After Qin Peng returned to the room, Bai Zhi came up and changed her clothes. She soaked in the hot soup, thinking back on the day, and felt that it was quite thrilling.

Bai Zhi stood behind her, soaped her and rubbed her hair: "Are you happy today?"

"I can't say I'm happy."

Qin Peng smiled and said, "I just feel at peace."

Once people find their direction, they won’t feel afraid.

Bai Zhi poured hot water on her hair and suddenly said, "I'm leaving."

Qin Peng was slightly stunned, then he understood.

Bai Zhi's goal was to kill Qin Shuhuai. Now that she no longer wanted to kill Qin Shuhuai, he would naturally not stay with her. Qin Peng was speechless for a moment. She wanted to keep her, but she also felt that when she let Bai Zhi stay in Beiyan, she was planning to let her go.

There is no sister who will accompany you for your whole life.

The best sister is the one who can come to you from a thousand miles away when you are old and about to leave, roll up the door curtain with her skinny hands, and say to you, "Princess, I am here."

Qin Peng's eyes were slightly hot. She suddenly turned around and hugged Bai Zhi's neck.

"Don't avenge Zhao Peng," she said hoarsely, "Just treat me as Zhao Peng. Just treat her as if she's alive and I'm her. Go back to Beiyan and live a good life with Xiahou Yan, okay?"

Bai Zhi didn't say anything for a long time, then she slowly started to smile: "Sometimes, I really feel like you are a princess."

"Can't I?"

"Once dead, there is no resurrection."

Bai Zhi said calmly: "The water is cold, you should get up first."

Bai Zhi went to get clothes for Qin Peng. Qin Peng put on her clothes, and Bai Zhi wiped her hair. She said calmly: "I have taught Chun Su to you. You can let her help you with small matters in the future. Lu You's injury has also recovered and he has been transferred to my side. He is good at martial arts. Qin Shuhuai likes you now, so your biggest obstacle is gone, but you can't trust him too much. But I don't need to say these."

"When are you leaving?"

Qin Peng lowered his eyes and squeezed his sleeves tightly: "Where are you going to go after you leave?"

"Just in the near future."

Bai Zhi paused as she spoke: "Are you planning to marry Liu Shuyan?"

“I think so.”

Qin Peng thought for a moment and said, "Not so soon, but it will happen sooner or later, right?"

"The Liu family is not easy to get along with." Bai Zhi sighed: "But now you really need someone to help you pave the way in the court, Liu Shuyan is a good choice. When you don't like him in the future, you can kick him out and keep two concubines. That Chunsheng is good-looking, I think he can be kept."

After hearing this, Qin Peng burst out laughing. He never thought that someone as serious as Bai Zhi would say such a thing.

Bai Zhi oiled her hair and sighed, "Go to sleep."

"Bai Zhi." Qin Peng raised his hand and held her, his eyes full of pleading: "Spend the Qiqiao Festival with me before you leave."

She hasn't celebrated the Qiqiao Festival with Baizhi for many years.

When they were young, this was the festival they looked forward to most every year. At that time, they would both kneel in front of Yue Lao, carefully place the seven needles they had threaded in front of Yue Lao, and ask Yue Lao to give them a good marriage.

At that time, Bai Zhi said that she would not marry. If she did, she would build her mansion next to the princess's mansion so that she could see her every day, just like she had not married.

Bai Zhi looked at Qin Peng, but her mind was still on the time when Zhao Peng dragged her out of the palace to go to the Yue Lao Temple to worship Yue Lao.

She nodded in a mysterious way, and Qin Peng hugged her suddenly, saying happily: "I know you are good to me."

"Okay, stop talking."

Bai Zhi's face darkened: "Go to sleep quickly."

After waking up, Qin Peng felt exceptionally clear-headed, and even felt high-spirited when he went to court.

On the contrary, Qin Shuhuai seemed to have caught a cold. He kept coughing during the morning court session and his face turned a little pale.

Qin Peng heard his intermittent coughing and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, the Regent is ill today. How about giving him a seat to listen to the court as a sign of sympathy?"

Qin Ming always obeyed Qin Peng's words. When Qin Peng spoke, Qin Ming nodded and said in a childish voice, "Give the throne to the Regent Prince."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Qin Shuhuai had a calm expression. After sitting down, he kept his head down and listened to the reports from the court officials. He never looked at Qin Peng from beginning to end.

However, he continued to cough intermittently. After the court session, Qin Peng walked out from behind the curtain. When he passed by Qin Shuhuai, he could not help but say, "If you are not feeling well, please take a leave tomorrow."

I keep coughing like this and I can't hear what others are saying clearly.

However, Qin Shuhuai felt that these words were particularly considerate. He raised his head and smiled, trying to hold back his laughter and said, "It's okay. I can handle it."

You can hold on, but everyone else can't.

Qin Peng did not say these heartfelt words. He held them in for a moment, said a few polite words and told the patient to drink more medicine, then turned and left.

After they got out of the door, Jiang Chun stood up and asked in confusion, "Prince's cough wasn't that severe this morning, how come he coughed like this during the morning court session? Do you want me to ask the miracle doctor Xia Yan to come and take a look?"

After hearing this, Qin Shuhuai looked at Jiang Chun meaningfully, said "No need", and turned away.

Jiang Chun scratched his hair, not quite understanding what Qin Shuhuai meant by that look. Zhao Yi, hanging upside down from the beam in front of Jiang Chun, sighed and said, "You should be more careful. Can't you see that the prince coughed deliberately for the princess to hear?"

After hearing this, Jiang Chun suddenly understood and realized that his master was already so far ahead of him in the matter of pursuing the girl.

After a while of peace, Liu Shuyan looked for an opportunity to tell his family about himself and Qin Peng.

Liu Shuyan was well aware of the Liu family's attitude towards Qin Peng. If he brought it up, he might cause resentment. He thought about it and mentioned the chief examiner of the autumn examination to his father in advance. He said tentatively, "The princess wants you to be the chief examiner and not do anything extra. Just select the virtuous and capable and do whatever you want."

"Then what's the point of letting me be the chief examiner?"

Liu Shixuan saw through it: "Princess, you have to explain to me what the specific rules are."

"I just want to ask my father to look at some of them during the exam. If there are any good ones, please give Your Majesty a list in advance."

This is quite meaningful. How can one know in advance who is good and who is not in the exam? It would be better to say that the emperor gave him a list rather than giving him a list.

Liu Shixuan sneered: "The Liu family has never been involved in these things. You have been blinded by greed. Look at what the eldest princess has done. Is she someone who is easy to deal with? You are dragging the Liu family and her together. If something goes wrong, how do you want the Liu family to deal with it?"

"Father," Liu Shuyan said calmly, "I dare not forget the Liu family's family motto, but the Liu family is loyal to Your Majesty after all. Now that Your Majesty is young, the princess represents Your Majesty. If we help the princess, what's the difference between that and helping Your Majesty?"

Liu Shixuan's eyes were full of sarcasm and disdain: "You should consider yourself whether you have some selfish motives when you say this. Shuyan," Liu Shixuan's tone was a little regretful: "The Liu family will be handed over to you in the future. You have to think clearly about whether you can do anything."

Liu Shuyan pursed his lips and said nothing more.

He went back and conveyed Liu Shixuan's meaning to Qin Peng. Qin Peng was lying on his side eating oranges, and he was not surprised.

She didn't find it strange that Liu Shixuan would reject her. After spitting out the seed, Qin Peng clapped his hands and brought out another person's name.

"Jiang Chang?"

Liu Shuyan was quite surprised. This was a great scholar who was studying abroad. He was quite famous, arrogant, but extremely talented.

"How about I ask him to be the examiner?"

"That's not impossible." Liu Shuyan frowned and quickly thought of a solution: "Bring him to the capital in the near future. I'll take him to meet the people in the Hanlin Academy. After they get to know each other, he has a good reputation and can be granted a special permit."

Qin Peng nodded. Jiang Chang was a very talented man. His only regret in life was that he did not get the final article of his teacher Hua Zongqing.

Hua Qingzong's articles were hidden in Northern Yan under the records of spies planted in Qi. Later, Qi banned all of Hua Zongqing's articles, so Northern Yan had a more complete collection of Hua Zongqing's articles than Qi.

His most important articles were hidden in the palace and were often borrowed by Qin Peng. Qin Peng had an excellent memory and had deliberately memorized Hua Qingzong's articles, so she wrote down this article from memory in exchange for a promise from Jiang Chang.

Now she wanted Jiang Chang to be the chief examiner, and had asked Bai Zhi to inform Jiang Chang long ago. Jiang Chang did not think that he had risen to prominence overnight, and on the first day when the guard went there, he directly locked him out.

Qin Peng was not angry at such an arrogant attitude. She went to invite Jiang Chang in person, and Jiang Chang was grateful for her respectful attitude, which made him feel a bit like the scholars and officials in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period who swore to be loyal to their monarch until death.

Liu Shixuan has the qualifications and is willing to stand on Qin Peng's side. Qin Peng is naturally very happy, but she doesn't have too high expectations, so she doesn't feel disappointed.

The matter of replacing the chief examiner with Jiang Chang was debated for a long time in the court, and finally Qin Shuhuai made the final decision.

It was already the end of June, and the weather was terribly hot and dry.

Qin Peng changed his spring clothes into a thin shirt and lay paralyzed by the lake. He felt sleepy while listening to Liu Shuyan's lecture.

At this time, Zhao Yi also came back from Liuzhou, and he was tanned all over.

Qin Shuhuai knew that Zhao Yi had returned from Liuzhou, so he immediately met him and asked calmly, "How is the investigation going?"

"Just as the prince expected."

Zhao Yi took a sip of water, unloaded the package with many documents on it from his back, and said with emotion: "Liu Shizhou really did touch the money from the granary."

Liu Shizhou is Liu Shuyan's second uncle and the governor of Liuzhou, the Liu family's main home state.

Jintai Bank was originally a bank under Qin Shuhuai's name, but few people knew about it.

Liu Shizhou naturally didn't know this either. A few years ago, Jintai Money House was opened in Liuzhou, and Liu Shizhou took the initiative to come and ask to buy shares.

It is of utmost importance for a bank to have a good relationship with a governor. So Qin Shuhuai approved the matter.

Now that he wanted to take action against Liu Shuyan, he would start with Liu Shizhou.

Without asking anything else, just the matter of where the money came from to invest in a bank was enough for Liu Shizhou to explain a lot.

However, when he checked the money, Qin Shuhuai immediately felt that something was wrong with the account. He sent Zhao Yi directly to Liuzhou to see what was going on.

Liu Shizhou touched the money from the national treasury. This matter was neither big nor small.

If it is filled in, everyone will live in peace and it won't be a big deal. After all, Liuzhou pays taxes normally every year, and that's enough.

But if it is not filled in, or if it is discovered before it is filled in, it would be a serious crime.

"Prince," Zhao Yi said nervously, "Are you really going to cause trouble for the Liu family? If the princess knew, she wouldn't be happy."

"I'm just trying."

Try this person and see if he is really better than him.

After all the memorials and evidences were prepared, when Liu Shuyan and Qin Peng were still thinking about how to celebrate the Qiqiao Festival, Yu Shitai threw down a memorial impeaching Liu Shizhou.

Liu Shuyan listened quietly to the man from the historian Yu reading the memorial. The content of the memorial was clear and organized, and it was obvious that he was well prepared. He glanced at the man from the historian Yu.

Sure enough, it was Qin Shuhuai's mouth cannon.

Liu Shuyan thought to himself that this matter was neither big nor small, and with the ability of the Liu family, it would not be difficult to suppress it.

However, this was undoubtedly just the beginning. This was Qin Shuhuai's warning. He always did what he said, and Liu Shuyan had no doubt about it.

After the court session, Liu Shixuan immediately approached Liu Shuyan and said in a low voice, "The one who impeached your uncle today was Qin Shuhuai's people."

"Yeah, I know." Liu Shuyan nodded: "So what's the matter?"

"Your uncle can't get away."

Liu Shuyan was stunned when he heard this. Liu Shixuan walked beside Liu Shuyan and said calmly, "Qin Shuhuai would never take action if he was not prepared. Since he dared to report your second uncle, he must have prepared evidence. The Ministry of Justice is full of their people."

Liu Shuyan nodded, feeling a little worried.

Liu Shixuan looked into the distance and said calmly, "Don't think I don't know some things, Shuyan. She's just a woman. Just give in. It's nothing."

Liu Shuyan lowered his head and couldn't help laughing.

"Is it the same with your wife?"

Liu Shixuan frowned: "You are not thinking about Princess Shang, are you?"

"Why not?"

Liu Shuyan said calmly: "I have no plans to marry him, and there is nothing wrong with marrying a princess."

"absurd!"

Liu Shixuan raised his voice: "How can a man from my Liu family marry a princess?!"

"I……"

"It's not certain whether he can succeed."

The father and son were arguing, and someone interrupted them quietly.

Liu Shixuan turned around and saw Qin Shuhuai standing behind him.

It was almost summer, but Qin Shuhuai seemed unchanged. He wore a wide-sleeved summer shirt, his hair tied up high, his hands folded between his sleeves, and his posture was upright, as if he was bound by a ruler and could not make any mistakes.

"Have you thought about it?"

Qin Shuhuai walked up to Liu Shuyan and said, "Your uncle's achievements are not limited to this. There will be another memorial tomorrow, and it's not just about the treasury silver, Liu Shuyan." Qin Shuhuai looked up at him, his expression calm, without any emotion: "Have you thought it through?"