Chapter 124

But the mastermind behind it all—the Fourth Prince Yan Qizhen—was quite the show.

The ill-fated relationship between Bai Yingning and Yan Qizhen began almost immediately when the Western Regions Kingdom's ceremonial guard stepped into the Min Dynasty's borders, and the Fourth Prince was ordered to receive the Western Regions Kingdom's people.

Although Yan Qizhen's name was not as prominent as Yan Chaoji's during the Min Dynasty, it was still quite well-known.

"A gentleman of refined manners, with a demeanor as proud as the plum blossom in the snow."

He was relaxed and composed in his dealings with people, and had a refined and elegant demeanor that made him seem untouched by worldly dust. This also aroused the desires of many female officials and their wives in the imperial court.

Unfortunately, appearances are just appearances; beneath the serene facade lies a filthy mind.

Yan Qizhen's birth mother was not of high status, but in order to pursue the position of crown prince, he saw a glimmer of opportunity in Bai Yingning. After receiving the Western Regions team, he even staged an assassination attempt, causing Bai Yingning to be poisoned with a rare and deadly poison.

Later, under the pretext of searching for an antidote, he gradually developed a deep relationship with the siblings Bai Yingning and Bai Chuning.

Once the original owner began to develop girlish feelings, Yan Qizhen immediately claimed to be staying at home and never coming out. Every time the original owner visited, she was turned away.

When he felt the time was right, he took the initiative to find the original owner again, explaining that he had been seriously ill, which won the original owner's sympathy.

Although Yan Qizhen did not reveal the cause of his illness, the original owner still "heard" the reason from others.

One day, he offended His Highness the Crown Prince in the palace. After leaving the palace, he encountered a group of well-trained men in black and was stabbed in the chest.

Subsequently, such incidents occurred more and more frequently, and the time the two spent together was often brought to a close with the original owner feeling sorry for them.

Later, the original owner gradually fell in love, and Yan Qizhen once sighed with regret:

"Unfortunately, my status is not as prominent as that of the other princes, so I cannot express my feelings for the princess to my father."

The refined man under the moonlight trembled as he raised the woman's hand before him:

"Qizhen only wishes...that Your Highness will live a long and healthy life."

He meticulously planned every step, using Bai Chuning's life and Bai Yingning's love as stepping stones to gradually approach his desired goal and the unattainable throne.

He first spread the news that the princess of the Western Regions favored him, thus winning over a group of court officials.

Yan Qizhen continued to scheme and plot, eventually causing the Min Dynasty emperor to become dissatisfied with the crown prince on several occasions.

After the Crown Prince fell out of favor, the Fourth Prince gradually began to show his talent and thrived in the court. However, at the same time, rumors circulated in the capital about the marriage between the Fourth Prince and the Prime Minister's eldest daughter.

Heartbroken, the original owner heard that a highly virtuous monk was about to be born. Legend had it that this monk could revive the dead and heal the bones. For Bai Chuning's sake, the original owner went to find him.

Unexpectedly, they encountered the dying Yan Chaoji halfway through their journey. However, the original owner's sliver of kindness led to the unexpected discovery of the famous regent's secret.

*

After Yingning carefully read through the storyline in the gilded coral sedan chair, 0067 promptly spoke up: "Master, the ratings from the last world have been released."

"He Zhiqian's heartbreak score is 1001 points, Shen Yan's heartbreak score is 1023 points, and Lu Yuzhou's heartbreak score is 1024 points."

"Shen Yan's torture score is 937, He Zhiqian's torture score is 995, and Lu Yuzhou's torture score is 860, for a total of 5840."

"World rating: A"

0067 spoke up again in its childish voice: "Master, there are extra rewards in this world."

"Extra rewards?"

"Headquarters has classified this world as high-level and will issue additional rewards once the mission level is reached."

While higher-level worlds offer generous rewards, they also come with more challenging storylines and more complex character relationships, requiring a greater investment of effort.

However, one wrong move and all the previous efforts could be wasted.

"That means this world has just been unsealed." The beautiful woman in the gilded coral palanquin played with the nail polish on her fingertips as she spoke in a very calm tone.

"The information shows that this world has indeed just been unsealed by headquarters." 0067 checked the information and found that this world had indeed been sealed off.

"In that case, I'll look forward to getting more points." Ying Ning smiled. Her black hair wasn't as ornate as that of the women of the Min Dynasty; it was simply styled into a bun, adorned with two strings of exquisite red pearls.

A rare vermilion pearl adorned her forehead ornament, its luster adding a touch of liveliness to her features and further enhancing her striking beauty.

Tomorrow is the day Yan Qizhen will come to defend himself.

*

When Yingning returned to the mansion, she saw a young man in a jade robe in the garden. He was none other than Bai Chuning, who was still very young.

"Royal sister!" His face was somewhat pale and sickly, but his appearance was about five parts similar to hers, the difference being the color of their eyes.

Bai Chuning looked up at her and smiled, his brown eyes exceptionally ethereal.

Yingning's pupils, however, were as black as ink.

"Ah Chu, why aren't you resting in your room?" Ying Ning asked softly, looking at the young man who was a little younger than her.

"I'm waiting for my elder sister to come back."

"Your Majesty, Steward Song went to Xianglou today and bought your favorite Eight Treasure Cake. Come and try it."

Upon seeing Ying Ning, Bai Chuning immediately broke his silence and took her hand, leading her to the main hall.

At his command, the surrounding servants immediately set out the food.

Bai Chuning sat down next to Yingning, placed the Eight Treasure Cake in front of her, and immediately served her a bowl of White Jade Peony Porridge.

"Your Majesty, there's also peony porridge."

"Thank you, A-Chu." Yingning took the jade bowl and took a small sip.

The white jade peony porridge is smooth and not greasy, and it also has the effect of clearing the throat and moisturizing the lungs, which can soothe some timid people.

After Bai Chuning saw that she had tasted half a bowl, he asked in a low voice with concern:

"Did you encounter any difficulties during your visit to the palace, Your Highness?"

Yingning put down her bowl and spoon and saw a hint of worry on the handsome, exotic face of the young prince from the Western Regions.

No.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't hide this from Ah Chu."

“Ah Chu, we have come to the Min Dynasty this time for the purpose of the marriage alliance between our two countries. The people of the Min Dynasty will not make things difficult for me.”

“But…” Bai Chuning couldn’t believe it. He knew that his elder brother, who had already ascended to the throne, was only using this marriage alliance as a temporary measure.

My elder brother is domineering and competitive by nature.

One day, given the opportunity, the war will surely return.

If they truly intended to make peace with the Min Dynasty, they would never have proposed this marriage alliance!

Using his elder sister and himself as bargaining chips was merely a facade to create a facade of harmony and sincerity.

"Ah Chu, don't worry about me." Ying Ning gently patted the back of his hand, but this only made Bai Chu Ning feel more uneasy.

He then spoke again, seemingly with some hesitation:

"Then, my elder sister... could you please not... form a marriage alliance with that fourth prince?"