After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

Xiao Ru stepped forward, opened a box, and answered truthfully, "Coral Pearl."

Xiang An then asked, "What is the value of one?"

Xiao Ru said uncertainly, "One tael is worth about ten thousand taels."

This figure is still an understatement. Last April, a coral bead the size of a baby's head, bright red in color, shone like a drop of blood when placed in the sunlight, round and lustrous, and was sold for a high price of 100,000 taels of silver in the Treasure Pavilion.

Xiang An crossed her arms and said, "The medicine you drink costs thirty taels of silver per bowl. Calculate how many bowls of medicine you need to drink to consume one of my coral pearls?"

There's no need to calculate that. Xiao Ru murmured softly, "This servant understands."

"Don't worry, your princess is rich and powerful, she won't be poor." Xiang An patted Xiao Ru's shoulder generously, "Do me a favor?"

Xiao Ru looked up in surprise, her eyes almost sparkling: "I will obey the princess's orders."

She casually scooped out a handful of coral beads from the box, gently opened Xiao Ru's hand, and whispered to An, "There is a restaurant in the west of the city called Piaoxianglou. I want you to buy it without sparing any expense."

“Princess, I don’t know how to do business.” Xiao Ru hesitated.

Princess's residence never worries about money. Every year, the emperor bestows countless rare treasures, gold and silver jewels upon the princess. Over the years, apart from a few estates where she grows vegetables, the princess has no other shops.

“I am not here for business.” Xiang An leaned closer. “What I really want is the collection of books inside.”

"A restaurant has a collection of books? I go there often, but I've never seen any. I recently heard that there are treasures in Ping Le Kang." Xiao Ru rubbed her hands together, clearly a money-grubber. "How about we buy Ping Le Kang?"

"There's no treasure in Ping Le Kang Li at all; it was all a setup by me." Xiang An didn't want to hide the vase from Xiao Ru, whose leg had just healed, making her most prone to overthinking.

Xiao Ru didn't press further, nor did she need to. She knew in her heart that it was for the princess's good.

After having lunch in the afternoon, Xiang An asked Xiao Ru to prepare a carriage. She was going to meet the emperor. Sun Yi was the emperor's eyes and ears. Sun Yi died yesterday, and she had to hurry up and finish things today.

Xiao Ru was quick and efficient in preparing, but it was Yan Qing who accompanied Xiang An into the palace. Today was his first day officially serving by Xiang An's side, so it was a good opportunity to show him around.

Standing at the palace gate, Yan Qing was very nervous. Her heart was pounding, and her palms were sweaty. She wiped them clean, and the sweat would just keep coming back, as if it were endless.

Xiang An tossed the oranges he'd swiped from the carriage to Yan Qing and ordered without any ceremony, "Peel them."

Yan Qing, who was catching the oranges in a flurry, paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "I saw with my own eyes that your aunt peeled all the oranges before we got on the carriage."

"I can perform magic tricks." Xiang An raised an eyebrow smugly. "You're quite bold, daring to question me on your very first day on duty."

"I didn't." Yan Qing panicked and was about to kneel down to confess, but Xiang An stopped her with one hand. "Peel me. Compared to a verbal confession, I prefer to do something or give something, a real and tangible confession."

"Yes."

The orange wasn't big, and Yan Qing peeled it clean in no time. Just before putting the orange in her mouth, Xiang An suddenly stopped, tilted her head slightly, and asked, "Young Eunuch Chengde, may I eat this orange here?"

Chengde, who was standing at the palace gate, knelt down on one knee. "Princess, please make yourself at home."

"Whatever you want? Then I'll go inside to eat." Xiang An made a move to enter the palace, but Chengde immediately stood up, crossed her arms in front of her, and lowered her eyes, saying, "Princess, you mustn't."

Despite so many attempts at starting, Chengde remains as fearless as when he first met him.

Xiang An burst into laughter, then turned to Yan Qing and said, "Look at this fearless spirit, it's hilarious!" His stomach ached from laughing so much he could barely keep up. Xiang An continued teasing, "Chengde, why don't you quit your post at the palace gate and come with me to the princess's residence? How about it?"

Chengde: "This servant thanks Your Highness for your kindness. This servant does not wish to go."

Xiang An wanted to laugh again, thinking: "Hmm, yes, that's it, a completely expected reply, not a word missing. As expected of Chengde."

"Princess, he really isn't afraid of death." Yan Qing exclaimed in surprise.

"Right? Interesting, isn't it?"

"Mmm." Yan Qing's lips curled up slightly.

"Not nervous anymore?" Xiang An ate a segment of orange.

"Your subordinate..." Yan Qing's smile instantly vanished, but he stubbornly insisted, "Your subordinate wasn't nervous."

"It's good that you can remain calm. There aren't many people in the world who can enter the palace without feeling nervous." Xiang An finished the orange, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and said, "I'm done eating. Let's go in. Eunuch Chengde, thank you for what you said earlier."

Chengde remained with his head bowed, saying, "I am not worthy of the princess's thanks. It is my honor to have been able to help this guard relieve his tension."

Yan Qing hurriedly and awkwardly caught up with Xiang An and quickly left Chengde.

The palace path is long and winding, leading you over one threshold after another before finally stopping.

"You just stand here and wait for me," Xiang An instructed Yan Qing. Yan Qing didn't ask any further questions and stood wherever she was told.

Seeing that he obeyed, Xiang An entered the imperial study with peace of mind. As soon as she entered, she knelt down without saying a word and slowly began to weep. Therefore, when the emperor arrived a little later, he saw his daughter kneeling on the ground, silently shedding tears.

The emperor paused. It was his daughter kneeling on the ground, crying so sadly, so why did he feel fear instead of pity?

Shaking his head slightly, suppressing his unusual feelings, the emperor strode over: "Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Xiang An's tears flowed even more profusely: "Father, I have done something wrong."

The Emperor sat calmly in his chair and said, "You don't need to feel guilty about Lord Wei's matter. It's just that a maid died. I didn't want to get involved, but Lord Wei threatened to kill himself, so I had no choice but to give you a few lashes in front of him."

What utter nonsense about being forced to do something against one's will; she was clearly not allowed to speak. Looking back now, perhaps that day was the emperor's warning to her.

Xiang An wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I've troubled Father. I know I was wrong when you punished me that day. A servant's life is still a life. If I die for no reason, we must give Lord Wei an explanation. Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner, let alone a life."

"The people in the manor died tragically without cause. It was only natural that Lord Wei was angry that day. I do not blame Father Emperor or Lord Wei. I only blame myself for being stupid and impulsive. I should not have taken Lord Wei's maid back to the Princess's manor without saying a word."

"It's good that you admit your mistake. Think more before you do anything in the future, so you don't end up shooting yourself in the foot." The emperor nodded in satisfaction. With a flick of his eyes, Changfu, who was waiting to the side, quietly stepped forward to help Xiang An up and handed him a stack of bright yellow handkerchiefs.

Xiang Anshun stood up, took the handkerchief and wiped away his tears, "Your subject will certainly remember the lesson and the admonitions Your Majesty gave me today."