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

Chapter 58 is about my pursuit of Your Highness.

The princess meant that she didn't want to see the prime minister until he had finished reading the documents.

Shen Huaihe asked this question simply to inform him, as was customary, that there was no indication that the Grand Secretary would be accompanying him.

—After all, the Grand Secretary probably hasn't finished reading those files yet.

But to everyone's surprise, the man nodded slightly, his waistline graceful: "Alright, then let's go together."

Shen Huaihe was taken aback for a moment, then bowed to Pei Du and followed him out of the hall.
-
On the other side, at the Princess's residence.

"What!?"

Si Beihuan's eyes widened, and he glared angrily at Jiang Jinshuang.

Seeing this, Si Ning stepped forward without making a sound and slightly blocked Si Beihuan's angry gaze.

"Father, you're too harsh," Si Ning coughed lightly, offering a gentle reminder.

Si Beihuan snorted coldly, his beard bristling and eyes wide: "My son! Are you lying to your father? You actually... you actually admire this little princess!?"

Si Beihuan held no official position in the court, but given his status, even the emperor would have to show him deference.

Therefore, Si Beihuan's tone was not very respectful towards this princess with such a terrible reputation.

—Hmph, if it weren't for Princess Zhaoming's promise that she could cure his son's heart ailment, he would have been a thousand times against Si Ning coming to the capital with her!
Si Ning, with clear eyes and an upright posture, said: "Yes, Your Highness and I are of one mind and in perfect harmony."

Si Beihuan was so angry that his beard almost stood on end!
He pointed at Si Ning and stammered "you you you" for a long time, unable to utter a single word!
Seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang hid behind Si Ning and said in a smug tone, "Uncle Si, am I, a princess of the current dynasty, a perfect match for your son? More than enough!"

"You, you little brat, shut up!" Si Beihuan was even angrier!

Si Ning smiled helplessly, tugged at Jiang Jinshuang's sleeve, and said in a gentle and indulgent tone, "Your Highness..."

Seeing his son's gentle demeanor, Si Beihuan was furious. He pounded his chest with his left hand and raised his voice, "This little princess has neither power nor fame. What's gotten into you that you've taken a fancy to her?"

Si Beihuan was happy to accept any noble lady from a prominent family in the capital, without any prejudice.

—Why did it have to be Princess Zhaoming, whose reputation was so utterly tarnished?!

Their Jiangnan Si family possesses the White Tiger clan emblem, bestowed upon them by the late emperor to protect the nation, and their fame spreads far and wide!

What bad luck has befallen the Si family's future head of the family, that he has to suffer such a calamity!
The family is unfortunate, the family is unfortunate!

"You shameless Princess Zhaoming! I sent you to the capital to find a renowned doctor to treat my son, and you secretly had an affair with him?!"

Si Beihuan pointed at Jiang Jinshuang, looking like he was about to faint!

Seeing Si Beihuan's heartbroken expression, Jiang Jinshuang blinked innocently: "I'm innocent, Uncle Si! It's your son who falls for me. He writes me a love poem every day, and it took a long time for me to reluctantly agree~"

With a wicked thought rising in her mind, Jiang Jinshuang blurted it out without thinking!

Si Ning clearly saw through Jiang Jinshuang's little scheme, but he just smiled and sighed.

"Yes," he readily agreed, "I couldn't control my feelings and wrote love poems every day to express my love for Your Highness."

“Father, you once said you would respect my choices and would not interfere whether the woman I fall in love with is of humble origin or powerful status,” Si Ning paused, then smiled, “Now that I have someone I truly love, are you still unhappy, Father?”

"Well, not really..." Si Beihuan awkwardly stroked his beard and muttered.

Ultimately, the Jiangnan Si family's strength and background are undeniable, so what if it's the infamous Princess Zhaoming?

After marrying into the Si family, she will eventually become the future matriarch whom everyone respects and loves.

But he just couldn't stand Princess Zhaoming!

With a matriarch like this, who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause in the Si family in the future!
"I'm not going to care about you anymore, you can deal with yourselves!"

After saying that, Si Beihuan waved his hand and left.

Jiang Jinshuang watched Si Beihuan's departing figure with some worry: "Uncle Si, will you be thinking about how to assassinate me after you go back?"

Si Ning chuckled lightly: "Your Highness, please rest assured, Father is just being sarcastic; he will accept you."

Jiang Jinshuang shrank her neck and gave a mischievous smile.

She suddenly realized that winning the favor for Si Ning was actually quite interesting!
—And he can even tease Si Beihuan!

Just then, Chun Tao walked in from outside the main hall: "Your Highness, the Junior Minister and the Grand Secretary are requesting an audience outside the door."

Upon hearing Chuntao's report, Jiang Jinshuang's smile vanished instantly: "Why is Pei Du here too?"

—Wasn't I telling him not to come to her until he had finished reading the case file?

Chun Tao shook her head: "This servant doesn't know either." Jiang Jinshuang waved her hand: "Please invite them in."

"Yes."

……

When Shen Huaihe and Pei Du entered the main hall, Si Ning was also there.

After exchanging greetings, the group slowly took their seats.

No one spoke, and for a moment the atmosphere in the main hall became somewhat awkward.

Shen Huaihe and Pei Du were wearing official robes.

It must have just ended the court session. The news of the Si family head's arrival in the capital today is enough to keep the court talking for a while.

It was Jiang Jinshuang who spoke first.

She chuckled softly and looked at Pei Du, who was sitting in the guest seat next to her: "Grand Secretary, didn't I tell you to take a good look through the files first?"

The man's eyes were deep, and his voice was clear and gentle: "Your Highness, I have read through all the documents from yesterday."

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Jinshuang's eyes.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone rising: "Oh? If I'm not mistaken, there are quite a few files left."

Pei Du remained silent, his gaze calm.

The spring morning light fell on the man's official robe, and the red-crowned crane on his chest seemed to be about to take off on auspicious clouds.

The golden morning light fell on the glossy satin, as if sprinkling fine gold dust all over him.

Jiang Jinshuang narrowed her eyes, her tone slightly cold: "When did the assassin attempt the attack?"

"February 18th, the second quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."

What was the assassin's weapon?

"The longsword is 18.2 inches long and weighs 2.4 jin. The tiger-head dagger is 5.3 inches long. It was found in the study of Crown Prince Jiang Biechen in the Eastern Palace."

When will the assassin confess?

"February 27th, 1:15 PM."

"..."

The main hall was extremely quiet.

Jiang Jinshuang was somewhat disgruntled.

She gave a cold laugh and leaned back against the chair.

Shen Huaihe's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing Pei Du's reply.

Even with the ability to read ten lines at a glance and have a photographic memory, it is extremely difficult to remember all the details of a case file of more than a thousand pages in a single day.

—The candlelight in the archives last night must have burned all night.

Si Ning noticed Jiang Jinshuang's emotions and smiled slightly: "I heard that three years ago, the Grand Secretary passed the imperial examination with flying colors and became the top scholar appointed by His Majesty. His examination essays are still being recited by scholars. Now it seems that he was indeed a man of unparalleled talent and talent."

Pei Du merely nodded slightly in response to Si Ning's praise, without saying anything more.

Now that Pei Du is here again, it's difficult for Jiang Jinshuang to find an opportunity to talk to Shen Huaihe alone.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door, growing louder as it approached.

"Honestly! You two made me so angry that I almost forgot about the important matter!"

Ignoring Chun Tao's attempts to stop him, Si Beihuan swaggered into the main hall.

Looking at the three men and one woman sitting in the main hall, Si Beihuan frowned.

Si Ning was the first to react, and stood up to ask, "Father, is there anything else you need?"

Ignoring the two men beside him, Si Beihuan snorted coldly and said, "Now that you and this little princess are in love, you should consider her reputation and should not stay in the princess's residence any longer."

"His Majesty has granted me Yong'an Prefecture as a temporary residence. You may move there with me."

(End of this chapter)