After the arranged marriage, she farms and survives under the tutelage of the villainous boss.

Hearing Deng Chan say this, Jiang Zhiyun shook her head: "No need."

"Getting married is just a delaying tactic. We'll see what happens next and look for an opportunity to break through."

Deng Chan asked with some surprise, "So, have you already figured out how to deal with this?"

“Not yet.” Jiang Zhiyun shook her head. “We’ll take it one step at a time. Danger and opportunity go hand in hand.”

As she spoke, Jiang Zhiyun drew something on the paper. Deng Chan looked at it and felt that it looked familiar: "This is... the Emperor's study. Why did you draw this location?"

Jiang Zhiyun said, "Do you remember this position, or do you feel that it is different?"

Deng Chan initially shook her head, feeling she couldn't quite remember anything about the Emperor. Now, Jiang Zhiyun had shown her for a long time, but Deng Chan remained unmoved.

Hearing this, she carefully noted whether the emperor was standing in that position, and then said earnestly, "Madam Jiang, now that you mention it, I've remembered quite a few things."

“I used to stand in this spot whenever I went to the Emperor’s study. But I thought it was just a coincidence. Now that you’re saying this, could it not be a coincidence?”

Two emperors appeared alternately without any clues. Even the maids, guards, and eunuchs were unaware. Xie Shuheng had so many people planted here, yet they hadn't discovered anything. There was only one possibility: there was a secret passage.

There is a secret passage in the imperial city known only to the emperor, and Jiang Zhiyun knows it better than anyone else; she had heard about it in her previous life.

However, now that he is facing Xie Lin, things are not as simple as the rumors suggest. If he can take this opportunity to find out the entrance to the palace's secret passage, that would be ideal.

Jiang Zhiyun thought that the location of the Imperial Study should be part of the secret passage; other places should be interconnected, and if she could figure out all the locations, it would be much better.

But at this moment, Deng Chan said to Jiang Zhiyun, "Madam Jiang, I know what you are thinking; but even if we know that the Imperial Study is there, I'm afraid neither of us can break in. Just like knowing that the Taiji Hall or the Emperor's bedroom must have entrances to passages. After I became Empress, I heard that these secret passages are interconnected and each has its own mysteries, just like the repair of the Imperial Mausoleum, which is even more intricate than that."

"It will be extremely difficult to break in."

As Jiang Zhiyun said this, she nodded: "If it's that difficult, then that dog emperor definitely won't understand it. When I find it, I'll steal all his tunnels."

"..." Deng Chan remained silent. It was only at this moment that she truly understood the charm of Jiang Zhiyun. While everyone else was waiting to die, or had no way to survive in their minds, she would still tenaciously search for a way to live.

No matter what the circumstances, it seems like Jiang Zhiyun will never give up.

Therefore, Deng Chan was quite impressed when she saw this.

Next, she didn't mention helping Jiang Zhiyun with the marriage in her place. Instead, she earnestly helped, telling her about her previous interactions with the Emperor and his habits. By comparing the two, Jiang Zhiyun muttered to herself and made her own judgment.

Seeing how motivated the two of them were, the Empress Dowager naturally joined in: "I'll come too, and see if I can be of any help."

then……

Xie Lin sent people to check on things several times.

Xie Lin: "Did Jiang Zhiyun cause any trouble?"

"No, I was reading in the Empress Dowager's palace," a subordinate reported.

"What book are you reading?" Xie Lin felt that Jiang Zhiyun was so noisy and didn't act like a proper young lady at all. She didn't know how to respect the Emperor. Could such a person be honest?

Something feels off.

The subordinate nodded: "They're reading comic books and various storybooks, all of them lowbrow stuff. Does Your Majesty want to read them?"

The palace servants were somewhat embarrassed to speak, guessing that they were all forbidden books.

Xie Lin naturally wouldn't look at it: "So he's just a good-for-nothing."

"Keep watching and see if there's anything else to do, or if there's any resistance."

"The Turkic envoy will be arriving in three days. At that time, make sure Jiang Zhiyun comes out to meet them. The task of presenting her as a princess is also your responsibility."

"..."

The conversations around him were endless, and Xie Lin racked his brains, but he didn't know how to respond. He just felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Anyway, Jiang Zhiyun's current state is definitely not right.

"Keep a close eye on it and send more people."

When he said this, he even mentioned Xiao Su's imperial guards.

Xiao Su hesitated before saying, "But Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards are almost gone. Besides protecting your safety, we have no resources left to track down Jiang Zhiyun."

“Jiang Zhiyun tried to kill me last time, and she didn’t have the strength to spare? Let me tell you, it’s normal for half of our troops to be focused on Jiang Zhiyun and Cining Palace. This woman is definitely not that simple.”

How could it be simple? Xie Lin would never underestimate the woman Xie Shuheng had his eye on.

Xiao Su nodded, and after leaving the palace, he wiped his lips with a cold smile.

He found it funny.

I never thought I was wrong before, but now, after experiencing so many absurd things, I've actually gotten used to it.

This imperial court has reached its limit.

He was like a dog, barely clinging to life.

The emperor took his wife away, abducting a subject's wife and disregarding human ethics; he also wanted to use another general's wife for a political marriage.

The rest is none of his business, but Xiao Su has never been one to be ungrateful. Even if Gu Wanzhi has made a thousand mistakes, she has absolutely no problem with him.

He wouldn't have survived if Gu Wanzhi hadn't married the emperor.

She was later killed... All Xiao Su had was her corpse.

It wasn't that he wasn't moved; in fact, back in the Northwest, Xiao Su had thought about always being good to Gu Wanzhi, even if it was bad, even if it wasn't a good thing.

But Gu Wanzhi is the only person he truly wants to treat with sincerity.

Looking back now, I think the Northwest was the best time. Although I was naive, I felt like a great general who was bringing glory to the country. I felt that my struggle against Xie Shuheng in the Northwest was because I was on the side of righteousness.

Now, he just finds his previous self-righteous emotions ridiculous.

These emotions should not exist at all.

He was even too naive; he only realized what the court he had been protecting was like after arriving in Bianjing.

Previously, he always felt that Xie Shuheng was too bold and ambitious, and that the general's actions were tantamount to eroding the court and their beliefs.

Now Xiao Su felt that such a court should not be gradually eroded.