After her senior sister was reborn, she actually became a powerful and arrogant protagonist?!

"Princess, this is the pavilion where Her Highness the Eldest Princess holds her meetings."

"Please wait here for a moment, Your Highness, while I go and inform them."

Manager Chen lowered his head and walked slowly toward the pavilion with a stooped posture.

A cherry-pink gauze curtain hangs down from the pavilion not far away, swaying in the wind.

The area around the pavilion is filled with various potted flowers, each vying for attention and vying for beauty.

Hulu discreetly surveyed his surroundings, noting that the closer he got to the princess's location, the fewer maids there were.

Upon entering the pavilion, only one maidservant dressed in a light blue dress remained.

The maid parted the thin veil and gracefully walked up to Steward Chen.

Although she was a maid, her walking posture and demeanor were completely unlike those of an ordinary maid.

"Aunt, that young girl claims to be the Crown Prince's daughter and wants to see the Princess."

Manager Chen spoke very carefully, his attitude extremely humble.

The maid, addressed as "Aunt," fixed her gaze on the gourd, scrutinizing it from head to toe.

"The princess?"

"His appearance does indeed resemble that prince."

The maid hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.

"Let me inform Her Highness the Princess."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your trouble, Aunt."

Manager Chen rubbed his hands together, his face full of a fawning smile.

The moment the maid lifted the curtain, Chu Luobai could clearly feel a subtle spiritual energy emanating from it.

If I were there, I might be able to figure out the source of that spiritual power.

Even through the gourd's body, the image was still somewhat blurry.

An eerie silence descended upon the surroundings.

Manager Chen stood in front of the pavilion with his head down, not daring to breathe loudly.

After a long while, sounds came from the pavilion again.

The maid in the blue dress parted the thin veil, revealing a graceful and elegant profile.

Slender, white fingers emerged from the long robe, each inch of which was worth a fortune, and a dignified female voice rang out.

"My good-for-nothing brother's daughter?"

"Come forward and let me see you."

Hulu looked up, somewhat bewildered, glancing at Steward Chen and then at the maid.

The maidservant curtsied and said with a smile.

"Please come here."

As Hulu lifted his leg and walked forward, a strange sense of unease arose the moment his right foot stepped onto the pavilion steps.

Immediately afterwards, a faint smell of blood reached my nose.

Hulu took a deep breath, a nervous expression appearing on her little face.

She walked slowly to the princess, her small hands gripping the hem of her skirt.

He looked very stiff.

"Pfft, are you that afraid of me?"

A charming female voice came from above, tinged with a hint of laughter.

"Lift your head up and let your aunt take a good look at just how much you resemble that brat."

"That's why my men all think you really are my niece."

As the princess spoke, her gaze lightly swept over the maid beside her, as if pointing something.

The gourd raised its head, its large eyes filled with clarity and innocence.

She looked at the beautiful woman leaning against the couch, her body seemingly boneless.

After a moment of stunned silence, tears welled up in her large eyes.

"aunt?"

"Gourd called out tentatively."

"Good child, come here and let your aunt take a look."

"What's your name?"

The gourd blinked its big eyes and answered crisply.

"My name is Qiu Bai."

.............................................................

Guarding the mansion.

At first, Wu Yuan was unwilling to say anything.

Under Qiu Lin's coercion and enticement, he finally revealed some information.

During the time he was away, Qiu Kingdom gained a new national advisor.

Rumor has it that this imperial advisor possesses extraordinary abilities and has connections to all corners of the world.

Not long after taking power, he drove back all the families from the southern border who had been constantly harassing the borders of Qiu Kingdom.

This allows merchants from the Autumn Kingdom to cross the border between Qingzhou and the Southern Frontier with peace of mind.

Subsequently, he also gained the support of the shrewd and capable eldest princess.

Currently, more than half of the officials in the Qiu Kingdom's court are from the faction of the Eldest Princess and the Imperial Preceptor.

The implication is...

Even if Qiu Lin returns as the Crown Prince, whether he can maintain his position depends on the Grand Preceptor's attitude.

At this moment, Qiu Lin's gaze was deep and somber.

"Grand Preceptor? My Qiu Kingdom, a small border country, actually needs such a person."

"I wonder if this Imperial Preceptor possesses any extraordinary abilities?"

Wu Yuan, standing to the side, carefully observed Qiu Lin's expression.

He is now one of the few figures in the Qiu Kingdom's court who manages to maintain a neutral stance.

After all, he had military merits to protect him, so even if the imperial advisor wanted to harm him, it was too early for him to do so.

He was originally happy that the Crown Prince Qiu Lin had returned.

But now it seems that this prince, who went out to seek immortality and pursue other developments, is not very capable.

Aside from the maid who had some martial arts skills, they didn't have any outstanding strength.

Wu Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It seems that the plan to use the Crown Prince to bring down the Imperial Advisor is going to fail.

"If we're talking about his extraordinary abilities... this Imperial Preceptor is from the Frost Frost Sect, and it was His Majesty who personally welcomed him to the Autumn Kingdom."

"In recent years, with the assistance of the Imperial Advisor, the autumn kingdom has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests."

An emotion flickered in Qiu Lin's eyes.

He never expected that Wu Yuan, who had always disliked those who cultivated immortality, would agree with the Imperial Preceptor so much.

It seems that the weather in this autumn country is indeed beginning to change.

"Where is the Imperial Preceptor now?"

"It's a rare opportunity for me to come back, and I'd also like to catch a glimpse of the Imperial Preceptor."

Qiu Lin's calm smile left Wu Yuan somewhat puzzled.

At this moment, he was somewhat unsure of what the Crown Prince was thinking.

As far as he knew, the spies that Qiu Lin had planted in Qiu Kingdom when he was the Crown Prince had been mostly eliminated by the Princess and the Grand Preceptor over the years.

Despite being at such a significant disadvantage, Qiu Lin not only failed to avoid the Grand Preceptor's sharp edge but also planned to actively seek him out.

Could it be that he voluntarily surrendered to the Imperial Advisor and replaced the Princess?

If that's the case, it makes sense, since he's the only prince in the entire Qiu Kingdom.

"The Imperial Preceptor is always by His Majesty's side and resides in the Imperial City. This Sanye City is currently under the management of Her Highness the Eldest Princess."

After pondering for a while, Wu Yuan decided to wait and see how things unfolded.

If the crown prince can turn the tide, he wouldn't mind abandoning his neutral status.

"Why didn't Commander Wu tell me earlier that my elder sister was here? I should have paid her a proper visit after I entered the city."

Qiu Lin's expression remained unchanged, but he had already begun to worry.

The heir to the Qiu Kingdom, including himself, comprised three princesses and one prince.

The four of them had a good relationship and all did their best to seek development for the Qiu Kingdom.

However, ever since the second princess was forced to marry into a family in the southern border region, conflicts arose among them.

The eldest princess wanted to use the power of the Frost Frost Sect to fight against the families in the Southern Frontier.

Qiu Lin himself had long seen through the true colors of those so-called cultivators, and decided that it was better to rely on himself than on others.

He chose to leave his hometown and eventually joined the Qingyun Sword Sect.

The fourth princess was still young, so Qiu Lin didn't pay much attention to her.

Although they chose different paths, the siblings did not fall out to the point of a complete break.

Before leaving Qiu Kingdom, Qiu Lin entrusted the task of taking care of his father to his eldest sister, who is now the eldest princess.

According to the original agreement, the eldest princess should never have left the capital.

Why did you come to this Three Leaf City alone?

Qiu Lin had a feeling that this matter was not simple and must be closely related to the suddenly appearing imperial advisor.

"This... I was so happy to see His Highness the Crown Prince that I forgot to report this most important matter."

Wu Yuan quickly apologized, and just as he was about to continue speaking, a maid hurriedly walked in from the doorway.

"My lord, Aunt Fang from the Princess's residence requests an audience."

............................................................

Not long ago, at the Princess's residence.

"aunt!"

Having confirmed the identity of the person in front of him, Hulu blinked his big eyes and, before anyone could react, suddenly threw himself into the arms of the princess.

"Be bold!"

The maid standing nearby widened her eyes, about to reprimand him.

Then they saw the eldest princess slightly raise her hand, looking at the gourd with a loving expression.

"You said your name is Qiu Bai?"

Hulu nodded, and with that movement, buried himself even closer into the princess's embrace.

"That's what my father told me."

The princess smelled wonderful; her clothes had been specially scented with floral fragrance, and her body carried a unique aroma.

But beneath these fragrances, the gourd detected a strange and eerie aroma.

It smelled like the accumulated stench of years of rotting flesh and blood.

The taste was very faint, almost imperceptible, and would be impossible to notice without special attention.

The gourd's head rubbed against the princess's chest during the hug.

They kept searching for the source of that smell.

"Where is your father now? Or rather, where has he been hiding all these years?"

"He actually dumped such a mess on me and ran off to have fun, and now he can't even control his own daughter."

The princess ran her slender fingers through the gourd's hair, her tone somewhat intriguing.

“Father, he…”

Hulu subconsciously asked Chu Luobai for instructions before speaking.

“My father said he would take me home, but he disappeared after we entered the city.”

"I remember my father telling me that the most powerful person in this city is my aunt!"

"So, I came here."

The gourd raised its head, its little face beaming with pride.

"You're the smartest, just like your father."

A subtle emotion flickered in the princess's eyes, a slight smile played on her lips, and she gently touched the gourd's nose with her fingertip.

"Your clothes are dirty. Someone, take the princess to change them."

Two maids came forward, and Hulu obediently followed behind them as they walked deeper into the mansion.

Outside the pavilion, Steward Chen, who had been waiting, was delighted to see the intimate interaction between Hulu and the Princess.

It seems he really made the right bet this time.

Finding the princess would be a great achievement.

If the eldest prince is in a good mood, he might even be able to get a position as a steward.

Suddenly, the thin gauze curtain of the pavilion was lifted, and Aunt Fang stood at the door waving at him.

Manager Chen was overjoyed and hurried over.

"Is this the Qiu Bai you discovered?"

"Yes, yes, I noticed that the princess was wandering outside the mansion earlier."

Manager Chen lowered his head and answered cautiously.

"Besides you, who else has seen Qiu Bai?"

Although he didn't want to share the credit, he dared not lie to the unpredictable princess.

I could only answer honestly.

"The two guards at the gate have seen Your Highness before, but it was I who recognized you..."

Manager Chen rubbed his hands together, only to see a flash of white light before his eyes.

Immediately, the world spun around.

A head rolled across the ground.

"Get rid of everyone who saw Qiu Bai today, and while you're at it, bring Qiu Lin here."

The eldest princess waved her hand and gave the order.

Bang!

The unconscious body fell heavily to the ground.

Several maids quickly stepped forward and took the steward's body away, and the ground was quickly swept clean.

Apart from the faint smell of blood lingering in the air, there was no trace of Steward Chen ever having been there.

Outside the pavilion.

"This is excellent fertilizer, we mustn't waste it."

Aunt Fang glanced at the flowers in full bloom around her, then turned and walked out of the mansion.

The rumored, missing Crown Prince has suddenly returned at this critical juncture...

Could it be that you discovered something?

..........................................................

Outside the Princess's residence.

Chu Luobai, who was wholeheartedly investigating the situation at the princess's residence, suddenly sensed a familiar presence rapidly approaching her.

She instinctively stuck her head out and looked in the direction from which the scent was coming from.

"They got here so quickly..."

Chu Luobai concealed herself and, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention to her, replaced the previous stand-in.

Aunt Fang, who was walking at the front, suddenly glanced in Chu Luobai's direction.

Chu Luobai subconsciously looked back, only to find that the other person had already looked away.

"Your Highness, the Princess has been waiting for you in the pavilion for a long time."

"The Princess has been thinking of you all these years since we last met."

Aunt Fang led Qiu Lin to the pavilion and stopped, bowing and gesturing for him to enter.

"I've missed my elder sister so much, it's been so many years since I last saw her."

Qiu Lin glanced at Aunt Fang, parted the veil, and walked into the pavilion.

Inside the pavilion.

Hulu was sitting beside the princess, eating fruit in small bites.

Although Qiu Lin had mentally prepared himself for the unexpected birth of a daughter.

But when I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but be surprised, and for a moment I didn't know what expression to make.

"Daddy!"

Upon seeing Qiu Lin, Hulu quickly put down the fruit in his hand and rushed into Qiu Lin's arms.

Qiu Lin's body stiffened, but he quickly reacted and reached out to rub the gourd head a couple of times.

"Didn't I tell you not to wander around in the city?"

Inside the pavilion, the three began to chat about everyday things.

Outside the pavilion, Chu Luobai found an opportunity to avoid everyone's gaze and summoned his substitute again.

When the gourd entered the backyard just now, she sensed a familiar fluctuation of spiritual energy.

"Shi Aotian, why are you here?"