Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Chen Jingang leaned back in his armchair, toying with a thin porcelain cup in his hand, the amber-colored wine swirling slightly inside.

Standing before him was a middle-aged scholar in his forties, with a short beard and a thin face.

This man was originally a frustrated scholar who failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. He then became a student of Chen Jingang and offered him advice. He had seen quite a bit of the world in Yangzhou.

"In your opinion, sir, how can I win your favor?" Chen Jingang downed his drink in one gulp, his tone casual and languid, but his slender eyes revealed an uncontrollable burning desire.

For Chen Jingang, there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do, except rebel.

The advisor frowned, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "The best course of action, I advise Your Highness, is to abandon this idea. Xie Junheng is not someone to be trifled with. He holds considerable power in the court, and even His Majesty listens to him. Moreover, Princess Chenjia is not only an imperial princess, but also the adopted daughter of the Duke of Dingguo... Your Highness should think carefully."

Chen Jingang's face darkened. He slammed his wine cup down on the table and snorted coldly, "I didn't come here to hear your nonsense. Tell me your worst strategy."

The aide paused for a moment, seemingly weighing whether he should say what he was about to say.

But seeing the growing impatience in Chen Jingang's eyes, the advisor lowered his voice and said slowly, "The worst option is to steal her out and send her back. For a married woman, her reputation is more important than her life. Even if she suffers a loss, she will never dare to speak out. As long as we do it cleanly and leave no evidence, she won't pursue the matter afterward—after all, pursuing it will only ruin her own reputation. Your Highness has been operating in Yangzhou for many years; it's not difficult for you to do something like this. However, this matter must be done cleanly and efficiently, leaving absolutely no evidence."

After listening, Chen Jingang slowly curled a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Very well, sir, you are indeed a wise man. I will leave this matter to you."

The staff member bowed in agreement, and only straightened up after Chen Jingang had walked away, a faint trace of unease appearing in his eyes.

He had given Chen Jingang many suggestions over the years, but this time, he felt that something was amiss. The title of Princess Chenjia—Chen—was not something that just anyone could use.

That's it.

The advisor shook his head to suppress his unease, hoping only that the prince would be satisfied.

……

After staying in Yangzhou for several days, the site of Qingyufang was selected and the regulations were initially determined. Fuyun also began to make preliminary preparations, and the day to set off for Beijing was just around the corner.

The day before his departure, Xie Jue planned to attend a farewell banquet hosted by the governor of Yangzhou.

After changing his clothes, Xie Jue turned to Jiang Sese and asked, "You really aren't coming with me?"

Jiang Sese, still half-asleep, lay sprawled on the couch without lifting her head, and said lazily, "I'm not going. They're all men. I'd just sit there like a puppet. It's pointless. You handle it yourself."

Xie Jue sat down, ruffled Jiang Sese's hair, and said, "I'll be back soon."

Jiang Sese said, "Okay, okay, go ahead."

Xie Jue then turned and left.

After Xie Jue left, Jiang Sese, who had originally planned to take a nap, found herself unable to fall asleep.

Although she had seen the blueprints for the shop she had chosen for Qingyufang, she still needed to personally confirm a few details. So Jiang Sese had a carriage prepared. Not wanting to make a big fuss, she only took Fuyun and Hongdou, along with two guards, and went to the courtyard facing the street.

Upon arriving at the location, Jiang Sese carefully looked around and was quite satisfied with the layout and dimensions. She then finalized several key points for the renovation with Fuyun.

When we came out after finishing our business, it was almost noon.

As Jiang Sese sat in the carriage, passing by the restaurant where she and Xie Jue had enjoyed the delicacies a few days earlier, the rich and fragrant crab meat lion's head and the refreshing and chewy squirrel-shaped mandarin fish came to mind.

Jiang Sese then said, "Stop the car."

The driver did as instructed and reined in the rickshaw.

"Madam?" Hongdou looked at her questioningly.

Jiang Sese said, "It's noon, let's have lunch here and try some of their other signature dishes."

Hongdou Fuyun had no objections. She got out of the carriage first and carefully checked the surroundings to make sure there was nothing amiss before helping Jiang Sese down. Jiang Sese put on her veil, and the group entered the restaurant. The manager dared not neglect them and personally led them to the most elegant and quiet private room by the window on the second floor.

The dishes were served quickly, and Jiang Sese ate with great enjoyment, also rewarding Fuyun and Hongdou with a meal.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Sese got up and reached for the latch of the private room. Suddenly, she felt a numbness on the back of her neck and froze on the spot.

Jiang Sese tried to call out to someone, but found that no sound came out of her throat. She tried to turn around to see who it was, but she couldn't even turn her neck.

...Acupressure?!

The treatment given to martial arts dramas came out of nowhere?

A cold hand reached out from behind her and covered her eyes with a thick black cloth, plunging her into darkness.

Perhaps because of her extensive experience with danger, Jiang Sese was not particularly frightened at this moment. She was just puzzled as to who was so bold and capable.

She had no enemies in Yangzhou, and the people who came had no intention of killing her.

Once this thought was made up, Jiang Sese calmed down.

The man moved extremely fast. Jiang Sese heard a very faint sound of a mechanism turning, and then she was led through a narrow passage.

The passageway was cool and damp, with the smell of dust and old wood; it was clearly not a proper passageway of the restaurant.

Jiang Sese's mind raced—this was a secret passage, and people in Yangzhou who had secret passages in restaurants were few and far between. When she pushed open the door earlier, Hongdou and the guards were just a few steps away. The fact that this person could take her away silently right under their noses meant that they had hidden in the private room beforehand.

After exiting the secret passage, Jiang Sese felt herself being carried into a sedan chair. She didn't know how much time had passed or where she was before the sedan chair finally stopped.

All around was silent.

Countless questions churned in her mind, and the unknown darkness and the numbness in her body brought immense panic. But Jiang Sese still bit her lower lip tightly, without uttering any sobs or pleas for mercy.

Just as she was trying to calm herself down, a steady footstep approached from afar, the pace unhurried, and finally stopped in front of her.

"Little sister, how have you been?"