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

Chapter 22 Your Highness, you made a mistake.

A clear spring reflects the sparse pines.

Jiang Jinshuang's backyard was planted with many peach blossoms. It was the height of spring, and crimson petals fluttered down, flowing along the cold spring path into the lotus pond.

She inexplicably recalled the scene when the cold spring was built.

Although everyone says that Princess Zhaoming built the Cold Spring to please Pei Du, this is actually just an official explanation.

That year, a severe drought struck eastern Wanjin, causing countless famines and widespread starvation.

Countless refugees fled from their hometowns to the capital, and for a time, the area outside the capital was teeming with refugees and plagued by disease.

The people in the capital were quite resentful about this. Not to mention that they were now living in fear and dared not go out, the plague spreading outside the city was also making them uneasy.

The imperial court opened granaries and released grain, using the national treasury, but many merchants in the capital took the opportunity to hoard grain and sell it at high prices.

At the daily relief distribution stalls, some people would sneak in and pretend to be disaster victims to receive relief supplies.

His Majesty learned of these matters but was at a loss and had no clue what to do.

Jiang Jinshuang then sent men to break into the grain merchants' shops and steal their stockpiled grain.

Then she spread the word that the princess's mansion needed a lot of manpower to build the cold spring, but the daily wage was only three bowls of porridge.

When this news spread, the entire capital was filled with anger and condemnation, and the memorials submitted by the ministers impeaching her piled up like a mountain!
Even so, countless refugees still came to apply for the conscription early the next morning.

Ordinary people wouldn't risk their lives for three bowls of porridge, but those refugees who are starving to death would.

It was around that time that Jiang Jinshuang took in Xia Yurong, who was about to be devoured by refugees.

A narrow, cold spring path, nearly ten thousand refugees—Jiang Jinshuang had them build it for three whole months.

After the plague subsided and the refugees were finally settled, Jiang Jinshuang announced that her Cold Spring Road had been repaired.

To satisfy her own selfish desires, Princess Zhaoming exploited dying refugees to do hard labor, and only gave them three bowls of porridge as payment!

This incident was even incorporated into a play at the time, and whenever this scene was performed in the teahouse, tea drinkers would come up and spit on the stage a few times.

Jiang Jinshuang didn't care about the people's sarcasm and insults. Instead, she told Pei Du about it as a joke.

“I don’t care what they say,” Jiang Jinshuang laughed. “Now that the cold spring is built, Pei Du, you can read and rest by the pavilion. It will be very pleasant.”

"Pei Du, rest assured, I will definitely order people to take good care of Cold Spring Road in the future, and I will never allow any dirt to contaminate this Cold Spring."

She still remembered what Pei Du had said to her in a cold voice back then.

He looked at her calmly and coldly: "Your Highness, you are the one who made a mistake."

—She always seems to be the one who does something wrong.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jinshuang chuckled, picked up the wine glass on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

"The falling flowers are full of affection, but the flowing water is heartless..." Jiang Jinshuang leaned back, savoring these words, her gaze lazily falling on Lord Zhang. "Lord Zhang is truly well-read..."

Lord Zhang glanced discreetly at Chief Minister Pei, who was seated as a guest.

Seeing that Pei Du remained silent, Lord Zhang felt even more confident.

—Since we're trying to curry favor with the Grand Secretary, it's no big deal if we offend Her Highness the Princess today!
He could tell which was more important, official position or dignity!
Clearing his throat, Lord Zhang straightened his back and said righteously, "This humble official only feels that now that Her Highness the Princess has received His Majesty's grace and has temporarily returned to the capital, she should abide by the precepts and teachings for women."

"Knowing that the Grand Secretary's heart is not in this matter, we should have stopped as soon as possible to preserve our dignity."

"In my humble opinion, if Her Highness the Princess possessed even half the gentleness, kindness, and intelligence of the Xia family's daughter, there would surely be men willing to fall for her," Jiang Jinshuang said with a cold laugh.

She looked at Lord Zhang, who was seated at the table, with a calm and collected expression, and everyone present fell silent.

Everyone is watching the situation here.

"Does Lord Zhang know that this cold spring was drawn down from Mount Rigui by me with great effort years ago?" she said casually, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Seeing how much Lord Zhang likes it today, perhaps..."

"How about going in for a shower to cool off?"

The cold spring on Rigui Mountain is formed from the melted snow on the mountaintop. When you first put your hand in, it is icy cold, just like the coldest days of winter.

Upon hearing Jiang Jinshuang's words, Lord Zhang was so frightened that he quickly took a few steps back, forcing himself to maintain his composure and saying, "Your Highness, what do you mean by this?! I was merely offering a few words of advice as an elder, and you are going to do something so utterly disrespectful?!"

Jiang Jinshuang smiled lazily: "I am deeply grateful for Lord Zhang's advice and wish to express my gratitude with a cup of cold spring water. Does Lord Zhang refuse?"

"You dare! I am a fifth-rank deputy commissioner of the Salt Transport Bureau. Aren't you afraid that I will impeach you before His Majesty tomorrow for such willful and reckless behavior?"

"Have I not received enough memorials impeaching me?" Jiang Jinshuang's eyes turned slightly cold. "Guards, throw Lord Zhang into the cold spring for a bath."

"Yes!"

Several servants quickly appeared beside Lord Zhang and dragged him toward the lotus pond!

"Wait, wait!" Lord Zhang was truly flustered this time and hurriedly said, "According to rank, the Grand Secretary and Mr. Si Ning are both above you, a mere princess. You have no right to judge me!"

Jiang Jinshuang narrowed her eyes and first turned to Pei Du beside her: "Then may I ask, Lord Pei, what do you think should be done?"

I don't know if it's just Jiang Jinshuang's imagination.

It seemed that ever since she gave the order to throw this Zhang into the Cold Spring, Pei Du's expression had been extremely cold and gloomy.

Now that Jiang Jinshuang is asking him this, she doesn't really expect Pei Du to refuse.

—This Cold Spring Road belongs to her family, and the guests are also from her household. She wants to punish this official, and Pei Du won't interfere.

However, Jiang Jinshuang guessed wrong.

The man must have been drunk; his peach blossom eyes shimmered, his eyebrows were long and slender, and his dark pupils were like a faint glow on smooth jade, captivating the soul.

His eyes were tinged with red, and his eyes were slightly narrowed, making him look somewhat dazed.

He parted his lips, revealing red, glossy lips still stained with the luster of wine: "The spring chill is still lingering, and the cold spring water is biting. Your Highness, perhaps you should try a different approach."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang frowned unhappily.

Upon hearing Pei Du's words, Minister Zhang, sitting below, seemed to have found a fulcrum. He broke free from the servants' restraints and shouted, "Did you hear that, Your Highness?! Even the Grand Secretary forbids it, so what can you do to me?!"

Jiang Jinshuang laughed in exasperation: "Mr. Si Ning, what do you think?"

In the guest seat, Si Ning smiled and said in a gentle tone, "Si Ning believes that since Lord Zhang is so interested in Lengquan Road, he must really like it."

After a pause, Si Ning smiled and said, "Since that's the case, why not grant Lord Zhang's wish and let him take a walk in the Cold Spring?"

Lord Zhang's eyes widened, his previously arrogant expression instantly freezing. He looked at Si Ning with astonishment, his voice trembling, "Mr. Si Ning, this humble official does not like—"

“Lord Zhang,” Si Ninglangrun interrupted him, “it’s just a matter of wading through the cold spring; it’s nothing serious.”

Enraged by Si Ning's words, Lord Zhang pointed at Si Ning and angrily said, "Mr. Si Ning, can you represent the Si family of Jiangnan with what you said today?!"

(End of this chapter)