Planning to Sell His Daughter?

"Dad, think about it. The idea of promoting Aunt Wan has probably been brewing in Grandmother and everyone else's minds for ages," Grace said.

Even if you stand your ground against Grandmother today and tomorrow, what about next time, or the time after that? If you keep this up, your reputation will really take a hit, won't it? First you'll be called 'unfilial,' then 'disrespectful to the royal family.' If the ministers ever impeach you, your official hat won't last much longer!

"Is that any way to talk to your father?" Though he said this, Minister Zhuo's eyes began to show a smile.

"That's not all," Grace continued. "Who knows what they'll say about my mother next! They'll definitely call her a seductress who bewitched you! So why bother? Just agree for now, and then later, when the Imperial Advisor does a divination and declares a great misfortune, you can say that making Aunt Wan a co-head wife will bring ruin to the Zhu family—maybe even execution for everyone! That'll settle it once and for all. No one will ever bring it up again!"

Minister Zhuo looked at her, his gaze shifting from mistaken to truly paternal: "That's actually a pretty good idea. But... I don't really have much of a relationship with the Imperial Advisor..."

"Whoever does, just ask them!"

Suddenly, the Prime Minister's eyes lit up. "Evan Xiao! If anyone's close to the Imperial Advisor, it's Evan Xiao!"

Evan Xiao?

Hmm... It does seem like Evan Xiao and Leon Zane (the Imperial Advisor) are pretty close.

In her previous life, after she entered the palace, the first time she saw Evan Xiao, he was with Leon Zane...

"But I'm not really that close to him either," Minister Zhuo said, his face full of hopeful flattery. "How about you go talk to him, Grace?"

"I'm not close to him, either!" Grace shot her father a sideways look.

"Haven't you met with him plenty of times? You even went to his manor just to ask about me!" Minister Zhuo looked at her with gentle eyes.

"And most importantly, he likes you! So if you go talk to him, he'll definitely do his best to help us."

"Which eye of yours saw that he 'likes' me?" Grace felt her dad was getting shameless.

Is he trying to sell his daughter?

"Didn't you tell me yourself?" Minister Zhuo said, righteously. "Besides, back then he thought you were Claire, and he was all ready to pay any price to take you away!"

"That was then! Now he's the Prince Consort! Why would he care about me?" Grace didn't even realize how jealous she sounded...

Minister Zhuo gave a mysterious smile. "He might not be so happy about the Empress Dowager's decree! I'm sure he's still interested in you."

"How do you know?"

"Just look at how polite he is to me!" Minister Zhuo said. "He's the number one man in the Blue Moon Kingdom—who does he ever pay attention to? But ever since he met you, he's treated me differently! Always helping out, even seems to be trying to win me over. I know exactly what he's thinking, hahaha!"

Evan Xiao, who was hiding in Grace's pocket: "..."

"You really are petty!" Grace rolled her eyes at Minister Zhuo. "Since he's already 'helping and trying to win you over,' why don't you go talk to him yourself?"

"I'm the Prime Minister, after all. It's not really appropriate for me to go to Evan Xiao for something like this!" Minister Zhuo looked troubled. "But you're different—you're a girl, and it's for your own mother. Your identity and position are just right."