The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

“That Yun was a maidservant in the Prince’s mansion, and she was a third-class maidservant who couldn’t even get to see Yuan Jia.

"She knew very little about these unwritten rules of the palace;

"Yesterday I tricked her into saying something, and it turned out that she didn't hear the whole thing she said at the Longxi Prince's Mansion."

"If she had listened more carefully, even if she didn't know the taboos of the first and fifteenth of the month before, she would have learned about them on that day."

“Moreover, once she gained favor, she became arrogant and conceited, so no one will truly care for her or tell her these things anymore…” Fu Luan nodded to herself.

In short, all the reasons combined;

Consort Yun, currently enjoying the Emperor's favor, arrogant and domineering, dreaming of becoming "Imperial Consort Yun"...

Overnight, she was transformed into "Yun Cai Nu" under Fu Luan's scheme!

"In less than three days, this county magistrate helped the Shanggong Bureau get rid of Consort Yun and the enemy who had been tormenting the 'Six Shang' for days."

"I wonder about my 'Horse Trampling a Flying Swallow'..." Fu Luan came to the Department of Treasures again and said bluntly.

“Since my sister made a promise to the county magistrate, she will definitely keep her word. However…”

"Li Yunluo, Director of the Imperial Pharmacy, pays respects to Lady Yuan..." As soon as Li Yunluo appeared, he knelt and bowed to Fu Luan.

Fu Luan frowned slightly and looked around. Indeed, only Li Yunluo was present, and Li Sizhen was nowhere to be seen.

"The physician need not stand on ceremony... Where is your sister?" Fu Luan asked patiently.

Li Yunluo readily replied, "The county magistrate asked about my sister, which is nothing more than 'Horse Trampling a Flying Swallow'."

"She has other important matters to attend to, so today I have come to discuss them with the county magistrate. Also…"

"This servant has a private matter to trouble you with, Your Highness. I hope you will help me..."

"Hmph, 'negotiation'? 'Trouble'? I'm afraid this county magistrate will not agree to your 'private matter';

"So you're not going to do anything about my business?" Fu Luan's face immediately darkened.

If it were Fu Luan from her past life, she might have agreed immediately;

But the Fu Luan of today is very different from the one before.

Most people wouldn't agree to go back on their word after making a promise.

Li Yunluo laughed and said, "This servant dares not... that 'Horse Trampling a Flying Swallow';

"The Shanggong Bureau has already arranged for people to expedite the production, and it will definitely be delivered to the County Lady before the Xianbei envoy arrives in Chang'an."

Upon hearing this, Fu Luan snorted, signaling her to continue.

Li Yunluo personally served tea and continued, "Yun Guiji was eliminated by the county magistrate; but I've also heard that she was promoted by the county magistrate herself."

"She has fallen out of favor, and the position of Consort of Chaoyang Palace is vacant. This servant dares to volunteer myself, hoping that the County Lady will grant me a chance..."

Fu Luan frowned even more deeply. "That's really strange!"

"Before our chance encounter in the garden, I had no prior acquaintance with that Yun family member. How could I have been the one to promote her?"

Seeing that Fu Luan did not reject the offer of "mentorship", Li Yunluo felt that there was a good chance for this matter!

She went on to say, “This servant knows that with the county magistrate’s methods and determination, she will never stop at being a mere fifth-rank county magistrate.”

"But whatever the county magistrate's intentions may be, wouldn't it be good to have one more person to consult with and one more ally in the palace?"

"Even though the county magistrate has Princess Chun'an backing her up, please forgive my bluntness, but Princess Chun'an is not favored and doesn't have much influence in front of the emperor."

"And she's so young; if something really happens, what advice could she possibly give the county magistrate?"

"The concubines—especially the favored ones—are used to bullying children whose mothers died young."

"Just like Shu Deyi, she could get the princess to copy Buddhist scriptures for so long in just a few words."

"It's still not over! The princess can't even protect herself, and who knows when she'll be married off by the emperor or some concubine;

"Instead of the county magistrate finding someone else later, why don't you let me do this for you now?"

"This humble servant is willing to serve as the county magistrate's 'arms' and 'eyes and ears' in the palace!"

"Wasn't this also the intention behind your sending the female physician Fu Ling to extract information from me last time?"

After Li Yunluo finished speaking, he kowtowed several more times; upon hearing this, Fu Luan and Fu Ling exchanged a smile.

Fu Luan asked, "Do you really want to be an empress? Isn't being a female official good enough?"

Li Yunluo sighed, "What 'female official'? In the end, she's nothing more than a 'slave'!"

Fu Ling asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that, Li Siyao? According to the rules of the Great Wei Dynasty;"

"Female officials of the fourth rank or above can participate in politics and offer advice, just like court officials. How can they be merely 'slave'?"

Li Yunluo smiled bitterly: "What Physician Fu said is right; but nowadays, where are there any female officials who are 'ranked above the fourth grade'?"

Even if I waste my time in this Shanggong Bureau and become a 'Shanggong' in twenty years;

"I'm barely a fifth-rank official! How can I possibly have a chance to rise in rank?"

Fu Luan mentally reviewed the official titles and ranks of the female officials of the Great Wei Dynasty and found that this was indeed the case.

but……

Fu Luan sighed—

Li Yunluo has above-average looks; if she were dressed up properly, she would definitely be a beauty, and it wouldn't be difficult for her to win favor and become a concubine.

But this dog emperor only has three years left to live. Even if she fulfills Li Yunluo's wish, wouldn't she have to be a widow in the palace after three years?

There is currently an elderly concubine in Chang Le Palace, who was a concubine of the current emperor's grandfather's generation;

The emperor died the day after she entered the palace, and she became a "dowager concubine" before she even had a chance to serve him.

Forty or fifty years have passed since then; the beauty who entered the palace at the tender age of eighteen is now all white-haired...

As if seeing through Fu Luan's thoughts, Li Yunluo quickly said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness."

"This is my own attempt to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy; it has absolutely nothing to do with the County Lady, the Fu family, the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion, or my sister."

"To put it bluntly..."

She looked around and then whispered, "I just want to be a mistress for once, or even just for one day!"

"Even if I become a concubine tomorrow, I will have no complaints!"

Fu Ling smiled and said, "Grandma, she's already put herself in such a pitiful situation, so please agree to her request!"

Fu Luan remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "Li Siyao, it wouldn't be difficult for me to help you rise to the top."

"But you must follow my orders. Can you do that?"

"Definitely!"

Fu Luan bit her lip and said, "The first thing is to change your name."

"From this day forward, your name will be Li Qingluan..."

Fu Luan hesitated somewhat; most people probably wouldn't change their names so easily.

However, in her plan, changing her name was the first step, and also a necessity.

To everyone's surprise, Li Yunluo agreed immediately.

"As long as I can be the master, I'd be willing to change my name, or even change my surname to that of the county magistrate!" Li Siyao chuckled.

Fu Luan frowned again, thinking to himself:

"Back then, when Aunt Yan forced Father to let Zhengzheng take my mother's surname 'Fu,' was she also thinking about this?"

Thinking of this, she had to be on guard, glanced at Lisiyao twice, and said seriously:

"Siyao's departure is not only about his own future, but also about your sister and your family outside the palace."

"If we can gain power, that would be best; if we can't..."