The whole family of villains listens to my heart, the Regent Prince treats me dearly.

On the eve of the palace banquet.

Zhai Rongyu was awakened early in the morning by the sounds of bustling activity in the courtyard.

She let out a huge yawn and mumbled, "Shuang'er, what time is it?"

"It's already dawn~ Miss, is it time to get up?"

“Get up,” Zhai Rongyu said, sitting up with messy hair and sighing resignedly, “I can’t sleep with you coming and going like this.”

She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

She stayed up late last night drawing a lot of talismans, which used up most of her mental energy, and now she looks a bit listless.

Hey.

I really enjoy waking up early; it gives me a feeling of being completely energized.

Shuang'er stuck out her tongue.

"Master and Fifth Concubine sent over a lot of clothes and jewelry. There's no room left outside the courtyard, so I have to move some inside."

"Such a big yard can't even hold it all?"

Zhai Rong's unfocused eyes finally widened.

That's a yard she couldn't reach even if she did five minutes of somersaults!

Shuang'er smiled and said, "Yesterday, the young master received an honor from the palace and sent over a lot of things, so we couldn't display them all."

Zhai Rong put on an outer robe and ran to the door to look.

Sure enough, boxes of all sizes were piled up all over the ground outside the courtyard!

At first glance, it has everything: food, drink, entertainment, gold and silver jewelry.

In the distance, several large crates even contained knives, guns, and clubs...

Zhai Rongyu's lips twitched.

The weapons have all been delivered...

Look at those two meteor hammers, they're bigger than her head!

"Isn't this a bit too much, brother...?"

Shuang'er said, "The eldest young master originally only planned to send some gold and silver jewelry, but the second young master said that Miss has a unique physique and might like some strange and unusual things, so he simply brought everything."

A unique bone structure?

Strange and unusual?

Is my second brother's perception of her somewhat...?

So accurate!

Zhai Rongyu immediately pictured Zhai Jiqing looking down and adjusting his glasses, a glint of wisdom in his eyes.

His lips twitched again.

Ok!

My second brother's eyes truly see through so much.

They even knew that she could lift a meteor hammer!

“Miss,” Shuang’er said, bringing a dress to Zhai Rongyu, “What do you think of this dress? I think it suits you perfectly!”

Zhai Rongyu leaned against the door frame, picked up the clothes, and shook them out to examine them closely.

He slowly straightened up.

This is a smoky green long dress, simple and elegant in design, yet embroidered with large, intricate white rune patterns at the hem. Because of the exceptional quality of the fabric, its shimmering light creates a playful and graceful effect, flowing beautifully down the floor.

Zhai Rongyu's eyes lit up.

This outfit is just right!

She gave a thumbs up.

"Shuang'er, you have excellent taste!"

She'd only been here a short time, and Shuang'er already knew all her preferences perfectly.

If this were in modern times, wouldn't he be the kind of all-knowing old butler who could tell whether the young master needed to poop or fart with just a glance?

It's a waste of talent to follow a charlatan like her.

Shuang'er was overjoyed, and the ribbons on her two buns swayed with her excitement.

I'm glad you like it, Miss!

It was worth the two hours she spent carefully choosing!

After Zhai Rongyu finished washing and dressing, someone outside announced that Zhai Sangjie had arrived, and she immediately got up to greet him.

"Little sister, do you like these things?" Zhai Sangjie walked in with steady steps.

Zhai Rongyu said with a grin, "Thank you, big brother!"

The two walked to the table and sat down, and Shuang'er poured each of them a cup of tea.

Zhai Sangjie removed his armor and was now wearing a plain blue robe. His beard was clean-shaven, which made him appear more heroic than murderous.

“I heard from my second brother that my younger sister wants to build a Taoist temple? If there is anything I can do to help you, my elder brother, just let me know.”

Zhai Rongyu didn't stand on ceremony with him.

"There is indeed something I need help with."

“I need quite a few people to build my Taoist temple, and I really can’t find suitable ones for the time being.”

Although a construction team was hired from the city, those people were all seasoned veterans who were always looking for opportunities to slack off.

This progress is really slow.

She couldn't keep an eye on him all day, which was a real headache for her.

Zhai Sangjie laughed and said, "That's quite a coincidence. I happen to have a new recruit here, and the training ground hasn't been approved yet. I'm worried about where to train them! Why don't I come and help you with the construction?"

Zhai Rong clapped her hands and laughed, revealing her shallow dimples.

【whee. 】

[It's like a pillow being handed to someone who's about to fall asleep!]

It still has to be my eldest brother~

She picked up her teacup and clinked it against Zhai Sangjie's. "That's wonderful! Thank you so much, brother!"

After drinking the tea, Zhai Sangjie stared at Zhai Rongyu with a hint of something unsaid.

Zhai Rongyu: "Brother, is there anything else you want to say? Please speak frankly."

Zhai Sangjie coughed slightly, looking a little awkward, and said, "Since my younger sister wants to build a Taoist temple, she must have some divination skills. I wonder... if she could help my elder brother with a divination?"

"What does Big Brother want to calculate?"

Zhai Rongyu was somewhat surprised.

After all, Zhai Sangjie looked like a staunch materialist.

Zhai Sangjie's hawk-like eyes narrowed slightly as he gripped Zhai Rongyu tightly, asking with some inquiry, "This time, the court has promoted me to Commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of 800,000 troops. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse?"

With 800,000 imperial guards and 200,000 troops stationed on the border, he now commands a million soldiers.

It's both enviable and alarming.

Commander of the Imperial Guards?

That would naturally be immense wealth and luxury!

Not only now, but you will win many more battles in the future.

Zhai Sangjie was slightly excited.

It wasn't just for his own future, but also because he discovered something—

My little sister really knows how to predict the future!

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and calmly took a sip of tea.

I must never let my little sister know that I can hear her thoughts, otherwise I won't be able to find out anything later.

It's a pity that such a good older brother would later be branded as a traitor.

[He ultimately met a tragic end in the water dungeon of the Kingdom of Nansang.]

【Hey……】

"Cough! Cough cough cough!" Zhai Sangjie choked on his tea.

Treason and collusion with the enemy...

Died in a water dungeon...

His eyes darkened slightly, and his fingers gripped the teacup tightly.

"Brother, are you okay?"

Zhai Rongyu kindly handed him a handkerchief, but Zhai Sangjie waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need it.

She spoke solemnly, "Everything in the world has two sides. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and it all depends on your own choices, brother."

Zhai Sangjie nodded thoughtfully.

*

After having breakfast, Zhai Rongyu went to a jewelry shop and selected a white jade bone hairpin.

The outfit Shuang'er chose was so simple that any jewelry would be superfluous; a single hairpin would have been perfect.

The sky is clear and the air is fresh; it's a good time for a walk to aid digestion.

She wandered aimlessly down the street, twirling a bone hairpin in one hand.

Passing by rows of shops and throngs of people, I suddenly felt a familiar buzzing in my mind.

Zhai Rong stood rooted to the spot.

She stopped her hand gestures, clenched the bone hairpin tightly in her palm, and turned her head in disbelief to look at the fortune-telling stall behind her—

On the table, there was a peach wood sword about the size of a thumb.

Wasn't that one of her magical artifacts from her past life?!

How did I end up here?!