Xia Mengxin stuck out her tongue, her cheeks flushed, and said pitifully, "Oh dear, isn't it because His Majesty is so handsome that I forgot?"

Seeing her younger sister's genuine remorse and her obvious affection for His Majesty, Xia Yuanya knew without asking that her emperor brother had won over her naive little sister the moment he appeared.

But it's not her fault... Xia Yuanya's ears turned red.

My own emperor brother is indeed too handsome. I wonder how my father and emperor brother's mother could have given birth to such a good-looking child.

Thinking of this, Xia Yuanya couldn't help but recall the face of her father when he was still alive and the appearance of her younger brother's mother. She didn't think her younger brother inherited his handsome and heroic face at all. So what about her younger brother's mother? Xia Yuanya tried hard to remember. She was older and had seen Consort Ling before. She vaguely remembered that she was a young and beautiful woman, but she felt that she was very different from the emperor.

However, it is indeed a miracle that the emperor's brother could have such an appearance.

The younger brother is already the emperor, and with that handsome face... If concubines were to enter the emperor's harem, they would fight tooth and nail for the emperor's favor.

Sitting on the platform, Qingyin was unaware that her second sister had already met her once and was already worrying about her harem.

—

Xia Yuanya's mind was a jumbled mess, and she didn't even realize that Eunuch Li De had arrived in person until her elder sister reminded her, at which point she hastily bowed.

"Eunuch Li De, I'm sorry, I was a little distracted and took a moment to bow," Xia Yuanya said apologetically to Eunuch Li De.

"Your Highness is too kind. This servant cannot accept such an honor." How could Eunuch Li De dare to offend the princesses whom His Majesty cared about? Moreover, as the chief steward, he could tell that the Second Princess had indeed been in a daze and hadn't realized he had arrived. She was genuinely embarrassed.

Seeing the sincerity in the second princess's eyes, Eunuch Li's smile became more genuine.

Remembering His Majesty's instructions, Eunuch Li De added a few more words: "Princesses, please don't worry. His Majesty is thinking of you and specially instructed me to bring you a few dishes. If you would like anything else, please just tell the servants and they will bring it to you immediately."

"Really? Brother, His Majesty said so?" Xia Mengxin said with surprise.

Faced with the unexpected words from the little princess, Eunuch Li smiled with unusual kindness and gentleness.

"Of course."

Xia Jingyao gently patted her younger sister, smiled at Eunuch Li, and gave a wink to the palace maid beside her. The maid, knowing the meaning, cleverly placed the prepared purse into Eunuch Li's hand.

"Eunuch Li, you're too kind. We've bothered you. Please tell His Majesty that we would be extremely grateful."

"Yes, then this servant will take his leave." Eunuch Li looked at the Third Princess, who was acting exceptionally well, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

Of all the princesses, the third princess was the most intelligent.

...

Grandpa Li De has returned.

Qingyin glanced at them and could tell what they were feeling just by looking at the excitement and satisfaction on the faces of the princesses in the women's section.

So they didn't let Eunuch Li explain in detail.

Moreover, she was quite curious about her cousin Xia Yuemin, who looked remarkably like her.

Taking advantage of her geographical location, Qingyin had the upper hand to observe her cousin.

Wearing an unremarkable, even somewhat old-fashioned, purple dress, Qingyin noticed that her cousin's attire was outdated, despite the seemingly fine fabric. However, looking at the other women below, she could clearly see that his clothes were quite different from the rest of the outfit. He also wore very few hair accessories. If it weren't for the fact that her cousin, Xia Yuemin, had a handsome, feminine appearance, he would have looked old and worn out by the dress.

The concubine's daughter sitting with him was dressed in a flamboyant manner, like a jeweled hairpin spirit. Her delicate and pretty face was not ugly under the backdrop of her clothes; on the contrary, she looked rich and lovely. But unfortunately, she had forgotten what kind of weather it was today.

The sun was blazing, and the girl, dressed in so many layers and adorned with so much jewelry, was dazzlingly bright under the lights. Moreover, because of the heat, the makeup on her face was starting to smudge, making her hardly a pretty girl.

Qingyin accidentally glanced at her half-sister next to her cousin and was almost blinded by the sunlight reflecting off her.

Qingyin: "......"

She rubbed her temples expressionlessly; it seemed her cousin was indeed having a tough time.

However, the Eighth Prince's wife is a good one.

Out of the corner of her eye, Qingyin saw the Eighth Princess sitting quietly in that spot, maintaining an upright and dignified posture despite the ridicule and disdain from those around her.

At that moment, Qingyin seemed to see not a woman, but a clever and calm female strategist.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Qingyin's eyes.

In fact, the Eighth Princess was indeed a strategist. If it weren't for her gender, how could Ms. Lin, who was raised by her grandfather, a prime minister of two dynasties, not be considered a strategist?

Thinking of this, Qingyin's gaze towards the Eighth Princess deepened slightly.

How should I put it? She suddenly felt like causing trouble.

Qingyin paused, a strange excitement suddenly welling up inside her.

This is... it seems she has found out what the original owner of the body truly thought?

Qingyin's lips curled slightly, and she suddenly looked with great interest at Lin Chaozong, who was sitting on the men's side and looking at the Eighth Prince with great anger.

Lin Chaozong, who was secretly cursing the Eighth Prince for favoring his concubines over his wife, being immoral, and treating his sister badly, suddenly sneezed.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!