Chapter 71: With Child

  Ling Feng took the lyrics and turned to walk towards Murong Lingyun, but when passing by Xuan Yuan Chen's side, she felt his straight gaze shooting over, her footsteps involuntarily paused. She thought, at this moment, he must be furious, after all, what he hated most was her involvement with Murong Lingyun, now that she was openly collaborating with him, how could he not be angry?

  It was just her doing this, but in fact she also helped him. Otherwise, with his temper, it's hard to say how this situation would have ended.

  Her eyes involuntarily flickered upwards, turning towards Xuan Yuan Chen, a subconscious glance that was either unintentional or perhaps intentional.

  Ling Feng saw anger in his eyes, just as he had expected. However, he faintly detected a hint of heavy concern hidden beneath the anger.

  Although Nuo's worry was not obvious, although her worry quickly hid when she looked at him, Ling Feng could be sure that he had just clearly seen it.

  Is he worried? How can Emperor Xuan even worry? But what is he worried about at this moment, what in the entire grand hall could make him worried?

  A faint sense of doubt arose in her mind, and her eyes slowly turned away, but suddenly a strange thought flashed through her brain - could he be worried about her? There was no need for that at all; if she hadn't been confident, she wouldn't have taken the lead.

  His heart was suddenly startled at that moment, was he worried about her? Would he worry about her? Is it possible? His body also stiffened slightly due to the thoughts that floated in his mind, and his eyes turned back to him again, but saw that he had already lowered his eyelids, staring at the wine glass in his hand, as if he didn't care about her at all.

  Ling Feng's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of self-mockery in his smile. Had he gone stupid? He, Xuan Yuan Chen, an invincible prince, was worried about her? She was also overestimating herself, wasn't she? When had she become so overly sentimental?

  But why did I have such a thought in my heart, it seems a bit strange.

  However, she didn't want to pay attention anymore, quickly withdrawing her gaze and continuing to walk towards Murong Lingyun. The previous moment, which was only a few seconds, would not have been noticed by anyone if they hadn't intentionally paid attention, except for the Emperor and Murong Lingyun.

  The emperor's eyes, gazing at Ling Feng's back, slowly added a few points of doubt. She paused for a short moment, as if the emperor had thought of something, but didn't want to admit it. In his heart, he secretly told himself that this woman must be afraid of Xuan Yuan Chen, which was why she reacted like that just now, and not for any other reason.

  Only in Murong Lingyun's eyes, which had been tightly following Lingfeng, did a few more parts of stiffness suddenly appear. When did his wind change and become so intentional? Other people's thoughts, if she didn't care, she wouldn't have had that momentary pause just now. However, seeing her walking towards him, a faint smile slowly floated onto his face. How long has it been since they last played together? Thinking back to the past, every time he went to Qing Shan, he would play with her together.

  The scenery like a paradise on earth, the fresh and vast nature, and the carefree mood at that time, were the happiest days of his life, but now they can only be memories.

  However, today I have such an opportunity to compose a song with her again, which is rare. I should cherish it well, but I don't know what song she wrote today.

  As she pondered, Ling Feng had already walked to his front, handing him the written song and lyrics. Ling Feng didn't understand music very well before either, just learning a bit in music class when he was in school. But after coming here, Qingfeng Daozhang made her practice piano and required it very strictly, so she had no choice but to follow along. Fortunately, she picked it up quickly, mastering the things Qingfeng Daozhang taught without much time.

  So it's also possible to compose a melody, originally just imitating others, and it's quite simple.

  Murong Lingyun smiled slightly, stretched out his hands and took the paper from her hand, but in his smile, there was still a hint of strain and depression.

  And his hand, when taking over the lyrics, also paused slightly, as if wanting to do something, but ultimately could only helplessly let go.

  She took the lyrics and unfolded them in front of her, this time even Murong Lingyun was stunned. Before, she had written mostly sentimental lyrics, although he had always admired her cleverness, but felt that such things were very natural for her to write.

  But now, seeing such magnificent and grand lyrics, he can't help but be shocked, as if he also dares not to believe that such lyrics came from her pen.

  "Can you?" Seeing his surprise, Ling Feng asked softly. Before, every time she let him sing, it was indeed some sentimental songs. This sudden change, I don't know if he can sing well.

  Murong Lingyun was slightly stunned, then shifted his gaze from the lyrics to her, gave her a reassuring light smile, and said in a soft voice, "Don't worry." In fact, he thought that such a song, he should be able to sing it better than those sentimental songs.

  "Hmm." Ling Feng's lips also curled up in a faint smile, she believed that Murong Lingyun would definitely sing well, with his almost perfect voice, she thought no matter what song, it would be hard to stump him.

  She sighed again, alas, he was born at the wrong time. If he were born in modern times, he could have fully utilized his strengths and achieved success long ago, without having to struggle all day in those fierce battles.

  She had always known that Murong Lingyun did not like war and did not like the slaughter on the battlefield.

  Xuanyuan Chen's eyes gradually became gloomy, seeing the soft whispers and faint smiles of the two people. The coldness in his eyes spread rapidly, freezing over bit by bit. If possible, he would have liked to freeze them solid on the spot.

  The hand holding the wine cup tightened again, the wine had been drunk dry, leaving only an empty cup. The empty wine cup slowly deformed in his hand and slowly turned into ashes. It fell silently, and everyone's attention was on Murong Lingyun and Lingfeng at this moment, so no one noticed anything unusual about him.

  Only his own anger and coldness accompanied the slow slide of the ashes, but it was getting more and more.

  Ling Feng was already at a distance from him, so naturally he didn't notice. He just briefly explained to Murong Lingyun the aspects she should pay attention to, then walked over to the guqin that had been prepared for her and slowly sat down. He plucked a few notes, then looked up at Murong Lingyun with his eyes, seeking his opinion on whether everything was ready. Murong Lingyun responded with a gentle smile, indicating that everything was fine.

  Ling Feng straightened his back this time, the smile on his face completely disappeared, replaced by a serious and solemn expression. For such a song, one must first learn to adjust their own emotions properly.

  Her fingers lightly lifted, slowly falling onto the sound of the zither, slightly moving, the sound that was played out was astonishingly resonant. After a low and gentle reverberation, slowly a majestic echo emerged, a thrilling and soul-stirring shock.

  The entire hall was suddenly completely silent, with only her zither sound and the unbelieving eyes of the crowd.

  The emperor, who had already read the lyrics, was still shocked and stunned by the music, such a magnificent sound, coming from a woman's zither, it was really hard for him to believe, and this piece was even written by her own hand.

  Her dull eyes, when looking at her, still had a few more depths. What kind of woman was she? Why did she always bring him so many surprises? From the encounter three years ago, to the longing for these three years, and then to the words she said in the palace a few days ago, it should be her rationality that confused him.

  No matter what, but also because of her words last time, he understood that some things are indeed impossible to force. No matter how good or bad Xuan Yuan was to her, no matter how she is living now, it's all her own choice. Her attitude was very clear, she didn't want him to interfere with everything about her, so he stopped disturbing her and wanted to give her the quiet she desired.

  But today, her stunning performance made the emperor understand that this woman is different from other women. She has her own views and persistence, so her affairs cannot be controlled by others.

  If he really cherished her, he should respect her, right? For the first time, the emperor also knew how to respect a person, and that person was a woman.

  Xuan Yuan's gloomy eyes, like icy stones, were frozen in shock, and the anger he had been trying to control was also stunned, all of it was shocked by the unbelievable impact.

  He was very sure that such a song, he had never heard before, was indeed written by this woman herself. The grandeur and majesty of it, was actually rendered so captivatingly by her slender fingers, that he couldn't help but be astonished.

  He didn't know that this woman still had something he didn't know. He was even more unaware that his intense anger and coldness could be extinguished by a single note of the guqin.

  Needless to say, the ministers were stunned, one by one, with wide eyes that couldn't be closed, and the generals were even more shocked. Moreover, they all unconsciously straightened their backs, and not a single trace of their previous sloppiness could be found. This kind of music is truly inspiring!

  Even the Empress Dowager's lips slowly curled up into a smile of appreciation, and the previous misunderstanding had been cleared up. She no longer held the same prejudice against Ling Feng as before.

  The woman who had just been causing trouble, originally wanted to see Ling Feng make a fool of himself, but did not expect the situation to end up like this, and the hatred in her eyes became even more apparent.

  Only Murong Lingyun had a faint smile on his face, and such a result was all within his expectation. He had long known her uniqueness and cleverness.

  And with her music, his pure and thick voice also resonated in perfect harmony, without a single note off.

  Ling Feng involuntarily raised his head, looking into his eyes with a satisfied smile, yet still hiding a hint of surprise, not expecting that he could actually coordinate so well.

  As the lyrics flowed from Murong Lingyun's throat, the astonishment on everyone's face grew even more pronounced. One by one, they were shocked to a standstill, whether they were drinking or chatting, all frozen in place.

  Smoke rises from the wolf's lair

  The mountains and rivers look northward

  The dragon rises and rolls up, the horse neighs loudly, the sword energy is like frost.

  Simple yet majestic lyrics, just a few short sentences, vividly and dynamically depict the chaos on the battlefield, as if they were in that intense scene, personally feeling that momentum.

  It makes one wonder if such lyrics really came from a woman's pen. A woman, how could she know the situation on the battlefield? Yet, everyone's heart is full of shock and doubt, but no one speaks out, fearing to interrupt this unexpected, shocking music.

  My heart is like the Yellow River, vast and endless

  Twenty years of ups and downs, who can withstand it.

  The Xuan Yuan dynasty was formed for only twenty years, but in these twenty years, at the beginning, there were the former emperor and those old generals, later, there were Xuan Yuan Chen and Mu Rong Ling Yun, indeed, on big or small battlefields, they had never lost, indeed, no one could resist them.

  The emperor's shocking eyes slowly flashed a layer of smile, such a description really made him very satisfied.

  It's not just about making him satisfied, but also all the subjects of the Xuan Yuan Dynasty will be satisfied and inspired when they hear this song.

  Not bad, at this moment, the entire hall, whether it's a civil minister or a military general, when they heard this, their faces all showed a hint of pride and arrogance. But Xuan Yuan Chen's eyes, however, became deeper and more profound, to the point where shock couldn't even describe how deep they were.

  With hatred and desire gone mad, where the long sword points is where I'll go. How many loyal hands and feet, devoted souls, have been buried in foreign lands?

  What a pity to die for one's country, but no regrets, only tears of blood.

  At this point, Murong Lingyun's face also couldn't help but flash a hint of pain. There were so many brothers who had gone through life and death with him, and countless soldiers had died on the battlefield. War was always cruel, if it could be helped, he really wished that war would never happen again, only... this wasn't something he could control, just like this time...

  And all the generals thought of those who died on the battlefield, and they couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. At this moment, Xuan Yuan's body also stiffened, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

  A horse's hoof prints lead south, while people gaze northward.

  A man stands in the north, looking out at the green and yellow grass, with dust flying everywhere.

  I am willing to defend our territory and reclaim our lost lands.

  Our great dynasty will make all four directions submit

  Come to congratulate

  The final turmoil ended in a majestic oath. Ling Feng's hands also slowly came to a stop, the sound of the guqin ceased, yet it seemed to still echo on.

  The entire hall was silent, as if there wasn't a single sound, as if even the air was holding its breath. In this grand hall, at this moment, even if a feather were to float down, everyone would be able to hear it clearly.

  Everyone's face still had that stunned and shocked look, still hadn't recovered from the shock just now.

  "Good..." The emperor was the first to come back to his senses and shouted loudly, while also clapping his hands in mid-air.

  The whole hall immediately erupted in applause, with the loudest coming from the direction where the soldiers were seated.

  "Murong Lingfeng, you have shocked me too much." The Emperor waited until the applause slowly faded away before speaking again. This time, he was completely serious and without any flattery: "I really can't find a word to describe your song, nor can I find a word to describe my current shock."

  At this moment, the emperor's gaze into her eyes carried a few parts of infatuation, but also a few parts of admiration and respect. In his heart, he secretly vowed that he would take good care of this woman's happiness. However, if anyone were to harm her, no matter who that person was, they would not be spared. Including Xuan Yuan Chen.

  "Your Majesty is overpraising me, I'm a bit frightened." Ling Feng had already stood up and walked to the middle of the grand hall, while Murong Lingyun had also approached her, and they stood together.

  "The emperor wasn't exaggerating at all, I'm really shocked by you." The empress dowager spoke up before the emperor could say a word, and her eyes were filled with genuine admiration. However, when she glanced at Xuan Yuan Zhen's icy face, she chuckled again and said, "Zhen is truly lucky to have married you. Alright, please return to your seat for now, or else someone might go crazy." The half-joking, half-serious remark was a compliment, but also intended to soothe Xuan Yuan Zhen.

  Everyone naturally understood and smiled slightly in agreement, but only Xuan Yuan Chen's face remained as cold as usual, or even hid a few hints of depression.

  The empress's words made Ling Feng slightly embarrassed, and he slowly returned to his seat, his eyes scanning Xuan Yuan Chen, but saw that he was just lowering his eyelids, not even looking at her, but staring straight at the wine in his cup.

  The empress dowager also saw Xuan Yuan Chen's awkwardness and ordered again, "Continue, everyone..." But the songs that followed were completely meaningless, and no one had any thoughts left, they could only slowly savor their wine.

  Ling Feng was slightly stunned, but could only sit down by herself. However, she discovered that the wine cup in front of her had vanished. Her eyes turned to Xuan Yuan Chen once again, and it wasn't until then that she noticed a faint layer of ash on his table. She immediately guessed what had happened - the wine cup must have indeed turned into ashes as she had imagined earlier. And now, he was using... hers.

  Because everyone's attention was on Ling Feng just now, no one noticed that Xuan Yuan Chen's wine cup was broken, so no one replaced it for him. Xuan Yuan Chen simply picked up Ling Feng's wine cup and used it instead.

  Ling Feng couldn't help but find it a bit amusing, did he really need to get so worked up? She and Mu Rong Ling Yun were just collaborating on a song, what was the big deal, had they done something excessive? He really was...

  Let those who don't know see it and think he's eating vinegar, eating vinegar? Haha... It's really funny, I wonder what his expression would be like when eating vinegar?

  Suddenly stunned, jealous? How could she have such a ridiculous idea? How could Xuan Yuan Chen be jealous, the women in his backyard were countless, he himself might not even know who was who, how could he possibly be jealous for just one woman?

  What's wrong with her today? How can she keep coming up with such ridiculous ideas that make people laugh out loud?

  Her hand gently touched her forehead. Is she having a fever today? Her brain must be messed up, or else she wouldn't keep thinking about all these messy things.

  "What's wrong? Just now you were all smiles, laughing like a fool, but as soon as you got to my side, you started having a headache." A cold voice came through the distance of just a few feet between the two people. Although the voice was cold, it was possible to hear that there was a strong suppressed anger in it.

  Indeed, he was also thoroughly shocked by her just now. However, when he saw her gazing at Murong Lingyun with a sweet smile on her face and exchanging affectionate glances with him, he couldn't help but feel enraged.

  He himself might not even know why, but Xuanyuan Zhen had become so impulsive, as if since meeting this woman, his emotions had often been out of control.

  So, when she walked over, he still had an icy face, deliberately ignoring her. However, he didn't expect that this woman wouldn't say a word and quietly sat down, with her forehead leaning against him. Was it because she was sitting next to him that she would be so unwilling? Or did she want to sit next to Murong Lingyun at this moment?

  Ling Feng was slightly stunned, hadn't he just not looked at her? How could he have seen even her unintentional movements and said she smiled like a fool, when in fact she hadn't even cracked a smile until the performance was over and had maintained a calm expression throughout. It's really unknown how this man's eyes were made.

  Her eyes shifted slightly, slowly looking at him, and coincidentally met the obvious anger in his eyes. She couldn't help but secretly sigh, how did he get angry again?

  She had always thought that he was the kind of calm and intimidating person, with a face as cold as thunder, but now she suddenly found out that her original idea seemed to be wrong, this man, seems to be furious at every turn.

  It's like a child who gets angry and sulks at the slightest thing.

  At this point, the corner of Lingfeng's mouth flashed a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Or perhaps the rumors about him outside were too untrue and needed to be revised. However, after gazing at him lightly with her eyes, she didn't make a sound, and slowly turned around, looking towards the wine jug in front of her. The wine jug was exquisite and beautiful; if it could be brought back to modern times, it would definitely sell for a lot of money. Suddenly, Lingfeng discovered that her mood had improved a lot.

  Or else tonight, it's not just her who has gone crazy, just like Xuan Yuan Chen, they are all completely different from their usual selves.

  And her faint smile, as well as her carefree and leisurely demeanor, deeply hurt him. The anger in his eyes grew stronger, but fortunately, everyone was either enjoying the music or chatting and drinking, and no one noticed them, otherwise they would have been shocked by Xuan Yuan Chen's behavior.

  They usually see Xuan Yuan Chen as an unshakeable, icy cold figure, rarely seeing him get angry or show any other expression. But now, on Xuan Yuan Chen's face and in his eyes, there is a clear and unmistakable anger, accompanied by a hint of suppressed frustration.

  This kind of Xuan Yuan Zhen, if seen in the eyes of those ministers, I'm afraid they would all be shocked.

  "What? Are my words that ridiculous?" Xuan Yuan Chen gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, but only Ling Feng could hear it.

  Ling Feng was stunned again, this man, what's wrong with him tonight, actually... actually asking such a question, and she could faintly hear the suppressed anger in his voice.

  "What does the king think?" She slightly turned her face, looking at him again, and Ling Feng also said with a hint of annoyance, "Although my performance just now was not good, but I still can't accept the king's words that I'm a flower idiot." In her low voice, there was a hint of resentment. She had just done that to encourage Murong Lingyun, but she was also helping him, yet this man didn't show any gratitude and instead scolded her as a flower idiot.

  Flower idiot? This term, I'm afraid even that woman wouldn't dare accept it?

  Xuanyuan Chen was taken aback, seeing the obvious flash of annoyance on her face. The anger in his eyes slowly dissipated a bit, she would get angry because of his words, at least it was also because there were a few points of concern?

  Does she care? Would this woman care about his words? His heart sank slightly, but he suddenly froze, what was wrong with him tonight, how did he become so anxious, when did Xuan Yuan Zhi, for a woman, become like this.

  His face quickly regained its usual coldness, but in the depths of his eyes, he was still suppressing a few unusual emotions. He took a deep breath and said, "You're so eager to see me go to war?" His voice had returned to normal, and if one wasn't paying attention, it would be hard to detect the faint sadness he was feeling at the moment.

  Tomorrow, he is going to lead the troops out, but she doesn't show any concern at all. Instead, she's concerned about another man. The kind of concern she showed when she looked at Murong Lingyun just now, he can see it clearly.

  Ling Feng was taken aback, his eyes quickly turned to him, and he stared at him with a look of astonishment, "You... what do you mean?" But he saw him pick up the wine glass in his hand and drink it all in one gulp, with a hint of something unusual in his movements.

  Isn't Murong Lingyun supposed to be ill? What does he mean by this, could it be that... he also wants to go together? But didn't he just get injured? How can...

  "Haha...” Xuan Yuan Chen smiled slightly, but the corners of his lips curled up with a hint of self-mockery and light laughter. He said with a hint of sarcasm, "Your husband is going to war tomorrow, you're singing a farewell song, how can you bear it? Can't wait?" His words paused for a moment, but his eyes were meaningful as he looked at Murong Lingyun, then turned back to her, the corners of his lips cold and sarcastic.

  At this moment, he is on an expedition outside, and she should have the opportunity to meet with Murong Lingyun. Thinking of this, his eyes suddenly sank, even if he was not in the capital, he would not give her the chance to meet with Murong Lingyun, she is now his queen.

  Ling Feng was completely stunned, she had always thought it was Murong Lingyun who would go to war, but suddenly it became him. For a moment, she felt a bit dizzy and her emotions were slightly strange. However, thinking that Murong Lingyun didn't go also made her feel slightly relieved. No matter what, Murong Lingyun's current state wasn't suitable for going to war. His current state was probably not even able to take care of himself.

  Thinking about it, Murong Lingyun would become like this, mainly because of her, and his mood also became heavy.

  Seeing the heaviness on her face, Xuan Yuan's eyes widened slightly, and he said half-jokingly, "What? Don't tell me you're worried about me?" But his voice was laced with obvious sarcasm.

  Ling Feng was slightly stunned, but secretly amused in his heart, worried about him? He really dared to think so.

  Why should she worry about him? He was the one who ruined her three years ago, and even if he saved Bao'er, she still had an instinctive resistance to him...

  Moreover, he also used Murong Lingyun as a threat and forced her to marry him. She didn't even have time to hate him, how could she possibly worry about him?

  She must have really gone crazy tonight, even if he saved Bao'er, even if he was really good to Bao'er, even if he got hurt saving Bao'er, what's the big deal?

  Can it wear away everything? Can it make her worry about him?

  The corners of his lips slowly pulled out a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but the more he thought about it, the more things weighed on his mind, and his mood became increasingly heavy.

  In a daze, she seemed to be in a trance. She casually picked up the new wine cup that the palace maid had just brought for her from behind her back. She picked up the wine jug in the middle and poured herself a full cup. In fact, there was already wine and tea set out in front of her, but Ling Feng didn't even think about it and simply poured herself a full cup of wine.

  Without a moment's pause, and without even putting down the wine jug in his hand, he picked up the wine cup with his other hand and drained it quickly.

  The intense spiciness poured down her throat, making it hard for her to bear for a moment, but the spicy stimulation gave her an outlet for the pent-up emotions that had nowhere to vent.

  This wine is very strong, very strong. The ancient wines were all made from pure grains, so the degree was particularly high. A cup down the throat, the throat burns badly, and Lingfeng also feels a little dizzy. This wine is not like modern red wine or beer?

  Before, when she was in a bad mood, she would also go drinking with others, but they were all drinking beer.

  After getting drunk, I really forget everything. The next day when I wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth, a new day begins, and it's as if nothing happened, all the troubles are gone.

  She used to be that kind of person, laughing loudly when she wanted to laugh, crying loudly when she wanted to cry, and venting freely when she needed to. Afterwards, it was as if nothing had happened. Some people said she was heartless, but she felt particularly carefree.

  Everyone will have troubles at some point, and when they do, it's necessary to vent. However, after venting, one should forget about it; you can't stay submerged in pain forever.

  Life is short, one should learn to enjoy it and face life correctly. So in the modern twenty years, she has always been a lively, lovely and happy person.

  It wasn't until she came here that something suddenly happened, casting a shadow in her heart and making her personality increasingly calm and depressed, not at all like her former self.

  In fact, she had always thought that her current personality was not solely due to the events of those years. She knew very well that although what happened back then was a huge hurt, with her original personality, it could have been completely adjusted and let go of lightly, because she had never been someone who couldn't forgive herself.

  But for the past three years, she has never forgotten, and every time she feels like she's about to forget, it seems as if a memory is reminding her, reminding her of her pain, reminding her of her hatred.

  She thought, it should be another will in this body, always subtly influencing her emotions, just like the feelings for Murong Lingyun, with too many contradictions, and too much struggle.

  She had always known that her love for Murong Lingyun was not just her consciousness, but also a large part of it came from another will in this body.

  To be honest, for these three years, she has been feeling that she is also living in contradiction, suffering from that kind of torture, and she feels like she's going crazy.

  If Ruo Zhong was her previous personality, then if she loved someone, she would just love them and wouldn't care about anything else. She loved Murong Lingyun, so she wouldn't care about those messy things, or maybe she would have eloped with Murong Lingyun a long time ago.

  However, unexpectedly, after three years of torment, she did nothing until that incident in Xiliang City, where she sold herself to Xuan Yuan Chen.

  She still can't quite understand, even now, whether that day's decision was hers or the decision of another will within her body.

  However, she felt that during this period of time, she had too many contradictions and struggles. She never understood whether her love for Murong Lingyun was driven more by her consciousness or the other will within her body.

  She suddenly felt like she was going crazy, whatever, the wine was right in front of her, might as well drink it first.

  He immediately refilled his wine glass and downed it in one gulp, amidst Xuan Yuan Zhi's astonished face.

  After coming here, she never drank again. Tonight, she suddenly wanted to drink and feel herself once more, laughing if she wants to laugh, crying if she wants to cry, being straightforward.

  Before, friends had told her that when she was drunk, she was a lunatic, but they also envied her. After waking up, it really was as if nothing had happened. It's truly possible to start a new day with a carefree heart.

  It's been a long time since I've had that feeling, and I really miss it. At this moment, Ling Feng may have completely forgotten where he is.

  Three years of dullness, three years of caution, really nothing like her at all.

  The real her is that arrogant smile, that loud shout, just like the way she was three years ago when the emperor saw her.

  When Ling Feng filled her wine glass for the third time, Xuan Yuan Chen finally couldn't bear it anymore. He stretched out his hand to stop her and said in a low voice, "What are you doing?" This woman wanted to get herself drunk! Drinking wasn't supposed to be like this, even he wouldn't drink so fiercely.

  "Let's drink." Ling Feng lightly waved his hand, pushed him away, slightly turned his eyes, looked at him, smiled brightly, without a care, "Come on, let's finish it off." Then, he picked up the wine cup again and drank it all in one gulp.

  "Murong Lingfeng, do you know what you're doing?" Xuan Yuan Chen gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, but there was a hint of powerlessness in his tone. This woman, how could she suddenly go crazy like this, pouring wine desperately, and still smiling at him like that...

  In the great hall, someone had already sensed something strange on their side and was quietly looking over in their direction.

  He didn't feel anything at all, still with that heartless and ruthless smile, and at this moment, the laughter became even more arrogant. "Didn't I say so? Let's drink."

  He immediately opened Xuan Yuan's hand again, and smiled domineeringly, "I want to drink, no one can stop me." At this moment, Ling Feng was obviously a bit drunk.

  More and more eyes began to look over at them, and on Xuan Yuan Chen's cold face, a hint of surprise also flashed by - this woman had changed too quickly.

  "Alright, you're drunk." He firmly took away her wine glass, if he let her continue like this, he really didn't know what this woman would do.

  The emperor also noticed Ling Feng's abnormality, or rather, the emperor had always been paying attention to her. At this moment, seeing that arrogant smile on her face, seeing her natural dominance, he was stunned. At this moment, she could completely overlap with the shadow of three years ago, when it was her unreserved arrogance and recklessness that attracted him.

  I thought she had changed over all these years, but it turns out that she hasn't changed at all.

  "Haha... I'm not drunk at all." Ling Feng chuckled, his wine cup was taken away by Xuan Yuan Chen, who then picked up the entire wine jug, wanting to pour it down directly.

  Xuan Yuan Cheng took a step forward and pressed down on her, his arm quickly wrapping around her, pulling her up with him as he stood. "This king has to set out tomorrow, I'll take my leave first." Xuan Yuan Cheng, for the first time, also learned to be tactful, actually finding a reason for his departure, and it was a very reasonable one. However, his arm was tightly wrapped around Mu Rong Ling Feng, who was trying to struggle free, before she could make another joke.

  The emperor hesitated for a moment, and a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but he said in a deep voice, "Alright, you can go back first and get some rest."

  "Xuanyuan Chen, let me go!" Lingfeng continued to protest, but his body was tightly wrapped in his arms and couldn't move. His mouth was still idle, so he shouted angrily.

  This time the voice was a bit loud, and at this moment, all eyes were on them. The sound was clear and everyone could hear it clearly. This princess is too bold, actually directly calling out the prince's name.

  Moreover, it was still in that commanding tone. Fortunately, at this moment, she was being held in Xuan Yuan Chen's arms, and no one saw her expression, and her voice was also muffled.

  Xuanyuan Chen's face stiffened for a moment, but he immediately smiled and said, "Just now I accidentally poured wine into tea for my queen, so she got a bit drunk." His gentle smile was full of obvious pampering, without any hint of embarrassment or anger.

  After finishing, he wrapped his arms around Lingfeng's hands again and pulled them close, his lips also approaching her ear, whispering softly, "Alright, let's go back first." The gentle voice was filled with tender affection. It made everyone present look foolish, and the women sitting there were so jealous they could die.

  Who said that the king doesn't understand love, who said that the king won't care about women? Who said that once a woman enters the palace, she can only stay in the backyard alone, without receiving any affection.

  Today, Wang Ye's gentleness, Wang Ye's thoughtfulness, and Wang Ye's care and tolerance for that woman completely overturned all the previous rumors.

  Look, your highness, this queen is truly spoiled beyond measure.

  Murong Lingyun's eyes gradually became gloomy, and Xuan Yuan Chen's expression towards her seemed not to be pretended, but a genuine one.

  Could it be that Xuan Yuan Che had really taken a liking to her?

  And seeing her at this moment, tightly leaning in Xuan Yuan Chen's arms, his heart slowly sank into the valley.

  ……

  At this moment, Pei Huanxuan had already entered the Cold Palace and found Murong Lingshu.

  Three years of time had worn away all of Murong Lingshu's hope, and last time, the Emperor came to find her, saying those words that made her thoroughly understand that she didn't have any hope left.

  Was she going to spend her whole life in this cold palace? She hadn't even felt any emotions yet, and she had never...

  Staring blankly at the pitch-black window, her eyes had a dead ash-like despair. She knew that today was a banquet in the imperial palace, and those favored women would all be by the emperor's side, basking in glory and joy.

  But she can only stay in this cold palace every day, with nothing at all.

  "What's wrong? Beautiful girl, are you feeling sad?" Pei Huanxuan suddenly flashed in without warning, and the beautiful face with a faint smile made him even more dizzy in the darkness.

  Murong Lingshu was shocked and quickly turned around, looking at him with an incredulous face, stammering and asking, "Y...you are who?"

  "Me?" Pei Huanxuan slightly raised an eyebrow, and the smile on his face quickly disappeared, restoring his rare seriousness. With a serious expression, he said, "You certainly don't know who I am, but I've been watching you from afar every day, thinking of you every day, and tormenting myself every day." He looked straight at her, his voice soft yet serious, and when he spoke with emotion, he let out a slight sigh.

  "Y...who are you?" Murong Lingshu's confusion grew, her eyes widened involuntarily, and she stuttered out the question.

  Bai Huangxuan was taken aback for a moment. Wasn't what he just said obvious enough? How could this woman not understand?

  She paused for a moment, her body also took a few steps closer to Murong Lingxue, and said seriously again, "How? Don't you understand my heart yet?"

  "What heart? What are you talking about?" Murong Lingshu asked in a low voice, seemingly understanding something but also finding it hard to believe.

  Bai Huanxuan secretly rolled his eyes, this woman was too slow-witted. He directly said, "I... like you, from a very, very long time ago, I've always liked you." Shouldn't that be clear?

  "You... you like me?" Murong Lingshu said again with a quiver, "But who are you? I don't even know you."

  "You don't know me, but I've known you for a very, very long time, and I've always liked you. Originally, you were the emperor's woman, and I didn't dare to have extravagant hopes. But seeing you alone in the cold palace like this, I really couldn't bear it." Pei Huanxuan's voice was still slightly choked with sobs.

  "Really, do you like me?" Murong Lingshu asked with some disbelief, but her voice was filled with obvious delight. She had never been with a man before, and at home, Murong Lie was extremely strict. After entering the palace, she was sent to the Cold Palace in less than a day. Now, suddenly, a man said he liked her, and it was such an excellent man, how could she not be excited?

  "Yes, I've always liked you. Unfortunately, you're already the emperor's woman. Otherwise, I would have taken you out and married you as my wife." Pei Huaxuan acted very sincerely.

  Murong Lingshu was stunned, pondered for a moment, and seemed to have made a major decision, saying, "Do you really want to take me away from here?" It had been three years, she had really had enough, the emperor didn't even want her, so she definitely didn't want to die in this cold palace.

  "I thought so, but you're already the emperor's person. I don't care, but my mother will never let me marry a woman who is not chaste and bring her home." Pei Huanxuan was really addicted to acting, speaking as if it were true.

  Murong Lingxue's face flashed a hint of red, hesitated for a moment, before speaking in a low voice, "Actually, the Emperor has never touched me, I'm still chaste till now."

  Pei Hangxuan was stunned, this time he was really stunned. So it seemed that the person back then wasn't Murong Lingshu but possibly Murong Lingfeng. To further confirm, he intentionally shouted with a shocked face, "What? You're saying the Emperor never touched you? You're saying you still have your innocence?"

  "Mm." Murong Lingshu nodded slightly with a hint of shyness, and in her heart, she also had an additional expectation.

  "But I heard that you lost your virginity before marriage, wasn't it because of this that the Emperor sent you to the Cold Palace?" Pei Huaxuan asked tentatively.

  "Of course not." Murong Lingshu said hastily, "At that time, the Emperor only lifted the wedding veil, took a glance at me and then flew into a rage, there was no..."

  "Oh." Pei Huanxuan deliberately let out a sigh of relief, "I thought it was true, almost misunderstood you." His words paused slightly, his eyes fixed on her, asking with a hint of probing, "But I heard that three years ago, in the Murong Manor, someone was forcibly taken away and lost their body. Wasn't it really you?" The soft voice carried a few intentional carefulness, and also a few intentional difficulties.

  "Of course it wasn't me." Murong Lingxue hastily shouted, but seeing Pei Huaxuan's half-believing and half-doubting expression, she hastily continued, "It was that year when Murong Lingfeng, that cheap girl, was taken advantage of. On the 15th of August, she sneaked out alone to watch the lanterns, and as a result, she was..."

  "Hmm." Pei Huanxuan responded lightly, but a smile with a deeper meaning slowly flashed across his face. It turned out that the person that night was indeed Murong Lingfeng. It seemed that the relationship between Shixiong and Murong Lingfeng was truly a destined fate ordained by heaven.

  Thinking of this, she smiled slightly at Murong Lingshuo, "Thanks." Then, in the midst of Murong Lingshuo's stunned expression, she quickly disappeared into the darkness.

  ……

  Xuan Yuan held onto Ling Feng tightly and walked out of the grand hall. Seeing that Ling Feng was still restless,

  Xuanyuan Chen helplessly shook his head, this woman, tonight, had truly made a big show of herself.

  He was just afraid she would speak out of turn again in the great hall, so he held her too tightly, and as soon as they were outside, he slightly relaxed his grip.

  "Xuanyuan Chen, let me go! I want a drink." Ling Feng shouted again as soon as he was free.

  "Hmm." Xuan Yuan Chen reluctantly responded, "Alright, I'll take you out for a drink."

  He didn't expect her to be like this after drinking, but he actually hoped to see her so natural, rather than the icy demeanor she usually had.

  "Alright." Ling Feng heard Xuan Yuan Chen's response, smiled happily, and then naturally put his arm around his shoulder, saying with a heroic air, "Let's go, we'll go have some drinks."

  Xuanyuan's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint, helpless smile. This woman, did she have any idea what she was doing? If she were to wake up and realize what had happened, he wondered what her reaction would be.

  He picked her up and quickly returned to the Wang Fu, where Chu Wei came out to greet them. Seeing Ling Feng laughing exaggeratedly on the king's body, he was stunned. What happened to the queen?

  "Chu Wei, where's Bao'er?" Xuan Yuan Chen saw Chu Wei staring straight at Ling Feng's eyes, slightly dissatisfied, and thought of Bao'er, so he asked aloud.

  "Ah!" Chu Wei suddenly woke up with a start and replied repeatedly, "Miss Bao'er has already fallen asleep. Since I saw that neither the king nor the queen had returned, I let her sleep in my room first. I will go get her right away."

  "It's okay, just let her sleep there." As he spoke, his eyes glanced slightly at the woman in his arms. This woman, in her current state, was probably unable to take care of herself, let alone their child.

  "Xuanyuan Chen, you said you'd take me out for a drink, what's taking so long?" Ling Feng suddenly shouted in anger, startling Chu Wei who was about to turn around. Xuanyuan Chen could only quickly scoop her up and head straight to the room, saying to Chu Wei's astonished face, "You go rest first."

  Just as they were about to enter the room, Pei Huanxuan suddenly appeared in front of them, his face serious, and said, "Senior brother, I have some unfortunate news to tell you."

  Xuan Yuan Cheng froze, and Pei Huang Xuan appeared at this time, naturally to tell him the result of the investigation. Could it be that Bao'er was not his daughter? Could it be...

  Seeing Xuan Yuan Chen's stiffness, Pei Huanxuan's eyes flashed a faint smile quickly, but his face remained serious.

  "Speak." Xuan Yuan's low murmur, no matter what the outcome was, he had to face it. If Yu'er wasn't his daughter, then he would just pretend that she never came back, just like before.

  "Hmm." Pei Huanxuan cleared his throat slightly, "That woman who was brutally ravaged by you back then is the pitiful woman in your arms. I think she must have hated you to the bone... Ah, what a misfortune indeed..." As he spoke, the corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile.

  Xuanyuan was taken aback for a moment, and when he understood what he meant, he immediately roared in anger, "You can get out of here!"

  "Ah! Brother, you always...” Pei Huanxuan's dissatisfied protest was cut off as he turned to see Ling Feng obediently nestled in Xuan Yuanzhen's arms. His face filled with surprise, he exclaimed, "Huh? Why is she being so well-behaved tonight? Brother, you didn't give her any medicine, did you?"

  "Get out." Xuan Yuan Zhen waved his right hand, sweeping Pei Hangxuan away, and the door quickly closed, blocking all of Pei Hangxuan's voice outside.

  "Xuanyuan Zhen, let's keep drinking, we won't leave until we're drunk tonight!" Ling Feng shouted wildly.

  Xuanyuan Chen put her on the bed, saying with a hint of annoyance, "Alright, stop making a fuss." Not drunk and not returning home, where was she supposed to go anyway.

  "Xuanyuan, you deceived me." Lingfeng suddenly gazed at him with a hint of anger, as if she had sobered up a bit, leaving Xuanyuan stunned. Didn't he just not let her drink? She was already drunk to this extent, could she still drink?

  "Alright, you're drunk." Xuan Yuan Chen was unusually patient at this moment, and he gently coaxed her. He slightly bent down, wanting to carry her onto the bed.

  "You're hurt, no, you're pretending to be hurt, tricking me into taking care of you." Ling Feng suddenly pushed him away with force, his face full of protest and obvious anger. It's really unclear whether she was speaking nonsense or telling the truth.

  Xuanyuan Chen was stunned, it turned out that she was for this matter, seeing her look of confusion.

  He muttered to himself, "I just wanted you to stay by my side for a few more days, can't you understand that?" This woman was always so clever, how could she not see through this? He knew it wasn't right, but if she understood his intentions, she shouldn't be so angry.

  "There are so many women in your backyard, you can let them accompany you, why... " At this moment, Ling Feng was still angry, but even she herself didn't know if it was necessary to be angry like that.

  "Murong Lingfeng." Xuan Yuan Chen suddenly roared in anger, harshly interrupting her words. "You'd better not mention those women again in front of me." Did this woman really want to push him into the arms of another woman?

  Ling Feng was stunned, staring at her in a daze, as if thinking about something, but suddenly shouted, "Xuan Yuan Chen, you're a scoundrel." He cheated on her and still dared to yell at her.

  It seems that Ling Feng is really drunk. If she were sober, she might not have had the guts to scold Xuan Yuan Che yet.

  As they spoke, both hands pounced on him, slapping him hard, completely like a madman.

  Xuanyuan Chen's body suddenly stiffened, of course not because of her slapping, those two hits made him feel itchy.

  Xuan Yuan tightly grasped her hand, pulling her into his arms, his lips lightly touching the edge of her ear, whispering softly, "It's true, I was a fool. Three years ago, I shouldn't have abandoned you in the forest, nor should I have let Murong Lingyun take you back. Instead, I should have brought you back to the palace and kept you by my side." If that had happened, she wouldn't have suffered so much, and probably wouldn't have fallen for Murong Lingyun either.

  Actually, Xuan Yuan Chen knew that Ling Feng couldn't understand him at this moment. Even if he understood now, he would forget everything once he sobered up. Or perhaps it was because Ling Feng didn't understand that Xuan Yuan Chen dared to say it.

  Ling Feng suddenly became quiet, not knowing if he understood his words, but suddenly opened his mouth and bit down hard on his shoulder, continuously using force, until slowly blood stains flowed out, still not letting go.

  Xuanyuan Chen merely furrowed his brow slightly, but didn't struggle free, allowing her to bite him, that bit of pain was nothing to him.

  It seemed that he had finally found relief, and Ling Feng slowly opened his mouth, but suddenly burst out laughing loudly, "Haha……" It was a completely purposeless crazy laugh, as if it was just for the sake of venting. However, in the midst of the loud laughter, his eyes gradually became blurry, and several crystal tears slowly fell from the corners of his eyes.

  Xuanyuan Cheng froze, staring at her slowly falling tears, his heart suddenly and inexplicably tightening, slowly pulling her into his arms, whispering, "Do you want to cry or laugh?" He thought that over the past three years, because of his mistake back then, she must have been suppressing a lot of pain.

  "I want to laugh... I want to cry." Ling Feng still laughed, his voice somewhat intermittent, "I want to laugh while crying."

  "Alright, it's fine, nothing happened." Her words made him feel even more heartache and self-blame. He understood that a woman who had been taken advantage of would have her life completely ruined from then on. If not for Mu Rong Ling Yun's care, he didn't know if she could have survived this far. At this moment, he actually felt a little grateful towards Mu Rong Ling Yun.

  So he was very clear about this woman, the bitterness in her heart for so many years. No wonder that every time she saw him, she would look at him with a gaze that could kill, showing how much she hated him.

  But his comfort not only failed to calm Ling Feng down, but instead became more exaggerated, with laughter becoming more exaggerated and crying also becoming more exaggerated, and he even grabbed and kicked Xuan Yuan Chen.

  Bae Ho-hyun, who was eavesdropping outside, couldn't help but secretly curse.

  Xuanyuan Chen suddenly grabbed her hand

  Her lips quickly covered his, successfully stifling Ling Feng's laughter that wasn't quite laughter, tears that weren't quite tears.

  Ling Feng was also stunned and stiffened, staring blankly, completely unresponsive, and naturally did not resist, allowing Xuan Yuan Chen to press down on her body.

  Xuanyuan Chen's lips slowly flashed a satisfied smile, and he knew that from the beginning, he should have used this method to slowly wipe away her tears, but his heart still ached secretly.

  Seeing the already silent Ling Feng, Xuan Yuan's kiss slowly moved downwards, slowly, bit by bit, with a gentle touch, and a hint of pity.

  Just then, Ling Feng suddenly pushed him away, staring straight at him, word by word, and said seriously, "Stop, don't sway in front of me." He slightly narrowed his eyes and asked a question that almost made Xuan Yuan Chen explode.

  "Who are you?" The murmured voice was filled with a hint of confusion, and her eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

  Xuanyuan Chen suddenly had an urge to strangle her to death. This woman was just scolding him with such ferocity, and now she didn't even recognize him? If he hadn't seen her drink so much wine himself, he would have suspected that she was faking it.

  "Who do you say I am?" was a low growl, gritted teeth, with great effort to control himself, or else he would have strangled her.

  "How am I supposed to know who you are? What's with the attitude, pushing me around? Get out of my face." Ling Feng pushed him away forcefully, still grumbling in discontent.

  Xuanyuan Zhen grasped her restless hand once again, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Are you certain, who exactly is this king?" This woman, if she still couldn't recognize him, he vowed that...

  Ling Feng gazed at her seriously, occasionally furrowing his brow. Just as Xuan Yuan Zhi was about to go crazy, he suddenly shouted loudly, "Oh, I remember! You are Xuan Yuan Zhi."

  Xuan Yuan Chen's anger vanished in an instant, his lips slowly approached again, and the corners of his mouth slowly flashed a satisfied smile. Fortunately, this woman could still recognize him at this time. His lips slowly touched her ear, and he said word by word, "Remember, I am your husband, I am your man, I am your only man." At this moment, he was not using the royal "we", but "I", and the meaning of his words seemed more like a vow.

  Ling Feng seemed somewhat bewildered, as if lost in thought, while Xuan Yuan Chen's lips pressed down on hers once again. This time, he didn't want this woman to ruin his mood again. He gently grasped her hand until she slowly became dazed from the kiss before releasing it, then slowly moved downwards.

  Poor Ling Feng also ended up like this, disappearing again without a clear explanation.

  The tenderness of one night was a gentleness and pity he had never experienced before. After the entanglement, Ling Feng had fallen into a deep sleep, but he was wide awake, staring tightly at her.

  For the first time, he understood that for a woman, it's not just physical release, but also the treasuring and care in one's heart, which would make him...

  Unfortunately, he has to leave tomorrow and doesn't know when he'll be back. As for Bao'er's matter, she can't tell her now because of the way she is, and even if she tells her now, she's afraid this woman will get suspicious. After all, she has been keeping it from him all along. It's better to wait until he gets back and discuss it slowly then.

  ……

  The next day, Ling Feng woke up to find it was almost noon. He slowly sat up, rubbing his still slightly aching head, and looked around with a hint of confusion in his eyes. It took him a long time to realize that he was in Xuan Yu Chen's room. Suddenly startled, his eyes unconsciously swept over the bed, only to see an empty space beside her, with only a faint impression of someone having lain there, which had already completely cooled down. It was clear that Xuan Yu Chen had left for a long time.

  She carefully pulled open the thin blanket on her body and saw that all the clothes on her had been changed, but the clothes were still tidy. Just as she was about to let out a sigh of relief, she saw the hickey on her chest and suddenly froze. She...she...what exactly did she do last night????

  Unfortunately, Xuan Yuan Chen is not here at the moment and has gone on an expedition. It's unknown when he will return. She wants to ask him something, but can't even get a chance to do so.

  ……

  Two months later, Ling Feng sat on a maple leaf in the courtyard, leaning against a maple tree, and unknowingly fell asleep.

  "Mother, you're sleeping in the courtyard again, you'll catch a cold." Bao'er said with an old-fashioned expression.

  "Uh..." Lingfeng slowly woke up, and slowly got up. She seemed to be sleeping a lot lately, no matter where she was, as long as she sat quietly for a while, she would fall asleep.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly remembered that it had been two months since her last period, although her menstrual cycle wasn't very regular, it wouldn't be delayed for so long, could it be...she was pregnant again, carrying another child of Xuan Yuan Zhi.

  Her body was completely stiffened, allowing the maple leaves to fall on her one by one, but she didn't have any reaction at all.

  Suddenly, a realization flashed through her mind. Her eyes rapidly swept across with anger, and the coldness that followed was slowly unfolding.