Shaoyao hadn’t returned to himself even after he was taken to his seat by Elder Feng.

  He hated himself for having such a beautiful face, but he knew that when these people saw him, no one would be able to resist him.

  But she……

  “Don’t look at her now, she doesn’t like you.” Elder Feng put her hands on the young man’s waist. “I didn’t originally want to let you go, but now she doesn’t like you, ha, it’s just what I expected.”


  Shaoyao looked at Elder Feng’s slightly fat face and felt a little disgusted.

  If he had to sacrifice his first time, he’d rather choose that woman.

  “Her Majesty arrives—”


  Shen Yu was surrounded by a group of people as she came in. Accompanying her was also Duanmu Shu, who was wearing palace clothes as Shen Yu’s formal imperial husband.

  His expression was impassive, held by Shen Yu, and he walked above like a zombie.

  After Shen Yu named Duanmu Shu her formal imperial husband, she hardly ever let him out. This was his first time appearing in public.

  The ministers made a series of salutes, but Ming Shu remained still. Shen Yu asked her, “Prime Minister, do you have any complaints about me?”


  “No.” Ming Shu tilted her head. “Be confident, Your Majesty, you are such a cutie, how would I have any complaints about you?”


  Everyone: “.……”


  Was the prime minister teasing Her Majesty just now?

  “Prime Minister, what nonsense are you speaking!” Shen Yu scolded in a low voice.

  “I was just praising you, Your Majesty.”


  “.……”


  Shen Yu felt she couldn’t see the prime minister before her now.

  She tried hard to retain a serious face. “Why didn’t you salute?”


  “Your Majesty, her deceased empress allowed me not to bend my knees if it was not a big occasion.” The Jing family had such qualifications. Before Shen Yu lost her temper, Ming Shu lifted both her hands and crossed them before her chest. “Seen Your Majesty.”


  Shen Yu had to swallow the following words coming out of her mouth.

  She didn’t even give her a chance to cause trouble.

  Ming Shu continued with a smile, “Actually, Your Majesty, I was only trying to draw your attention.”


  Shen Yu’s hands that held Duanmu Shu trembled.

  She would not have been surprised if it had been said by a man, but by a woman!

  This woman said something like that with that tone, which only made Shen Yu feel uncomfortable.

  Duanmu Shu looked sideways slightly at the woman who sat below in the first position. She was Fengqi State’s prime minister.

  She was clothed in dark red, a color that could only be worn by the prime minister in Fengqi State’s imperial court, representing her noble status and identity.

  “Today’s hero is our prime minister, we gather here to celebrate the victory she has brought to our great Fengqi. The prime minister made her contribution. So everyone, just make yourselves at home and don’t mind me.”


  The ministers below echoed and expressed congratulations to Ming Shu.

  Shen Yu made her speech longer and the scene began to warm up.

  Such an occasion naturally involved singing and dancing. Those ministers’ sons who came here could also do some performances and show their talents, which perhaps could get them noticed by their potential pursuers.

  Ming Shu had finished all the desserts on her own table, and began to look at those untouched desserts on Elder Feng’s table next to her.

  She moved closer to her side. “Elder Feng.”


  Elder Feng: “.……”


  Elder Feng turned her head and faced Ming Shu. “Yes, Prime Minister?”


  Would she have thought it through and wanted to have Shaoyao suddenly?

  If so, she would have to give him to her……

  Which was the last thing she wanted.

  She didn’t even have the chance to taste this young beauty.

  But Ming Shu didn’t even notice Shaoyao. “Could I have your desserts?”


  Elder Feng looked at the desserts on her table and nodded, hesitantly.

  “Thank you.”


  Then Elder Feng watched Ming Shu take all the desserts on her table away……

  Elder Feng: “???”


  “Prime Minister, you’re not young, do you like someone or not?”


  Shen Yu suddenly raised a question.

  “What if I do, and what if I do not?”


  “Prime Minister, what’s that tone of voice when speaking to Her Majesty?”


  Some of the ministers didn’t think Ming Shu’s tone was proper. Her voice was smiling, but it always made you feel she was insincere.

  Shen Yu lifted her hand and showed that she didn’t care much about that. “Prime Minister, if you like someone, I can grant you a marriage. You’ve done a meritorious job this time, I assume ordinary rewards don’t attract you much.”


  “I don’t like anyone.”


  Shen Yu looked in the direction Elder Feng. “I also heard about this Son Shaoyao, now when I see him, he is really a handsome young man. Prime Minister, do you like him?”


  “Your Majesty, you’d better take less care of my marriage situation.”


  Shen Yu would definitely not allow her to marry a son from an old and well-known family, yet she also couldn’t pick up one for her casually. So this Shaoyao in the limelight was just right.

  But if Ming Shu really brought this man home, people would talk.

  Besides, when it came to men, it would be enough for her to have the little goblin.

  “Do you think I’m meddlesome, Prime Minister?”


  “You know best, Your Majesty.”


  Jing Yu stood behind Ming Shu and listened fearfully to the dangerous conversation. She was so worried that the empress would have her lady dragged out and beaten up at any minute.

  The other ministers only pretended they heard nothing.

  This was not the kind of thing that some shrimps like them could meddle with.

  But Shen Yu only changed her expression a little, then covered it with laughter and didn’t mean to call her out.

  Shen Yu kept telling herself that all she needed to do was win those ministers supporting the prime minister over to her side, or remove them.

  Without the people and resources passed down from generation to generation in the Jing family, Jing Se would be nothing.

  Shen Yu didn’t say anything then. Some of the tension slowly drained from the atmosphere.

  Ming Shu smiled the whole time. Basically if you ignored her, she wouldn’t make any trouble, just eating quietly and occasionally looking up to watch the dance performance.

  “I heard that Son Shaoyao is an excellent dancer, so I’m wondering if I may have the chance to appreciate his dancing today.”


  Suddenly, a young lord stood in the clearing and was looked in Elder Feng’s direction arrogantly.

  Shaoyao was with Elder Feng, so the young lord was not very rude. “What do you say, Elder Feng, Lady Prime Minister?”


  “Me?” The suddenly named Ming Shu raised her head. “Not interested.”


  The young lord choked. But seeing Ming Shu’s face, he held back his discontent.

  Ming Shu could just say she was not interested without any psychological pressure, but Elder Feng couldn’t. She had to let Shaoyao do a dancing show.

  Shaoyao responded with a “yes” with his head lowered and walked to the middle of the clearing gracefully.

  That young lord retreated to his position—judging from which he should be from a family whose lady official was at least formal level two.

  Shaoyao stood there and easily drew everyone’s attention.

  The young lord was a little unhappy to see this.

  Music started playing.

  Shaoyao began to dance to the music. With his floating clothes, he was like a flying bird.

  The sound of porcelain breaking suddenly sounded and interrupted Shaoyao’s dancing, who then stood in place nervously.

  All eyes were now drawn to above.

  Duanmu Shu stood up on the platform. The broken object should be Shen Yu’s teacup; she still had some tea-leaves on the back of her hand.

  Shen Yu looked down at the broken cup pieces. “Duanmu Shu, don’t think I couldn’t have other men.”


  “Heh, just go and find someone else.” Duanmu Shu’s tone was cold.

  Only Duanmu Shu, Her Majesty’s imperial husband, dared to provoke Shen Yu like this.

  Shen Yu was probably pissed off very seriously this time and said, “Fine.”


  She turned to look at Shaoyao who was still standing in the field. “I now confer Shaoyao the title of imperial concubine.”


  Hearing this, Duanmu Shu sneered and directly left without looking back.

  The scene fell into an eerie silence.