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

Chapter 4: Let Me Sleep in the Side Hall?
If we were to calculate carefully, Jiang Jinshuang should have not returned to the princess's residence for three years and four months.

The imperial examinations in Wan Jin Kingdom are held every three years. When Pei Du came to the capital, the new spring imperial examinations had just ended.

In other words, if Pei Du wants to pass the imperial examinations, he will have to wait three more years in the capital.

It was at that time that Jiang Jinshuang took advantage of the situation and lured Pei Du directly to her princess's residence.

If I had to put it bluntly, Pei Du was actually incredibly rigid and stubborn.

Jiang Jinshuang nearly broke Pei Du's legs in an attempt to bring him to the princess's residence.

She still remembers the scene when Pei Du stood upright, but was forced to kneel before her by two or three servants.

On the vast Chang'an Avenue, countless people cast their gazes at them, pointing and whispering among themselves.

The young man, dressed in coarse linen, could not conceal the refined and noble air about him.

His eyes were slightly red, and his cold gaze was fixed on her, who sat high in the sedan chair.

"Your Highness, this humble subject is unwilling; why must Your Highness force me?"

The young woman parted her lips slightly, her every smile and frown exuding nobility: "Coincidentally, what I like most is to force things."

You can't fight city hall.

Even if Pei Du had a strong backbone, he couldn't possibly overcome her overwhelming power.

Therefore, Pei Du eventually entered the princess's residence.

Jiang Jinshuang had her servants clean up a side hall next to her bedroom and made it a residence for Pei Du.

Jiang Jinshuang originally wanted to ask the servants to vacate a study for him, but Pei Du frowned and declined, so Jiang Jinshuang did not insist.

Having not returned to the princess's residence for more than three years, Jiang Jinshuang originally thought that the residence would be overgrown with weeds and desolate and dilapidated.

But when she entered the courtyard, she saw pavilions like clouds, artificial hills and strange rocks, green shade and flower paths, and clear springs gurgling.

—It was exactly the same as when she left back then.

A hint of doubt flashed in Jiang Jinshuang's eyes.

She slightly raised her eyes and looked at Xia Yurong walking in front of her.

Xia Yurong seemed unaware that anything was amiss, and enthusiastically began to introduce the situation to Jiang Jinshuang.

"Sister, do you remember that this cold spring was dug by your servants back then?"

“Listen to Master Pei… no, I mean, Lord Pei said that the courtyard was deserted, so the next day he had someone make blueprints and brought in this cold spring from outside the city.”

"However... Lord Pei didn't appreciate your kindness, and even said that you... wasted your energy and caused hardship for the people and the government..."

I knew Xia Yurong wouldn't say anything nice.

Jiang Jinshuang chuckled lightly, her lips curving into a nonchalant smile: "These are all trivial matters from the past, yet Miss Xia remembers them so clearly."

Xia Yurong smiled gently: "In all the years since you left, I have always thought of you."

Jiang Jinshuang was too lazy to engage in pretense with Xia Yurong, so she went straight to the front hall of the princess's residence and sat in the main seat.

This princess's residence was bestowed by the emperor himself. It is decorated with gilded dragons and glazed phoenixes, with a well-organized and dignified layout.

Even the princes in the palace did not receive such treatment.

Later, Jiang Jinshuang left the capital after angering the emperor, leaving only a few servants to sweep and clean the princess's residence.

—I don’t know what methods Xia Yurong used to openly enter and leave her princess’s residence, and even act as if she were the master.

Jiang Jinshuang would naturally send someone to investigate the previous matter, but right now, she really didn't want to get entangled with her.

When will the room be ready?

Jiang Jinshuang sat in the main seat with her legs crossed, one hand resting on the table made of nanmu wood, lightly tapping the surface.

Princess Zhaoming's fiefdom, "Baiyujing," is located far beyond the Great Wall, in the coldest part of the Wan Jin Kingdom.

It is said that Baiyujing is covered in snow all year round and bitterly cold in all four seasons. If you stand outside for a little while, your whole body will be covered with a layer of frost and snow.

Even after spending three long years in that harsh place, the girl's eyes and brows remained unrestrained and arrogant.

Those three years of wind and snow did nothing to diminish the sharp edges she had developed in her youth. Xia Yurong saw this, and the knuckles hidden in her sleeves tightened.

"Soon," Xia Yurong said in an instant, concealing the hatred between her brows and smiling gently. "The servants should be able to clean up the side hall soon."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang raised an eyebrow slightly: "A side hall?"

“Yes, sister,” Xia Yurong seemed completely unaware that there was anything wrong with what she said, and continued to smile gently, “These servants are quite efficient, so don’t worry, you’ll be able to rest soon.”

Jiang Jinshuang looked at Xia Yurong and tilted her head slightly.

—Sometimes she even felt that Xia Yurong might not be very smart.

"You want me to sleep in a side hall of my own residence?"

"Sister, I'm so sorry," Xia Yurong said with a troubled expression, "but...but, the main bedroom..."

Xia Yurong didn't say what came next.

Jiang Jinshuang narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.

She wanted to see what kind of nonsense Xia Yurong could come up with.

This time, before Jiang Jinshuang could even "take the role," Xia Yurong's personal maid seemed to have had enough and loudly protested, "Your Highness, why are you so demanding of our young lady?!"

"This princess's residence was a good place for Your Highness to stay at first, but after you left the capital, my young lady had nowhere to go and then fell seriously ill. It was only because our Lord Pei was kind-hearted that he petitioned His Majesty for permission to let my young lady stay in the princess's residence temporarily!"

"Now that you've returned, does that mean my young lady can no longer stay in the princess's residence?"

"To put it bluntly..." the maid's voice trailed off as she muttered, "Who knows how many days you'll stay in the capital? You might go back in a couple of days..."

"Hongyao! Stop talking!" Xia Yurong interrupted, then looked at Jiang Jinshuang in a panic, "Sister, don't listen to the maid's nonsense. Brother Pei... he... he only took pity on me because I had nowhere to go back then..."

Jiang Jinshuang's brow twitched.

The journey from Baiyujing to Chang'an was arduous and difficult, and countless people wanted to kill her.

She kept her spirits up and proceeded with extreme caution, enduring more than half a month before finally returning to Beijing safely.

Now I've seen Xia Yurong's performance.

She was annoyed.

"Chun Tao."

Jiang Jinshuang lowered her head slightly and rubbed her temples.

"The servant is here."

"Go and throw all the bedding out of the main bedroom and replace it with new ones. I find it dirty."

Chun Tao, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore!
"Slave, you obey!"

With that, Chun Tao strode out of the main hall and headed straight for the main bedroom!
"Hey! Your Highness, what do you mean by this?!" Hongyao's voice grew louder, drawing the attention of the surrounding servants. "You've come back, and now you're forcing my young lady to have nowhere to go?!"

"If you are so unreasonable, I am not afraid to invite Lord Pei to come and stand up for my young lady!"

An inexplicable anger rose in my chest.

Jiang Jinshuang suddenly raised her eyes, her cold and sharp gaze falling on the maid.

"Shut up."

Hongyao was startled by Jiang Jinshuang's terrifying aura and actually fell silent instantly!

“Say one more word, and I’ll rip your tongue out and feed it to the dogs.”

If Jiang Jinshuang can't sleep well, her temper is even less likely to be good.

She slowly stood up and looked down at Xia Yurong, who was sitting in the guest seat.

"Xia Yurong, I'm only giving you two choices."

"First, go back to your Xia family. Where you sleep is none of my business," Jiang Jinshuang paused, her voice icy. "Second, go sleep in the servants' quarters with your servants."

Seeing Xia Yurong's unpleasant expression, Jiang Jinshuang scoffed, "Anyway, you must have gotten used to sleeping in servants' rooms back then, right?"

(End of this chapter)