Quan Feitong’s expression changed. He said “Chao Huang, protect His Majesty” and strode toward the interior. Chao Huang immediately blocked Li Zhaoting’s path. The other officials showed alarm but all shouted “Protect His Majesty.” Several military officials immediately stepped forward to surround Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting said, “General Chao, please step aside.”

“Your Majesty, please be careful and don’t go over there.” Chao Huang said loudly.

“Move aside.” After Li Zhaoting’s stern two words, he lifted his robes and walked forward. Two martial arts experts he had personally promoted flanked him protectively. Chao Huang didn’t dare obstruct and could only stamp his foot and follow behind.

In the back courtyard, several figures crisscrossed in the air, blades flashing back and forth with sparks flying. Then one figure landed first, falling in front of a woman. The imperial guards immediately surrounded the two. Si Lanfeng and Quan Feitong stood at the side. Through the gaps, one could see the man holding a long sword, disheveled, pale and sallow-faced, glaring at the imperial guards with mixed surprise and fury. The woman behind him appeared calmer. Hearing the commotion, she frowned and looked over. Li Zhaoting’s blood rushed to his head. “Capture that swordsman, but absolutely don’t harm that lady one bit. Anyone who accidentally injures her will be executed!”

“Yes.”

The imperial guards responded in unison.

“Your Majesty, this humble officer has already given orders not to touch Miss Feng. This humble officer will now go capture that Leng Xue.”

Seeing the urgency in Li Zhaoting’s eyes, Si Lanfeng quickly said. Just as he was about to leap into the battle circle, Li Zhaoting suddenly made a bound, as if unable to wait for others’ actions, and landed in front of the man first.

The man laughed coldly and attacked with his sword horizontally. Li Zhaoting moved like lightning, his left hand shooting out to grip the sword hilt directly. The man seemed not to expect such behavior and was slightly stunned. When masters fight, just this pause allowed Li Zhaoting’s right palm to strike the man’s chest.

“Li Zhaoting, don’t hurt him!”

Almost simultaneously, the woman behind called out loudly. Li Zhaoting withdrew his palm force, and the man thrust his sword fiercely toward his chest. Of course, Si Lanfeng and the two military officials weren’t idle – at this moment they had flanked the man on both sides. Si Lanfeng kicked hard at the man’s knee joint. The man cried out in pain and his sword thrust went awry. Even so, it still made a “chi” sound as it cut a deep gash in the dragon robe at the abdomen.

Flesh and blood were visible.

At the same time, the man was captured by several people. Si Lanfeng said, “Your Majesty, let this humble officer bandage your wound. Does the Prime Minister’s residence have a physician?”

But Li Zhaoting seemed to ignore this, groaning and not stopping, walking in a few steps to stand before the woman.

“You’ve returned.”

Whether a question or statement, he looked at her, pulled at the corner of his mouth, his gaze flickering with indescribable joy and endless desolation.

Feng Suzhen also showed no great alarm, calmly looking back. “Yes.”

Though not meeting with silence, this simple word somehow stretched the distance between them though they stood so close. Li Zhaoting felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head. Though he had never expected they could still share smiles and laughter, when truly faced with such stark confrontation, he still felt pierced by ten thousand arrows.

That kind of pain reminded him of the corpse that died in place of Lian Yu that day at the city gate.

“You came back to find Quan Feitong too, not me.” He knew how childish these words were, how inappropriate for this scene, but still spoke them self-mockingly.

In his eyes was her half-white hair, her still young but indifferent face. It seemed nothing could surprise her anymore.

“I came to seek medicine for Leng Xue. Only Quan Feitong has the medicine.”

Feng Suzhen briefly explained Leng Xue’s situation.

“Leng Xue is dying. You’ve never thought much of us, but we were neighbors. If not friends, we were at least old acquaintances. You won’t watch him die with your own eyes, will you?”

Her reason for returning to the capital somewhat surprised Li Zhaoting, but the word “neighbors” immediately made his throat sweet with emotion.

“I can have him give the medicine, but you must return to the palace with me.” He looked at her and stated his condition.

“Your Majesty.”

At this time, Quan Feitong’s voice came from behind. “Can’t we act like men, let her take the person away, and you and I decide the outcome with Lian Yu?”

Li Zhaoting slightly lowered his eyes.

“Does Senior Brother think I intend to use her to threaten Lian Yu? If I lose, I definitely won’t drag her to die with me. She’ll still be Lian Yu’s person then. If I win…”

He didn’t finish his words, but the darkness gradually seeping from his eyes already made his meaning clear!

If he won, he and she would torture each other in life and death together.

Quan Feitong’s expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, Feng Suzhen’s gaze stopped him. She didn’t get excited but instead smiled. “Not using me to threaten Lian Yu? Then what about Lian Xin? Old Man Wei captured her to coerce us – what kind of heroic behavior is that?”

“Lian Xin?” Li Zhaoting’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

“Not to mention I don’t know if she was really captured. Even if it’s true, what that woman did that day was disgusting! Lian Yu once held my mother hostage to force me – why should I stop Wei Chenghui from using this against him? Feng Suzhen, you can’t be so unfair.”

Indeed, he didn’t plan to release Lian Xin. For him, Lian Xin’s matter was a humiliation. Feng Suzhen had expected this somewhat, but getting confirmation still made her heart sink heavily.

“Of course, if you use yourself in exchange and separate from Lian Yu from now on, I can inquire about this matter.”

His voice suddenly rang out again, light but forceful.

“If I don’t agree, won’t you still take me away?” Feng Suzhen curved her lips mockingly.

“Yes, but I still hope you could be somewhat willing.” He said expressionlessly.

“Can’t you let me go? What’s the point of us continuing to entangle? You know I can’t possibly agree. If you insist on this, I can only take my own life.”

She spoke with a voice so light it seemed devoid of any emotion.

“Come with me, unless you want Leng Xue to become a corpse again right after being saved. Neighborly relations mean nothing to me, but between you and me… one night as husband and wife means a hundred days of kindness.”

He retorted mockingly, as if she were a child throwing a tantrum and the adult’s patience had finally run out.

Indeed, Feng Suzhen’s expression finally changed, her cheeks flushing red and anger rising in her eyes.

Li Zhaoting’s lips curved slightly upward, showing his first genuine smile of the day. Seizing the moment, his peripheral vision imperceptibly swept across Quan Feitong.

The other’s brow was tightly furrowed.

Ha.

“Don’t even think of using me to threaten her—”

The restrained Leng Xue roared fiercely. He wanted to bite his tongue to commit suicide, but Li Zhaoting moved faster. His sleeve robe fluttered as he grabbed a golden hairpin, and golden light flashed through the air, striking Leng Xue’s acupoints and immediately knocking him unconscious.

“Have the people outside disperse on their own. I’ll leave through the back door.”

“Prepare the imperial carriage to return to the palace.” He instructed Si Lanfeng and the military officials while walking to Feng Suzhen’s side.

Feng Suzhen stepped backward, but he suddenly pulled her into his arms.

Quan Feitong pursued, only receiving Feng Suzhen’s final glance.

Don’t be impulsive!

That’s what her eyes said.

He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging.

Chao Huang approached uneasily.

“What exactly happened? Why did Li Zhaoting suddenly bring people to my residence?” He shouted loudly.

“Big Brother, this is my fault.” Chao Huang lowered his head remorsefully. “About me buying singing girls from Swallow Lane to help you relax – several of my subordinates knew about this. One transferred from the provinces didn’t know the rules and wanted to curry favor by bringing Li Zhaoting there to play. He mentioned your situation, saying the girls there had even Prime Minister Quan… completely… completely enchanted…”

Quan Feitong flew into a rage, immediately cursing, “When did you start daring to use people who only know how to flatter and fawn!”

“It’s my fault.” Chao Huang’s voice grew lower, full of self-blame.

“Secretly recall our people. I need to find a way to break into the palace and bring her out.”

Hearing this, Chao Huang was suddenly shocked and jumped up. “Big Brother, these are troops you borrowed from another country with great difficulty for surprise attacks after the Li-Lian war. If we expose our strength first… this…”

“She got into trouble at my place. As she said, I, Quan Feitong, have never been a good person, but I am a man.”

Opposite him, Quan Feitong’s eyes were dangerous.

“Big Brother, but the person she loves isn’t even you. Is it worth it!” Chao Huang was almost shouting, using this tone with the man he respected like a father and brother for the first time in his life.

“Then let her… owe me for a lifetime.”

“I know it’s not worth it. I’ve never done anything foolish in my life – let me do it this once. When a person lives one lifetime, perhaps… only this way can it be considered complete.”

He suddenly turned around, his tone becoming light and casual, even carrying a trace of laughter, appearing tired and languid. Listening to this, Chao Huang found himself speechless, but saw the setting sun stretch his shadow thin and long, as if it would break in two.