First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

At that time, Mu Lingye was seriously injured and in very poor condition. When they met again at the dilapidated temple the next day, Mu Lingye's cognition had relapsed to the level of a three-year-old.

Based on this analysis, it's perfectly reasonable that Mu Lingye forgot the night they spent together after recovering from his illness.

Gu Junxi blinked a few more times, a wave of disappointment washing over her.

That was her first time. She never expected that Mu Lingye would have no memory of it. No wonder Mu Lingye didn't show any reaction after they had physical intimacy.

Instead, he distanced himself from her, causing her to overthink for a long time.

After the initial disappointment, joy enveloped Gu Junxi once again.

After Mu Lingye mistakenly believed that the person she was with that night was someone else.

To protect her reputation, he took the blame and came forward to admit that he was the one who married her.

After marrying her, he never mentioned this matter again.

It's clear he truly cares for her; otherwise, how could he have gone to such lengths...?

Just like Mu Lingxuan, his love and affection for her were always superficial. After learning that she had lost her life, his first thought was not to protect her, but to use it to blackmail and trample on her.

The more time they spend together, the more they can feel the differences between Mu Lingye and Mu Lingxuan.

Mu Lingye's thoughtfulness touched her and made her heart flutter.

Gu Junxi gathered her thoughts, forcefully tugged at Mu Lingye's hand that was tightly holding hers, and gestured with her eyes for Mu Lingye not to act impulsively, pulling Mu Lingye behind her.

The fact that the Empress Dowager could use her premarital loss of virginity to threaten Mu Lingye into committing a crime shows that she had heard something from someone else.

A person with an upright character has nothing to fear, but they are also afraid of people spreading rumors about them behind their back.

The immediate priority is to find out who informed the Empress Dowager.

Such a secret matter could only be between her and someone close to Mu Lingye.

Gu Junxi looked up: "Grandmother, do you have any evidence to support your claim? If you don't have any evidence, it's just spreading rumors. Father will not only not punish us for deceiving the emperor, but he will also blame you for stirring up trouble!"

The Empress Dowager did not take Gu Junxi's words as a provocation; she simply thought Gu Junxi was making a last-ditch effort.

She was able to say those words, so naturally she wouldn't be speechless.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the head palace maid beside her, who immediately understood and stepped away temporarily.

Before long, a fair-skinned, clean-shaven, and handsome young eunuch, accompanied by a head palace maid, led Xuan Ying into the palace.

After Xuan Ying entered the hall, he bowed to the Empress Dowager and Mu Lingye respectively.

Mu Lingye's gaze darkened as he looked at Xuan Ying.

When the Empress Dowager revealed that the person who had lost his virginity to Gu Junxi before marriage was not Mu Lingye, Mu Lingye should have vaguely guessed that the informant was Xuan Ying. However, Xuan Ying had been with him for a long time, and even if he guessed correctly, he was unwilling to think in that direction.

When the shadowy figure appears before you, and there's no more excuse to be found, that's when the betraying sword will feel the most pain.

Gu Junxi was also somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Xuan Ying to actually betray Mu Lingye.

She only saw Xuan Ying and didn't like herself.

After Xuan Ying finished bowing, her face showed a complex mix of emotions, but her back remained straight and upright. She had a clear conscience and offered heartfelt words of comfort.

“Your Highness, you cannot continue to be bewitched by the Crown Princess. You have been married to her for almost a year without consummating your marriage, and you should know how nasty the gossip is about you. For your own good, you must take in a new mistress in your harem instead of remaining fixated on the Crown Princess.”

Xuan Ying thought he had finished his persuasion and consciously stepped aside, but as he did so, he gave Gu Junxi a disgusted look.

The head palace maid and the young, handsome eunuch were already standing on either side of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager curled the corners of her lips, sighed softly, and stared at Gu Junxi.

"As the Crown Prince's personal guard, Xuan Ying knows everything that happens around him, big or small. Crown Princess, with Xuan Ying as a witness, are you satisfied?"

"I know you are a clever and quick-witted child, and I have no problem with you. However, a man cannot have only one woman by his side. You should persuade the Crown Prince that Fengyang entering the Crown Prince's residence will not become an obstacle between you!"

Since starting with Mu Lingye was not feasible, the Empress Dowager changed her approach and began working with Gu Junxi.

She believed that this matter involved Gu Junxi's personal interests, and Gu Junxi couldn't possibly not be flustered.

"Don't be afraid! As long as you don't want to, no one can threaten you. Leave it to me!" Mu Lingye's dark eyes became even more profound. He seemed worried that Gu Junxi might not be able to withstand the pressure and would give in. He spoke to Gu Junxi first, giving her a sense of security.

Gu Junxi accurately received Mu Lingye's feelings. She was not flustered, bitter, worried, or afraid. Instead, she shook her head at Mu Lingye as if she had been warmed by his kindness.

Speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Ah Ling, I can handle this too."

Mu Lingye raised an eyebrow, knowing that Gu Junxi never spoke boastfully. He always trusted Gu Junxi. Just as he was wondering how Gu Junxi would handle the situation, he saw Gu Junxi shift her gaze away from him and instantly become sharp, as if she had become a different person.

Gu Junxi pulled her hand away from Mu Lingye's tight grip. It had nothing to do with respect, only with etiquette. She bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "Grandmother, I am neither satisfied with nor agree with Xuan Ying as a witness. Because the person I had a relationship with that day was none other than His Highness the Crown Prince."

“Xuanying is indeed His Highness the Crown Prince’s personal bodyguard, but he was derelict in his duty that day and was not by His Highness’s side. That night, my granddaughter-in-law encountered the injured Crown Prince on the riverbank, and that’s how the rest of the story happened. His Highness has a red mole on his left thigh and his back is covered with scars.”

"Just as Xuan Ying said, after the marriage, the granddaughter-in-law and His Highness did not consummate their marriage. His Highness's private place... If the granddaughter-in-law and the Crown Prince had not already consummated their marriage, how could the granddaughter-in-law know so clearly!"

As soon as Gu Junxi finished speaking, Xuan Ying couldn't help but question, "How is that possible? After that night, the next morning, when they found the Crown Prince, you were clearly not by his side!"

The person who reacted the most to what Gu Junxi said was Mu Lingye, followed by the Empress Dowager, but the most excited was Xuan Ying.

He had always believed that Mu Lingye was not the one who took Gu Junxi's virginity, and that Gu Junxi was an impure person, unworthy of marrying Mu Lingye. Now he was being told that everything he had thought before was wrong.

Gu Junxi is not impure, and Gu Junxi is worthy of Mu Lingye.

So what does his disdain and disdain over this period of time mean?

Gu Junxi looked coldly at Xuan Ying, whose expression was on the verge of collapse, without a trace of sympathy.

A guard who claims to be loyal but can't distinguish between what's important and what's not is not a qualified guard at all.

Fortunately, Xuan Ying's obsession with betraying Mu Lingye was about this matter; if it had been anything else, Mu Lingye would most likely have been doomed.

Gu Junxi replied with a curt expression, "I wasn't with His Highness because he was severely injured and unconscious at the time, leaving me behind. What? Don't you know what his condition was like back then? Do you want to make it public knowledge?"

Xuan Ying felt a chill run down her spine when she thought about how Mu Lingye's cognition had declined after he regained consciousness that day.

He shook his head, his face pale: "No, I would never do anything to betray Your Highness. I just want Your Highness to be better."

As Xuan Ying spoke, he began to realize something.

Thinking about his recent sarcastic remarks towards Gu Junxi, he felt even more guilty towards her and ashamed to face her again.

Xuan Ying frowned, made up his mind, and slapped himself in the chest.

"Your Highness, it was my narrow-mindedness that led me to this. I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"