A Golden Road

This reminded Qi Xuan of what her mother had said the night before.

Is it possible that Prince of Qi is truly impotent and therefore intends to remain unmarried for life?

Her lips twitched, as if she wanted to say that she didn't care what hidden ailment His Highness Prince of Qi might have.

Even with her low emotional intelligence, she knew that such words were forbidden. Not only was the matter unconfirmed, but even if it were, it was a taboo in the Great Jin, concerning the face of the royal family. If she were to utter these words today, what awaited her would surely be a message from the palace, and her tragic end of dying silently in the backyard of the Duke of Wei's Residence.

She took a step back, nodded sadly, and said, "Okay, I understand."

With that, she turned around abruptly, covered her face, and hurried outside.

She was not only ashamed and indignant at being rejected, but also putting on an act for Xiao Lingyan's benefit.

She wanted him to know that she was heartbroken by his rejection. If he wasn't heartless, he would surely feel a pang of pity for her, leaving a ripple in his heart. When he finally wanted to get married, he might consider her first.

The shopkeeper didn't react at first, but after the waiter reminded him, he quickly took the things the waiter handed him and chased after her, calling out, "Miss, Miss Qi!"

Hearing the call, Qi Xuan was overjoyed and quickly stopped, thinking that the Prince of Qi had changed his mind. But to her surprise, the shopkeeper handed a box to the old woman she had brought. "Miss Qi, please take these items you brought."

That box was the one she brought from home to auction. It was a valuable item, and Qi Xuan hadn't forgotten about it, but she was thinking of coming back to get it later, which would also give her an excuse.

Unexpectedly, Prince of Qi not only rejected her advances, but also completely blocked any future avenues for her to approach him.

Qi Xuan felt a tightness in her chest, and this time it wasn't an act; she burst into tears and ran out, wiping away her tears.

"Alas, Your Highness..." The shopkeeper glanced upstairs and shook his head.

That evening, Xiao Lingyan wrote a letter to Zhao Ruxi reporting what had happened that day, praising his performance with great pride and even asking Zhao Ruxi for a reward.

Zhao Ruxi read the letter, feeling both amused and annoyed. She went to the garden and picked a peach blossom—it was springtime, the season when peach blossoms were in full bloom—then crumpled the blossom, stuffed it into the envelope, and handed it to Wu Wei: "Give this to His Highness Prince of Qi immediately."

Half an hour later, Xiao Lingyan received a reply. Instead of a letter, the envelope contained only a rotten peach blossom, along with a small note that read, "Reward."

Xiao Lingyan: "..."

Zhao Ruyu also received a report from the servant.

"Prince of Qi?" She was so surprised she almost dropped her teacup.

"Yes," the servant replied. "I saw her send people to scout outside the auction house. Later, after Prince of Qi entered the auction house, she followed him in. However, she came out in less than the time it takes to eat a meal, crying. The shopkeeper even chased after her and gave something to her old woman, which seemed to be an item she had taken to auction."

Zhao Ruyu suppressed her excitement, had Fushu give the servant a big reward, sent them all out, then opened the light screen to check her points, and finally closed the light screen in frustration.

For news about a prince like Xiao Lingyan, even a small piece of information like his marriage would cost the system 3,000 points; if the news about a prince involved the court, it would cost at least 5,000 points.

Zhao Ruyu had been frantically earning points recently, all because of the promise of the Beauty Pill. Now that she'd achieved her goal, she didn't want to put in the effort anymore. If it weren't for the fact that inquiring about Fu Yunlang's marriage would cost 600 points, she wouldn't have even touched the zither during this time. Now that Fu Yunlang's marriage was finally settled, she was truly determined to never touch the zither again.

She only has 83 points on her screen now, which isn't enough to buy any news.

However, she didn't need to buy it. Qi Xuan's actions suddenly made her think.

She hadn't taken any action during this time for several reasons. First, the Beauty Pill had a gradual effect on beauty, and while she had only become slightly more beautiful recently, she wasn't quite stunning enough to be captivating. Second, the situation at the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence had changed, and she didn't know if Fu Yunlang's feelings for her would change. If Fu Yunlang did change, then he would bear the blame for the mistake. Not only would she avoid the infamy, but she could also gain sympathy. Third, she hadn't yet decided who she wanted to marry.

The political situation has become unpredictable because of Zhao Ruxi's rebirth. She still can't see who is cannon fodder and who will be the final winner. She is afraid of giving up on Fu Yunlang, but all her efforts have ended up jumping into a fire pit.

Therefore, although she had someone in mind, she remained inactive for some time, wanting to find the best one.

The reason she insisted on going to the academy was that she wanted to gradually become more beautiful in front of everyone. A subtle, gradual change wouldn't seem abrupt; people would simply think she had blossomed and become more beautiful.

Now, Qi Xuan's actions caught her eye, and she turned her attention to Xiao Lingyan.

The Fifth Prince's fate has changed, so he shouldn't die now. Judging from the current situation, the Second Prince and Fifth Prince seem to have a better chance of winning. Even if they fail, the Fifth Prince, as not a key figure in the succession struggle, shouldn't lose his life, right? Even if the original plot continues...

Zhao Ruyu pulled the light screen back open, looked at the price of the Recovery Pill, and frowned.

She probably couldn't accumulate 150,000 points in her entire life. Even if she earned some points, she would have to buy things for herself; she couldn't possibly spend them all on others.

Therefore, using the Recovery Pill to avert the Fifth Prince's death is a deadly path.

Her eyebrows immediately relaxed.

If she could become the Consort of the Prince of Qi, what would it matter if the Prince of Qi died? She would have a high status, a wealthy life, and wouldn't have to endure a difficult childbirth. Her life would be quite good. Wouldn't that be better than a poor couple facing endless sorrows?

After careful consideration, Zhao Ruyu made up her mind.

She planned to use a strategy similar to Grand Duke Jiang fishing, subtly approaching Xiao Lingyan a few times. If Xiao Lingyan wasn't attracted to her beauty, then so be it, and she wouldn't force the marriage; but if Xiao Lingyan was attracted to her beauty, yet only took her as a concubine, then she wouldn't agree to that either.

Marrying the Fifth Prince carries the risk of becoming a widow. With such a high risk, being just a concubine is not worth it. She wants to be the Princess Xiao Lingpu Consort of the Prince of Qi; otherwise, why take the risk? That's why she doesn't consider marrying the Second Prince, Xiao Lingpu.

She knew her status was lowly, and becoming a princess would be difficult. But how would she know if she didn't try? Perhaps Prince of Qi would be captivated by her beauty at first sight and insist on marrying her, which would be a meteoric rise for her! Even if she ended up a widow, it would still be a great honor!

Everyone needs to have dreams, right? What if they come true!