After infiltrating the main characters' group, I became the most beautiful woman in the world.

But Hongxiu had already gracefully appeared behind her without her noticing.

Su Ning's voice was devoid of emotion as she shook the still-warm yellow wine in her hand. "What happened?"

Hongxiu bowed her back and recounted the events of those days without missing a single word.

"The Valley of a Hundred Flowers has already prepared the antidote for Master Tang, and his condition is no longer serious."

"Strangely, the rumors downstairs seemed to appear overnight, and everyone was talking about them in the streets and alleys."

Hongxiu's voice was low and methodical as she said, "Teahouses, taverns, gambling dens, brothels, even Old Wang, who sells tofu pudding at the market, are all saying that Yue Zi is the chosen one, bearing the destiny of the Purple Star, and will overthrow the dynasty and establish a new order."

Have you found out who did it?

Hongxiu shook her head, a hint of self-reproach in her voice, "My subordinates haven't found any relevant information yet."

Su Ning placed the wine glass on the railing.

The sound of the cup bottom hitting the wooden railing was crisp and short.

Her gaze fell on the pedestrians coming and going on the Magpie Bridge downstairs.

She saw two young men who looked like scholars standing at the bridgehead, one speaking animatedly and the other listening in stunned silence.

As he danced and gesticulated, a piece of paper fell from his sleeve and was blown into the river by the wind. The paper floated on the surface of the water for a few breaths, the ink bleed and the writing became blurred, and then it sank and disappeared.

"There's no need to investigate this matter," Su Ning instructed.

This is putting Yue Zijin on the hot seat! Who is so vicious?

Su Ning pondered these possible masterminds behind the scenes.

Inside the Agarwood Pavilion.

Xie Zhuo was dressed in a moon-white casual outfit, her long hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin. She looked less aloof and imposing than usual, and more relaxed and casual.

When he saw Su Ning arrive, he merely gave her a lazy glance.

"Come here and play chess with me."

Su Ning walked over and saw that Xie Zhuo had been playing chess against himself before she arrived, with the chessboard full of pieces.

"Isn't Your Highness worried? Or have you found out who's behind this?"

Su Ning ignored the chess game and instead asked a question, which, though not explicitly stated, all pointed to recent events in the capital.

"Not found."

He casually gave a result.

This made Su Ning raise an eyebrow, "There are still things that Shili Xuanling can't find out."

Xie Zhuo remained calm, saying, "They're just those clowns looking for revenge against me."

"Having lived this long, do you think I'd be afraid of those demons and monsters?"

Seeing that he remained calm and carefree, Su Ning couldn't help but sigh, "This guy really has a big heart."

After seeing Xie Zhu off, Su Ning did not return to her room immediately. Instead, she dismissed everyone else and opened a hidden door.

Pei Yunlian was leaning against the headboard, facing the window.

The afternoon light streamed in through the window, enveloping him in a pale, cold brightness.

He was like a statue, cold and unapproachable.

She was carrying a food box and a medicine box.

The food box was made of bamboo and had three layers. Inside, there was white porridge, side dishes, and a bowl of chicken soup with a layer of golden oil floating on top.

The medicine box contained bone-healing plaster, blood-activating powder, and a roll of clean gauze. The bone-healing plaster was collected from various places by her people; it was a secret recipe from a large family, specifically for treating broken bones and reconnecting tendons and bones.

She first scooped a bowl of porridge and placed it on a tray, then picked up a small dish of side dishes and placed it next to the bowl. She then carried the tray to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed.

The bed sank slightly, and her body was very close to him, so close that she could smell the mixture of ointment and blood on his body.

"Have something to eat." She held the spoon to the other person's lips.

The boy didn't move; his lips were tightly pursed, and he even closed his eyes, silently refusing.

The steam from the porridge blurred Su Ning's vision, and a thin layer of mist clung to her eyelashes, resembling tears, yet not quite.

A soft sigh came from inside the room.

"I know you blame me, you resent me, but I will heal your legs, so please eat something, okay?"

The other party remained silent.

Su Ning held the spoon for a long time, until the porridge in the spoon went from warm to cold. She put the spoon back into the bowl, and the sound of the porcelain spoon hitting the rim of the bowl was crisp and short, like a sigh that was cut off in the quiet room.

She didn't leave, and spoke softly:

"Yue Zi is now considered by the people of the world to be the chosen one."

Pei Yunlian's eyelashes trembled suddenly.

He opened his eyes and immediately realized that a spoonful of cold porridge had been put into his mouth.

Su Ning continued, "Someone lifted him up, as if intentionally setting him up to confront Prince Ling."

"You did it."

He finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.

Su Ning didn't speak, but continued to feed him the spoonful of porridge. "Eat first, then we'll treat your illness."

He didn't know which word pierced his heart, but he trembled all over and burst out with a fierce force, slapping the bowl of porridge from Su Ning's hand.

"That's enough—"

The scalding rice porridge was poured onto the back of her hands, wrists, and fingers, turning her skin pink for a moment, then deep red.

The porcelain bowl shattered on the ground, mixed with the snow-white rice porridge.

"Am I really that stupid, to be fooled by you once and then fooled a second time?"

He was emotional, his porcelain-white face flushed red with anger, as if a sculpture had suddenly come to life.

Su Ning's fingers twitched slightly, her eyes drooped, and a few tiny drops of water glistened in the corners of her eyes due to the pain.

Pei Yunlian restrained herself from looking at her.

But Su Ning didn't cry out in pain as usual. Instead, she slowly got up, her voice hoarse, "I'll have someone clean this place up."

"Also, I didn't do what Zijin did."

Only after Su Ning closed the door did a few restrained sobs and whimpers gradually fill the room...