The villain who defeated the son of destiny was my father

After Mo Li ascended the throne of Crown Prince, it was natural for him to move into the East Palace.

As the only mistress of the Eastern Palace, Qu Xinzhu enjoyed the honor of being the prince's concubine and was the most popular person at the time.

The concubines and princesses in the harem took advantage of the situation and knew that Mo Li would most likely ascend to the throne in the future and Qu Xinzhu was in favor, so they all rushed to please him.

For a moment, everyone surrounded Qu Xinzhu and began to flatter her.

Qu Xinzhu, who was flattered by everyone, became more and more arrogant. He walked with a breeze and smiled all day long, as if he was already at the pinnacle of power.

"My Lady Concubine, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is busy with official duties and will not be back for dinner tonight." A young eunuch hurried in, looking respectful and reporting in a cautious tone.

Qu Xinzhu was being helped by the palace maids to dress up. When she heard this, she curled her lips and a trace of disappointment flashed across her face, but she quickly returned to normal and comforted herself: "Li has become the prince, and there are many complicated things to do. As a man, career is the most important thing. I have to be considerate of him."

"My Lady Concubine, Lord Sima has arrived." At this time, the palace maid's voice came.

When Qu Xinzhu heard this, her originally lost look instantly brightened up. She quickly turned around and looked at herself carefully in the bronze mirror. She raised her hand and gently adjusted her hair bun to make sure her makeup was not messy and her demeanor was perfect.

Then, a charming smile appeared on her lips, and she walked out with a swaying figure and light steps.

In the front hall, Sima Zheng felt as if a thorn was on his back and could not sit still easily.

The situation in the court has been like a fog recently, confusing and complicated. The new crown prince Mo Li frequently summoned him to the East Palace, saying that he wanted to discuss state affairs. As a minister, he did not dare to shirk his duty and had to respond to the summons.

Every time he stepped into the East Palace, the situation was exactly the same. After exchanging a few pleasantries, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hurriedly left on the pretext of having something to do, leaving him alone in the same room with the Crown Prince's concubine Qu Xinzhu.

It was really against the rules of ethics for a single man and a single woman to be together like this. Sima Zheng felt helpless and awkward.

But he was shouldering the heavy responsibility of investigating the case secretly. In order to find out the truth, he could only suppress his inner discomfort, stay and pretend to be submissive, trying his best to be considerate.

Today, before he even stepped into the gate of the East Palace, he heard that the prince was not there. He was thinking about leaving and not having to get into such an embarrassing situation again, but just as he was about to turn around, the servants of the East Palace stopped him with various reasons and tried every means to keep him.

Sima Zheng had been upright and honest throughout his life, and he had always acted openly and honestly. But now he was forced into such a dilemma, and he could only grit his teeth and stay in the front hall.

"The Concubine has arrived!"

As the eunuch's sharp announcement sounded in the front hall, Sima Zheng instantly stood up from his chair, his posture as straight as a pine tree, facing the direction of the visitor, bowed respectfully, and his tone was full of humility: "I am Sima Zheng, the subordinate, and I greet the Concubine."

"Master Sima, please stand up quickly!"

Qu Xinzhu swayed her body and walked closer with light steps, her voice as gentle as the spring breeze.

She raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on Sima Zheng's tough and cold face. Her heart skipped a beat, and a strange feeling surged in her heart.

Subconsciously, she stretched out her slender hand, wanting to help Sima Zheng up herself, with a hint of affection in her eyes.

Sima Zheng seemed to sense the danger, and took a big step back as if he had been electrocuted. His movements were agile and decisive, and he accurately avoided Qu Xinzhu's touch. He lowered his head slightly, and his tone was steady but distant.

"Thank you, Concubine."

Qu Xinzhu's hands froze in mid-air, and a hint of disappointment flashed across her eyes. However, she quickly recovered and smiled again, trying to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere. "Master Sima, why do we have to be so distant? You and I..."