Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

It was just a minor tremor, not a full-blown poisoning, but Ling Xianru was still trembling slightly from the pain, her whole body drenched in sweat.

I can't imagine the pain I would feel if it were a case of poisoning.

The worry in Wei Rong's eyes hadn't faded all day. She probably didn't know that in other people's eyes, her appearance showed that she was extremely concerned.

Ling Xianru suppressed a pang of pain in her chest and reassured her, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Since the Prime Minister's residence was convenient, Mo Bai arranged for him to return home before sunset.

Wei Rong followed without hesitation.

The letter of divorce was submitted to the Ministry of Rites. According to the regulations, she was no longer Xiao Heng's wife, and the palace was like a dream of yesterday to her.

They were talking by the bedside, while Mo Bai and Mo Yu went in and out, carrying important things out of the room time and time again.

Wei Rong withdrew her gaze: "You've already decided to return to Donglin?"

"Yes, I'll have to go back sooner or later," Ling Xianru said, leaning against the jade pillow in her undergarments. "I'll submit my resignation to your court. I've made quite a few contributions in Dajing these past few years. You won't condemn me as a spy, will you?"

Wei Rong had no intention of joking with him.

Don't say it's impossible for her. Just as Ling Xianru said, his achievements in the Da Jing court over the past few years have all been recorded in writing, in black and white. Who dares to deny it?

Furthermore, his rapid rise to power was related to his character, talent, and innate abilities. Xiao Heng was suspicious but not incompetent; he was the one who promoted him to the position of prime minister, and he was highly regarded by the people.

"Don't frown." Ling Xianru suddenly reached out and stroked her forehead. "You look even more beautiful when you smile."

Even when she's not smiling, Wei Rong is extremely beautiful.

"Xiao Yi said that you sent troops to stop Su Meng, and your identity has been exposed on the border. Your journey back to Donglin will surely be extremely dangerous."

His past twenty-odd years had been filled with peril and constant struggle for his life. Countless members of the Eastern Lin royal family wanted him dead and would not let this opportunity slip by.

Unfortunately, Ling Xianru is now also suffering from a Gu poison.

How could she not be worried? She felt so guilty.

How could Ling Xianru feel that their encounter when she was six years old was a blessing, when the encounter brought her far more unrest than happiness?

She later consulted medical books and found that this Heart-Eating Gu was indeed extremely dangerous.

Each attack adds to the damage to the body. If the heart meridian is damaged, even if the poison is detoxified, irreversible damage will remain.

If something happens along the way, or if something goes wrong during the detoxification process upon returning to Donglin, it's completely unpredictable.

Ling Xianru said casually, "With Mo Bai and Mo Yu here, nothing will happen."

Mo Bai and Mo Yu are both highly skilled, but the journey is long and arduous, and there are too many unexpected events.

Wei Rong asked softly, "Can't we summon the physician who treated your Gu poison to Dajing? It's not too late to return to Donglin once your condition stabilizes. I can guarantee your safety while you're in Yunjing."

"Wei Xiaorong," Ling Xianru smiled helplessly.

Upon hearing this address, Wei Rong was taken aback.

Her life was not short, and it was quite remarkable. When her father was strict, he called her by her full name. Before she got married, her uncles and aunts all called her Arong. Outsiders would respectfully address her as "Big Miss".

Later, after entering the palace, she became the Empress, and even Xiao Heng often addressed her as Empress with a warning tone.

This slightly affectionate yet helpless address left her momentarily speechless.

Ling Xianru pressed further, asking, "Are you worried about me?"

The man's fruity scent lingered at the tip of my nose, but compared to before, there was a faint medicinal smell and a slight bitterness.

This caused Wei Rong to become flustered, and she subconsciously retreated to avoid Ling Xianru's unsettling aura.

Then Ling Xianru lowered her eyelashes in disappointment, her lips drooping: "It seems not. If we leave now, we still have a reason to get rid of the poison. If we want to go back after we're cured, I'm afraid I won't be able to make up my mind."

He answered the previous question.

It turns out he just wanted an excuse to leave.

Seeing him like this, Wei Rong felt a pang of sadness in her heart again: "I just feel that it's not worth it for you. I was once the Empress of Da Jing. What you've done in Da Jing will make the whole world gossip about you and say that your purpose in coming to Da Jing was impure. But that's not the truth—"

She herself may not have realized that when she speaks in front of Ling Xianru, she unconsciously reveals many small expressions that are not usually seen.

It's distressing, conflicted, and very vivid.

Ling Xianru listened patiently to her finish speaking, and her smile returned to her face.

"When you knew your father died because of Xiao Heng, and that he wrote him a letter of divorce, risking the condemnation of the world to imprison him, what were you thinking?"

Wei Rong was taken aback: "This can't be compared. He caused my father's death. No matter how anyone views me, I will make Xiao Heng wish he were dead."

"See, that's what you think too."

"What?" Wei Rong didn't understand what he meant.

Ling Xianru patiently guided her: "When a person does something, they should first follow their heart, and the consequences are secondary. If you want to avenge your father, you won't care about the opinions of the world, because you know that justice resides in the hearts of the people, and people don't live for the world to see. What I did was the same principle. There are ten thousand mouths in the world, should I care about every single speculation? Or is it that because I love Wei Rong, I only want the good parts of her and abandon the bad parts?"

The room was quiet.

The two henchmen who were moving things also fell silent. After a while, Mo Yu was careless and bumped into a vase while holding the book, making a thud that woke Wei Rong.

She felt a real heat rising on her face.

Ling Xianru looked away and whispered to the two furtive figures, "Get out."

Mo Bai and Mo Yu hurriedly rolled away.

"I...I still have things to do at home..." Wei Rong felt suffocated by the atmosphere and got up to escape.

But Ling Xianru grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, turning him from the small stool by the bed to sit on the edge of Ling Xianru's bed.

Ling Xianru held her wrist tightly, brought her face close, and gently rested her face against her shoulder: "I have something to do too, my heart hurts."

"......"

The overwhelming scent of oranges made Wei Rong dizzy and her eyes throb. She instinctively reached out to pat his chest: "Has the Gu worm flared up again?"

But then, a soft laugh came from her neck, and hot breath sprayed onto her skin, making Wei Rong not dare to breathe.

It feels both unreal and real.

She could feel Ling Xianru's body temperature perfectly; her warm, fresh breath was right next to her ear.

He said, "I love Wei Rong, not only for her good points, but also for her bad points."

Because Wei Rong is a whole, she cannot be perfect or without flaws.

What to do?

Her heart seemed destined to soften for this person.

If Ling Xianru were a skilled hunter, she would undoubtedly be prey willingly walking into a trap.

But he was about to return to Donglin.

"You have such a soft heart, how can I leave you in Dajing without worry?"

It felt like a farewell. Wei Rong's heart clenched, and she whispered, "Will you come back?"