The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

She swore that Chu Tu, that idiot, was definitely thinking: "Oh my god! She's shy! Sure enough, she went to the Temple of Marriage to pray for our marriage."

The original author must have lost their mind to write such nonsensical things.

Without saying a word, how did she convince two men of her love? The Queen of the Sea's ability to control the situation is truly remarkable.

Shen Zhizhi: [Why do you sound so admiring? Why don't you ask her to be your host?]

Ya Dan immediately fell silent.

Shen Zhizhi glanced lightly at Chu Chouchi. As expected, his lips were tightly pressed together, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He was very irritated.

He must have gotten jealous when he saw Chu Tu chasing after him, right?

Before she could even offer a word of comfort, Chu Chouchi lowered his head and their eyes met head-on.

"Why did you go to the Temple of Marriage? Whom did you seek a marriage with?" His pupils darkened, and his tone was cold, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

"Huh?" The cold tone startled Shen Zhizhi.

I go!

She almost forgot that Chu Chouchi was extremely possessive and twisted, and he was probably already suspecting her of having ulterior motives towards Shen Qinshou.

"Haha..." She chuckled awkwardly, then hurriedly explained, "No, no, I just happened to pass by the Temple of Marriage and bumped into you, sister. I didn't go to pray for a marriage."

"Is that so?" Chu Chouchi suddenly leaned down and stared silently into her eyes.

Shen Zhizhi was startled and remained motionless.

She remembered that when Chu Chouchi was at his most perverse in the original story, he slaughtered everyone who had come into contact with Shen Qinshou, regardless of age or gender.

Although he's lost some of his "darkening" and "sycophant" points these past few days, his mood is still unpredictable, so it's not good to mess with him.

Shen Zhizhi's heart pounded wildly, and she felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen on her face.

Her face flushed red as she tried her best to suppress the unease in her eyes. "Your Highness, I really didn't."

Damn it! She really has no taste in food!

Compared to her unease, Chu Chouchi was in a good mood when he saw her face flushed.

He didn't believe it.

Judging from her shy appearance, she must have gone there to pray for a marriage with him.

Chu Chouchi cleared his throat, looked away, and straightened up. "There's no need to hide this kind of thing."

[Congratulations, host! Chu Chouchi's corruption value -1, sycophant value -1]

Feeling the scorching heat dissipating from above, Shen Zhizhi clutched the hem of her clothes, bewildered and filled with unease.

She had no idea why this guy was suddenly doing this. He had been looking at her so closely that she almost thought she was going to be choked.

But what did he mean by saying there was no need to hide it?

Shen Zhizhi glanced at him suspiciously.

Well, at least the "darkening value" and "sycophant value" have decreased, so it wasn't a complete waste of effort.

Shen Zhizhi smiled with satisfaction.

After a brush with death, the ministers were terrified and, guided by the palace maids, respectfully entered the Yonghe Palace to wait.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the eunuch's loud shouts finally came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived!"

The officials hurriedly rose and knelt to welcome him.

Shen Zhizhi was not proficient in these etiquettes and had not learned them much, so she could only shrink herself in a corner and imitate others' manners.

After the footsteps reached the front, a voice said, "No need for formalities."

Only then did Shen Zhizhi dare to raise her head and secretly observe the emperor.

The emperor was probably in his early forties. From his eyebrows and eyes, one could vaguely tell that he must have been handsome and dashing in his youth, exuding the aura of an emperor. Wearing a yellow robe, he was imposing and noble.

No wonder he has such a handsome father; his genes are amazing.

Chu Shi, seated on the high seat, looked at Chu Chouchi with surprise in his eyes. After a long while, he said, "The second brother has arrived?"

"Hmm," Chu Chouchi replied calmly.

Shen Zhizhi's eyes twitched. She knew that the relationship between her father and son was strained, but she didn't expect it to be this strained.

"I thought the Red Prince's mansion was really so busy that the Second Prince rarely even came to the palace."

Empress Ming sat down beside Chu Shi, glared at Chu Chouchi, her red lips slightly parted, her posture haughty.

The accusatory tone made Chu Chouchi frown, his dark pupils sweeping over the object lightly.

"Your Highness's gaze is as if you want to devour me. Could it be that I said something wrong?" Empress Ming was startled by the coldness in his eyes and clenched her embroidered handkerchief tightly, but she still maintained her composure and raised her head to question him without showing any emotion.

"Enough! The second brother is here, isn't he? Say less!" Chu Shi waved his sleeve and waved his hand at her in annoyance.

Empress Ming gritted her teeth. Decades ago, when the virtuous empress, who was deeply favored by the emperor, gave birth to the emperor's first son after his ascension to the throne, she knew that the child could not be kept!

His original intention was simply to abandon the child, but it inadvertently killed two birds with one stone: the virtuous empress also fell ill and died. Despite the ministers' objections, the emperor still issued an edict posthumously granting his deceased eldest son the title of 'Crown Prince Rui'.

Relying on her family's influence, she finally became empress.

She thought that heaven had taken pity on her and gotten rid of the two most troublesome people in the palace, but she never expected that Consort Rou would appear out of nowhere and give birth to her second son, Chu Chou Chi.

This Chu Chouchi is cold-hearted and ungrateful, doesn't get close to people, and will kill at the slightest disagreement.

However, the emperor remained indifferent to this matter and even forbade others to say anything bad about him.

Her Yan'er went to the Golden Palace to pay her respects every day, but received no imperial favor whatsoever.

And him? He enters the palace only a handful of times a year, yet he still manages to keep the emperor on his mind.

Thinking of this, Empress Ming's face showed resentment, her nails dug into her palms, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes.

But since the Emperor had spoken, she had no choice but to smile and say, "Yes, I was too talkative."

The music flowed gently, and the atmosphere was peaceful and prosperous. Dancers dressed in red and green danced merrily to the music, while ministers frequently raised their cups in toast.

Shen Zhizhi had no expectations for the banquet. Bringing her family to the palace banquet was simply a way for officials to use various opportunities to let their daughters perform on stage, hoping to gain the favor of the emperor or princes and bring glory to their families.

However, the dishes prepared by the imperial kitchen piqued her interest; the dazzling array of dishes made her eyes water.

The banquet was in high spirits, with the officials drinking and chatting happily, and the ladies of noble families and noblewomen laughing and talking, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Suddenly, a tall figure bowed and rose from his seat, walked straight to the center of the hall, and knelt down to pay his respects.

The hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Zhizhi gnawed on a chicken leg without even looking up.

It's obvious that the person who could cause such a huge reaction at this time must be Shen Qinshou.

As is typical in novels, Shen Qinshou is bound to show off her skills at this moment, which will draw cheers from the ministers and princes.

The plot twists are so absurd, you don't even need to think about them.

Just as Shen Zhizhi was complaining, a gentle and refined voice rang out from the center of the hall.

The voice said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

This sound...

Zhang Jiali?

Shen Zhizhi was stunned.