Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Have you ever heard of the lucky beads?" Xiao Jinyu asked softly, her red lips parted.

When Zhou Lan heard this question, her pretty face instantly flushed, like a ripe apple.

Seeing this, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but smile knowingly and said jokingly, "Look at Sister Lan, I think she knows what this lucky bead means."

At this time, the other three people in the pavilion all turned their eyes to the two of them.

Zhou Lan coughed shyly, then said calmly, "Hey, it's just that kind of thing."

However, his flickering eyes could hardly conceal his inner uneasiness.

Shen Chuning, who had experienced this incident in her previous life, had already roughly guessed the reason through the conversation between the two and the subtle changes in their expressions.

However, the Princess Nan Yan who was present at the moment had just gotten engaged, and Xie Xinyan had just come of age, so she was naturally confused by these ambiguous words.

Princess Nan Yan asked curiously, "What on earth is this? Tell me quickly!"

Seeing everyone's attention focused on her, Xiao Jinyu took a sip of tea before slowly speaking, "I'm sure you sisters have heard this more or less at home. Ever since that concubine entered the palace, father has stayed solely in her chambers and has never set foot in any other palaces."

Speaking of this, Shen Chuning also recalled the past.

At that time, Concubine Hui had complained privately that every time His Majesty went to Chunxi Palace where she was, it was just to ask for money, and the other concubines had not even seen His Majesty for a long time.

Princess Nan Yan looked puzzled and asked softly, "But as far as I know, once a woman is pregnant, she shouldn't have sex again. My sister-in-law is like that. Ever since she got pregnant, she gave her personal maid to my brother as a concubine."

Xiao Jinyu, standing by, curled her lips and said with disdain, "That's an ordinary woman, but this concubine is so different! When she first became pregnant with the dragon seed, she actually boasted that she was carrying a lucky bead that brought good luck. She said that as long as Your Majesty had sex with her, he would be blessed with this blessing, and his fortune would change and everything would go smoothly. Father was so delighted by her nonsense that he stayed in her palace day and night and doted on her."

Listening to Xiao Jinyu's vivid description, everyone present was dumbfounded and surprised.

Shen Chuning, who had been silent all this time, suddenly realized and thought to herself: No wonder when Concubine Wei gave birth to a monster, Emperor Jing not only did not blame her, but also gave her generous rewards.

But why did this matter become known to the whole world?

After a moment's silent contemplation, Shen Chuning speculated: Concubine Wei's backing is Lingshan, and Lingshan's origins are the power of the previous dynasty. They deliberately released this news, simply to use this opportunity to create an image of Emperor Jing as foolish, incompetent, and licentious.

At this point, Princess Nanyan, who was quite curious, couldn't help but ask, "So, does this concubine really have the ability to change her fortune?"

Shen Chuning shook her head slightly and said slowly, "In my opinion, this story isn't necessarily true. I think this Concubine Ying probably took some kind of illegal drug to win favor before she became pregnant. Because of this, she probably knew from the beginning of her pregnancy that it would be difficult for her to give birth to a healthy baby. So she made up this story."

Xiao Jinyu nodded slightly in agreement, then continued, "Just keep this in mind, but tell others about the lucky beads."

Zhou Lan, who was standing by, snorted coldly upon hearing this. He said indignantly, "Just as news of a great victory came from the North, that freak was born. Your Majesty actually attributed this victory in the North entirely to that so-called lucky bead, completely ignoring the fact that this victory was won by my father and brothers fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, blade after blade!"

Shen Chuning, who had been listening quietly, was shocked when she heard this. She never expected that there was such a secret behind it.

It seems that I must find a suitable time to visit my fourth uncle and see what Lingshan wants to do.

At this moment, Princess Nanyan looked displeased and asked, "According to what you said, is the lucky bead really useless?"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Jinyu, Shen Chuning, and Zhou Lan answered almost in unison: "It's useless."

Shen Chuning keenly noticed that Princess Nan Yan's expression was becoming increasingly gloomy and ugly, so she asked cautiously, "Could it be that... you also have this lucky bead at home?"

Facing Shen Chuning's question, Princess Nan Yan nodded helplessly.

Seeing this, Shen Chuning immediately asked tentatively: "Your brother?"

"My father!" Princess Nan Yan sighed softly, then continued, "I don't know where he found this woman from. He said she was Concubine Wei's junior sister. Ever since this woman entered our palace, my father has been like a possessed person, never setting foot in any other courtyard. And now, even the power of housekeeper has been handed over to that woman!"

Hearing this, Xie Xinyan couldn't help but frown and asked doubtfully, "You're even giving up the power of housekeeper? Doesn't your mother have any objections?"

Princess Nanyan's face was filled with helplessness. She smiled wryly and replied, "Not only did my mother willingly hand over the stewardship, she voluntarily gave it up! She firmly believed in the so-called lucky charms and insisted that only by handing the palace over to that woman would we usher in better fortune and blessings."

Shen Chuning, who was standing by, was startled at first when she heard this, then she quickly suggested, "We should find a chance to get rid of that woman!"

As she spoke, her mind quickly flashed over the rapid increase in the amount of silver deposits in Hengfu Money House in recent days. She thought to herself that this matter must be inextricably linked to these people.

Not only do she and Princess Nan Yan come from the same family, they also have a deep sisterly bond.

It is reasonable for her to give a timely reminder. Otherwise, if it is delayed any further, the huge Ruyang Palace will be emptied.

Upon hearing this, Princess Nan Yan's once charming expression instantly fell. Her brows furrowed, her eyes slightly reddened, and she spoke with a tone of grievance, "I understand the logic behind this, but I can't influence my parents' minds. They actually wanted to marry a woman like this off to my brother. This really frightened my brother and his wife, so much so that they packed their bags overnight and hurriedly moved out of the palace."

At this point, Princess Nan Yan bit her lip lightly and continued with a slight tremor, "The reason I was able to come out this time was because my brother was worried that I would encounter an accident if I stayed in the palace, so he specifically asked me to come out and avoid the limelight."

Shen Chuning on the side narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze as deep as a pool of water, thinking secretly in her heart.

Although the Prince of Ruyang was just an idle prince without much real power, he at least had an ancestral title.

If this title accidentally falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, the consequences will be unimaginable.

If such women appeared in the homes of a few more powerful officials, it would not take long before the entire Dayong would be in danger of collapse.

Thinking of this, Shen Chuning couldn't help but sigh softly.

Compared with the mysterious and powerful Lingshan, her own carefully planned Hengfu Bank is nothing.

However, she was not discouraged.

After all, Lingshan has been planned and laid out for hundreds of years and has a deep foundation; and she herself has only been reborn and returned for a few short years.

What's more, she has reliable connections within Lingshan.

Maybe in time, she and her fourth uncle will be able to take over all the resources of Lingshan.