"Yes!" Ye Qianlong nodded in agreement without even thinking.
Shen Lixue looked at Ye Qianlong: "Do you hate Zhuang Kexin?" Ye Qianlong rarely disciplines others unless they provoke him first, or the person is so annoying that he can no longer tolerate them.
"She mocked you and even lied to me!" Ye Qianlong muttered under his breath.
"She'll probably spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair!" Shen Lixue's lips curled into a mocking smile. Zhuang Kexin had failed. Who would be the next one to cause her trouble?
The carriage suddenly lurched, and Shen Lixue and Ye Qianlong both stumbled. After regaining their balance, they realized that Ye Qianlong had been pushed half a meter away, and Dongfang Heng had sat between them, holding a cup of tea in one hand and tightly embracing Shen Lixue's waist with the other.
"What are you doing?" Shen Lixue asked in a low voice, reaching out to pry Dongfang Heng's arms off her waist: "Let go!"
Shen Lixue's slender waist was soft and supple, so small that it could be encircled by one hand. Dongfang Heng not only didn't let go, but held her even tighter: "This road is a bit bumpy. If I support you, you won't stumble and fall..."
"This is the main road in the city, leading to the palace. How could it be bumpy!" Shen Lixue glared angrily at Dongfang Heng. The bumpy ride just now was clearly something he had deliberately caused.
"Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong stood up, wanting to sit to Shen Li Xue's right.
Dongfang Heng half-carried Shen Lixue to the farthest corner in an instant. Dongfang Heng was on Shen Lixue's left, and the wooden wall was on her right. Ye Qianlong could no longer sit on Shen Lixue's right side.
"Dongfang Heng, you're not allowed to bully Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong glared fiercely at Dongfang Heng.
"She is my fiancée, how could I possibly bully her!" To prove his point, Dongfang Heng hugged Shen Lixue even tighter.
Seeing the blatant arrogance and provocation in Ye Qianlong's eyes, a hint of sadness appeared in his clear gaze.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue used her skillful strength to strike Dongfang Heng's wrist, finally making him let go, her beautiful eyes burning with anger.
"We are engaged, did I say anything wrong?" Dongfang Heng took a sip of tea, a drop of tea lingering on his lips, exuding an indescribable blend of fortitude and allure.
"That's true, but..."
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Shen Lixue, who was not sitting properly, leaned forward and crashed hard into Dongfang Heng's arms.
Dongfang Heng raised an eyebrow: "You don't like me taking the initiative, you prefer to take the initiative yourself!"
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue quickly took a step back, putting distance between herself and Dongfang Heng. Her beautiful eyes were so angry they were about to spit fire. He was the one who took advantage of her, so how could he say that she was the one who threw herself into his arms?
"Your Highness, Miss Shen, we have arrived at the palace!" A guard's weak voice came from outside the carriage.
Suppressing her anger, Shen Lixue glared at Dongfang Heng, quickly lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped off the carriage. In the dark night, a cold wind blew by. Dongfang Heng's handsome face was close at hand, and his white clothes fluttered in the wind. Suddenly, the scene of the two of them in mid-air appeared in Shen Lixue's mind.
That was her first kiss in both her lives, stolen by Dongfang Heng! Her lips still seemed to carry his distinctive, faint pine scent… it must have just been an accident…
With a sudden tightening of his wrist, Shen Lixue snapped back to reality. Dongfang Heng pulled her along, striding forward: "It's getting late, let's hurry into the palace!" As the God of War of the Azure Flame, Dongfang Heng knew the importance of everything. The black-clad assassins were elusive, so they couldn't be careless or delay.
In the imperial study of the palace, the emperor sat behind his desk, his majestic gaze lingering on the memorials. Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Ye Qianlong stood in the center of the room. The emperor did not speak, and the three of them remained silent. The only sounds in the study were the emperor turning the pages of the memorials and the soft rustling of his pen as he wrote, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows: As a ruler, one is prone to suspicion. The emperor is merely wearing them down. It doesn't matter; the night is long, and she has plenty of patience to wait!
Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue were able to remain patient; if the emperor didn't move, neither would they. Ye Qianlong, however, was simple-minded and less patient. He quietly observed the study for a moment, completely forgetting Dongfang Heng's advice to "behave properly in front of the emperor," and subconsciously reached out to tug at Shen Lixue's sleeve.
A strong gust of wind swept in, blowing open Shen Lixue's sleeve. Ye Qianlong missed his target and tried to grab her again, but the emperor suddenly put down the memorial in his hand. His sharp gaze passed over Dongfang Heng, looked at Shen Lixue, and finally landed on Ye Qianlong.
"So you are the Crown Prince of Xiliang?" The emperor's sharp gaze was like two blades, revealing everything before him.
"Yes!" Ye Qianlong nodded.
"What brings you to Qingyan?" the emperor asked coldly.
"Experience!" Ye Qianlong replied calmly.
Emperor: "How many men did you bring?"
Ye Qianlong: "Dozens of secret guards."
Emperor: "Where are your secret guards?"
Ye Qianlong: "Disappeared!"
Emperor: "How did they disappear?"
Ye Qianlong: "They just disappeared without a trace..."
The Emperor and Ye Qianlong talked for more than half an hour, one asking and the other answering. The Emperor knew everything about Ye Qianlong's reasons for coming to the capital, his purpose, and his experiences. His eyes narrowed, and he gave a cold order: "Guards, escort Crown Prince Qianlong to the post station to rest!"
"Yes!" Several Imperial Guards accepted the order, pushed open the door, and gestured for Ye Qianlong to enter.
"Prince Ye, please!" The Imperial Guards were cold-hearted; even the most polite words lost their respect when spoken by them, becoming nothing more than mechanical invitations.
"Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong looked at Shen Li Xue, his clear eyes revealing his reluctance.
"Listen to the Emperor and go to the post station. I'll come see you tomorrow!" Shen Lixue advised with a smile.
"Really?" Ye Qianlong's eyes lit up suddenly.
"Have I lied to you these past few days?" Shen Lixue frowned, feigning displeasure.
"Then come early, I'll wait for you to have breakfast together!" Ye Qianlong's clear eyes were filled with a pure smile.
"good!"
With Shen Lixue's assurance, Ye Qianlong left the Imperial Study with the guards, feeling at ease.
"Someone, inform the Emperor of Xiliang and tell him to send someone to bring his son back to Xiliang!" the Emperor coldly ordered.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. The black-clad assassins had repeatedly tried to kill Ye Qianlong. Getting rid of him was equivalent to getting rid of a big problem. The emperor was indeed clever.
His sharp gaze fell on Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue: "Are you two very familiar with Ye Qianlong?" By saying "you two," he was connecting Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue together.