferently on Baili Heng.

Baili Heng clutched his right chest and rubbed it hard, seemingly finding some relief from the pain. He said, "I thought... I thought she would come to her senses, but I never expected it to turn out like this!"

Xiu Yi said, "I promised to protect her, but her broken heart is hard for me to heal."

Baili Heng's handsome face showed a look of dejection. He said, "I will find a way. I will make her better."

Xiuyi didn't say anything or look at him again, and went back to bed to catch up on sleep.

Lin Ruoshui, with her hands tucked into her sleeves, nestled on the swing in the Imperial Garden, using her inner strength to swing.

The sun dried the glistening on her beautiful eyelashes, but when she opened her eyes, the glistening again wet her eyelashes.

Ouyang Xuri bent down to look at the petite woman in front of him, then picked her up and helped her stretch out.

Lin Ruoshui opened her eyes and wiped away the tears that had not yet dried with her sleeve.

She asked, "Why are you hugging me?"

Ouyang Xuri said, "Let me see how much you weigh."

She asked in confusion, "What? Are you planning to sell me by weight?"

Ouyang Xuri weighed the options for a moment and said, "It definitely won't fetch a good price if sold by weight."

She said, "Hurry up and put me down, or you'll be charged with deceiving the emperor."

Ouyang Xuri said, "Whatever you want!" As soon as he finished speaking, his thick lips were about to kiss her when she felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her brain.

She reacted quickly, drawing her whip from her waist and flicking it. Seeing that his plan had failed, Ouyang Xuri turned and ran.

Lin Ruoshui gritted her teeth and cursed, "You little brat, I'll beat you to death!"

Lin Ruoshui flew off to chase after Ouyang Xuri.

Ouyang Xuri maintained a distance that he could catch up with but couldn't quite, exhausting Lin Ruoshui to the point of near death.

Seeing the scene before him, Baili Heng was amazed by Ouyang Xuri's naivety, yet also envious that he could do it without any scruples.

Lin Ruoshui couldn't run anymore and stopped, panting heavily. Baili Heng walked over, stretched out his smooth, fair arm, and said, "Can you slap me? I want to taste what it feels like."

Lin Ruoshui's face contorted 360 degrees. Speechless, she slammed the whip down at his feet and turned away listlessly.

Baili Heng bent down, picked up the leather whip, and put it in his pocket.

That night, Ouyang Xuri did not move to the palace next to Lin Ruoshui's, but instead stayed directly in Lin Ruoshui's side hall.

As winter sets in, night falls early. Who will be at tonight's banquet? And what a spectacular event it will be!