Reborn into the palace, she seduces the emperor's heart, driving the chief minister to madness!

Chapter 269 Lu Zhiheng, I agree to marry you.

At the critical moment, Lu Zhiheng did not hesitate to spur his warhorse and charged towards the city wall like a black lightning bolt.

The man's upright figure appeared so firm and resolute amidst the raging flames of war, as if he had disregarded life and death.

"Aheng, no!"

Chu Qingyin screamed in terror, tears instantly blurring her vision.

Lu Zhiheng rushed toward the city wall without regard for anything else, but the enemy archers were already on high alert.

Arrows rained down on him, and he brandished his longsword in an attempt to defend himself, but he was ultimately outnumbered.

A poisoned arrow pierced his armor from the side and went straight into his chest.

"Ah Heng!!!"

Lu Zhiheng swayed and almost fell off his horse, but he endured the excruciating pain and continued galloping towards Chu Qingyin.

Finally reaching the foot of the city wall, he used his last bit of strength to leap up and hug Chu Qingyin tightly.

With a muffled thud, the two fell heavily to the ground.

Lu Zhiheng held Chu Qingyin tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to build an indestructible shield for her with his body.

Hearing the man's muffled groan of pain, Chu Qingyin quickly got up, her hands trembling as she stroked Lu Zhiheng's pale face, her voice hoarse: "Aheng...Aheng, how are you?"

"No... I'm fine..."

He said he was fine, but the next moment his chest heaved and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Cough!"

Seeing that mouthful of black blood, Chu Qingyin's face suddenly turned deathly pale, "Aheng!"

She quickly examined Lu Zhiheng's chest and saw that the wound from the arrow was black with blood.

It was clearly a poisoned arrow!

"Aheng, Aheng, hang in there, everything will be alright, you will definitely be alright!"

She struggled to hold the man in her arms, frantically searching around. When she saw a familiar figure on the battlefield, she cried out as if she had found a lifeline: "Brother, brother, please save him!"

However, Chu Tianheng was currently being besieged by dozens of enemy soldiers.

He also wanted to rush to the city wall, but he was too busy to do so. He could only grit his teeth and do his best to wipe out the enemies in front of him.

"Ah Heng, you'll be alright..."

Chu Qingyin choked back tears, and seeing the man's increasingly weak breathing, her heart felt as if it had shattered. "Why were you so foolish? Knowing that this was the Empress's trap, why did you still walk into it!"

Seeing the tears welling up in her red eyes, Lu Zhiheng struggled to raise his hand and tried to wipe them away for her.

"Don't cry..."

His thin lips curled up slightly, revealing a weak smile, and he said softly, "It's my fault. I didn't protect you well, and you were kidnapped by Pei Yuanling."

No, it's not your fault.

Chu Qingyin shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes again: "I never blamed you."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief appeared in Lu Zhiheng's eyes: "That's good. Then I can die in peace... cough!"

He coughed up another mouthful of blood, soaking most of his silver armor.

The strong smell of blood made Chu Qingyin feel as if her heart was being torn apart. She choked back tears and cried, "Lu Zhiheng, you can't die! Didn't you say you would get rid of Empress Wang and the Wang family for me, and that you would marry me with a grand wedding procession? If you die like this, what will become of me?"

"Qingyin..."

Looking at the beautiful face before him, now a mess of tears, Lu Zhiheng felt a pang of reluctance. "After I die, Shen Ran and the others will protect you with all their might..."

No! I don't want to hear what you're saying!

Seeing the blood gushing from Lu Zhiheng's chest, Chu Qingyin's breathing became rapid, and she shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Aheng, you'll be alright, you'll definitely be alright!"

At this moment, Pei Yuanling also arrived.

Looking at Lu Zhiheng and Chu Qingyin lying on the ground, he felt a mix of emotions.

He knew that he had completely lost this contest.

Anger, melancholy, and resentment intertwined in his heart. He suddenly turned his head and looked at Empress Wang on the city wall, his eyes flashing with a murderous dark light.

"You wicked woman, I will tear you to pieces today!"

He roared, gripped his long sword tightly, and charged toward the city wall.

However, when Pei Yuanling rushed up the city wall, raised his knife, and prepared to stab Empress Wang, Chu Qingyin shouted at him, "Pei Yuanling, you have no right to kill her!"

Pei Yuanling paused.

Empress Wang, whose throat was being choked, was also taken aback.

Chu Qingyin gently put down Lu Zhiheng, whose eyes were already closed, picked up a long sword that had fallen from the ground, and walked step by step up the city wall toward Pei Yuanling and Empress Wang.

As she approached like a ghost, a flicker of fear crossed Empress Wang's eyes.

"Qiao Qingyin, how dare you! What... what do you want to do?"

Chu Qingyin did not answer, but gripped the long sword tightly, her eyes filled with surging hatred.

When she reached Empress Wang, she stopped and looked at Pei Yuanling: "She has committed countless evils in her life and wronged many people, but she has done nothing wrong to you. Therefore, you have no right to kill her."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling's chest tightened: "Yinyin..."

Chu Qingyin stopped looking at him and swiftly restrained Empress Wang with a knee strike, instantly forcing Empress Wang to kneel on the ground.

"Wang Yujun, in your life, you have used any means necessary to gain power and status. Have you ever thought about what you have actually lost?"

"Qiao Qingyin, what do you know!"

Empress Wang gritted her teeth, looked at the woman in front of her, and a trace of resentment appeared in her eyes. "Everything I have done has never been for power or status. I just want to gain His Majesty's favor."

"Don't I understand?"

Chu Qingyin sneered, "Do you know that true love is never obtained through power or by harming others? You have harmed too many people for your own selfish desires, and today is your retribution!"

Having said that, she raised her long sword and stabbed at Empress Wang without hesitation.

"you!"

Empress Wang stared wide-eyed as she watched the long knife in Chu Qingyin's hand pierce her body, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Qiao Qingyin...you...you vile woman, I am the Empress of Daqing, how dare you!"

"Why don't I dare?"

Chu Qingyin narrowed her dark eyes and tightened her grip again. "You gave me a cup of poisoned wine, and I'll return the favor with a sword through your heart. It's fair."

The sharp blade pierced through the flesh and blood, making a dull thud.

Empress Wang's eyes trembled violently, filled with shock.

Could she really be Chu Qingyin?

Before she could think it through, the long sword had already been pulled from her body, and the intense pain almost suffocated her.

With her last ounce of strength, she looked at Pei Yuanling and asked in a weak voice, "Your Majesty...did you ever...love me...?"

Even a little, even a moment.

However, the man in golden armor looked at Empress Wang without a trace of pity in his eyes, and said, "Never."

Even if I had guessed this would be the outcome, hearing it from his mouth still felt like being pierced by a thousand arrows.

For a moment, Empress Wang didn't know whether her body was in more pain or her heart was in more pain.

As her strength gradually faded, her body slowly collapsed, a self-deprecating smile still lingering on her lips.

Throughout her life, she pursued power and the love of emperors.

In the end, he found himself with nothing.

In the end, she had misplaced her trust.

Watching Empress Wang collapse, Chu Qingyin felt no joy whatsoever.

She never intended to take anyone's life.

Now, seeing her enemy from two lifetimes breathe his last before her eyes, she felt only desolation.

“Yinyin…” Pei Yuanling frowned and stepped forward.

Chu Qingyin finally came to her senses, glanced quickly at the man in front of her, pursed her red lips, and then threw down the long sword in her hand without hesitation, turning around and running back to the city wall.

At this moment, Lu Zhiheng had already been lifted up by Shen Ran and the others.

"Aheng—"

Chu Qingyin rushed forward, but her legs suddenly went weak, and before she could react, she felt dizzy.

The last memory I had while I was unconscious was a frantic male voice behind me: "Yinyin!"

But she was too weak to turn back; all she could see was Lu Zhiheng's pale face and his chest stained with blood.

Lu Zhiheng.

Lu Zhiheng...

I've agreed to marry you.

Please come back to life.