Because she was born a royal princess, when Zhao Peng inherited Qin Peng's memory, she paid special attention to her younger brother.

Qin Peng's mother was rather peculiar. In her early years, she was favored by the emperor because of her beauty, and thus Qin Peng was born. When Qin Peng was sixteen, she was favored again because of the face of Qin Peng's husband Wei Yang, and thus her younger brother, Qin Peng, the youngest prince, Qin Ming, was born.

Because they were born too late, the prince was almost thirty years old and Qin Ming was only nine, so no one felt that Qin Ming was a threat. But because the empress couldn't stand Shu Meiren being favored, she used some means to get Shu Meiren and Qin Ming out of the palace and sent them to guard the imperial mausoleum under a pretext.

Qin Peng practiced Buddhism peacefully in the Huguo Temple, and did not have much interaction with his younger brother. He had only seen him a few times during the New Year and other festivals when he entered the palace. But because Zhao Peng had just deliberately recalled Qin Ming, he recognized him immediately when Qin Ming appeared.

Qin Ming is not in the imperial mausoleum at the moment, so something big must have happened. Although Zhao Peng is determined to return to Beiyan, this also has a prerequisite: she has to go back alive.

Zhao Peng cast his gaze on Dong You's face and asked in a cold voice, "What's going on?"

Dong You was slightly startled, and immediately realized that Qin Peng's momentum was different from before. In the past, Qin Peng was always timid and he was worried that Qin Peng would be timid and cowardly when he brought Qin Ming with him. Now, seeing Qin Peng's calm demeanor, Dong You felt relieved and immediately said, "The Third Prince rebelled earlier and joined forces with the Queen to besiege the palace. Your Highness knows about this, right?"

When Zhao Peng heard the news, he became angry.

Do you know?

Such a big thing, Qin Peng really didn’t know it at all!

This person has truly become a fool through practicing Buddhism, lying peacefully in the Huguo Temple and not caring about anything.

But now was not the time to pursue the matter. She sat on the chair, her eyes fell on Qin Ming, and said calmly: "Just tell me what happened."

"Last night, Prince Huai'an broke into the palace. This morning, the old man in the palace came to say that the Queen Mother burned all the princes in the harem to death. Now the only bloodline of His Majesty is the Sixteenth Prince. The Queen Mother guessed that if Prince Huai'an really wanted to rebel, the little prince might not be able to be saved, so she thought of sending the little prince to you..."

As he spoke, Dong You secretly glanced at Qin Peng, but found that Qin Peng's face was calm, not the slightest bit panicked, and not at all as panic-stricken as he had guessed.

Dong You's heart skipped a beat. He was unsure of Qin Peng's intention, so he immediately knelt down and said anxiously, "Your Highness, the Queen really has no other choice. The little prince is your brother. If you don't take care of him, there really is no one who can."

“I want to manage it, too.”

Zhao Peng took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes: "But what can I do about it? You all know that I am his biological sister, doesn't the King of Huai'an know?"

Zhao Peng couldn't help but feel a little moved when she thought of this name. But she suppressed her chaotic thoughts, stopped thinking about the relationship between her and Qin Shuhuai, and thought about what to do now.

They couldn't run away. If Qin Shuhuai really wanted to kill them, with his skills, they wouldn't be able to escape at this moment.

What should we do to prevent Qin Shuhuai from having murderous intentions?

Zhao Peng quickly reviewed the situation and turned to ask Dong You: "What is the current situation in Northern Yan? Who is the monarch? How is the national strength? Has anything major happened in the government recently? And what are the movements of the small countries in the south? Is Chen State stable?"

Dong You heard Zhao Peng asking these questions, and couldn't help but feel a little anxious: "Your Highness, I'm so anxious, why are you asking these questions? You should just send the little prince away as soon as possible..."

"Just answer when I ask you to. Do I need a slave like you to teach me how to do things?!"

Zhao Peng shouted loudly. Dong You had never seen Qin Peng like this before. She seemed like a truly noble princess, with an overbearing arrogance that made people prostrate themselves in obedience to her.

Dong You was overwhelmed by Zhao Peng's momentum. Although he was reluctant, he still talked to Zhao Peng about the recent situation.

After Zhao Yu of Northern Yan inherited the throne, he worked hard to govern the country. Now the country is thriving and becoming increasingly powerful, making it a powerful enemy of Qi.

The small countries in the south are all being suppressed by Wei Yan at the border, and they are unlikely to have any intention of rebellion for the time being, but they may rebound at any time, which is also a major source of instability.

In other words, if Qin Shuhuai wants to become emperor now, he must face two obstacles.

The first is national chaos. Either Qin Shuhuai is extremely capable and can stabilize the situation and prevent the border countries from taking advantage of the chaos in Qi to cause chaos; or Qin Shuhuai is a person who does not care about the life and death of the country at all and would rather cede land to become emperor.

But it is obvious that Qin Shuhuai is neither of these two. He is neither capable of reaching the sky nor a tyrant. Therefore, Qin Shuhuai cannot overcome this obstacle.

The second is Wei Yan.

Qin Shuhuai controls most of the northern army. Now the northern border of Qi is almost entirely his, but the southern army belongs to Wei Yan. And Wei Yan is Qin Peng's uncle...

Therefore, the relationship between Qin Peng and Wei Yan became crucial. If Qin Peng and Wei Yan had a good relationship, then Wei Yan would definitely stand on Qin Ming's side. Then Qin Shuhuai's ascension to the throne would not be so stable.

Zhao Peng sorted out the situation and calmed down.

She suddenly realized that Qin Peng, this seemingly weak and vulnerable woman, was actually the key figure in the whole situation.

She is the prince's sister and Wei Yan's sister-in-law. This identity makes her a powerful enemy that Qin Shuhuai must face up to.

There was the sound of troops outside. Zhao Peng... oh no, now it's time to call her Qin Peng. She raised her eyes and said calmly, "Put on your fine clothes, take a bath and change your clothes, and get ready to welcome the distinguished guest."

"Your Highness..." Dong You became frightened and reminded, "This is your own brother."

"I know."

Qin Peng stood up and glanced at Dong You: "Don't worry, I will protect my brother."

Of course, Qin Ming must be saved. If Qin Ming is gone, Qin Peng will not survive. Qin Shuhuai is a man who will root out the evil. Although Qin Peng is weak, she is also Wei Yan's sister-in-law. No one knows whether she will suddenly come to her senses and join hands with Wei Yan to avenge her brother.

With Qin Peng's promise, Dong You calmed down a little and took Qin Ming to rest in the compartment. Chun Su went to get Qin Peng a bath. As soon as he opened the door, he saw soldiers all around. The compartment was strictly surrounded. A handsome young man stepped forward and said respectfully: "I, Jiang Chun, have been ordered to find the whereabouts of the sixteenth prince. I wonder if the fourth princess can help me?"

Chun Su was so frightened that he was uneasy and said with a trembling voice, "Please wait a moment, sir."

After saying that, she closed the door and asked anxiously, "Madam, what should we do?"

Qin Peng pulled his coat under Qiu Su and said calmly, "Tell him that the Sixteenth Prince is indeed with me, but I won't see him. Ask him to ask Qin Shuhuai to come over. What are you afraid of?"

Qin Peng smiled, and with this smile on her face as beautiful as a peony, one instantly felt as if it were April on earth, with beautiful scenery everywhere.

Qin Peng looked at the stunned maid in front of him and said gently, "I am here, be brave, don't be afraid."

After hearing this, Chun Su instantly felt much more courageous. She bowed and left, straightened her back, and said to Jiang Chun in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "The princess said that the Sixteenth Prince is indeed here, but she does not want to see you, my lord. Please report to the King of Huai'an that the princess has something to say to him."

This was beyond Jiang Chun's expectations.

Jiang Chun had met Qin Peng before. At a palace banquet, Qin Peng accidentally dropped a quilt and was frightened to tears. Everyone said that the princess was as timid as a mouse and very petty.

Later, Jiang Chun also dated Wei Yang in the army. When Wei Yang mentioned his wife, he could only use two words: gentle.

He had just seen the maid, who was trembling with fear, and Jiang Chun felt that the servant was like the master, and that Qin Peng was probably a rabbit-like character. Either he was scared and lied, saying that Qin Ming was not there, or he handed the person over and cried for mercy.

Who would have thought that this maidservant would suddenly become a different person after coming in and out like this? Her every move was so calm and composed that she resembled the high-ranking female officials in the palace.

Jiang Chun looked at Chun Su for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll report right away. Princess, please wait a moment."

After saying this, Jiang Chun immediately sent someone to invite Qin Shuhuai.

Qin Peng was in the house. After washing up, she put on a pure black robe with wide sleeves and five phoenixes embroidered in gold. The robe was embroidered with red rolling cloud patterns. She wore a pure white curved hem inside, a black waist seal with red lining, a pure gold pearl flower on the top of her head, and two hairpins of the same color and pattern attached to the sides of her bun, swaying gently with her movements, making her look extremely solemn and noble, yet beautiful and elegant.

Qin Peng was beautiful, but she was timid and lacked temperament in the past, and she was not praised by scholars. In the outside world, her reputation was better than that of Liu Shiyun, the daughter of the Grand Tutor. People said that Liu Shiyun was the most beautiful woman in Qi and the most beautiful woman in Xuanjing, but when it came to Qin Peng, she was beautiful, but she lacked temperament.

The truth.

However, now that Zhao Peng was inside Qin Peng, her years of experience in pretending helped her regain her senses the moment she put on the gown. Qiu Su, who was helping her get dressed, was surprised by her master's change and whispered, "Madam seems different today."

"Have you ever heard of a mother's strength?"

Qiu Su was a little confused. Qin Peng looked at the beautiful face in the mirror and said calmly, "It's the same for me, Sister."

This was the case with Zhao Peng, who was Princess Yuyang in the past.

Now, as the fourth princess of Qin Peng, the same should be done.

After hearing what Qin Peng said, Qiu Su nodded and said, "Madam is right."

"Don't call me ma'am."

Qin Peng felt uncomfortable hearing this title. After thinking for a while, he said, "Call me Master from now on."

After I finished putting on makeup, I heard the sound of soldiers kneeling down and greeting me outside. It was Qin Shuhuai.

Qin Peng took a deep breath and calculated her age. It had been almost a year since she died as Dong Wanyi. Qin Peng felt a little confused when she suddenly saw her "ex-husband" who had been married three times. She clenched her fists and used the pain in her palms to remind herself. Chun Su came in respectfully: "Madam, the King of Huai'an is here."

Qin Peng nodded and sat on the futon outside, his posture dignified and elegant, as if he was at a grand ceremony, and his expression was solemn: "Please."

Qin Shuhuai, who was standing outside the door, saw the door open and walked in.

Qin Peng narrowed his eyes at him.

The man was tall and straight, with a handsome face, delicate features, and a calm and composed expression. When he raised his eyes, they were calm and unmoved, like a deep pool or ancient well, inviting exploration yet bottomless.

The early morning glow fell behind him and reflected on his fox fur cloak, making him seem as if he was enveloped in the glow.

He stood in front of the door and looked up at her.

When their eyes met, there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

The woman in front of him had a straight and elegant posture, and an extremely powerful aura, as if a phoenix hovering on a phoenix tree, looking down on everyone.

The natural nobility of a princess is undoubtedly evident in this person.

Not every princess has such aura. It can even be said that most princesses do not have it.

The last time Qin Shuhuai saw a princess with such momentum was nine years ago.

His first wife, who died early, is now posthumously named Princess Zhao Peng, the Protector of the Northern Yan State.