Empress, please lay down your armor, for I will save the world with a single sword!

In the darkness,

Jiang Qingluan, whose mouth was being forcefully covered and whose neck was being choked, froze at first, then she was stunned.

That hushed voice was indeed fierce, but it also carried that familiar, reckless tone...

Wu Liang!

She was somewhat surprised, her eyes widening in the darkness, then she shook her head, trying to tell Wu Liang not to panic.

But Wu Liang noticed that she was shaking her head, and he became even more wary.

This person is dishonest and is trying to struggle?

He tightened his grip, pressing her face almost into his palm. He moved closer again, his nose nearly touching her forehead, his threatening voice lower and more menacing.

"Don't move! If you move again, I'll really break your neck! You hear me?!"

The hot breath hit his forehead, and the murderous intent in his words was genuine.

Jiang Qingluan: "..."

She was completely speechless, gave up struggling, and her body went limp.

But those eyes, wide open in the darkness, were still staring straight at Wu Liang.

Sensing that she had become obedient, Wu Liang felt a slight sense of relief. However, he dared not be careless, as there were quite a few guards outside, and attracting their attention would be disastrous.

He lowered his head, bringing his face even closer, almost touching Jiang Qingluan's face, trying to see her features clearly by the moonlight streaming through the window.

The distance is too close.

He was so close he could feel the other person's warm breath brushing against his chin.

Then, he smelled a fragrance.

Like orchids and musk, fresh and pleasant.

This taste...

Huh?

It looks somewhat familiar.

Wu Liang's mind raced as he squinted, trying to make out the details in the darkness.

As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and given how close I was, the moonlight finally began to outline my features.

Her nose was pert and upturned, her lips were tightly pursed, and her eyes, which shone brightly even in the darkness and were staring straight at him... were captivating.

A huge surge of joy suddenly exploded in Wu Liang's heart!

Jiang Qingluan!

I searched high and low without finding it, then stumbled upon it in the dark!

He released his hand from her mouth almost instantly, and also released the other hand that was gripping her neck.

As soon as her mouth was free, Jiang Qingluan took two quick breaths, her chest rising and falling slightly. Looking at the figure gradually becoming clearer in the darkness, her heart was churning with turmoil.

Surprise, unexpectedness, and a hint of... excitement that she herself didn't even realize.

She lowered her voice, her tone filled with disbelief and surprise, "Wu Liang, what brings you here?"

"Why do you think I'm here?"

Mentioning this made Wu Liang a little annoyed, and he said irritably, "Miss Jiang, Your Highness! Have you forgotten what you said? You said you would send someone to find me once you were settled! I waited! I waited for three whole days!"

"And what happened? Not even a trace of you! I thought you were planning to run away and renege on your debt as soon as your injuries healed!"

Upon hearing this,

Jiang Qingluan's excitement deflated like a balloon punctured by a needle.

So... he didn't come to save me.

He was just afraid that if he ran away, he wouldn't get the money.

She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the fleeting disappointment and self-mockery in the darkness.

Yes, what am I expecting?

Jiang Qingluan sighed softly, "I definitely won't renege on my debt to the gold."

"Don't worry. But... you'll have to wait a few days. I don't have any money on hand right now."

As she spoke, she turned her head slightly to look at the ethereal night outside the window. The profile of her face appeared somewhat lonely and melancholy in the dim light.

Wu Liang looked at her, blinked, and then said incredulously, "You have no money? Are you kidding me! You, a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a golden branch and jade leaf, are telling me you have no money? Even a little bit of money between your fingers would be enough for an ordinary family to live on for a lifetime!"

These words seemed to have struck a nerve with Jiang Qingluan.

She turned back to look at Wu Liang; her eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

"I am indeed a princess." Her voice was calm, yet tinged with sarcasm, "But now... I'm not even as good as an ordinary citizen. At least ordinary people are free to come and go, not kept or forced like objects..."

Thinking about all she had been through, the panic when she escaped from the capital, the perilous pursuit, arriving in Beiyong thinking she had found hope, only to find herself trapped and held hostage, now she had even lost her most basic freedom and was being forced to marry someone she didn't want to marry at all...

What's this princess called?

This is absolutely the biggest joke in the world.

Wu Liang looked at her, and in the darkness, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up. "Oh, right!"

"Congratulations on becoming the Crown Prince's consort soon! The Crown Prince of Beiyong, although... cough, his legs are a bit inconvenient, he still has the appearance of a dragon and phoenix, and he's quite handsome, a very dashing young man."

"Most importantly, the family fortune is huge! The entire Bei Yong empire will be yours in the future. As the Crown Prince's consort, won't you enjoy endless wealth and luxury? This kind of blessing is something many people would kill for!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingluan simply snorted coldly, her voice full of disdain and contempt: "I don't care. I don't need it. This good fortune... whoever wants it can take it!"

"What's wrong? You're still not happy? Could it be... that you look down on Pei Chang'an? Let me tell you, nobody's perfect. Everyone has flaws and strengths. You can't always focus on someone's flaws, right? Maybe he's not good at walking, but he might be smart and caring?" Wu Liang continued to tease with a grin.

"Shut up!"

Jiang Qingluan was furious at his words and glared at him fiercely. Even in the darkness, Wu Liang could feel the anger in her eyes.

"If you can't speak, then shut your mouth! Nobody thinks you're mute!"

Wu Liang chuckled, not only not shutting up but also moving even closer, "Hey, you don't actually want to marry Pei Chang'an at all, do you?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Jiang Qingluan rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "First, I don't know him at all. We've barely even exchanged a few words, so where would any feelings come from? Second, his father, Pei Xiao..."

She paused, her voice chillingly cold, "Despicable, shameless, and ambitious—he's no good! I'd rather avoid him than marry into his family!"

"Then why did you still get married?" Wu Liang immediately pressed.

Jiang Qingluan remained silent for a few seconds.

"If I hadn't been forced into this situation, with no other options... why would I... have agreed?"

She gritted her teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between them: "I was truly blind! How could I have believed Father's words, thinking that the Prince of Beiyong was a loyal and capable minister, someone I could entrust with my life... I traveled thousands of miles, enduring countless hardships, to come to Beiyong, only to... walk right into a trap! I jumped into a fire pit!"

Wu Liang's heart stirred.

"You mean... Prince Pei Xiao of Bei Yong kidnapped you? He's keeping you here under house arrest, and then... he's forcing you to marry his son, Pei Chang'an?"

Jiang Qingluan let out a sneer in the darkness.

"Isn't this... obvious enough?"

Everything is clear now.

Wu Liang didn't speak, but slowly narrowed his eyes.

……