After my whole family overheard my thoughts, they went berserk.

"Mommy, I don't want to eat mung bean cake. I'm being very good. If you say I can't eat it, I can't. I just want to give my mount an extra treat every day."

The empress looked at the dog god beside her, her eyes sinking in.

"Why is this dog so thin? As you wish, from now on, Qing Sui will be in charge of its diet. I will help you fatten it up."

She was so happy that she danced around with joy every second.

If she can appease the dog god, he will definitely teach her how to draw talismans very diligently.

"Mother, I'm going to the Buddhist temple to pray for blessings."

She couldn't wait to learn how to draw talismans.

Qianhe carried her to the Buddhist hall, closed the door, and stood outside quietly waiting.

The dog god carried her on a cushion, her hands resting on the cutting board, as he taught her earnestly.

Shi Miaomiao's little hands were weak and powerless, unable to hold a pen or even write characters properly. But somehow, she felt a warmth in her hands and her palms suddenly became strong.

"Could it be... that my piety moved the gods?"

The dog god ignored her.

Stupid humans.

Every second, he would scribble a talisman, draw one, and stick it on his face.

"Damn it, why can't I see you?"

The dog god looked at her, speechless.

"Your face is covered in talismans, who do you think you can see?"

With a forceful "poof," Shi Miaomiao dropped the talisman, its round eyes bulging.

"Master, you can't draw talismans like this. If drawing talismans like this were effective, then everyone could learn to draw talismans."

I don't understand it.

"Then you didn't teach me how to draw it?"

The dog god glared at her.

"So you know I didn't teach you how to draw?"

He gets incredibly excited as soon as he picks up a pen, scribbling away and pasting one drawing after another while grinning like an idiot.

"You need to recite incantations when drawing talismans. Each talisman has its own incantation. If you pronounce even one word wrong, it will have the opposite effect. Do you remember it?"

"Um!"

Shi nodded vigorously every second.

And so she studied diligently at the Buddhist temple.

She was very serious about helping herself live a long life.

She learned how to make amulets very well, and drew several of them, secretly putting them into her clothes.

It's time for dinner.

Upon hearing that the Empress had personally cooked, the Emperor came to Huayao Palace after finishing his official duties.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!" Shi Youzhi bowed to the Emperor.

The emperor gave him a cold look, then walked straight over, displaying his imperial authority, and questioned him in a cold voice.

"What wind blew His Highness the Crown Prince here?"

Shi Youzhi blushed and dared not reply.

He knew that his father disliked his sons, especially after his fifth sister was born, when he doted on her the most.

Previously, he might have thought that the emperor was biased.

Now, he feels that he must have done something wrong.

"Oh dear, why is my father here again? The Crown Prince and Mother were having such a good time, but his arrival has changed the atmosphere. It's so annoying."

The emperor frowned deeply.

How can this child talk like that? The Crown Prince only came once, and he's already knocked out his position as his biological father?

Upon hearing this, the Empress felt even more worried for her.

Wasn't her father spoiling her enough in the past?

Fortunately, his father couldn't hear him.

"Don't you like leaving the palace? This Huayao Palace can't compare to the outside world. If you don't want to come, stop pretending and go back!"

If he came every day, he'd be driven to the heavens.

"Father, Mother has invited me to stay for dinner. If this disturbs your peace and quiet, then I shall return now." Shi Youzhi stood up dejectedly.

Shi Miaomiao got anxious.

"Young Master, don't go! You gave Miaomiao such a generous gift today, you practically emptied your pockets. It would be so embarrassing if you didn't invite me to stay for a meal."

The emperor listened intently, startled.

The Crown Prince is useless and rarely visits the palace. He never gives him money, so the Eastern Palace is extremely poor. Where would they get the money to send her gifts?

Now, he's starting to wonder if the little guy's affection for him is just because he's after his money.

They can't be so heartless at such a young age, can they?

"Then stay here, finish your meal and go back quickly!" The Emperor's expression was unfriendly, and his tone was very harsh.

"I really want the Crown Prince to hug me. My father hugs me every day, and he smells like an old man. The Crown Prince must smell so nice."

"Mother has worked very hard preparing dinner. Let me carry Fifth Sister. Mother and Father should enjoy their meal and try to get as much nutrition as possible."

Everyone enjoyed the meal, except for the Emperor, whose face turned ashen and who remained silent.

Listening to Shi Youzhi teasing Shi Miaomiao at the dinner table made me feel so sad.

"Don't talk while eating or sleeping, don't you know the rules?" He found Shi Youzhi noisy and scolded him.

"Father is so annoying. The Crown Prince is so well-behaved, and you still scold him at the dinner table. The Crown Prince also has his pride, you know? Humph, next time I won't let him eat with us."

"Pfft!" The emperor spat out a mouthful of soup, feeling utterly disheartened.

They've all started thinking about kicking him out of the game and cutting him out of the group.

No way, he won't agree!

"I'm not eating anymore!" The more I eat, the more annoyed I get.

Seeing that the Emperor hadn't eaten much, Shi Youzhi asked with concern, "Father, have you been so busy with state affairs lately that you've been unable to eat or sleep?"

"You know that court affairs are busy? As the crown prince, you're always so irresponsible. Recently, the county has been flooded, and the people are suffering. You probably don't even know that!"

Seeing that the Emperor was not giving the Crown Prince a good look, the Empress was in a difficult position.

The Crown Prince has reformed and turned over a new leaf. I had hoped that this dinner might ease the tension between father and son, but I never expected that the Emperor's prejudice would only deepen.

Sensing that something was off, Shi Miaomiao muttered to herself.

"I don't know if my older brother has come to his senses yet. Father is ignoring you because he's angry at your incompetence, not because he really expects you to do anything for him. But now Mother is caught in the middle and in a difficult position!"

"There is a way to deal with the flooding in Gui County. We can sacrifice the old county to save the new one, relocate the residents, and abandon the original Gui County."

Shi Youzhi was full of energy.

He increasingly felt that being able to hear his sister's innermost thoughts was an incredible stroke of luck.

Unfortunately, this family of seven was blessed with such good fortune, which is a pity!

“Father, I believe that the root cause of the frequent flooding in Gui County lies in the terrain. Every year, disaster relief costs a lot of money, but it is still only a temporary solution. What we need to do now is to solve the problem of the terrain.”

The emperor's expression suddenly changed.

On second thought, anyone can talk the talk but not walk the walk!

"It's easier said than done. The ministers are afraid of drowning themselves and are unwilling to go. Moreover, the relocation requires a lot of money, and we can't just take it all from the national treasury, can we?" The emperor was unwilling to talk about politics with him and was like talking to a brick wall.

He had four sons, but none of them were worthy of his attention.

The eldest brother is always irresponsible, spending his days eating, drinking, and having fun. Even without giving him money, he continues to eat, drink, and have fun, and it's unclear where the money comes from.

The second son spends all his time studying medicine and travels abroad year-round, supposedly to treat a close friend—whoever that friend is, is more important than his own father.

The third prince was the same. He had a large number of wives and concubines, but he never entered the palace all year round. He would always send people to ask the imperial grandson for rewards. He even suspected that he had married so many wives just to have children and cheat him out of money!

Needless to say, the fourth one is already as fat as a barrel, and he eats all day long.

"I never expected that the Crown Prince would actually come to his senses! He actually thought the same thing as me. Isn't this a case of telepathy?"