As their eyes met, his gaze softened, and he reassured her, "Don’t be afraid, the Emperor’s intentions are nothing. When you’re by my side, he cannot harm you."

Xie Wanqing’s eyelashes trembled, "Do you think... I am the femme fatale as written in history books?"

Fathers and sons suspicious, rulers and ministers turned against each other, brothers harming one another.

In past and present lives, her existence seemed to have harmed many people.

He usurped the throne, leading a coup, and among the people he sought revenge on were his biological brother, birth father, and the Lu Family who had nurtured him.

The Lu Family did not know his lineage and cherished him like a treasure, protecting him as if he were their own.

Those were people he had called grandmother, mother, aunt, and sister for twenty years.

Yet, because of her, he...

The hand on her chin exerted a little force, and Lu Ziyuan said irritably, "Don’t let your thoughts run wild. When have you harmed anyone? It’s always those blind fools bullying you. They deserve to die; don’t waste your sympathy!"

He was very close, and his words drilled directly into her ears, blowing away Xie Wanqing’s self-condemnation.

She paused, nodded obediently, "Let’s forget about the past life. In any case, in this life, you must restrain your urge to kill and stop committing such atrocities."

Lu Ziyuan chuckled, "Rest assured, even if it’s to accumulate fortune for you, I will not kill the innocent without cause."

He thought to himself, if they died at his hands, of course, they wouldn’t be innocent.

And Xie Wanqing was completely unaware of his thoughts. On that day, when he easily agreed to spare Pei Yuqing, her heart was somewhat uneasy. Now she only hoped to persuade this God of Killing to put down his knife and not take lives so lightly with thoughts of chopping them to pieces.

Their minds were different, yet they chatted happily.

After a moment, Mingjian came in with a group of people.

To select people for the General Mansion, of course, identities and backgrounds needed checking. Time was tight, with no time to buy outsiders; thus, those standing before Xie Wanqing were servants from other official residences in the Northern Border City.

They were all trusted aides of Lu Ziyuan, and upon hearing the General Mansion had a mistress but no servants, they willingly offered their help.

Mingjian carefully selected a few, bringing their deeds of sale along.

Since she would only be staying for a few months, Xie Wanqing wasn’t particularly concerned about selecting personal maids and said, "I don’t need anyone to serve closely. Does any of you know how to comb hair?"

Combing hair required delicacy, and it was something she indeed couldn’t do.

Among the group of maids, five stepped forward, and Xie Wanqing randomly picked two based on her instincts, asked their names, and said, "You will do."

As for the others, they could be tasked with cleaning the courtyard.

Such trivial matters were not something Lu Ziyuan bothered about. He held Xie Wanqing’s hand, got up, and took Mingjian to the study in the front courtyard.

Coincidentally, a few boxes full of clothes and jewelry were being sent in.

The two chosen maids showed their faces in front of their master, becoming the leading maids of the courtyard, and began organizing with the others in an orderly manner.

By dinnertime, Lu Ziyuan still hadn’t returned.

He was extremely busy. Despite deciding not to pursue victory further, as there were no more battles this year, the recent war had only just ceased, and Jin Wuji had died at the hands of the Great Khan. In the Capital City, there were still some rats jumping around, seeking death. He also had to be informed of the affairs of each state and county.

Most importantly... the news about the sickly person.

He needed to keep the person’s movements in control, ensuring their upcoming marriage wouldn’t face any mishaps.

At night, Xie Wanqing dined alone, bathed, and was lying in bed flipping through a book preparing to sleep when Lu Ziyuan finally returned from outside.

Clad in black, he arrived as if stepping through wind and snow, his face emanating a cold severity.

Seeing the girl reading on the bed, his demeanor softened, and he praised, "Wanwan, you are truly diligent."

"..." Xie Wanqing fell silent, choosing not to respond.

Lu Ziyuan closed the door, walked to the bedside, and bent down to kiss her.

His breath was still a bit cold, carrying a faint hint of alcohol. Xie Wanqing frowned and avoided it, "You’ve been drinking?"

Finding his kiss missed target, he thought she disliked the smell of alcohol on him. Lu Ziyuan swallowed and said, "I will wash up."

His decisiveness in action was evident. Without waiting for Xie Wanqing to say anything, he turned and went to the adjacent bathroom.

The urgency took Xie Wanqing by surprise, recalling the intensity of that night. Her legs felt a little weak, and she hurriedly set the book aside, lying down and forcing herself to sleep.

She remembered that on several occasions in the past, when he came to her courtyard late, if she was asleep, he didn’t wake her specifically for intimacy.

Thus, when Lu Ziyuan came out, the young lady who had just been reading leisurely was nowhere in sight, leaving only a mound of blanket.

He coughed softly, lifted the covers, lay down, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and asked in a low voice, "... Still in pain?"

Xie Wanqing thought, she was asleep and couldn’t respond.

But knowing who Lu Ziyuan was, as long as she was still breathing, he could tell whether she was truly asleep or pretending.

After waiting for a while, seeing the girl in his embrace stubbornly silent, he lowered his gaze, watched her tightly shut eyes for a moment, and moved his hand down her wrist...

Feeling his palm touching something warm, Xie Wanqing’s heart jumped harshly, nearly opening her eyes instinctively.

... This was truly a taste of being caught in an awkward situation.

She had no idea how her eyelashes were trembling at that moment, and Lu Ziyuan tried to suppress his amusement and directly undid his pants.

Pressing her hand onto him.

Xie Wanqing could no longer feign sleep, trying hard to move her hand away, but was held firmly by him.

Clearly doing something so domineering, yet his tone was still aggrieved, "... Wanwan has never touched it; does she find it disgusting?"

"... Shut up!" Xie Wanqing said angrily, "Let go of my hand!"

Lu Ziyuan refused, guiding her fingers to explore himself, saying seriously, "This is yours. Could you please get to know it well?"

Xie Wanqing felt dry-mouthed, ashamed and enraged, but his grip was truly strong, and she could not free her hand. Frustrated, she instinctively tightened her grasp.

... If there was something on Lu Ziyuan that she could inflict pain upon, it was probably only this.

She hadn’t even held back on strength, her five fingers tightened instantly, and she was surprised at how her slender fingers couldn’t completely encircle him.

And Lu Ziyuan inhaled sharply, his face turning pale, "Wanwan!"

Xie Wanqing was startled, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Lu Ziyuan’s vision darkened, unable to speak for several breaths. When he regained composure, he lifted the blanket, stared at himself, and gritted his teeth, "Are you trying to cripple me!"

"I didn’t mean to," Xie Wanqing covered her eyes, countering defensively, "You’re too fragile then."

"..." Lu Ziyuan was nearly amused to anger, pulling away the hand she used to cover her eyes, accusing, "It’s very painful. What do you think should be done?"