Since Qiao Ci had caused chaos at the Qiao manor, the manor was filled with screams that night. Within a few days, the housekeeper and his wife were both found dead, and everyone knew the reason.
However, Qiao Shan's status in the Qiao manor remained unchanged. Lord Qiao seemed to treat her as his own, offering her all sorts of maternal love and financial support.
Qiao Shan had finally managed to appease Lin Ziang, and the two were enjoying their private time.
After a tumultuous period, Qiao Shan lay in Lin Ziang's arms. Her thoughts drifted, and her eyes instantly turned venomous. "Qiao Ci caused the death of my biological parents. I will never forgive her!"
Lin Ziang knew the whole story. It was Qiao Shan who, for the sake of the Qiao manor's wealth and status, chose to abandon her own parents, which led to the deaths of the housekeeper and his wife.
Seeing her shift all the blame onto Qiao Ci, he couldn't help but sigh, "Shan Shan, forgive and forget when you can. I don't think Qiao Ci is someone to be trifled with..."
"What? She harmed me to this extent, and my parents died because of her. Can't I even seek revenge?" Qiao Shan bristled like a hedgehog.
"You know I don't mean that. I'm afraid you'll get hurt. She's like a barefoot person who fears nothing, why stoop to her level?" Lin Ziang, having given himself to Qiao Shan, naturally cared for her well-being.
"I want to see her reduced to dust and unable to rise again! Otherwise, what is the point of my coming to this world? Am I just here to endure humiliation? This is my world, and I must seek vengeance swiftly and become a peerless hero!" Qiao Shan, who had been unremarkable in the modern world, felt it would be a disgrace to her fellow transmigrators if she couldn't make a name for herself in her own novel.
Lin Ziang gazed at her with infatuation. She was always so unique, making him utterly captivated.
Qiao Shan thought of Wen Renxue, a martial artist she had recently met, and her eyes gleamed with an idea.
Meanwhile, Qiao Ci focused on healing the wounds on her face while contemplating how to live a life of luxury. The most luxurious existence was that of the emperor, but she wasn't so deranged as to dethrone the family that doted on Danqing. Perhaps she could go into business, or take the imperial examinations and become a female official for fun? For the first time, Qiao Ci, who preferred simple, straightforward fighting, found herself in a dilemma.
One day, while dining at a restaurant, she overheard people discussing.
"I heard the Empress is holding a martial arts competition to find a consort for the young prince."
"Is that true? The young prince is a beauty, and he needs a competition to find a spouse?"
"They say the young prince has very high standards, which is why at eighteen, he still hasn't found a consort. It's probably because he's grown too old to stay at home and wants to get married too~"
"Haha, even if he wants to get married, he wouldn't look at crude people like us. Such competitions likely have predetermined participants, and it all depends on who is more skilled to win the handsome prince."
"I wouldn't even dare to dream of it. It would be nice to see the young prince's beauty, at least then I could say I've met royalty."
Qiao Ci: "..."
She then remembered that she hadn't seen Danqing for quite some time.
However, before she could seek out Danqing, someone from Xu Qingfeng found her. Qiao Ci followed the guide to a private mansion and was led to a pavilion. Once there, the guide left. Knowing that Xu Qingfeng was Danqing's father and doted on him, Qiao Ci calmly sat down to wait.
Soon, a lion with glossy fur approached her with elegant steps.
Qiao Ci: "..." What was this getup? Was this a way to scare her away with a huge lion, to make her retreat? Qiao Ci considered how she would deal with the lion before it could pounce with its bloody maw, trying to do so without appearing too brutal.
However, the large lion slowly walked to Qiao Ci's feet, lay down, and wagged its tail leisurely. It seemed as though Qiao Ci wasn't a delicious snack, but rather a large tree for shade. Qiao Ci relaxed her guard, calm and composed. So it was an ally, my apologies!
Xu Qingfeng and Dan Rong, who were observing from the shadows, ready to test Qiao Ci's disposition, were both stunned. While Lan Yan had been raised by humans since it was young, it had always eaten raw meat and harbored no small amount of hostility towards strangers. Why was it so docile today? Dan Rong looked at the disappointing Lan Yan and decided to starve it tonight. It was useless, having defected to the enemy, a disgrace to the lion community!
Initially, neither of them had intended for Lan Yan to harm Qiao Ci. Seeing this, they walked towards the pavilion and appeared before Qiao Ci. Qiao Ci watched the two of them calmly, not speaking first.
"Are you Qiao Ci?" Xu Qingfeng sat opposite Qiao Ci, scrutinizing her with a neutral tone.
"Indeed," Qiao Ci replied, neither subservient nor arrogant.
"After Danqing returned to the palace that day, he kept pestering me, wanting to marry you. I wish to know, what exactly are your capabilities that would make me entrust my most beloved youngest son to you?" Xu Qingfeng's tone carried a hint of authority, his expression calm and his gaze aloof. He did not conceal his identity, as Dan Rong stood beside him, making his status obvious.
"Whatever Danqing wants, I can give him," Qiao Ci stated honestly, not showing any deference due to him being Danqing's father.
"What big words! Are you just deceiving my son with sweet talk?" Xu Qingfeng found Qiao Ci's words presumptuous and felt even more concerned, believing she couldn't possibly be the empress in Danqing's dreams. Qiao Ci had no experience dealing with in-laws and was unsure how to respond. She was simply speaking the truth, so why was she being insulted?
At this moment, the helpful little spoon made its reappearance! "I don't know what sweet talk is. I only know that for Danqing, I am sincere. His joy is my joy, his sorrow is my sorrow. As long as he wishes it, I am willing to give my all just to see him smile. In this life, I wish for only one person." The embarrassing and sweet lines were delivered by Qiao Ci with the earnestness of an eternal vow.
Xu Qingfeng suddenly saw the empress Danqing spoke of. That person was also similar to Qiao Ci, which made her Qing'er so unforgettable. Perhaps it was because they were too alike that his youngest son was willing to open his heart and accept other women again...
"If you can marry Danqing, are you willing to be monogamous for a lifetime? Is that true?" Xu Qingfeng stared intently at this woman, whose face was marred yet still possessed heroic beauty, as if trying to peer into the depths of her soul.
"It is true," Qiao Ci answered.
"Heh heh, women are all fickle. Their words are sweeter than their actions. If you truly wish to propose to my son, then participate in his martial arts competition. If you win, I will marry Danqing to you, how about it?" Danqing had been eating and sleeping poorly these past few days, and Xu Qingfeng was truly heartbroken for him. If this person performed well in the martial arts competition, he would grant Danqing's wish. If their future life was not satisfactory, they still had him and the Empress to support him. Divorce would be an option.