Although Tang Xia was not the empress anymore, Lengmei could not stop harboring a grudge against Lengmei and stood on the altar.

As Lengmei’s gorgeous dress could not cover up her grimness, she finally wore a smile, hearing the louder and louder denouncement.

“Tang Xia, although His Majesty favors you, how can he protect you as people all regard you as cruel?”

There was no wonder that old saying went, “Women are the most malicious creature.” And it would be more terrible when her jealousy turned into hatred. Lengmei regarded Tang Xia losing her reputation and the title of the empress as the beginning and would not be satisfied until Tang Xia lost everything and had her body smashed to pieces.

Lengmei had stood upon the altar without eating or sleeping for three days. Although she had lost sensation below her waist gradually, she stuck to it as she would not give up until Tang Xia was doomed to death.

Zui Linglong who was leaning against the bluestone wall in the distance crossed her arms with an indifferent look and said nothing to Lengmei’s masochistic behavior.

Zui Linglong did not support or stop Lengmei and just lowered her head to laugh at the sight of Lengmei’s pale face after she stood for three days. It was unknown that Zui Linglong laughed because she thought Lengmei bit off more than she could chew or she wanted to enjoy a good show.

Actually, Zui Linglong knew Lengmei well so that she understood what Lengmei planned to do when Lengmei stood on the altar.

It was a farce caused by Lengmei’s reluctance as Chu Tiankuo devoted his whole heart to his empress and did not have a look at other women.

Zui Linglong knew it. How could Chu Tiankuo not understand?

Of course he did understand, but he had no way to prevent all these things from happening so that he had no choice but to see his beloved woman fall into the abyss pushed by jealous Lengmei

who took advantage of ignorant people to make the worst situation in Chu Tiankuo’s view.

Although Chu Tiankuo wanted to cut Lengmei into pieces and feed her meat to dogs, he had to wear an indifferent look.

Because only in this way could he minimize any harm to Tang Xia.

Unfortunately, Lengmei knew Chu Tiankuo too well so that she could figure out if Chu Tiankuo was unhappy or he just wanted to drink a cup of tea as long as he frowned. Therefore, Chu Tiankuo’s pretence was not hidden from Lengmei’s eyes. After Lengmei raised her phoenix eyes and took a glance at Chu Tiankuo was standing a few steps away from her, she shrieked with a smile, “Your Majesty, are you trying to erase all the things by pretending to be indifferent?” Then Lengmei laughed before Chu Tiankuo could reply.

Chu Tiankuo’s face darkened when Lengmei laughed. Zui Linglong standing afar owned quick ears so that she caught everything Lengmei had said.

The more insolently Lengmei laughed, the more Chu Tiankuo’s face fell, which was quite hilarious. “How can Chu Tiankuo be so confused now? If he had been able to slight over the matter that the imperial concubine’s baby was killed only by silence,

how would all these bad things have happened?”

“Is he an idiot?” Zui Linglong enjoyed looking on their trouble with indifference so much that she dared to make fun of Chu Tiankuo with a smile. Luckily, she stood quite far away from them so that she did not draw fire against herself.

While Zui Linglong was making fun of Chu Tiankuo, it was like one stone falling into the spoiling water—the whole thing just went ballistic over there as Lengmei exposed Chu Tiankuo’s thoughts out only by a few words in a loud voice.

People who were packed solid heard what Lengmei said quite clearly and all started to shout as if they were enchanted.

“Call the empress here! She is so vicious! We won’t agree on His Majesty favoring her!”

“Right! How can such vicious and cruel woman be the empress! Where is the justice?!”

“Sentence the empress to death! We cannot bear such a vicious woman living in this world!”

“Call the empress here! We…”

As all the people were shouting that the empress should be sentenced to death, Chu Tiankuo with patience and culture could not bear such comments caused by Lengmei’s instigation and became quite angry. He heavily flapped his sleeves decorated with patterns of black dragons and shouted, “That’s enough! Shut up!”

His shout frightened all the people so that they remained silent. Lengmei standing aside was startled, too.

She was about to say something but shut her mouth up with a terrified look at the sight of Chu Tiankuo’s serious and warning look.

Although Zui Linglong had expected that Chu Tiankuo would be pissed off by the compulsion of his people, she was startled by Chu Tiankuo’s angry shout and turned her head around with little interest to see what Chu Tiankuo would deal with such situation.

Unexpectedly, what Chu Tiankuo did was quite different from her thoughts—he strode up to the altar and went straight to Lengmei with a rather serious look.

Lengmei was quite terrified by his behavior and wanted to step backwards subconsciously. However, she lost consciousness in her body due to standing for a long time.

Lengmei could not move, let alone step backwards. She had no choice but to close her eyes with fear, waiting for Chu Tiankuo’s next move.

All the people expected Chu Tiankuo would do something to Lengmei. However, Chu Tiankuo did not even touch Lengmei.

Chu Tiankuo stood a step away from Lengmei with his fists under his sleeves clenched and said in a quite cold voice,

“Lengmei, Don’t you think you can threaten me by those foolish people! No one can hurt the woman I want to protect! Stop dreaming!”

Every single sentence hurt Lengmei so much that she wore a blue look with deep desperation in her eyes in the end.

But she would not believe what Chu Tiankuo said. She gave a determined but desperate look to Chu Tiankuo and asked the question haunting her,

“Your Majesty, where can’t I compare with her? My love for you is no less than hers. Why can’t you look at me?”

Every single sentence was Lengmei’s scar, which would make everyone feel sorry for her. But she loved the wrong person as Chu Tiankuo only regarded her questions hilarious.

“She is all good. You cannot compare with her! You are not as good as one in ten thousand of her.” Chu Tiankuo did not care about Lengmei’s love at all and cast it away without looking back.

It seemed that Chu Tiankuo did not feel satisfied and added something that would make Lengmei feel so much pain,

“If you dare to harm her now, I will let you repay it with your everything!” Then Chu Tiankuo darted a look at his people in the audience and said something with an underlying meaning,

“If you dare to misjudge anyone without self-knowledge again, how about digging out your eyes?”

All the people including Lengmei were quite terrified in a cold sweat.

After this matter ended, Zui Linglong paid a visit to Tang Xia. When Tang Xia heard that Zui Linglong who did not have frequent contact with her came, she started to suspect Zui Linglong’s real purpose.

However, Tang Xia welcomed Zui Linglong with a usual look and planned to ask why she was here. Unexpectedly, Zui Linglong did not beat around the bush and asked Tang Xia directly, “Your Grace, what are you going to do?”

Zui Linglong’s question was so direct that Tang Xia could not act stupid. Besides, Tang Xia did not want to play the fool anymore after feeling wronged for days. Now that Zui Linglong asked the question directly, Tang Xia also answered directly,

“What to do? I’ll do what I should do. How can I be afraid as I did not do that?” Tang Xia wore a forced smile.

“Lengmei loves His Majesty, so she is willing to stand on the altar for days without eating or sleeping. Although I cannot bear such sufferings as she does,

I won’t be afraid if I have to do so. My love for His Majesty is unquestionable. The whole things will come to obvious!”

As Zui Linglong who was about to drink the tea heard what Tang Xia said, she looked askance at Tang Xia’s complicated look and felt the tea less delicious.

So Zui Linglong put down the cup and remained quiet for a moment. Then she wore a smile suddenly,

“Your Grace, I’m quite looking forward to what will happen if what you said is true!”

After Tang Xia followed Zui Linglong who wore a colorful dress and left elegantly with her eyes, she leaned against the door in a trance, pondering whether she was wrong. But what wrong did she do?

“I just love someone who also loves me. Is it wrong?”

As Tang Xia was utterly confused, Lyuyou watched Zui Linglong disappear with her eyebrows knitted, feeling something was wrong. Then Lyuyou peeped out and said to Tang Xia, “Your Grace, I’m afraid that there is something wrong with her!”

“I don’t think so. She is just adding fuel to the fire. I’ll take no notice of her.”

Tang Xia knew exactly whom her palace maid was talking about, but she paid no attention to Lyuyou’s concern. Hence, Tang Xia just waved her hands and went into her room, worrying about what she had thought.

Only Lyuyou was still standing there, debating what to do.