They look so alike, it would be hard to believe they weren't Prince Yu's daughter.

"Guca greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

Yu Honghua knelt down and bowed to the Emperor.

Having nothing to do lately, Yu Honghua had Hong Zhaoxuanyin teach her a lot about palace etiquette.

She felt that she was always the daughter-in-law of the royal family, and that her identity might be exposed one day, at which point she would come in handy.

As it turned out, she was indeed prescient.

Qiao Qiu looked at her, her eyes full of tenderness.

How many people have seen Qiao Qiu with this expression? It's like she's become a completely different person.

It was at this moment that the ministers discovered the change in their crown prince.

No longer aloof, he had become more composed, a man now, and his aura had softened. He was no longer so unfathomable, but seemed approachable.

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor nodded and smiled, "Gu Ke has grown up to be so generous. If Prince Yu knew this in the afterlife, he would surely be pleased."

Civil and military officials...

Your Majesty, you seem to have forgotten what this Princess Guca used to do.

Regardless of what she does, she is now the Crown Princess, and no one else has the right to say anything more.

"Proclaim the imperial decree." The Emperor waved his hand.

Eunuch Gui stepped forward, holding the imperial edict, and opened it. "Yu Honghua, receive the edict!"

Yu Honghua knelt down again, and then Eunuch Gui began to read: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Yu Honghua is the daughter of the late Prince Yu. Now that she has been found, her status as a princess is restored. Due to various misunderstandings, Gu Ke was not rightfully made my daughter-in-law. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon Gu Ke the title of Crown Princess. A date will be chosen for the ancestral worship ceremony to be held and the whole world will be informed. This is the imperial decree!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Eunuch Gui went down and placed the imperial edict in Yu Honghua's hands, which were raised above her head.

Qiao Qiu helped Yu Honghua up, bowed to the Emperor, and looked very happy, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Father Emperor!"

The matter was already settled, and the Prime Minister's heart ached terribly.

What a great opportunity, just like that, I missed it!

The Fourth Prince's eyes darkened slightly. He felt that there were many things he didn't know about this, and he needed to be more careful.

After the court session ended, Qiao Qiu took Yu Honghua to stroll in the Imperial Garden.

As they traveled together, their harmonious music filled the air, a sight that many envied.

Especially the Jade Red Flower, which is the most enviable. The Crown Prince is the object of many palace maids' admiration, but they dare not openly express their feelings.

...

Evening came quickly. Qiao Qiu and Yu Honghua were already husband and wife, but since they had not yet officially entered the East Palace, they could not live there openly. Instead, the Empress took them away.

Qiao Qiu watched helplessly as his wife was taken away, unable to say anything. He could only sigh to the heavens and prepare to spend his days alone in the empty house.

Inside the sleeping quarters of the East Palace.

Qiao Qiu, dressed in pajamas, lay sprawled on the couch, holding a book in one hand and yawning with the other.

Ji Xian stood in front of her and reported, "The Prime Minister and the Fourth Prince have met."

Qiao Qiu's eyes flashed, and she simply hummed in agreement.

Qiao Qiu knew without even thinking what these two would plan after meeting; she was a girl who foresaw the plot.

However, things couldn't just be left to develop like this. She needed to find a reason to first put the fourth brother firmly under her control, and then break his power.

As for the old prime minister, it's time for him to step down.

The next morning, Qiao Qiu went to the morning court as usual, and then went to find his wife.

However, she was stopped halfway there.

"Brother, I've never seen you like this before. It seems you've truly fallen in love with a woman," the Fourth Prince said with a smile, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Qiao Qiu looked at him, "So what if I've fallen in love? The desire is to find one person who will love me wholeheartedly, and stay with me until our hair turns white. Do you understand?"

"Hehehe." The Fourth Prince chuckled. "I don't understand. From childhood to adulthood, among all of us brothers, you, my elder brother, are the most radiant. All of us younger brothers are overshadowed by your halo."

Qiao Qiu's eyes remained indifferent. This guy had been discussing it all night; had he gone mad? He'd exposed himself so quickly.

Seeing that she didn't speak, the Fourth Prince pursed his lips and said, "Brother, I was just joking. You don't have to stay silent like this, do you? I thought you were different."

Qiao Qiu stood with her hands behind her back, looking at him indifferently. "I've always been like this. If you think I'm different, it's because you don't know me well enough. Instead of being bitter, you should work hard and create your own future."

The Fourth Prince's upturned lips froze.

Qiao Qiu's achievements have always been the result of her own hard work, a fact that everyone has witnessed.

The Fourth Prince knew, of course, that he was inferior to Qiao Qiu in every way, and this had always been a source of unhappiness for him.

Qiao Qiu continued, "Some things are not for you to covet. If you don't think about them, you might as well give yourself a way out."

The Fourth Prince's eyes darkened. "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean, right?" Qiao Qiu laughed. "Do you think you can hide anything from me?"

These words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Fourth Prince. His pupils contracted, and his whole body felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water, turning him ice cold.

But there has never been a time when I could be as clear-headed as I am now.

Qiao Qiu walked around him, and when she reached his side, she said, "Fourth brother, isn't it better to live a good life?"

When the Fourth Prince came to his senses, Qiao Qiu had already disappeared from sight. The Fourth Prince clenched his fists so tightly that his hands trembled, and after a while, a trickle of blood flowed from between his fingers.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!