Chapter 100 The Emperor's Incognito Visit: Shen Pingjin Must Go Too

She took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Shen Pingjin, and whispered in Shen Pingjin's ear, "Shen Pingjin, would you like to cooperate with me?"

"Cooperation?" The woman's breath was warm, brushing against her ear, making Shen Pingjin feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Luo Xi coaxed her gently: "Shen Pingjin, you used to like His Highness the Crown Prince so much. Even though you are now the Regent's Consort, don't you hate Shen Ruixue for framing you?"

Seemingly noticing the woman in front of her stiffen, Luo Xi knew that Shen Pingjin understood. "Shen Pingjin, I have secretly investigated. Your wrong marriage was a setup by someone else."

Shen Pingjin nodded. "I was indeed framed, but I was once your rival in love. Do you really believe I would cooperate with you?"

Luo Xi said, "Don't you hate Shen Ruixue for taking what should have been yours?"

Shen Pingjin said indifferently, "I'm doing quite well now, Miss Luo, you should leave."

She thought Shen Pingjin would agree, but to her surprise, she rejected her outright.

Luo Xi was still unwilling to give up. "Chen Pingjin, the Spring Banquet is coming soon. This Spring Banquet is the perfect opportunity for you to expose Shen Ruixue. You and His Highness have had a relationship for many years. Are you really going to give it all up just because of Shen Ruixue?"

Luo Xi still couldn't figure it out.

Shen Pingjin looked at Luo Xi as if she were a fool. This woman actually wanted to use her as a pawn?

However, she also sighed at how fast time flies; her first spring banquet after her marriage was just around the corner.

Shen Pingjin said with certainty, "Luoxi, don't worry. My heart and soul belong to the Regent now. I am very happy to be the Regent's Consort."

"As for His Highness the Crown Prince, I no longer care." Shen Pingjin was completely indifferent.

Luo Xi still refused to believe it. "Chen Pingjin, there are only the two of us here now. You don't need to lie to me!"

Chen Pingjin sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Luo Xi, I really don't like His Highness the Crown Prince. Why don't you believe me?"

Luo Xi said, "Then I just want to be friends with you, is that alright?"

Chen Pingjin asked with some doubt, "Are you sure?"

Luo Xi nodded very sincerely, "I just want to be friends with you." Since she couldn't use Shen Pingjin, she might as well become friends with her. In any case, it wouldn't do her or the Luo family any harm.

It's really strange. Luo Xi, seeing that she couldn't use me, actually said she wanted to be friends with me?

Shen Pingjin thought about it for a moment, and it didn't seem like a big deal. "What's the benefit of being friends with you?"

Luo Xi was taken aback. "The Spring Banquet is about to begin. Let's go together then, so that we won't be at a loss if something happens."

Shen Pingjin was a little puzzled. "Luo Xi, I remember that we have attended the Spring Banquet many times before. Why do we need to go together for this Spring Banquet?"

Luo Xi explained, "Don't you know that you just got married this year? This is the first spring banquet you'll attend after your wedding. The Emperor and Empress will be there. If you mess something up, won't you just become a laughingstock?"

Shen Pingjin snorted coldly, "I'm not the Crown Princess, why should I care about so many formalities? Besides, Yan Jue's reputation is already so bad, it shouldn't matter if my reputation is a little worse as the Regent's wife."

Luo Xi was surprised to find that Shen Pingjin had become so self-destructive after not seeing her for so many days. "Shen Pingjin, you weren't like this before!"

Shen Pingjin: "The past is the past, and the present is the present. You've come to me not only to cooperate with me, but also for some other reason."

Luo Xi's expression suddenly turned serious. "Our families are of similar social standing. Recently, the Emperor has been planning to make an incognito visit, specifically requesting some daughters of officials and important court officials to come and join in the fun, saying it's to add to the Spring Festival banquet."

Shen Pingjin frowned, "Traveling incognito?"

Luo Xi nodded, "Yes, it's an incognito visit. My father has already received the list, and it includes your name and the Regent's name."

Shen Pingjin seemed thoughtful. "That means that Yan Jue and I will both be going on this incognito trip. Is your name on the list?"

Luo Xi nodded: "Of course there are. Those who hold important positions in the court and have good family backgrounds, the young ladies of their families are almost all on this list."

"I really don't understand why the Emperor would bring us, the daughters of officials, along on his incognito trip." Luo Xi complained a little, after all, she could have just lazed around at home these days.

"Why did His Majesty choose to travel incognito before the Spring Banquet?" Shen Pingjin felt there was some connection between the two.

Anyway, Shen Pingjin is now the Regent's wife, no longer her rival in love. Luo Xi told her what she knew, "Shen Pingjin, there is news that in Jiangnan, a minister was selling smuggled salt and was discovered by the Emperor's Imperial Guards. However, now that Dongyue is politically clean, the Emperor does not believe that anyone is engaging in corruption under his nose, so he specially made a private visit to investigate the people's conditions."

Trading smuggled salt? Shen Pingjin seemed to have overheard Wen Xicha mention it when she passed by Yan Jue's study last time.

Does that mean Yan Jue also knew about this?

Shen Pingjin suddenly became interested in this matter. "Who doesn't know that the current Dongyue government is clean and efficient? How can anyone still dare to cause trouble under the Emperor's nose?"

Seeing Shen Pingjin's growing excitement, Luo Xi hesitated before asking, "Shen Pingjin, you're not really that interested in this incognito trip, are you?"

You should know that Shen Pingjin used to be extremely serious whenever she heard words related to the emperor, and she was never this excited as she is now.

If Luo Xi didn't know that only her father knew this news, she would have thought that Shen Pingjin had known about it all along.

Shen Pingjin nodded, "If you're going on an incognito trip, you'll definitely have to go to Jiangnan. Jiangnan has beautiful scenery, especially Huguang and Yangzhou. Don't you like the scenery there?"

Thinking about it this way, it does seem less boring now. Luo Xi pondered, "What you said seems to make a lot of sense."

"The Emperor will be summoning his ministers for a meeting tonight, and the Regent will likely be visiting the palace as well. How about... you treat me to dinner tonight?"

Shen Pingjin had just asked Young Master Qin how to use the barbecue grill a few days ago, and now that Luo Xi has arrived, it's perfect timing; she can use her as a test subject.

Shen Pingjin readily agreed, "Alright, since you're willing to share your intelligence with me, I'll cook for you myself as a reward for giving me this information."

Now it was Luo Xi's turn to be surprised. "Chen Pingjin, you really can cook?"

Shen Pingjin patted her chest proudly, "Of course! What is there that I, Shen Pingjin, can't learn?"

This made Luo Xi even more curious. "Chen Pingjin, it's already evening. Why don't you start now?"