She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Xie Lanheng was tormented by the potent aphrodisiac. If he hadn't found a hairpin that Rong An had dropped on the bed and used it to stab himself, he probably wouldn't have been able to regain any sense of reason.

The moment his crimson eyes lifted and met Zheng Lingyi's cold gaze, it felt as if a huge boulder had been slammed into his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

With the help of the Regent, Zheng Lingyi orchestrated this revenge. If it weren't for the desire to witness his retribution firsthand, she wouldn't want to see him again!

Ningning was right again.

Once you take revenge, the softest, most reluctant spot in your heart hardens!

She turned around and followed the others out without looking back.

Unexpectedly, they ran right into Yelü Jing, who had barged in.

The rugged Liao man's face was grim. He kicked over the screen that was blocking his view, his eyes like molten lava, threatening to scorch and distort the air: "Empress Dowager of the Great Zhou, you've gone too far!"

"I, the Crown Prince, came with sincerity, yet you resort to such tricks right under my nose!"

The Empress Dowager, true to her reputation as someone capable of assassinating the emperor and seizing the throne, remained composed even in the face of such a scene: "Crown Prince Yelü, calm down! This is a traitor within the Great Zhou court trying to sow discord between our two nations!"

spy.

Why was the Northern Liao Dynasty attacked from both sides?

It was because they planted spies in another country that they almost caused internal strife there, and they were retaliated against!

But Yelü Jing's anger was not quelled by those two words: "What does the Empress Dowager of the Great Zhou take me for! Neither I nor the Northern Liao court will accept such humiliation. Let's go!"

"The Eternal Heaven will surely punish you villains on our behalf, and will not let Great Zhou get away with it! Even if the Northern Liao were to slaughter all sixteen prefectures, we would never give them to you! Empress Dowager of Great Zhou, prepare to face the wrath of your subjects!"

When the Empress Dowager learned that the Northern Liao spies had offended the Great Liang, she took the initiative to propose a friendly marriage alliance to the Northern Liao. She wanted to claim all the credit for taking back the Sixteen Prefectures without losing a single soldier, so as to win the support of her subjects and overwhelm the Regent in terms of prestige.

With the current situation changing drastically, she has become the culprit who tore up the friendly alliance between the two countries and provoked the war, which is alarming.

Once she loses her prestige, even if she holds great power in the future, she will never have the chance to ascend the throne and become empress!

Because the people will rebel!

Even though she knew all this must be a conspiracy between the Regent and Yelü Jing, she had no way to explain herself when Rong An and Xie Lanheng were caught in the act!

Unlike the Regent, she lacks the ability to lead troops into battle. The general guarding Tongguan Pass happens to be one of the Regent's men. If she were to forcefully declare that she would send troops, it would likely provoke resentment from the border residents and soldiers.

Besides, she can no longer make decisions for the imperial court!

Therefore, she could only offer compensation.

"Crown Prince Yelü, wait!"

The Empress Dowager knew he couldn't just leave like that, but if he didn't show sincerity and Yelü Jing signed an agreement with the Regent to return the sixteen prefectures, then she would have gained nothing in this whole affair!

"The situation is what it is, and I cannot change it, but I can compensate you! The Great Zhou Dynasty has many beauties, and you can choose any noble lady in the court; there's bound to be one that satisfies you!"

"After Crown Prince Yelü leaves, I will have a great gift to present!"

Some onlookers were impressed by the Empress Dowager's daring, while others disliked her treatment of her subjects, pointing out that not everyone wants to be a princess or the Crown Princess!

Some people saw through the Empress Dowager's scheme and whispered to those around them, "I heard that Princess Rong'an has taken a liking to Xie Lanheng and will probably try to snatch him away from Zheng Lingyi sooner or later! Seeing that Yelü Jing has his eye on her, she'll get Xie Lanheng into the palace and then drug him to make it happen."

"Yelü Jing isn't a cuckold; naturally, he wouldn't ask to marry another withered woman! Princess Rong'an only lost face; she got the man she wanted without having to marry far away to her death—she got everything she wanted!"

Hearing the person mutter, the man nodded in agreement.

Of course, there are also those who see further ahead, realizing that everyone is merely a pawn on the Regent's chessboard, manipulated at will.

However, such clever people will not speak out, but will quietly watch the game being pushed forward by the powerful hand of authority, and the situation changing rapidly!

The regent, sitting on the veranda as an outsider, finally spoke, his slow, leisurely tone as if discussing the beauty of the stars and moon: "Rong'an lost her virginity before marriage, and in front of Crown Prince Yelü no less. She can no longer be a princess sent for a political marriage; the Great Zhou cannot afford to lose face like that!"

The Empress Dowager's gaze suddenly swept towards Zheng Lingyi: "Then..."

Zheng Lingyi's gaze collided with the Empress Dowager's unfriendly eyes, and invisible sparks exploded and scattered in the air!

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst my eardrums. My hands instinctively gripped my sleeves tightly, and my palms were sweating profusely.

When one's fate is not in one's own hands, fear and anxiety are unavoidable.

His gaze shifted to the Regent under the eaves.

Then they heard the Regent's casual voice, his affection masking the Empress Dowager's sharp intentions.

"I do have a good candidate in mind, but I wonder if Crown Prince Yelü would like to discuss it with me."

Yelü Jing's eye twitched: "The Regent is so young yet already wields such power, which shows his exceptional vision. Of course, I, the Crown Prince, will listen to your recommendation!"

The Regent rested his chin on his hand: "The Empress Dowager also has a daughter, Princess Xinyang. Her husband recently passed away, but he has been ill for quite some time, so it can be said that she has been observing the mourning period for three years!"

"Let her go as an envoy to the Northern Liao to marry into a foreign land in place of her younger sister, who has committed a grave error!"

Yelü Jing clearly anticipated this, and although his eyes twitched violently, he readily accepted the offer: "This Crown Prince has come to propose marriage to the Princess of Great Zhou for the sake of diplomatic relations between our two nations!"

"The Empress Dowager's beloved daughter, of noble birth, though widowed, is perfectly suited to be my Crown Prince's consort!"

Everyone was shocked, speechless, and curious: "...!!!"

The princess who was sent to marry him had lost her virginity before she even got married, and now she was a widow. What benefits did the regent promise him, or what major secret did he have over her, that Yelü Jing could endure such humiliation?

Looking closely at Yelü Jing's expression, although his face was full of anger, there was not a trace of violent rage, which was really inconsistent with the arrogant and powerless style of the Northern Liao!

Now let's look at the Empress Dowager.

Fine cracks appeared on her beautiful and elegant face. Unable to withstand the landing of a snowflake, a small crack instantly spread outwards, revealing a corner of her iron-blue true face!

Their gaze finally fell on the regent.

That alluring face, set against the backdrop of ice and snow, was as beautiful as a demon goddess, cold and pure, dazzling and captivating! His strategic brilliance was hidden beneath an air of detachment, which shrouded his androgynous beauty in an aura of unapproachability, making people dare not harbor any disrespect.

"Crown Prince Yelü!" The Empress Dowager couldn't believe it, yet she knew perfectly well that she and her two daughters had long been placed on the chessboard, and every move was no longer up to her.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger and anxiety, he gritted his teeth and said, "There are countless beautiful unmarried noblewomen in the Great Zhou Dynasty. You can choose again! Xinyang is a widow; if she were to be sent as a princess for a political marriage, it would be inauspicious for the relations between our two countries!"

Everyone: "..."

The lady of the imperial clan frowned as she listened, muttering, "The Empress Dowager, in order to keep her daughter, has abandoned all pretense and brazenly dragged my daughter out to be sacrificed! Is her own flesh and blood even considered flesh and blood?!"

Official B whispered to the person next to him, "The alliance between the two countries is just for show. If we want to return to the Sixteen Provinces, how good can things go for them if they aren't betrayed?"

Some people think the Empress Dowager is ruthless, while others think she is decisive and ruthless.

Official C scoffed, "As subjects, we should serve our masters to the death! It's just a daughter; even if it costs us our entire fortune and lives, we would not hesitate!"

It wasn't just talk; several of them dragged their daughters toward Yelü Jing.

"I am a prince, and my daughter is a princess, elegant and dignified, a renowned woman of talent! For her to become the crown princess of Northern Liao is not an insult to Crown Prince Yelü!"

"My wife is a princess, and my daughter has royal blood in her!"

……