With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

"Ah Xuan, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Come, come, let's drink to forget our troubles." Xiao Jingyuan earnestly urged him to drink.

Pei Jinxuan didn't accept. Whether it was because he had worked too hard or because he had become haggard for her, he had lost weight, so much so that even Xiao Jingyuan couldn't bear to see him like that. He specially prepared a table of fine wine and food to help him recover.

To everyone's surprise, the food and wine remained untouched, and he sighed more than a dozen times. Seeing this usually arrogant man now so dejected, Xiao Jingyuan couldn't help but feel a little fortunate. He was fortunate that he was so affectionate, flirting with one woman here and another there, too busy having women on both sides to have time to be heartbroken over one person.

"If all else fails, you can ask His Majesty to issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage. Given your brotherly bond with His Majesty, he will surely agree."

It would have been better if Xiao Jingyuan hadn't brought it up; the moment he did, Pei Jinxuan's brows furrowed even more.

If Lin Ci wanted a formal title, he could give it to her anytime; even the Heavenly King himself couldn't stop her. The problem was, she wanted nothing. Her sexual relations with him were merely a way to break the love spell. He felt like Elephant Maiden in the South Wind Pavilion; Elephant Maiden only talked about money, not feelings, and kept all the accounts perfectly separate, unlike him, who suffered so much.

"Alright, alright, stop looking so gloomy. How am I supposed to pour out my troubles when you look like this?" Xiao Jingyuan took a swig of wine, his expression not exactly cheerful either.

Pei Jinxuan's senses were finally somewhat drawn back to reality by these words. He turned his gaze to Xiao Jingyuan's wilted face and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I have to go again. His Majesty issued an edict yesterday, appointing me as some kind of lieutenant general, to lead troops into the northern border." He paused, then took another swig. "You know I'm terrified of dying, and I'd rather have a leisurely job and live a carefree life."

"When do we set off?"

"Seven days from now." Xiao Jingyuan's eyes lit up for a moment. "What, you want to come with me?"

"I can't leave."

The light then dimmed. Xiao Jingyuan poured two more glasses of wine, handing one to Pei Jinxuan and raising the other to himself.

"A great battle is imminent, and life and death are uncertain. I hope we can still enjoy romantic moments under the moon and flowers, listening to the sweet songs of birds. Cheers!"

A crisp "ding" sounded.

"By the way," Xiao Jingyuan put down his wine cup and became serious, "I'm entrusting Yongle to you. Take good care of her while I'm away." He suddenly sighed, then switched back to his usual irreverent tone, "Alas, it's such a pity I can't be your uncle."

"Go to hell." Pei Jinxuan kicked him, knocking him and the chair over.

Xiao Jingyuan wasn't annoyed. He chuckled as he got up from the ground and dusted himself off, but then he heard Pei Jinxuan frown and say, "I haven't seen her in a long time."

Xiao Jingyuan was taken aback. "What? Isn't she at your residence?"

"No. She heard you were back, so she went back to live at home."

"what?"

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Princess Yongle simply disappeared.

No one could drink anymore, and after the banquet, everyone hurriedly went to find their respective friends.

After returning to the manor, Pei Jinxuan turned Yongle's bedroom upside down, finally finding a letter in the leopard cat's den. Unfolding and reading it carefully, he found only a few lines, the gist of which was that he had gone to look for Amo and asked them not to worry.

"This girl..." Pei Jinxuan gritted her teeth, crumpling the letter into a ball.

She left a letter at the Prince of Jing'an's residence, and presumably there's one at the Duke of Zhenguo's residence as well. When Xiao Jingyuan sees it, he'll surely be cursing and blaming his men for abducting his sister. They might have already sent men out to arrest them, but after so long, it's uncertain whether they'll succeed.

These two clowns from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are truly a headache to deal with.

The capital city remained sleepless all night.

Several groups of light cavalry, carrying torches, their hooves shattering the silence of the long street, set off to search for Princess Yongle.

The news quickly reached the Liang Prince's residence. The Liang Prince leisurely sipped his fragrant tea and glanced at the ground. The person that both residences had been frantically searching for was now lying at his feet, bound hand and foot, looking utterly wretched.

Princess Yongle glared at him, her round eyes practically spitting fire. By seniority, she should call this man her uncle. He had bought her candied hawthorns when she was a child and taken her to set off fireworks. Who would have thought he would kidnap her and imprison her in this dark and hopeless place?

"Let me go! Let me out!" she cried hoarsely, her tearful eyes defiant. "I am Princess Yongle! Whoever saves me will be richly rewarded! Richly rewarded!"

"Don't waste your energy." King Liang stood up, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked to her. "These are all my men. You've been following Pei Jinxuan for too long, and you really don't know your place. If you're alone, who can protect you?"

"I'm going to tell Mother! I'll let her teach you a lesson!" she shouted, twisting her body, but the rope wouldn't budge. Furious, she yelled again, "Mother, Mother, Mother!!!"

"Don't worry, I'll tell her myself." King Liang smiled slightly, casually toying with the jade thumb ring on his thumb. "Not only will I tell her, but I'll also tell A-Mo, and your good-for-nothing brother. You see, after he returned to the manor, he was so busy chasing after women that he didn't even notice you ran away." He paused, looking down at her condescendingly. "Speaking of which, I have to thank you. Your escape has really stirred up this whole game."

The mention of the word "elder brother" only fueled Princess Yongle's anger. She kicked her legs frantically, wishing she could break free of her ropes and rush home to give Xiao Jingyuan a good beating.

"Even if my brother is useless, there's still Brother Pei! He will never let you get away with this!"

"That would be perfect." King Liang leaned down and whispered in her ear, "He destroyed five of my pawnshops and three silver shops. How could I let him off easily? In the future, I will bury you all together and let you live as long as heaven and earth."

He threw his head back and laughed, a wild and unrestrained laugh. He had waited far too long for this day. He turned off the light, locking Yongle alone in the darkness, listening to her cries and wails, which brought him considerable relief.

King Liang ascended the steps and left the dungeon. Under the moonlight, he suddenly saw a slender figure standing before him, like a fairy under the moon, her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

"Sixth Brother," Consort Chang called out, her voice so sweet it melted your bones.

When the King of Liang saw her, he was quite surprised. "Why are you here? It's chaotic outside tonight. Isn't it dangerous for you to leave the palace at this time?"

Consort Chang moved gracefully to him, took his hand, and gently placed it on her lower abdomen. Her abdomen was as flat as ever, but she could clearly feel something inside.

King Liang was slightly taken aback, withdrew his hand, and said in a colder tone, "How could you be so careless?"

He forced her to take the medication every time, fearing that this day would come. And yet, it did.

"I didn't want to either," Consort Chang said, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling. "But what can I do now? The Empress is already suspicious and has sent people to secretly watch me. Soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it anymore."

"It's better to strike first," King Liang said calmly, as if discussing something extremely ordinary. "She's been in the Empress's position for long enough. That crazy woman is really an eyesore."

"I...I dare not..." Consort Chang trembled all over, her face turning deathly pale. "I could never do such a thing as murder."

King Liang narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile appearing on his lips.

"You don't need to lift a finger. Just add something to her tea, and she'll take care of it herself."