The regent is determined to get the daughter of a minor official.

Everyone helped Mrs. Xu back to her charity home.

The nanny was feeding Madam Xu honey tea when she heard the second lady Xu Yuanyuan questioning the eldest lady.

"Mother, what have you heard? Why would the ladies in the palace give Xu Keke a reward?"

The eldest lady frowned and said in a low voice:

"I also heard bits and pieces from others, and it seems that Xu Keke has won the favor of the Regent and has now been taken into the palace by the Regent."

Xu Yuanyuan twisted the handkerchief in his hand, his face full of disbelief.

"Rumor has it that the Prince Regent remains chaste for the Empress Dowager. How could he fall for a little fool?"

The eldest lady scolded lightly.

"Don't talk nonsense. Are we, a lowly official family, allowed to talk about the Empress Dowager and the Prince Regent behind their backs? The situation is unclear right now. We need to take a long-term view."

At this time, Mrs. Xu came to her senses and sighed.

"No matter what, the second branch has been expelled from the clan. Whether this is a blessing or a curse is none of our business for now."

Xu Yuanyuan stomped his feet and said angrily.

"Grandmother, are we really going to watch her move into the palace? If she really develops feelings for the Regent over time, and she gains power in the future, she might turn against us."

Madam Xu's eyes darkened.

"What else can you do? Can you still go to the palace and pull her out?"

Knowing that they couldn't come up with any good ideas, Xu Yuanyuan returned to her room alone. She needed some quiet time.

Make a wish while lying on the bed, thinking about your past and present lives.

Her past life had such a miserable ending, she didn't want to look back. After being reborn, she wanted to change her cousin Xu Ke's life and take her place.

So that day she put diarrhea medicine in Dingdang's tea in advance, and while Dingdang was going to the toilet, she pushed her silly cousin down the stairs with her own hands.

Fate seemed to change at that moment. This was her plan. If Xu Keke didn't die, how could she marry Shen Qingfeng in Xu Keke's place?

However, Xu Ke was not killed after being pushed down the stairs. Instead, she dragged the Regent off the horse.

This matter was beyond her understanding in her previous life. It was clear that the Regent would die outside the city on this day, so how could he appear here?

Is there a time discrepancy?

That day, after watching Shen Qingfeng parade through the streets with flowers in his hair, she was the most popular person. She returned home and urged her grandmother to kick the second wife out of the Xu family.

Then wait for the news of the Regent's death.

However, it did not.

My cousin was thrown into jail, but the regent is still alive...

Now, there are even rumors that Xu Ke has caught the eye of the Regent.

This is completely different from the previous life.

If she had known this earlier, she would have jumped down and hugged the Regent!

The regent is such a supreme figure, his power is even above that of the emperor. After all, the little emperor is still young, and the regent has the final say on all government affairs.

That day she saw with her own eyes that the Regent was even more handsome and graceful than Shen Qingfeng, and with his noble royal status...

If he hadn't died, he would have been the dream lover of many noble ladies in the capital, and the one that many officials in the court would have wanted to win over by using their daughters...

Was it to help my cousin have a more glorious life that I was reborn?

A fool, whose status is not as noble as mine, why can he compare himself to dust in both lives?

Xu Yuanyuan was unwilling to accept this. Jealousy clouded her mind and she didn't even consider whether Xu Keke remembered that she was the one who pushed her down the stairs.

……

That night, Chu Musheng was looking through the record booklet sent by his subordinates after the Qiu family's property was searched under the palace lantern.

He had been staying in the palace bedroom for two consecutive days, and only in the short time he had free time did he think about the little girl in the mansion.

As he watched, Chu Musheng slammed the table and stood up.

This Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Jude Kao, was so bold that he embezzled military pay for several years.

The treasures that the inspectors found in his cellar were truly jaw-dropping.

According to the description in the booklet, the cellar was filled with boxes of gold, silver and jewelry.

The pearls are as big as pigeon eggs, round and plump, scattered casually in the brocade box.

The ornaments carved from jade are lifelike and exquisitely crafted, and each one is priceless.

The rolls of silk and satin are all made of the finest materials woven in Jiangnan, with bright colors and soft and smooth texture.

I'm afraid the ladies in the palace would be envious when they see this.

There are also boxes of gold leaves, each as thin as a cicada's wing, neatly stacked in sandalwood boxes.

There are countless antique calligraphy and paintings, and authentic works by famous artists can be seen everywhere, some of which are even treasures that have been lost for a long time.

Those blue and white porcelain vases, with their pure glaze and beautiful shapes, are obviously fine products from the official kilns.

There are also several gilded copper Buddha statues, with intricate craftsmanship and solemn appearance, which must have taken the painstaking efforts of countless craftsmen.

The cellar also contains a large number of house deeds and land deeds, covering almost half of the country's prosperous areas, from the prosperous areas of the capital to the fertile lands of the south of the Yangtze River.

All these properties added together are enough to make him rich enough to rival a country. No wonder he dared to do such corrupt and illegal things, disregarding the safety of the country and the lives of the soldiers.

The more Chu Musheng watched, the angrier he became. He secretly swore in his heart that he would root out the corrupt officials in the officialdom and restore justice to the world.

He touched the teapot on the desk, and the tea was already cold. Since Sheng Er and the others were men, they left the palace before the gate was locked.

The people serving him here are all eunuchs and maids from the palace.

"Someone, bring a pot of hot tea."

Soon a palace maid brought a pot of hot tea and refilled Chu Musheng's teacup.

Chu Musheng picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and waved without raising his head.

"go out!"

The maid did not leave and spoke in a soft and gentle voice.

"It's late at night. Would you mind helping the Regent to bed?"

Chu Musheng was startled and raised his head suddenly, blaming himself for not noticing it in his anger.

The person who came was the young Empress Dowager Wei Linger.

"Queen Mother, what do you mean?"

Wei Ling'er came closer with a sweet smile, wearing only a single layer of clothing, and had a sweet smile on her face.

"Your Majesty, we now share the same empire. Why are you so reserved?"

Chu Musheng glared at him and said sternly:

"Queen Mother, please respect yourself! Don't do anything so inappropriate!"

Wei Ling'er didn't care and reached out to put her hand on Chu Musheng's shoulder.

"Your Majesty, don't you have any feelings for me?"

Chu Musheng quickly stood up, avoided her hand, and said seriously:

"Queen Mother, if you do this again, don't blame me for being rude!"

Wei Linger tore off her clothes and showed them to Chu Musheng unscrupulously.

"Come on! Prince, you can be rude as much as you want. I have longed for you. The more rude you are, the happier I am!"

This woman was crazy. Chu Musheng turned around in time, without even looking at her, and growled in a low voice.

"If the Queen Mother doesn't want to become a laughing stock, get out now."

This doesn't work?

Wei Linger's face changed, and she immediately changed her approach, tears streaming down her face.

"Your Highness, don't you know the hardships I've endured? Since the late Emperor passed away, I've been wasting my youth in this deep palace.

I do not seek a title, I only ask the Regent to have mercy on me and give me comfort once."

Chu Musheng didn't turn around and closed his eyes, saying in a deep voice:

"Queen Dowager, don't forget your status. This king is solely devoted to the country and the people. If you continue to tangle with me and try to disrupt the royal family's ethics, this king can banish you to the cold palace at any time."

Wei Ling'er collapsed on the ground, covering her face and crying. She was stalling for time and had just seen the Regent take a sip of tea.

Wait a little longer, maybe the prince will change his mind.