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

Mu Lingye felt that he was truly ill, and quite seriously so. On one hand, he felt immense joy at finally avenging his great enemy, but on the other hand, he was terrified that Gu Junxi would find out that he was the one who killed Emperor Sheng.

So when he left the inner chamber, he specifically threatened and instructed Xu Decai, warning him not to tell anyone that he had dragged the Emperor off the bed, or he would be torn apart by five horses.

Mu Lingye suddenly felt like a worm crawling in the dark, and only by staying by Gu Junxi's side could he feel a little bit of sunlight.

Gu Junxi stayed with Mu Lingye under the sycamore tree like she was comforting a child, sitting there for the entire night. When she woke up again, she realized that she and Mu Lingye had been sleeping, leaning against each other.

"Good morning!" As soon as Gu Junxi woke up, Mu Lingye woke up as well.

Mu Lingye's fingers were slightly cool in the morning. He breathed warm air on them to warm them before gently touching Gu Junxi's face, which was also a little cool.

"Good morning." Gu Junxi touched her belly, revealing her white teeth, and said softly, "Father of the baby."

The title "father of the child" carries immense weight. Mu Lingye felt his heart scald, and the sensation made his blood boil.

Yes, he and Gu Junxi already have a child of blood, and their relationship is unbreakable; no one can easily sever it.

"Honey, are you hungry?" Mu Lingye's eyes and brows were filled with smiles, as happy as a child.

Gu Junxi was about to say yes when she heard the funeral bells ring out, nine times in total.

Emperor Sheng, who originally had three more days to live, died after only one night.

Mu Lingye followed Gu Junxi and looked in the direction from which the death knell was tolling.

His expression became visibly tense.

Fortunately, Gu Junxi did not associate Emperor Sheng's death with Mu Lingye.

Perhaps she thought of it, but didn't care.

It's normal for someone you love to do something extreme, given how much suffering they've endured since childhood.

If it were someone else who had experienced the pain that Mu Lingye went through, their suffering might have been several times more extreme than Mu Lingye's.

“Ah Ling, Father’s death was his own doing. If he hadn’t trusted Qingyanzi so much, he wouldn’t be dead today. Everything has a cause and an effect.” Gu Junxi turned her head and grabbed Mu Lingye’s hand.

Mu Lingye's heart skipped a beat.

He was incredibly intelligent; from the tone of Gu Junxi's words, he already understood that Gu Junxi had guessed that Emperor Sheng's death was related to him. However, he still didn't find him malicious; instead, he was able to understand him.

Mu Lingye was touched and very grateful for Gu Junxi's understanding, but he still couldn't risk telling Gu Junxi the whole story.

Even if he dies, he will take this matter with him to his coffin.

Where Gu Junxi couldn't see, Mu Lingye's heart was filled with darkness.

Even if there was no harmony or grudge between them and Emperor Sheng, Emperor Sheng was still Mu Lingye's father and the emperor of the Sheng Kingdom. His death was a major event, and Mu Lingye and Gu Junxi did not linger. The two hurriedly went to Emperor Sheng's bedroom.

When they arrived, Mu Lingche and the others had also arrived.

Before Emperor Sheng could be moved back to his bed, he lay on the ground in his final state before death.

His thin body was curled up, his face was dry and his eyes were wide open. The area of ​​his face that was close to the ground was bluish-purple, and there was still some bruising.

It is clear that Emperor Sheng died from a fall.

"Your Highness, this old servant deserves to die. It was my fault for not taking good care of His Majesty, causing him to fall off the bed. His Majesty said he wanted to eat yam snowflake cakes, so I left for a moment. I never expected this... I beg Your Highness to punish me."

Xu Decai knelt on the ground, tearfully confessing his crimes.

Although he was explaining his dereliction of duty, it sounded as if Emperor Sheng himself didn't want to live anymore, deliberately sent him away, and then committed suicide by falling off the bed.

As expected of an old man who has lived in the palace for a long time, Mu Lingye narrowed his eyes and gave Xu Decai an approving look: "Get up, this is not your fault."

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness." Xu Decai slowly stood up from the ground upon hearing this. He knew that Mu Lingye was grateful for his help. He had made the right gamble. When Mu Lingye ascended the throne, even if he couldn't become the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department, retiring outside the palace shouldn't be a problem.

After the imperial relatives who had rushed to the scene saw the details of Emperor Sheng's death and the imperial physicians examined his injuries, he was finally carried back to his bed. Next, he was dressed in his burial clothes and his makeup was removed. The emperor of this generation had finally met his end.

Throughout his life, Emperor Sheng never sought any benefit for the people of Sheng Kingdom, nor did he achieve any merit. His misdeeds, however, were numerous.

Mu Lingye stared at the Emperor Sheng's lifeless body, but in the end, he did not let the Emperor go. He issued an edict of self-reproach in the Emperor Sheng's voice, confessing to the whole world how he had poisoned the late Empress and her family.

Because they feared Mu Lingye's retaliation upon learning the truth, they went to great lengths to persecute Mu Lingye.

This act of self-reproach caused an uproar not only in the imperial court but also among the people of the entire prosperous kingdom.

Everyone is saying that Emperor Sheng is inhuman, petty, and only favors those he employs and discards those he doesn't.

It's even more pitiful that Mu Lingye has to suffer persecution from his own father at such a young age.

Originally, there were some complaints about the sudden death of Emperor Sheng and Mu Lingye's direct ascension to the throne, which forced Mu Lingxuan to leave. However, after this incident, there were no more voices of dissatisfaction.

Everyone felt that the throne should belong to Mu Lingye; it was something the former Emperor Sheng owed him. No, it should be said that the former Emperor Sheng owed him. Because the entire capital was preparing for Mu Lingye's coronation ceremony and Gu Junxi's coronation ceremony.

The investiture of the emperor and empress should not be delayed for too long, nor is it necessary to consider any specific date; it will be held directly in three days.

They couldn't find Qingyanzi, Wei Ming, or Mu Lingxuan in the entire palace. Gu Junxi provided a clue after learning about it.

Mu Lingye secretly sent Xuan Ying with hidden guards to the secret room, and sure enough, they found traces of Qing Yanzi and his group escaping from there.

The secret passage is the key to survival and escape in case the city falls and the country is destroyed, so it cannot be known by too many people.

Meanwhile, Ning Hanshuang and Murong Yuan had returned from the Imperial Preceptor's residence together, but they had not found any clues about Su Li.

The only thing that could make Murong Yuan suspicious was the fleeting figure that looked very much like Su Li after he chased after the Grand Preceptor's mansion.

But the figure hid very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, when he tried to look again, it was like a drop of water flowing into the ocean—he couldn't find it no matter how hard he tried.

Ning Hanshuang and Murong Yuan were in low spirits, and Gu Junxi wasn't much better off.

She secretly blamed herself for not caring enough about Su Li. After waking up, when she learned that Murong Yuan had gone to pick up Su Li, she did not go herself.

If I had known, I should have gone to pick her up myself.

But it's too late to regret it now. The most important thing is to find Su Li as soon as possible.