She refused to marry.

The three of them walked out of the shop.

Yuan Zijin followed behind.

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye today?" Lu Huai'an put his fan behind his back.

"I got hungry while waiting, so I left naturally," Su Wanwan said, walking ahead.

"Let's go, take Wanwan to fill her stomach."

Su Wanwan was taken to the second floor of the Linjiang Tower by the river.

Lu Huai'an didn't order any delicacies; he only ordered four bowls of dumplings, two desserts, and a pot of tea.

Su Wanwan asked with a grin, "You brought me to Linjiang Tower, one of the top restaurants in the capital, and you're only treating me to two bowls of dumplings?"

"Wanwan will know once she tries it," Lu Huai'an said with a smile, unfolding his newly acquired fan.

"The Crown Prince of Changxin should be out by now, right?" Su Wanwan stared at the scenery along the riverbank.

Lu Huai'an looked down at the writing on the fan and hummed in agreement.

"I wonder if the young master has met Shen Yan..." Su Wanwan leaned against the window.

Lu Huai'an closed his fan. "Why did you have to meet Miss Shen?"

Su Wanwan turned around with an inscrutable look, "That is the most beautiful woman in the world in the eyes of the Crown Prince of Changxin."

Lu Huai'an stretched his hand out the window with great interest, feeling the evening breeze brushing against her cheek. "How do you know that the most beautiful woman in the eyes of the Prince of Changxin is Shen Yan?"

Su Wanwan leaned against the window: "It's written in storybooks. A refined and gentle prince is naturally a match for a beauty like Miss Shen."

"Have you met the Crown Prince?" Lu Huai'an asked in a low voice.

Su Wanwan shook her head.

"The woman the young master likes isn't the kind you're thinking of." Lu Huai'an stared intently at Su Wanwan.

"What kind is that?" Su Wanwan turned her head and asked.

"The young master likes women whose eyes crinkle when they smile and who are fearless," Lu Huai'an said, looking at her.

Su Wanwan turned her head: "Who told you that nonsense?"

"The young master also likes women who wear pale yellow clothes and adorn their hair with a white magnolia hairpin..." Lu Huai'an chuckled.

Su Wanwan turned around with disdain. "Lu Huai'an, are you making fun of me?"

She was wearing a pale yellow dress and a white jade hairpin in her hair.

"I just think that the young master would like you very much when he sees you." Lu Huai'an chuckled softly.

Su Wanwan turned her head, her ears turning red to her cheeks, and pretended to look at the river view outside the window.

The dumplings arrived, and just by smelling the broth, Su Wanwan knew that this bowl of dumplings was extraordinary.

With one bite, the broth burst in her mouth, releasing an irresistible aroma that made her momentarily stunned by its deliciousness.

"Lu Huai'an, these are the best dumplings I've ever had in the capital."

Su Wanwan exaggeratedly pretended to be extremely grateful, wiping away the fake tears from the corners of her eyes.

"You like dumplings, I'll have them delivered to your residence tomorrow," Lu Huai'an said.

Su Wanwan didn't have time to respond to him. She ate them one after another, each with a different filling. She was even more excited than opening a blind box.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Lu Huai'an pushed another bowl in front of her.

"Lu Huai'an, don't be so nice to me in the future." Su Wanwan took a sip of soup.

She felt guilty; she had only wanted to use him.

Moreover, although Lu Huai'an treated her well, he always felt somewhat uneasy.

After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, Su Wanwan felt sleepy.

To repay her for the fan she had given him, Lu Huai'an insisted on riding in her carriage to take her back.

Su Wanwan agreed.

On the way back, Su Wanwan fell asleep, unaware of what was happening, nestled in Lu Huai'an's arms.

When she woke up the next day, she was already in bed, her head still feeling dizzy. After washing up and having breakfast, Su Wanwan went to the East Garden.

Today, the Emperor Fengchen left court exceptionally late.

It took about two hours for Lord Fengchen to return.

Su Wanwan looked up and saw that Xiao Xuanjing's expression was very unpleasant.

She rose and quietly performed a curtsy, then continued organizing the account books.

"My lord, something terrible has happened!" Xie Yunzhou burst through the door.

Xiao Xuanjing raised his eyes from the folding book, his expression unchanged: "What's the matter that you're so alarmed?"

"The Imperial Guards have appeared on the main street, and they're heading this way." Xie Yunzhou clapped his hands anxiously. "They're probably already at the alley entrance by now."

Xiao Xuanjing put down the letter and asked coldly, "Is Mother in the manor?"

"This morning, someone from the palace came to say that His Majesty coughed up blood. The Eldest Princess was extremely anxious and went to the palace before dawn," Xie Yunzhou said urgently.

Su Wanwan paused her writing in the side room, listening intently.

At this moment, Jian Qingshan rushed in from outside, veins bulging on his forehead: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have surrounded the gates of the mansion, completely blocking the way. Leading them is Zhao Gaoyan, the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard, one of the Crown Prince's men."

Xiao Xuanjing suddenly stood up, the chair legs making a screeching sound.

His gaze sharpened, and he lowered his eyes to unfold a sheet of white paper, picking up a pen: "Lin Hu has come down from the mountain, do not move."

He folded the paper, sealed it in a small bamboo tube, and handed it to Jian Qingshan.

"Immediately send a letter to the Princess."

Xie Yunzhou took the bamboo tube and put it in his pocket.

Xiao Xuanjing turned around and placed his hand on Xie Yunzhou's shoulder: "If you can get out today, send a message to General Xiao that everything is fine in the manor and he should not worry. Once the Princess returns to the manor, you must immediately escort her back to her fiefdom. Without my news, do not act rashly."

Xie Yunzhou's eyes reddened: "My lord, aren't you leaving?"

"Someone has to take responsibility." Xiao Xuanjing turned and walked out.

Su Wanwan put down her pen and looked at the three people at the door. As soon as Feng Chenjun left, the other two followed him out.

She put down her pen and strolled to the door.

With no one outside, after thinking it over, she obediently returned to the bookshelf.

About fifteen minutes later, heavy footsteps could be heard outside.

"Put it here!"

"And this too!"

"this!!"

A man's rough voice came from outside the East Garden.

Su Wanwan felt a bad premonition. She stopped writing and walked to the door. Through the moon window, she saw a row of fully armored Imperial Guards standing outside.

They are putting up seals everywhere.

Seeing that there were still people inside, he rudely opened the door and shouted, "You! Get out here!!"

Su Wanwan looked around to make sure they were talking about her, then hurriedly walked out.

As soon as I stepped out of the East Garden, I was suddenly pushed from behind.

"Walk!"

Su Wanwan was pushed forward, not towards the front gate, but seemingly towards the side rooms of the Princess's residence.

People were all around holding seals, and every object was sealed.

After walking for a short while, the Imperial Guards opened a door and rudely shoved her aside.

"Guards! Seal it all up!"

Su Wanwan almost fell over when she looked up and saw several maids and servants serving in the East Garden.

Su Wanwan found a clean corner, straightened her clothes, and sat down quietly.

He stood out from the group of people who had huddled together, their faces full of worry.

"Who is she?" the janitor asked.

The tea maid looked up for a moment and said softly, "It seems to be a girl from the Su family."

Su Wanwan heard this, turned her head, smiled gently, and waved her hand, "Do you know what's happening in the manor today?"

"I heard that the Crown Prince gave His Majesty some account books, and His Majesty ordered the Princess's residence to be sealed off," said one of the maids in a green skirt.

"Oh." Su Wanwan nodded, leaned back, and curled up.

She would be confined to the Princess's residence again.

The servants were terrified and chattered on and on.

One of them glanced at her, intentionally or unintentionally, and she pretended to be asleep, making soft snoring noises.

"Hey, do you know? She's the one who killed Miss Shen," said the woman in green.

"What nonsense are you talking about? It was clearly His Majesty who did it to Miss Shen," said another maid in a blue vest.

"I'm not making this up. I was there at the Princess's birthday banquet too," the girl in green continued. "You know how good Miss Shen was to us, always taking care of things for us. Now that Miss Shen is gone, we've all lost out on a lot of benefits."

"That's true. Miss Shen used to inquire about the Emperor every day and she did give us a lot of money."

"You're about to die, what's the point of thinking about anything else?" the servant said. "Look at the seals outside, we're lucky we can even get out."

"Although His Majesty has ordered the sealing of the residence, he certainly won't really touch His Highness. If His Highness hadn't taken the initiative to go out for a marriage alliance back then, how could we have enjoyed twenty years of peace? If His Majesty really wanted to harm our Highness, he wouldn't have waited until today." After saying this, the woman in green stretched.

"It's just that we servants suffer as a result, they have to endure the hardship along with us."

Su Wanwan frowned.

A marriage alliance? The eldest princess was actually sent to a marriage alliance?

She racked her brains over all the original texts she had read, but couldn't recall this detail.

Because after reading twenty-five chapters, I was required to become a member.

The rest will depend on spoilers in the novel's comment section.