After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

Shen Jingque took Shen Yan's hand and stepped over the vermilion threshold.

The door closed behind them with a deep, authoritative sound.

The interior of the princess's residence is ten times more magnificent than it appears from the outside.

The passageway was wide enough for a horse to run across, and the pillars on both sides were painted crimson red, with a bronze beast crouching under each pillar.

Weapon racks hung under the eaves, with spears, halberds, and scimitars neatly arranged in a row, each one polished so that it reflected a person's image.

On the stone table in the garden, there was a silver spear that had not yet been put away, with faint traces of red on the tip.

Shen Yan glanced at the crimson color, his face turned pale, and his legs began to tremble again.

Shen Jingque's eyes lit up.

This interior design style clearly belongs to a powerful and influential person.

I've chosen the right person to follow!

She squeezed Shen Yan's hand tightly and whispered, "Dad, straighten your back and tuck in your stomach, show your scholarly air."

Shen Yan straightened his back with difficulty, his voice weak: "Que'er, is it too late for Father to regret it now?"

"It's too late, the doors are all closed."

Shen Yan glanced back at the tightly closed vermilion gate, then closed his eyes in despair.

Xiao Mingyue walked ahead without looking back at all.

It was as if the two people following behind them were not two living people, but two unimportant pieces of luggage.

We've arrived at the lobby.

Xiao Mingyue stepped across the threshold and sat down in the main seat, her gaze first falling on Shen Jingque.

Shen Yan stood in the center of the hall, twisting his cuffs with his fingers.

"Little girl, I'll ask you one more time."

How did you learn about Wang Changhe's matter?

Shen Jingque blinked, revealing an innocent expression.

"Your Highness, while I was waiting for my report outside the side gate, I heard two eunuchs dressed in palace clothes talking in the alley."

"One said something like 'His Majesty's mind is made up,' while the other said something like 'The prince's horoscope is compatible with His Highness'."

"Although I am young, I can tell they are talking about His Highness's marriage."

She spoke with great conviction.

The little girl's eyes were clear and bright, without any evasiveness or guilt, and she met her scrutiny openly and honestly.

Xiao Mingyue narrowed her eyes.

Her undercover agents sent back news three days ago, saying that the emperor had indeed privately asked the Imperial Observatory to match the horoscopes.

No more than five people know about this.

"What did those two eunuchs look like?"

Shen Jingque tilted her head, pretending to try hard to remember.

"One was chubby, and the other was skinny. The chubby one had a very high-pitched voice, and the skinny one kept bowing and scraping."

"This humble woman doesn't recognize the eunuchs in the palace, but she thinks their clothes are made of fine material."

He spoke vaguely, saying nothing at all, yet there was no flaw in his statement.

Xiao Mingyue stared at her for a few moments.

This girl has very clear and bright eyes; she doesn't seem to have been taught how to speak.

She suppressed her doubts for the time being and turned her gaze to Shen Yan.

"What's your name?"

Shen Yan stepped forward and bowed.

"This humble citizen is Shen Yan."

"My ancestors once held official positions, but... due to the decline of the family, they are now just commoners."

His voice was still trembling, but his pronunciation was much clearer than before.

Xiao Mingyue didn't speak, but just looked him over.

Shen Yan felt his ears burning from being stared at, but he forced himself to continue.

"The Shen family ancestors had been kind to the Du family, so after I married Ms. Du, we had two daughters."

"It is only because I have no official rank and cannot provide a better life for my wife and daughters that I feel truly ashamed."

"Now that Madam Du has proposed a divorce, she is remarrying with her eldest daughter. I have nothing of value and only intended to support my daughter by copying books and teaching elementary education."

He looked up as he said this.

Xiao Mingyue was looking at him.

Those eyes, usually cold and sharp, now held a scrutinizing and probing quality.

Shen Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Logically, they should be afraid.

For some reason, the woman's imposing and unapproachable aura reminded him of the female generals in books who wielded halberds and wore armor.

He exuded heroic spirit, like a god.

He had never seen a woman like this before.

And so, without realizing it, he blurted out what was on his mind.

"But after meeting Your Highness, I felt that if I could stay by Your Highness's side and serve you, even if it meant grinding ink and rubbing vermilion for you and organizing books, I would be willing to do so."

He froze after saying that, his ears turning so red they looked like they could bleed.

Shen Jingque stood to the side with her mouth agape.

Has her dad finally figured it out?

The effect is outstanding!

Xiao Mingyue tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest twice, revealing a playful smile.

"Did you know that my three predecessors all died violent deaths?"

The moment those words were spoken, the temperature in the entire lobby seemed to drop several degrees.

Shen Yan was startled.

Of course he knew.

Who in the entire capital doesn't know this?

The Princess Zhenguo was said to be cursed with bad luck in marriage, having married three different husbands, all of whom died suddenly.

Rumors circulate that she is a reincarnation of a jinx, and no man who has been associated with her has ever lived more than three years.

Before anyone could react to the change in his expression, Shen Jingque spoke first.

"I know!" she said cheerfully. "That's why my dad is the right one."

Shen Jingque counted on her fingers, analyzing the situation with a serious expression.

"Those young masters from prominent families in the capital are all as precious as porcelain dolls. Putting aside whether their birth charts are strong or not, their families certainly wouldn't be happy to send their sons here."

"But my dad is different."

"His birth chart shows a harmonious balance of fire and earth, which indicates a stable home and a prosperous family for his wife."

The system emitted a scream like a pig being slaughtered in my mind.

How can someone with a 37-degree mouth utter such cold words? Are you really selling out your father?!

Shen Yan's expression was indeed very complicated.

He couldn't tell whether his daughter was praising him or insulting him.

But his lips moved; he ultimately did not refute.

Hearing her precocious words, Xiao Mingyue's lips twitched involuntarily.

Shen Jingque keenly sensed Xiao Mingyue's emotions and seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.

"And Your Highness, look at my father's condition. If His Majesty wants to send anyone else in, just say so—"

"I already have a handsome consort, Your Majesty, thank you for your trouble."

She deliberately lowered her voice for the last sentence, mimicking Xiao Mingyue's cold tone.

The hall was silent for two seconds.

Xiao Mingyue suddenly burst into laughter.

Interesting, this little girl is very interesting.

She was notorious for her killings, and despite her high position and power, her nieces and nephews were unwilling to get close to her.

Therefore, it has been a long time since I've heard such vibrant sounds around me.

The steward, Uncle Xu, who was serving them, looked on in shock.

Their princess hasn't laughed like that in three years.

Xiao Mingyue's gaze fell on Shen Yan once again.

Shen Yan was looking down, his ears burning red, and his lips pressed tightly together.

The light from outside the window slanted in, falling on the unconventional and handsome figure, like a tall bamboo standing alone in the world.

Putting aside her doubts, the man in front of her was indeed very much to her liking.

This man did not speak ill of his ex-wife after their divorce, which shows he was upright and of good character.

But... she's not a teenage girl anymore, and she doesn't believe in the coincidence of falling asleep and finding a pillow.

The identities of this father and daughter need to be thoroughly investigated.

She then remembered what the palace eunuch had mentioned about Wang Changhe.

What kind of person is so talented and upright?

It was just a dog kept by the emperor.

She composed herself and made the final decision.

"You and your daughter can stay in the palace for a few days while I consider it."

She called the housekeeper.

"Uncle Xu, arrange guest rooms and provide them with food and clothing according to the regulations for retainers."

The butler, Uncle Xu, was an elderly man with gray hair. He responded with a sound of agreement.

Xiao Mingyue stopped abruptly at the door without turning around.

"Little girl, I will take what you just said as innocent childish talk."

"If it is discovered that your origins are illegitimate, my blade will show no mercy."

A layer of cold sweat seeped out on Shen Yan's back.

Uncle Xu walked over and bowed politely.

"Young Master Shen, Miss Shen, please follow this old servant."

Shen Jingque pulled Shen Yan up and followed Uncle Xu into the backyard.

Along the way, she carefully observed the layout of the princess's residence and silently memorized its structure.

As he passed through a bamboo grove, Uncle Xu suddenly quickened his pace.

Shen Jingque noticed a black lacquered courtyard gate deep in the bamboo forest.

The door was tightly closed, and three characters were written on the plaque above it.

【Shadow Bamboo Garden】

She sniffed it.

There was a very faint scent in the air, like herbs, or some kind of rotten sweet fragrance, seeping out from the crack in the door.

"Uncle Xu, who lives in that courtyard?"

Uncle Xu paused in his steps.

He didn't turn around, but quickened his pace, his voice sounding slightly unnatural.

"That courtyard...you two must not approach it."

Shen Jingque said "Oh" and obediently followed.

But out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the medicinal scent wafting from the crack in the door.

A courtyard that no one is allowed to approach, a mysterious smell of medicine?

Who lives here?

She clenched her fingers, a small question mark appearing in her mind.