Little Seven, Little Eight, and Little Nine were all picked up.

They're just kids; they get sleepy after eating.

Qin Zhaoyue was still in the back hall, but the noisy chatter was gone.

The servants at Liuyuan Garden did not neglect their duties and brought over a bamboo couch and an ice chest.

Knowing that she was a glutton, they specially served her chilled plum juice and red claw honey cake to aid digestion.

The afternoon was still scorching hot, and with the gentle breeze from Mo Yi's fan, I unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

With a slight stirring in her mind, Qin Zhaoyue slowly opened her eyes.

"You don't seem to care at all," came a somewhat annoyed voice from beside me.

Qin Zhaoyue yawned and recognized the owner of the voice.

Yin Zhe had indeed been lurking around her all along, but had not revealed himself.

Unable to find her whereabouts, she naturally couldn't communicate telepathically, so she simply asked, "How's it going up ahead?"

Mo Yi was about to reply.

She and Mo Er stayed close to the princess, while the other four remained on guard around the perimeter as usual.

She thought he was asking her to send someone to inquire, but suddenly a tall, slender figure appeared before her eyes—it was Yin Zhe.

"It's almost over. Seven people have signed their names in total."

"Eh~~~"

With a half-hearted sigh, Qin Zhaoyue stretched.

A life of eating and sleeping is definitely more suited to her.

However, she did not expect that despite the efforts of her third and fourth sisters, they could only bring along three more people.

It seems that only a few dare to break free from their constraints, after all, they are deeply influenced by their families and have too many concerns.

Even with thorough preparations by the two older sisters, it would be difficult to change the overall situation overnight.

It's understandable; after all, from their perspective, family should naturally come first.

Whether she chose this path willingly or was forced into it, Qin Zhaoyue didn't care.

"What is the stance of the Duke of Zheng's mansion?"

"I don't know."

Ha, what a convenient excuse! The commander of the Xuanji Guard, who is in charge of supervising all officials, is completely unaware.

Qin Zhaoyue lay motionless, her eyes slowly closing until they gradually narrowed into slits.

"The previous meeting is about to conclude. Should Your Highness begin preparations?"

"Eh~~~" she said, dragging out the word insincerely, "I think it's unnecessary. Let nature take its course, whether it's this year or next."

It's not surprising that Yin Zhe could see through the situation, after all, her performance during the disaster relief efforts was evident.

Is this last-minute change of heart... a sign of dissatisfaction with her perfunctory attitude?

The senses filled the main hall; it was indeed nearing its end.

Normally speaking, the two princesses' plan was actually quite good.

He invited talented women from all over the capital, saw through part of His Majesty's intentions, and obtained their promises in advance. He then persuaded them according to their individual circumstances...

To accomplish all this in one day and sway seven people is already a remarkable achievement.

It is conceivable that they would continue to try after the literary gathering ended, and eventually a dozen or so people would participate in the provincial examination.

only……

"Your Highness, there is a difference."

The intelligence gathered by the Xuanji Guard was unmatched by others, not to mention her special circumstances as a commander.

Although there is no clear intelligence to support it, there is always a feeling that a storm is brewing.

She was not a sorcerer and could not make deductions, but she would not ignore the intuitive feedback unique to those in the Divine Martial Realm.

Perhaps His Majesty also sensed something, which is why he suddenly expressed a tough stance at this juncture.

Qin Zhaoyue shrugged. "I don't know."

Yin Zhe sighed.

Even though she already knew the method, she still couldn't handle the matter herself.

The Xuanji Guard directly represents His Majesty's attitude; her actions are tantamount to acting on His Majesty's orders.

This is not allowed; it must be done through the Sixth Princess.

"The attitude of the Zheng Duke's Mansion is biased towards the prince, or more directly, the second prince."

Mo 1, Mo 2:......

Is this something they can even listen to? Is it too late to evacuate now?

Her gaze swept over the languid prince on the couch, who seemed to have no such intention at all.

Qin Zhaoyue thought to herself, "Just as I expected."

The time when she was framed was too rushed. She received the original owner's memories but lacked a sense of reality, and then she was transferred out of Fengjing.

Looking back now, it's true that someone must have been behind Zheng Huiyin, but it might not have been anyone else, or it could have been the Duke of Zheng himself?

Logically speaking, setting up a scheme shouldn't involve one's own people; the trouble should be diverted elsewhere. But it's possible that the problem lies with those directly involved.

Anyway, Zheng Huiyin was the one who took action.

"What is the situation of the aristocratic families?"

Hidden hibernation's pupils suddenly dilated.

The moon-white silk robe was slightly disheveled, with the sash hanging down beside the couch, sometimes curling and sometimes unfurling as the wind blew through the corridor.

Despite her seemingly lazy and casual demeanor, she suddenly uttered some astonishing words, revealing that she had actually grasped this level of understanding!

Qin Zhaoyue squinted her eyes and acted languidly, but in reality, she was quietly observing Yin Zhe's every move.

Even though the anomaly was fleeting, it still caught her attention.

Damn it... I just casually tested her, and she actually guessed it right!

When it comes to participating in the imperial examinations, who can compare to a deeply rooted aristocratic family?

However, today's literary gathering included descendants of officials, scholars and nobles, and even some meritorious nobles, but not a single aristocratic family.

Is this reasonable?

I initially thought there was another arrangement due to time constraints, but the two imperial sisters never mentioned this point, which was somewhat suspicious.

Of course, it's also possible that he felt there was no point in talking to a good-for-nothing like her, so he simply made a tentative probe.

Qin Zhaoyue had heard a saying in her previous life: "Emperors come and go, but powerful families remain."

Or, to put it more dramatically, dynasties come and go.

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