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

A dignified voice came from above, and Liu Min trembled.

"It was my fault for being unruly and offending Your Majesty. Please forgive me!"

Liu Min's fair and slender neck was perfectly exposed in front of Emperor Chu Yuan.

Emperor Chu Yuan's breath hitched, and the oppressive tone in his voice lessened. "Whose daughter are you? No one is allowed to enter and leave this place casually. How did you get in?"

A long sword was held to her neck, and her panicked expression was imprinted on the blade.

There was no one guarding this place, and Emperor Chuyuan was all alone.

At his feet was a large pile of sawdust, some large and some small.

The wood itself carried a pleasant fragrance, which eagerly wafted into Liu Min's nostrils.

"I am a member of the Liu family, and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is my great-aunt." Liu Min could only state her identity, not daring to look up and gaze directly at the Emperor Chu Yuan.

She knew that if she made the wrong move, she would lose her life.

An emperor who seized the throne through ruthless means could be cruel even to his own mother, let alone a girl who was only a distant relative.

Over the years, the Liu family has been the mother's family of Emperor Chuyuan, but in the capital, few families have taken them seriously.

The few invitations that occasionally arrived at the house were only because of the Empress Dowager, and because they were being used to curry favor with the great-aunt before she returned to the palace.

Even so, she gladly went.

However, once she arrived, her striking appearance and the unintentional or intentional ostracism from the other girls made her even more annoying.

Later, the matriarch of the Liu family always went alone, without bringing any of the Liu family girls with her.

When a person has no power or status, they are at the mercy of others who will mistreat and ignore them.

She understood this principle before she was ten years old.

She's been tricked this time, but given the chance to rise to the top, she'll make up for it sooner or later.

After this incident, the Empress should probably tell her great-aunt about how much she resents her.

She clearly heard the palace servants beside the Empress say that the Fourth Prince was waiting here for the other princes, and that the four brothers were going to have a small gathering here before the banquet.

With the Emperor here, there is no trace of anyone else.

Even if I wanted to climb the social ladder, I wouldn't know where to start, and I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint my great-aunt's expectations today.

She cannot go to the Fourth Prince's backyard.

The Empress clearly loathed the Liu family and set a trap for her to fall into.

Overwhelmed with emotion and exhausted, Liu Min collapsed to the side.

Emperor Chu Yuan put his longsword aside and embraced the person.

As an emperor, he had seen all kinds of women, yet now he was captivated by a pair of watery eyes.

The Empress in the palace is dignified and poised, the Imperial Concubine is noble and elegant, and Consort Rui is bright and beautiful... but none of them can compare to this girl.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I accompanied Miss Lin Jiabao to change her clothes, but we walked a little too slowly and got separated. I haven't been to the palace in years and am unfamiliar with it, which is why we took the wrong turn..."

Liu Min was flustered, and became somewhat at a loss for words when she spoke about it later.

"Enough, go! Someone, take Miss Liu out." Emperor Chu Yuan released her and spoke to the air.

A man dressed as a eunuch suddenly appeared and went to carry out the order.

Liu Min was taken aback; she had originally intended to change her target.

Emperor Chu Yuan was handsome and fifty years old, but he looked to be only about forty. He was tall and strong and had a very powerful presence.

Instead of toiling away in the prince's harem, why not set a different goal and rise to the top in one step?

Before she could do anything, she was sent away.

"Miss, that's where Miss Lin is. Go ahead!" The eunuch was polite to Liu Min, and only returned to report after watching her enter the courtyard.

"This place is indeed nice. Changshou knows how to enjoy life. No wonder he doesn't covet my throne." Emperor Chuyuan sighed with emotion, feeling a renewed sense of fatherly affection for the fourth prince.

"The Fourth Prince is indeed filial; otherwise, he wouldn't have been here every day these past few days, preparing surprises for you," the eunuch said, bowing.

"Could we send her away? Did she come for longevity?" Emperor Chu Yuan's mood seemed to sour as he thought of this.

It had been many years since any new women had entered the palace. Apart from the first and fifteenth of each month when he would stay with the Empress, he usually spent most of his time with Consort Xu, Consort Rui, and Consort Xu, who had been sent to the palace by the Xu family a few years ago.

Before Liu Min appeared, these people's appearances were the most to his liking.

After seeing Liu Min today, I lost interest in these people.

He had learned some breathing techniques from several monks, and some things had faded away. But when he saw Liu Min today, his body was screaming.

"No, not at all! The Fourth Prince has indeed been here quite a bit these days; it's not a secret, and it's not surprising that some palace servants know. Miss Liu hasn't inquired about the princes, but instead has been subtly asking about your preferences." The eunuch understood Emperor Chu Yuan's thoughts. "Miss Liu has indeed come to the wrong place; she doesn't have any maids or servants with her..."

Emperor Chu Yuan naturally knew that the Liu family had indeed had a difficult time in recent years.

The Liu family were just ordinary people; they didn't even get a noble title, let alone a sinecure.

Back then, when Empress Dowager Liu was just beginning to show signs of seizing power for the Liu family, she was suppressed by a coalition of several forces.

Emperor Chu Yuan was young at the time and did not want powerful maternal relatives.

The Duke of Zhenguo's family is enough; they are guarding the border for the Daye Dynasty. The Liu family is nothing more than Empress Dowager Liu, and the rest of the family members are illiterate fools who are completely useless.

Liu Min was unaware that Emperor Chu Yuan had taken a liking to her. She was still feeling dejected, wishing she had just seduced him and climbed into his bed back then; then she would have had a place in the harem.

Being by Emperor Chuyuan's side gave her a rare sense of security, even more so than with her father and brothers.

"Where did you go? Don't wander around the palace, or you might get into trouble and end up in the harem of some playboy. It would be such a waste to have such a good-looking face."

Lin Jiabao said meaningfully.

Liu Min was startled and quickly concealed the tremor in her heart, "We were just a few steps late, let's go."

"I hope so." Lin Jiabao ignored him and led her people away down a different path.

Liu Min was uneasy and could only follow along, afraid that the other woman would notice something amiss.

The two of them did not return to the Imperial Garden, but went directly to the Bright Moon Terrace.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Garden, the Empress led the way as people gradually left.

"Aunt, it's done!" Han Yueshi leaned close to Consort Xu. "Feiyu saw with his own eyes that the girl entered Qingyi Courtyard, and the Fourth Prince has been there at this time every day these days."

"If that's the case, your aunt will grant your wish!" Consort Xu glanced at Empress Yang, a faint smile playing on her lips.

If Han Yueshi hadn't repeatedly assured that she wouldn't marry the Third Prince, Consort Xu wouldn't have agreed to let her handle this matter.

This was a deal between the two of them.

Now that the Liu family has entered the Fourth Prince's inner quarters, the Empress and the Empress Dowager will surely fight each other more fiercely.

Consort Xu wanted to be the one who profited from the situation.

Liu Min kept clinging to Empress Yang, and those people could see right through her intentions.

Han Cuiyin listened to the two whispering, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. Liu Min had become a pawn?

Qi Yuejiao had said that the Fourth Prince was not there today, and that the Empress had sent him to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

She had originally planned to simply lie down in the Great Ye Dynasty, but some people just wouldn't let her go.

Han Cuiyin looked up at the sky and smiled.