The main gate of the Sixth Princess's residence.

A man dressed in ordinary cloth walked hurriedly.

He looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he quickly walked to the gatehouse.

He pulled an unsigned letter from his pocket, handed it to the gatekeeper on duty, and said quickly in a low voice:

"Please give this to Your Highness; it is a letter from Miss Zheng."

Without waiting for a reply, he darted out like a startled rabbit, turned and disappeared into the crowd of people in the streets and alleys.

The gatekeeper clutched the thin letter, staring blankly in the direction the visitor had disappeared, scratching his head with a bewildered expression.

This man was a yamen runner from the Jingzhao Prefecture.

With a heavy load of twenty taels of silver in his pocket, he ran the errand with lightning speed.

Although the intricate calculations among these noble families were completely incomprehensible, the hard-earned silver was undeniable.

He deliberately found a piece of dusty, coarse cloth to cover most of his face, hunched his neck, and mumbled the sentence.

They turned and ran, not daring to linger for even a moment.

In the palace, at Qinghui Hall.

Qin Zhaoyue slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky before she finally woke up.

Having figured out the origin of the "book of merits" in my mind, a huge weight was lifted from my heart, and I felt a lazy sense of peace. Last night, during my conversation with Xuanjizi, the other party never mentioned the word "merit."

Although we are both time travelers, we can't see into each other's hearts, and it's really hard to say whether someone is a human or a ghost.

To be honest, under the influence of those around her, she had also developed a few cunning tricks up her sleeve.

Sigh, she was such a kind person, but the environment was too harsh. Can we blame her for that?

While Suimo was out on official business leading the Mo Group, he specially sent his personal maid to the palace to serve him.

Tao Yao quickly helped her wash up and asked softly, "Your Highness, you look radiant today. Would you like some makeup?"

Looking at her own face, which was as beautiful as a lotus flower, Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand and said, "No need, who would I be putting on makeup for?"

Recalling that fleeting glimpse of him under the dim lights last night, a sly smile crept onto my lips.

Don't scholars and intellectuals love this kind of thing?

When it comes to fishing, it's all about finding the right balance.

Tighten the reins for a while, then loosen them a bit, let him experience what it means to feel like three autumns have passed in a day.

Humming a tuneless little tune, with a bare face and a refreshed look, she strolled briskly to the dining hall of Qinghui Palace.

The older children were not there; only the three younger children were eating.

Qin Zhaoyue sat down in the main seat with an air of nonchalance, and a palace maid served her bowl and chopsticks.

Where are my older brother and sister?

Xiao Jiu swallowed the snack in her mouth and rolled her eyes.

"Third and fourth sisters are busy with the preliminary exams, and fifth brother has gone to help out, but only sixth sister, you're shirking your responsibilities!"

Qin Zhaoyue nonchalantly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks: "With great power comes great responsibility. If I go, I'll only cause trouble, it's not appropriate for me."

Xiao Jiu was taken aback by this self-righteous "self-awareness" and said angrily:

"Hmph! My seventh brother, eighth brother, and I got up early this morning to do our homework!"

"Hey~~~" Qin Zhaoyue drawled, clapping her hands perfunctorily, "Well, you guys are really awesome~~~"

Xiao Jiu was so angry at his half-hearted attitude that she glared at him.

At this moment, a palace maid quietly stepped forward and presented a letter: "Your Highness, this was sent to the palace by Miss Suimo just now."

Qin Zhaoyue took it, opened the outer envelope, and found two letters inside.

The first letter was a briefing from Sui Mo, stating that Zheng Huiyin's properties had been successfully transferred and the plan to appear in court had been completed.

Even with Zheng Huiyin's quick wit and resourcefulness, she could not salvage the situation that had severely damaged her reputation.

His path to officialdom was blocked, and his good marriage also vanished.

Well done!

Qin Zhaoyue beamed with joy, in a great mood.

She unfolded the second letter and discovered that it was written in Zheng Huiyin's own handwriting.

The letter first revealed the root cause of the scheme at the birthday party.

When Cui Wenjing, the cousin of the Cui family, was mentioned, the elders of the Duke's Mansion tacitly approved of and even secretly facilitated their private relationship.

She secretly harbored feelings for him, but in reality, she was deceived by Cui Wenjing's sweet words and agreed without thinking.

After his plot failed, he was imprisoned. Only after his release did he learn that Cui Wenjing had already fled the capital and left without leaving a single word.

Seeing this, Qin Zhaoyue narrowed her eyes and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table.

According to the original plot, the original owner fell into a trap, her reputation was ruined, and she was used by Prime Minister Pei to attack her.

The Empress was furious and ultimately banished the original owner of this body from the capital to a remote frontier.

This incident also sowed the seeds of discord between the Prime Minister's office and the Empress.

Ah, what a fine family the Cui family is!

Setting up a scheme to manipulate the political landscape and incite a power struggle between the emperor and the prime minister—truly a brilliant tactic.

In the latter half of the letter, Zheng Huiyin wrote with heartbreaking sorrow.

She admitted that she deserved the humiliation she suffered in court today.

Her reputation is ruined, and the Duke's mansion will surely keep her hidden away to protect the family's honor.

She was unwilling to succumb to this fate and was willing to pledge allegiance to the royal family.

If His Majesty takes any action against the Duke of Zheng's mansion or the Cui family, she is willing to act as an inside agent and provide everything needed.

"Oh……"

Qin Zhaoyue let out a short, mocking laugh and casually tossed the letter onto the table.

Xiao Jiu was startled by the laughter, looked up and saw the ambiguous smile on her sixth sister's face, and muttered:

"Sixth Sister, what are you laughing at? I have a feeling... you're up to no good."

Qin Zhaoyue glanced at her lazily:

"I laughed and said, 'Someone here is really quite capable.'"

Having just survived a devastating disaster, they can instantly kneel upright and make the choice that is most beneficial to themselves.

This ability to be flexible and adaptable is not something everyone possesses.

Xiao Jiu was completely confused, blinking her big eyes with a bewildered expression.

Qin Zhaoyue put the letter away.

If she truly harbors ambitions to seize the throne, then holding Zheng Huiyin as a card in her hand at this moment would indeed be somewhat useful.

His Majesty is dissatisfied with the powerful families, and outwardly targets the Duke of Zheng's mansion.

With Zheng Huiyin, the eldest granddaughter, as an inside man, whether it's gathering evidence or fabricating evidence, turning against the Duke's family at a crucial moment would make bringing down the Duke's mansion much easier.

But... Qin Zhaoyue didn't have the time or inclination for that!

The more stoic and calculating a character is, the more vigilant she will become.

She knows the story of Goujian enduring hardship and humiliation all too well. Are you suggesting we give her a chance and wait for her to return as a king? That's ridiculous!

An eye for an eye was just an appetizer. If it weren't for the deep-rooted influence of the Duke of Zheng's mansion, she would have sent Zheng Huiyin straight to meet the King of Hell. Now, let's see what His Majesty does.

If His Majesty truly intends to harm the Duke's mansion, she wouldn't mind delivering the final blow to settle things once and for all.

“Hey, Sixth Sister,” Little Nine shrank back, looking at the increasingly “bright” smile on her face, “You’re smiling like that… you really look like one of those villains in a comic book who’s about to do something bad…”

Qin Zhaoyue was not angry at all upon hearing this; instead, she grinned, revealing a set of small white teeth.

"Is that so? Hehehe..."