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

Outside the city, at Shen Qingyun's hot spring resort.

Yun Jin and Shen Qingyun were playing chess by the window.

As dusk settled outside the window, a few candles were lit inside, casting an orange glow on the chessboard, making the black and white pieces appear and disappear in varying shades.

Shen Qingyun placed a piece, picked up her teacup and took a sip. Just as she was about to say something, the curtain was suddenly lifted and a tall figure walked in.

Shen Qingyun nearly dropped the teacup in her hand, exclaiming in surprise, "Your Highness Prince Yu...?"

Xiao Jingyan hummed in greeting, then turned his gaze to Yun Jin instead of Shen Qingyun.

Yun Jin stood up gracefully and bowed: "I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Xiao Jingyan snorted coldly, looked at Yun Jin, but said nothing.

Shen Qingyun glanced at Xiao Jingyan, then at Yun Jin, and tactfully put down her teacup, stood up, and said, "You two chat, I'll go check if the soup in the kitchen is ready."

She bowed and then withdrew.

Only two people remained in the room.

Xiao Jingyan walked to the opposite side of Yun Jin and looked down at her: "You know how to dodge."

Yun Jin smiled awkwardly, quickly poured him a cup of tea, and handed it to him with both hands: "Your Highness, please sit down. Your Highness, please have some tea."

Xiao Jingyan stared at her coldly, his gaze carrying a powerful sense of oppression.

Yun Jin shrank back guiltily and tentatively asked, "When did Your Highness return? You look thinner. Is the situation in the Northern Border proving difficult to resolve?"

Xiao Jingyan snorted coldly: "You still know how to care about me?"

Yun Jin smiled awkwardly: "Of course. Your Highness has brought warmth to the people of the Northern Border and shared the burdens of the court. As a citizen of the Great Continent, I naturally hope that Your Highness is in good health."

Xiao Jingyan was both annoyed and amused by her glib tongue. After watching her for a while, he suddenly reached out and hugged her tightly, resting his chin on her shoulder and using his arms to pull her into his very bones.

Yun Jin was stunned for a moment, and struggled a couple of times. Xiao Jingyan's voice came from beside her ear, "Don't move. Let me hold you for a bit."

Yun Jin didn't move, and then heard him murmur, "I received news in the Northern Border that you had fallen off a cliff. I rushed back day and night for five whole days, and several horses died in the process. The whole way, I kept thinking that you absolutely couldn't be hurt. If something happened to you, I..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Yun Jin could hear the lingering fear and heartache beneath his words.

Yun Jin leaned against him in silence for a long time before whispering, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I've made you worry."

Xiao Jingyan snorted coldly, his voice carrying a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction: "You still know that."

After a long while, he finally let go, took a step back, and looked around her face to make sure she was alright and unharmed before he was completely relieved.

Yun Jin quickly got up and sat down on the chair next to her. She picked up her teacup and took a sip. Her face was a little red and her ears were a little hot. She didn't dare to look at him.

Xiao Jingyan sat down opposite her, regaining some of his usual composure, and asked, "When do you plan to return to the manor?"

Yun Jin lowered her head, her voice tinged with grievance and stubbornness: "Your Highness, I fell from such a high cliff, I was frightened, and I was frozen for several days. I need to take good care of myself."

Xiao Jingyan stared at her and said helplessly, "It's about time to go back. Your family is very worried about you. I caught five assassins who tried to kill you, killed two of them, and had them thrown into Ya Min's courtyard."

Yun Jin was silent for a moment, then lowered her head and said aggrievedly, "I know. I just wanted to be willful this once. For more than ten years, I suffered so much injustice in that family. I thought that returning to the capital would bring me a better life. But when I came back, I realized that I was just a lowly adopted daughter, and anyone could bully me. Ya Min could, Consort Zheng could, and even someone like Zheng Jie could step on me."

Looking at the grievance and resentment in her eyes, Xiao Jingyan felt as if something had clenched his heart.

He looked at Yun Jin seriously and said, "From now on, I will protect you and I will not let anyone bully you again."

Yun Jin lowered her head, sniffed after a long while, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness, please don't be so kind to me. Yun Jin can't accept it."

Xiao Jingyan looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone a mix of domineering and tenderness: "You can handle it."

Yun Jin raised her head and looked at him, as if she had guessed something, but she still looked at him blankly.

Looking at her like this, Xiao Jingyan suddenly said, "Do you remember what I said to you before I went to the Northern Border?"

Yun Jin's face flushed instantly, but she still shook her head: "I don't remember."

Although I've never been in a relationship in modern times, I've read plenty of romance novels, so how could I not understand?

Seeing that she was pretending to be stupid, Xiao Jingyan sighed helplessly, took out two imperial edicts from his sleeve, gently placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Yun Jin: "Take a look."

Yun Jin raised her head, looked at him with a puzzled expression, and unfolded the first imperial edict, which read:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

A plague ravaged the northern border, causing immense suffering to the people. Yun Jin, the second daughter of the Yun family, generously offered miraculous medicines and remedies to drive away the plague and save countless lives in the borderlands. Her virtue was commendable, and her achievements were outstanding.

We hereby bestow upon Yun Jin the title of Princess of Ninghai County, with Ninghai as her fief, as a sign of our honor. We hope that you will diligently observe propriety, always cherish compassion and benevolence, and forever enjoy the grace of Heaven.

So be it.

She looked at Xiao Jingyan in surprise: "Your Highness, this is...?"

She naturally understood what it meant to have a title and a fief. From then on, she was no longer just a minor adopted daughter, but a county princess personally appointed by His Majesty.

This gift is extremely valuable.

Xiao Jingyan looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "This is what you deserve. You presented the method for making heated kang beds and walls, sparing countless people from the suffering of winter. You also presented a prescription for treating a cold epidemic, saving the entire city of Daning. I have earned back these merits for you."

As Yun Jin held the imperial edict, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears.

She blinked hard, forcing back the tears welling up, and then unfolded the second imperial edict, which read:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

Prince Yu of the Imperial Clan, Xiao Jingyan, was of upright character and had received numerous accolades. The second daughter of the Yun family, also known as the Princess of Ninghai, was virtuous, gentle, and elegant, possessing the bearing of a noble family and embodying both virtue and beauty.

"A match made in heaven, I delight in this, and hereby bestow this marriage upon Lady Yun, the county princess, as the principal wife of Prince Yu. An auspicious day shall be chosen, rites prepared, and the wedding to be held on the appointed day. This is my decree."

Yun Jin was stunned. She hadn't even agreed yet, so how come the imperial decree for marriage had already been issued?

She looked up at Xiao Jingyan, her eyes filled with grievance.

Xiao Jingyan reached out and snatched the two imperial edicts from her hands, tucking them into his sleeve. His voice was deliberately relaxed: "I will personally announce the edict conferring the title of County Princess when you return to the manor. As for the edict of marriage, the date is left blank. You can fill it in whenever you wish. Don't worry, I won't force you."

He deliberately used "I" because he wanted to tell Yun Jin that in this matter, he was not Prince Yu, but Xiao Jingyan.