The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

This is already a blatant threat.

Xiao Qingyan laughed in anger. He walked up to her step by step, looking down at her with a dangerous scrutiny in his eyes: "You think you can threaten me with your paltry tricks?"

"It's not a threat," Jiang Zhenxue said, looking up at him without fear. "It's just a friendly reminder. Your Excellency is of noble birth; it wouldn't sound good if word got out that you bumped or hurt yourself in your sleep, would it?"

"For example... accidentally rolling off the bed? Or... bumping into the corner of a table while sleepwalking?"

With each word she spoke, Xiao Qingyan's face darkened further.

The air between the two was like a lit fuse, hissing and crackling, ready to explode at any moment.

However, at this tense moment, Jiang Zhenxue suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming as if she were discussing a perfectly ordinary business deal.

"My lord, there's really no need for us to end up losing so badly." She sighed, her expression quite sincere. "Don't you just feel that my leaving you is a challenge to your authority and makes you lose face?"

Xiao Qingyan didn't speak, but his gloomy expression clearly indicated his tacit agreement.

"Let's think about it another way," Jiang Zhenxue began to coax, "You insist on forcing me to go back and locking me in a cage. I think about escaping every day, and you guard against me every day like I'm a thief. Aren't you tired? What if I actually succeed in escaping one day? You'll have to search the whole world for me. It's too much trouble."

Xiao Qingyan's brows furrowed unconsciously.

He had to admit that she had a point. Finding her this time had already taken a lot of effort.

"So, I have a way that satisfies both sides." Seeing that his expression had relaxed, Jiang Zhenxue immediately seized the opportunity.

"explain."

"Didn't you look down on my Qingyun Pavilion as a 'shabby shop,' something not presentable?" Jiang Zhenxue said. "Alright, I'll give you face and let you expand this business to the capital, how about that?"

Xiao Qingyan's eyes finally showed a slight change.

"The capital is a mixed bag, and the waters run much deeper than in Lizhou Prefecture. I have no connections or background, so building a business here is as difficult as climbing to heaven." Jiang Zhenxue looked at him, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "But with you, Marquis, backing me up, things will be different."

She paused for a moment, then stated her condition: "Wouldn't it be better if you just helped me run the business properly?"

Absurd, utterly absurd.

This was the male protagonist's current thought, but strangely enough, he found it... kind of interesting.

"Why should I help you?" He sneered, trying to see a hint of pleading or weakness on her face.

However, he was disappointed.

Jiang Zhenxue's expression remained businesslike: "Just because you still like me and don't want me to run away again."

With just one sentence, she shut down all his arrogant attitude.

"My lord, please think about it carefully. Once I return to the capital, I'll be right under your nose. You can see me anytime, and you won't have to worry about me running off to the ends of the earth anymore. And I can leverage your influence to expand my business and make more money. If I make money, I'll be in a better mood, and if I'm in a better mood, I might not be thinking about how to upset you every day."

She shrugged and concluded, "You gain people, I gain benefits—it's a win-win situation. Why not?"

Xiao Qingyan fell silent.

He had to admit that the offer was incredibly tempting to him.

Placing her in the capital, within my sphere of influence, would indeed make her much easier to control than she is now, far from the emperor's reach.

He could watch her, watch her make a fuss, and as long as she didn't leave his sight, everything was still under his control.

"Okay." After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out two words from his throat.

Jiang Zhenxue was secretly delighted, but remained outwardly calm.

"However," Xiao Qingyan's tone shifted, his gaze sharpening and becoming possessive again, "you must come back with me. The branch here will be managed by someone else. Your people must stay in the capital, somewhere I can see them at any time."

That was his real purpose.

He could tolerate her opening a shop and making money, but he couldn't tolerate her leaving his sight.

The so-called "win-win" was nothing more than a tiny concession he made in order to lure her back into his cage.

Upon hearing this additional condition, Jiang Zhenxue's smile faded.

She considered it in her mind.

Returning to the capital would indeed allow them to earn more. It's under the emperor's nose, a hub of power and wealth, where even a single young master's spending power surpasses the combined spending of everyone in Yunyang County. If the Qingyun Pavilion model were replicated, the money would flow in like water.

but……

Going back would mean that she would once again fall into that helpless situation.

Here, far from the emperor's reach, she could still challenge him and even kick him out of bed.

Back in the capital, in his manor, her every move would be watched by countless eyes. At that point, forget about kicking him; she probably wouldn't even have the freedom to speak loudly. Everything would depend on his mood.

I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you do whatever you want. But if I'm in a bad mood tomorrow, I can bring you back to your old self anytime.

What was the point of all her scheming to escape?

"I don't want to." Jiang Zhenxue refused without even thinking.

Xiao Qingyan's face instantly darkened, and the surrounding air pressure suddenly dropped: "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm not going back with you." Jiang Zhenxue met his icy gaze without flinching. "The business can expand to the capital, but my people will stay here. I can send people to manage things in the capital."

"You have no right to negotiate with me!" Xiao Qingyan's anger was reignited.

"Then forget it." Jiang Zhenxue was quite straightforward. "Let's just maintain the status quo. I'll guard my little corner of the world, and you can continue living in Yingxian Tower. You can watch the show if you want, or cause trouble if you want. I'll play along to the end."

Her unyielding and stubborn demeanor left Xiao Qingyan feeling as if he had punched empty air, leaving him with an indescribable sense of frustration.

He felt an unprecedented surge of anger.

He couldn't understand how the woman who used to be so submissive to him and who always put him first had changed so much in just a few months.

Who taught her? Was it Shen Yu, who was beaten half to death, or Kang Mingyan, who was oblivious to his own mortality?

The thought that she might change for another man fueled the violent and jealous feelings in Xiao Qingyan's heart, which grew wildly like vines.

But then he thought about it again and realized that wasn't right.

This woman's personality seemed to have changed from the inside out. She became calm, rational, and even... somewhat ruthless.

The way she looked at herself no longer held admiration, fear, or even hatred. More often than not, it was as if she were looking at a troublesome business partner who needed to be dealt with.

It seems pointless to argue with her about things like "you have to listen to me."

In the end, Xiao Yan didn't say anything more.

He just stared intently at her, his gaze as if he wanted to brand his mark on her.

He realized that he really seemed to be at a loss with her.

Jiang Zhenxue was too lazy to waste any more words with him.

Negotiations have reached a stalemate, and further discussion is pointless.

All she wanted to do now was leave this suffocating place as soon as possible, check on Shen Yu's injuries, and deal with the business of Qingyun Pavilion.

As for that persistent man...

Let's take it one step at a time.

Anyway, there's no way you'll get her to obediently go back to her cage.