These words, heard by Princess Changping’s ears, were naturally pleasing beyond words.

A pleased smile lit up Princess Changping’s face. “Do you really think so? Truth be told, I am even a few years older than him, and I already have a Prince Consort. For me to be so devoted to him really does go against propriety.”

Just listen to her saying things against her own true feelings.

If she truly believed it went against propriety, she would not be making such a fuss about divorcing Prince Consort Xu!

Ling Jingshu sneered coldly in her heart, while her smile on the surface grew even gentler. “How could Your Highness think such a thing? With your flower-like beauty and exalted status, you deserve to be accompanied by the most handsome and talented man in the world. My cousin from the Lu family must also be deeply devoted to Your Highness in his heart — it is only that his status makes it inconvenient, and he dares not show it.”

Princess Changping’s mood lifted enormously, and she said with a smile, “I really didn’t expect you to be so skilled with words — every single sentence speaks straight to my heart.”

She was, after all, a princess of the great Zhou dynasty! Her status was exalted beyond compare, her beauty captivating in countless ways — no man could escape her charm.

This Lu Hong, ever since their one night of intimacy before the new year, had been avoiding her ever since — which truly infuriated her.

Of course, given her temperament, once she had set her sights on a man, she would never give up easily — she had plenty of ways to make him submit beneath her skirts.

With the slightest hint, Lu Hong’s second uncle, Lu Ping, had understood at once and eagerly attached himself to her, readily promising that he would make Lu Hong come willingly to the princess’s residence to “keep her company.”

Whatever method Lu Ping had used, Lu Hong had indeed come a few times afterward.

Each time was at night — he would hurry over, spend one night of passion, and then hurry away again before dawn.

This kind of secret affair that could never see the light of day was especially thrilling and exciting. She gradually found that she had completely lost interest in those compliant, ever-obedient male favorites of hers. All she could think of was thoroughly conquering Lu Hong’s heart.

What infuriated her was that this Lu Hong simply had no taste for romance. Every time, he came reluctantly and never wished to linger.

The more he behaved this way, the more she found herself unable to let go.

Having lived for twenty-one years, she suddenly realized she had finally met a man she was truly devoted to. She was no longer satisfied with a fleeting affair — she wanted to summon him as her Prince Consort, to be together for life.

Once this thought surfaced in her mind, it was like a seed falling into soil, swiftly taking root and sprouting.

She had someone send a letter to Lu Ping, hinting at her intentions. Lu Ping, shrewd as ever, immediately saw through her thoughts and quickly sent back a reply.

As long as she divorced Prince Consort Xu and then summoned Lu Hong as her new Prince Consort, the Lu family would certainly make sure Lu Hong married her happily.

This reply gave her confidence. As long as the Lu family had this intention, what did Lu Hong’s small reluctance matter? He was destined to be her Prince Consort!

Having made up her mind, she began to think over how to go about divorcing Xu Qian. That useless coward Xu Qian was nothing to worry about, and the Xu family would not dare to make trouble either — the most important thing was her mother’s attitude. As long as her mother nodded in agreement, the matter would already be more than half settled.

She had come full of confidence, never expecting to be scolded so thoroughly, left utterly humiliated.

Her mother had pointed at her nose and railed at her: “Changping, you will behave yourself and remain the Xu family’s daughter-in-law, as you are supposed to. How many male favorites you wish to keep, I no longer care to manage. But if you dare entertain any thought of divorce again, I will break your legs!”

Recalling all this, the smile vanished at once from Princess Changping’s face. She could not help letting out a long sigh, saying dejectedly, “Mother simply will not agree! Even if A’Hong and I are truly of one heart, there is nothing we can do.”

“Truly of one heart”… these words, applied to Princess Changping and Lu Hong, were enough to make anyone feel sick.

Ling Jingshu suppressed the coldness in her heart and offered gentle comfort. “Your Highness, don’t be anxious. Her Majesty the Empress is Your Highness’s mother — in all this world, what mother does not love her daughter? Her Majesty simply hasn’t been able to come around to it for the moment. Given enough time, she will surely come to understand.”

Princess Changping, long accustomed to acting on whim, did not consider divorcing her husband to remarry as anything shameful at all. Ling Jingshu’s words, moreover, matched her own feelings perfectly, and she suddenly felt as though she had found a true confidante.

“You’re right,” Princess Changping said, a renewed light appearing in her eyes. “One day, Mother will see that my decision was the correct one after all.”

Ling Jingshu thought of the poor Prince Consort Xu, who in her past life had died from falling off a horse, and her heart could not help but stir.

Back then, had Prince Consort Xu truly died by accident?

Or had Princess Changping and Lu Hong, consumed by their illicit passion, conceived murderous intent toward the Prince Consort who stood in their way?

If she were to give the matter a gentle push from behind the scenes, might it happen sooner this time?

If Princess Changping truly developed murderous intentions toward the Prince Consort, and the Xu family were to find out and make a scene of it, Princess Changping’s already poor reputation would become even more disgraced…

Even just causing trouble for the Lu family and for Empress Xu and her son would be worthwhile.

Ling Jingshu silently made up her mind, while saying aloud, with feigned casualness, “This servant has heard that Her Majesty the Empress dotes greatly on Prince Consort Xu! If Your Highness insists on divorcing him, and Her Majesty refuses to agree, I’m afraid it will be very difficult for Your Highness to have your way.”

Wasn’t that just the truth?

At the mention of Prince Consort Xu, Princess Changping felt a wave of stifling frustration, and she gave a heavy snort. “Mother is entirely devoted to the Xu family — she actually treats that nephew of hers better than she treats me, her own daughter.”

Princess Changping kept her male favorites openly and shamelessly, and Prince Consort Xu had been cuckolded time and again, long since becoming a laughingstock spoken of by everyone.

Knowing her nephew had been wronged, Empress Xu felt she had to treat him somewhat better, if only for appearances.

Ling Jingshu said with a smile, “This servant cannot agree with what Your Highness says. Her Majesty’s outward kindness toward Prince Consort Xu is also for Your Highness’s sake, to keep the Xu family from spreading resentful rumors everywhere. If Her Majesty were not backing you up, Your Highness’s life now would not be nearly so carefree and at ease.”

That, too, made sense.

Princess Changping nodded.

Keeping male favorites was, after all, no honorable matter. If it were not for their deference to Empress Xu, how could the Xu family ever swallow such a humiliation?

“Even if Your Highness, in a moment of impulse, were to do something wrong, Her Majesty would never truly be angry with Your Highness,” Ling Jingshu said with a smile, every word laden with deeper meaning. “The bond between mother and daughter is, after all, the nature of things. When it truly matters, how could a nephew ever weigh as much as a daughter?”

Princess Changping nodded again.

Indeed! Even if she did something wrong, her mother would at most be angry for a while — she would certainly never truly turn against her own daughter for the sake of that useless coward Xu Qian…

Wait!

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind!

Whatever it was that Princess Changping had thought of, her eyes suddenly lit up.

Watching the gleam flickering again and again in Princess Changping’s eyes, Ling Jingshu sneered quietly in her heart.

Princess Changping’s mind was not righteous to begin with — with just the slightest nudge, she had likely already thought of a fine way to “solve” this difficult problem.

Whatever happened afterward, in any case, it would all be Princess Changping’s own decision, with not the slightest connection to herself.