Yu Lingxi’s suggestion wasn’t made on a whim.

In her previous life, Ning Yin had a leg ailment, an incurable disease, which naturally disqualified him from ascending the throne, but this life was different.

Her brother had once said: “Ning Yin has reached a position just one step away from the throne. Even if he has no desire to be emperor, those in his position and his supporters will promote his ascension for their future interests.”

All the world’s commotion is for profit. Rather than being a subject’s subject, better to be an emperor’s subject.

The fact that the Third Prince Ning Xuan could reach into the Prince of Jing’s residence before his death had already proven that her brother’s words weren’t mere intimidation.

Yu Lingxi had thought long and hard before speaking these words.

Ning Yin looked into her eyes as if savoring the weight of those brief six words.

“Are you drunk?” He casually sniffed, smelling only the faint fragrance of feminine perfume.

Was there anything more insane than letting a madman become emperor?

“No, I’m clear-headed.”

By the carved balustrade of the pavilion, Yu Lingxi’s expression was serene.

Ning Yin always said he had no capacity for compassion, and that he was naturally cold-hearted.

At first, Yu Lingxi didn’t pay much attention. But after hearing it so many times, she realized that Ning Yin’s repeated self-analysis might be a form of self-loathing bordering on self-harm.

Moreover, after recent experiences, she gradually discovered that common people don’t care who sits on the throne. As long as they can fill their bellies and solve the problems of war and starvation, a cold but capable emperor would be far better than a hypocritical but incompetent ruler.

As clouds drifted by, casting clear shadows, Yu Lingxi looked up at the warm sun on the horizon: “Ning Yin, look at this sun.”

She leaned on the carved railing and said softly: “People revere the golden crow not because it’s beautiful or dazzling, but because it’s powerful enough to dispel the dark winter nights.”

Ning Yin kept his head turned sideways, with some light spreading in his deep eyes.

“Suisui finds different ways to praise me, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

He clicked his tongue lightly, “Too bad I’m an evil demon from purgatory, I can’t be the sun that everyone gazes upon.”

“Being an evil demon is quite good too.”

Yu Lingxi naturally picked up his thread, “Fearless of villains, slaying all evildoers. Even in the halls of great compassion and mercy, there are always a few fierce-looking Vajras with angry eyes.”

Ning Yin was stunned for a moment, then laughed softly.

When she wanted to praise someone, she could make even a stone bloom.

“What are you laughing at?”

Yu Lingxi tilted her head slightly, “Do you think I’m too chatty?”

“Quite the opposite.”

Ning Yin narrowed his eyes contentedly, “I find the sound of Suisui speaking sweet nothings even more pleasant than her moaning with bells that time.”

Yu Lingxi was speechless.

Despite being together for so long, she still blushed at Ning Yin’s unfiltered words.

“Stop changing the subject.”

She snorted, then said seriously, “You said you wanted to retire with me, one life, one world, one couple. But Ning Yin, is that truly the life you want?”

Yu Lingxi clearly remembered how, in her previous life, Ning Yin had mastered the art of manipulating power, putting the awe and fear of all under heaven beneath his feet.

He had just been standing in the wrong position.

Probably seeing that Yu Lingxi wasn’t joking, Ning Yin put away the leisurely playfulness on his face.

His thin lips parted slightly, but Yu Lingxi gently cupped his face, understanding the dismissive words he was about to say.

“The Regent amid court vortices must also painstakingly manage affairs of state and balance the court, but in the end, it’s like making a wedding dress for someone else. Not only are your achievements credited to the young emperor, but you must also constantly be wary of being too powerful and threatening the sovereign.”

Thinking of how Ning Yin’s robes had been stained with blood every day in her previous life, Yu Lingxi frowned, “When the young emperor grows up, to hand over power or not? If you don’t hand it over, there will surely be opposition and criticism. Changing to another puppet emperor would only mean changing opponents. Thus, there would be a second Ning Xuan and a hundredth Xue Song in the world. They would have justification, advocate for justice, use poison, assassinate, even condemn with pen and paper, attacking from all sides, never peaceful day and night. And I…”

She fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly: “And I, apart from grieving and resenting in the prince’s residence, could do nothing to help you.”

Just like in her previous life.

Yu Lingxi said: “I can stand beside you, not behind you.”

Just as she had once wanted to protect the General’s mansion, walking side by side with the person she loved most in this life.

After all Yu Lingxi had said, Ning Yin only listened quietly, his profile set against the shallow sunlight reflected from the lake, like flawless cold jade.

“You think too highly of your husband, Suisui.”

He narrowed his deep dark eyes slightly, reaching out to caress the corner of Yu Lingxi’s eye, as if wanting to touch the brilliant light in her almond eyes, “This empire cannot enter my eyes.”

“What if I am in this empire?”

Yu Lingxi caught his slightly changed expression, hesitated for a moment, and finally said gently, “Ning Yin, is it not that you don’t want to rule the world, but that… you fear I would be disappointed?”

Ning Yin’s fingertips paused imperceptibly.

“Ridiculous,” he said tenderly.

It was so ridiculous that he couldn’t even laugh.

Yu Lingxi curved her eyes, turning her gaze back to the pear blossom grove by the shore.

The wind blew, snow fell, and the beautiful scenery remained unchanged. The female warrior in red military uniform and the little prince in gold and white brocade robes had already walked far away.

Because he had to patrol, Ning Zishuo didn’t dare follow too closely, maintaining a distance of about ten feet, leisurely accompanying Yu Xinyi to inspect the North Garden, and occasionally exchanging a few words.

Who knows what interesting topic they discussed—Yu Xinyi gave him a slap that made Ning Zishuo stagger. Yu Xinyi then changed her slap to a pull, helping Ning Zishuo up, only to be caught in the opportunity, as he placed a pear blossom he had hidden earlier on Yu Xinyi’s official hat, giggling as he ran away.

Yu Xinyi ordered her subordinates not to laugh, raising her hand to disdainfully pull the pear blossom from her hat. However, when she turned around, she hesitated for a long time, unable to discard that branch of white pear blossom.

Outside the imperial city, the vast landscape was like a painting.

“Ning Yin,”

Yu Lingxi called to him, “Wei Qi.”

Ning Yin picked up a sour plum, giving her a sidelong glance.

“Little madman.”

She smiled, reciting his titles like counting treasures, “Husband… mmph!”

The final sound twisted, all blocked back into her stomach.

Yu Lingxi tasted the sourness of the plum and also tasted the sweetness of silent indulgence.

“Ning Yin, rather than spending a lifetime guarding against those people, it’s better to be legitimate and make them all shut up.”

Yu Lingxi leaned against Ning Yin, breathing, closing her eyes as she said lightly but firmly, “I want to stand with you at a higher place. If the court order cannot accommodate our defiance, then let’s create an order that belongs to us.”

Her soft voice fell with weight, her boiling blood surging like an ocean.

She saw through his self-loathing, accepted his coldness and madness, admired his strength and methods, yet never required him to abandon himself to become a hypocritical “virtuous ruler” like the old emperor.

She said she wanted to stand beside him, not behind him.

She said she wanted to make everyone shut up, using her ability to create an order that belonged to them.

Ning Yin lightly pecked her eyelashes.

If Yu Lingxi had opened her eyes at that moment, she would have seen how excited and crazed his eyes were.

He could willingly drown in her gentleness, die upon her.

The wind stirred the light gauze of the pavilion, pear blossom snow fell with the wind, drifting with the flow.

The sky was high and clear, the slanting sun’s golden red dyed the fine white jade magnificently unparalleled.

Ning Yin played with Yu Lingxi’s scattered long hair, looked at her deeply for a while, then said in a low, hoarse voice: “Remember Suisui once praised me for my good looks.”

Yu Lingxi raised her eyes wearily, not understanding why he suddenly mentioned this.

“Which part of me does Suisui like most?”

Ning Yin’s lips curved slightly upward as he said tenderly, “Shall I cut it off, make it more beautiful and lasting, and give it to Suisui?”

“…”

The little madman’s way of expressing love was always so unique, willing to use his body and even his soul as tokens of love.

Used to it, she deliberately moved her gaze downward, stopping at the taut line below his waist.

Ning Yin was stunned for a moment, then embraced her and burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking continuously as he said deeply: “This thing won’t do, it’s better used while alive.”

He was truly in a good mood; in two lifetimes, Yu Lingxi had rarely seen him laugh so uninhibitedly.

So she no longer minded his nonsense, snuggling into his embrace.

After a long time, so long that her eyelids grew heavy, when Yu Lingxi thought Ning Yin had fallen asleep, she heard his low, dominant voice.

“Stay with me,” he said.

“I will.”

Yu Lingxi understood his meaning, “I’ll try my best to keep up with your pace.”

Ning Yin pinched the back of her neck and said hoarsely: “You’re wrong, you must be punished.”

It was the shadow chasing the light; he was chasing Suisui.