Thinking of the beautiful woman’s gentle pleading beneath him, the Wei King felt invigorated once more.

He Lian Jia set off to return home.

Having rushed back to the capital from the border to report for duty, he was already exhausted. Now with the horse’s hooves clopping and the carriage gently swaying, he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

When he awoke, he had already returned to the General’s Mansion.

The carriage had stopped, and just as he was about to stand up and open the door to exit, he suddenly heard a light “ding” sound nearby, like metal falling to the ground.

It was extremely close, right in—right in the carriage!

He Lian Jia stood up abruptly, hand on his long sword, his gaze sweeping through the carriage compartment, finally fixing on the couch with a harsh shout: “Come out!”

His carriage had been modified, with a hidden compartment under the couch where he usually stored confidential items, known to very few. But now, sounds were coming from inside.

Under his watchful eye, the couch was gently lifted, and a woman sat up. Her cloud-like hair was disheveled, and her beauty was unparalleled in his lifetime, but her expression combined bewilderment and fear.

She was still wearing the clothes of a palace servant.

He Lian Jia suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. This woman must have followed him from the palace. That place was heavily guarded, yet a living person had managed to slip out—it was impossible without someone’s help. Now that she was in his carriage, in his mansion, the situation was thorny. Nevertheless, he sternly asked: “Who are you?”

That night, a small commotion arose in the Wei King’s palace, while the General’s Mansion remained peaceful throughout the night, with no one entering or leaving.

The next morning, General He Lian arrived at the palace fully dressed to beg the Wei King for forgiveness.

When Yun Ya entered, he happened to see He Lian Jia and Chief Eunuch Chen Xi approaching from the opposite direction. He Lian Jia looked at him, gritting his teeth: “You, Yun Ya, how dare you frame me!”

From these words, Yun Ya understood that He Lian Jia had already confessed everything to the Wei King. The escaped tribute girl had been looking for the Grand Minister but ended up being sent to General He Lian’s carriage. Both the Wei King and He Lian Jia knew it was the Grand Minister who had tampered with the situation.

He tilted his head to ask Chen Xi: “How was it handled?”

Chen Xi respectfully and seriously replied: “His Majesty, mindful of the General’s meritorious service, has specially bestowed a beautiful concubine upon him.”

So the escaped tribute girl had been awarded to He Lian Jia. She had shared a carriage with him for so long and had then entered the General’s Mansion. No matter how beautiful the woman was, the Wei King could no longer have her.

She was the most outstanding beauty among the tributes from Tong Kingdom. The Wei King had originally planned to favor her last night but now had to part with her reluctantly.

Yun Ya clapped his hands and said: “The reward General He Lian received is truly enviable.”

Wasn’t this the person he had stuffed into his carriage? He Lian Jia’s face darkened: “You want her? I’ll give her to you!” In his heart, he was slightly startled—the Grand Minister seemed to know every detail of his carriage’s structure.

“Her status appears to make casual transfer inappropriate,” Yun Ya said leisurely. “General He Lian, don’t betray the beauty’s affection.”

The last sentence was delivered with a raised tone, full of mockery. He Lian Jia had lost his wife long ago and had not remarried in these years.

He waved at the two men and went to see the Wei King, leaving He Lian Jia deep in thought.

After this matter was reported to the Wei King, he also ordered people to gather intelligence from the Tong Kingdom. If this beauty truly was a princess of Tong, there would be trouble ahead. But since she had already entered the General’s Mansion, he could not clear himself of involvement.

Someone had intended to frame Yun Ya, but the latter had transferred this “great gift” to him. Who told him to be at odds with the Grand Minister in the royal court?

However, given this person’s character, not doing anything more outrageous could already be considered merciful.

As for how she had appeared in the Grand Minister’s carriage… someone wanted to cause him trouble.

This person also knew that a mere beauty could not shake the Grand Minister’s position. Acting like this was merely intended to plant seeds of doubt about Yun Ya in the Wei King’s mind.

The estrangement between a ruler and his minister often begins with small matters.

Two days later, a white cat beloved by the Queen suddenly went wild, scratching her face and hands. Although the cat was immediately put to death, the Queen’s cheek was left with several long bloody gashes, the wounds two-tenths of an inch deep, nearly blinding her.

The Queen’s face was disfigured, and even with the royal physician’s excellent medicine, it would take more than a month for the scars to fade.

Traumatized by this incident, the Queen suffered from nightmares for several consecutive nights. Even exorcism spells proved ineffective, and within seven days, she had visibly lost weight.

The Wei King had no choice but to summon Yun Ya and ask: “Do you have a solution, my loyal minister?”

Both of them knew perfectly well what was happening. The Wei King had waited a full seven days before seeking him out, already humbling himself. Yun Ya had been waiting for him to speak first, so he took out a talisman he had prepared in advance and handed it over: “As long as this heart-clearing talisman stays with her, the Queen will no longer have nightmares.”

A shallow-minded woman had tried to scheme against him—did she think the palace intrigues would work on him?

The Wei King’s temper had been fluctuating greatly these past few days. His gaze toward Yun Ya was complex, containing resentment, reproach, dissatisfaction, and helplessness. But a ruler who governs the world must be able to tolerate those with exceptional talents and pride. After much consideration, his inner thoughts finally manifested as a sigh: “Never mind, you are the Grand Minister. Don’t lower yourself to contend with a woman.” Fortunately, the Queen’s attempt to trip up Yun Ya had been conducted secretly, with few people knowing about it, so the royal family’s dignity was preserved.

Yun Ya smiled slightly and responded with a “Yes,” with a gleam flashing in his eyes.

Indeed, he would not contend with women in an “ordinary” way. When someone offers even a drop, shouldn’t it be repaid with a gushing spring?

Feng Miao Jun vaguely felt that she had been sleeping for a long time but very uncomfortably, as if a large stone was pressing on her chest, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Finally, she coughed forcefully several times and woke up.

Opening her eyes, directly above her was the familiar cyan-colored bed curtain, with a string of colorful shells hanging down from the canopy.

This was her bedroom. The residence bestowed by Prince Jin had been tidied up three days ago. The Grand Minister’s household had temporarily lent her some servants, such as the maid now attending at her bedside.

Hearing movement, the young maid exclaimed happily: “Miss, you’re finally awake!”

“Water.” Her throat felt like it was on fire—how long had she been asleep?

The young maid quickly served her water, and Feng Miao Jun weakly asked: “What about Chen Da Chang and the Princess? Have they been rescued?”

The maid naturally had not personally witnessed that heart-stopping battle, but she said: “The Grand Minister instructed that upon your awakening, you should be told that all is well.”

It seemed Princess Han Yue was safe. Feng Miao Jun still remembered that before she fainted, the Princess had been frightened but otherwise uninjured. With so many guards accompanying her, she should have been safely escorted back to shore. By comparison, Feng Miao Jun was more concerned about: “Chen Da Chang’s condition?”

“Your bodyguard was severely injured, but the Grand Minister said he won’t be in mortal danger.”

Feng Miao Jun truly breathed a sigh of relief, then promptly fell into a deep sleep again.

When she next opened her eyes, it was evening. Looking out the window, she could see a sky full of stars.

What beautiful weather.

A shadow moved outside the curtain, and Mo Ti Zhun’s steady voice came in: “Awake?”