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

The June sun shines brightly, and the rising midday sun is so warm that it makes one drowsy. The river that runs through the capital flows quietly, and the old women washing clothes on the bank bang their washing mallets. The chirping of cicadas and the sound of washing mallets rise and fall in the willow trees. Under the shade of the willow trees, an old man lies on a stone, resting with his eyes closed.

At this moment, news spread from the palace: Wei Wenrun had been killed for deceiving the emperor.

A child playing on the bank suddenly threw a pebble into the flowing river, causing a splash on the calm surface and startling the fish swimming in the water.

A black horse came to a stop, its glossy coat looking particularly beautiful in the sunlight. Fu Qingbai dismounted and walked straight into the Crown Prince's residence, ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him.

"Alright, all of you, step back." Xiang Xin waved her hand dismissively. "You can't even stop one person."

The guards who had been following closely behind Fu Qingbai retreated helplessly, panting. Fu Qingbai strode up to Xiang Xin and said, "Your Highness, she will be angry if you do this."

Xiang Xin feigned ignorance, smiling brightly: "Her? Who?"

"Princess Miankang".

"Oh, her. Why is she angry? What does her anger have to do with your innocence, Fu Qingbai?"

The disdainful words pierced his heart like thorns. Suppressing his emotions, Fu Qingbai said in a deep voice, "Princess Miankang is clear about her likes and dislikes. She would never take a life without cause if no one provoked her. It's fine for you to retaliate because Lord Wei was punished by His Majesty for no reason. I agree with you and the princess taking your anger out on him. But you must never take a life."

"Fu Qingbai, have you lost your mind from staying at the border?" Xiang Xin sneered, raising his arm and pointing towards the palace. "In the court, whose hands are clean? Whose mind is simple? Who has truly lived a life of integrity? Even if they were to be torn to pieces without cause, none of them would die in vain."

"Don't try to confuse us. You know perfectly well that what I'm saying and what you're saying are not the same thing!"

Fu Qingbai knew, of course, that the officials who had risen to the position of emperor each had their own crimes, their own hardships, and their own unavoidable circumstances. But once they entered the court, they either advanced or retreated; few were truly innocent. Killing them would be one less menace.

He didn't care who Xiang Xin wanted to kill, but he couldn't tolerate Xiang An using him to kill for his own selfish reasons.

"Then how do you know that taking Wei Wenrun's life wasn't to clear a path for the court? Besides, even if I were petty and took his life over a beating, so what? Fu Qingbai, don't forget, you said in front of the Emperor that you didn't like Xiang An, so what can you do if I use her to kill someone?" Xiang Xin chuckled provocatively.

“You are a prince, I can’t do anything to you. But what if the emperor finds out?” Fu Qingbai said, “You are her brother, aren’t you afraid of getting her killed?”

"Why should I be afraid? Didn't you take care of it for me? If she dies, shouldn't you blame yourself for not cleaning up properly?"

As early as last night, when Xiang Xin received the news that Wei Wenrun would take the vase fragments with him after court today, intending to deliberately let the emperor distinguish between the real and fake pieces so as to distance himself from him, he immediately sent someone to Wei's residence to steal the vase fragments.

Unexpectedly, his men sneaked into the courtyard and saw a man in black climbing over the wall and heading straight for the Fu residence.

In a way, Xiang Xin had to thank Fu Qingbai for sending people to steal the broken pieces of the vase. Otherwise, if his people had tried to steal it, they would have had to alert Wei Wenrun, who had already laid an ambush in the courtyard, before they could succeed.

If it had alerted him, he would have had the real Li Qinhu vase placed in Piaoxiang Tower long ago, and today's results would have been greatly diminished. He would have had to use some tricks to make things happen.

The best course of action now is to steal it discreetly. Otherwise, how could Wei Wenrun, with the madam as a witness, repeatedly assure the emperor that it was a fake vase, then release the news of the real vase, causing a huge sensation and leading the emperor to kill Wei Wenrun for deceiving the emperor?

The death of Wei Wenrun can be attributed to a combination of Fu Qingbai and Xiang Xin.

Fu Qingbai spoke with difficulty: "Her initial purpose in seeking your cooperation was to retaliate in kind."

“According to Xiao Jiu’s plan, it was indeed an eye for an eye, to make Father Emperor angry and beat Wei Wenrun. But hasn’t this caused things to get out of control?” Xiang Xin spread her hands, looking innocent. “How was I supposed to know that the madam of Ping Le Kang was so unpopular, forcing Huo Xin to betray her? What’s it to me? I already put the vase in Ping Le Kang’s storeroom as Xiang An said. What’s wrong with that?”

Fu Qingbai said in a low, stern voice, "That's not right!"

"Insolence!" Xiang Xin narrowed his eyes. "Fu Qingbai, don't think that just because you helped me in the past, I will be grateful to you and let you climb all over me and point fingers."

Fu Qingbai loosened his clenched fist, his voice bitter: "She'll be heartbroken."

"Isn't her sadness the perfect opportunity for you to take advantage of her vulnerability? Go and be there for her, comfort her, be the vine that helps her climb out of her slump, and make her fall for you. Isn't that the usual way men deceive women's feelings?" Xiang Xin smiled contemptuously. "What? Do I have to teach you?"

Fu Qingbai sternly stopped him: "Xiang Xin!"

Xiang Xin pointed to the front door and shouted, "Get out!"

The pebble sank to the bottom, and the fish, which had scattered in panic, gathered again.

"Congratulations, Piaoxianglou will be yours from now on." Huo Xin smiled and picked up her teacup. "May your business prosper and your wealth increase in the future."

Xiang An picked up his teacup and clinked it against hers, saying, "Thank you."

The two sipped their tea together.

Xiang An put down her teacup and got up to leave, but then Huo Xin asked, "What kind of business does Miss want to do in the future?"

"Tavern."

"The restaurant is very good. Piaoxianglou is a restaurant, and the diners are used to it," Huo Xin praised, then suddenly changed the subject, "It's just that the location is a bit out of the way."

Xiang An said lightly, "My family has no shortage of money."

Huo Xin leaned forward slightly, "Then, Miss, may I take a share?"

Xiang An remained silent.

“To be honest, Miss, I’m selling the restaurant because my mother is seriously ill and we urgently need money. If it weren’t for that, I would never have sold it. It’s the culmination of my late father’s life’s work; how could I bear to part with it?” Huo Xin said, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m investing in this business to put my mother’s mind at ease. Please rest assured, Miss, I will obey any order you give me. If you tell me to go east, I will never go west; if you tell me to go north—”

Xiang An interrupted her: "Where is this?"

Huo Xin asked uncertainly, "...Piaoxiang Tower?"

“This is the capital, under the emperor’s nose, the place with the most officials in the world.” Xiang Anying sat down, her charming smile sending a chill down one’s spine. “If you want to make big money under the noses of officials, you need some powerful backer. You’ll go bankrupt within a month.”

Huo Xin wiped away her tears and stared straight at her: "Miss, please say what you want to say."

"I'm not curious about who's behind you, and I urge you to behave yourself and not do anything unnecessary." Xiang An's smile remained unchanged. "Since your boss was willing to sell the restaurant to me, he must already know who I am. Why bother putting on an act in front of me?"