The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 140: More Than Three Years

It refers to a belt.

Jiang Jinshuang's eyelids twitched.

The hand pressing on the back of her hand wasn't using much force, but even so, Jiang Jinshuang could still feel the dimple in her lower back that was being pressed down.

He has a lean and strong waist, without an ounce of excess fat, with smooth lines, a distinct outline, and a clear waistline.

The hand that was placed on the back of her hand only pressed down once before quickly moving away.

Jiang Jinshuang belatedly realized what was happening and nodded: "Then I'll loosen it a bit."

As she said this, Jiang Jinshuang lowered her head slightly and loosened the silk ribbons she was holding at both ends: "And now?"

"It's still a bit tight."

Jiang Jinshuang relaxed a little more: "Is it okay now?"

Above him, a clear male voice said, "That's enough, Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded and wrapped the silk ribbons at both ends around his waist to his side.

Let's tie a knot here.

"Your Highness is different from Jingmo."

Jiang Jinshuang lowered her eyes, just as she was thinking about what kind of knot to tie for Pei Du, when she heard a man's voice coming from above her.

The emphasis in this sentence is on the word "different," as if it's trying to prove something.

Jiang Jinshuang didn't understand.

She raised an eyebrow slightly and looked up at him.

“I have known Jingmo for three years, but Your Highness and I have known each other for more than three years.”

It has been six years since we met.

Not three years.

Jiang Jinshuang was stunned for a moment before realizing that Jingmo must have heard the question she had just asked him.

She just asked Jingmo how many years he had been following Pei Du.

She then added that she, like him, had known him for three years.

But Pei Du now says to her, "Your Highness and I have been together for more than three years."

Jiang Jinshuang understood.

She smiled indifferently, continued to lower her head, and casually tied a knot in Pei Du's rope: "Lord Pei, that's not how you calculate the days."

During the three years she was away from the capital, she lived in Baiyujing and never returned to the capital, nor did she ever meet him, so it cannot be considered that she "knew" him.

All things considered, she and he had only known each other for three years.

—Similar to Jingmo.

Pei Du did not seem to think so.

"Six years is six years. The peach blossoms in the mountains have bloomed six times, and now it is the seventh year of peach blossoms."

This seems unfair to him.

It seems that for her, that period of time was only those three years in the capital.

But for him, the years being stretched out twice as long were far more difficult to endure than twice as long.

It was as if she had just casually counted on her fingers, and three years of snow and wind in Baiyujing had passed in the blink of an eye.

But he wanted to count the peach blossoms in the city, watching them sprout, bud, bloom, wither, and fade.

Counting down the days, the minutes, the moments, the seconds.

When Pei Du's mind was not at peace, he would have himself copy scriptures.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye for her, during which he copied 342 Buddhist scriptures and sent out 2.71 million words of text.

It's impossible to do it in the blink of an eye.

In fact, Pei Du knew that it was wrong for him to think this way.

—It seemed to carry a hint of reproach towards her.

But he didn't mean it that way; he just felt that Jiang Jinshuang's calculation was wrong.

More than three years.

It shouldn't have been three years.

A long time passed. Long enough that the girl had already withdrawn from his embrace, and even the lingering fragrance had dissipated.

Pei Du was slightly distracted, but his gaze followed her without saying a word.

"At the palace banquet later, it would be best for Lord Pei to make as little movement as possible, lest the wound reopen."

Jiang Jinshuang had also suffered quite a few injuries, so she felt that Pei Du's injury to his shoulder blade was really too serious.

If it were a palace banquet, she would still do as Si Ning suggested and take care of him.

As I pondered, Jingmo's voice came from outside the carriage.

"Your Highness, my lord, we have arrived."

The carriage came to a smooth stop.

Jiang Jinshuang lifted the carriage curtain and saw the Forbidden City outside the carriage.

On the palace road, Jiang Jinshuang and Pei Du stepped down from the carriage together.

Because this palace banquet was to receive envoys from afar, quite a few officials and ministers attended.

So when everyone saw Jiang Jinshuang get off the carriage from Wenshan Pavilion, their eyes widened, and for a moment they thought they were seeing things!
"W-what's going on?!"

"I don't know! How come Princess Zhaoming is riding in the same carriage as Lord Pei?"

"Could it be that she was coerced by Princess Zhaoming?"

"Very likely! I never imagined that Princess Zhaoming would go to such lengths just to be with Lord Pei. It's utterly absurd!"

"..."

Jiang Jinshuang had excellent hearing, and even though the group of court officials were standing some distance away from the two of them, she still heard clearly.

With a cold sneer, Jiang Jinshuang turned her head slightly to face Pei Du behind her.

Pei Du, standing before me, wore a wide embroidered green robe, dotted with eye-catching red plum blossoms.

Unexpectedly, she suddenly turned around. Pei Du stopped and looked at her with his posture upright: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Jiang Jinshuang raised her chin and looked at him with a smile: "Lord Pei, I walk slowly. If you can't wait after the palace banquet, you can leave by carriage first. There's no need to wait for me."

Pei Du was slightly taken aback.

With a slight pursing of his lips and a furrowing of his handsome brows, Pei Du said earnestly, "Your Highness, I will naturally wait for you to return together."

After a pause, Pei Du pondered for a moment before carefully speaking, "Or... is Your Highness unwilling?"

Jiang Jinshuang chuckled lightly, then turned and left without answering Pei Du's question. She glanced at the court officials in the distance.

Upon seeing this, the courtiers exchanged glances, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

What does it mean! ?

Could it be that the Grand Secretary would rather ride in the same carriage as Princess Zhaoming?

……

The palace banquet was held in the Linde Hall.

The banquet in the vast palace was divided into two rows. Because it was a banquet to receive foreign officials, the banquet seats of Si Beihuan, the head of the Jiangnan Si family, and Si Ning were arranged at the back.

—After all, strictly speaking, Si Ning and Si Beihuan did not actually hold official positions.

Jiang Jinshuang and Pei Du then moved their positions forward.

Seated further forward were Crown Prince Jiang Biechen and Prince Changping Jiang Zeyi.

When Jiang Jinshuang and Pei Du arrived at the palace banquet, Jiang Zeyi and Jiang Biechen had already arrived as well.

The seat of Prince Wen Fengcang of Beihuai was opposite Jiang Jinshuang.

Wen Fengcang was dressed in exotic attire, wearing a long white and gold silk robe that revealed half of his strong, fair, and lean chest, exuding a captivating wildness.

The imperial family has not yet arrived.

Wen Fengcang bent one leg and rested one arm on his knee.

He tilted his head back and drank the wine in the cup to the last drop, his snake-like eyes fixed on Jiang Jinshuang without blinking.

It was chillingly cold.

Jiang Jinshuang ignored it, and even picked up the wine glass next to her and leisurely took a sip of the fermented rice.

"Your Highness Princess, long time no see."

Wen Fengcang raised his wine glass to Jiang Jinshuang and looked at her with a smile.

These words sounded strange. Prince Changping chuckled and said lazily, "'Long time no see'? Does Prince Beihuai know our princess?"