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Nanny Xiang thought Jiang Xinyue was having a moment of naive compassion and exclaimed in alarm: "Your Highness, you\'ve come this far because of your iron heart and sharp methods. You can\'t let sympathy overflow at this time! If you sympathize with her, you\'ll become her stepping stone one day. The Sixth Prince is still young, Your Highness, you..."

"Pfft!"

Jiang Xinyue laughed: "If I were truly overflowing with sympathy, I would punish you just for saying I have an iron heart. But I know you mean well, willing to risk yourself to remind me, and I appreciate your sentiment."

She wasn\'t sure whether Nanny Xiang calling her iron-hearted was praise or criticism.

Stroking her armor, her eyes gleaming with intelligence: "But Nanny Xiang, my iron heart won\'t change. It\'s good that Qin Ruofang has ambition. Her enemies are Minister Pei of the Privy Council, the Pei family, the Guiyang County Magistrate and Qin Prefecture Prefect who harmed her. To climb up and avenge her family, she\'ll need to rely on me."

Though the Guiyang County Magistrate was dead, he was merely a discarded pawn. The real culprit was the towering tree that was the Pei family.

"Even in the worst case, if the Pei family falls and she develops inappropriate thoughts, Nanny, do you think she\'s a match for me?"

If she maintained proper intentions, seeking vengeance for her parents and family, Jiang Xinyue would respect her character and grant whatever she sought.

But if she set her sights on the Emperor, Jiang Xinyue would pin the "achievement" of plotting against and destroying the Pei family on Qin Ruofang.

This alone would be enough to make the Emperor wary and despise her.

The Emperor preferred women who were clever but not calculating, capable of protecting themselves but not actively harmful, "delicate" beauties who could rely on him wholeheartedly.

In the Emperor\'s mind, women could be smart but not shrewd. A woman capable of single-handedly bringing down the Pei family wasn\'t merely shrewd - she would be seen as an otherworldly demon.

Such a woman, the Emperor wouldn\'t - and wouldn\'t dare to - love. He would only grow suspicious and want to eliminate her.

If Jiang Xinyue hadn\'t seen through this point, she wouldn\'t have needed to hide her true personality and play the sweet innocent before the Emperor.

The sweet innocent she portrayed wasn\'t what people of later generations might think - someone who knew nothing and was exceptionally stupid. That would be pure foolishness.

Jiang Xinyue\'s understanding of being sweet and innocent meant being naive when appropriate and clever when needed, making everyone see her as a pure, kind flower worthy of their sympathy.

That was true sweet innocence.

It wasn\'t that Jiang Xinyue was arrogant or looked down on native women - she simply understood the Emperor too well.

The Xuanwu Emperor was dark-hearted and cold, caring only for the realm and its people. Women were merely his diversions - he would favor those he liked and discard those he didn\'t.

Though Jiang Xinyue\'s situation was much better, it was all achieved through her careful scheming.

If she hadn\'t spent her days studying the Emperor\'s thoughts and presenting herself according to his expectations, he wouldn\'t favor and dote on her so much now.

If Qin Ruofang had the ability to win over the Emperor, she wouldn\'t have met such a tragic fate.

Just because her family met with disaster didn\'t mean her mind had changed - what was there to fear?

Nanny Xiang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "This old servant was hasty and impatient. Knowing Your Highness has everything planned puts my mind at ease."

"Father, are we really going to let that little wretch go unpunished?"

Pei Sinian\'s face was filled with hatred: "Young Master... Young Master\'s manhood was stung by that scorpion, and the imperial physician said even after treatment it will affect his ability to have children. Isn\'t this condemning my son to die without descendants? Mistress is crying her eyes out - how can we just let her go?"

"Then what do you want to do?"

Minister Pei\'s face was grim: "The Emperor is protecting her and demands evidence. Do you have any evidence?"

"I..."

"Miss Qin, this way please..."

Pei Sinian clearly saw that a eunuch looked identical to the person dressed as a palace maid they had encountered last night.

He rushed forward and grabbed Xiao Xiangzi\'s collar: "You dog slave, did the Imperial Consort send you to plant that scorpion to hurt my son? Disguising yourself like that - did you think I wouldn\'t recognize you? Today I\'m going to the Emperor..."

"What\'s all this commotion about?"

The Emperor strode out of the main hall, glaring at Pei Sinian, but then turned to address Minister Pei: "Minister Pei, is this how you watch him cause trouble in front of me?"

Laying hands on someone in the imperial presence was a serious crime.

Minister Pei hurriedly called out: "Sinian, come back!"

His gaze had already fallen on Qin Ruofang behind Xiao Xiangzi. With just a bit of makeup, the woman\'s beauty was outstanding. Now that she had successfully entered the Changchun Pavilion, what was there to worry about?

While the mountain remains green, there will always be wood to burn.

When the Imperial Consort\'s favor was at its peak, there was no need for direct confrontation.

Qin Ruofang glanced up at the imposing Emperor before quickly lowering her head again.

But she had caught Minister Pei\'s warning look and gave a slight nod.

After Minister Pei led Pei Sinian away, Xiao Xiangzi finally brought Qin Ruofang to pay respects to the Emperor.

"Qin Ruofang? You\'ve come so soon?"

The Qin family had considerable wealth, and the Emperor had thought she would need to stay in Guiyang to settle accounts for some time, not to mention her troublesome clan members and relatives who wouldn\'t be easy to deal with.

"I must thank Your Majesty."

Her slender waist was graceful and alluring: "If not for Your Majesty and the Imperial Consort leaving people to assist this commoner, I wouldn\'t have been able to sell off the family assets and get away so quickly. I have already handed over all the Qin family\'s property to Eunuch Wang for the national treasury. In the future, at the Mansion of Treasures, I will serve Your Majesty and the noble masters with all my heart."

She was referring to the Qin family\'s skill in crafting precious jewelry and ornaments.

"Mm! It\'s very good that you have such intentions."

She was a wealthy patron bringing money, so the Xuanwu Emperor\'s attitude was kind and friendly: "Xiao Xiangzi, take Miss Qin and settle her in properly. Do not neglect her."

"Your Majesty..."

Qin Ruofang bit her lip: "Could Your Majesty dismiss the attendants? This commoner... has something to say to Your Majesty in private."

Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6

According to protocol this wasn\'t allowed - who knew if she was an assassin or rebel? What if she tried to kill the Emperor?

But with her delicate arms and legs, and the personal guard whispering in the Emperor\'s ear: "Your Majesty, we observe she has no martial arts training."

"Then you may all withdraw!"

Was there some unspeakable truth in the massacre of the Qin family? How many officials were involved?

The Xuanwu Emperor wanted to understand clearly.

"What?!"

"Yan\'er, what did you say? Concubine Ye has been arrested?"

"My lady, shh!"

Yan\'er quickly closed the door: "My fellow villager in the Imperial Household Department told me - it hasn\'t spread outside yet!"

"What trouble has she gotten herself into now?"