Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

"There will be no more scenes of armed conflict."

Wei Wujiu's moderate voice immediately dispelled Lin Rucong's concerns. "Master, trust me."

"Whether it's the current situation or Wan Tang, I can ensure they can coexist peacefully."

Wei Wujiu had his own plans and couldn't reveal his true intentions to Lin Rucong, so he gave him a reassuring nod. His deep and firm gaze calmed Lin Rucong's chaotic mind.

Wei Wujiu also turned his gaze to the west: "The Western Liao have invaded the border, and the flames of war are raging. Soldiers are fighting bitterly, and people are being displaced. At this moment, the incessant internal strife is only wasting the country's strength and is not the most urgent matter."

Without needing any advice from Lin Rucong, Wei Wujiu immediately ordered the sale of all the gold, silver, valuables, antiques, and paintings in his mansion, and the collection of taxes from wealthy merchants in the capital, all to be used as military funds. He also ordered the 800,000-strong Northern Army to set off immediately to reinforce the Western Frontier, leaving less than 50,000 troops to join forces with the Embroidered Uniform Guard in besieging the Imperial Palace.

At the same time, he dispatched officials to appease the people in the capital, ordering them to keep their doors tightly shut, receive vegetables and fruits delivered by government officials at designated locations, and live peacefully, avoiding the ravages of war.

Lin Rucong admired and praised him for his clear thinking, decisiveness, and ability to prioritize. He also hurriedly sent people back to the Grand Tutor's mansion to sell their belongings to help replenish the military funds.

Many ministers who were originally on Wei Wujiu's side saw this opportunity and rushed to participate. They also tried their best to flatter and curry favor with Lin Rucong in private, attempting to get along well with this father-in-law of the emperor in order to ensure a smooth rise in their careers in the future.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, which was completely surrounded and impenetrable.

After two days of rest, Shen Huai'an's sword wound to the abdomen was no longer a concern. He issued several imperial edicts, detailing the numerous crimes of Wei Wujiu and others, and ordering their arrest and execution.

But as the imperial seal was being stamped, he couldn't help but look at it repeatedly in his hand. The more he looked, the angrier he became, and the more his wound ached from the anger. His complexion, which had just begun to recover, became even worse.

"I have already informed Pang Ying. Once he arrives, my urgent problem will surely be solved!"

Shen Huai'an desperately hoped that Pang Ying would lead his troops into the capital soon. Did Wei Wujiu think that by fabricating a legitimate lineage of the royal family, he could compete with him for the throne? He was dreaming!

The Southern Army and the Northern Army have a long-standing feud, and Pang Ying had long wanted to find an opportunity to meet Li Renxiao, the commander of the Northern Army. Shen Huai'an waited for Pang Ying to arrive with his troops so that he could wipe out Wei Wujiu and his gang of treacherous officials outside the palace!

"At the latest, one month... Hmph, it won't even take a month!" Shen Huai'an muttered angrily to himself.

With Li Fuhai gone, Sanxi, one of the eunuchs serving Shen Huai'an, was promoted. He bowed and carefully presented a cup of hot tea to Shen Huai'an, saying, "Your Majesty, have some tea to calm your anger."

Shen Huai'an glared at Sanxi with annoyance. After all, Sanxi wasn't as good at understanding his thoughts as Li Fuhai. Annoyed, he asked a few questions about Li Fuhai's funeral arrangements, but the palace was under siege, so a funeral could not be held.

"This is outrageous!" Shen Huai'an angrily smashed the teacup again.

Sanxi knelt down in fright to beg for forgiveness. Seeing Shen Huai'an pacing back and forth, his anger rising, Sanxi had no choice but to change the subject: "Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Should I bring up a few of the newly selected maids for Your Majesty to see? They are all very beautiful."

"You certainly know how to go to great lengths," Shen Huai'an scoffed, his expression still unfriendly. "And her? Her hands and feet are tied by me, and she's even going on a hunger strike!"

"Ah, how should I put it..." Sanxi was a bit tongue-tied and didn't want to mention Lin Wantang, but he couldn't avoid it. He chuckled helplessly, "Miss Lin is ungrateful. Why should His Majesty bother with her? She's just a woman. His Majesty has already secured his throne. Would he lack women? Perhaps this servant could choose a few for His Majesty..."

"roll!"

Shen Huai'an interrupted him directly, coldly uttering a single word, and then ordered the eunuch beside him: "Prepare the carriage for Haiyan Palace!"

At the same time, Lin Wantang suffered from poor blood circulation throughout her body due to her previous forced reversal of Qi pulse to break the stagnation, causing her to cough up blood from time to time and experience severe chest pain.

But ever since she was forced into the palace, Shen Huai'an has placed her here. Not wanting her to cause trouble, he has bound her hands and feet, making her unable to move at all, and she has been lying on the bed for two whole days.

She had been sulking for two days and hadn't eaten or drunk anything. Now she was even weaker and more exhausted. She was dizzy and her vision was blurry, and everything she saw was double. But she couldn't figure out what Shen Huai'an was thinking or what he was going to do to her. She couldn't close her eyes and rest without being able to relax. Exhausted, she kept staring at the palace gate and vaguely saw someone walking in. He was tall and strong and walked with a brisk pace.

Could that person be...?

"Wei Wujiu..."

From afar, Shen Huai'an strode into the hall. He seemed to hear her murmuring something, so he quickened his pace to try and hear it clearly. But when he finally heard it, his face suddenly darkened.

Lin Wantang's vision was blurry and unreal, her mind was foggy, and her weak voice was low: "Wei..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Huai'an grabbed his chin and said fiercely, "Besides that Wei guy, do you even have eyes for anyone else? Huh?"

"Lin Wantang! Look carefully at who this person in front of you really is!"

The intense pain roused Lin Wantang to a sliver of consciousness. Realizing that the person before her was not the one she had been longing for, she immediately glared at him with hatred and bit his hand in a desperate struggle.

Shen Huai'an hissed in pain, trying to pull his hand away, but Lin Wantang bit him hard. He was even more frustrated by the pain, so he simply pulled his hand away and pinched her cheek: "Do you hate me that much? Why? Lin Wantang, tell me why? In our past life... we weren't like this."

In her past life, she was simple, innocent, and naive, with her heart and eyes only for him. She would worry about his busy affairs of state, wait for his return late at night, cook ginseng soup, accompany him to practice calligraphy and write folded paper, make embroidered pouches and clothes for him, and anxiously cook soup and medicine for him when he failed in the hunting and fell off his horse, staying up all night.

But like a fleeting moment, everything... the good times didn't last long.

"Just because I didn't make you the Crown Princess in this life? Is that it? Just because of that! But Lin Wantang, you also experienced the previous life. Don't you know why I didn't make you my primary wife? Because you can't bear children! Because I need to secure my position as Crown Prince, I must ensure that everything goes smoothly for my father, and I must ensure that the lineage that my father values ​​continues!"

Shen Huai'an became more and more agitated as he spoke. Looking at Lin Wantang, who was still struggling and whose cheeks and eyes were red from the pain, he couldn't bear it and softened his voice: "But now it's not necessary. I am already the Emperor, I have already sat on the throne above all others. I no longer need to pretend, nor do I need to look at anyone's face. I can easily give you everything you want..."