The mistress just wanted to be bad, but she took off after being replaced

Although the editor of the Hanlin Academy ranks sixth and seems to be extremely noble, his promotion in officialdom is as uncertain as a flower in the fog. Whether he can be truly valued depends entirely on the emperor's mind and the favor of his superiors.

In comparison, although the county magistrate of a lower county was only of the seventh rank and the head of the Ministry of Personnel was even lower than the eighth rank, they held real power and the nature of their work determined that they were more likely to develop steadily in their official careers and proceed step by step with caution.

The position of the top scholar may seem glamorous, but in fact it is like floating duckweed. His future fate depends entirely on the emperor's grace and the favor of his superiors. If he is not careful, he may fall into the embarrassing situation of obscurity.

Although the county magistrate can exert his influence on a piece of land and holds certain real power, he is far away from the center of power after all. His influence can never be compared with Pei Yu, who is in the capital, holds an important position in the Ministry of Personnel, and has a deep family background.

You must know that the Ministry of Examination where Pei Yu worked had the power of life and death over officials across the country.

Appointment, assessment, and promotion, this is undoubtedly a real golden rice bowl.

The emperor had made foolproof arrangements for the future of scholars from poor families and children of nobles. In this regard, no matter whether it was the favored top scholar or the second place scholar, or the other scholars who were treated differently, they could only smile with approval on the surface. They might have mixed feelings in their hearts, but no one dared to show it.

The climax of the feast had passed, but before that, everyone felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue and were in a state of unrest.

At this moment, they urgently needed a relaxing and joyful program to soothe their tense nerves, so the following singing and dancing performances and delicious food came as scheduled.

Sheng Ruijiao was in high spirits at this moment, with anticipation gleaming in her eyes.

For her, the real climax has yet to come, and that will be the most thrilling scene of the night.

She knew that at this moment of peace and prosperity, when everyone was immersed in joy and most relaxed their vigilance, the assassin would quietly arrive and release his deadly murderous intent.

She quietly glanced behind several ministers and their families, her eyes as smart as a cunning fox, and a smug smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, which concealed coldness and calculation.

Behind those people, the assassins had already been lurking silently, like ghosts in the darkness, waiting for her order, and they would transform into the scythe of the god of death in an instant.

She glanced disdainfully at Sheng Junwei, the woman who claimed to be able to tell fortunes and who was sitting in the corner.

She certainly could not have anticipated that this seemingly peaceful banquet tonight would become the stage for Sheng Ruijiao to shine and make a splash!

Sheng Ruijiao firmly believed that even if Sheng Junwei heard about this outside, she would never be able to understand the situation at that time better than the eyewitnesses themselves, and she would not be able to figure out every detail that Sheng Ruijiao had carefully arranged.

The smile on her lips deepened.

As the chief eunuch clapped his hands, the singing and dancing girls in gorgeous costumes were about to step into the magnificent hall.

Sheng Ruijiao tightly grasped the heart-protecting mirror inlaid with emerald on her chest. The cool touch made her feel more determined.

She took a deep breath, determined to block the sword with her own body and use her bloody feat to let those who had previously sneered at her witness her loyalty and bravery with their own eyes.

In her opinion, nothing could be more touching than witnessing others risking their lives to save others, and nothing could win the emperor's favor and grace more.

However, Han Yue'er, who was highly expected by everyone, was forcibly taken away from the banquet at the same time as Prince Jingxuan was taken away by the palace servants.

Before her knowledge of poetry and talent could bloom on the stage of the palace, she had unfortunately lost the opportunity to shine.

At this tense and delicate moment, a cold voice suddenly broke the silence: "Wait a moment."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that although Prime Minister Pei and his wife were confused by this sudden episode, out of respect for their daughter-in-law Sheng Junwei, they did not say anything to stop her. Instead, they looked at the woman who stood up and walked towards the center of the hall with concern.

Sheng Ruijiao suddenly felt irritated.

She had just mustered up her courage to face the upcoming pain and glory, but this untimely interruption disturbed her mind, and the courage she had just gathered was instantly reduced by half.

The emperor looked obviously displeased, his brows were furrowed and his eyes were sharp.

The matter just now has not been settled yet, what does this daughter-in-law of the Pei family want to do now?

Doesn't she know that this is a critical moment and any slight interference may ruin the entire plan?

"Madam Pei, what's the matter?" The emperor asked coldly, suppressing his anger.

Sheng Junwei walked calmly towards the center of the hall, as if she was unaware of the emperor's anger, or perhaps she had long been accustomed to remaining calm under pressure.

She bowed slightly, her manner dignified: "Before the performance begins, I would like to give the emperor a gift."

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned and looked at each other. No one spoke for a while.

The emperor and the empress were even more confused, obviously surprised by Sheng Junwei's behavior.

Sheng Ruijiao's heart was burning with rage, mixed with deep contempt.

On weekdays, Sheng Junwei always pretends to be noble and indifferent, but now she has done such an inappropriate and embarrassing thing.

Did she think that this action could attract the emperor's attention, or take this opportunity to make Pei Yu change his mind about her?

It’s ridiculous!

The queen had the same guess, her brows furrowed and her face gradually became gloomy.

However, before she could open her mouth to blame him, Sheng Junwei continued, "It is said that I am good at fortune-telling. I have nothing but this humble skill to offer. Today, I would like to tell you a fortune right here."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was stunned.

A hint of surprise flashed across the emperor's face. He obviously had not expected Sheng Junwei to make such a request.

The queen, who thought Sheng Junwei was trying to take the opportunity to curry favor with her, was even more stunned.

The rest of the guests looked puzzled and were extremely confused by this sudden change.

The entire hall was instantly shrouded in an atmosphere of astonishment and curiosity, and everyone focused their eyes on Sheng Junwei, waiting for her next move.

"Whose etiquette would regard fortune-telling as a treasure? Don't talk nonsense here!"

When the emperor heard this, although he scoffed at such absurd statements in his heart, he could not help but be moved by Prime Minister Pei and Duke Dingguo's almost mythical praise of Sheng Junwei.

In their words, they portrayed Sheng Junwei as a fairy from heaven who was able to predict everything and was aware of everything in the world.

This praise aroused a sense of curiosity in the emperor. He longed to see with his own eyes whether this woman, who was revered as the "goddess", really possessed extraordinary wisdom, or whether she had simply used some shady means to cleverly confuse the two respected old ministers?

The emperor suppressed his doubts and said calmly, "In that case, I will do as you say."