The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

With the Crown Prince's farce, the competition came to an abrupt end.

Some of the girls felt a pang of regret and kept looking back as they left.

Apart from the eldest prince, the other three princes are all outstanding individuals who are still unmarried.

Even if they couldn't become their principal wives, they were willing to be concubines.

The third prince, in particular, received the most admiration.

Han Yueshi was also the most watched girl. Because of the Third Prince's special treatment of her, some girls' hatred was extremely obvious.

The group left the flower hall to dine outside, and after the meal, they all left, ending the event early.

Only Luo Jingqian and Han Cuiyin did not leave; they followed the Fourth Prince back to his courtyard.

“Miss Han, we mustn’t let anyone hear what we’re saying. Can you arrange it?” After Luo Jingqian finished speaking, the Fourth Prince glanced at Han Cuiyin several times.

"That dark-skinned girl is so capable, why don't you help me—"

"Don't even think about it! You handle those things yourself." Luo Jingqian directly refused.

"Oh ho, Miss Han hasn't even spoken yet, and you're already defending her." After saying that, the Fourth Prince glanced at Han Cuiyin, then mocked Luo Jingqian, "Useless indeed. You two seem even more distant than you were in Chang Le County, hehe~"

Then, his voice was so low that only Luo Jingqian could hear it.

Han Cuiyin didn't notice the subtle misunderstanding between the two. She walked around the room and said, "Speak, no one can hear us."

"Changshou, what is the purpose of this banquet today? If you don't want to win over the court officials, why are you doing this?"

Having grown up in the royal family, Luo Jingqian has a clear understanding of some things.

Although the fourth prince was the one who hosted the banquet, he didn't pay much attention to the sons of important officials.

"Father's secret decree, what can I do even if I don't want to! If you ask me, what's so good about being emperor? Why is Mother forcing me?" Here, it's safe, so the Fourth Prince spoke his mind. "The Great Ye Dynasty has existed for a thousand years, which emperor has ever been happy?"

"If you don't take that position, even if your brothers are willing to let you and your child go, will the people behind them let you go? Have you thought about what will become of the Yang family? The Great Ye Dynasty's succession to the throne only encountered trouble with your father. If you don't fight for it..."

Luo Jingqian didn't continue.

The fourth prince already knew what was coming next, and sighed heavily. "Father told me to understand the intentions of my brothers. They are just whetstones for me. As long as their lives are not in danger, we can do whatever we want. In addition, many people died in the capital during the Ghost Festival this year. Father also suspects that someone is secretly causing trouble and wants me to help investigate who is supporting each of you princes."

The world of immortals is also a dog-eat-dog world, but it's far more cruel than these.

Han Cuiyin found it strange; was Emperor Chu Yuan really that childish?

Since there was no legitimate heir, Emperor Chuyuan had to rise above his brothers. Besides having the support of Princess Jinghe, he also needed to possess a certain level of wisdom.

"Don't you think something's a bit off?" Han Cuiyin asked directly, her gaze shifting to Luo Jingqian. "What do you think, Lord Marquis?"

Luo Jingqian's face was hidden behind a mask, and his brows were furrowed. "I really overestimated you before. I thought you had finally figured things out and wanted to win over some powerful officials, but I didn't expect... However, there is really no need to test the Emperor. Our Grand Princess's Mansion has not entered the game and has no connection with you for the time being. There is no need to worry about the Emperor."

"What are you talking about?" the fourth prince asked, puzzled. "Is that what my father meant?"

“The reason I sent you to Chang Le County with me that day was to test you. If you really trusted us, why would you have sent a general who was on good terms with the Xu family to accompany you?”

Luo Jingqian had suspicions that day, so he acted as if he was not close to the Fourth Prince in front of those people.

His maternal grandmother had privately told him not to get involved for the time being, and to only get involved if absolutely necessary.

If things don't improve on my maternal grandfather's side, no matter which prince ascends to the throne, the Grand Princess's lineage will not have a good ending.

Emperor Chu Yuan will surely clear the obstacles for the new emperor and eradicate the lineage of the Grand Princess's family.

The clues can be seen from his parents' divorce.

"Changshou, I only have a few words to tell you. You have no connection with our Grand Princess's residence, only a childhood friendship. As for what happens next, you should act according to the circumstances and consult with the Empress more often. When you report on today's banquet, just say what you would normally say, without exaggerating. You now have a natural advantage in terms of status, so if anyone should be anxious, it's those princes."

After Luo Jingqian said all this, the Fourth Prince, who wasn't truly stupid, naturally understood the key point.

"Father is not that old, why is he starting to worry about us sons? Sigh, wouldn't it be better to just stay calm? The Great Ye Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles, why are you still thinking about fighting for power!" The fourth prince sighed, showing his concern for the country and its people.

Han Cuiyin then asked, "After the defeat of the Yun Kingdom, why was it the princess of the Daye Dynasty who went there for a marriage alliance, and why couldn't the princess of the Yun Kingdom come?"

In her past life, she knew very little about these things. But today, she saw that those noble ladies were well-informed. Their attendance at the banquet was undoubtedly motivated by a desire to marry themselves off first.

"The Yun Kingdom's defeat this time was solely due to Marshal Luo's capture of the Yun Kingdom's Third Prince, who is the Yun Kingdom's Emperor's own younger brother. In order to rescue him, the Yun Kingdom agreed to withdraw its troops. However, they had a condition: a princess had to be married off to them. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Second Prince took Princess Shengmian out for a stroll, but an accident occurred. Princess Shengmian was the princess chosen by Father Emperor for a peace marriage. If she were to die, someone else would have to be found to replace her."

What the fourth prince said did match up with what happened in my previous life.

In her previous life, Han Lingzhi married into the Yun Kingdom and became its second queen, leading to a fifty-year truce between the Yun Kingdom and the Daye Dynasty.

Whether or not this agreement was kept later is unknown, as she did not live to see that day.

“There is something important in the Yun Kingdom that the Great Ye Dynasty possesses. If we don’t take it back, we will naturally continue to be hampered by them in the future.”

After the Fourth Prince finished speaking, he glanced at Han Cuiyin and said, "You're so dark-skinned, there's no need to worry. Originally, the Second Miss Han was quite skilled, and Father Emperor chose her. Grand Secretary Han should have also told her that the Emperor of Yun Kingdom would arrange for the two of them to meet by chance when he came to the capital. But now... tsk tsk, Second Brother has taken a liking to Second Miss Han, and Eldest Brother seems to be quite fond of her as well. What will happen next? There's going to be quite a show to watch!"

Han Cuiyin didn't care about the slander against her appearance. Recalling the Han sisters in the flower hall today, she also had a "watching the show" mentality. "Has a new candidate been decided yet? There aren't many girls in the capital who know martial arts. I'm afraid few can replace Han Lingzhi."

"Alright, Miss Han, please remove the formation first! If it was arranged by the Emperor, it's best not to arouse his suspicion."

Seeing that the two were chatting happily, Luo Jingqian chimed in with a few words, interrupting their conversation.

"Okay." Han Cuiyin got up to pack up the things scattered in the room, unaware of the conversation between the two.

"Are you jealous? That's rare, hahaha~"

"The jade pendant in Miss Qi's hand is yours!"

The fourth prince's laughter abruptly stopped.

Upon hearing this, Han Cuiyin rushed over, "Is it really you? Then Miss Qi's infatuation was misplaced on the First Prince!"

The commotion inside the house was clearly heard by those outside.

Luo Jingqian glanced at the rooftop without saying a word and began to joke, "If you really have this fate, you might as well marry her! Alright, we should go back to the villa. You don't need to invite me next time; I need to recuperate."

The fourth prince said sullenly, "If it weren't for the fact that you helped me write when I was a child, I wouldn't have asked you to come. Get lost!"

After the two left, the fourth prince went to his study to write a letter, and a quarter of an hour later he had it brought back to the palace.

Qingshuang Mountain Villa.

"My lord, the Grand Princess has sent word that you are to visit her courtyard upon your return." The gatekeeper, seeing Luo Jingqian carrying a green bamboo umbrella, quickly came forward to report.

"It seems there's been some progress on what happened that day, Miss Han, let's hear it together."