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

Connecting the harem with the current situation, Xiang An knew what Zhong Zan couldn't say—

Unable to bring it up, the eldest prince's birth mother, the late empress, died young, and the emperor ruthlessly slaughtered the late empress's clan, leaving only a few distant relatives. Not a single person in the court supported the eldest prince.

The emperor couldn't bring himself to say that he disliked the eldest prince and didn't even want to see him; nor could he say that he didn't support the eldest prince and couldn't bear to see him ascend the throne.

To be fair, no matter how much the emperor disliked and rejected the late empress, and no matter how impoverished the late empress's maternal family was, the emperor never said anything bad about the eldest prince.

The eldest prince is still the eldest prince, and as the legitimate heir, his ascension to the throne is perfectly reasonable.

Zhong Zan resented the emperor's swift death, Xiang An's hasty actions, and the emperor's excessive trust in Fu Qingbai, which prevented him from immediately confiscating the military seal upon Fu's return to court, instead returning it to the Military Command.

If they had acted a few years later, the princes in the court would have had more stable power and a more complete strategy. If the emperor had taken back the military seal immediately, without the pressure of military power, it would have been uncertain who would have won the throne.

But Danfan was nowhere to be found!

Coincidences that had never occurred in hundreds or thousands of years all happened at once.

Fu Qingbai used his military power to suppress the restless ambitions of the court officials. He killed one who dared to disobey, and two who dared to disobey, until no one dared to step forward or disobey. Only then could the eldest prince firmly sit on the throne.

On the surface, the capital city returned to its former tranquility, but undercurrents were surging within the imperial court.

Zhong Zan's ambition, and that of all the officials in the court, never disappeared despite the use of force; otherwise, why would a minister risk his life to break into the palace to save the prince?

After all, if even one person is saved, the officials in the court can seize the throne from other places.

Throughout history, it has never been uncommon for emperors to die mysteriously on the throne.

Unfortunately, Fu Qingbai was too ruthless. All six princes who broke into the palace that night were killed without exception, and the ministers who dared to stand up to defend them were also killed.

Afterwards, the young prince was confined to his home and not allowed to move an inch. The two adult princes who were not involved, the third and fifth princes, were temporarily imprisoned. The rest of the royal family members were placed under guard and house arrest.

At this moment, Xiang An understood that Ding Yinan had barged into their private chat today.

"It seems we won't be able to drink this tea today." Wei Wenrun put down his teacup and stood up first. "Please enjoy yourselves, everyone. I'll take my leave now."

"I'll be leaving now," Bai Yuchen said, and then departed.

Zhong Zan let out a big sigh, smoothed out the wrinkles on his robe, gave Ding Yinan a heavy snort, and then left.

Ding Yinan remained seated, a smile playing on his lips as he watched them leave.

Xiang An floated silently in the corner. After a moment, she floated lightly in front of him, moved left and right, and teased, "Kid, your fake smile is quite scary."

Ding Yinan couldn't see her or hear her speak, so he maintained his fake smile until Fu Qingbai pushed the door open and entered the room.

Dressed in black, Fu Qingbai was handsome and aloof, but he looked thinner, more tired, and more aggressive than before. Otherwise, he was unchanged.

As Xiang An retreated to the corner, Ding Yinan's fake smile vanished instantly, replaced by a somber expression. He stammered, "General, did I make a mistake just now?"

"Well done." Fu Qingbai patted Ding Yinan on the shoulder, and then, whether it was Xiang An's imagination or not, she felt that he seemed to glance at her as well.

Thinking of the Taoist priest he had met on the street, Xiang An suddenly shuddered and then floated in front of Fu Qingbai: "Can you see me?"

The next instant, Fu Qingbai strode past her and headed straight for a pot of thriving orchids in the corner: "Nice orchids."

Ding Yinan agreed: "I have heard that Piaoxianglou is not only famous in the capital for its delicious food, but also for the unique flowers and plants in its private rooms, which attract many literati and scholars. At its peak, Piaoxianglou once held three poetry gatherings in one month, from which many famous poems were produced, some of which are still circulating today."

"It lives up to its reputation." Fu Qingbai held the orchid and admired it carefully. When he was in a good mood, he reached out his long, fair fingers to gently stroke it.

“So he was just looking at orchids,” Xiang An murmured, a mixture of disappointment and relief in her voice. “I thought he really saw me.”

Orchids symbolize nobility and purity, and are loved by many scholars and literati.

It's normal for Fu Qingbai to appreciate it.

"If the general likes it, we'll buy it."

Ding Yinan suggested, "Although Piaoxianglou is a restaurant, the flowers and plants in the private rooms are also sold, but the prices are relatively high."

Fu Qingbai shook his head, put down the orchid, and patted the dust off his hands: "Orchids symbolize purity and nobility, but I don't like that kind of purity and nobility."

"What?" Ding Yinan didn't understand. He frowned and looked carefully at the orchid that had been put back on the shelf. He scratched his head, his ears turning slightly red. "I'm ashamed, I don't understand."

In his eyes, this was just a pot of grass that needed careful tending and had only gained the general's favor by chance...

He saw it in his own field, a weed that had to be eradicated.

Fu Qingbai lowered his head and looked down at the orchids.

Xiang An once again had the feeling that he had seen her.

However, he said, "It's not bad to admire one's own beauty in solitude."

Ding Yinan's face turned even redder. The large characters he knew were barely enough for him to use. He even doubted whether his general was really talking about orchids, given what "appreciation" or "fragrance".

Fu Qingbai didn't say anything more and left with a cold face.

Ding Yinan snapped out of his daze, picked up the orchid and examined it, but couldn't figure it out. He put it down and ignored the little thing that the general had liked and disliked in an instant.

Xiang An stood there, stunned for a long time before coming to his senses. When he walked out of the private room, he found that the entire hall of Piaoxianglou was empty, with three rows of armored soldiers neatly blocking the doorway.

Fu Qingbai looked down at the account book, and several managers and waiters in Piaoxianglou stood in front of him, their foreheads sweating.

She stopped in her tracks.

Silence.

This continued until Fu Qingbai closed the ledger and ordered, "Seize it."

He uttered two words crisply, then strode out of Piaoxianglou with the account book in hand. The manager and waiters collapsed to the ground instantly, crying miserably with snot and tears streaming down their faces.

"Your Honor, I'm innocent!"

"I know nothing, I know nothing..."

"My lord, spare my life! I have an elderly mother at home..."

After a series of heart-wrenching cries, the vermilion gates of Piaoxiang Tower slammed shut, and the bustling, noisy prosperity returned to silence.

Piao Xianglou stood inside, feeling lost and helpless.

He circled around the various private rooms, finally collapsing wearily onto the large round table in the center of the lobby, murmuring softly, "Fu Qingbai, what exactly do you want?"

Why did Ding Yinan know that Bai Yuchen and the others were here?

Why did you hide next door to eavesdrop and train Ding Yinan?

How many of your people are actually in the capital?

Do you know what you are doing?

Faced with unanswerable questions, Xiang An chose to escape.

During the days I spent lying on the table in a daze, the sounds of swords and armor clashing violently outside Piaoxiang Tower could be heard from time to time. Screams and cries of pain were frequent, and coughs and sounds of pain alternated, like fine threads binding me, making me feel suffocated yet impossible to ignore.