“She is here with me. My people brought her back.”

Suzhen was about to leave, but Quan Feitong’s cold words made her stop in her tracks.

“Thank you.”

Ming Yanchu and Qinglong came to help, but Lian Yu waved them away, gritting his teeth slightly and pushing himself up from the ground.

Quan Feitong narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold as frost.

He had originally intended to leave Lian Yu waiting for an hour before coming out, but those two words “requests an audience” made him abandon that idea.

Just like the time with implementing women’s examinations, when this person secretly sent him a message, hoping to meet Tingyu through him.

That time could be said to be the first collaboration between the ruler and subject after two years of continuous hostile confrontation. It was both to allow a woman to enter the court with proper justification, preventing anyone in the future from using “women serving as officials is a capital crime” to condemn her, and also for their shared ideals of reform in this era.

One naturally despised worldly conventions and was unrestrained and unconventional; the other never believed men were necessarily superior to women and, with the world in his heart, believed both men and women could participate in governance.

They were mortal enemies bound by fate, each wishing the other would die ten thousand times. But when someone who matches you move for move shows you respect by negotiating on equal terms, you should give the same respect in return. Otherwise, it would make you appear petty and meaningless.

Therefore, though he didn’t appear at the time, he had someone deliver the letter to Tingyu’s hands.

And moments ago, when he said not “Your Majesty” but “Murong Liu” – show your sincerity – this person, as his opponent, indeed understood clearly what he wanted.

He wanted him to kneel and beg.

As soon as he walked to the street, the other followed closely.

Setting this condition, he wanted him to retreat in the face of difficulty and have nothing more to say.

He just hadn’t expected that he would actually do it – not as an emperor, but as an ordinary man.

So, though he hated him, he also gave him an answer.

Even though he knew what trouble this answer would bring him.

“Lian Yu will come to pay his respects again.”

Sure enough, Lian Yu spoke faintly and turned to leave. Quan Feitong raised his eyebrows in a cold smile: “I’ll be waiting anytime. Let’s see if I’ll let her go with you.”

“Sixth Brother…”

“Master!”

In the crowd, Suzhen was also about to turn and leave, but Lian Yu’s collapsing figure ahead and the terrified cries of Lian Xin and others made her stop again.

Her heart pounded, and she heard her own heartbeat.

As she moved her feet, someone grabbed her elbow tightly!

“Why are you here?”

A slightly cold voice sounded in her ear. She turned sideways and immediately met Quan Feitong’s complex, angry eyes.

“I’m going to see him,” she said softly.

His eyes swept over her body sharply, his hand gripping her arm painfully.

“This outfit… what did you do to that person? You originally planned to leave without saying goodbye?” He suddenly smiled.

Suzhen didn’t answer, only looking ahead where Lian Jie and Zhuque were taking Lian Yu’s pulse. There was chaos over there, and across the crowd, no one noticed their side.

“Prime Minister—”

“Don’t say anything more!” Quan Feitong roughly interrupted her. “I can let you go over, but tonight you must come back to find me. Otherwise, I won’t let you leave now either. This is my territory. No matter how capable Lian Yu is, with one shout from me, this residence is full of my people – countless experts. No one could take you away!”

“I don’t trust anyone, but I want your promise.”

“I promise you,” Suzhen nodded.

Quan Feitong drew in a breath, his hand suddenly releasing her arm, then turned and quickly entered the Prime Minister’s residence.

Upon entering the residence, he encountered the steward approaching with urgency in his expression: “Master, the person inside was knocked unconscious by Madam in…”

“Don’t say anymore!” Quan Feitong shouted in a deep voice and walked away with a wave of his sleeve.

He didn’t return to his bedroom but went to the adjacent room where she had slept the previous night.

He picked up the wooden pillow from the bed and the hand warmer she had used and threw them violently to the ground.

She had said: Prime Minister, don’t be like this. There’s nothing I can’t let go of in my heart now. I’ve wronged you, but let’s still dissolve our marriage contract. You showed me affection and loyalty then. I was determined to die and had nothing to repay you with. Since you hoped I would marry you and make you happy, I married you.

When I asked if you would go away with me, it was sincere. My promise about the next life was no lie either. At that time, you wouldn’t be Quan Feitong, and I wouldn’t be Feng Suzhen – we would meet earlier.

Knowing she had experienced great changes, he didn’t force her and planned to take things slowly. With just a few words, he properly put her down, had someone clear the study next to his to serve as her bedroom, and tore up the marriage contract in front of her.

He said: I’ll consider this as getting to know you anew, and someday I’ll marry you as my wife again.

She didn’t speak but looked at him and smiled – such a beautiful smile.

He thought she had agreed. After she fell asleep, he quietly entered like a young boy, sitting by the bedside, watching over her dreamless night. Just like the day he played the qin for her, he only dared to go and embrace her after she was fast asleep.

“You knew I would find ways to keep you, and not wanting to quarrel with me, you looked for opportunities to leave without saying goodbye. I know that in your heart I’m not a good person, but is Lian Yu truly a completely good person? Liu Shouping wasn’t a good person, but because he wanted to rebel, Lian Yu killed his entire family as a warning to the world. Can ruling a country be done without killing? Are the people he’s suppressed and killed necessarily fewer than mine? He just let you see his refined gentleman side.”

“Is it wrong for me to fulfill the late emperor’s dying wish? Is it wrong for me to consolidate my own power? If I don’t fight, what would the world give me? Poverty or humiliation? If I don’t fight, would I have the ability to protect myself and those I love today? If I truly were the treacherous minister you speak of, never having done anything for the people, could I sit in my current position? But among all those who’ve reached my position, how many have clean hands?”

“Why will you only give me a moment’s chance?”

He laughed coldly, raising his head toward the void.

“How is Sixth Brother’s (Master’s) condition?”

Looking at Lian Yu, who had half-fainted from exhaustion, everyone who had just recovered from shock wore worried expressions on their faces, urgently questioning Lian Jie and Zhuque, even forgetting to settle accounts with Quan Feitong.

Lian Jie’s expression was grim: “Very bad. He’s young and strong, but his injuries are serious, and he’s extremely exhausted. He’s been sustained purely by inner fire. Now that it’s dissipated… He must stay conscious and cannot fall asleep, or his life may be in danger.”

Zhuque said: “Seventh Master, there are still some wound medicines in the carriage. Let’s do simple bandaging first, then immediately return to the palace. The palace has the best medicinal supplies and the entire Imperial Medical Academy as our support.”

Lian Jie nodded. After Zhuque finished speaking, he broke down emotionally, choking up: “Master, wake up, don’t sleep. You must hold on during this journey and cannot collapse.”

Ming Yanchu gritted his teeth and lightly patted Lian Yu’s face, but his complexion was pale, his eyes tightly closed, not moving at all.

Lian Xin and Lian Qin exchanged glances and quickly reddened their eyes. Lian Qin cursed under his breath, something surging in his eyes: “Damn it, even if the Quan residence is a mountain of knives and sea of fire, this prince will break in today and bring Li Huaisu out for him.”

“I’ll go too!” Xuanwu and Qinglong spoke up one after another.

“I’ll go as well, bring the accompanying imperial guards. Zhuque, you and Xin’er, Xiao Chuzi, take Sixth Brother back to the palace first. You return to the palace and immediately treat him. Ming Yanchu, you immediately mobilize people to come support us,” Lian Jie made his decision and suddenly stood up.

“Ridiculous! My sixth brother is the magnificent Son of Heaven of Great Zhou – can’t he win back one woman? Brothers, today I’ll seize her back for you.”

“Seventh Master, this battle between them hasn’t reached the time to be fought yet. Your sixth brother would never want you to make such a big fuss over this small matter.” With Xuanwu and Qinglong in front, several people set off. Just as Ming Yanchu and Zhuque were about to help Lian Yu up, a voice lightly drifted from ahead.

“Susu!” Lian Xin, who had been rubbing her eyes, screamed upon hearing this and jumped up.

A woman wearing light orange winter clothing with her hair arranged in married woman’s style walked quickly from the crowd ahead.

Her face was very young, her figure unusually thin, but there was a power between her brows and eyes that quickly calmed people down.

“Li Huaisu.” Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Xuanwu said heavily: “Magistrate Li, we were all going to charge in and snatch you back to be our mountain stronghold’s lady.”

Suzhen didn’t answer, looking at that illustrious and noble man lying on the ground with his eyes closed.

“Lian Yu, if there are past and present lives, did I force you ten times in my previous life, so I have to repay this debt in this lifetime? If you keep sleeping, I’ll leave.”

Everyone found this amusing to hear, but thinking of their journey, felt sour.

“Li Huaisu, please go look at him, don’t leave. He can’t wake up for a while, but as long as you’re by his side, he’ll definitely recover quickly.” Lian Qin was extremely anxious, rushing forward wanting to grab her.

“Your Majesty.” But suddenly Ming Yanchu murmured, and everyone was startled, all turning to look. They saw that Lian Yu seemed to have truly heard those words and had awakened at some point, staring intently ahead with sparkling waves in his eyes.

He placed his hand on Ming Yanchu’s shoulder, wanting to stand up and walk to her, but he was already at his limit and couldn’t move at all.

Suzhen’s lips moved slightly. She walked forward and naturally took him from Zhuque and the others, letting him rest his hand on her shoulder.

Lian Yu’s heart exploded like fireworks, that enormous joy almost drowning him.

His body ached as if countless knives and swords were cutting, picking apart flesh and blood bit by bit. Even though he was someone who could endure pain, he was sweating profusely from the agony. But with her by his side, he absolutely refused to faint again easily. Knowing she had injuries, he gritted his teeth and supported himself, not daring to put his full weight on her.

The crowd behind them watched, restraining their steps and not coming forward to help. Everyone knew that for him, this was the best medicine, so they all held their breath and quietly followed.

Reaching the carriage, Suzhen was startled when he suddenly released her and, bending slightly, actually lifted her up. He struggled to carry her onto the carriage, then leaned against the carriage wall and removed his belt, firmly tying her feet together. After completing this, he reached out to embrace her and his deep voice emerged from within the curtain: “Lao Qi, bandage my wounds.”

Suzhen’s heart trembled with anger, but as he spoke, his pair of brilliant black eyes gazed deeply at her, full of burning passion and obsession, yet carrying an indescribable fierce determination that left her momentarily speechless.