After being reborn in the Mass Grave, she overturned her predecessor's power

It snowed heavily overnight, and the red plum blossoms outside the window were in full bloom.

Shen Zhaoyan stood in front of the window and admired the plum blossoms for a while. "I'll bring a few bottles of good wine to visit mother later."

Chen Bi responded, "I will tell someone to prepare it right away."

The tomb of Empress Xihe in the capital is just a cenotaph. As the empress of Yunmengzhou, she is naturally buried here.

After breakfast, Lu Zheng came in like a drunk butterfly, and the first thing he did was complain, "You are a popular commodity now. They dare not compete with the King of Xiang for the position of the first wife. They all want to give their daughters to you as a concubine. I am almost annoyed to death."

Since ancient times, marriage has been the best way to bind people together. Seeing that the King of Xiang was so powerful, everyone was daydreaming about inserting their daughters into the marriage. In case they gave birth to a son or daughter, or if there were any accidents in the future, they would not dare to dream of more.

Anyway, they won't lose anything, at most they just have to give up a daughter. Shen Zhaoyan lives in seclusion and rarely sees people. Those noble families try to get close to him, because he is his confidant.

Shen Zhaoyan smiled faintly, "They are quite good at dreaming."

He himself hasn't even succeeded in getting to the top yet, but they have such nice ideas.

"Ahem..." Lu Zhengliu reminded him while shaking his fan, "Hurry up. With the power of the King of Xiang now, there must be many people who covet her. Be careful that someone else might steal her away, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain."

He carried the cakes and wine prepared by Chen Bi and rode his men straight to the mausoleum of Queen Xihe.

Empress Xihe is buried in the Plum Garden. The plum blossoms in full bloom make the snowy winter full of vitality.

Lu Zhengliu said, "Let's just stroll around and enjoy the plum blossoms. You go ahead."

He went to the tomb of Empress Hexi alone, took out cakes and wine and placed them on the tomb. "Mom, I came to see you and brought your favorite wine."

He sat down in front of the tomb and drank a few cups.

"Mom, I have met someone I want to spend my life with. Yunmengzhou is the betrothal gift. When spring comes, I will bring people to propose marriage."

"She is very beautiful and powerful, so I might marry your son to her. I'm sure you won't object, mother."

Since he was very young, Empress Xihe had said that Yunmeng Prefecture was his responsibility but not his shackles, and that there was no throne to inherit in their family.

Her expectation for him was to live a carefree and happy life forever. If he didn't want to inherit the throne, then she could hand Yunmeng Prefecture over to the right person who could treat the people there well.

So he had no psychological burden, and he found a daughter-in-law for his mother who was as capable as she was.

He said with some regret, "Mom, if you were still alive, you would definitely like her very much."

He sat in front of the tomb for a long time until his body felt a little cold, then he stood up and said, "If I have the chance, I will definitely bring her to Yunmengzhou to see you."

After leaving the plum garden, they rode back on horseback.

Suddenly, an out-of-control carriage rushed out and almost collided head-on with their horses. Fortunately, Shen Zhaoyan pulled the horse back in time.

The carriage flipped over, and the maid and the groom asked in panic, "Miss, are you okay?"

Shen Zhaoyan signaled Chen Bi and Qing Dai to go forward and check. The two went up to help, and soon a woman with disheveled hair was pulled out from the overturned carriage.

She is beautiful as a flower, and her slightly messy hair adds a touch of charm to her.

Lu Zhengliu covered his mouth with his fan and whispered with experience, "Why do I feel that the beauty is coming for you?"

The woman stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Nymph greets His Majesty. The snow was heavy and the road was slippery, so the carriage lost control and disturbed His Majesty."

He glanced at her calmly, "Be careful next time."

He was ready to leave on his horse, without any sympathy for women, just as cold and unromantic as the rumors said.

"Wait a minute, Brother Zhaoyan, do you really not remember me?"

She took out a plum blossom hairpin and said, "This is what the queen gave me before she died."

Lu Zhengliu instantly became excited, and his brother and sister had a story when they heard it.

Shen Zhaoyan's eyes swept across the hairpin and pointed to the restaurant on the other side, "Let's go over and talk."

After entering the restaurant, Nymph felt alive again. She wore very thin clothes for the sake of beauty and to gain his pity.

Shen Zhaoyan picked up the hairpin on the table and took a look at it. "You are Aunt Ning's daughter, right?"

Her mother used to be a female general under the Queen. They should have met when they were young, but they had no contact afterwards.

"Aunt Ning's daughter shouldn't be like this."

"I've embarrassed my mother. She's a woman who's as good as any man." Nymph said with a wry smile, "But I've fallen into depravity and tried to climb up the social ladder."

Lu Zhengliu felt a little sympathetic towards the beauty in front of him. He had heard a little about the Zhou family's affairs. "After General Ning passed away, Miss Ning's life must have been difficult. After all, your father didn't love you, and your stepmother regarded you as a thorn in her side."

Nymph looked at him gratefully and said, "My father forced me to do this. He gave me two choices: either find a way to become your woman, or marry a man in his forties or fifties as a step-wife."

The man was also from a prominent family. She found out that his two previous wives had died in mysterious circumstances and had not had a good end.

She had no way to go, and she was treated harshly in the severe winter, making her life extremely difficult.

Shen Zhaoyan poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it to her, "So this is your choice?"

Ning Fu held the teacup, her expression firmer. "I don't choose any of them. I choose the third way. Stay away from this disgusting family. I hope the prince will help me."

As a weak woman, she cannot fight against her family. If she can't afford to provoke them, she can only hide away.

"Where do you want to go?"

"I went to Xiangchu, where I heard that women can be set up as households, and women can share land like men." She said with a scorching gaze, "My mother's wish is that I live well."

She didn't want to marry anyone, nor did she want to have children. She just wanted to live an independent and free life with her wet nurse and trusted maidservants.

She had read many books and tried hard to get information, and only Xiangchu was the most suitable.

Shen Zhaoyan, "I promise you, I will go to Hunan and Chu in the spring, and you can come with me."

"Thank you, Your Highness." She smiled with relief and asked carefully, "I hope Your Highness will play along with me today. Even if I have to leave, I want to take back everything that belongs to me."

He said calmly, "I won't say anything, and I won't explain."

After they had dinner together and left the restaurant, Shen Zhaoyan deliberately stayed at the door for a while to watch her get on the carriage and leave.

Soon, rumors spread that the girl from the Zhou family fell in love with him at first sight.

Lu Zhengliu teased, "Aren't you afraid that the King of Xiang will be angry?"

"No." He curled his lips and said firmly, "If Xue Ning were here, she would help her too. She has always had the greatest kindness towards women."

"Yes, yes, you two understand each other best because you two are in tune with each other." He rolled his eyes, indicating that he was impressed by the show.

Ning Fu came to the house twice more, and was received by Chen Bi each time. She never saw him.

But in the eyes of the Zhou family and outsiders, this was a clear way of hooking him up.

Zhou's father's attitude towards Ning Fu became much better. She took the opportunity to take back the dowry her mother left her and slowly sold it secretly.

Just wait for spring to come and stay away from here.