After their minds were read, the entire court trembled with fear.

Chapter 36 Consort Chen's Filial Piety is Powerful!

This is an unsolved mystery, and everyone is extremely curious about it.

Shen Zhiyi frantically fiddled with the surveillance system.

Oh, I see!

[Wang Xian, you're truly amazing!]

What?!

The Dragon Scale Guards lurking in the shadows were in a hurry.

Because the old emperor was pressuring them hard.

Actually, he was in a hurry too!

How did Prince Xian manage to keep it a secret from both the Dragon Scale Guards operating in the shadows and the Thousand Guards operating in the open?

This guy kept a body double who looked very similar to him, and his appearance was also quite alike. He called that body double "Shadow."

Shen Zhiyi pondered for a while.

Is it really possible for two people in this world to look very, very alike?

But she quickly thought of Pu, Wang, and Li, who all looked like the same person.

She once went to the wrong place because she was trying to find out about someone's gossip.

[Actually, it's quite normal for royalty to keep a stand-in, but you, Prince Xian, aren't vying for the throne. You're neither worthy nor interested, so why would you need a stand-in?]

Shen Zhiyi was puzzled, so she looked at it more closely.

The eager officials from the Ministry of Rites couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"I bet a steamed bun that Prince Xian is suspected of vying for the throne."

"Hahaha, you really think highly of him. I bet two steamed buns that Prince Xian and Prince Duan are like that. Actually, they keep this stand-in for doing that kind of thing."

"What kind of thing is it?"

Shen Zhiyi floated over like a ghost, startling the two people who had just been talking so much that they fell to the ground.

Shen Zhiyi pointed to herself.

Am I really that scary?

The two were terrified, and seeing the murderous look in the eyes of Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites, they wanted to cry but had no tears.

One of them asked cautiously, "Shen, Shen Lang, how much did you hear just now?"

"I heard everything!"

The two officials from the Ministry of Rites were utterly devastated.

Oh no, I feel a chill on my neck.

The air was thick with an undeniable killing intent.

[Hehe, I was just kidding them. Actually, I only heard something about Prince Xian and Prince Duan talking like that.]

[Oh dear, these two actually dare to discuss royalty, aren't they afraid of death?]

So, what was the purpose of Prince Duan keeping a body double?

Shen Zhiyi ignored the two people and started flipping through the pages on her own.

This enraged the Dragon Scale Guards hiding in the shadows.

The old emperor is still waiting! You guys actually managed to divert Shen Zhiyi's attention.

I have no idea how much of a brain disorder she has.

[Hiss, hiss, hiss, this Prince Duan really surprises me every time.]

Shen Zhiyi never imagined that Prince Duan's keeping of a body double was actually for... uh...

[Pervert, what a complete pervert.]

[Keeping a stand-in is because watching someone who looks a lot like you play around has a unique kind of thrill.]

Shen Zhiyi closed her eyes, unable to bear to look.

But she soon became curious about what the idle prince wanted.

【Hehehe.】

This is what they call "birds of a feather flock together."

[Prince Xian loved to sing, but sometimes he would impulsively accept two scenes that clashed with each other, so he would simply have a stand-in do them.]

[I never imagined that the stunt double who was used for a scene would now be locked up in solitary confinement.]

The Dragon Scale Guards, lurking in the shadows, twitched and quickly reported the matter to the Emperor.

The emperor was so angry that his beard bristled.

She actually tried to outsmart him.

"So where are the people? Where are the idle kings and others?"

[Hahaha, the old emperor would never have imagined that Prince Xian is right under his nose.]

Yes, that's right, he's right now under the table next to the stool the old emperor was sitting on.

When the Dragon Scale Guards brought the news, the old emperor angrily kicked the table away.

Consort Chen gasped in surprise.

The idle prince curled up, only to feel a sudden brightness before his eyes and a chill run down his spine.

The old emperor rolled his eyes, pointed at the idle prince's nose, and cursed, "Do you think I wouldn't dare to touch you!"

"No, no."

The old emperor dared to act, but was constrained by personal relationships.

Prince Xian closed his eyes and kowtowed to the old emperor.

"Your Majesty, I truly love Consort Chen. I beg you, for my father's sake, to grant us your blessing."

The old emperor remained silent.

At first, the idle prince was confused, but soon a brilliant idea came to him.

“Your Majesty, I remember you once made a promise to my father, but he never fulfilled it before he died, so I dare to use that promise.”

The old emperor looked at Prince Xian with disappointment.

That condition was that his friend was working to secure a future for his descendants.

"Are you sure you want to use an emperor's promise on a woman?"

【What do you mean by using this phrase to describe a woman? Pah!】

This kind of thing seems like a huge waste, whether it's done to a man or a woman.

From a rational perspective, maximizing the benefits derived from the emperor's promises aligns more with my view.

[But our Prince Xian's claim of doing this for a woman is clearly for a great love; we must praise him, not belittle him, otherwise we'll be torn apart by trolls.]

Seeing that the old emperor had relented, Prince Xian nodded quickly.

"Yes, we need to use it!"

"Alright, but there's a condition: you will no longer be a king of a different surname in Daye, and there will be no more contact between us. Neither of you are allowed to set foot in the capital city for the rest of your lives."

Prince Xian and Consort Chen trembled.

But they all knew in their hearts that this was the only way to survive.

At this moment, Consort Chen had completely forgotten about that book.

She was just giving herself a reason that she thought was morally acceptable to satisfy her loneliness.

[A master! This Consort Chen is truly a master.]

Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but steal a glance at Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites.

If a daughter is this capable, then the father has nothing to worry about.

Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites: What the heck?

[On the very night Chen Zhaoyi was in the laundry department, she was bullied by the palace maids, and her baby became unstable. Later, after being sent to the Cold Palace, she miscarried because the weather was too cold to bear.]

A few days later, the idle prince, longing for Consort Chen, first entered through a theatrical troupe, then disguised himself as a eunuch and went to Consort Chen's cold palace.

He was heartbroken upon learning of Chen Zhaoyi's miscarriage, as it was his child.

[Chen Zhaoyi, seizing upon Prince Xian's guilt, used all her charms to seduce him again, so she became pregnant again shortly after her miscarriage.]

Shen Zhiyi's brows were so furrowed they could trap a fly.

Sister, you're really ruthless! Aren't you afraid of ruining your health?

But then I quickly thought, what does it matter if my body is destroyed or I die?

Consort Chen knew perfectly well that she was alive only because she was pregnant with Prince Xian's child.

Everyone knows about the friendship between Prince Xian's father and the old emperor.

So she used Prince Xian to save her own life and thus avoid endangering her family.

After the officials of the Ministry of Rites figured this out, one or two of them couldn't help but give their leader a thumbs up.

Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites: How come he, as the father, didn't know that his daughter was so capable?

I think Lord Chen should go and see his daughter off. Although filial piety breeds strength, she is still your child after all.

Okay, actually I just wanted to go out.

Shen Zhiyi stared intently at the monitor screen in the upper right corner.

Fun!

What a blast!