Chapter 308: You and I, Trust Between Husband and Wife

"You mean, this is someone framing her?"

Chu Yunzheng reached out and took the Fragrance pouch.

He only glanced at it, and a flash of understanding passed through Chu Yunzheng's eyes. This technique and embroidery he was more than familiar with; it was precisely Bai Li's style.

Yet he buried everything in his heart, outwardly showing just the right amount of surprise and doubt: "How does the Empress view this matter?"

Wan Tang lowered her eyes, her tone deferential: "Subject believes the Emperor's judgment of people."

"Someone the Emperor has kept in his heart for so many years cannot be lacking."

Chu Yunzheng nodded.

Seeing this, Wan Tang lifted her gaze toward him, her eyes clear: "Now I also understand why the Emperor always wants to bring her into the palace."

"Her simple, naïve nature makes her easy to be plotted against when outside…"

"In the past, perhaps Yan Wang protected her too well."

Before the words finished, Wan Tang immediately realized she had misspoken.

She hurriedly raised her head, looking anxiously at the Emperor.

Chu Yunzheng's expression shifted slightly, and his voice became even softer: "No problem, this is the truth."

He reached out to gently stroke her cheek, his gaze deep: "Tang'er truly is the one who understands me best."

He paused, then, as if unintentionally, asked, "You want to assign someone to guard her; is it truly only to keep her safe?"

"Of course," Wan Tang answered earnestly, "If she is willing to enter the palace, everything becomes much simpler."

"In this way, both the Emperor and the Subject can be at ease."

She suddenly lifted her eyes, a hint of perfectly timed hurt in her gaze: "Emperor, could it be that you do not trust the Subject?"

A trace of embarrassment flickered across Chu Yunzheng's face: "How could I not trust you?"

"Between us, unlike others, there is the trust of a married couple."

Wan Tang, leaning into his embrace, whispered with emotion: "Subject is fortunate to have the Emperor by her side; otherwise I truly would not know what to do."

"Now the Emperor is the Subject's backbone."

These words, Chu Yunzheng naturally took to heart.

He held her tenderly, speaking warmly: "Rest assured, I have said before, you have me from now on."

"I will always protect you completely."

Wan Tang's expression remained unchanged, but she felt disgusted inside.

It is precisely his existence that makes Wan Tang constrained everywhere.

【Dog Emperor, as if it were true. Who doesn't know that he is scheming how to coax Bai Li back into the palace.】

【That impatient look makes anyone who sees it feel disgusted.】

【However, he still knows Bai Li quite well. After all, before sending Hui Guifei to make a request, he had already gone there himself. Unfortunately, she, proud and haughty, turned and went to the Nunnery. He was slapped with a Bang—Bang—Bang.】

【Speaking of it, this Dog Emperor really is despicable. The women who love him, he looks down upon. He only likes those who give him a sour face.】

【Hmph, but can Bai Li really wait? Inside Bai Li, she probably has long wanted to enter the palace, having gauged the Dog Emperor's temperament. Two hypocritical fellows: one wants to use the palace entry opportunity to obtain the Mo Family's military authority, and the Dog Emperor wants to silence the world. He has long wanted this woman, yet insists on proceeding slowly.】

【Both acting and standing, truly don't know how to expose their true faces.】

Listening to the Barrage, Wan Tang obediently rested on his shoulder, a gentle smile at her lips, yet her eyes were clear and calm.

Her voice was full of helplessness: "Subject wholeheartedly wishes to bring her into the palace, but she continually refuses."

"I know, you have done your best." Chu Yunzheng sighed, "She, indeed, is too stubborn."

At this point, the Emperor's voice also carried a hint of helplessness.

"Emperor."

Seeing Chu Yunzheng troubled, Wan Tang took a deep breath.

Leaning on Chu Yunzheng's shoulder, she asked softly, "Is Miss Bai Li truly in love with you?"

"Of course." Chu Yunzheng answered confidently.

"Then that's good." Wan Tang lifted her eyes to him, "When you truly love someone, you should throw yourself without regard."

"Just as Subject does for the Emperor, even a mountain of knives and sea of fire I would brave for you."

Her tone softened: "I think Miss Bai Li is even more like that."

"Both being women, that I can still affirm."

"Since she loves you, she will disregard everything for the Emperor. These ceremonial doctrines are nothing."

Chu Yunzheng's hand that was stroking her long hair paused slightly.

Indeed!

Loving someone is to throw oneself without regard.

Just like Wan Tang, for loving him, she could even give up her life.

Why can't Bai Li, for him, enter the palace?

She already had an answer in her heart, yet she gave a wry smile: "Back then, she too was set up by a treacherous person."

"Now she must be extremely fearful, which is why she acts so."

Hearing the Emperor's answer, Wan Tang finally felt at ease.

She nodded solemnly, her face full of yearning: "Thus there will be no trouble."

"I also know, she must have been framed. How could such a cold girl dress like that?"

"After all, the Nunnery is all women."

Wan Tang said, squinting, her smile a crescent moon, harmless to all.

Clearly bearing a seventy‑to‑eighty percent similar face, yet Chu Yunzheng looked dazed.

He missed Bai Li too much.

The moonlight of youth, loved but unattainable.

Wan Tang's reminder made his already turbulent heart burn even hotter.

"Emperor!" Wan Tang, seeing this, pretended to act coquettishly: "May I stay tonight?"

The Fragrance pouch in Chu Yunzheng's hand gradually devoured his remaining reason.

He clutched the Fragrance pouch tightly, appearing absent‑minded.

Hearing Wan Tang's words, he even stood up and said, "Empress, rest a little earlier."

"As for what you mentioned, the Emperor sees no need for it."

"Jingxin An is truly a pure place; no matter who lives there, there is no need to send anyone to watch over it."

Having said that, he could not even spare another glance at Wan Tang, grabbed the Fragrance pouch and hurried away.

In the pouring night rain, Chu Yunzheng rode alone straight to Jingxin An, his robes completely soaked.

At the sight of the newcomer, how could the senior nuns dare to block him?

They fell silent, kneeling back to the side.

He strode straight into the Zen Chamber in the back courtyard.

Bai Li, sorrowful before the mirror, startled to rise when he entered: "Emperor…"

Chu Yunzheng pressed her against the dressing table, breathing heavily: "The Emperor has already summoned the Empress; why do you still refuse to enter the palace?"

Bai Li said nothing, merely turning her head to the side.

"At first, you said entering the palace like this would tarnish your reputation," Chu Yunzheng said with helplessness, "but the Empress has arrived."

Bai Li choked softly.

She trembled, covering her mouth with her hand, refusing to speak.

"These days, the Emperor cannot stop thinking of you," Chu Yunzheng felt anxiously.

Seeing her not answer, he leaned down.

Bai Li turned her head to avoid his kiss, tears filling her lashes: "I, a poor nun, am already beyond the world…"

"Beyond the world?" Chu Yunzheng sneered, pulling out the Fragrance pouch he held: "Do you think the one who came today is the Emperor?"

"Is that why it's like this?"

Bai Li's complexion changed when she saw the Fragrance pouch.

When the Empress left, she searched everywhere but could not find it, assuming it had fallen somewhere; she did not expect it to be in the Emperor's hand.

Thinking of it having fallen into water made her feel even more uneasy.

Looking again at the Fragrance pouch, she understood many things in her heart.

She shook her head repeatedly: "It's not as you think."

"You have the Emperor!"

Chu Yunzheng affirmed.

Bai Li, trembling, pushed back, her voice breaking: "I… cannot…"

"Cannot?" Chu Yunzheng grasped her chin, forcing her evasive eyes, "When you left the Capital, you didn't say it like that."

"You said you love the Emperor, but fate played tricks…"

A thunderclap boomed outside the window, and Bai Li finally collapsed limp in his arms.

She sobbed, "I… ultimately cannot escape…"

Chu Yunzheng's clothes were wet, but his gaze at Bai Li was scorching.

He took a deep breath.

Chu Yunzheng finally could not resist his true feelings.

He pressed against the back of Bai Li's head and kissed her deeply.

The two locked in a passionate kiss, as if to fill all the youthful regrets.

Chu Yunzheng's breathing grew heavy, his large hand slowly moving down, slipping into Bai Li's clothing.

If he succeeded here, even entering the palace, what would it matter?

Bai Li understood clearly that once the man obtained it, there would be no bargaining chips left.

Bai Li suddenly snapped awake.

She forcefully pushed him away, staggered back to the Buddha statue, clutching the garment's collar with both hands.

"Emperor, I, a poor nun, am already a renunciant; are you trying to force my death?"

She wept rain‑like, pointing at the downpour outside: "The Buddhist gate is a pure place; how could you desecrate it so?"

"I am merely a wretched widow; if I yield to you today, what face will I have tomorrow?"

Speaking this, her face full of sorrow, she said: "Father always despised me, even refusing to let me be of the Ning family."

"After I became a widow, he never came to see me."

"If such matters arise again…"

Bai Li was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Chu Yunzheng's voice was solemn: "You have the Emperor."

"The Emperor wants you; I will make you a Consort; who can stand in the way?"

Bai Li's eyes held contempt: merely a Consort?

The Emperor's Consort is not meant to be a concubine.

She is, after all, Yan Wangfei, a proper wife.

Making her a concubine is impossible!

Bai Li scoffed: "Can that stop the endless gossip of the court?"

I'm only afraid that if I still entered the palace, I'd already be drowned by the spittle star child's saliva.

Speaking of this, she laughed self‑deprecatingly: "Today, looking at the Empress, so majestic, I truly envy her."

If this were her situation, the whole court of civil and military officials would just snap and pretend to be deaf and mute.

Shei gave me a brother with such glorious war merits?

Mentioning Bai Li, mentioning Xu Yanchuan, the desire in Chu Yunzheng's eyes vanished completely.

The person he was constantly guarding against, the one who tried to kill him with a single sip of poison, instead delivered the Hundred Thousand Army to him.

That woman wearing a phoenix crown has the entire Mo Family's blood behind her.

That is a lifelong guilt in his heart.

Grief surged in Chu Yunzheng's eyes.

What does Bai Li know?

She only thought Chu Yunzheng was shaken because of her.

She suddenly knelt, grabbed his hem, and lifted her pallid face: "Emperor, please consider it from my perspective…"

Stop forcing me.

The rain grew denser, making her broken sobs sound even more mournful.

Chu Yunzheng took a deep breath and said with emotion: "If it were only this matter, it would be easy."

I recall you have a brother; I happen to be lacking a man in my ranks.

Tomorrow I will have Bai Zijun enter the palace; if he passes my assessment, I will make him a general.

Become your confidence!