Liu Xiangning's legs were still trembling.

Jiang Yinjin, who was playing the instrument, was also very nervous, and played the piece rather reservedly.

The King of Qin believed that the two women's reactions were normal.

This Gu worm is the only abnormal one.

Chen Mianmian was taken aback. [Scared? Oh right, I should show I'm scared!]

[Right now, all I can think about is how to get the male and female leads together; I don't have time to be afraid!]

[Just act! What else can you do but act?]

She hurriedly rose, knelt on the ground, head bowed, her slender figure trembling, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness... Your Highness's appearance is divine, your aura is overwhelming, this humble woman... this humble woman is afraid..."

The King of Qin withdrew his gaze, his tone slightly sarcastic, "Get up."

"This humble woman thanks Your Highness." Shen Mianmian stood up, bowed respectfully, and stood in her original position.

[Tsk! Is this all there is to it? First, bring the female lead here and make it clear that she and the young master Bai have no feelings for each other and haven't consummated their marriage. Second, help the female lead showcase her talents, impressing and impressing the male lead. Third, get rid of the unimportant master-disciple duo and leave the precious time for the male and female leads?]

[I think this is enough. Staying any longer won't help them get together; it'll just be awkward.]

[Furthermore, our female lead is no ordinary person. In the original story, she was very aware of her strengths and cleverly revealed information about her past life to the male lead at the most opportune time, enabling him to successfully suppress the Prince of Jin's rebellion and ultimately ascend to the throne as regent!]

The King of Qin was suddenly startled—the Prince of Jin had rebelled?

What does this mean? Does it mean that Prince Jin will rebel in the future, and with the help of the so-called "female lead," he will become the regent?

The King of Qin's eyes turned slightly cold—putting aside whether the King of Jin's rebellion was real or not, just to put it another way, according to Gu Zi's idea, he, a dignified man, was to become the regent with the help of this woman?

The music continued.

Perhaps the player had adjusted their mindset; the music was no longer as strained as before, but rather more relaxed, showcasing its inherent tonal charm.

Chen Mianmian secretly thought to herself, [It's settled then! I'll leave as soon as the female lead finishes playing the piano! She'll definitely be fine, good luck, female lead!]

"..." King of Qin.

After listening to the zither music for a while, the King of Qin's furious mood gradually calmed down, and he continued to analyze the information sent by the Gu Zi—that the "female lead" would tell him about her past life.

A past life? In other words, this woman has lived two lives? So, she can "predict" the future?

It seems that the person behind the information and analysis that Jiang Shenyan provided to him was this woman.

Furthermore, Jiang Shenyan's repeated "predictive" actions had made him wary, and Jiang Shenyan was indeed suspicious.

These brother and sister actually thought they could manipulate him at will?

Finally, Jiang Yinjin's piano playing came to an end.

Shen Mianmian immediately said, "Your Highness, the banquet in the front yard still needs help. I need to go to the front yard to help."

The King of Qin stared at the woman silently, pondering whether or not to let her go.

Then, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the woman who had finished playing, and noticing the calculation and shrewdness in her eyes, he nodded to Gu Zi, "Please go ahead."

After obediently kneeling to pay her respects to the King of Qin, Chen Mianmian grabbed Liu Xiangning and ran away as fast as she could.

The two ran for a while before Chen Mianmian stopped and burst into laughter, which made Xiang Ning, who was standing to the side, feel a chill run down her spine.

"Master... Master, please stop laughing... Your laughter is so creepy... I'm so scared..." Liu Xiangning said in a trembling voice.

Shen Mianmian suppressed her smile, then thought about it again. Her current behavior was indeed quite strange. Putting herself in Xiang Ning's shoes, she would also be afraid.

She looked at Xiang Ning, and seeing the woman's beautiful face pale and lost in thought, a feeling of reluctance welled up in her heart.

Seeing her master's increasingly sorrowful eyes, Liu Xiangning's heart tightened. "Master, what's wrong with you today? Are you possessed? You've been acting strangely ever since the Three Yuan Banquet... How about I take you home first, and after the banquet, I'll find a sorceress..."

Chen Mianmian chuckled, then shook her head. "I'm not possessed. You go and get busy in the front yard. I'll go check on the young master. Oh, by the way, you should have some time to think about whether you want to marry Guanshui. If you do, I'll help you with the wedding arrangements; if you don't, I won't force you. Do as you please."

Liu Xiangning stared in disbelief, feeling as if her master was giving her instructions before her departure.

...

The Crown Prince was unable to attend today's Three Scholars Banquet due to his health condition.

The front courtyard was entirely entertained by Marquis Anning and Minister Jiang.

Bai Qingzhou and Jiang Yinjin are still married, and in the eyes of outsiders, the two families are still in-laws and serve in the same court. Moreover, considering the Jiang family's reputation, Marquis Anning and Minister Jiang are acting very warmly towards each other.

In addition, some of Marquis Anning's friends helped him. It is worth mentioning that, in addition to his previous friends, Marquis Xuanping was also added.

That's right, it's our former arch-enemy, Marquis Xuanping.

The people of Xuanping Marquis's mansion frequently did things that harmed Anning Marquis's mansion, but Anning Marquis generously forgave them. Xuanping Marquis felt very guilty. Later, the two drank together several times and had several deep conversations, which actually cleared up many misunderstandings and they found that they were surprisingly compatible.

The two hit it off immediately and became incredibly close.

In addition to the officials, the Marquis of Anning's residence specially hosted the upright officials in two courtyards, headed by Scholar Ma and Mr. Ouyang.

Originally, the nobleman and the Qingliu faction were not exactly irreconcilable, but they were clearly distinct. However, because Mr. Ouyang taught the young prince Bai Shizi to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations, everyone believed that this was the achievement of the Qingliu literati.

In short, the Marquis of Anning's residence was as lively as it could possibly be today.

To everyone's surprise, the Emperor personally ordered Eunuch Ji to deliver an imperial edict congratulating Prince Bai on obtaining the title of "Little Three Scholars" and bestowing upon him many riches, bringing the Three Scholars Banquet to its climax.

...

Qingfeng Courtyard.

A moment of silence.

When Chen Mianmian came in, she saw a servant sitting at the door, basking in the sun, and dozing off.

When the servant saw Consort Shen arrive, he was startled and hurriedly struggled to get up.

Chen Mianmian smiled and said, "If you're sleepy, go inside and pull up a chair, then sleep by the young master's door. That way you can keep watch over him without catching a cold. It's already late autumn; what if you catch a cold sleeping outside?"

The servant apologized repeatedly while expressing his gratitude with a flushed face.

I was deeply moved by Aunt Shen's beauty, kindness, and approachable nature.

Not to mention Qingfeng Courtyard, even among the servants of the entire Marquis's mansion, no one could utter a single word of disapproval when it came to Consort Shen.

Chen Mianmian didn't say anything more and went into her room.

Inside the room, Bai Qingzhou, who was taking a nap, heard the conversation outside the door and slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw the woman walking towards her with a smile.

My eyes were still heavy with sleep, and my vision was blurry.

In the hazy light, the woman appeared as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven, beautiful yet ethereal, as if she could return to heaven at any moment.

Bai Qingzhou stretched out his hand, "Mianmian, come here."

"You're here. How are you today?" Shen Mianmian didn't think much of it and walked over, naturally placing her hand in his.

Immediately afterwards, the person was pulled into his arms.

Bai Qingzhou hugged the woman tightly, confirming her real presence, "I'm not okay when you're not here. I'm okay now that you're back."