Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

No one glanced at her again, and Jiang Yueyao went straight into the house.

Sixteen stood outside the house like a door god.

After being helped up by her maid, Lin Wan'er could only stand still like a stone statue.

"Thank you for mediating and for stopping so many people for me, which allowed me to travel back and forth quietly."

Xiao Lie brought back a special gift from the border and personally placed it in Jiang Yueyao's arms.

Jiang Yueyao didn't look down to see what was being delivered; instead, she stared at him and scrutinized him carefully.

"You rushed back day and night, a few days earlier than we estimated, and you've lost a lot of weight."

Xiao Lie joked, "Are you feeling sorry for me?"

Jiang Yueyao was taken aback, pretending not to have heard his teasing remark.

She looked down at the gift in her arms.

It is a cow's horn.

The bison of the frontier are quite different.

Those ox horns are very precious; they can be used in medicine.

It is also extremely sharp and can be used as a weapon for self-defense.

"Where did you get it?" Jiang Yueyao asked seriously. "You didn't hunt it yourself, did you?"

"I don't have the time for that." Xiao Lie had asked someone to help him cut it, but he also put in a lot of effort to have someone specially find it.

Whether he prepares gifts for himself personally or not is not important.

Jiang Yueyao still enjoyed it very much.

"I'm sorry to trouble you again. Come to my house often and keep me company." He had just "come to his senses" and had to put on a good show.

I have to keep pretending to be weak.

If Jiang Yueyao comes over, she can help him block the others.

"Lin Wan'er is still waiting outside the courtyard. Are you really not going to see her?" No matter what, Lin Wan'er is still his Crown Princess in name only.

After asking the question, Jiang Yueyao secretly blamed herself for bringing up the most sensitive topic.

Even though the meeting between the two at the Lakeside Pavilion was orchestrated by Xiao Lie.

He would also not want to see Lin Wan'er's charade become real.

"Let me think about it."

We will have to meet eventually.

We'll have to wait and see when we meet.

"Your Highness, someone from the palace has arrived." The two were talking in the main room when Sixteen brought in a message: "They say that the Emperor heard that Your Highness has woken up and has summoned you to the palace."

Xiao Lie was almost amused by his own amusement.

He's so frail, how could he possibly get into the palace?

Why is the emperor hoping for his quick death?

"Go tell the messenger outside that he is ill and cannot leave the Duke's mansion." So what if he defies the imperial decree?

Sixteen went to report back, and the person who came did not insist on bringing Xiao Lie into the palace.

"I'm still tired, I really need to get some more sleep to recover. You can come see me again tomorrow." Xiao Lie was so exhausted that he kept yawning.

Jiang Yueyao looked at him several times with lingering affection before finally leaving.

Xiao Lie slept until dusk the next day.

Sixteen said resentfully, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has come several times, insisting on seeing you."

Xiao Lie's eyes flashed, and he made a plan.

"Since she wants to come, let her in."

Sixteen exclaimed "Ah!" and went to invite Lin Wan'er with a puzzled look.

When Lin Wan'er came in, she was carrying a food box containing the medicinal soup she had personally prepared.

For days, she had been cooking the same soup, just so that Xiao Lie could have a sip.

"Young Master, shall I serve you a bowl?"

She asked cautiously, afraid that Xiao Lie would refuse outright.

"Let Old He see if it's safe to drink." Xiao Lie's words were tacit approval.

Lin Wan'er quickly said, "There's no need to ask Old He. I specifically asked Old He before I cooked it."

Xiao Lie was somewhat surprised.

Why is Lin Wan'er suddenly so interested in him?

Under his scrutiny, Lin Wan'er burst into tears before she could speak, "Your Highness, ever since you vomited blood and fainted that day, I've been worried that you would die like this."

"Then I'll truly have no protection."

"You are my only support for the rest of my life, Your Highness. You must never let anything happen to you again."

Lin Wan'er knew she had made a big mistake. "I'll accept whatever punishment you want, but please don't send me away."

Looking at Lin Wan'er's miserable appearance, Xiao Lie couldn't help but feel a surge of sneer.

She truly revealed her selfish and self-serving side.

"If you want my forgiveness, you must stay by my side day and night to care for me while I am ill."

Lin Wan'er readily agreed.

As long as she isn't divorced, she'll do anything for him.

Xiao Lie hurried back to his residence, his body stinking from not having bathed.

He deliberately feigned weakness and made her help him wash his body.

Lin Wan'er had previously resented his forceful possession of her.

However, when she got close enough to wipe her down, she no longer looked embarrassed.

Why does Lin Wan'er suddenly seem like a different person?

"Go and pour me a cup of hot tea."

For several days in a row, he tried every possible way to torment Lin Wan'er.

She never complained and worked tirelessly without a word of complaint.

They even always fear that they are not doing well enough.

Xiao Lie found it boring, so he toned it down a bit.

"You don't need to come tomorrow; I have guests to see."

He invited Gu Mingheng and Lin Yu to his residence for a chat.

Lin Wan'er turned pale with fright, biting her lower lip tightly. After a long while, she finally managed to ask, "Have I displeased the young master again? Please tell me, young master, and I will change."

Xiao Lie was eager to get rid of the person and said impatiently, "You don't need to act all subservient in front of me. I'm not angry, so hurry up and leave."

However, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of Lin Wan'er, she wouldn't leave. She was like a hot potato that she couldn't get rid of, and she insisted on staying.

Seizing the opportunity, Sixteen quietly asked when Lin Wan'er wasn't looking, "Do we still need to see Young Master Gu and Miss Lin?"

We must see her, but we need to figure out a way to get rid of this formidable Lin Wan'er.

"Lin Wan'er, if you don't want me to divorce you, you'd better disappear from my sight right now." After thinking it over, Xiao Lie threw out these words.

Lin Wan'er then strode out and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Sixteen looked outside again. "The people the Emperor sent have always been in the shadows and have never left."

"They rotate their personnel every three hours."

Xiao Lie was so angry he almost laughed. Did the emperor think he was having a final burst of energy before death?

We must be on guard at all times. If the time comes, we must first take control of the Duke's mansion.

"Alright, I should go to the palace too." There was another reason why the emperor was in such a hurry: the third prince was still imprisoned in the imperial prison.

The emperor felt sorry for his son.

Sixteen still wanted to stop him from entering the palace, saying, "If it's discovered that he's faking illness, the Emperor won't let the Crown Prince off the hook."

"What's there to be afraid of? We still have Elder He's miraculous medicine." Xiao Lie didn't care at all; he had to get the emperor to remove those people in the shadows.

The Shadow Guards that Grandpa gave him will soon be heading to the capital.

He also needs to contact the ministers on the list.

The household is constantly being watched, making it inconvenient to act.

Sixteen had no choice but to make arrangements, but he was still grumbling, "Every medicine has its side effects, how can one take it all the time? The young master is taking his health too lightly."

"When the Duke finds out, he'll surely punish us."