Lin Wanyue and Lin Yanping both turned around and looked in the direction from which the voice came.

Then a round, fat man dressed in silk and satin walked over. He was probably over sixty years old. Because he was so fat, his eyes were squeezed into the size of mung beans, and his eyebrows drooped down.

Unfortunately, he had a lot of fat on his cheeks and chin, making his whole face look like a gourd. When he smiled, his face looked particularly lewd.

"?" Lin Wanyue frowned instinctively when she saw him, and quietly tugged at Lin Yanping who was next to her: "Dad, who is he?"

Lin Yanping is now the Prime Minister of the Dayan Dynasty, and he knows almost everything about the civil and military officials in the court.

"Oh my!" Before Lin Yanping could even speak, the man came running over, clutching his round belly which was bigger than a watermelon. He grinned at Lin Wanyue and said, "She really is a beauty. No wonder the Regent wanted to bring her back whenever he saw her outside! She's so young, yet she's already a beauty in the making. When she grows up, she'll definitely be a stunning beauty. I just wonder who will get her for nothing!"

When he said this, his expression was a mix of smiling and envy, and it was only thanks to his chubby face that he could express so many emotions at the same time.

However, the combination of his emotions made him seem somewhat disgusting to Lin Wanyue.

Lin Wanyue narrowed her eyes slightly and saw that he was not young, but his shadow under the lamp was somewhat swaying, indicating that he lacked yang energy and probably indulged in a lot of lust when he was young.

Lin Yanping had already recognized the man, but he didn't want to expose him in front of him, so he stood in front of Lin Wanyue without making a sound and said to him expressionlessly, "What brings you here, Mr. Lu?"

"Your Excellency, what are you saying? Today is His Majesty's birthday. I went to great lengths to ask my father for an invitation. How could I miss such a wonderful day?" Master Lu smiled broadly at Lin Yanping, then tiptoed slightly to look at Lin Wanyue.

"In that case, you should go and offer your birthday greetings to His Majesty," Lin Yanping advised.

Master Lu smiled and said, "Your Excellency, please let me see the little princess. This is the first time I've ever met her. She's only been in the capital for less than two months, and she's already caused a bloodbath throughout the city..."

"Oh?" Lin Yanping frowned and said in a reproachful tone, "Old Master Lu is getting on in years, and he's starting to like other people's little girls?"

His words were pointed.

I've heard that when Mr. Lu was young, he was a spoiled brat who bullied men and women. I never expected him to be so dissolute even in his old age.

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency, that's not what I meant..." Master Lu realized how inappropriate his words were and quickly raised his hand to slap his mouth twice.

He then took out a golden Qilin from his sleeve and offered it to Lin Wanyue as a gift to apologize.

Lin Yanping helped Lin Wanyue send off the things she left behind.

After everyone left, he said to Lin Wanyue, "This man is the master of the Lu family, a rice merchant family in the capital. The Lu family is incredibly wealthy. A few years ago, the late emperor sent troops to defend the border, but the national treasury was short of silver. However, when the Lu family learned of this, they donated several million taels of silver. Later, when the border was recovered, the Lu family was also rewarded."

"Old Master Lu was also granted a title, and his son, thanks to his father's title, got a minor official position. I hadn't met him much before and didn't know his character, but now it seems he's not a good person either. You should pay less attention to him in the future."

"Oh..." Lin Wanyue nodded in agreement, "I understand."

Seeing his daughter's obedient appearance, Lin Yanping smiled and noticed several princes chatting together not far away, glancing over from time to time.

However, they did not come this way.

Lin Yanping nodded in satisfaction: "At least they have some sense."

"Who are they?" Lin Wanyue asked.

“They are the late emperor’s sons. The older ones have already left the palace, and only a few of the younger ones are still being raised in the palace. They are all nothing to worry about,” Lin Yanping explained in a few words.

Lin Wanyue pondered for a moment and concluded that Qi Yuan's ability to remain on the throne despite his frail health was probably due not only to the protection of Regent Qi Sichen, but also to the support of the former Prime Minister Lin Yanping.

Otherwise, how could so many princes, who are all older than Qi Yuan and seem to be in much better health, be so obedient and have no intention of usurping the throne?

As Lin Wanyue was thinking, someone walked towards them.

"You're the little princess that the royal uncle brought back? You're really adorable." A young prince in his twenties walked towards Lin Wanyue with a smile.

After dealing with that Mr. Lu earlier, Lin Wanyue immediately showed a wary expression.

Could this guy be like that Mr. Lu?

However, the emperor's genes were indeed much better than those of wealthy merchants. Although this prince was not as stunningly beautiful as Qi Sichen, he was still tall, had fair skin, and handsome features. When he smiled, he would reveal a set of white teeth and his eyes would crinkle.

Looking at him, Lin Wanyue was reminded of the sunny, adorable puppy she had seen on TV before.

"Were you scared by me? I heard His Majesty call you 'Sister Wanwan' before. May I call you 'Sister' too?" the young prince said with a smile.

Lin Yanping first bowed to him, saying, "Your Highness, the First Prince."

So he was the eldest prince, Qi Xiao.

Lin Yanping and Lin Wanyue just introduced the names of the princes and their family backgrounds. This eldest prince, Qi Xiao, is the only son of Consort Xiao Yuehan.

"Prime Minister, there's no need for you to be so polite." Qi Xiao reached into his sleeve and pulled out an exquisitely carved jade pendant, which he presented to Lin Wanyue. "Sister Wanwan, this is a gift for you. Remember to call me big brother when we meet again."

As expected, these are some really good things. These royal relatives are certainly not short of money!

"Okay, okay." Lin Wanyue, seeing the money, immediately accepted the gifts with a smile and sweetly called out to Qi Xiao, "Thank you, big brother!"

"My little sister is so good." Qi Xiao said a few more words to Lin Wanyue before going to find his naughty younger brothers, completely satisfied.

Looking at his back, which seemed to radiate happiness, Lin Wanyue couldn't help but exclaim, "Nature is truly amazing! That Consort Xiao actually managed to raise such a sunny and cheerful son. He doesn't look like her at all!"