A five-year-old goddess, raised to become an emperor for all time through a bronze mirror.

Upon hearing this, Niannian nodded obediently and recounted the whole story.

I casually mentioned, "Dad, is your marriage with Mom really a business arrangement?"

She blinked her big, bright eyes, her face displaying a curious and gossipy expression, looking just like an adorable little elf.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Fu was so angry that he glared and couldn't help but swear:

"Business my ass! Who's talking nonsense like that to you?"

Jian Xiaohan stood aside, listening to his daughter's innocent question, and couldn't help but feel speechless.

He never imagined that kids these days would be so bold as to use the Fu family's name to spread rumors throughout the school, all for the sake of that so-called face.

What's even more despicable is that these rumors maliciously smeared the deep affection between him and Fu Mingyue.

Thinking of this, Jian Xiaohan took a deep breath and tried to calm the anger in his heart.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, as if everything was under his control.

"So, it's no wonder that person got a beating from our Niannian." As he spoke, he opened his arms and gently hugged Niannian tightly.

"Weren't you scared by me just now?"

Feeling her father's warm and strong embrace, Niannian smiled happily and quickly shook her head, saying, "Hehe, Dad, I wasn't scared at all!"

At this moment, Old Master Fu, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally could not suppress his anger.

He clenched his fists tightly, exuding a powerful aura, and looked spirited and imposing.

"Hmph! How dare they bully my granddaughter like this and even slander Mingyue! It's outrageous!"

I can't swallow this insult. Old Liu, go and find out exactly which family that little brat belongs to!

As soon as Old Master Fu finished speaking, Butler Liu, who had been waiting by his side, immediately stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir! I'll take care of it right away!"

After saying this, Butler Liu turned and hurriedly left, preparing to investigate the matter.

As Niannian watched Butler Liu leave, a thought suddenly popped into her mind: "Heh heh, Qian Fangfang, since you're trying to use the Fu family's name to deceive others, then don't regret it..."

------

A few days later, a tense atmosphere permeated the spacious and bustling laundry department of the Guangling Kingdom's palace.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

In this interplay of light and shadow, one can see a group of young, reserved palace maids standing in a neat row with their heads bowed.

Before them stood the awe-inspiring thirty-five-year-old Aunt Zhao, the head steward.

Aunt Zhao, the head of the household, was tall and slender, her elegant figure encased in a simple palace dress.

Her gaze was as sharp as the winter wind, quickly sweeping over the young girls who had just arrived. "Since you've come to the laundry department, don't even think about slacking off!"

Every palace maid whose gaze swept over her couldn't help but tremble slightly, as if her gaze could penetrate one's soul.

This Manager Zhao is a highly respected figure in the laundry department.

Although she is no longer young, her face exudes a unique charm that comes with the passage of time.

She has a slender face, and her skin is slightly rough due to years of hard work, but even so, you can still vaguely see her beautiful appearance when she was young.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that her curved eyebrows are as delicate and beautiful as willow branches that have just sprouted in early spring, but a few fine lines inevitably appear at the corners of her eyes.

Even so, it couldn't hide the sharp glint and shrewdness in her eyes.

She had a high nose bridge, and her small lips, though pale from years of hard work, had lost some color.

Aunt Zhao's hair was already a bit gray, and she always styled her long hair into a neat bun to conform to the strict etiquette of the palace.

She was tall and slender with a straight back, and even in simple coarse cloth clothes, she exuded an unassailable majesty.

Her hands were covered in calluses, the result of long-term washing and ironing of clothes.

At this moment, Steward Zhao paced slowly in front of a group of palace maids with a gloomy expression. Her sharp gaze swept over them like that of a hawk, making everyone present feel a chill.

Suddenly, she stopped and stood right in front of Chun Tao, who was trembling and pale as a sheet.

Manager Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze icy cold, and spoke in a tone filled with disdain and disgust:

"Hmph! Look at you, so cowardly. How did you even manage to sneak into the palace?"

With your level of audacity, you don't deserve to stay here! Get back here right now!

Upon hearing these words, ten-year-old Chun Tao trembled violently, as if struck by a thunderbolt.

But after only a moment of stunned silence, she quickly recovered and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

Immediately afterward, Chun Tao reached out and tightly hugged Manager Zhao's leg with both hands, then repeatedly kowtowed, pleading bitterly:

"Aunt Zhao, please have mercy and don't send me away... I really can't go back, please give me another chance!"

Tears streamed down Chun Tao's delicate face, dripping onto the ground and forming tiny water droplets.

It turns out that the reason Chun Tao was so eager to stay in the palace was because her family was too poor.

Her biological father died at the hands of bandits, her mother remarried, her stepfather was an alcoholic, and her younger brother was born.

Faced with the immense pressures and difficulties of life, Chun Tao had no choice but to enter the palace, hoping to earn a meager income to support her family.

Manager Zhao looked disgusted and frowned as he said:

"Oh dear, please don't wipe your filthy snot on my clothes! It's disgusting! Fine, fine, you can stay here."

After saying that, as if that wasn't enough, she shook her legs vigorously a few times, as if trying to get rid of something unclean.

Chun Tao, on the other hand, felt as if she had been granted a pardon and hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly to express her gratitude: "Thank you so much, Auntie, for your mercy! Thank you so much, Auntie... Thank you for your great kindness and virtue..."

Just then, Manager Zhao's gaze suddenly shifted to Niannian;

After looking him up and down, he asked, "You must be Niannian, right? I heard that it was someone from the Sixth Prince's men who specially sent you in."

This baby looks quite clever...

Upon hearing this, Nian Nian dared not be negligent and quickly nodded slightly in response, saying, "Yes, Aunt, that is indeed the case."