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

Chapter 25 What's there to be reluctant to part with?
The soldiers brandished their swords and spears.

Those officials understood that if they didn't go on stage and make a fool of themselves today, there was no way things would end well.

They looked at each other and saw the hatred and humiliation in each other's eyes.

"Hmph! After today's matter is settled, they will immediately report to His Majesty and make sure Jiang Jinshuang suffers a terrible fate!"
Thinking this, one of the ministers spoke up in a humiliated and low voice: "What play does Your Highness want us to perform?"

Jiang Jinshuang glanced at her fingernails casually: "Let's sing that play, 'The Treacherous Minister's Domination of the Dynasty'."

"You—" An official couldn't help but point at Jiang Jinshuang, about to curse!
The next second, a long sword was pressed against the man's throat.

Qian Yao's eyes were cold and indifferent as he looked at the newcomer.

Qian Yao is Si Ning's bodyguard. If he dares to do this, it must be on behalf of Mr. Si Ning.

The crowd was shocked. Suppressing their anger and resentment, they finally went up onto the stage one after another.

This stage was specially built by Jiang Jinshuang; it's large enough to accommodate this group of people.

Jiang Jinshuang was happy.

She sat back down in her seat, ignoring the horrified looks she received from those around her, and clapped her hands: "Everyone's here, let's begin."

"The Treacherous Ministers Dominate the Court" tells the story of a group of treacherous officials who collude to harm loyal ministers, and how the loyal ministers curse them loudly before their deaths.

These officials certainly wouldn't perform opera, so Jiang Jinshuang chose the last performance.

On the stage, the loyal minister, wearing shackles on his head and chains on his feet, dressed in prison clothes, walked step by step among the "treacherous ministers".

His gaze was piercing, his expression stern, and he was neither humble nor arrogant.

[The treacherous minister:]
General, you're about to be executed, what are you laughing at?

The drums beat, the music begins.

Loyal Minister:
I laugh as I fight three thousand enemies on the battlefield.
I laugh at you, you hypocrite, a beast in human form.

I laugh at you for deceiving the people for a pittance of fame and fortune.

I laugh at your mercenary nature, but it's no match for my battle armor!

All sounds are silent.

The crowd that had been watching the spectacle outside fell silent when they heard the loyal minister appear.

Treacherous officials deceive the people and flatter their superiors, and they use their official positions to feign deceit.

Loyal ministers are selfless, dedicated to public service, upright, and incorruptible.

The loyal minister fiercely denounced the treacherous minister for wreaking havoc on the court and acting perversely; every word was impassioned and every sound was filled with blood and tears!
The officials disguised as treacherous ministers all lowered their heads and remained silent.

The people outside were mesmerized, pointing at the group of treacherous officials and joining the loyal ministers on stage in cursing them!
"Such loyal and righteous men, devoted to serving their country, were actually harmed by these traitors; they deserve to die!"

"Yes, yes! They sang so well! These despicable and shameless scoundrels should be beheaded!"

"It's such a pity that the general didn't die on the battlefield, but at the hands of his own people!"

"..."

In front of the stage, Jiang Jinshuang looked at the general dressed in prison clothes on the stage and suddenly remembered Prince Ruiyang in prison back then.

Legend has it that Prince Ruiyang would wear a mask of a killing god every time he went to the battlefield.

It is said that the mask of the killing god possesses divine power, enabling King Ruiyang to be invincible in every battle.

That time, when Jiang Jinshuang visited him in prison, he was wearing a dirty and disheveled prison uniform and was smiling at her.

“Look at our little prince, his eyes are all swollen from crying.”

"Does your knee hurt?"

"Silly girl, after all these years, how come you haven't made any progress at all?"

"Your Highness, don't cry. When you cry, your face looks like a meat bun, which is ugly."

"Your Highness, I will not accompany you on the road ahead."

"Your Highness."

"Your Highness..."

His lips parted repeatedly, clearly wanting to say something, but in the end, he only called her "Your Highness".

Jiang Jinshuang looked at the white hair at his temples and then remembered—

He is actually past the age of knowing his fate.

The past flows by like water.

When Jiang Jinshuang came to her senses, the play had already ended. The group of officials fled the stage as if escaping, and hearing the angry curses of the surrounding people, they could no longer contain their anger and shouted that they would go to His Majesty to demand justice!

Jiang Jinshuang had achieved her goal, so she no longer cared what they wanted to do.

She ignored the group's insults and anger, simply waving her hand to have the guards see the guests off.

After the grand performance ended, Jiang Jinshuang dismissed the indignant and lingering crowd, as well as the panicked women, before leading Si Ning back to the main hall.

"Your Highness was just crying?"

Si Ning sat in the guest seat, straightened his cloak, and asked her with a smile.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned unhappily: "How is that possible?"

Si Ning didn't press further, but simply smiled and said, "Your Highness has already made a scene today, His Majesty must already know about it."

Jiang Jinshuang took a sip of tea: "Since I dare to do it, I'm not afraid of these things."

Si Ning frowned and coughed twice.

Seeing this, Qian Yao quickly stepped forward, took out an exquisite medicine bottle, poured out two pills, and gave them to Si Ning.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned slightly: "You've been traveling a lot these past few days, you should get some rest first."

Si Ning suffers from a heart condition. Even if the carriage was soft and comfortable, he couldn't bear the journey from Jiangnan all the way here.

Upon hearing this, Si Ning gave a weak smile: "Your Highness has prepared a room for me?"

“I’m all ready,” Jiang Jinshuang nodded. “You can stay in the side hall next to mine; it’s well-equipped there.”

Upon hearing this, Qian Yao stood guard in front of his master with a wary expression: "Your Highness, my young master is not in good health. Please don't scare him by climbing through the window in the middle of the night again."

Jiang Jinshuang: "..."

What kind of person is she in Qianyao's eyes?

Upon hearing this, Si Ning lowered her head and smiled, "Qian Yao, don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Jinshuang crossed her arms and said meaningfully to Qian Yao, "I won't climb through your young master's window, but I'll be climbing through yours later, so please be careful, Lord Qian Yao!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Yao lowered his head in fright and dared not speak.

Si Ning laughed loudly, then started coughing again.

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and said, "Alright, I'll take you to see the side hall."

"it is good."

Pushing open the side hall door, a familiar scent of sandalwood wafted towards me.

Jiang Jinshuang's gaze fell on the incense burner in front of the desk in the outer room.

—This incense burner was personally selected and given to Pei Du by her back then.

Perhaps because it had been steeped in sandalwood for so long, the room still smelled familiar after all these years.

"See if anything is missing, and I'll have someone replace it tomorrow," Jiang Jinshuang paused, then smiled. "Or if there's anything in this room's furnishings that you don't like, you can have it thrown away."

Si Ning's gaze swept across the entire room.

"This side hall doesn't seem to be His Highness's style."

Jiang Jinshuang's gaze swept across the room. After all these years, the furnishings here were still completely dust-free, exactly the same as when she left three years ago.

"Was this the place where that Chief Minister Pei used to live?" Si Ning asked knowingly.

Jiang Jinshuang nodded: "If you don't like it, I'll prepare another room for you."

Si Ning waved his hand: "I'm fine, I'm just worried that Your Highness will be reluctant to part with it."

Jiang Jinshuang smiled nonchalantly: "What's there to be reluctant about? It's just a house."

—She's already given up on Pei Du, so why would she be reluctant to part with a house?

Si Ning nodded: "In that case, thank you, Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang was worried about Si Ning's illness and did not linger any longer: "You should rest well. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"it is good."
-
No sleep for one night.

Jiang Jinshuang guessed that His Majesty would summon her to the palace.

So she wasn't surprised when people from the palace came to pick her up early the next morning.

What she didn't expect was that when she stepped out of the mansion, she immediately saw Pei Du, who had also been summoned by the Emperor.

(End of this chapter)