Page 210

"Brother Chenjing, are you keeping your distance from me like this because you're afraid the Emperor will find out, or is it for someone else?"

"Since you've gotten your wish and entered the palace, take care of yourself from now on." He turned his back to her and gave a brief instruction.

"But I don't want to let you go so easily." Her voice was always sweet and soft, carrying a young woman's delicate vulnerability even as she spoke harsh words. "Since you don't want to start over with Rongrong, Rongrong has no choice but to grab onto the Emperor as her only backing." She was not stupid; after many days at the Prime Minister's Residence, his coldness had made it clear to her that he was completely different from the Li Chenjing of the past who let her have whatever she wanted. No matter how she brought up the past, their childhood affection, or her blooming feelings after growing sensible, he remained completely unmoved. Because of this, even the Prime Minister felt her presence was no longer a threat, merely keeping a person around to feed.

"Since a daughter of the Liu Family has entered the inner palace, she can't just be a nameless, titleless maid. The Emperor can't make me a consort because of the Prime Minister, but right now, the Prime Minister's thorn in the eye is no longer Rongrong, and Consort Qi happened to lose the Emperor's favor. With such a great opportunity, does Brother Chenjing really have the heart to stand by and not help Rongrong out?"

"..." Inner palace scheming, court balancing—these things he naturally understood. He knew even better who his father's current thorn in the eye was. Compared to Liu Rongrong, Little Eight was now the most threatening person in the Old