Reborn into the palace, she seduces the emperor's heart, driving the chief minister to madness!

Chapter 8 Shameless People

"Father, your daughter wants to participate in this talent show."

Inside the study of the Qiao family mansion, Chu Qingyin stood before Qiao Gongquan, her tone firm.

Qiao Gongquan raised his head, his face solemn: "No! The palace is not a place for you."

"Why not?" Chu Qingyin frowned. "Other daughters of officials can participate, why am I the only one who can't?"

Qiao Gongquan put down the memorial in his hand and sighed: "Yinyin, you are still young and do not understand the dangers in the palace. Once you enter the palace, it is like entering a deep sea. It is a place that eats people without spitting out their bones. Your mother left you as her only bloodline. If I were to let you fall into such a vicious place, how could I explain it to your mother?"

These familiar words left Chu Qingyin feeling somewhat dazed.

Once upon a time, when she insisted on marrying Pei Yuanling as a concubine, her brother Chu Tianheng also advised her in the same way, "Yinyin, do you know how dangerous the royal family is? I don't ask you to have great wealth and honor, I only ask that you can find a good husband and live a peaceful life."

At that time, she was single-mindedly devoted to love and wouldn't listen to anything else. "I want to marry Brother Yuan Ling! If I can't marry him, I'd rather shave my head and become a nun in a temple!"

She was so determined that even her brother couldn't persuade her otherwise, and she still let her marry Pei Yuanling.

From then on, the Duke of Chu's mansion was also bound together with the unfavored sixth prince, Pei Yuanling, becoming ants in the same boat.

"Yinyin? Yinyin?"

Qiao Gongquan's call pulled Chu Qingyin back to reality. Looking at his daughter who suddenly insisted on entering the palace, he felt overwhelmed. "My dear daughter, just listen to your father. Do you know how cruel the struggles in the palace are? Do you know how many people have lost their lives there?"

Chu Qingyin felt a pang of pain in her heart. She not only knew, but she was one of them in her past life.

But she couldn't say it, so she could only pretend to be relaxed and say, "Father, don't worry, I will be careful."

Looking into his daughter's firm and clear eyes, Qiao Gongquan suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

When did his daughter become so persistent?

"Yinyin," Qiao Gongquan softened his tone, "I'm doing this for your own good. Wouldn't it be better if you just stayed home and lived a peaceful life?"

Besides, with her bad temper and muddle-headed mind, going to the palace would be suicide.

Chu Qingyin naturally noticed Qiao Gongquan's worry. She bit her lip and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

“Father, what your daughter wants is more than just a stable life. I want…” She paused, “I want to take control of my own destiny.”

Qiao Gongquan was stunned, never expecting his daughter to say such a thing.

“Father,” Chu Qingyin continued, “please trust your daughter and let me participate in the talent show.”

Qiao Gongquan frowned deeply. After a long while, he stared at the stubborn girl on the ground. "Are you really sure about this?"

Chu Qingyin nodded solemnly: "Yes, my daughter has thought it through very clearly."

Qiao Gongquan remained silent for a long time before finally waving his hand helplessly: "Fine, since you insist on doing this, I won't stop you. Just remember, no matter what happens in the palace, you must protect yourself."

Seeing that he had finally relented, Chu Qingyin felt relieved and immediately knelt down, saying, "Father, rest assured, I know what to do."

Watching his daughter's departing figure, Qiao Gongquan felt a mix of emotions.

He felt that his daughter had become too unfamiliar lately, as if she had grown up overnight.

Could it be that after falling into the water and experiencing life and death, he suddenly had an epiphany?

Chu Qingyin stepped out of the study, the silvery moonlight gently bathing her, adding a touch of softness to her cool and aloof face.

She looked up at the sky, her slender white hands clenched tightly in her sleeves.

This time when she entered the palace, she did not seek any love or affection. She only wanted to find out every single one of those who had deceived, cheated, and harmed her, and make them taste the retribution they deserved!

--

As the old saying goes, "A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools." Now that she had decided to enter the palace, Chu Qingyin naturally wanted to prepare her attire carefully, striving to make a name for herself and be selected in one fell swoop.

On this sunny spring day, with birds chirping, Chu Qingyin was in a fairly good mood, so she took Xianglan to Caiyun Pavilion, the largest and most prosperous silk shop in the capital.

Stepping into Caiyun Pavilion, one is greeted by a dazzling array of colorful silks and satins, a sight to behold.

Upon seeing that it was a young woman with outstanding temperament, the shopkeeper immediately greeted her with a beaming smile, "Welcome to my humble shop! Is there anything that pleases your eye?"

Chu Qingyin looked around and asked, "Have you received any new goods recently?"

"Yes, yes, young lady, what do you think of this piece of satin?"

With a beaming smile, the shopkeeper took out a piece of light pink brocade. The satin looked even more delicate in the spring sunshine, as if it contained a soft luster.

Chu Qingyin glanced at it and shook her head slightly: "It's beautiful, but it's too vulgar."

Her gaze swept across the stacks of shelves, then suddenly stopped on a piece of smoky purple brocade. Her eyes flickered slightly. "Bring that one over to take a look."

"Oh my, young lady, you have excellent taste! This is a brand new shimmering brocade from Suzhou. Not only is it dazzling and captivating, but it's also quite expensive," the shopkeeper said, glancing at Chu Qingyin's expression.

Chu Qingyin understood perfectly well that she wanted to see if Chu Qingyin's status was worth taking the shimmering brocade.

She winked at Xianglan beside her, who immediately understood and cleared her throat, saying, "Our young lady is the legitimate daughter of Minister Qiao's household..."

As soon as her identity was revealed, the shopkeeper's smile became even more obsequious: "So you're the daughter of the Minister's family. No wonder you're as beautiful as a goddess. Please wait a moment, young lady, I'll go and get the shimmering brocade you requested."

The shopkeeper smiled and went to fetch the steps. Just as he took the brocade, a clear voice suddenly rang out: "Shopkeeper, I want this shimmering brocade!"

Chu Qingyin and her servant turned their heads and saw a young girl in a moon-white dress striding over, her gaze fixed on the shimmering brocade.

The girl looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features, an apricot-shaped face, and a hint of arrogance in her demeanor. She was none other than Lu Mingzhu, the legitimate daughter of the third branch of the Lu family of Changyuan.

Chu Qingyin had a vague recollection of Lu Mingzhu; the Lu family's matriarch had taken her to the palace to pay her respects before. At that time, the girl was obedient and docile, like a little lamb.

Unexpectedly, outside the palace, there were completely different faces.

Chu Qingyin glanced at her indifferently and said, "I was the one who picked out this piece of satin first."

Lu Mingzhu looked Chu Qingyin up and down, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes: "Oh, who do we have here? It turns out to be the eldest daughter of Minister Qiao's family."

Chu Qingyin frowned at the tone, but then Lu Mingzhu continued, "I heard that Miss Qiao is also going to participate in this year's talent show? Tsk tsk tsk, that's quite unexpected. I remember you were head over heels in love with that poor scholar Lin Yue, weren't you? What, have you changed your mind now? Or does that scholar not want you anymore?"

To Chu Qingyin, who had experienced palace intrigue, this level of verbal sparring was child's play.

Her expression remained unchanged as she looked at Lu Mingzhu and said calmly, "I didn't expect Miss Lu to be so concerned about my affairs."

"care?"

Lu Mingzhu sneered, "I just find it funny. Someone as vulgar, rude, and shameless as you, does she even deserve to participate in a talent show? If I were you, I would have gone to a temple and shaved my head to become a nun long ago after doing something so disgraceful!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the silk shop froze.

The other guests whispered among themselves, pointing and whispering.

Xianglan was so angry that her face turned red. She was about to step forward to argue when Chu Qingyin gently stopped her.

"Rude and impolite?"

Chu Qingyin smiled slightly, "Miss Lu, are you sure you're talking about me? I think the one making a ruckus and fighting over things in this shop right now is the real rude and uncouth one."

Without changing her expression, she turned to the shopkeeper and said, "I'll take this piece of flowing brocade. Please wrap it up."

"you!"

Lu Mingzhu's expression changed, and she stepped forward to stop him: "Let's see who dares to compete with me today! Do you know who my brother is? My brother is the current Grand Secretary, a favorite of His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin scoffed inwardly. She couldn't understand how someone as cunning and shrewd as Lu Zhiheng could end up with such a brainless cousin.

"Qiao Qingyin, what are you laughing at!"

Seeing her mocking smile, Lu Mingzhu was very displeased and said sharply, "How dare you, a shameless person like you, laugh at me!"

Before Chu Qingyin could speak, a deep male voice suddenly rang out at the shop entrance: "Mingzhu, be careful what you say."