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

It's late at night and everything is silent.

Zhang Jiali sat at his desk, staring at the flickering candlelight, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

A moment later, a series of slightly hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, breaking the tranquility of the room.

Manager Qin arrived in a hurry and saw Zhang Jiali sitting upright at the table. He quickly knelt down on one knee and said, "Young Master, the Third Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion came to order a dance costume today. I sent people to work on it immediately and it is now finished."

After saying this, he waved his hand behind him, and the servant behind him immediately stepped forward respectfully and carefully presented the finished dance costume.

The light blue dance dress lay quietly on the tray, like a clear lake. The hem was embroidered with delicate and vivid patterns, which matched her unassuming nature.

Zhang Jiali lowered his gaze to the dance costume, a slight ripple passing through his narrow eyes, but he hesitated to reach out, as if he were pondering something.

After a long silence, he finally reached out and took something out of his pocket.

Seeing this, Xue Zhi, who had remained silent by his side, seemed to know what his young master was about to do and hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him:

"Young Master! Tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony is extremely important. This is the most crucial step. If something goes wrong, it will be difficult to salvage the situation."

Blood's face was full of anxiety and worry, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on the butterfly-attracting powder in Zhang Jiali's hand.

The young master went through countless hardships to create this object, so that during the sacrificial ceremony, the dancers would attract butterflies and create a spectacular sight.

That day, Miss Shen frankly stated that she had no romantic feelings for the young master, but had a close relationship with the second prince. If this were applied to her, and she were in love with the second prince, then things would become quite troublesome.

Zhang Jiali ignored Xue Zhi's advice, gently raised his hand, and slowly sprinkled the butterfly powder onto the light blue dance dress. The powder fluttered down and instantly blended into the dress.

“I have never lost even half a piece since I was a child.”

Zhang Jiali reached out and picked up a white chess piece beside him. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his slightly hoarse voice filled the room, "Even if the piece I place is out of my control, I am capable of bearing the consequences."

After the words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the room. Xue Zhi looked at his young master's determined expression. Although he was still worried, he understood that things had come to this point and he could only fully cooperate with his young master's plan.

Zhang Jiali walked to the window, staring into the dark night, lost in thought.

.........

The following day, the entire city of Nanliyue was in an uproar. Knowing that Zhang Jiali, who was known for his outstanding virtue and benevolence, would be participating in the sacrificial ceremony with the Emperor, the people flocked to the streets early in the morning.

Zhang Jiali, dressed in a crescent-shaped robe, sat upright on his horse, holding the reins with long, slender, and fair fingers, guiding the white horse slowly forward.

His gentle and refined temperament and the composure in his every move made him seem like a god descended to earth.

The streets and alleys were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, all shouting "The Crown Prince!"

Their faces were filled with reverence, and they carried bamboo baskets of different sizes, as if they wanted to offer him the best things in their homes.

The cheers of the crowd seemed to pierce the sky, and the scene was so grand that it gave one goosebumps.

"Isn't this a bit too extravagant?"

Shen Zhizhi lifted the carriage curtain, stared outside, and was speechless with astonishment.

Although the original text described the grandeur of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, she was still completely shocked when she actually stood there and witnessed it.

No wonder that after Shen Qinshou finished her dance in the original text, the whole of Nanliyue Star City was rumored to be saying that "whoever gets the eldest daughter of the Shen family will get the world." The eyes of the people in the city must be focused on her today.

Shen Chao lifted his eyelids to look at Shen Zhizhi, and the corners of his lips slightly raised. "The Crown Prince has a high prestige in Nanliyue Star City. The people's love for him comes from the bottom of their hearts. If it weren't for his presence, this sacrificial ceremony would not have been so lively."

Shen Zhizhi nodded blankly and lowered the carriage curtain. "That makes sense."

Shen Chao chuckled, looking her up and down. The light blue dance dress made her skin appear even whiter.

"How is it? Does this dance costume suit you?" he asked.

Shen Zhizhi nodded hurriedly, then proudly waved her arm, "This is a dress given to me by the dignified General Zhenguo. No one else has one like it, so of course I like it."

"You!" Shen Chao tapped her forehead with a look of doting affection in his eyes.

"hey-hey."

Shen Chao was about to withdraw his hand when he suddenly smelled the cool breeze she fanned when she raised her sleeve, which carried a light fragrance. "What kind of fragrance did you use today? The scent is so refreshing and pleasant."

Shen Zhizhi was taken aback, then lowered her head and sniffed the clothes, but couldn't smell anything. "I've never used incense, brother, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Shen Chao was also somewhat surprised. He sniffed carefully and found a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance in the air. It didn't smell like ordinary spices, but rather like a unique floral scent.

"Perhaps I'm mistaken." He chuckled helplessly. People with internal energy are naturally more perceptive than ordinary people. Perhaps it was the fragrance coming from outside the carriage.

Shen Chao picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked up, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. After a moment, he said:

"Zhizhi, your elder brother is asking you, is the person you love the Second Prince or the First Prince?"

Shen Zhizhi was so startled by the question that she almost fell off her seat. Her eyes widened. "Big brother! I haven't thought about this at all!"

Shen Chao got up and moved to her side, sighing softly, "Zhizhi, the court is treacherous. Now everyone is on the side of the First Prince, and the Second Prince's chances of winning are extremely low. If he tries to seize the throne by force, I'm afraid the consequences will be unpredictable."

After Shen Chao finished speaking, he lowered his eyes slightly.

If he were to choose, the order of seniority has always been important and should not be disrupted. Moreover, the eldest prince is so popular with the people, so he should side with the eldest prince.

But if his third sister truly loved the Second Prince, he could believe it once, and believe that Chu Chouchi would really reform for Zhizhi's sake.

"No, big brother." As if understanding what Shen Chao wanted to say, Shen Zhizhi rested her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"The position of Crown Prince will definitely belong to the First Prince. The Second Prince will not compete for the throne. He has no interest in the throne and would never like such troublesome matters."

Shen Chao frowned, staring into Shen Zhizhi's innocent eyes, and was speechless.

Chu Chouchi had never participated in politics before, let alone come to the court, but his recent actions have already revealed his ambition to seize the throne.

As the procession moved slowly forward, the site of the sacrificial ceremony gradually came into view.

It was a solemn and majestic square, surrounded by tall stone pillars.

In the center of the square is a huge altar for worshipping heaven, with steps leading up to the sacrificial cauldron on the high platform.

Shen Zhizhi jumped down and felt as if she were in a sea of ​​people. She subconsciously looked up at the place where the shouts were the loudest.

Then Zhang Jiali smiled, dismounted, and politely declined the wooden baskets and bouquets offered to him. His demeanor was poised and generous, and the gentle look in his eyes made him appear very approachable.