The beloved is reborn as a substitute, and the tyrant begs for forgiveness every night.

The moment Zheng Zhihe saw Xu Leyao, it was as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Weiwei, you're still willing to come here, you must like me, right?"

Seeing Zheng Zhihe's dejected look, Xu Leyao couldn't help but chuckle.

"I like it, why wouldn't I like it?"

Upon hearing Xu Leyao's words, Zheng Zhihe was overjoyed.

"Don't worry, when I return to the throne in the future, I will definitely make you my empress."

He started making empty promises to Xu Leyao, but she wasn't buying it at all.

“I used to like you the most, and I even got my family to help you seize the throne. I never thought that it would become the reason for the death of our Xu family.”

Upon hearing Xu Leyao's words, Zheng Zhihe froze on the spot.

"What do you mean?"

In response to Zheng Zhihe's question, Xu Leyao raised an eyebrow.

"Zheng Zhihe, I've already made myself perfectly clear, don't you understand?"

Seeing her act this way, Zheng Zhihe suddenly had a guess in his mind.

But how is this possible?

Xu Leyao clearly died in front of him, and he even buried her body.

Thinking of that possibility, Zheng Zhihe's body trembled slightly.

Jiang Yunxue listened from the side, feeling somewhat puzzled.

She didn't consider herself stupid, so why couldn't she understand what Xu Leyao was saying?

Xu Leyao sneered, then continued.

"Zheng Zhihe, you were the one who personally ordered Jiang Wo to be torn apart by five horses back then, how come you don't remember now? And you too!"

Xu Leyao raised her hand and pointed at Jiang Yunxue.

"Wasn't it you and the Jiang family who instigated this behind the scenes? You only managed to become a Noble Consort by taking advantage of the lives lost by the Xu family. Are you sure you can hold onto this position of Noble Consort Jiang Yunxue?"

Hearing Xu Leyao's accusations, Jiang Yunxue suddenly laughed.

"I wondered why our Jiang family's daughter kept going against me; it turns out she was possessed by you, you wandering ghost."

Now that things have come to this, even if she doesn't want to admit it, there's only one possibility left.

The person in front of me is not the original owner of this body at all, but Xu Leyao.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunxue's gaze towards her held a hint of resentment.

"Why did you appear before the Emperor in the first place? I was the one who followed him the first time, but he ignored me when you appeared!"

At this point, Jiang Yunxue's expression became somewhat manic.

She then approached Xu Leyao step by step.

"Not only that, you even sent the entire Jiang family to their deaths. Your Xu family's lives are precious, but aren't our Jiang family's lives precious too?"

Upon hearing her words, Xu Leyao sneered.

"Ask yourselves honestly, if you hadn't acted so ruthlessly first, why would I have done such a thing? I never repaid kindness with enmity, and besides, one should repay kindness with kindness and grievance with grievance. The Jiang family deserves their current fate!"

Xu Leyao's words were utterly merciless, as if she were tearing off Jiang Yunxue's face and throwing it on the ground to stomp on it.

Jiang Yunxue couldn't help but laugh.

However, such laughter was somewhat eerie.

She approached Xu Leyao again, and suddenly took a hairpin from her hair and stabbed it towards Xu Leyao's heart.

Xu Leyao was prepared the moment she saw what she was doing, so how could she possibly be stabbed?

Xu Leyao easily dodged, and then mercilessly beat Jiang Yunxue unilaterally.

She had been holding this in for far too long.

Now that she finally has a chance, how could Xu Leyao possibly let it go?

Jiang Yunxue fell to the ground, but then unleashed an astonishing burst of power, crashing into the wall.

However, Xu Leyao would not let her die so easily.

"You suggested that I be torn apart by five horses back then, now I'll let you experience that feeling too."

After speaking, Xu Leyao had her men take Jiang Yunxue away.

Xu Leyao died from the punishment of being torn apart by five horses, and now Jiang Yunxue is also being punished.

Seeing that Xu Leyao was no longer as gentle as before, and had even become cold-blooded and ruthless.

Zheng Zhihe couldn't help but feel a little guilty at this moment.

He personally ordered the punishments imposed on the Xu family back then.

Given Xu Leyao's coldness and ruthlessness towards Jiang Yunxue, how could she possibly show him any mercy?

However, he still harbored some wishful thinking at this moment.

"Yaoyao, now that you're back, can you still forgive me? Let bygones be bygones. From now on, I promise to live a good life with you and I will never stray again."

Hearing Zheng Zhihe say such words with his most affectionate eyes, Xu Leyao felt extremely disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly.

“Zheng Zhihe, do you think you’ve done any better than Jiang Yunxue? You are both selfish people. For your own selfish desires, you pinned the charge of treason on Xu Jia and even executed her entire family.”

At this point, Xu Leyao's body trembled once again.

"Jung Ji-hak, I will never forgive you in this lifetime!"

Upon hearing Xu Leyao's heartless words, Zheng Zhihe collapsed to the ground.

He has nothing left now.

He originally thought he still had the original owner, but it turned out that the original owner was Xu Leyao.

Xu Leyao could never forgive him.

They lost all power and status.

Thinking about this, he became completely dejected.

"Yaoyao, I'll repay you in the next life."

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he left these words and committed suicide by banging his head against the wall.

He used all his strength, so naturally he couldn't survive like Jiang Yunxue.

Looking at his corpse lying in front of her, Xu Leyao felt a sense of satisfaction, as if she had finally avenged her great grudge.

But there was also a sense of loss.

How can lovers who were once in love distinguish right from wrong when they've come to this point?

They're all just people who think about themselves.

Xu Leyao gave a wry smile, then turned to leave.

As she approached the palace gate, she was stopped by a eunuch from Zheng Lingjia's side.

"Please, Miss Xu."

Hearing him call her by her original surname, a hint of surprise flashed in Xu Leyao's eyes.

Following the chief eunuch to Zheng Lingjia's palace, she found him already waiting for her.

"What should I call you? Xu Leyao or Jiang Yuwei?"

Seeing Zheng Lingjia's complicated expression, Xu Leyao shrugged.

"what ever."

The two remained silent.

Xu Leyao knew that Zheng Lingjia had feelings for her, but she had no interest in romance right now.

However, Zheng Lingjia's next words deeply moved her.

"The past is past, and all grudges are now settled. If you are willing to be my empress, I will restore the Xu family's honor, and your name, Jiang, will be erased from my brother's name. From now on, you will live in this world only as Xu Leyao."

Seeing his serious expression, Xu Leyao finally nodded in agreement.

She was determined to clear the Xu family's name.

Xu Leyao nodded in agreement, so Zheng Lingjia naturally appointed her as empress and stated that he would no longer accept any more imperial concubine selections.