Cindy Zhu's Triumph and Her Grateful Kneeling

"No!" Grace Wan panicked and rushed forward, blocking Colin Gu's path. "Your Majesty, something is fishy about this! There's no way Chloe could have done such a thing!"

"The facts are right in front of us! What's so fishy?" Cindy Zhu snapped sharply. "Just now in the memorial hall, she was flirting with Sam Yuan—we all saw it!"

"Shut up!" Grace Wan shouted angrily.

But Cindy Zhu had her own agenda.

She dashed forward, dropped to her knees in front of Colin Gu, and said, "Your Majesty, after what my sister did, she's no longer fit to serve you. Why not let me take her place in the palace? I've always admired Your Majesty, and I'm willing to do anything for you!"

Colin Gu looked at Cindy Zhu, his brows furrowing.

"Cindy Zhu! You're just a lowly concubine's daughter—how could you be qualified to enter the palace?" Grace Wan called out.

"Isn't my sister also a concubine's daughter? And yet she's the Empress!"

"Your sister has the Phoenix Heart. What do you have?" Grace Wan wished she could sew Cindy Zhu's mouth shut.

"I don't have the Phoenix Heart, but at least I'm ten thousand times better than Chloe Zhu! She doesn't even have a Spirit Root! If a useless person like her can become Royal Noble Consort, why can't I?"

"You—" Grace Wan clutched her chest, suddenly feeling a sharp pain.

Colin Gu turned to Minister Zhuo and, in a generous tone, said, "Prime Minister, let the Third Miss enter the palace. Her rank will remain unchanged."

However, Minister Zhuo looked deeply ashamed as he addressed Colin Gu: "Your Majesty, neither of my daughters is worthy. For this year's selection, please remove the Prime Minister's residence from consideration."

Chloe Zhu glanced at her father, sensing something was off about him.

He didn't seem willing to send another daughter into the palace.

Was it because... he planned to give up on Colin Gu and support the Third Prince instead?

If that's the case, then his words make sense.

But Cindy Zhu was anxious. "Dad! His Majesty already agreed! I want to take my sister's place in the palace!"

Chloe Zhu saw Colin Gu remain silent, worried he might take back his words. She said, "Cindy Zhu, ever since I entered the palace as a consort, you've never accepted it! You must be the one who harmed me! You attacked me and Sam Yuan, didn't you? You're the reason we ended up here, aren't you?"

"Big Sister, everyone saw what happened, so stop trying to deny it!" Cindy Zhu said, looking innocent. "Besides, if you're going to make excuses, at least make them believable. Sam Yuan is a Third-rank Spirit Practitioner, while I'm only Second-rank. Even if I could attack you, how could I possibly hurt him?"

"And Kevin Zhuo—you were in on it together!" Chloe Zhu said.

Colin Gu thought Chloe Zhu was being unreasonable, especially since every word pointed at his own brother and sister. His face grew darker. "Prime Minister, that's settled! Let Cindy Zhu enter the palace."

After speaking, he glanced at Chloe Zhu, whose eyes were brimming with tears and heartbreak, then turned and walked away.

Cindy Zhu was overjoyed and knelt to thank him. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Minister Zhuo gave Cindy Zhu a look of utter disappointment, then hurried after the emperor to see him off.

The others also followed to bid farewell to the emperor.

Only Hope and Claire stayed behind with her.

Chloe Zhu wiped her tears and let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally, finally, she was free from the fate of entering the palace...

Even if the method was a little... dirty.

But ever since her rebirth, it seemed like she kept doing dirty things...

Compared to what happened with Evan Xiao, this was nothing.

What's one more little thing?

"Hahaha!" Chloe Zhu suddenly threw her head back and laughed out loud.