When Lord Xiao met the Fourth Prince, he was leisurely sipping tea.

The scent of sandalwood wafts through the living room.

When he saw them come in, he put down his teacup and stroked the tabby cat lying on his legs with both hands.

Her face was rosy and she had a smile on her lips. She didn't look sick at all.

He didn't even pretend to be sick.

After saying hello, Li Sisi consciously handed over the "battlefield" to Lord Xiao.

After the greetings, Lord Xiao explained his purpose.

The Fourth Prince didn't look surprised, and even seemed to have expected it.

He spoke calmly, "Do you remember the Spring Tide performance during the Autumn Moon Festival every year?"

Li Sisi: ???

A face full of black question marks, is there any connection?

Li Sisi looked at Lord Xiao and saw that he was also frowning. She didn't know whether he understood or not.

The Fourth Prince didn't seem to want to hear their answer. He chuckled and said, "When the tide is high, the powerful on both sides of the river try to take advantage of the current to compete for profit, but the current is so fast that if you're not careful, you'll be caught in a whirlpool. I find it much more enjoyable to watch the thousands of ships pass by from the shore than to fight for water on the waves."

Li Sisi: Why didn’t I notice before that the Fourth Prince could be so roundabout in his speech?

Lord Xiao took a half step forward and asked, "Your Highness, do you understand that the word 'neutrality' is just a mirage in the current situation?"

He pulled out a piece of paper and spoke earnestly, "This is the letter I intercepted yesterday. The Crown Prince's secret guards are already eliminating dissidents, including neutral officials in the court. If Your Highness continues to stand by and watch, once the Crown Prince's rebels enter the palace, the entire capital will be in turmoil. I dare to speak frankly and implore Your Highness to raise your arms and rally your former subordinates to aid the Emperor."

The Fourth Prince's tone was slightly cold. "Your Excellency thinks too highly of me. I have never participated in the affairs of the court. I just want to be an idle prince. I hope your Excellency will not mistake me, a spare piece, for a powerful chess piece that can influence the game."

"If there were only important pieces on the chessboard, without the idle ones, wouldn't there be any way to succeed? Not to mention you being a prince, even ordinary people could overthrow the regime if they worked together." Li Sisi suddenly spoke up, "Fourth Prince, you are a member of the royal family. Your words carry more authority than any official, not to mention the common people. You were born high and mighty, no different from the crown prince or the emperor. It's just that you're too open-minded, so you don't want to bother."

"But things are different now. If the Crown Prince really becomes the Emperor, do you think he would let you, who previously supported the Emperor, go? He's a vindictive man!"

"Chen Fu!" Lord Xiao didn't expect her to speak so bluntly, and hurriedly scolded her to stop her.

The Fourth Prince was not surprised by her tone. Instead, he said with interest, "Second Madam, what you said is quite pertinent. However, I still don't want to get involved in those troublesome matters. If the Crown Prince really becomes the Emperor, the worst that can happen is that I can go to a remote place to farm. It doesn't matter."

"Then everything you've collected will be confiscated, and your treasures will become someone else's. Furthermore, your status will be confined to Anyang State. Then, you'll lose your title, and you won't be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor for free. And your land will be cultivated by your beauties..."

"Stop!" The Fourth Prince raised his hand to stop her from continuing.

Li Sisi shut up and looked at him.

The Fourth Prince held his forehead with his hand, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Well, how about you do it for me in my name?"

"Ah?" Li Sisi was confused. How could such a thing happen to her?

“Who will listen to me?”

Lord Xiao also said: "She is a woman, unable to convince others, and she does not have the ability."

"I don't like what you said, father. Why don't I have that ability?" Li Sisi said unconvinced.

The Fourth Prince immediately agreed: "Yes, what's wrong with being a woman? The competent one gets the job!"

The Fourth Prince solemnly handed the token to Li Sisi and said, "Second Madam, please do as you please. I will arrange for your trusted aides to serve you."

He patted Li Sisi's shoulder and said, "Do your best. I believe in your ability."

"This..." Li Sisi felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what was wrong.

The Fourth Prince continued, "I have witnessed the Second Madam's abilities. Calling her a 'heroine' is no exaggeration. Now is the time for you to demonstrate your abilities."

Ah... this is a bit exciting.

Li Sisi held the token and nodded solemnly: "Okay, I will definitely live up to your trust."

Lord Xiao: ...

Don't understand, but respect.

Compared to being rejected, this is at least half the success, right?

The Fourth Prince seemed to be in a good mood and said, "My Lord, please go back first. I will take the Second Madam to familiarize myself with the generals under my command."

Lord Xiao looked deeply at Li Sisi.

But she waved at him: "Father, go back and wait for my news."

The corners of Marquis Xiao's mouth twitched slightly.

I had no choice but to say goodbye to the Fourth Prince.

After seeing off Marquis Xiao, the Fourth Prince called his confidant and told him to obey Li Sisi's orders from now on.

Li Sisi said goodbye to the Fourth Prince and was about to leave the Fourth Prince's mansion when she ran into Wen Luoxin holding a child.

They had known for a long time that Wen Luoxin had moved into the Fourth Prince's residence.

It was a special arrangement made by the princess before she left, and of course it was the most appropriate arrangement. After all, her child was the fourth prince's biological son.

"Second Madam, nice to see you again." Wen Luoxin greeted her with a smile while holding the child.

Li Sisi saw that she was still pretending to be dignified and didn't seem anxious at all about the current situation.

She had analyzed Wen Luoxin's actions with Nian Nian before.

Wen Luoxin probably wants to be the queen or the queen mother and rule the harem.

But the Fourth Prince insisted on maintaining a "neutral" stance, and she was not in a hurry?

This means that she is very sure that the Fourth Prince will be the final winner.

Could it be that... the Fourth Prince is not as peaceful as he appears to be?

If Wen Luoxin really became the queen, would she and Nian Nian still be able to live a good life in the future?

No, I have to go back and discuss it with Nian Nian.

As soon as Li Sisi stepped out of the gate of the Fourth Prince's mansion, she found Marquis Xiao waiting for her.

"Father, why didn't you go back?"

Lord Xiao glanced at the Fourth Prince's confidant following behind her and said, "There are some things you don't understand. I'll take you there to familiarize yourself with them first."

Li Sisi's face lit up: "Okay."

According to the Fourth Prince's intention, she should lead these people to maintain the security of the capital, protect the people, and earn a good reputation.

On the way, Li Sisi told Lord Xiao what the Fourth Prince meant.

Lord Xiao nodded and glanced at the well-dressed middle-aged man riding a horse following Li Sisi.

Li Sisi immediately understood and introduced: "He is the Fourth Prince's most trusted person. With him around, those people will be more obedient."

The corners of Marquis Xiao's mouth twitched slightly.

He has strong limbs but a simple mind.

How could the Fourth Prince trust her so much?

A gleam flashed in Lord Xiao's eyes.

The seemingly peaceful Fourth Prince is not as simple as he seems.