That voice...

Feng Ning turned around and looked at Lin Zi Xuan, who had come here in a hurry. He wore a robe that covered his grand clothing, but it didn't erase the aura he had around him.

She furrowed her eyebrows.

Why did he come here?

"Ning'er." Lin Zi Xuan strode forward. He looked at the frail young woman in front of him and smiled lightly. "Come back with me."

Feng Ning shook her head.

She didn't want to come back.

Once she was back, she knew that she would never be able to go out again. Because once she came back, Lin Zi Xuan would definitely make sure that she would never be able to get out ever again.

"Why?"

Lin Zi Xuan stepped forward while Feng Ning moved a step back.

He stopped.

At this time, he could see that Feng Ning was trying to stay away from him. Maybe, the past few months without him was more fulfilling for her compared to the time she had to spend with him.

Feng Ning looked at Lin Zi Xuan and opened her mouth then closed it again. She really didn't want to see him ever again. Even though it was a bit hard for her to completely forget about him, she didn't want to let herself get hurt ever again.

"Do...you... expect me to... stay and die quietly?" Feng Ning asked slowly as she tried her best to speak.

Lin Zi Xuan's eyes widened.

He never heard Feng Ning spoke before because Feng Ning would always close her mouth. It was also because of this that he never tried asking her whether she had recovered or not.

Her voice is low and hoarse.

It was a stark contrast to the lovely and sweet voice he heard when she was still young.

Lin Zi Xuan's eyes dimmed slightly.

This voice would forever be a constant reminder of his own mistake in the past for allowing her to drink the poison for him.

"I won't kill you." Lin Zi Xuan looked at his wife in front of him.

Feng Ning looked at Lin Zi Xuan and shook her head. "Empress Feng Ning... had died."

With that, she turned around and walked into her house. She didn't want to return to that glamorous palace anymore. It might look good and all, but it was also a place that she didn't want to step in because it would give her painful constant reminder about her position.

Empress Feng Ning had died.

That sentence hit Lin Zi Xuan hard.

Right, the current Feng Ning had lived a completely different life compared to the one at the palace. Even if he said that Empress Feng Ning had died, the officials would have no other choice but to listen to his words.

There was no way that it would be hard for him to fake her body.

But he didn't want to.

Lin Zi Xuan clasped his fingers to form a fist. He could force Feng Ning to come back with him, but she wouldn't be happy with his action. In fact, she might even hate him more than she already had.

He felt at lost.

What should he do?

"Imperial Doctor Wu."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Imperial Doctor Wu didn't know whether to cry or laugh at his bad luck. He knew that he was helping Feng Ning, but it would also put him in difficult position because of Emperor Lin Zi Xuan in front of him.

There was no way the Emperor would want to forgive him so easily for helping Feng Ning go out of the Capital City and lived here.

"Is she doing well?" Lin Zi Xuan asked.

Imperial Doctor Wu was stunned.

He thought that he had misheard, but when he saw Emperor Lin Zi Xuan's face, he felt as if he had discovered something new.

"Yes, Her Majesty is doing well."

"Oh."

She's doing well in this small village.

Lin Zi Xuan looked at the small house where Feng Ning stayed. it definitely couldn't be compared to the grand palace, but it looked nice to look at. And probably, it was the type of place Feng Ning would rather stay.

Rather than in the grandiose of the palace, this small yet warm place seemed to suit her more.

"Take care of her well."

Imperial Doctor Wu looked at the departing back of Lin Zi Xuan with stunned expression.

The Emperor...

Did he just... back out?

He felt that he had just realized that the position of Empress Feng Ning in Lin Zi Xuan's heart seemed to be much higher than what he expected it at first. Probably, not many people in this era would treat their wife like how the Emperor did it.

Imperial Doctor Wu turned to look at the Emperor then to the small hut.

In the end, he decided to walk into the hut.

Inside the hut.

Feng Ning sat beside the window and watched as Lin Zi Xuan walked away. In fact, she had thought that he would just force her to go back.

After all, she had heard that the ministers were a bit dissatisfied with him.

They didn't like the fact that he was the Emperor even though he had no ties to the Lin Family.

But many other officials supported Lin Zi Xuan.

Those were the talented people whom he had gathered from many places and probably also supported.

Only a small few would dare to be dissatisfied.

The rest supported him.

'He didn't come in?'

Feng Ning watched as Imperial Doctor Wu come into the hut and looked at her. It seemed that he was also astonished that the Emperor wouldn't force her.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty might truly care for you."

Imperial Doctor Wu could infer that the two of them had some misgiving. Though their conversation seemed to be particularly heavy since they discussed about death, he felt that it might not be how things were.

In fact, he didn't think that the Emperor was someone who would even hurt Feng Ning.

Feng Ning passed a look at Imperial Doctor Wu and shook her head. She didn't want to have any other hope anymore.

She's tired.

That silence back then.

His hesitation to answer meant that it was what he had thought from the very beginning and the plan he had when he first married her.

Would that plan change just because the two of them had lived by each other's side for half a year or so?

Feng Ning doubted it.

She took a paper and wrote, "Let's discuss that book."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Imperial Doctor Wu smiled bitterly. It was not his business, so he could only watch from the side and become the bystander.