After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the rustling of elegant clothes, the banquet remained as lively and extraordinary as ever.

Lin Qin wore a polite smile and chatted amiably with the ladies around her, but inside she felt like she was being fried in oil.

Just moments before, her personal maid, Cui Liu, had secretly slipped her a note that read, "Something has happened at the shop, return immediately."

The four words, so powerful they seemed to penetrate the paper, made Lin Qin's heart sink.

This ancient 4G network is really unreliable!

Of all times, this had to happen!

She calmly crushed the note into powder, took a deep breath, and told herself to stay calm.

Who among those present is not a smart person?

If she showed even the slightest sign of something amiss, who knows what rumors would spread.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, it just kept raining.

Eunuch Zheng walked up to the emperor at some point and casually said, "Your Majesty, this old servant has heard that the Princess Consort's business is booming and making a fortune every day."

The emperor was already curious about Lin Qin, and upon hearing this, he became interested: "Oh? I've heard a little about her; this abandoned concubine does have some skills."

Eunuch Zheng's eyes darted around, and he immediately added fuel to the fire: "That's right, but this business is so big that it's inevitable that there will be some... tricks. This old servant has heard that Her Highness the Princess's shop has used quite a few... unconventional methods."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qin knew that the old eunuch had ill intentions.

Before she could speak, Zhu Ling interrupted her, coldly saying, "Eunuch Zheng, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. I know a thing or two about the Princess's shop; it has always been honest and fair to everyone, young and old. How can you say it's some kind of scheme?"

Eunuch Zheng chuckled sarcastically, "Your Highness, please calm down. This old servant only heard rumors. However, there's no smoke without fire."

The Emperor watched this "show" with great interest, slowly sipping his tea: "Princess Qin, what is your explanation for this?"

Lin Qin took a deep breath, about to retort, when she saw Eunuch Zheng pull a letter from his sleeve and present it to the Emperor with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is..."

Zhu Ling's eyes narrowed, and he snatched the letter. He unfolded it and his face immediately darkened.

He suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as torches, and stared directly at Eunuch Zheng: "How dare you!"

Eunuch Zheng feigned fear and knelt down: "Your Highness, this old servant is innocent! This letter..."

"This letter is fake!" Lin Qin interrupted him sharply. "Your Majesty, please be aware, I..." Before she could finish speaking, Zhu Ling tore the letter to shreds and threw it on the ground.

"Enough!" Zhu Ling shouted angrily, startling everyone into silence.

"I want to see who's behind this!" He grabbed Eunuch Zheng by the collar and lifted him up.

Eunuch Zheng's face turned deathly pale, and he stammered, "Your Highness, spare me... This old servant... This old servant only..."

"Just what?" Zhu Ling pressed.

Eunuch Zheng's eyes flickered, avoiding Zhu Ling's gaze. He…

He stammered for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing this, Lin Qin sneered, took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her sleeve, and slowly unfolded it: "Eunuch Zheng, you should recognize this, right?"

It was a banknote, and the amount was enormous.

More importantly, the back of the banknote was stamped with the seal of Lin Qin's business rival, "Yipinlou".

Eunuch Zheng's face turned deathly pale instantly, as if he had seen a ghost.

"This...this..." He stammered, trying to explain, but found himself unable to defend himself.

Lin Qin pressed on relentlessly, her tone sharp: "Eunuch Zheng, you accepted bribes and framed loyal officials; your crimes are unforgivable!"

"This...this is clearly a frame-up!" Eunuch Zheng was still making a last-ditch effort.

Lin Qin curled her lips into a cold smile, turned to the emperor, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, I have something else here that can prove Eunuch Zheng's crimes." She then took out a letter from her sleeve, which detailed the transaction between Eunuch Zheng and the owner of Yipinlou, and even included their handwritten signatures.

This left Eunuch Zheng completely dumbfounded.

He collapsed to the ground, like a deflated balloon.

The emperor was furious and ordered that Eunuch Zheng be dragged away and severely punished.

The onlookers gasped in astonishment at what they saw.

They originally thought Lin Qin was doomed this time, but they didn't expect her to be so clever and turn the tables on them.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Lin Qin was filled with surprise, but even more so with admiration.

"Your Highness is truly amazing!"

"Women are just as capable as men!"

Exclamations of praise rose and fell, but Lin Qin simply smiled faintly.

From an angle unseen by others, Zhu Ling held her hand tightly, giving her strength.

Lin Qin felt deeply moved by Zhu Ling's support.

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

The banquet continued, with singing, dancing, and clinking of glasses.

The Empress watched as Lin Qin defused crises time and time again, "Guards..."

The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes, her hands clenched tightly beneath her wide sleeves, the sharp nail guards almost piercing her palms.

This country woman is so difficult to deal with!

She gracefully raised her wine glass, concealing the sinister glint in her eyes, and whispered a few words to the palace maid beside her.

The palace maid obeyed the order and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Danger, like an invisible spider web, is slowly approaching Lin Qin.

Lin Qin noticed the Empress's unfriendly gaze, and alarm bells went off in her mind.

This harem is truly a place that devours people without spitting out their bones!

Meanwhile, Young Master Sima wanted to take this opportunity to make things difficult for Lin Qin again, show off his "talent," and incidentally make his presence known.

He walked up to Lin Qin with an air of elegance, fanning himself with a folding fan. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Qin said, "Young Master Sima, is the landscape painting on your folding fan by a famous artist?"

Young Master Sima was taken aback, and subconsciously unfolded his folding fan: "It is indeed the work of the current court painter, Your Highness has a good eye."

Lin Qin smiled slightly, then changed the subject: "However, the composition of this painting is a bit too restrained. If the distant mountains were raised a bit higher and the trees in the foreground were made denser, it would better showcase the layering of the landscape and better fit the artistic conception of 'a thousand miles in a short distance.' If some modern commercial elements were added..." Lin Qin skillfully combined modern commercial concepts with ancient landscape painting, speaking eloquently, leaving Young Master Sima completely bewildered.

Other noblemen who had originally planned to watch the spectacle also gathered around, listening with great interest.

Sima Gongzi's initially frivolous expression gradually turned serious, and his eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Lin Qin: "Your Highness is indeed very knowledgeable and insightful. I admire you!"

The atmosphere suddenly became harmonious, which was completely different from what the Queen had expected.

She stared intently at Lin Qin, who was chatting and laughing, her fingernails almost digging into her flesh.

Lin Qin caught a glimpse of the Empress's expression out of the corner of her eye and sneered inwardly.

She knew this was just the calm before the storm.

Tonight is destined to be anything but peaceful.

She turned her head and smiled slightly at the emperor: "Your Majesty, I have some small suggestions regarding the commercial operations of the palace..."

Lin Qin cleverly combined modern business concepts with the current state of the ancient palace and put forward several suggestions for improvement, such as using idle land in the palace to grow cash crops and using the skills of palace craftsmen to create high-end handicrafts, etc.

The Emperor nodded repeatedly, delighted: "Princess Consort Qin is indeed talented in business; these suggestions are very much to my liking!" He immediately said he would allocate funds to support Lin Qin's business plan and encourage her to promote her business model in the palace.

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

The gazes of the crowd toward Lin Qin held not only envy but also a touch of awe.

No one expected that a demoted concubine could regain the emperor's favor. This is a perfect example of turning the tide against all odds!

The banquet reached its climax, with everyone raising their glasses to toast Lin Qin and showering her with praise.

Lin Qin also showed her affability at the right time, chatting and laughing with everyone, looking every bit the winner in life.

However, the Queen maintained an elegant smile throughout, as if none of this concerned her.

She observed Lin Qin's every move discreetly, but a hint of barely perceptible ruthlessness lurked deep in her eyes.

She gently put down her wine cup and whispered to her personal maid beside her, "Go and prepare the things."

The palace maid accepted the order and disappeared into the crowd.

The Empress then slowly rose, walked to Lin Qin, raised her cup and smiled, "Congratulations, Princess! Congratulations, Princess! I toast you."

Lin Qin also raised her wine glass and clinked it with the Empress's. The two smiled at each other, but each harbored their own ulterior motives.

As the banquet drew to a close, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Lin Qin was about to leave when she suddenly felt a pang of fear, as if something bad was about to happen.

She glanced around discreetly, only to find the Empress standing not far away, staring intently at her with a strange smile playing on her lips.

Alarm bells rang in Lin Qin's mind, and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

She took a deep breath, gripped the handkerchief in her hand, and whispered to Zhu Ling beside her, "Your Highness, be careful..."

Zhu Ling also sensed the unusual atmosphere. He shielded Lin Qin behind him and scanned the surroundings warily.

Suddenly, a melodious piano tune began to play, and the doors of the banquet hall slowly opened. A group of dancers filed in and began to dance gracefully.

This was supposed to be the final entertainment of the banquet, but Lin Qin felt a strange chill.

She stared intently at the dancers, sensing that something was amiss.

"Your Highness..." she was about to speak when she saw the Empress suddenly stand up, raise her wine cup, and say loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, to celebrate tonight's banquet, I have prepared a special gift!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the dancers suddenly stopped dancing and pulled out sharp daggers from their sleeves...