She became a god

The side hall of the Taihe Hall in the Imperial Palace of the Yu Kingdom.

Chen Lai sat on the ground, looking disheveled and seriously injured, but she was extremely happy.

She wins!

The death of Ji Cunzhen enraged Emperor Yu, who stripped Ji Cunman of his princely status, reduced him to a commoner, and imprisoned him in the Imperial Clan Court, where he was sentenced to hard labor for eternity.

In his panic, Ji Cunman, that fool, truly believed that Ji Cunguang had deliberately plotted to harm him, and in front of Emperor Yu, he denounced Ji Cunguang's various crimes.

Ji Cunguang's smugness won't last long.

As for Chen Lai herself, although she was almost killed by the enraged Emperor Yu, he ultimately did not kill her.

Chen Lai thought to herself that she had once again won her gamble by taking advantage of Princess Xu Yao's soft heart.

Before Ji Cunxi was punished to undergo tribulation, he instructed her not to trouble Ye Qingzhou unless it was a matter of life and death.

But for the Crown Prince, Ji Cunxi's punishment was a matter of life and death.

Thus, Chen Lai disobeyed her master's wishes for the first time.

As it turned out, Princess Xu Yao had a very deep bond with her master, and immediately agreed to take care of her master's reincarnation, even transferring a large sum of money to Chen Lai's Lingbao Pavilion account.

More important than the huge sum of money was its political significance. After this incident, the nobles of Yu State dared not take any further action against the Crown Prince because of Princess Xu Yao.

The second time was this time when they took a risky gamble, acting first and reporting later.

Chen Lai knew that Princess Xu Yao would definitely be dissatisfied with her actions this time.

But she had no choice but to do it.

Wen Shu's matter ultimately offended Princess Xu Yao, and no matter how many invitations she made, Princess Xu Yao refused to even reply.

Chen Lai understood that Princess Xu Yao was very dissatisfied with her handling of the matter and hoped that she would bring Xing Yan to confess her guilt.

But Chen Lai could not do that.

She couldn't possibly abandon her sisters who shared the same beliefs just to gain the support of a powerful figure.

No matter how kind-hearted Princess Xu Yao was, she could not change her underlying nature as a member of the powerful and wealthy.

The powerful and wealthy have never cared about the truth of the matter; they only care about their own interests and authority.

It was clearly Wen Shu who was heartless and refused to help someone in distress, while Xing Yan was simply a little too harsh.

Chen Lai had clearly explained the whole story to Princess Xu Yao, but the princess still developed a dislike for everyone in the Eastern Palace because of her elder brother's crying and fussing.

Perhaps, in Princess Xu Yao's view, since the Crown Prince had received her favor, he should show her relatives some deference.

If the Crown Prince refuses to yield, he will become a pawn, and she can easily invest in the Third Prince, Ji Cunguang.

But Chen Lai disagreed with this view.

One thing is one thing, but the kindness that Princess Xu Yao has shown to the Crown Prince is far from enough to make the Crown Prince change the laws and lower the standards for her.

If the Crown Prince hesitates to harm Wen Shu because of Princess Xu Yao, this will surely disrupt the atmosphere of the Crown Prince's palace.

The entire Crown Prince's palace believes in the idea that "a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner," so how can the law be disrupted because of Princess Xu Yao?

Thinking of this, Chen Lai even felt a little resentful of Princess Xu Yao's willfulness. This princess had almost everything since birth and could get along well anywhere. She was so shrewd that she took it for granted that all living beings in the world should make way for her.

If anyone disobeys her, even if she says nothing, a bunch of cultivators will try to figure out her intentions and seize the opportunity to please her.

She knew perfectly well the political implications of accepting the Third Prince's invitation to the banquet, and she knew that this move would cause unrest throughout the Eastern Palace. Yet, she still chose to do it, disregarding her relationship with her master, all to put pressure on herself and force her to beg for mercy.

Little did they know that Chen Lai despised those who abused their power to oppress others.

If Princess Xuyao ​​has done Chen Lai no favor, she will surely endure it silently and wait for a suitable opportunity to take revenge.

Unfortunately, Princess Xu Yao had been kind to her, so even if she wanted to hate her, she couldn't.

But Chen Lai couldn't bring herself to wholeheartedly respect and love Princess Xu Yao.

She grew up in a poor village in the Zisha Kingdom, a place where male superiority was extremely high. She suffered from the exploitation of the patriarchal ideology and the oppression from wealthy merchants, gentry and other powerful figures.

Princess Xu Yao was one of the most powerful and influential figures in the Yunying Continent. Chen Lai could not hate her because of her kindness, nor could she love her because of her background.

Therefore, Chen Lai had always been consciously avoiding the presence of this princess.

Before Ji Cunxi's incident, Chen Lai didn't need to interact much with Princess Xu Yao; they only needed to occasionally meet.

However, after Ji Cunxi's incident, Chen Lai had no choice but to deal with Princess Xu Yao.

Every time Chen Lai sought advice from Princess Xu Yao, her heart would be filled with extreme struggle and distortion.

Reason told her that with her master gone, Princess Xu Yao was her most reliable ally and also her superior in the Zhao Sect. It was only natural for her to rely on her for survival, and it was also the best solution for her at the moment.

But deep down, I can't help but despise myself. I already have power, status, and cultivation, so why do I still have to fawn over those in high positions like I did when I was a child?

After all her hard work, is she destined to be a helpless victim?

Chen Lai was unwilling to accept this!

But she couldn't tell anyone about her resentment!

Even her beloved master, if he knew her thoughts, would blame her for being overly sensitive.

She owed Princess Xu Yao too much, to the point that she lost even the right to express dissatisfaction with her.

Chen Lai was very upset. If she could, she would never want to see Princess Xu Yao at this moment.

But she knew perfectly well that if Princess Xu Yao found out about her plot to kill the fourth prince, she would definitely be summoned and berated her.

But Chen Lai has no regrets!

Throughout history, how many struggles for succession have been fought without bloodshed?

The princes and nobles don't just kill each other; Chen Lai simply chose to strike first.

Moreover, this move directly eliminated two strong contenders for the reserve position.

Aside from suffering three blows from Emperor Yu in his rage, the Crown Prince's side suffered almost no losses.

If Chen Lai were given another chance, she would still do the same thing, and she would try to do it even more thoroughly and meticulously.

The door to the side hall creaked open, and a tall figure appeared on the ground.

Chen Lai was shocked. How angry was Princess Xu Yao that she came to confront her so quickly?

According to Chen Lai's prediction, Princess Xu Yao would visit her during the afternoon.

After all, this Princess Xu Yao always slept until late morning before dealing with matters.

Unexpectedly, she did not play by the rules this time.

It seems I really offended her too badly this time.

Chen Lai's face paled, and a sense of remorse rose in her heart. She lowered her head and confessed, "This sinful subject thanks Princess Xu Yao for intervening on my behalf; I am deeply grateful..."

"Haha."

The laughter didn't seem to sound like Princess Xu Yao's voice, but it did sound somewhat familiar.

Chen Lai looked up and, upon seeing the person who had arrived, exclaimed in surprise, "How could it be you?"

The newcomer said with a smile, "Senior Sister has really been confused by being imprisoned. She confessed without even seeing anyone. How afraid she is of Princess Xu Yao!"