C311

The evening was about to arrive when a chilly breeze unique to summer nights blew gently across his face. Prime Minister Shen looked at his well-dressed daughter and repeatedly instructed the servants to prepare a carriage before sighing.

"Qiu Bai just returned from Grand Dominance and completed his mission day and night. Must we go? " Shen Qiubai's mother, Ling Yanqiu, had tears in the corners of her eyes, as if the one she was sending her daughter to was not the palace that was revered by tens of thousands of people, but a prison that ate human flesh.

"Qiu Bai is very beautiful tonight. I presume Your Majesty would like it." Prime Minister Shen caressed his daughter's hair for the last time with kindness. His eyes were gentle and firm. He was afraid that the madame would say something unpleasant in front of the public, so he got into the carriage and sent his daughter out.

"Autumn Snow looks just like any other girl in the capital when she was young. Other than the two from Minister Hu's family and the married Luo Lingxiao, there's no other girls who would feel any pressure." Prime Minister Shen comforted his wife, then said to his daughter, "Have you prepared the items to bring into the palace tonight? "All the young mistresses have been preparing for a long time, is Qiu Bai confident that he can take the lead?"

"Father, everything is ready." Shen Qiu Bai looked at the carriage with a faint smile on his face.

There was no good feast.

The empress summoned the capital's daughter to a feast in the summer solstice, obviously to emulate Wan-Ling who. He had planned on selecting the girls he liked in advance so that he could win them over to his side. Planning for the upcoming talent show...

It was truly a good plan.

Shen Qiubai's gaze descended upon the busy attendant in front of the carriage and his gaze gradually turned deeper.

He didn't know when the news had leaked out, but ever since the family moved to Grand Dominance, the princess' body had become even heavier. Previously, she had only felt uncomfortable, but now, she was severely ill.

Everyone guessed that the empress was planning to take advantage of Imperial Concubine Jin's illness to take her life.

When Ye Feihan learned that the beauties of the imperial harem had departed, he had deliberately planned for the talent show. He feared that the imperial edict would arrive very soon.

The capital is full of old foxes. They know in advance which one of them doesn't want to be Minister Hu's number two." Therefore, he secretly ordered his daughter to plan a lot of things. The table that is not on the table. There were countless numbers.

It was a great chance to get out of trouble, but it depended on whether the empress was willing to give it to him.

Prime Minister Shen nodded his head in satisfaction as he received the confirmation. It seemed to him that a daughter like this was the most suitable for harem survival. She was gentle and demure, with scheming and, most important of all, loyalty.

"That's good then. Recently, the situation in the palace has been complicated. And … Be careful of the empress. "

Prime Minister Shen thought for a moment before giving his advice to Shen Qiubai. If he offended the empress, it would be difficult for him to enter the palace later. The Prime Minister's family only had one daughter, Shen Qiubai. There shouldn't be any problems with her.

In his heart, he secretly looked down on the child he had given birth to. He felt that his bones were filled with an unerasable pettiness, and Prime Minister Shen's clan was a clan that allowed no one to take in a concubine at forty years of age. Prime Minister Shen was still a long way from his prime, and he wasn't infatuated with beauties. Thus, he only had Shen Qiu Bai as his daughter. He hadn't taken in a concubine either.

For many years, Ling Yanqiu and her husband supported each other and went through many storms. Ling Yanqiu had always been the same to him as well. The two of them could be said to have the same facial expression …

He had already allied with that person. He definitely could not let that queen, who did too much, destroy this important chess piece.

The Queen, that stupid thing, thinks she controls the whole thing. In reality, he had long since become a chess piece in the hands of others, and every single step he had taken was within his expectations.

When he thought of this, Prime Minister Shen unconsciously revealed an indescribable admiration towards that person in the shadows.

"Thank you for the reminder, Father." Shen Qiubai nodded his head again.

As Shen Qiu Bai and Prime Minister Shen finished speaking, the time was almost up. Under the cool breeze, she lifted her skirt and slowly stepped across the shaft of the carriage, the wooden wheels rolling up and down. Prime Minister Shen mounted his horse and led the way for his daughter.

As Madam Shen watched the two of them leave, a myriad of emotions surged through her heart. She could not stop her husband's plans, nor could she free her daughter from the fate of being manipulated.

"What should I do?"

Ever since her husband had sent Chen Lingxi to the palace, the matter had reached an unending point.

The capital of the Xuan Kingdom had a curfew. In order to pray for a temporary pardon, Ye Feihan had since the fall of Imperial Consort Jin's illness hoped to use his bustling popularity to ease the atmosphere of the harem.

The streets that were bustling with noise and excitement during the day did not become empty and lonely because of the curtain of night. People in the city rarely came across such a situation. Who knew when His Majesty, who came out from seclusion, planned to restart the curfew? Thus, they were all taking advantage of the moment when they were out selling to earn more silver to pay the tax.

There was no other reason. The curfew was relaxed, and there was also the tax. The head tax had grown from ten cents per month to fifteen cents per month. If he didn't come out and do business, he really couldn't afford it.

The wheels of the carriage rolled to the corner of a busy street, and a carriage came out from another alley, blocking Prime Minister Shen's way.

"Oh, Brother Shen." I heard that your beloved is unwell and went to Guanling Village to recuperate, so when will you be back? "

Prime Minister Shen frowned. A busy district was not a place to casually stop and reminisce about old times. With an unfriendly expression, he tightened the reins and stopped the horse. A man dressed in the uniform of a third rank official greeted him.

However, his greeting made people feel uncomfortable.

The man mocked in an almost sinister manner as he looked at Prime Minister Shen's reaction with a smile.

Prime Minister Shen was the leader of the imperial court, being below one man and above ten thousand people. He was the commander of the imperial court's civil and military officials. Since when had he been ridiculed in public? He knew that Minister An had mistaken him for intentionally sending his daughter back to Grand Dominance when it was an emergency and was waiting for the empress's banquet.

Since he could misunderstand, it naturally saved Prime Minister Shen a lot of trouble, so he pretended to be angry as he looked at Minister An.

"Everything is fine, I have to trouble Master An to remember." Shen Qiu Bai parted the curtains with a gentle smile on his face. "But we'll be heading for the empress's banquet soon. We can't get out of the car to pay our respects, I hope you'll forgive us."

The visitor was Anqing, the official third-grade Minister of Rites, who was on the same side as Minister Hu. He had a different position from Prime Minister Shen. He was a true prince.

He was also the father of An Se, who was engaged to Guanling and had made a ruckus with Hu Rong that was known to the world.

"It's alright. Since Qiu Bai is not feeling well, there's no need to be so formal." Minister An stroked his beard and laughed.

Shen Qiu Bai turned his head and saw the carriage arriving late behind the man. The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a face as cold as ice.

The girl in the carriage was the famous Flower of the High Mountains in the capital. The girl was young and beautiful, but she was still cold and did not lie to anyone.

She was completely different from her father, who she was always greeting everyone with a smile.

Shen Qiubai laughed, "This must be Miss An. After not seeing her for a few years, she's become even more beautiful now." "She has quite the elder sister's demeanor …"