Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

"His Majesty?"

Yan Xu looked at Li Yan not far away; Li Yan's fox fur coat, which was dyed orange-red by the light, made her look even whiter.

When he was young, Li Yan was the fairest-skinned person in the army camp; he was the kind of person who could never get tanned no matter how much sun he basked in.

The enemy general even gave Li Yan a nickname: the pale-faced scholar.

Enraged, Li Yan set their granary on fire that very night.

Later, Li Yan gained another nickname: the grumpy pretty boy.

It doesn't sound as good as its previous name.

Li Yan reached out to take Li Qingyan, but as soon as he touched her arm, the little thing tightened its grip even more, pulling harder and harder.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "That little brat is really stubborn."

Left with no other choice, Yan Xu had to sneak back home.

Upon seeing Yan Xu return to the Hall of Diligent Governance, Lai Fu hurriedly went over and patted Li Qingyan's back, "Your Highness, Your Highness, wake up."

He took a piece of sweet cake from his sleeve and placed it next to Li Qingyan's nose. After a short while, Li Qingyan opened her eyes.

"Awoo!" It took a big bite.

Recently, Li Qingyan has been enjoying eating sweet cakes, but Li Yan forbids her from eating too many.

"Like a glutton."

Li Yan smiled with a hint of helplessness.

Li Qingyan was picked up by Lai Fu and placed on the ground, where she held Yan Xu's hand.

"Yanxu... thank you for your hard work. Here..."

She took out a few pieces of candy from her bosom and placed them in Yan Xu's hand. Yan Xu didn't like sweets, but he still put them away. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Li Qingyan hugged his leg, "If you accept my Tang Yanxu, you have to do me a favor."

Li Yan took a deep breath, not wanting to look at Li Qingyan. She got people to do things for a few pieces of candy. It was only because Yan Xu spoiled her that she was allowed to do so. Others would probably kick her a couple of times.

"Is there anything your Highness can help me with?"

Yan Xu squatted down to be at eye level with her.

Li Qingyan went over and hugged his neck, pressing her face against his, and said, "I want Wuhen to stay at your residence for a while."

Yan Xu thought it was something big, but Yang Wuhen was just a minor matter.

"Very well, Your Highness, I can continue to raise him."

Li Qingyan rubbed her face against his again, looking like a well-behaved child.

Li Yan rubbed his temples, thinking that the little brat was probably plotting something again.

After Yan Xu left, Li Qingyan climbed onto the dragon throne and pounced on Li Yan's back.

"Li Yan, do you want to involve the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review? Which place do you want?"

Hearing her question, Li Yan raised an eyebrow. "What kind of wicked scheme are you plotting now?"

Li Qingyan, like a mischievous little monkey, climbed onto Li Yan's neck and rested her chin on his golden dragon headdress.

When Laifu brought in the tea, he saw Li Qingyan riding on Li Yan's shoulders.

Completely in the dark.

"My little darling will climb anywhere. She's not afraid of falling."

He hurriedly went over to pour tea for Li Yan, and then called Su Xue over to stand and protect Li Qingyan.

Li Qingyan patted Li Yan's face with her chubby little hand and sighed.

"I arrested a human trafficking ringleader today, but..." she scoffed, "I find something strange about him. He might die in a couple of days, so we might not be able to find anything, but..."

She chuckled.

Li Yan understood what it meant. If he was sent to the Dali Temple or the Ministry of Justice, he would be punished wherever he died. The enemy was in the dark while he was in the light, which seemed to put him at a disadvantage, but it didn't mean that he couldn't turn the tables on them.

"That little brat is really wicked, then let's go to the Ministry of Justice."

Li Qingyan was right; the person was currently in the Ministry of Justice prison, saving them the trouble of moving around.

Li Yan raised his hand and gave her a high five. With just a few words, the father and daughter had managed to outmaneuver many people.

The next morning after the court session, Li Qingyan was stopped by Luo Jun as soon as she arrived at the palace gate.

"Your Highness, Your Highness."

Luo Jun quickly bowed.

"What is Lord Luo doing?"

Li Qingyan lifted the carriage curtain and looked at him. His hurried and flustered appearance seemed to show him great respect.

Luo Jun took out several notebooks from his sleeve. "These are things I found in Hui Niang's room. They might be useful to His Highness."

Cuiping readily accepted the items, while Li Qingyan, without even glancing at them, simply said, "Then thank you for your help, Lord Luo."

Li Qingyan's expression immediately turned cold as she pulled down the curtain. Looking at the accounts placed beside her, she cursed, "You corrupt official."

The Ministry of Justice's prison is more spacious and much better than the dungeon.

The jailer placed a stool behind Li Qingyan, and Cuiping had already prepared a cushion before letting Li Qingyan sit down.

Hui Niang sat on the pile of weeds, singing a little tune. Li Qingyan listened to her until she finished singing and then clapped her hands.

"As expected of the most famous courtesan in Guiyuan City, her voice is beautiful."

There was no disdain in Li Qingyan's eyes, but rather a heartfelt appreciation. She was indeed a capable woman.

It's not contradictory to appreciate her or want her dead.

Hui Niang didn't speak, but just kept weaving the grass in her hands. The grass was being woven into a rough shape, but Li Qingyan couldn't see what it was.

"Mother, these are the 'evidence' of your crimes that your husband sent you. I just took a look and there is a lot of evidence of your human trafficking. I'm just curious about something."

Li Qingyan patted the account book next to her.

"Why do you only sell women over twenty? Where did all the women under twenty go? And where did all the women who disappeared from the brothels go?"

Hui Niang looked at Li Qingyan, her expression calm, and said slowly and deliberately, "Why should I tell you this? Buying and selling people is punishable by death by being cut in half at the waist. You're going to die anyway, so don't expect to get any information from me."

Hui Niang's eyes held endless sorrow, while her face wore a defiant smile. But as she smiled, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

Li Qingyan was not angered by her; instead, she sighed, "Your mother is so pitiful."

Hearing this, Hui Niang was stunned for a moment; she had heard this phrase many times before. From the moment they started receiving guests, everyone would say something like this.

A high-sounding "pitiful" cannot conceal their filthy and resentful intentions.

The woman's eyes were full of mockery when she saw those two words.

Li Qingyan pretended not to see it and continued, "Could a woman like you do something so massive? How could your husband, who's with you day and night, not notice?"

"If you just tell her, you can live."

Li Qingyan patted the accounts beside her. "Are you willing to die for such a heartless and ungrateful person? Is someone who can abandon his own wife worth it? Huiniang, you must live for yourself."

The childish voice spoke words that were not mature for her age. Hui Niang suddenly became unusually calm. She looked into Li Qingyan's innocent eyes and said, "It's worth it. How could it not be worth it? I love Junlang the most. Junlang is the best man in the world."

"Hahaha……"

She laughed loudly, spouting words of deep affection, but her eyes betrayed an unyielding disgust.

Li Qingyan jumped off the stool, glanced at Hui Niang, and shook her head. "Cuiping, let's go. Let the jailer prepare some good food for her; don't skimp on her."

"Poor thing, Luo Jun's daughter is so pitiful to have such a father."

Suddenly, Hui Niang said something unclear, and then laughed loudly, "You beast!"

Li Qingyan paused for a moment, but only for a second before continuing to walk out.

Hui Niang's laughter only stopped when Li Qingyan's figure disappeared. She continued weaving, pondering Li Qingyan's words, "Live for yourself, live for yourself, Hui Niang, you must live for yourself."

But... how could she possibly live for herself for the rest of her life? She had no say in her birth, nor in her death.