After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Shen Lingyi possessed a captivating beauty, with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. Her exquisite figure was accentuated by her thin dress, and her youthful appearance exuded a charming allure.

Even in the most beautiful and vibrant city of Beijing, no flower could rival her radiance.

Madam Jiang, however, wished her daughter hadn't been born so beautiful. "My dear Yi'er, I truly hate myself for not being able to protect you!"

"I don't know what your father was thinking, insisting that you go to that den of dragons and tigers. How can you stay in a place like the palace for long? If my son gets chosen, that would be like taking half my life..."

"Mother, don't worry."

Shen Lingyi readily accepted the situation and even comforted Jiang Shi.

It's just entering the palace; it's not like I've never been inside before.

She wanted to appear more composed in front of her mother and change her previous impression. "There's no need to be too pessimistic about this matter. My reputation is well-known, and it's still unknown whether His Majesty will even take a liking to me. But if we don't go, we'll be seen as disobeying the imperial decree."

"Father earned this family's glory with great difficulty; why should we offend His Majesty over such a trivial matter?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud laugh came from outside the door.

"Well said, you're just like my daughter!"

Shen Su strode in, a hideous scar on his right cheek, but it did not diminish his gentleness towards his daughter.

He placed his large hand on Shen Lingyi's head and said, "There are rumors circulating outside that the second young lady of the Shen family has changed her nature and is no longer that little tyrant. I wondered if they were talking about the wrong person, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"That's good. My daughter has finally grown up. I can rest assured now that you're doing well."

"Dad, I told you not to cover my head with your hands!" Shen Lingyi said angrily, her words as sharp as a cat's claws. She turned around and nestled into her parents' arms like a kitten.

Her parents were surprised by her closeness, but as she grew older, Shen Lingyi was no longer as affectionate with them as she had been in her childhood.

Shen Lingyi quietly shed a tear.

Yes, how could she forget...?

In that book, not only did she die, but her parents also died.

Jiang, who had always loved and protected her, had her throat slit and was thrown into a mass grave.

Shen Su died with ten thousand arrows piercing his heart. Before he died, he was still holding the amulet she had given him, fearing that his daughter would be left without protection after he died.

All these lives, taken together, ultimately amounted to nothing more than building up Shen Tingjiao's throne as Crown Princess.

His Majesty's harem, which has been empty for more than twenty years, is finally going to be filled with women, and countless women are eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Only Shen Lingyi knew that this was nothing more than a trap set against her. Presumably, Pei Heng was already searching for her all over the capital with that pearl hairpin.

She simply stayed indoors, waiting for the day she was summoned to the palace.

Three days later.

A carriage stopped in front of the General's Mansion. The old lady suffered from a leg ailment that had become unbearably painful in the winter. As a Lady of the Imperial Decree, she made a special request to the palace to be exempted from the trip, but instead sent her most trusted nanny, Granny Feng.

While everyone was preparing, Granny Feng's eyes were fixed on them like sharp blades.

"Wait a minute."

Seeing that Shen Lingyi was about to get into the carriage, she stopped her.

"What instructions does Granny have?" Shen Lingyi turned around, her crimson dress making her appear fiery red, directly overshadowing Shen Tingjiao, who was dressed in plain clothes and wore simple hairpins.

A hint of disgust flashed in Granny Feng's eyes. "The Second Miss's words are presumptuous, but this old servant will not say anything more. Anyway, the Miss won't listen."

"But there is an order of seniority. The old lady said that since we are entering the palace, we must abide by the rules. The eldest young lady should be in front and the second young lady behind. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say that our General's Mansion is from the countryside and has no manners at all."

Is this an insinuation that she is rude and uncouth?

"What you said, Granny, has reminded me," Shen Lingyi said, raising an eyebrow casually. "The rules in our household need to be changed. Otherwise, what if people see servants bullying their masters?"

She pointed and raised her chin, saying, "That spot looks nice, it's sunny and conspicuous. You can kneel there and wait for us to come back."

Granny Feng's face turned a mixture of pale and green.

Unfortunately, the place Shen Lingyi pointed to was right in the middle of the main gate.

If she kneels there and is seen by so many people coming and going on the street, how can she hold her head up and live a normal life?

"younger sister!"

Shen Tingjiao let out a sob, her fingers twisting the silk handkerchief, looking utterly pitiful. "I know you've always been dissatisfied with me, but Granny is Grandmother's person, and she's old; she probably can't bear this torment. I... I won't argue with you anymore, please let her go..."

There's only one way to get into the palace, and it's not just their family that's going to the banquet.

The female relatives of officials coming and going are not deaf, how could they not hear the argument at the entrance of the General's Mansion? If Shen Lingyi were to act recklessly as before and get into the carriage, she would be stepping right into Shen Tingjiao's trap.

Before long, rumors of her being willful, unreasonable, and bullying Sister Zhang will spread like wildfire.

Thinking about it carefully, this isn't the first time this kind of scenario has happened.

Shen Lingyi's current title of "the tyrant of Beijing" can be attributed half of its success to Shen Tingjiao.

Should we make concessions?

Shen Lingyi's lips suddenly curved into a smile, and for some reason, alarm bells went off in Shen Tingjiao's heart.

The next second, Shen Lingyi looked at me with a wronged expression: "Before leaving the manor, Grandmother called my sister over and talked for a long time. I guess she thought I was unruly and wanted my sister to keep a close eye on me. I've also made up my mind to behave and listen to her."

"After all, this trip to the palace isn't just about the two of us sisters, it concerns the entire General's Mansion. Why would you say such hurtful things to me, sister?"

...Sorry, she's also quite good at playing the victim.

Shen Tingjiao was stunned, wondering why her sister, who usually always fell for her tricks, had suddenly become so clever. She gave a guilty and embarrassed smile.

"Sister, you're wrong. I just can't bear to see Granny Feng suffer."

"But Grandmother said that servants must not deceive their masters," Shen Lingyi pretended not to know. "Last time I passed by the window, I overheard Grandmother teaching my sister. Could it be that I misheard?"

Not far away.

Xie Chichun lowered the curtain, the words Shen Lingyi had just uttered still faintly echoing in her mind.

Strange, this is different from what she learned from Shen Tingjiao.

The daughter of the Thousand Bull Guard General, who only knew how to wield weapons and would fall asleep whenever she touched a book, found her thoughts in a tangled mess.

"Chi Chun, you should reduce your contact with the eldest daughter of the Shen family in the future," the aunt who was with her suddenly said meaningfully after reading it.

Xie Chichun exclaimed "Ah," wanting to ask why, but then remembered that before leaving home, her mother had pinched her ear and told her to listen to her aunt in everything.

So he swallowed it back down.

"Oh……"

Her aunt looked at her with pity, sighed, and then became more interested in Shen Lingyi.

She had only heard of the latter's unruly reputation before, but she didn't know there was such a connection between them. Unlike Xie Chichun, who was full of swords and spears, she was used to the intrigues of the inner quarters and understood the farce at the General's Mansion today at a glance.

This second daughter of the Shen family is truly quite interesting.