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

Facing Prince Qing's questioning, Sheng Junwei was neither humble nor arrogant. She explained softly, "Your Highness may not know that I can indeed see the direction of a person's destiny through their face, but there are always some people in this world with unique destinies. Their faces seem to be covered with a layer of fog, making it difficult for me to penetrate and see the secrets of heaven."

"For these people with extraordinary destinies, only by combining their birth dates and horoscopes can we get a glimpse of them. The prince and the crown prince are such invaluable people, especially your highness, who is like a dragon leaping into the sky and a phoenix calling at Mount Qishan. Even if I am lucky enough to know their birth dates, all I can comprehend is just a few drops of ripples in the torrent of fate."

Hearing this, the emperor smiled lightly, seemingly unconcerned: "Okay, I'll tell you."

After saying this, the emperor picked up the imperial brush and wrote down his birth date fluently on a piece of white rice paper, his strokes moving like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes.

Prince Qing's face showed a hint of surprise. He had not expected the emperor to be so straightforward. Was this out of sincere trust, or was it a hidden game?

His eyes flickered, revealing his inner struggle and contradiction. Finally, he raised his chin and said in a helpless tone: "Okay, I will not be stingy with such a small matter."

In Prince Qing's opinion, even if the emperor did not proactively disclose his birth date, it would be easy for him to find out the eight characters of his birth date.

The compromise at this moment is more of a helplessness towards one's own situation.

Sheng Junwei took over the two pieces of red paper with the birth date and eight characters written on them, and felt a heavy pressure like a mountain pressing down on her heart: "Your Highness, the hexagram is a revelation of the secrets of heaven, and every divination requires a fee. Your Highness's gift last time cannot be counted as a reward this time. Moreover, today I am solving the doubts of two nobles at the same time, so I should charge double the hexagram fee to show fairness."

The emperor inadvertently smiled helplessly when he heard this: "Everyone says that those who practice Taoism should have pure six senses and transcend material desires. Why are you so obsessed with gold and silver?"

Sheng Junwei smiled calmly, as if she was clearing the name of all the ascetics: "No, the world has misunderstood. We ascetics do not completely abandon worldly emotions, but strive to find a balance between desire and cultivation. Many ascetics are indifferent to money due to various reasons or are born without wealth, which gives people the impression of being poor."

She paused and said, "I am fortunate enough not to be subject to this restriction, and I have some luck in terms of wealth."

Pei Yu's eyes flashed, attracted by the confidence and pride of the woman in front of him. He saw the corners of her mouth slightly raised and his heart was moved.

Realizing that he had lost his composure, he quickly looked away, his cheeks slightly hot, looking quite embarrassed.

Sheng Junwei seemed oblivious to this scene, and continued to speak to herself: "Among the common people, my divination fees are only one or two taels of silver, but if someone is willing to pay more, I am also happy to accept it. As for the two of you, it's up to you to decide how much to pay."

She secretly calculated in her heart that it was reasonable for her to seek some reassuring compensation for being involved in this turbulent palace secret.

The emperor heard this and laughed heartily, with a hint of indulgence in his reproach: "What a little money-grubber!"

"Then, no matter whether the result of the divination is satisfactory or not, the divination fee will be paid?" Sheng Junwei asked.

The emperor's eyes were deep: "No matter what, I will do it."

After receiving this assurance, there was no longer any hesitation on Sheng Junwei's face, and his expression instantly became solemn.

"The irreconcilable misunderstanding between Your Highness and Prince Qing actually stems from one person - the late Princess Qing."

When the Emperor and Prince Qing heard this, there was no change in their expressions, as if this past event was no longer a secret to them.

Within the high walls of the imperial city, this story was mentioned more or less among the aristocratic circles with a little background and became a topic of conversation after dinner.

Sheng Junwei's words unfolded slowly: "Your Highness and Prince Qing have been close since childhood. They once naively believed that they were irreplaceable in each other's hearts. Your Highness firmly believes that Prince Qing will never betray him, just as Prince Qing firmly believes that once Your Highness ascends the throne, he will not have to live in fear like those anxious vassal kings and confidants in history."

"However, just when their trust in each other reached its peak, a woman quietly entered their world as if by destiny. She was beautiful and gentle, with the wisdom of a scholar and the gentleness and thoughtfulness of a woman. She later became the Princess of Qing."

"But in the beginning, she was just an ordinary merchant's daughter. Her meeting with His Highness and Prince Qing was just a coincidence of fate."

"Both sons of noble families were involuntarily attracted to this woman. At first, they were unaware of each other's feelings. Thus, an awkward pursuit of love was silently staged."

"Faced with two deep friendships, the woman was torn. In order to preserve her brotherhood, she chose a difficult path - leaving the capital and avoiding this emotional whirlpool."

"When the two princes realized what the other wanted, it was too late to regret. They set out on the journey of pursuit together, but found that this belated understanding could no longer change the established facts."

"Just as the previous emperor passed away, the country needed a stable transition. Your Highness had to give up the opportunity to strive for personal happiness. He watched with sadness as Prince Qing and Princess Qing entered the marriage hall, bearing the loss alone."

"In order to make up for his guilt towards His Highness, Prince Qing took the initiative to request to go to the border to quell the rebellion during the Qingming Festival to prove his loyalty and courage."

At that time, Prince Qing and the Princess were far away from the troubles of the world, like a pair of immortal lovers who had reclusive love, enjoying ordinary happiness and peace for two long years.

However, the good times did not last long. In the third year, Prince Qing's mother suddenly fell seriously ill.

The war was in full swing, and as the commander of the army, Prince Qing could not leave the battlefield easily. He had to sadly send his beloved wife back to the capital alone, and made a vow that she would return immediately to accompany her mother after victory.

Unexpectedly, not long after the princess returned to the capital, bad news came again. The life that had quietly withered within the palace walls.

With grief and anger intertwined, Prince Qing became more brave and determined on the battlefield, vowing to quickly put down the rebellion. However, due to his impatience, he accidentally fell into a trap set by the enemy and his legs were seriously injured.

Fortunately, reinforcements arrived in time and he was able to save his life from the brink of life and death.

Although the war ended in victory, Prince Qing did not feel the slightest bit of joy in his heart.

The moment he returned to Beijing, he stormed into the palace, eager to ask the emperor why his wife had suffered such misfortune.

All kinds of dark speculations swirled in his mind and were difficult to calm down. He began to suspect that the emperor might have evil intentions and intended to infringe on his wife's reputation, leading to her desperate suicide.