preference

The next morning, Ping An told Cui Shenzhi and then took a few palace servants out of the palace to relax. As for Yuan Shuang and Yu Qin, Ping An gave them some gifts and then let them leave the palace to go home.

Watching Ping An leisurely walk away, Cui Shenzhi thought for a moment and felt that something was not right. After all, it wasn't the first time he had been this busy. Why would Ping An suddenly be as uneasy as she was yesterday? There must be a reason.

With a stern face, he asked, "Ju An, who did Ping An meet yesterday?"

"Your Majesty, it is Master Fu Xiuzhu of the Fu family."

really.

Cui Shenzhi thought to himself.

He knew that he and Ping An had always been on good terms. Why would Ping An suddenly think of putting someone else next to him? It all started with something as trivial as menstruation. It turned out to be Fu Xiuzhu.

“Send him to the palace.”

"yes."

*****

Fu Xiuzhu was somewhat surprised when he heard that Cui Shenzhi had summoned him.

He didn't suspect Ping An, after all, Ping An's panicked and uncertain appearance clearly showed that he had hit the nail on the head. In other words, Ping An and Cui Shenzhi were not really husband and wife, but they had no real feelings for each other. It was just that one of them was lustful and the other was after something profitable. Ping An would naturally not tell Cui Shenzhi about their conversation.

He was simply surprised that Choi Shin-ji would summon him.

From the very beginning, Fu Xiuzhu knew Cui Shenzhi's identity and roughly guessed what they wanted to do based on Cui Sugong and Shen Meiwu's words and actions. So, he had been trying hard to build a good relationship with Cui Shenzhi all these years, but Cui Shenzhi just couldn't get close to him no matter what.

—Just like Fu Yunjin, who is clearly his biological daughter and has been carefully raised for more than ten years, she still treats him as a stranger under the same roof, a blood relative.

So this was the first time Choi Shin-ji had taken the initiative to summon him.

But no matter how surprised he was, he still had to go. After all, Cui Shenzhi had no relation to the Fu family now and was the emperor, so he had no right to refuse.

Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Fu Xiuzhu respectfully bowed deeply to Cui Shenzhi, then stood upright in the hall, head slightly bowed, seemingly waiting obediently for Cui Shenzhi's instructions. However, Cui Shenzhi only saw the barely suppressed desire within him, a desire that seemed about to burst forth.

Cui Shenzhi lowered his eyes, his tone uncertain and somewhat probing as he asked, "Lord Fu, why did you say those things to Ping An?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed across Fu Xiuzhu's eyes.

Could he be mistaken? Is Ping An a fool? He clearly doesn't believe Cui Shenzhi, yet he still told Cui Shenzhi about their conversation? No, if Ping An really told him, Cui Shenzhi's tone wouldn't be so calm. So he only told him part of the story?

Fu Xiuzhu thought for a moment, then replied vaguely, "Your Majesty, Her Highness is the late Empress's daughter. Is there anything wrong with me telling her about the late Empress's past?"

Fu Yunjin?

Choi Shin-ji frowned.

No, if Fu Xiuzhu really only talked about Fu Yunjin's past, then Ping An shouldn't have been trying to get people into his life. He should have been worried about other people appearing in his life, since Fu Yunjin was the one who was brought into the lives of Shen Meiwu and Cui Sugong...

Cui Shenzhi choked up for a moment before he realized what was happening.

Yes, although the incident was caused by Shen Meiwu, the person who truly decided Fu Yunjin's fate and made the move was her husband of more than ten years, Cui Sugong.

With her gentle nature and having grown up amidst the storms of the Cold Palace, Ping An was naturally afraid and worried under Fu Xiuzhu's repeated provocations. She was afraid that he might be as ruthless as Cui Sugong, and that she might end up like Fu Yunjin. That's why she made the move of putting people around him, trying to please him in such a humble way and to prove that she was harmless.

As for why Fu Xiuzhu did this, it was of course to intimidate Ping An, so that Ping An would have no choice but to side with the Fu family in order to save his life and fight for power and profit for the Fu family, just like Fu Xiuzhu had always wanted him to marry a daughter of the Fu family.

The more Cui Shenzhi thought about it, the more heartbroken he felt, and the angrier he became.

Ping An suffered so much in the Cold Palace, and even after coming to his side, she was always trembling with fear. She finally found peace with him, but how long has it been? Fu Xiuzhu, relying on his blood relation with Ping An, has come to threaten her. Isn't Fu Xiuzhu worried that Ping An won't be able to handle it? What if Ping An does something irreversible in a moment of despair?!

Cui Shenzhi picked up the memorial he was holding and threw it at Fu Xiuzhu.

"Fu Xiuzhu! You are Ping An's blood relative, don't you think about her at all? She has such a gentle nature, and you still use the late Empress's matter to provoke her. Are you only satisfied when she is filled with anxiety and dies prematurely from excessive worry?!"

Fu Xiuzhu was somewhat bewildered as he recalled the scene of his meeting with Ping An yesterday.

Who? Who is Choi Shin-ji referring to? Who is soft-hearted? Is Choi Shin-ji insane? Or blind? Does Ping An seem to have anything to do with the word 'soft'?

But now is not the time to think about that.

Fu Xiuzhu composed himself and retorted, "Your Majesty is mistaken. Your Highness is my blood relative. How could I possibly provoke her? I merely shared some anecdotes about the late Empress with her, hoping to get closer to her. After all, she is the late Empress's only daughter and my own granddaughter."

Upon hearing this, Cui Shenzhi felt even more heartbroken and his anger intensified.

Yes, Ping An is Fu Yun Jin's only daughter, Cui Su Gong's daughter, and Fu Xiu Zhu's granddaughter. And what happened?

When Cui Sugong harmed Fu Yunjin, Fu Xiuzhu stood by and did nothing. They were clearly Ping An's blood relatives, yet they conspired to kill Ping An's most important mother. They also abandoned Ping An because she couldn't inherit the throne, causing her so much suffering. Now they ignored Ping An's blood and tears and wanted to use her as a tool to gain power.

"You know that Ping An is the late Empress's only daughter. You ruined the late Empress's life, and now you're not even sparing her only daughter. Fu Xiuzhu, is power so important to you? So important that you're unwilling to let go even though it's stained with the blood of your own family!"

Fu Xiuzhu felt that he was being scolded for no reason.

Yes, he loves power and he certainly didn't care about Fu Yunjin's life or death, but where did he not spare Ping An? Not to mention that he's stained with the blood of his own family.

Fu Yunjin is dead, but whether she's alive or dead, she didn't bring him or the Fu family any power. Ping An might bring him power, but given Ping An's personality... would he use bloodshed to gain power? Whose blood? Cui Shenzhi's? Or Cui Sugong's? It couldn't be his, could it?

"Your Majesty, I truly do not understand what you are saying," Fu Xiuzhu said, full of doubt. "The people who harmed the late Empress were the Emperor Emeritus and the sinner Shen, a fact known to all. How did it become my fault? As for Your Highness, I never intended to harm her, let alone shed the blood of my own family. I truly do not know what Your Majesty is trying to say."

Just then, Qingya, who had learned that Fu Xiuzhu had entered the palace, requested an audience outside.

Choi Shin-ji, considering the relationship between Ping An, Qing Ya, Fu Yun-jin, and Ping An, agreed.

After entering the hall, Qingya first bowed to Cui Shenzhi, and then knelt down.

Thinking about Cui Shenzhi's usual interactions with Ping An, Ping An's question to her that day, and Fu Xiuzhu's belittling of Fu Yunjin, she spoke with grief and indignation: "Your Majesty, I was present when Ping An met with Lord Fu yesterday. I clearly heard Lord Fu say that Ping An was helpless and would eventually end up like Your Highness."

Fu Xiuzhu was even more bewildered.

This wasn't entirely nonsense; it was just a different way of putting it. He changed his plan to use the sense of crisis to coerce Ping An into siding with the Fu family and fighting for power for both the Fu family and himself into the idea that he looked down on Ping An because he disliked Fu Yun Jin, and that he was just bored and came to bully the little girl.

This is such an obvious attempt to downplay the seriousness of the matter… Is Qingya helping him? Isn't Qingya completely devoted to Fu Yunjin and utterly disdainful of him? Why would she do this?

Just as Fu Xiuzhu was wondering why Qingya was helping him, he heard Cui Shenzhi's icy voice.

“Fu Xiuzhu has committed insubordination. He shall be stripped of all his official positions, given twenty strokes of the cane, and dragged out. All members of the Fu family who hold official positions shall be demoted three ranks. Fu Xiuzhu’s descendants shall be barred from taking the imperial examinations and from holding official positions for three generations.”

Fu Xiuzhu was dumbfounded.

Cui Shenzhi felt that he disregarded Ping An's life and death, and wanted to use Ping An to seize power and profit. He only pointed his finger at him and cursed. Qingya said that he bullied Ping An, and Cui Shenzhi ruined the future of the Fu family. Does this mean that bullying Ping An is a greater crime than using Ping An's princess status to seize power and profit? Has Cui Shenzhi really gone mad?

*****

This was Ping An's first time walking around the capital alone, and he couldn't help but look around curiously, keeping himself busy.

After all, she had only left the palace a handful of times in her life, and it was always Cui Shenzhi who took her from the East Palace all the way to the slums and back again. She had never really explored the city properly, so everything in the capital was new and exciting to her.

Clothing stores are novel, jewelry stores are novel, and even roadside stalls and vendors are novel.

Just as Ping An was hesitating in front of a small stall, wondering if buying these trinkets would make her seem too naive and unsophisticated, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Madam? What are you doing here?"

Ping An turned around, saw who it was, dropped what she was holding, and smiled.

"Lord Lin, what a coincidence."

Lin Yimo cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Yes, what a coincidence! Where are you headed, Madam? Would you like me to show you the way?"

Ping An thought of Lin Yimo's thorough knowledge of the princes and ministers, and his mind stirred slightly. He said with a hidden meaning, "I haven't decided where to go yet. I just want to find a place where we can talk without any worries and catch up. I wonder if Lord Lin has any recommendations?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yimo's brow twitched, and he said meaningfully, "I always keep a private room in Sihai Tower for emergencies. If you don't mind, please feel free to use it."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. However, I've never been to Sihailou before, and I don't know which signature dishes there are not to be missed. I'll trouble Lord Lin to show me the way and make the arrangements."

"It is my honor."

After saying that, Lin Yimo turned sideways and led the way for Ping An.