The whole family is obsessed with love? The princess woke them up one after another.

Hearing footsteps, Tang Jingrou looked up abruptly. After recognizing who it was, the joy in her heart vanished like a receding tide.

"Greetings, Princess." Tang Jingrou bowed.

She lowered her head and saw Qi Zhiyu's skirt sweep across the ground as she walked past her.

Tang Jingrou felt resentful.

She was, after all, an elder, and while she was bowing, Qi Zhiyu just walked past.

They have no manners and no upbringing!

Suddenly, Tang Jingrou heard a sneer. Her heart tightened, and she heard Qi Zhiyu ask, "What? You're still not satisfied with your bow?"

Tang Jingrou suddenly looked up and met Qi Zhiyu's ambiguous smile. She quickly forced a smile and said, "What are you saying, Princess?"

Qi Zhiyu said softly, "Get up."

Tang Jingrou then stood up. Just as she was about to sit down, she heard Qi Zhiyu slowly say, "I... I let you sit down?"

Tang Jingrou froze, looking at Qi Zhiyu in disbelief.

Qi Zhiyu's indifferent gaze ignited the anger in her heart.

"Princess, no matter what, I am still your aunt," Tang Jingrou emphasized through gritted teeth.

Qi Zhiyu didn't say anything, just looked at Tang Jingrou with a faint smile on her lips.

The more she looked at her like that, the more embarrassed Tang Jingrou felt.

From indignation to resentment, all of it eventually transformed into fear of imperial power under Qi Zhiyu's watchful gaze.

No matter what, she could not defy imperial power.

Tang Jingrou could only grit her teeth and stand aside.

Qi Zhiyu smiled slightly, "That's right."

Some people should recognize their own status and position.

"What do you need me for?" Qi Zhiyu asked.

"Princess, nowadays all the ladies and young ladies are preparing for religious ceremonies to pray for the soldiers on the frontier. Do you and the Princess Consort have any thoughts on this?" Tang Jingrou said this in a tone that sounded like she was giving alms.

"I don't have any particular thoughts," Qi Zhiyu said casually.

Tang Jingrou was as excited as a cat that had caught a fish: "Don't the Princess and the Queen want to pray for the soldiers on the border?"

Qi Zhiyu smiled slightly: "You're very happy?"

Tang Jingrou then realized she had lost control of her emotions and quickly composed herself: "Your Highness, what are you saying? I just felt..."

"I don't need your opinion," Qi Zhiyu said bluntly. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it just to ask this question, or do you want to invite my daughter and me to your religious ceremony?"

"Well... I can't make the decision to invite the princess and the queen. Everyone is busy with the ritual, and if the other ladies disagree, I certainly don't have the final say," Tang Jingrou explained with difficulty.

In reality, she wanted Qi Zhiyu to know that Qi Zhiyu and Princess Rui were being isolated!

"Then why are you saying all this?" Qi Zhiyu asked. "Do you think I'm as idle as you?"

"Princess, although you and the Princess may not be able to attend, you can bring some silver, which I will distribute to everyone. In this way, you and the Princess will be considered to have participated in this ritual." Tang Jingrou finally revealed her purpose.

"Besides, the princess's father is a prince; surely a prince wouldn't be indifferent to the safety of his soldiers?"

Qi Zhiyu laughed: "I've never seen anyone perform rituals for the soldiers before. What's wrong? You didn't care before, but now you suddenly care?"

"Or is it that soldiers used to die freely, but now they can't die at all?"

"What's the difference between the soldiers of the past and the soldiers of today?"

Qi Zhiyu didn't quite understand: "Oh, back then, the King of Wu was the crown prince, so he didn't have to care about the lives or deaths of those soldiers."

"Now that the King of Wu is no longer the crown prince, he needs to win over the people if he wants the position. So, you all performed a ritual together to pray for blessings."

"The King of Wu is truly opportunistic, and you are all sycophants."

Tang Jingrou's face drained of color instantly from fright.

What nonsense is Qi Zhiyu spouting?

If this gets out, what will people outside think of them?

What is your opinion on the King of Wu?

How could the King of Wu not blame them?

"Princess, don't make wild guesses. That's not the truth," Tang Jingrou said in a deep voice.

"If it's not like this, then what is it?" Qi Zhiyu asked, puzzled. "Then tell me, why didn't you perform rituals to pray for blessings before, but you're doing it now?"

"What a coincidence! The King of Wu is no longer the crown prince, and you're all so eager to get involved?"

"And you say it wasn't to show the people King Wu's benevolence, and to let the soldiers feel King Wu's appreciation for talent?"

"No!" Tang Jingrou had no idea how to refute it.

Because that's what they thought from the very beginning.

Jiang Shuyi took the lead in order to isolate Qi Zhiyu while also building momentum for the King of Wu.

These thoughts, of course, cannot be spoken aloud.

They need the people and their soldiers to see what they want those people to see.

If Qi Zhiyu were to reveal all of this... what would that look like?

Qi Zhiyu chuckled and said, "Tell me, if they knew that their thoughts were leaked because you came to see me... what would happen to you?"

Tang Jingrou's face turned green.

"This involves quite a few things," Qi Zhiyu said with a smile to Tang Jingrou.

She had never seen anyone so stupid. With such a huge weakness in their hands, they still dared to try and control her.

What exactly is Tang Jingrou thinking?

"Princess, I have something to do. Since you don't want to participate, then I will..." Tang Jingrou said incoherently.

She had only one thought in her mind: to leave Prince Rui's mansion as quickly as possible.

Just pretend she never came.

Qi Zhiyu smiled and said, "Tang Jingrou, don't you think it's too late?"

"From the moment you swaggered in through the front door, everyone who needed to know that you came to see me knew."

Tang Jingrou then realized: "You deliberately opened the front door to let me in!"

She entered with an air of smugness, for the Prince Rui's mansion had opened its gates.

She thought it was because they respected her, but little did she know... it was a trap set by Qi Zhiyu.

"Princess, what exactly do you want?" Tang Jingrou asked coldly.

"I don't want anything," Qi Zhiyu said gently. "Although the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion has lost its marquis title, its foundation remains."

"Our Prince Rui's mansion is pitiful; powerless and without influence, we live in utter misery."

Tang Jingrou's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

The Prince Rui's family is so favored by His Majesty, yet they are still miserable?

What do they have to do with the word "misery"?

How could Qi Zhiyu say that without blushing or panting?

"It's nothing much, just need some money to spend," Qi Zhiyu stated her purpose directly.

Tang Jingrou gritted her teeth: "I have no money!"

Qi Zhiyu's request was definitely not something involving a few thousand or tens of thousands of taels of silver; she certainly didn't have that much.

Qi Zhiyu rested her chin on her hand and pointed her in the right direction: "You don't have it, but the Duke of Wei does."

"After all, the person who took the lead is Jiang Shuyi, your good daughter-in-law, and the good granddaughter of the Duke of Wei."