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

Chapter 187 You are not allowed to drink my tea.

Yan Jue doesn't really like drinking tea.

No matter how many times the tea was brewed, he always said it was bitter.

So most of the time, he drinks water.

Even so, a pot of tea is always kept in Yanjue's courtyard.

Moreover, no matter when Jiang Jinshuang went to see him, the pot of tea was always hot.

Just like now.

Jiang Jinshuang sat listlessly on the stone bench under the tree, resting her chin on her hand, watching Yan Jue with a leisurely air.

With her other hand, she held the teacup, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup, and her eyebrows curved slightly.

It was just a joke.

The broken sword was originally given to Yan Jue by her later. When Jiang Jinshuang gave it to Yan Jue, she said, "Yan Jue, this used to be my personal sword. From now on, I will trouble you to use this broken sword to protect me."

Yan Jue agreed very seriously.

"As long as I live, you will not die."

Therefore, Jiang Jinshuang would never give this sword to anyone else.

—This is the secret of inkstone making.

Jiang Jinshuang was just teasing Yan Jue when she said this.

Upon hearing this, Yan Jue seemed stunned for a few seconds, his cold eyes staring at her like an innocent dog.

Immediately, he frowned slightly, looked down, and saw the cup of hot tea beside Jiang Jinshuang.

Before Jiang Jinshuang could react, Yan Jue spoke in a muffled voice, pulling the tea from Jiang Jinshuang's hands to his own.

"You are not allowed to drink my tea."

As he spoke, he gripped the teacup tightly with both hands, his beautiful knuckles turning slightly white, and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.

He stared at her intently, his eyes glistening with tears, and upon closer inspection, they seemed to be veiled in mist.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang hurriedly said, "No, no, Lord Yanjue, I was just joking!"

He certainly wouldn't listen to the inkstone secrets.

He lowered his head even further, looking at the swaying tea in front of him, his beautiful lips pressed tightly together: "You want to take my sword."

Jiang Jinshuang was both amused and exasperated, and quickly comforted her, "No, no, I was just joking, I won't take it away."

Yan Jue didn't believe her and looked up at her: "You still want to give my sword to someone else?"

Jiang Jinshuang: "..."

For the first time, she felt incredibly guilty!
How could you tease Yanjue like that?
Swallowing hard, Jiang Jinshuang became a little nervous: "No, no, that broken sword was a gift from me to you, how could I possibly give it to someone else?"

"I just... I was just bored, so I wanted to tease you. Please be magnanimous, Lord Yanjue, don't be angry with me~"

Yan Jue turned her head away, her tone sullen and heavy, clearly still unhappy: "That was a gift from you."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded repeatedly: "That's right! It was given to Lord Yanjue by this princess, and no one can take it away! Not even me!"

Hearing Jiang Jinshuang say this, Yan Jue frowned and corrected her seriously: "You can still take it away."

After a pause, realizing he had been too easygoing, Yan Jue straightened his expression and said seriously, "But you can't give it to others."

This is a gift from her to him.

Jiang Jinshuang was both amused and exasperated, and could only nod repeatedly: "I know, it was really just a joke. Now that I've given it to Yanjue, it's yours. I won't let anyone touch it without your permission."

Yan Jue lowered his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Who were you thinking of giving it to just now?" Jiang Jinshuang was speechless for a moment before she finally reacted, "I wasn't thinking of giving it to anyone. It was just that Wen Fengcang from Beihuai mentioned it on the way back. But don't worry, I already refused at that time."

For some reason, Jiang Jinshuang clearly hadn't done anything wrong, but when faced with Yan Jue's "interrogation," she had the illusion that her husband had been caught cheating.

So weird.

Upon hearing the name "Wen Fengcang," Yan Jue's previously calm gaze turned even colder.

He said in a somber tone, "He's a bad person; he wanted to steal my things."

Jiang Jinshuang explained with a smile, "He didn't know that the broken sword was in your hands. He just thought that since it was left by Uncle Wang, it would most likely be with me."

Upon hearing this, Yan Jue frowned even more deeply, and looked at Jiang Jinshuang with disbelief in his eyes: "You're still speaking up for him."

Jiang Jinshuang: "..."

God can tell you!

She was just explaining the situation to him, how did that become her speaking up for him!
Knowing that she had teased Yan Jue first, Jiang Jinshuang chuckled twice and patiently comforted him, "Nothing of the sort happened, and I would never give the broken sword to Wen Fengcang, Yan Jue, don't worry."

He frowned and looked down at the teacup he was holding.

It took a while before the teacup was pushed back in front of Jiang Jinshuang.

—This means she has been forgiven.

Seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang was both amused and exasperated, but finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Avoiding the topic, Jiang Jinshuang spoke again: "Uncle Si Beihuan is leaving the capital tomorrow. Would you like to come with me to see him off?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Jue nodded slightly and replied, "Okay."

Originally, Jiang Jinshuang had just come to Yanjue's courtyard to stroll and sit for a while, and chatted with Yanjue for a bit. She had to see Uncle Si off tomorrow, so she didn't linger any longer and got up to leave.
-
Early the next morning.

Jiang Jinshuang changed into a refreshing and elegant outfit today.

After washing up and eating a few bites of breakfast, Jiang Jinshuang headed towards Yong'an Mansion, where Si Beihuan was staying.

Yan Jue followed in the shadows, rarely showing himself amidst the bustling crowds on Chang'an Street.

Outside Yong'an Prefecture, many people had already gathered to see him off.

The importance of the Si family in Jiangnan was something that all the civil and military officials in the capital were well aware of.

Therefore, when Si Beihuan left the capital, whether sincerely or not, the people who came to see him off were so numerous that the area around Yong'an Prefecture was completely packed with people.

When Jiang Jinshuang arrived at Yong'an Prefecture, she heard Qian Yao standing guard outside, bowing to each of the officials and courtiers who came to see her off.

"I am grateful to all of you for coming to see my patriarch off, but my patriarch is unwell and advanced in years, and it is really inconvenient for him to entertain you all."

After a pause, Qian Yao pointed to a spot to the side: "However, my family head has prepared a small gift for everyone who has come to see us off, so please don't find it offensive."

At first, some of the officials in the farewell party had some unusual comments.

It is said that the head of the Si family in Jiangnan is really arrogant. Not to mention important officials in the court, even the emperor would not dismiss all officials to see him.

But when everyone saw the "small gift" being delivered not far away, the strange noises instantly disappeared.

The so-called "small gift" is a string of rare and exquisite jade coral ornaments adorned with purple pearls produced exclusively by the Si family of Jiangnan!
That coral is made entirely of jade, using the finest jadeite, and was meticulously crafted by artisans over decades. It is small and exquisite!

The enormous purple pearl adorned the jade coral, dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful.

Not to mention royalty, even at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, such a return gift has never been seen!
I really cherish it!

After receiving the coral ornament, everyone became even more humble and respectful, and they didn't utter a single complaint even though they hadn't seen the head of the Si family!
Seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang clicked her tongue twice and couldn't help but sigh, "They're really rich!"

From his vantage point, Qian Yao spotted Jiang Jinshuang in the crowd.

His eyes lit up, and he hurriedly walked down the steps to Jiang Jinshuang's side, bowing respectfully and clasping his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Your Highness. My patriarch has been waiting for you."