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

Chapter 225 is Your Highness's earnest plea from your humble servant.

They were quite sensible.

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and said to the pageboy who came, "Lead the way, I'm going to Songlian Hall to have a taste."

Upon hearing this, the page bowed respectfully and said, "Your Highness, please come with me."

……

Sending Lotus Hall.

When Jiang Jinshuang arrived here with her pageboy, the pageboy led her to a private room on the second floor.

Pushing open the door, the page stood quietly outside: "My master is inside, Your Highness, you will see him as soon as you go in."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded.

As Jiang Jinshuang entered the room, her pageboy discreetly closed the door behind her. She immediately spotted Lin Qingyan sitting in the guest seat at the dining table in the center of the room.

Upon seeing Jiang Jinshuang, Lin Qingyan smiled, stood up, and bowed to her, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang waved her hand and sat down in the main seat without any hesitation.

"What brings you to invite me for a boat trip today?"

Jiang Jinshuang picked up her chopsticks and asked him while picking up some food.

Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "I think that although Your Highness and I are engaged, not many people know about it. Therefore, we should talk more and let things take their natural course."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded in satisfaction and picked up a bite of food.

It tastes really good.

"Does Your Highness find the food here to your liking?" Lin Qingyan asked with a smile.

Jiang Jinshuang nodded: "It's pretty good, but it doesn't seem to be the taste of people from the capital."

Lin Qingyan explained with a smile: "I heard that this Songliantang restaurant was founded by people from Baiyujing who came to the capital. Although it incorporates the flavors of the capital, the taste is still more like that of Baiyujing."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang's smile deepened: "You certainly put your heart into it."

Knowing that she had once stayed in Baiyujing, they specifically chose this place.

Lin Qingyan lowered his head and smiled: "Since I'm pursuing Your Highness, I naturally have to put in some effort."

Jiang Jinshuang was stunned for a moment, her chopsticks trembled in her hand, and she almost dropped them: "Pursue?"

Why would you say it's a pursuit?

By deciding to get engaged to him, she had already agreed to be with him.

Is it a bit redundant to talk about "pursuit" now?
Lin Qingyan seemed to understand Jiang Jinshuang's meaning.

He smiled gently and explained softly, "Your Highness misunderstands. I just felt that if others asked about our relationship, Your Highness could tell them that it was I who pursued Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang blinked and waved her hand dismissively: "It doesn't matter. If Lord Lin can't bring himself to do it, he can say that I pursued you."

This was obviously not a big deal for Jiang Jinshuang.

She was shameless, and everyone in Chang'an knew her personality. Rather than saying that Lin Qingyan pursued her, Jiang Jinshuang felt that it was more appropriate to say that she was pestering Lin Qingyan.

Lin Qingyan, however, did not think so.

Hearing Jiang Jinshuang say this, Lin Qingyan frowned in disapproval and said seriously, "But Your Highness is of noble birth and noble character. It is only by virtue of your unattainable nature that I, your humble servant, beg Your Highness to help you."

Jiang Jinshuang: "..."

She felt that Lin Qingyan had a problem.

There is a problem with his/her eyes.

I don't know where they got the idea that she was from a noble family, pure and aloof.

He smiled helplessly and said, "Lord Lin, there's no need to be so reserved. Since we're going to be husband and wife, let's just be honest with each other."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyan smiled, mimicking Jiang Jinshuang: "Everything I said is true. Or does Your Highness think that I am trying to curry favor with you?"

"I have always been self-aware and am not as good as Lord Lin claims. If Lord Lin were to inquire among the people or simply ask the court officials, he would know that I am of bad character, licentious and unforgivable."

Lin Qingyan looked at Jiang Jinshuang seriously: "But Your Highness, none of that is true." The casual smile on Jiang Jinshuang's face disappeared.

She narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on Lin Qingyan: "Why does Lord Lin speak as if he knows me so well?"

Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "People only see the surface of things and then believe what they see based on their own imagination."

"But if they were willing to step back and look around, they might be able to see the whole picture."

After a pause, Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "Your Highness, I do not know you well. I just feel that Your Highness has clear eyes and a beautiful appearance, and is definitely not the kind of person you described."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang blinked, rested her chin on her hand, and scrutinized the man in front of her.

Seeing the girl looking at him like that, Lin Qingyan mimicked Jiang Jinshuang's expression, blinking his eyes with a clear and gentle gaze: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Jiang Jinshuang praised without reservation: "Lin Qingyan, you will definitely be a good official in the future."

Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words, Your Highness."

After finishing their meal, Jiang Jinshuang and Lin Qingyan left the private room.

Their room was on the second floor, and they didn't try to hide it. When the two of them walked down the stairs side by side, some busybodies stared at them with wide eyes and ambiguous, meaningful gazes.

As the two walked out of the restaurant, Jiang Jinshuang heard a chorus of voices behind them.

"Hey hey hey! Did you guys see that?!"

"I see it! I thought I was seeing things!"

"It's not a trick of the eye! I saw it too!"

"Isn't that Princess Zhaoming and that newly crowned top scholar?!"

How did those two end up together?

"Tsk tsk tsk, isn't it obvious? Isn't it clear that these two... are having an affair?"

"Huh? I thought this newly appointed top scholar was a man of high moral character, just like the current Grand Secretary. But now I see, pshaw!"

"You can't say that. Think about it. Who is Princess Zhaoming? She must have used her power to oppress this top scholar, just like before, and he had no choice but to listen to her!"

"That makes sense! But Princess Zhaoming is really fickle. She pursued the Grand Secretary for three years without winning his favor, and now that she's found someone else, she's started pestering this top scholar!"

"If you ask me, could it be that Princess Zhaoming has a thing for poor but talented men, or for top scholars in the imperial examinations?"

"Hahahahaha..."

Hearing the comments behind her, Jiang Jinshuang yawned listlessly, not stopping in her tracks, and prepared to continue walking forward.

She'd heard these things so many times that they didn't bother her or make her think anything of them.

Before she could take a few more steps, Lin Qingyan placed a hand on her shoulder beside her.

"Your Highness, please wait."

Jiang Jinshuang stopped in her tracks.

That large, slender hand landed on Jiang Jinshuang's shoulder, with a touch that could not be ignored.

She turned her head and looked up at Lin Qingyan.

The next second, a dark black cloak fell onto Jiang Jinshuang.

Jiang Jinshuang could even feel that the moment the dress was draped over her shoulders, the mockery and gossip behind her abruptly ceased.

Lin Qingyan did not turn around to look.

He simply lowered his head slightly, walked up to her, and smiled as he tied the silk cord at the front of her cloak.

"It's chilly today, Your Highness, please make do and put on my robe."

A breeze blew through Jiang Jinshuang's long hair.

It's not cold.

Jiang Jinshuang was stunned for a moment, then reacted, chuckled, and nodded: "Since Lord Lin has said so, then I will make do for now."