The strings broke and cut Changsun Lingyue's slender fingers.
In an instant, the entire piano was stained red with blood.
The little emperor said, "Quickly call the imperial physician."
Changsun Lingyue stood there in a daze, her eyes empty and her expression numb.
She lost!
Such a complete loss!
Ayina's expression was indifferent, and the previous sarcasm was gone from her face.
After the imperial physician treated Changsun Lingyue's wound, the young emperor cast a sharp glance at the noble ladies and asked, "Anyone else wants to challenge me?"
Those noble ladies didn't dare to breathe.
The little emperor's attitude clearly shows that he doesn't want anyone to attack him without knowing what's good for him.
What's more, they also have this self-knowledge that they can't compare to Ayina at all.
If I force my way into the fight, it will only disgust the young emperor and bring shame to the family.
"I don't have such an idea!"
In the hall, similar words were heard one after another.
The little emperor's expression eased slightly, and his bright eyes were fixed on Aina's face.
"Then I declare that the winner of this noble lady competition is Ayi Na! As the saying goes, a king's words are not meant to be jokes. The imperial edict to crown the empress will soon be sent to the Minister of War's residence!"
After saying this, the little emperor stood up and looked at Ayi Na again before leaving.
Aina knelt on the ground and thanked the emperor for his grace.
The high priest glanced at Aina with cold eyes, but he only saw the top of her head.
When Aina looked up again, the high priest had already walked away.
The noble ladies exchanged glances with each other and came forward one after another to congratulate Aina.
Aina's expression remained indifferent. She glanced at Changsun Lingyue, who looked unwilling, and simply turned and left, ignoring her as if she were air.
The young emperor returned to the imperial study and looked at Zhao Yidao. "Why have I never heard that the Minister of War has such a powerful daughter?"
"Should your subordinates check it out?"
"I just feel..."
The little emperor stood in front of the window, looking into the distance, his gaze gradually drifting away.
Zhao Yidao didn't wait for him to continue speaking and frowned.
"Forget it. I think the high priest will come to preach to me again soon."
Speak of the devil and he will appear!
Sure enough, a report was heard from outside.
The high priest walked in with a cold look in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I have never heard of an Ayi Na in the Minister of War's residence!"
"High Priest, it was you and a group of court officials who pressured me to appoint a queen as soon as possible. I didn't let you down. I didn't want to create any rift between the emperor and his ministers, and I didn't want to favor any noblewoman and cause complaints. That's why today's competition took place."
The high priest's throat choked, and he found that every word he said was true, and he had no way to refute it.
"The High Priest saw clearly today's competition. Ayi Na was the winner! And I just asked if anyone else was challenging me. I gave them a chance, but they knew their own limitations and gave up the idea."
"Your Majesty, your focus doesn't seem to align with mine! I don't question the issues surrounding today's competition, but I've never heard of the Minister of War having a daughter named Ayi Na!"
"The High Priest has too many things to do every day. He has to teach me and manage state affairs. It's no wonder he doesn't know about such trivial matters in the harem!"
High Priest: “…”
He recently discovered that the little emperor was becoming more and more rebellious, and he would start to speak in a sarcastic tone after just a few words.
The young emperor seemed oblivious to the growing sinisterness in the high priest's eyes. He said sincerely, "I've already asked Zhao Yidao to investigate! I will issue an imperial decree only after verifying everything. High priest, don't worry!"
The high priest narrowed his eyes.
If it is found that there is something wrong with Aina, the young emperor can choose not to have a queen.
If no problems are found, then Ayina will be the queen of Xiling.
Although the Minister of War is his man, if a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Sooner or later, the Minister of War will stand on the side of the little emperor.
Whether there is a problem or not, it seems to be of no benefit to him.
"High Priest, is there something I said wrong?" The little emperor asked cautiously, as if he had just noticed the dark light surging in the high priest's eyes.
The high priest took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much! I am willing to investigate this matter. After all..."
"As I said just now, the High Priest has too many things to worry about every day. Let Zhao Yidao investigate such trivial matters! This will also save some people from constantly accusing Zhao Yidao of being bored and becoming moldy."
The little emperor cleverly rejected him again. The high priest tightened his grip little by little, and the air in the entire imperial study seemed to be completely sucked away.
The high priest stared at the little emperor for about half a minute before he smiled and said, "If anyone says that about Guard Zhao, I will be the first to disagree."
The little emperor said with a smile: "High Priest, please go and do your work. I also want to read a book!"
"Then I'll take my leave."
Walking out of the imperial study, the high priest's face turned pale. He called a secret guard and whispered, "Keep a close eye."
The secret guard nodded.
On the other side, the Minister of War’s Mansion.
The Minister of War Harley was pacing back and forth in his study in a restless mood. When he heard footsteps outside, his heart finally settled down.
The door opened and Aina walked in.
Harley was completely relieved: "Ms. Qu."
Qu Li curled his lips and teased, "When Lao Mo introduced you to me, I thought you were very courageous, but I didn't expect you to be just like this!"
"Ms. Qu, if Ayi Na was really as good as you, I wouldn't be so worried!"
If Lao Mo had not saved his life when he was young, he would not have taken this risk.
Whether the young emperor knew that Aina who participated in the competition today was actually Qu Li, or the high priest knew it, for him, the crime of deceiving the emperor was enough to bury the entire Ministry of War.
Qu Li curled her lips lightly: "Don't worry about the emperor! Besides, Miss Ayi Na is actually quite talented."
In her opinion, Aina is many times better than Changsun Lingyue.
"As for the High Priest, I think you should be aware of the Shadow Pavilion's ability to handle matters. No matter how the High Priest investigates, he will definitely find nothing!"
She spoke with such confidence, and since everything had already been done, Harley could only take advantage of her and take things one step at a time.
"I'm here to remind you again that there will definitely be a lot of people sending visiting cards soon. Miss Ayi Na, it's best to refuse them all until the imperial decree of canonization comes, and then hold a banquet to thank them!"
Harley nodded hurriedly.
He finally realized that although Qu Li was a woman, she was a person of great wisdom.
Since she dared to participate in the competition today as Aina, she must have arranged everything.
After Qu Li gave a few more brief instructions, he left the Minister of War's Mansion.
As the night deepened, Qu Li used the space to easily avoid the secret guards guarding outside the imperial study and appeared in front of the little emperor.
The little emperor's face was filled with unconcealable surprise.
"Sister Qu?!"
Qu Li raised a finger at him and made a soft "hush" sound.
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