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

Gu Junxi took a deep breath and then moved silently, kicking the small piece of clothing under the bed without anyone noticing, while retorting without changing her expression.

“Princess Fengwu is mistaken. I saved you not for your sake. I do wish you were dead, but for the sake of the marriage alliance between our two countries, you need to live well for the time being.”

"Alright, now you're not allowed to speak. If you speak again, even a god can't save you."

Gu Junxi's tone wasn't exactly friendly, but Feng Wu wasn't angry.

If it were her, knowing the risks involved, she would never save her enemy.

Even for the sake of the so-called bigger picture, she wouldn't.

Indeed, only someone like her is worthy of being the mother of the nation.

“Thank you…” Feng Wu lowered her eyes and was about to say thank you with strong determination when Gu Junxi unceremoniously stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth.

While Gu Junxi was treating Feng Wu's poison and wounds, Mu Lingye and the others did not leave the room. They simply had a screen placed in front of the bed to avoid suspicion.

Feng Wu's life or death is related to the peace between the two countries. It is so important that she needs to be guarded closely.

Time passed slowly, and seeing that Feng Wu, who had been conscious just moments before, had now fallen into a coma, Mu Lingche's trust in Gu Junxi began to slowly disappear. He paced back and forth in the room uncontrollably.

He has no feelings for Feng Wu, and his marriage is entirely based on self-interest. He will be saddened if Feng Wu dies, but he will also be implicated by her death.

With Feng Wu dead, forget about vying for the throne; she'll most likely be banished from the capital immediately.

The fact that Gu Junxi was treating Feng Wu was known not only to the few people inside the room, but also to the group waiting outside. They all stayed at the door, waiting to see how things progressed.

From the moment Gu Junxi tried to save Feng Wu, people were not optimistic about her, after all, even the imperial physicians were helpless, and Feng Wu was both poisoned and had a fatal injury.

This level of difficulty is no less than that of the previous plague in Luoyan City.

Gu Junxi may have been lucky to solve the plague before, but this time it might not be so simple.

"There's still no news. It seems today's wedding banquet is really going to turn into a funeral banquet."

"Sigh, one should only do what one is capable of. The most important thing is to know one's own limitations. The Crown Princess is probably going to ruin herself this time because of her desire to show off."

"The most pitiful one is Marquis Ningyuan. He only just learned the truth about the tragic deaths of his family members, and now he has to face the fact that his daughter is in trouble. How can she possibly get through this?"

Among these voices were those of schadenfreude and those of sympathy.

Seeing Mu Lingche pacing back and forth in front of him, Mu Lingxuan narrowed his eyes, already plotting how to cover for Gu Junxi.

If Qin were to launch an attack because of Feng Wu's death, and everyone were united in demanding that Gu Junxi pay with her life to quell their anger, that wouldn't be out of the question. At worst, he could manipulate things, switch the roles, and have someone else take Gu Junxi's place.

He would then secretly hide Gu Junxi in his mansion and change her name. In any case, Gu Junxi had already taken the medicine and could no longer disobey him.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. In any case, Emperor Sheng favored him, so even if Emperor Sheng found out, he would never hold him accountable and might even cover for him.

"Sixth Brother, you're making my eyes blurry. There's no use in getting anxious at a time like this. What's destined to be yours will be yours, and what's not, you can't force. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea first?"

Mu Lingxuan sat down, lifting his robe, and actually poured himself a cup of tea—a truly excessive act. His words were so infuriating that one wanted to strangle him.

"If you don't take a break now while you have some free time, you'll probably have a hard time relaxing once the news of Princess Fengwu's death spreads."

Mu Lingche's expression changed instantly. Unable to control his emotions, he shot a sword-like gaze at Mu Lingxuan, his words filled with hostility.

"How can you be so sure that Princess Fengwu will die? The Crown Princess has saved the lives of tens of thousands of people in Luoyan City."

Mu Lingxuan gently placed the teacup on the table and shrugged: "So what? Strength plus luck is what makes you invincible. Strength alone is no good without luck. You all saw Princess Fengwu's condition just now. If she could be saved, how could the imperial physicians have been completely helpless? Besides, if she could be saved, the Crown Princess should have been finished by now."

Mu Lingxuan's words made sense. Mu Lingche glanced behind the screen, still furious, but increasingly lacking confidence. He was already plotting how to escape after Princess Fengwu's death, and how to minimize his losses.

Seeing Mu Lingche's dejection, Mu Lingxuan became even more confident, completely certain that things would proceed as he predicted. He couldn't wait to kick a man when he was down, and looked at Mu Lingye.

Mu Lingye stood quietly to the side from beginning to end, his expression calm and composed, as if everything was under his control.

His elder brother is quite the show-off.

Mu Lingxuan didn't see the anxiety he expected on Mu Lingye's face, and he immediately felt a sense of disappointment. Unconsciously, his hatred for Mu Lingye deepened, and he wanted even more to peel back Mu Lingye's pretense and see Mu Lingye's true vulnerability.

He couldn't help but sneer, speaking sarcastically: "Brother, the reason Xixi was implicated this time is entirely because of you. For your own good, I advise you not to be so opportunistic in the future."

Mu Lingye remained indifferent.

He glanced at her calmly and said indifferently, "Prince Xuan, how do you know that Axi will definitely be implicated? How about we make a bet? If Axi successfully saves Princess Fengwu, you will cut off your own arm. If Axi fails to save her, I will cut off my own arm."

Mu Lingye's gaze was so unwavering that Mu Lingxuan dared not look directly at him.

He was originally very confident about something, but for some reason, he started to hesitate now.

He hesitated, unable to answer.

Mu Lingye sneered: "What? You were jumping around so enthusiastically just now, but now you don't dare to agree? Useless thing, no wonder Axi doesn't want you."

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could Xixi not want me?" The word "no" completely broke Mu Lingxuan's defenses. What he couldn't accept was that Gu Junxi didn't want him.

He almost blurted out his secret, but considering Leng Xuanjue's intentions, he swallowed his words and said ambiguously, "I believe that before long, Xixi will realize your true colors and turn back from the wrong path."

"Then do you dare to bet?" Mu Lingye didn't need to say anything more, he just repeated what he had just said.

Whenever he came to this place, Mu Lingxuan felt as if his throat was blocked, and he could no longer say anything more.

The difference in their abilities was immediately apparent. If the occasion weren't inappropriate, Mu Lingche would have almost laughed. There was no kinship in the royal family, and he disliked none of his elder brothers. But if he had to compare, he'd rather be with the aloof and taciturn Mu Lingye than pay any attention to Mu Lingxuan.

Because Mu Lingxuan wanted to have his cake and eat it too, unwilling to make any sacrifices, yet wanting to monopolize all the benefits.

"All done!" Gu Junxi was unaware of all the speculations about her circulating outside. She finished stitching up Feng Wu's last wound, tied a special knot for stitching, and handed the needle and scalpel to the female doctor who was assisting her.

The female doctor curtsied and put the things away.

The other two maids on one side took the initiative to remove the screen.