The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

There was a moment of silence inside, then Xiao Jingyan's voice came: "Come in."

Jin Hu pushed open the door, gestured for Yun Jin to enter, but did not follow her in. Instead, he closed the door behind him.

Yun Jin stood at the doorway, looked at Xiao Jingyan sitting behind his desk, stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yu."

Leaning back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips, Xiao Jingyan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze fixed on Yun Jin's face: "What business do you have with me?"

Yun Jin took a deep breath and recounted the story of the courtyard. After she finished speaking, she looked up at him and said, "I don't understand why the Crown Prince insists on having my courtyard."

Xiao Jingyan didn't answer, but simply called out towards the door, "Jin Hu!"

Jin Hu pushed open the door and entered, clasping his hands in greeting: "Your Highness."

Xiao Jingyan gestured with his chin toward Yun Jin: "Tell Miss Yun about what happened in that courtyard."

Jin Hu glanced at Yun Jin and recounted the entire story in detail, including what happened during the morning court session.

After listening, Yun Jin remained silent for a long time; she had suffered an undeserved calamity.

Seeing that she remained silent, Jin Hu added, "Similar things have happened in the capital before. But they were just ordinary people with no one to back them up, and in the end they could only accept their bad luck. Perhaps the man surnamed Zhou also mistook Miss Yun for an ordinary person."

Yun Jin couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Is this what they mean by "you're the butcher, and I'm the fish on the chopping block"? Just because I'm an ordinary citizen, does that mean I deserve to die?

After Jin Hu finished speaking, Xiao Jingyan asked her, "Do you need my help?"

Yun Jin didn't answer, but turned to look at Jin Hu: "Then, is there a problem with my courtyard?"

Jin Hu nodded and said, "Yes, that mortgage agreement and land deed are both forged."

Yun Jin then looked at Xiao Jingyan: "Since it's not deliberately targeting me, I'd like to try my own method first. If it doesn't work, then I'll trouble Your Highness."

Xiao Jingyan raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"

Yun Jin nodded: "Confirmed."

The favors bestowed by Prince Yu are dwindling with each use. She didn't want to tie herself to him for the sake of a courtyard.

Xiao Jingyan looked at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled. His smile held a mixture of admiration and surprise.

"Okay." He waved his hand, signaling Jin Hu to leave.

Jin Hu acknowledged and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Only two people remained in the room.

Xiao Jingyan stood up, walked to Yun Jin, and looked down at her, his gaze more serious than before: "How have you considered what I told you yesterday?"

Yun Jin lowered her eyes and did not reply.

She knew, of course, the advantages of marrying Prince Yu. With him around, no one would dare bully her, no one would dare scheme against her, and her mother and brother would be protected by him. She could act with impunity in the capital, doing whatever she wanted.

But what she couldn't understand was why he wanted to marry her.

She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the capital, nor the lady from the best family, nor even the most gentle and considerate one.

He'd seen so many women, why her of all?

"Your Highness," she raised her head and met his gaze, "I am just an ordinary woman, I don't understand those messy rules, I'm afraid I'm not qualified to be a princess."

Xiao Jingyan said, "If you become my queen, no one outside will dare to bully you, and no one in the palace will dare to make things difficult for you."

Yun Jin added, "I come from the countryside and have never dealt with matters of the inner quarters. I'm afraid I can't handle so many affairs in the Prince's mansion."

Xiao Jingyan said, "You don't need to handle it. There are people in the manor who take care of these things."

Yun Jin bit her lip and said, "I'm selfish; I don't want to share my feelings with others."

She herself felt that she had gone a bit too far after saying those words.

He was a prince, and it was only natural for him to have three wives and four concubines, but she demanded that he be with only one person for life.

But Xiao Jingyan wasn't angry. He simply looked at her, his gaze calm: "If you agree to become my queen, I will immediately dismiss all the women in my harem."

Yun Jin was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Why? Why me? There are so many noble ladies in the capital, many of whom are better than me."

Xiao Jingyan looked at her, his expression complex. He remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "You really can't remember?"

Yun Jin was taken aback: "Remembered what?"

She recalled that Prince Yu had asked her a similar question before, and at the time she thought he had simply mistaken her for someone else. But now it seemed that it wasn't a mistake.

"I can't remember many things from my past." She carefully chose her words, trying not to sound too guilty. "Did Your Highness meet me in Qingping County?"

Xiao Jingyan remained silent for a long while. He looked into her eyes, as if trying to confirm something.

Finally, he simply said, "Never mind if you can't remember."

Yun Jin felt a surge of frustration. Couldn't you just say it directly?

"Go back and think it over." Xiao Jingyan turned and walked back to his desk, sitting down again. His tone returned to its nonchalant tone. "I'm not in a hurry. I'm going to the north for disaster relief in a few days. Tell me your answer when I get back."

Yun Jin was startled: "Your Highness is going out?"

"My fiefdom is in the north. Today, with this heavy snowfall, many people are freezing to death or suffering from frostbite," Xiao Jingyan said without looking up. "I have a duty to protect them."

Yun Jin's heart skipped a beat. She remembered seeing bloggers in modern times who rented houses in Northeast China to experience winter life there. She recalled the heated brick beds and heated walls she had seen in their videos. If she could help Prince Yu, could he help her solve the problem with the courtyard?

Yun Jin looked at Xiao Jingyan and asked earnestly, "Your Highness, do you know about heated brick beds and heated walls?"

Xiao Jingyan was taken aback: "What is that?"

Yun Jin's eyes lit up. He didn't know. In other words, there were no heated brick beds or heated walls in this era.

She explained, "It's a heating system made of adobe or bricks, with a flue in the middle. A fire is lit in the stove, and the heat goes through the flue to heat the surface of the kang (a heated brick bed). When you sleep on it, you're warm from head to toe. A heated wall works on a similar principle. The wall is hollow, and a fire is lit underneath. The heat rises through the holes in the wall, warming the entire wall. If there's just one such wall in the room, the whole room can be warmed up."

Xiao Jingyan frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. After a while, he asked, "Will this thing really work?"

Yun Jin nodded: "It will definitely work. In the north, it's freezing cold. A heated kang bed and heated walls inside the house are much warmer than a charcoal brazier. If it can really be made, it can save many people from the suffering of the severe cold."

Xiao Jingyan glanced at her, then suddenly called out, "Jin Hu!"

Jin Hu pushed open the door and entered: "Your Highness."

"Go and call Fu Ping here."

Jin Hu responded and left.

Before long, a middle-aged man in his forties walked in. He was thin, wearing a worn blue shirt, and carrying a cloth bag. He was clearly dressed as a craftsman.

He bowed to Xiao Jingyan, then glanced at Yun Jin with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Fu Ping," Xiao Jingyan said, "Miss Yun said there's a way to keep warm called a heated kang or heated wall. Listen to it."

Yun Jin repeated what she had just said, which made Fu Ping's eyes light up. She said to Xiao Jingyan with surprise, "Your Highness, we also have fire walls in the capital, but they are far from comparable to normal ones. It would be great if this thing could really be made. Not only can it be used in the north, but it can also be used in the capital. In the future, we won't need braziers in the house, and it won't be cold."

Having said that, before Xiao Jingyan could speak, he turned to Yun Jin and asked, "Miss Yun, do you know how to make a heated kang (heated brick bed) and a heated wall?"