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

Chapter 52 Pei Du, do you want to take a concubine?
The kettle was put back on the stove.

The boiling water hissed and bubbled, stirring restlessly.

The rain intensified, and the raindrops pattered on the ground like drums.

An eerie silence filled the carriage.

Jiang Jinshuang stared at the flames burning in the furnace, a slight itch spreading through the wound on her chest.

The itching made her a little irritable.

Feeling warm and cozy from the heat, Jiang Jinshuang lowered her hand, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at the man in front of her with no emotion.

The "you" she blurted out seemed to have no effect on the man.

He was carefully making tea.

The first brew was too strong; it had only been a short time before the tea turned a deep red.

Pei Du poured the first brew of tea, then brewed it again.

Discard it again, then brew it a third time.

Jiang Jinshuang was very picky. While most people would only drink tea twice, she insisted that the second brew was too strong and bitter, and that she wanted to drink the third brew.

The third brew of tea has washed away the strong color, leaving only a light green hue.

Pei Du pushed the teacup to her side.

Pei Du's tea ceremony was taught by a specialist arranged by Jiang Jinshuang. He studied it diligently, and even his teacher could not match his skill.

But Jiang Jinshuang noticed that he seemed to have burned his hand with tea.

—We've regressed.

"I know that your injury was part of your plan, which is why I didn't go to visit you."

Worried about making things wrong.

Out of the blue, he suddenly brought up something else.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned, and an absurd idea suddenly popped into her mind.

—He didn't think she said those things out of spite, which is why he started explaining to her, did he?

But this absurd thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before she dismissed it.

She glanced at him casually, then picked up her teacup and took a sip.

A warm sensation flowed from the tip of her tongue to her limbs and bones, and Jiang Jinshuang's internal organs, which had been forced to curl up, relaxed.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Pei Du lowered his head slightly and took a sip of tea.

"I am indeed somewhat boring."

His tone softened, even sounding like a compromise.

The carriage moved forward smoothly.

Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Jinshuang rested her chin on her hand and looked at Pei Du: "Pei Du, do you want to take a concubine?"

Thinking about it carefully, it's fair to say that Jiang Jinshuang wronged Pei Du.

Pei Du and Xia Yurong were deeply in love and lived in perfect harmony; he must have really wanted to marry her.

There was actually another reason that Jiang Jinshuang didn't tell Jiang Biechen when they were in front of the Imperial Study.

The imperial family rejected the Xia family's marriage proposal not only because they were not of equal social standing, but also because they admired Pei Du and would never allow him to marry someone from such a lowly family.

Therefore, no matter what, Xia Yurong could never become Pei Du's legal wife.

But if we take another step, and it's just about taking a concubine, His Majesty won't have any objections.

Although His Majesty made her play the bad guy and refuse the Xia family's marriage proposal on his behalf, she was ultimately the one who wronged Pei Du.

So she thought that if Pei Du was willing, she would say a few good words to His Majesty and let Xia Yurong marry into Wenshan Pavilion as a concubine.

This fulfilled the couple's wish.

However, as soon as she said this, the man frowned slightly and his eyes darkened: "I do not take concubines."

Well, it really is a sincere and unwavering love.

Jiang Jinshuang was quite helpless.

She scratched her cheek and clicked her tongue: "So, a secondary wife?"

This is the best position she can fight for him.

Unexpectedly, Pei Du's usually aloof expression turned cold upon hearing her words.

"What does Your Highness take me for?"

He stared intently at Jiang Jinshuang, his voice low and husky: "Your Highness, not everyone is like you, who enjoys having affairs everywhere."

The tea in her hand was slightly cool when the carriage suddenly went over a pothole, spilling some of the tea and wetting the area between her thumb and forefinger.

Jiang Jinshuang was in a completely bad mood.

She slowly put down her teacup, looked up at him, and said calmly, "So, Lord Pei, are you now going to accuse me of being a womanizer?" Her fingers tightened around the teacup, and her fingertips turned slightly white.

Pei Du looked at the woman in front of him, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"You knew..." His eyes reddened slightly, his voice low, "You knew..."

"parking."

The itch in her chest reached its peak, and Jiang Jinshuang spoke coldly and irritably.

Outside the carriage, Jingmo's voice came: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Jiang Jinshuang lifted the carriage curtain and took a step to leave.

Behind her, a force grabbed her wrist.

Pei Du's voice was deep and trembling: "It's still raining."

She doesn't like rainy days.

Jingmo sat in front of the carriage, trembling with fear, not daring to move.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a person slowly walked towards them from a distance.

Si Ning held up a green umbrella and walked through the layers of rain and mist, stopping not far from the carriage.

He smiled, his eyes clear and gentle: "Your Highness, it's time to return to the manor."

Jiang Jinshuang shook off Pei Du's hand without hesitation and nimbly flipped over to stand under Si Ning's umbrella.

"Let's go, Your Highness, the carriage is waiting ahead."

The umbrella was tilted towards her, and Si Ning's shoulder was wet.

Seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang moved closer to him and said, "Let's go."

He never once looked at the man in the carriage again.

Passing over her shoulder, Si Ning glanced at the man behind her.

He nodded slightly as a greeting, seemingly unconcerned by the man's cold gaze.

He then turned and left with Jiang Jinshuang.

It was as if the gloom of the past few days was about to dissipate.

It rained heavily.
-
Jiang Jinshuang was still scolded by Yan Jue when she returned to the mansion.

Si Ning made her ginger soup and had Chun Tao put a hot water bottle in her bedding.

The spring rain that had lasted for several days finally stopped.

Jiang Jinshuang held the ginger soup, looked at the moon peeking out the window, and pulled her coat tighter around herself.

Everything was going smoothly according to her plan, and Jiang Jinshuang felt that she could finally get a good night's sleep.

Jiang Jinshuang happily went to bed and fell asleep peacefully.

A good night's sleep.

The next morning, Jiang Jinshuang heard the news from Si Ning.

It is said that Crown Prince Jiang Biechen has already sent Shen Huaihe, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to investigate the assassination. He will probably come to her today to inquire about the details of that night.

Before he could finish speaking, a servant came to report from outside the mansion.

"Your Highness, Lord Shen Huaihe, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, requests an audience."

Jiang Jinshuang and Si Ning exchanged a glance.

Si Ning smiled, stood up and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded.

After Si Ning left, Jiang Jinshuang had a servant invite the person in.

Shen Huaihe was wearing an official robe.

He must have just finished the morning court session; the man's bright red official robe was embroidered with a wild goose with feathers perched on its back.

He bowed slightly to Jiang Jinshuang and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Jiang Jinshuang coughed twice, her lips turning pale, and said weakly, "Lord Shaoqing, please sit down."

Shen Huaihe nodded and sat down in the guest seat in the main hall.

"Lord Shaoqing, have you come to the Princess's residence today because of the assassination attempt a few days ago?"

Shen Huaihe got straight to the point: "That's right. I was ordered by His Highness the Crown Prince to investigate this matter, so I came to inquire about what happened that night."

Jiang Jinshuang made a fist, pressed it to her lips, and coughed a few times: "If you ask, Lord Shaoqing, I will tell you everything I remember."

Looking at the weak Jiang Jinshuang in front of him, Shen Huaihe frowned slightly: "Is your wound still not healed?"

Seemingly surprised by Shen Huaihe's question, Jiang Jinshuang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Is this also the way Lord Shaoqing interrogates people?"

(End of this chapter)