Reborn, I am doing involution on Jinshan

Ji Guanyuan pulled and tugged at Dongfang Mingzhu's hands, used his body to block her view inside, turned his head and quietly made a gesture to Dongfang Hao, a gesture that only the two of them understood, and Dongfang Hao nodded.

Dongfang Mingzhu was almost half-carried out of the hall by Ji Guanyuan. A guard chuckled, and she was so embarrassed that she lowered her head and walked away quickly.

After leaving the hall and reaching a relatively quiet corner of the corridor, Dongfang Mingzhu suddenly broke free from Ji Guanyuan's hand and glared at him: "Ji Guanyuan, what are you doing! What are you doing holding me like this? You're even making those guards laugh at me!"

Ji Guanyuan looked helpless, spread his hands and said: "Mingzhu, you were too impulsive just now. We can't act rashly in that kind of situation. Do you want to be laughed at by more people?"

Dongfang Mingzhu stamped her feet and said angrily, "Of course I don't want to, but I just can't swallow this anger. Why is little Ruiyue so glorious as soon as she returns? She can even sit next to the Queen Mother and be protected by the Crown Prince as soon as she returns. I think she came back on purpose to steal the limelight!"

Ji Guanyuan frowned slightly, took a step forward, and said earnestly: "Mingzhu, calm down first. Do you still want to marry and become the principal wife? Just live your life well. Don't be a fool. Remember your status as a concubine. You will always be a concubine."

"You, take care of yourself. That's all I have to say." He glared at her fiercely and complained, "Foolish and ignorant, stupid woman."

Dongfang Mingzhu bit her lip, her eyes full of resentment, "Then, I'm going home."

"Go back and don't do anything stupid again."

Oriental Pearl walked a few steps, then walked back, and asked with red eyes: "Am I beautiful? Will you marry me?"

Ji Guanyuan looked at the Oriental Pearl Tower with red eyes, and a complex emotion flashed through his heart, but he quickly returned to indifference.

He turned his head away, avoiding Oriental Pearl's fiery gaze, and said calmly, "Mingzhu, we are just an alliance of interests. You and I both know that marriage is a means to an end for us, not a romantic relationship."

"You say one thing and mean another. I don't believe it. Are you also bewitched by the vixen of Princess Ruiyue? I want to kill her!" Her eyes became a little crazy.

Ji Guanyuan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "How is that possible? My reputation is even worse than yours. How dare I compete with the prince for a woman? You really think highly of me."

Oriental Pearl was stunned, wondering whether what he said was true or not.

Seeing Dongfang Mingzhu's face full of suspicion, Ji Guanyuan simply crossed his arms, met her scrutinizing gaze calmly, and continued, "Mingzhu, neither you nor I have a secure position in this imperial city. A single misstep could lead to ruin. The Crown Prince's feelings for Princess Ruiyue are well known to everyone. Even if I had the guts to do so, I wouldn't dare to cross that line. Besides, my alliance with you is simply to support each other and secure a glimmer of hope in this complex situation. How could I ruin everything for a little girl?"

Dongfang Mingzhu's suspicions eased slightly after hearing his clear reasoning, but she still asked with some concern, "So, what should we do next? Should we just let little Ruiyue steal the show in front of the Empress Dowager while we do nothing?"

Ji Guanyuan's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "Of course we can't just sit there and wait for death. You should try to be more restrained and not reveal any more flaws, so as not to alert the enemy."

Oriental Pearl frowned and muttered reluctantly, "Just wait like this? But I really can't swallow this."

Ji Guanyuan stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder, soothing her, "Mingzhu, those who achieve great things need patience. This is just temporary forbearance. When the time is right, we will let little Ruiyue know that in this imperial city, she can't do whatever she wants."

Oriental Pearl gritted her teeth and nodded slowly: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Ji Guanyuan sighed secretly in his heart. Knowing Oriental Pearl's temperament, if he didn't come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible, he was afraid that she would really act on her own, and the situation would be difficult to control.

He looked at the Oriental Pearl Tower, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. He already had a new plan in mind, but this plan still needed to be considered again to ensure it was foolproof...

Tears welled up in Dongfang Mingzhu's eyes as she stubbornly said, "Don't you have any feelings for me in your heart?... You said you loved watching me dance, and you even kissed me. You said I was the most beautiful girl. When I reach marriage age, I'll marry you, okay?"

Ji Guanyuan interrupted her, his tone somewhat stiff: "That's enough, Mingzhu. We are in this complicated situation and cannot be blinded by personal feelings. You should know what our goal is."

Oriental Pearl bit her lower lip tightly, her body trembling slightly. After a long while, she whispered, "I know. But I just can't accept that I can't have a pure relationship like other women. Please don't put on a show, okay? My heart is really broken."

Ji Guanyuan's heart moved slightly, and his expression eased a little. He looked at the Oriental Pearl Tower, slowly stretched out his hand, and finally retracted it.

He frowned slightly and said coldly, "Mingzhu, when everything is settled, perhaps you will meet the one who truly belongs to you. But not now. We can't make any mistakes now. I advise you not to provoke Princess Ruiyue again. You will lose your head. She is the crown prince's beloved woman. Today, can't you see the reality clearly?"

"me…"

"I don't want this time next year to be your death anniversary. Everything should be done in moderation, and don't let desires blind your eyes. We are all sisters, shouldn't you girls support each other? Her biological mother has disappeared and has fled to a Taoist temple, and you, mother and daughter, have taken advantage of all the benefits and are so unappreciative. It's stupid!" The words were a bit harsh, and the girl's delicate body trembled slightly.

After a brief silence, Dongfang Mingzhu slowly raised her head, her eyes showing a bit more determination. "Okay, I'll listen to you. But remember, if one day I no longer need to rely on you, I will fight for everything for myself."

After saying that, she turned around and left resolutely, and this time, she didn't look back.

Ji Guanyuan watched her retreating figure, his heart awash with mixed emotions. He knew that, caught in this vortex of power struggle, they were all helpless. And still more challenges and crises awaited them. He wondered if their alliance could survive this storm...

"I like the group leader, is it useful? That man doesn't like beautiful girls?" he murmured.

The king always appears as prey. Who is the master of whose game? Only God knows.

Marrying a concubine's daughter wasn't impossible; he himself was born out of wedlock. As the prime minister's son, he was destined to marry a daughter of the royal family. At eighteen, he should have chosen a fiancée.

He shook his head, turned back into his nonchalant playboy self, and returned to the main hall.

Dongfang Mingzhu feigned a headache, and Cui helped her into the main hall. Everyone's eyes turned to her. Dongfang Mingzhu suppressed her grievance, forced a weak smile, and apologized to the Queen Mother, "Queen Mother, Mingzhu suddenly has an unbearable headache and can't stay with you any longer. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

The Queen Mother looked at her with concern, waved her hand and said, "In that case, you should go back and rest. Let Cui take good care of you."

Emperor Dongfang Yu asked with concern: "Send the imperial physician to see what's going on before leaving the palace."

"Your Majesty is wise. There's no need. It's not too painful." Dongfang Mingzhu bowed and slowly retreated with Cui's support. Ji Guanyuan watched her departing back, feeling a little worried, afraid that she would cause trouble again.

At the same time, although Xiao Ruiyue in the main hall was still greeting the empress dowager and everyone else, the strange look in the corner just now was still lingering in her mind.

She responded to everyone's words with a smile, while secretly observing everyone in the hall, trying to find the person with ulterior motives. After receiving Ji Guanyuan's gesture, Dongfang Hao continued to talk to the people around him calmly on the surface, but in his heart he was quickly planning his next move.

The banquet continued. The palace servants collected the leftovers, replaced the tablecloth with a clean one, and served fruit platters, snacks, and various fruit liqueurs.

The dance team, which had been prepared long ago, came on stage with graceful postures, singing and dancing, and everyone watched with great interest.