If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

At the same time, Xiao Meier was also working overtime.

However, she wasn't researching the art of seduction, but rather a more advanced art of taming husbands.

She lightly tapped the scattered documents on the table with her fingertips, her sharp gaze seemingly trying to see through the words to the man's soul.

"Three years ago..."

She murmured softly, her fingertips lingering on one of the records:

Three years ago, Zhang Yu was nothing more than a mediocre talent who was incompetent and cowardly.

Three years later, however, he was able to stir up a storm in the capital.

She raised her head, looked at the restless King Qi beside her, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips:

"Father, do you believe in ghosts and gods?"

Or, to put it another way, do you believe that someone can be completely transformed in a short period of time, to the point of being completely replaced by another person?

King Qi was taken aback by her question, then shook his head:

"This... I only believe in power and authority, not in ghosts and gods."

But Zhang Yu is indeed a strange person.

"Yes, it's eerie."

Xiao Meier picked up the top sheet of paper, which recorded Zhang Yu's thrilling actions in the Marquis's mansion, his many close calls, and his eventual comeback against all odds.

"These methods, this cunning—where is the timid Zhang Yu of the past?"

She stood up and paced slowly in the study, her skirt flowing like clouds across the floor.

"That idiot Xiao Fenghua thought she could conquer a man with such a deep and unfathomable heart just by relying on her looks."

Xiao Meier sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes: "You really don't know your place."

She stopped, her expression regaining its composure, yet carrying an undeniable confidence: "Father, there's no need to worry. No matter how talented or heroic Zhang Yu may be, I have a way to win him over."

The next day, in the Imperial City Prison.

The once gloomy and desolate imperial stronghold is now filled with an eerie atmosphere of luxury.

To silence them, the royal family not only replaced all the jailers, but also cleared out the prisoners, leaving only Zhang Yu, Xiao Sheng, and Xiao Yun kneeling in a corner, trembling with fear in the vast prison.

Even more astonishing is that, overnight, the place was transformed into an extremely luxurious private club.

The iron prison gate and the heavy door were completely demolished and replaced with a beautifully carved rosewood door.

The dark passageway was covered with soft Persian carpets, and the walls on both sides were inlaid with ever-burning lamps, illuminating the place as bright as day.

The room was fully equipped with a kitchen, living room, and study, and even had maids and servants waiting in the various "prison" cubicles.

Although Zhang Yu himself refused, the royal family did not dare to neglect him in the slightest. All his food, clothing and daily necessities were of the highest quality, as if he were not there to go to jail, but to live in seclusion as a hermit.

Zhang Yu remained calm, leaning back on the soft couch covered with white tiger skin, holding a book in his hands, as if the surrounding luxury and noise had nothing to do with him.

Although Xiao Fenghua already knew about this matter, witnessing the scene of "the prison turning into a palace" still caused her great shock and turmoil.

She suppressed her shock and, following Aunt Liu's plan, began her "performance".

She changed out of the princess's crown that symbolized her status and power and put on an extremely soft and beautiful pink dress.

This outfit not only accentuated her shapely figure but also completely concealed her sharp edges.

She abandoned her usual bold and domineering steps and instead adopted the "graceful lotus steps" that Aunt Liu had taught her all night.

She swayed gracefully, her steps light and deliberate, each step carefully controlling the movement of her waist, striving to present a delicate and swaying figure.

Although the steps made her walk very awkwardly, she still gritted her teeth and continued.

To be fair, Xiao Fenghua truly deserves to be called a genius; she learns everything very quickly.

In just one night, he mastered all the knowledge taught by Aunt Liu, and the next step was to integrate it through practice.

The crisp, slightly strange sound of footsteps echoed through the spacious, luxurious prison.

Xiao Sheng, who was holding a plate of freshly peeled crystal grapes and trying to offer them to Zhang Yu with a fawning expression, subconsciously turned around upon hearing the sound.

With just one glance, he froze on the spot as if he had been frozen in place.

The fruit plate in my hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and the glistening grapes rolled all over the ground, splashing juice everywhere.

His mouth gaped open, his eyes wide, as if he had seen some incredible demon or monster.

"Eldest...eldest sister?"

Xiao Sheng's voice became sharp and distorted due to extreme shock:

"What...what kind of filthy thing has possessed you?"

Or did you suffer a qi deviation during yesterday's practice and damage your brain?

The woman before me, Xiao Fenghua, was dressed in a pink dress and moved with light, graceful steps, appearing as a delicate and helpless woman.

This was completely different from the sister he remembered, who could fight tigers with her bare hands and was a formidable warrior on the battlefield.

Faced with her brother's undisguised shock and doubt, Xiao Fenghua's delicate smile instantly froze, and a familiar murderous glint flashed in her eyes.

That was the intimidating power accumulated over many years by the eldest daughter of the Prince Jing's mansion, and the psychological shadow left by being "educated" by this older sister countless times.

Xiao Sheng shivered violently, swallowing back his even more outrageous remarks, though the look of horror on his face remained undisguised.

Xiao Yun, who was standing to the side, was also dumbfounded.

If he could still move, he would definitely rub his eyes with his hands to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

After confirming several times that he was not mistaken, Xiao Yun's face quickly showed an almost manic mockery.

The Prince Jing's Mansion and the Prince Rui's Mansion are mortal enemies. Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Yun have clashed repeatedly in the court and on the battlefield, and their grudges have been brewing for a long time.

In Xiao Yun's memory, this cousin was always a powerful and domineering woman. She had never been so coy and shy, with a girlish demeanor.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

Xiao Yun could no longer hold back and burst into a hysterical burst of laughter.

"Xiao Fenghua, what are you trying to do?"

"Is this a case of eating people?"

Xiao Yun laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears welling up in his eyes.

Faced with her brother's terror and her mortal enemy's maniacal laughter, Xiao Fenghua's delicate smile instantly froze, and a familiar murderous glint flashed in her eyes, but she immediately suppressed it.

She took a deep breath and forced out what she considered a "gentle and charming" smile.

Her gaze passed over the stunned Xiao Sheng and the incessantly laughing Xiao Yun, and went straight to the man on the soft couch who remained calm and composed—Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu raised his head, his gaze falling on the pink figure at the door, and he was slightly stunned.

It wasn't that I was amazed, but rather that I simply... didn't recognize him.

The last time we met, this eldest daughter of the Prince Jing's mansion was dressed in magnificent robes and a crown, displaying impeccable manners.

At that moment, she was like a drawn sword, exuding domineering power, as if she wanted to execute him on the spot.

But the one in front of me...

Wearing a pink dress that clashed with her temperament, she walked unsteadily as if she might fall at any moment, and her facial expression was so stiff that it looked like she was wearing a human skin mask.

The contrast was so great that he almost thought he was seeing things.

However, one thing remained the same: Xiao Fenghua also wanted to execute him on the spot.

"Princess?"

Zhang Yu called out tentatively, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty and an indescribable strangeness.

"Your outfit today..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over her, as if trying to reconcile the "strange" woman before him with the dignified and noble princess he remembered.

In the end, all I could do was helplessly remark, "It is... quite unique."

His tone was calm, without Xiao Sheng's fear or Xiao Yun's sarcasm.