With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

This heir of the Prince of Ningxiang is ostensibly a member of the Prince of Ningxiang's household.

In reality, he is the most thorn in the side of the current hot contender for the throne, the Third Prince Xiao Lize, planted deep within the Ningxiang Prince's Mansion.

Her father, Yun Chengming, who claimed to be a "pure minister" who was loyal to the emperor and uninvolved in factional struggles, was actually already a key figure in Xiao Lize's camp.

These two factions are divided into two groups. One group, represented by Qin Jiuchen, upholds orthodoxy and deeply resents Xiao Lize's treacherous ways.

The other side, led by Xiao Lize, is ambitious and ruthless.

The two sides were sworn enemies, and their open and covert struggles never ceased.

Once Qin Senyao gets his hands on that list, he'll definitely present it to Xiao Lize immediately to curry favor.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Yun Nian's lips.

Once Xiao Lize uses that list to attack his political enemies, Qin Jiuchen will immediately receive the news.

Given his suspicious nature, she would naturally be the first person he suspected.

Qi Luo's heart pounded with fear: "Then, Miss, aren't you in even greater danger?"

"Danger can also be an opportunity."

Yun Nian's gaze was calm. "Just when he suspected me most deeply, my father was enraged by the leaked list and severely punished me. And that idiot Yun Duantao happened to have ulterior motives, pushing me into a corner. With all of this combined, what would Qin Jiuchen think?"

Following her train of thought, Qi Luo's eyes slowly widened: "Would it make the prince feel that you were also used and forced? Or even that he wronged you and feels guilty?"

"A little bit of guilt, perhaps, but more importantly, it will shake his initial judgment that 'I stole the list for Yun Chengming.'"

Yun Nian analyzed, "He'll start to wonder, if I really stole the list to help my father, why would he punish me so severely? Why would he let Yun Duantao bully me?"

"This doesn't make sense. Once the seed of suspicion is planted, things become much easier. What I need to do next is to thoroughly clear myself of suspicion, step by step, so that he feels I can be used by him."

Qiluo finally understood some of it, but admired her mistress's courage and meticulousness even more, while also feeling lingering fear: "But Miss, you took too much risk! What if the Prince hadn't come to rescue you, or had arrived too late..."

"That's why I said I underestimated him."

Yun Nian sighed softly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. "I didn't expect him to be so vigilant in his surveillance of me, and to react so quickly. This reminds me that I must be more cautious with every step I take from now on. Playing tricks under his nose is like playing with fire."

She looked up at the deep night outside the window, where the curtain that Qin Jiuchen had just left seemed to be swaying slightly.

This man has a mind as deep as the sea, unpredictable methods, and is extremely suspicious.

Gaining even the slightest bit of his trust would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

But no matter how difficult it is, she will keep going.

In order to escape the cannibalistic cage of the Yun family, and to avoid the fate of being a pawn and sacrifice in the previous life.

Will Qin Jiuchen be her tribulation or her path?

Yun Nian slowly closed her eyes.

The night is still long, and so is the road.

-

Yun Nian's injuries have improved somewhat; at least the wounds no longer bleed easily, and she can barely hold on as long as she doesn't move too much.

She has not yet been formally married to Qin Senyao. Today, she is attending the banquet at the palace as the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, accompanying the other women of the family.

The banquet was held in the Qianqiu Hall next to the Imperial Garden, where flowers were in full bloom and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the shadows of hair.

Yun Nian quietly followed behind Madam Xie and Yun Wei, and found a seat for the women of the Prime Minister's residence.

Today she wore only a light blue dress embroidered with intertwined magnolia branches, her hair was simply styled with a jade hairpin and pearl flowers, and she wore no makeup. Due to her injuries, she appeared even more frail and delicate.

The simpler and more natural she was, the more her jade-like skin and exquisite features stood out, giving her a pure and refined beauty, as if she had washed away all artifice and was untouched by worldly dust.

Among the jeweled and heavily made-up women in the hall, she stood out conspicuously.

Yunwei sat beside her and saw that even though her illness had not yet faded, her stunning profile was still undeniable. She then looked down at the peach-red dress with gold flecks that she had carefully chosen.

She felt that even the finest clothes and jewelry paled in comparison, and a surge of jealousy welled up in her heart, causing her nails to dig deeply into her palms.

When the Emperor and Empress arrived, everyone knelt and bowed in respect.

The Empress sat on her throne, said a few polite words, thanked everyone for coming to celebrate her birthday, and then the banquet officially began.

The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and the clinking of glasses created a peaceful and joyous atmosphere.

After a few rounds of drinks, singing and dancing began.

Yun Nian sat quietly, her gaze sweeping calmly over the performers in the hall, while she silently calculated the time in her mind.

Sure enough, a short while later, a maid dressed in palace attire quietly approached Yun Nian, curtsied, and whispered, "Miss Yun, Miss Qin requests that you go to the back hall to change your clothes. The next performance will be your duet, 'The Startling Beauty.'"

Yun Nian nodded slightly: "Thank you for leading the way."

She got up, took Qiluo with her, and followed the maidservant away from the banquet. They walked through the winding corridors and arrived at the rear hall's side room.

A copper basin of hot water was prepared in the room, and a dazzling dance costume was draped on the screen.

"Miss Yun, this servant will help you change your clothes." The maid stepped forward and reached out to take the dance costume.

Yun Nian waved her hand gently, "No need, I'm not used to strangers getting close. Qi Luo, come here."

The maid looked troubled and hurriedly said, "Miss Yun, Miss Qin specifically instructed that this dance costume is complicated to wear and requires my personal assistance to make it fit properly. I'm afraid that Sister Qiluo is not familiar with it and it will delay the time."

Yun Nian raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering for a moment on the maid's nervous face before she smiled faintly: "It's alright. You just need to tell Miss Qin that you personally dressed me. If I don't say anything, and you don't say anything, who will know?"

The maidservant paused for a moment, her eyes flickering.

She hesitated for a moment, but saw that Yun Nian's attitude was firm.

She bowed and said, "Yes, then I will wait outside. Please call me if you need anything, Miss."

After saying that, he left and closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, the faint smile on Yun Nian's face vanished.

She walked to the screen, reached out and picked up the gorgeous dance costume, her fingertips carefully touching and examining the seemingly intact fabric.

The light gauze was soft and the brocade was smooth, shimmering in the bright candlelight.

However, when she turned to the key joints and ties under her armpits and around her waist, she felt extremely fine cuts on her fingertips.

Sure enough, the exact same method.

In her previous life, she wore this tampered dance costume. As she spun and leaped, the fabric tore, and the entire costume suddenly fell apart like a cicada's molted shell...

The humiliation, terror, and despair of that moment, along with the countless gazes from the audience—some scornful, some mocking, some pitying…

And Qin Senyao's face, which turned ashen and then filled with utter disgust, was a nightmare that had haunted her for years.

A cold glint flashed in Yun Nian's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.