Transmigrated into a vicious female supporting role, reborn as a hostage to the paranoid male protag

"Your Majesty, I really don't know why things have turned out like this..." Qin Zhen, the head of the Qin family, knelt on the ground. Inside the magnificent palace, lights were on, and only Qin Zhen kowtowed heavily one after another.

"Your Majesty, please consider that the Qin family has served you for many years and give me ten days..."

"Allow me to thoroughly investigate the fire in the pagoda of Shuibo Pavilion... Please show me mercy, Your Majesty. The Qin family will definitely be your dogs... Please show me mercy and give me and the Qin family more time..."

"Your Majesty, the Qin family knows we betrayed your trust by not taking good care of the secrets, but we implore you to strengthen your surveillance of the Princess's Palace..." Qin Zhen kowtowed and said in a deep voice, "The Qin family's secrets, followers, and wealth disappeared overnight. The Princess and the remaining followers of the Nangong family must be the most suspicious..."

"Although Her Royal Highness the Princess is now bedridden, her personality has changed drastically. In particular, she has become studious and intelligent. I am worried that if Her Royal Highness's arrogance and ignorance are just an act..."

Qin Zhen was halfway through his speech when he slowly raised his head, stood up and looked towards the nobleman sitting in front of him. He spoke cautiously, half tentatively and half guessing.

"Then Her Royal Highness the Princess is obviously very cunning." Qin Zhen saw that the noble lady sitting upright did not raise her eyes. She was sitting on a chair forged of pure gold in a brocade dress, and two palace maids were massaging her legs.

Though the noblewoman had aged considerably, her beauty remained undiminished. Years of meticulous care had endowed her with grace and elegance, and she sat naturally upright. She possessed an innate air of nobility, and with her eyes closed, she rested in a calm, composed manner. Behind her were two palace maids massaging her shoulders, while two other maids, one holding a hot water bottle, knelt on either side, covering the bottle for the noblewoman.

"Your Majesty, you must be on guard..." Qin Zhen advised sincerely when he saw that the noble lady did not speak.

"Oh?" The nobleman pondered over this before uttering calmly, "So, Patriarch Qin believes that the main cause of this accident is that Her Royal Highness the Princess and the remaining followers of the Nangong family have ulterior motives and are plotting something else?"

Xuanyuan Luoshan finally opened her eyes after hearing this. Her eyes were like arrows, staring coldly at Qin Zhen who was kneeling and kowtowing on the ground before her. She stood up with a sneer.

She was dressed in brocade, a phoenix robe, and covered in pearls and jade, her tassels swaying with every step. She was clearly the most distinguished woman in the Dasheng Imperial City, but at this moment, her face was devoid of joy. Instead, her expression was cold and her eyes were icy.

Xuanyuan Luoshan walked up to the kneeling Qin Zhen, and the pair of palace shoes with phoenix totems and inlaid with East China Sea pearls stepped on Qin Zhen's hands as if they were walking on flat ground.

Xuanyuan Luoshan stomped on it with skillful force while saying coldly, "Master Qin, don't forget, if a guard dog can't even guard its owner's belongings or catch thieves, then what's the point of keeping such a useless dog?"

Qin Zhen was already old, and now, being stepped on with such force, he gasped in pain. But he dared not say anything. Now that the nobleman was so angry, the Qin family was already weak among the four families. Now that they had made such a big mistake, they had to find a way to calm the nobleman down, so that the Qin family would be more secure.

"Your Majesty, spare my life, Your Majesty..." Qin Zhen endured the pain and kowtowed several times, begging for a chance to live. "Your Majesty, this dog of mine can still bite people for you."

"Your Majesty, although some of the Nangong family's troops and wealth disappeared this time and cannot be found for the time being, but..."

"However, those women of the Nangong family who served as prostitutes in the Music Bureau and the military camps are now old and faded, but they still do odd jobs in the Music Bureau and the military camps." Qin Zhen endured the pain and said, "I have a plan..."

"It means that the remaining members of the Nangong family have absconded with the Queen's wealth, and that they have rebellious intentions!"

"But these prostitutes who have been enslaved, with their names on the register and the slave marks on their necks, have nowhere to escape..."

"Now that the Nangong family's followers have committed crimes, we will select half of the prostitutes and beat them to death first, and use this as a warning to the remaining Nangong family followers in the hands of the other three families."

"We are of the same bloodline. If it is really the Nangong family who is causing trouble, why don't you transfer the remaining Nangong family prostitutes to your own hands?"

"Spread the news that the remaining prostitutes will be beaten to death, and then carefully guard them and set up a net, waiting for the Nangong family's followers to fall into the trap?"

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, strengthen your control over the other three families' forces and wealth, and then, when the opportunity arises, eliminate the restless Princess once and for all!"

"By then, without the heir, Her Royal Highness the Princess, all that will be left is the small, lost group of the Qin family. They'll be like a pile of loose sand, and won't amount to anything, right?"

Qin Zhen Sima had no choice but to try to offer a plan in an attempt to persuade Xuanyuan Luoshan and give the Qin family a chance to make amends and catch their breath.

Sure enough, after just a moment, Xuanyuan Luoshan finally adopted his opinion.

Xuanyuan Luoshan finally let go of her foot, walked back to the golden chair, sat down gracefully, and smiled as she asked the palace maid to help the kneeling Qin Zhen up. She said with a smile, "Since Lord Qin has already come up with an idea, I will trust him once more."

"Ten days. I will give the Qin family another ten days."

"If after ten days, Lord Qin still cannot find the person who burned the pagoda, then perhaps Lord Qin's ability is no longer suitable for him to be in charge of the Qin family." Xuanyuan Luoshan said coldly.

"Lord Qin, please don't let me down." Xuanyuan Luoshan looked at Qin Zhen, who was pale and sweating profusely. His fingers had already been stepped on and were bleeding.

After hearing Xuanyuan Luoshan's instructions, Qin Zhen bowed in thanks, then staggered out of the queen's bedroom, went out through the small door, and took a carriage to leave the palace.

When Xuanyuan Luoshan saw the people leave, she lowered her head to look at the carpet where Qin Zhen was kneeling. There was a bloodstain on the bright yellow carpet.

As if remembering something, Xuanyuan Luoshan looked down at the soles of her shoes, which were stained with blood. Xuanyuan Luoshan felt a sense of bad luck.

"What a pity for these new shoes that I've only worn once," Xuanyuan Luoshan said coldly, as if she had seen something dirty. She said to the palace maid who was massaging her legs, "You, help me get a new pair of shoes to change into."

After the maid helped the new shoes to be put on, Xuanyuan Luoshan pointed at another maid coldly and said softly, "You, take those dirty shoes and carpet and burn them. Such filthy things are not fit to be placed here."

"Oh, go tell Shen Ruhai to think of a solution. I don't want to see Su Yingxue's face anymore. Ask him to complete what I ordered as soon as possible..."

"Also, send a letter to father and tell him about the Qin family. Also, ask father to coordinate the remaining three families and manage the remaining troops and wealth."

"If you find someone with ill intentions, just kill him directly." Xuanyuan Luoshan said lightly.