The Zhou family held their flower-viewing banquet in a separate courtyard east of the Daxiangguo Temple.

It is springtime now, and peach blossoms are everywhere. Enjoying wine, appreciating flowers, and composing poems under the peach trees is the most elegant and refined thing to do.

When the Shen family's carriage arrived at the Daxiangguo Temple, they saw several carriages blocking the way ahead, arguing and shouting as if they were fighting for the right of way.

Shen Youying didn't want to cause trouble and was about to ask the coachman to take a detour when she suddenly saw a carriage speeding past. Despite the congestion of carriages and people ahead, the coachman didn't stop and instead cracked his whip, rushing forward.

The crowd of carriages and people blocking the entrance to the Xiangguo Temple were thrown into chaos and hurriedly moved to both sides to make way.

A young man, startled, fell from his horse and, covered in dust, scrambled to his feet, yelling at the departing carriage, "Whose carriage is this? I'll find out and make sure they regret it!"

He continued his tirade, when suddenly the carriage that had already gone far ahead turned back. The person inside lifted the curtain, revealing a pale face with a half-smile, and asked with a grin, "Oh? Tell me, how are you going to make this king suffer?"

His tone was very gentle, and he even had a smile on his face, but it exuded a gloomy coldness that sent chills down one's spine.

When the young man who had made the threats saw his face, he trembled with fear and repeatedly begged for forgiveness: "I did not know you were His Highness the Prince of Qin. I have offended you greatly. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Xue Shen rested his elbow on the edge of the car window, still smiling as he watched him beg for mercy without saying a word.

Shen Youying, who was behind him, caught a glimpse of his profile and thought his features were very deep, with a somewhat otherworldly, eerie quality. He was indeed beautiful, but there was a chilling gloom in his handsomeness, like a colorful venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

The other person seemed to notice her gaze and turned to look at her.

Shen Youying was startled and quickly looked away.

The young man was still begging for mercy, but Xue Shen grew impatient and clicked his tongue in disapproval. He then said mercifully, "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll grant you ten lashes."

After he finished speaking, the coachman jumped off the carriage to catch the young man, but no one around dared to plead for him.

The young man, fearing the infamous reputation of the King of Qin, dared not run away. He could only stand there and endure ten lashes. Although he was in so much pain that he grimaced and sneezed, he dared not cry out loud, for fear that the King of Qin would find it too noisy and punish him with more lashes.

The coachman was clearly used to this kind of work. He finished whipping the horse quickly, put away the whip, and drove the carriage away, leaving behind only a cloud of dust and a crowd of people who were still in shock and fear.

After this commotion, no one dared to argue over the right of way anymore, and the carriages quickly left one after another, as if they were being chased by ghosts.

The unfortunate young man, who had been beaten, groaned as the servants carried him onto the carriage. He dared not shout or curse again, for fear that the King of Hell would hear him and come back to beat him up again.

The carriage, which had been at a standstill, began to move again, swaying and wobbling.

Shen Youying lowered the carriage curtain, recalling the wicked face she had just glimpsed. Her fingers, gripping the handkerchief, tightened, her knuckles turning white.

When Madam Fang persuaded her to marry into the Prince of Qin's household, she wasn't angry. She knew Wang Deshun's words weren't without merit. If she truly had no other choice, marrying the Prince of Qin might not be a bad option.

Even if the King of Qin cannot spare her father from imprisonment, it would be good if she could send him some things to make him more comfortable in prison.

Throughout history, countless officials have died quietly in prison before the truth came to light.

As long as a person is alive, there will always be a day when their injustice is cleared.

Before meeting the King of Qin, Shen Youying was blindly optimistic, thinking that the worst outcome would be marrying into the King of Qin's mansion.

But when she actually met the person, she realized that she might have oversimplified things.

The King of Qin was not an easy person to get along with.

There are rumors that the name of the King of Qin can stop children from crying at night, and calling him the "Living Yama" is not without reason.

Not only Shen Youying thought so, but Bai Luo and Dan Zhu also seemed to have the same idea, looking at her hesitantly: "Miss..."

They wanted to offer some words of advice, but didn't know how to begin. Bai Luo, in particular, had her round face scrunched up in worry.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Shen Youying lowered her eyes to look at the messy lines on her palm, unsure whether she was comforting them or herself: "If we can find out about Father, things may not get to the worst."

*

Because someone from the Prince of Qin's residence suddenly arrived and caused a slight delay, Shen Youying was a little late for the banquet. When she arrived, many guests had already arrived.

Zhou Zhenrong was chatting with the other ladies when she saw her walking gracefully towards her. She raised her fan to cover her lips and laughed, saying to the others, "Look who's here! I thought my little temple couldn't contain such a big Buddha as the Second Miss Shen, and that the Second Miss Shen wouldn't bother to come."

Sitting next to her was Wang Baizhi, the fifth daughter of the Wang family and the concubine of Prime Minister Wang Yuanguang. Upon hearing this, she smiled and replied, "Times have changed. People have to adapt to the changing circumstances. What's that old saying again? 'Those who understand the times are heroes.' Don't you think so, Miss Shen?" She looked at Shen Youying with a smile, her expression filled with undisguised sarcasm.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; when a drum is broken, everyone beats it.

In the past, let alone a mere concubine's daughter from a prime minister's family, even Zhou Zhenrong would have to treat her with utmost respect.

Shen Youying lifted her eyelashes slightly, looked at Zhou Zhenrong openly, and said softly, "I thought the Third Miss sincerely invited me to the banquet."

She was already beautiful, with a face like a lotus blossom and eyes as clear as autumn water. These days she had become even thinner. A pea-green pleated skirt cinched her waist so slender it could be encircled with one hand, while a loose pink and white straight-collar jacket draped over her body. Her black hair was lightly tied up, and she wore no makeup. Elegant and simple, she stood in the dim sunlight like a delicate flower swaying in the breeze.

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