She refused to marry.

"Miss Su is asking too many questions." Xiao Xuanjing pulled her hand away and walked into the pavilion.

"On the day the Sixth Prince performed his dance, His Majesty's gaze never left him."

"Your Highness has long been in love with His Majesty, has His Majesty not noticed?" Su Wanwan clung to the door frame.

"Miss Su insists on getting to the bottom of this?" Xiao Xuanjing paused, his tone noticeably colder.

"I just feel that the Sixth Princess is truly devoted to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty does not reciprocate, she will be heartbroken," Su Wanwan said softly.

"And what about Miss Su?"

Xiao Xuanjing turned around, looking down at her damp eyelashes and reddened nose. "Miss Su has always been sincere towards me. If I don't reciprocate, won't Miss Su be heartbroken?"

Su Wanwan said in a muffled voice, "I am different."

"What's different?" Xiao Xuanjing looked at her intently.

"Is Miss Su being unduly humble? Is it because Miss Su is a habitual liar, and all her words of affection for me are fabrications?"

"I..." Su Wanwan lowered her eyes, thought for a moment and said, "Three years ago, I did indeed almost commit suicide because I couldn't have the love I wanted."

Later, she secretly longed for him. Still later, she realized that romantic feelings would inevitably fade with time.

Compared to the safety of the entire Su family, my little thoughts are really not worth mentioning.

Therefore, Your Majesty need not worry that I will be sad. I have long since stopped being saddened by such things.

"If that's the case, what does it matter to Miss Su whether the Sixth Princess is hurt or not?" Xiao Xuanjing said with displeasure.

"This humble woman simply...doesn't want to see Your Highness all alone..." Su Wanwan's gaze lingered.

Xiao Xuanjing's Adam's apple bobbed, as if something was stuck there, unable to be swallowed or spat out.

The ripples in my heart stirred up a tidal wave, shattering all my previous restraint.

He had an inexplicable feeling for Su Wanwan.

This feeling has somehow seeped into my heart, indelible and impossible to shake off.

Those affectionate eyes softened his heart, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything reproachful.

After a soft sigh, he walked to her side, took off his cloak, and draped it over her. "You've been of marriageable age for two years, and the rumors in the capital have never stopped. Magistrate Su has been urging you to marry, but you've postponed it year after year."

Some in the capital say that I am indifferent to women, aloof and arrogant, and have homosexual tendencies; others say that I will die alone sooner or later.

Miss Su was able to withstand the rumors and protect what she wanted to protect. Why can't I?

Su Wanwan lowered her eyes and pulled her cloak tighter.

Even though Feng Chenjun had finally softened his heart, he still had to put on a good show.

Half an hour later, Su Wanwan finished bathing and changing her clothes, and sat in the warm pavilion to have a meal with Feng Chenjun.

Jian Qingshan's voice came from the doorway, "Your Majesty, Zhang Tingyu, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, is waiting in the study."

Feng Chenjun put down his chopsticks, stood up and walked out. "Would you please trouble Miss Su to serve tea?"

"Yes." Su Wanwan got up and followed him to the study.

Inside the study.

Zhang Tingyu, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, sat upright, holding a cup of tea in his hands; the tea had already gone cold.

Su Wanwan went in and brewed tea.

Xiao Xuanjing sat opposite him, looking at the folding book in his hand, and remained silent for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I have done my best in dealing with the folds in the southwest."

Xiao Xuanjing put down the folding book, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Was it the Crown Prince who put it down again?"

Zhang Tingyu nodded.

"On the surface, it was the Crown Prince who suppressed it, but in reality, the maternal relatives were interfering in politics. The Granary Department under the Ministry of Revenue refused to open the granaries and release grain. The Granary Department was controlled by the Emperor's brother-in-law."

The Ministry of Revenue only takes in money and doesn't give it out; not a single penny of silver appears in the national treasury.

"I know," Zhang Tingyu's voice was somewhat hoarse, "but I cannot stand by and watch the people starve to death."

Xiao Xuanjing looked at him. "What do you want to do?"

Zhang Tingyu said in a low voice, "I would like to request disaster relief in court. But I cannot persuade them alone."

Su Wanwan came over, poured tea for the emperor, and then poured tea for Zhang Tingyu.

Xiao Xuanjing slowly stroked the rim of the cup with his fingertips. "If one person can't argue with it, then let more people argue."

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

"The severe drought in the southwest is not just a problem of one county."

Send someone to contact the counties in the southwest and have them submit their petitions. Make two copies; the Crown Prince can handle that.

He couldn't suppress even eight or ten cases. If he couldn't suppress it, he would have to take it to the imperial court for discussion.

"Once you've discussed it, then speak up." Xiao Xuanjing put down his teacup. "Public opinion is powerful; eventually, you'll have to give in."

Now that the memorials have been delivered to me, I know very well what the Empress and the Crown Prince are plotting.

"Your Majesty has been dismissed from your post, but your heart remains steadfast," Zhang Tingyu said, bowing respectfully.

Xiao Xuanjing's lips curved slightly. "Whether I retire or not is irrelevant to being dismissed. If you're tired of this, Lord Zhang, go back and wait for news. I will also make arrangements in secret."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhang Tingyu bowed again and left the study.

Jian Qingshan peeked in from outside and asked cautiously, "My lord, has Lord Zhang left?"

"Um."

"Your Majesty, do you really believe that Lord Zhang can persuade the court?"

Xiao Xuanjing picked up his teacup. "He can't be persuaded. But if he doesn't speak, then no one else will."

Su Wanwan stepped forward. "Your Majesty, didn't we just pay our tribute to the court in the first half of the year?"

"The Imperial Brother-in-law controls the Ministry of Revenue, so it's absolutely impossible for him to provide disaster relief now." Xiao Xuanjing frowned slightly.

"The emperor's brother-in-law is Zhou Lingyi's father..."

She recalled the original plot, in which Xiao Xuanjing seemed to have been trapped by food shortages and ultimately lost his life in a fierce battle with Prince Changxin.

The emperor's brother-in-law stationed troops in the south with grain, intending to wait for King Changxin and Prince Fengchen to weaken each other so he could reap the benefits.

"Your Majesty, this imperial brother-in-law is occupying the granary and refusing to release grain. He must have some unspeakable secret," Su Wanwan analyzed in a low voice.

"Miss Su seems to know something?" Xiao Xuanjing raised his eyes.

"This year's natural disasters should have prevented grain prices from fluctuating too much if the prefectures and states had distributed grain. However, the prefectures and states said that all the grain had been transported to the capital, but the imperial city had no grain. Where is so much grain needed? There is only one place: to support the army."

Since His Majesty fell ill, Prince Changxin has not received any military rations or pay.

They then began to be self-sufficient.

His Majesty has 100,000 troops stationed in various locations. Even so, he doesn't need that much imperial grain.

"Where is the remaining imperial grain?" Su Wanwan looked up.

"Miss Su is very clever. What do you think should be done about this?" Xiao Xuanjing leaned back in his chair.

"Is Your Majesty referring to disaster relief in the southwest, or to the garrisoning of private troops?" Su Wanwan covered her mouth as soon as she finished speaking.

Xiao Xuanjing's eyes narrowed, his gaze shooting out like ice.

Su Wanwan lowered her head. She was not supposed to discuss state affairs, especially such a serious matter as the Empress's family plotting a rebellion.

Oh no, Lord Fengchen's expression has turned ugly again.

Xiao Xuanjing walked to her side with a gloomy expression, paused for a moment, and gently tapped her on the head.

"It's better to go back to how I was before; at least I can save my life."

After saying that, he walked to the chaise lounge in the study, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.