Weiran Pavilion was located near a courtyard, about a dozen of steps away from its gate. There was a small rockery near the corner of the gate. From where Honored Consort Xia was standing, she could see Ao Chenyi standing there alone with his hands behind his back, staring at the courtyard.

Her two palace maids stood still, not moving an inch, and watched her walk up to Ao Chenyi step by step. She stopped inside the pavilion and stared at the figure. Taking off her face veil, she asked in a trembling voice, “Your Highness, can you… can you still recognize… Hua Yueying?”

She believed that he would be pleasantly surprised to hear her name.

The man with the most handsome face she had ever seen slowly turned around, with a gaze so cold that he resembled a Demon King treading through the bloody hell. His icy gaze fell on her face as he looked at her like she was a lifeless object.

Honored Consort Xia staggered, taking back her outstretched feet, and subconsciously stepped back. She adjusted her expression so she looked sorrowful, and allowed her tears to fall. With a tragic expression, she pressed her handkerchief against her mouth to suppress her tearful voice. “Your Highness… I… I’m the real Hua Yueying. When you were captured, I was… I was just a weak woman. Who could have I done? What else could I do? If I could have done anything to save you, I would have even if it killed me!”

Honored Consort Xia sobbed as she spoke, her eyes brimming with affection. She made it sound as though she started serving the Emperor out of worry that Ao Chenyi would be in danger, and that she was forced to give herself up to her “enemy” so Ao Chenyi would have hope of survival.

In the script that she had orchestrated, she was the pitiful, affectionate protagonist who would stop at nothing to save her beloved from the enemy. Of course, she would put on a show of affectionate reunion at this moment. She was sure that, with such a show in place, Ao Chenyi wouldn’t disappoint her.

She had her beauty, her testimonial, as well as his deep love. She didn’t think their reunion would be difficult at all. What did it matter if Ao Chenyi didn’t look quite friendly now? He had always been rumored to be cold and ruthless, and he seemed to have gained this reputation after she left him.

It was obvious that he treated her differently.

When Ao Chenyi ignored her and sat down by the stone railing in the pavilion, her weeping became even fiercer. She was a beautiful woman crying pitifully and saying loving words; any other man would have been moved by her deep affection.

“Your Highness, do you still remember our engagement? Do you remember how I secretly came to your manor to pick out my courtyard? I always thought we would spend the rest of our lives together, never to be apart. Back then, I’ve already begun to embroider my wedding dress in secret. I dreamed of living in harmony with you, giving birth to your children, but… Who would have thought… things would turn out like this…”

Honored Consort Xia was so sorrowful that she couldn’t even talk anymore. She stared at Ao Chenyi, tears and reluctance brimming in her eyes.

Ao Chenyi’s red lips curved into a smile. His languid voice drifted out of the pavilion as he asked, “How did you enter the palace?”

Having finally heard Ao Chenyi’s voice, Hua Yueying immediately replied, “Your Highness, you were framed for killing the three women from Annan and imprisoned at that time. Someone came and told me that if I want to save you, I would have to be with the Emperor. That was why I went to him. But who would have thought… we’d be…”

The Emperor was still a prince at that time and Hua Yueying’s words were, of course, to gain Ao Chenyi’s trust. She would say anything to earn his trust now. Besides, her goal in coming here was getting back together with him. She would shove all the blame on others. Her mistakes were everyone else’s faults. She was the most affectionate, innocent party.

“What proof do you have?” Ao Chenyi chuckled and picked up a cup of tea from the table, looking cold and aloof.

Proof? How could there be proof for such things? Hua Yueying was stunned by his question. She was the one who went to the Emperor herself. What proof could there be? Was she supposed to show him an invoice or something?

Her eyes, however, swiftly lit up and she fished out a small package from her bosom. “Your Highness, I have proof,” she said righteously. “This is my proof, proof that I have never forgotten about you despite being in the palace for so many years. I have always been on your side.”

“On my side?” Ao Chenyi didn’t look at the small package in her hand. His cold gaze fell on her face. The corners of his beautifully-shaped lips were curved into a murderous, cruel smile.

“Hua Yueying, I can’t do anything about you being promiscuous and hooking up with men as you please, but I forbid you from using the title of my fiancee. You’re my brother’s beloved consort now. I don’t care if you went to my brother or the other way around, but the fact that you’re his consort can’t be changed. It is time I announce to the world that my former fiancee didn’t die of illness, but had eloped with someone else.”

“No… No… I… Your Highness, it’s really not my fault… It’s the Emperor… It’s the Emperor who forced… The Emperor took advantage of the situation and took me away! It’s really not my fault!”

Hua Yueying cried out in panic as soon as she heard that Ao Chenyi wanted to publicize the matter. If the truth was made public, she would really be dead, and her family would collapse with her. A woman was never meant to marry twice, but she married two men with such particular identities. Once everything was revealed, the Emperor would never admit that he had taken his younger brother’s fiancee and would push all the blame onto her.

“My brother isn’t that kind of person.” Ao Chenyi shook his head and snorted in disbelief. “Don’t mar him.”

“Your Highness, how can you be so stupid as to believe the Emperor’s words? How can you speak up for him? You care for your brother but when has he ever? Think about it. The late Emperor wanted to make you the Crown Prince but look at your situation now. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he didn’t even mention it. Your Highness, haven’t you ever wondered why? It’s obvious that the Emperor doesn’t want to make you the Crown Prince!”

Honored Consort Xia shook her head and cried sorrowfully, her tears falling down her face. To better gain Ao Chenyi’s trust, she couldn’t be bothered about keeping her voice down. Besides, Heng Yuwan said that there won’t be anyone coming here. This place was usually deserted and no one would come.

Of course, she wouldn’t usually say such things, but she had no choice now. Before she knew it, Ao Chenyi had already controlled the rhythm of the interrogation.

“Hua Yueying, you can be promiscuous all you want, but you dare to slander my brother and ruin our brotherly affection. Did you think I wouldn’t dare to do anything to you?” His voice, with a trace of coldness in it, was like a blade of ice slashing Hua Yueying’s body.

“If I peel your skin and turn the better patches of your skin into a fan as a gift for my brother, I’m sure he’ll be pleased with what he sees.”

His eerie words, coupled with his gloomy voice and chilling smile, made Hua Yueying feel as though a phantom claw was reaching out for her, trying to peel her skin.

No, this wouldn’t do. She wanted to be Princess Yi and live a happy life. She couldn’t just die here. She furiously racked her brain for a solution. Ao Chenyi refused to believe her and thought that she was an unfaithful woman while believing that the Emperor was a good person and remaining loyal to him. She must show Ao Chenyi proof and make him believe that the Emperor was lying.

She must make him believe that the Emperor was a two-faced person trying to harm him. As long as he believed that the Emperor was evil, he would trust her and believe that she was forced into her current situation. This must be it. It must be.

Ao Chenyi’s words frightened and panicked her so much that she no longer cared about what she should or should not be saying.

“Your Highness, don’t… don’t scare me… I really want to return to you… If it wasn’t for the Emperor… we’d be husband and wife now… Your Highness, you must know that the Emperor truly wants to hurt you… The assassins at the palace a while ago, I… I’ve seen a few of them. They’re the Emperor’s men… He… He was the one who sent assassins after you!”

“Commandery Princess Xianyun, too. The Emperor knew the Lord Peace’s Manor was an ambitious bunch. Have you thought about why he let you marry Commandery Princess Xianyun instead of marrying her himself? It’s all because he wants her to make a mess of your manor so he can deal with you! The assassination this time, too! Why would you get assassinated out of nowhere? Of course, it’s because the Emperor wanted to kill you! Otherwise, how could you get injured when you’re so good at martial arts? Prince Xiang’s injury was just a trick to deceive others.”

She wasn’t lying. She did see a few of those assassins at the palace banquet with the Emperor. She even observed those assassins secretly when they attacked and confirmed that they were indeed the Emperor’s men. The assassination was likely the Emperor’s order. The rest were her speculations, but she was sure that they were true.

If the Emperor could try and assassinate Ao Chenyi once, he could do it twice. The Emperor had everything to gain by eliminating him; he would be willing to do so even at the cost of losing a son. Besides, Prince Xiang didn’t really die. He was just injured and unconscious. In her opinion, the assassination was a trap the Emperor and Prince Xiang had laid for Ao Chenyi.

“Your Highness, this means that Prince Xiang’s injuries are also fake! He worked with the Emperor to harm you! Don’t be fooled by his gentlemanly facade. He has always been trying to kill you!”

Hua Yueying cried loudly. These were all recent events and were far likelier to be believed than if she were to talk about the past.

“Nonsense! Bitch, you dare to have a rendezvous with Prince Yi and relay messages out of the palace… And you dare say such things.” An angry scolding came from behind Honored Consort Xia.

Someone else was here? She was so shocked that she couldn’t cry anymore. She turned her head and saw a group of women emerging from the path that she came from. The person standing in front of the group was dressed lavishly; her beautiful face was twisted with anger as she glared at Honored Consort Xia…