She refused to marry.

East Garden.

The lanterns hanging high swayed, and the candlelight fell on the woman's back, casting a slender shadow.

The woman's arm began to tremble slightly.

Xiao Xuanjing used a dagger to lift the sachet.

A strong medicinal aroma wafted into my nostrils, instantly waking me up.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Su Wanwan's chest heaved, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She stood up, bent down and took three steps back, then turned and walked away.

One step, two steps, three steps...

My legs suddenly went weak as I turned out of the East Garden Moon Gate.

He collapsed to the ground.

She looked up at the sky.

The moon's shadow was hazy in the March night sky.

Her heart felt the same way.

Today is a day of life or death; if the gamble pays off, the Su family can escape their fate.

No one knows the secret of Prince Fengchen.

If she reveals this today, the chances of dying here are higher than in her previous eighteen rebirths.

Inside the East Garden Study.

Jian Qingshan stood by the door. "My lord, Miss Su's legs went weak as soon as she left the East Garden. Alas, she is, after all, a woman raised in seclusion, with courage as thin as a thread..."

Xiao Xuanjing sat at the table, looking down at the sachet in his hand, his fingertips stroking it.

His brows furrowed slightly as the woman's words flashed through his mind.

She knew the imperial seal was in the princess's residence, and she should also know the eldest princess's secret.

If we don't get rid of them, they will become a major threat. However, we cannot alert them at the moment.

The Crown Prince was poisoned, and the assassins were severely wounded. The Crown Prince's faction will not give up easily.

They could retaliate at any time.

The Shen family defected.

The Su family is trapped.

Both of their cards are completely worthless.

The Crown Prince's poisoning has already aroused His Majesty's suspicion; now is not the time to take action against the cabinet.

He suddenly felt a little tired and reclined on the armchair.

Outside the window, the moonlight shone softly, outlining his silhouette, which was faintly embedded in the night.

Suddenly a dark figure leaped over the wall, and a few steps later, the man in black appeared at the window, revealing a fair and thin face.

The man climbed over the window, stopped in front of the desk, and bowed. "My lord, the Crown Prince's spy has been destroyed, and the remaining remnants have left the city."

Upon hearing this, Jian Qingshan walked in from the doorway.

"Xie Yunzhou, what did you say?"

"The remnants of the Crown Prince's faction have already left the city." Xie Yunzhou turned his head.

"They left the city? How can they face our people without wiping them all out?" Jian Qingshan said angrily.

"In the battle of Xishan, our men also suffered heavy losses. If we continue fighting, it will only result in mutual destruction." Xie Yunzhou straightened up.

"We should press our advantage now and eliminate them completely!" Qingshan said viciously.

"If a fight breaks out, it will definitely attract the attention of the imperial palace," Xie Yunzhou warned.

"These bastards, I'll tear them to pieces when I see them!" Jian Qingshan clenched his fists, thinking of the brothers who sacrificed their lives in the battle of Xishan.

Xiao Xuanjing raised his eyes slightly, "Never mind, the Crown Prince wants to confront the situation in the imperial court next."

"My lord, are we just going to let it go like this?" Jian Qingshan couldn't control his anger and drew his long sword from his waist.

"If this matter blows up and His Majesty finds out, he will hold the Lord accountable, and the situation may become unmanageable." Xie Yunzhou turned his head and put Qingshan's sword back into its sheath.

"The charges have been established. We assassinated the crown prince, not rebelled. Are we supposed to wait for the crown prince to ascend the throne before questioning the emperor?"

"Miss Su came by today and said that the Crown Prince knows about the Imperial Seal. He will definitely search the Princess's residence within a month." Jian Qingshan slapped Xie Yunzhou's hand away.

"The Crown Prince is searching the Princess's residence? The lost imperial seal is in our residence?" Xie Yunzhou frowned.

"If we wait any longer, I'll have no choice but to hide in the mountains and be a hunter for the rest of my life. Assassinating the Crown Prince? I wouldn't have enough heads to chop off even if I had nine!" Jian Qingshan's cheeks bulged out.

"My lord, just in case, should we take the imperial seal out now?" Xie Yunzhou asked tentatively.

Xiao Xuanjing turned his gaze, the shadow falling on his face, revealing no expression. "Taking him out would be like walking into a trap."

"Does the Lord mean that the news about the Su family is false? Are they just waiting for us to move the Imperial Seal out of the mansion?" Xie Yunzhou asked, pacing back and forth.

"How could that be? The Crown Prince's men impeached Su Tailing, and the Su family probably already hates the Crown Prince." Jian Qingshan gritted his teeth.

"My lord, I will go to the Su family to investigate their situation." Xie Yunzhou bowed.

Xiao Xuanjing slowly emerged from the darkness. "Hmm."

At night, Xie Yunzhou took advantage of the early hour and sneaked into the Su residence.

The Su family's inner quarters were extremely quiet.

There were very few people on duty.

The night watchman was dozing off at the door.

Only in one courtyard in the rear residence, with a plaque that reads "Jinxiu Hall," the candlelight on the second floor appears particularly glaring.

Xie Yunzhou leaped over the courtyard wall, rolled into the corridor, and quietly opened a window, revealing a crack.

Suddenly, a force pulled him away. He instinctively threw a dart, turned around and saw who it was, and was so frightened that he quickly knelt down.

Xiao Xuanjing placed the thrown dart into Xie Yunzhou's hand and made an upward gesture.

Xie Yunzhou nodded, stepped onto the railing, and the two of them climbed onto the roof.

Xie Yunzhou watched as his master cautiously removed the tile, secretly competing with himself.

He diligently practiced his lightness skills and five senses in order to become the most elite bodyguard in the Chen Kingdom.

He was completely unaware of when his lord caught up with him.

Inside the room, Su Wanwan felt a chill on her back. Turning her head, she saw that the window was already ajar.

"Strange, it was definitely closed?" Su Wanwan got up and walked to the window, looking around.

"Miss, it must have been blown in by the wind," Chunhua said curiously, peeking out.

"I'll go get some cacti tomorrow and put them by the wall, but I still feel uneasy about it," Su Wanwan said, touching her chest.

"Yes, Miss." Chunhua closed the window. "Miss, will the Crown Prince really investigate?"

"If things go according to the plot, in early April, the Eldest Princess and Lord Fengchen will definitely go to their fiefdom of Fengchen to worship their ancestors with General Xiao. Taking advantage of the lax defenses, the Crown Prince will confiscate the Eldest Princess's residence." Su Wanwan added the words "Dragon Boat Festival" to the paper.

"That means there are about twenty days left..." Chunhua said, fiddling with her fingers.

"If Father is arrested and the case is established, the process will take at least a month, or even longer. If the Princess's possession of the Imperial Seal is exposed, Father, as an accomplice, will face even greater charges. Then he will truly be doomed..."

"Miss, what should we do?" Chunhua asked with a worried expression.

"Someone from Suzhou will arrive tomorrow. First, send Mother, Third Sister, and Fourth Sister to the old residence in Suzhou. We'll make further plans after that. Tomorrow, send someone to the black market to see if there's anything unusual. The Eldest Princess loves the unusual, so we'll have to resort to last-minute planning..."

"Miss, shall we go back together?"

"If I leave, who will take care of Father..."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.

Chunhua went to open the door, and when she returned, her face was covered in tears. "Miss, my brother has fallen into Shen Linfeng's hands. What should we do?"

Su Wanwan put down the wolf-hair brush and slumped down.

Qiu Shi was her most capable person, but he was captured by the Shen family and his life was in danger.

"Miss, what should we do?" Chunhua asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't cry. Strike the snake at its vital point. If you can't beat them, you can only attack their Achilles' heel. Send an invitation to the Shen family tomorrow."