After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

[Haha, let Prince Jing deal with the Grand Princess, and preferably dig out all her secrets.]

Ye Yaoyao grabbed a roast duck and devoured it, her mind racing as she conceived plans for the future.

[Host, don't be lazy. You need to investigate the matter of the Eldest Princess.]

"I know! I still need to go to Taiyou Temple to talk to the Grand Prince Consort. Sigh! I thought I'd never see him again."

Many young ladies are secretly watching Prince Jing. I wonder which noblewoman will be lucky enough to become the ninth princess's aunt in the future?

[Host, didn't you fall in love with Prince Jing at first sight? Don't you want to become the Ninth Prince's aunt?]

【Love at first sight? No way! I was just admiring his good looks, okay?】

No matter how good Prince Jing is, if you don't know him, how can you just like someone casually?

System: You scumbag, you were so infatuated before, even leaning on his shoulder.

Prince Jing glanced at Ye Yaoyao out of the corner of his eye and thought to himself: What a scumbag girl.

[Host, Prince Jing has great fortune; do you want to latch onto his powerful backer?]

"He's the lucky one." Ye Yaoyao stopped eating the roast duck, looked up with her greasy mouth, and stared at the man with a fond, adoring expression.

[Host, you're drooling.]

Ye Yaoyao spat out the roast duck in her mouth and wiped her mouth.

Fortunately, her family were officials of the third rank. If she had sat in the front, she would have been lectured by those idle concubines.

[Yes, I want to curry favor with this powerful figure so I can roam freely in the capital. Haha! I'll bring gifts to Prince Jing's mansion tomorrow to express my gratitude.]

The system did not doubt that the host could do it, after all, the way Prince Jing treated her seemed somewhat unusual.

This King Jing can hear his host's thoughts, yet he remains expressionless; his mind is truly profound.

[System, I haven't looked at Lord Lu's information yet!]

[Host, please take a look.]

My second brother said that Lord Lu would upset our scumbag father every two or three days, and asked me to find out why he disliked our scumbag father.

Wow! Lord Lu also keeps a mistress, doesn't that mean he's in cahoots with his scumbag father?

Ye Yaoyao continued reading, her emotions growing increasingly agitated, and she almost jumped up and shouted again.

This is outrageous! They're deceiving all the officials in the court.

What happened between them? Those who heard Ye Yaoyao's thoughts pricked up their ears curiously.

On the surface they are political enemies, but in secret they are accomplices, working together in the same boat; they are essentially one and the same.

They drink tea and chat amiably in private, secretly plotting how to suppress which court official. When Lord Lu goes out to meet his mistress, his scumbag father can even cover for him.

No, system, didn't you find any evidence that they were secretly planning to pull off a big heist?

[Host, that's all for now.]

[These two shameless scoundrels, when they're exposed, they'll be despised by all the officials.]

Who else colluded with their scumbag father?

[Host, why don't you look at everyone here one by one?]

【Okay, let's look at Consort Mei, who just spoke up for me.】

The data loading screen appeared before Ye Yaoyao's eyes again.

[Having been the most favored concubine for twenty years, it's normal to have more information about her.]

Ye Yaoyao was curious about what incredible secrets the harem held.

At this moment, the melodious music stopped abruptly, and the dancers gracefully withdrew after finishing their dance.

The Empress put down her wine and said with a gentle smile, "I find today quite lively. On such a fine day, why not let the noble ladies display their talents to add some elegance? What does Your Majesty think?"

"Excellent! Ninth Prince has not returned to the capital for many years. You should take a good look at her later and see which noble lady you fancy. I will reward you handsomely."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, the noble ladies below lit up with excitement, eager to try their luck.

"I wonder which noble lady would be willing to take the lead?"

The Right Chancellor's eldest daughter, Zhao Wanxi, rose and curtsied, saying, "This humble woman is willing to play a tune on the zither for everyone."

Upon hearing this, the palace servants quickly brought the guqin onto the stage. Zhao Wanxi glanced at the Crown Prince, then gracefully sat down, her jade fingers lightly plucking the strings, and melodious music flowed out.

Oh! She likes the Crown Prince.

[Host, Consort Mei's message has arrived!]

Ye Yaoyao withdrew her gaze and started to enjoy the gossip about Consort Mei.

Consort Mei, the second daughter of the Marquis of Rui'an, had a fondness for beautiful women, especially women.

After entering the palace, he skillfully resolved the jealousy and exclusion from the concubines, turning his opponents into his allies.

Wow! That's amazing, I really admire you.

As a favored concubine, she always showed great care and concern for the beauties around her, even more so than the empress.

She was often seen strolling side by side with the concubines in the imperial harem, laughing and chatting happily.

Tsk tsk! Does Consort Mei like the Emperor, or his concubines?

In his spare time, he would meet with the concubines to enjoy tea, appreciate the scenery, and discuss poetry and songs.

If someone is wronged, she will stand up for them and speak out for them.

She was adept at understanding people's hearts and knew how to cater to their preferences, either by giving them exquisite little gifts or by sharing some secrets to surviving in the palace.

In the treacherous imperial harem, Consort Mei protected many concubines, like a breath of fresh air, warm and precious.

She truly is a living textbook of palace survival.

With Consort Mei helping the Emperor balance the harem, the Emperor naturally favored her and issued an edict ordering her to assist the Empress in managing the harem. The two had been openly and secretly fighting for many years, with the Empress rarely gaining the upper hand.

There were at least a hundred or three thousand concubines in the harem. With so many people, it was lively. Life in the harem was like this person giving you an abortifacient today and that person giving you a contraceptive tomorrow.

After Consort Mei gained favor, the concubines who had been wronged were freed from their suffering and no longer clung to the emperor's affections. They joined together to help Consort Mei and occasionally caused trouble for the empress.

Therefore, the vast harem only had five princes and three princesses.

Life was going well, she was in good spirits, and she became even more beautiful. The Emperor praised the management of the harem and kept showering Consort Mei with gifts. In the blink of an eye, Consort Mei distributed the imperial gifts to others.

The second prince's fondness for beautiful women seems to stem not only from inheriting his mother's genes but also from growing up surrounded by beauties.

In Ye Yaoyao's view, Consort Mei lived life to the fullest.

[Host, Consort Mei is working for the Emperor!]

[Yes, in the end, the Crown Prince is the winner. The Empress won, so wouldn't Consort Mei's fate be unfortunate?]

Ye Yaoyao skipped the gossip about Consort Mei and the other concubines, and went straight to the end.

Consort Mei was falsely accused of promiscuity within the palace. It turned out that the person she loved was not the Emperor, but the other concubines in the harem.

The Emperor's affection for her turned into disgust, and everyone who got close to Consort Mei was given a white silk noose.

Ugh! How infuriating! What kind of nonsense is this? The Emperor already has three thousand beauties in his harem, and he can't even manage them all. Without Consort Mei, how can he possibly govern the country with peace of mind?

Liu Yunshu and Ye Xiyao, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

The Empress and the Imperial Concubine were at odds, and the inner palace and the court were divided into two distinct factions. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince each had their own supporters.

Hearing his niece's thoughts, Liu Lingchuan looked thoughtful.

With the imperial concubine gone, the tree falls and the monkeys scatter. The fate of the Marquis of Ruian's family may not be much better than theirs. They should consider forming an alliance.

When the piece ended on stage, the Empress clapped her hands and praised with a smile: "The music is melodious, like flowing water in the mountains, very good."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I am just making a fool of myself."

Zhao Wanxi thanked the emperor and looked at the crown prince. Seeing that he did not even glance at her, she felt disappointed. The empress noticed her subtle actions.