The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

In Jingren Palace, the flickering candlelight illuminates the luxurious furnishings inside the palace.

In the side hall, the Second Prince was having dinner with Concubine Jing.

The atmosphere at the dining table was not very good. Only the slight sound of bowls and chopsticks made by the palace maids when serving the dishes echoed in the silent air.

Imperial Concubine Jing put down her chopsticks, wiped her lips with a handkerchief and said, "There are so many side branches in the Zhou family. They have relied on your uncle for so many years, and they have not lost a penny of money. Aren't they raising these lackeys just to wait for them to be used when necessary?"

Her voice was light, but just one sentence could decide the life or death of a person or even a whole family.

The second prince shook his head, his eyes solemn, "Father handed the case to Jiang Nansheng. This man is very cunning. From the first few cases he investigated at the Dali Temple, we know that he has extraordinary strategies and should not be underestimated."

He frowned slightly. If he handed it to someone else, he could still have some say in it. What people in the world care about is nothing more than money and power.

If you can't impress him, it must be because you haven't invested enough.

But Jiang Nansheng has all of these.

Imperial Concubine Jing smiled with a hint of deep meaning. "Everyone has weaknesses. I heard that Princess Anping is pregnant..."

"Mother, you must not do this. If we touch the Princess of Anping, the result will be to push the Jiang and Zheng families to someone else, and then we will have no chance of winning!"

The second prince saw Gu Jinchu's face flash before his eyes. Although he felt uncomfortable, he also knew that he had to put the overall situation first.

Imperial Concubine Jing snorted and sneered, "Who said I want to touch her? Princess Anping is pregnant now... This is our last chance!"

At this time, Wang Ying walked in from outside, bowed beside his master and whispered: "My lady, Second Prince, His Majesty intends to send the eldest prince to the hot spring palace for recuperation."

Imperial Concubine Jing frowned slightly, a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes, and asked, "The temporary palace? Your Majesty is talking about the hot spring palace in Tongzhou?"

The hot spring palace in Tongzhou was built by Emperor Jianyuan to please Concubine Hui. After Concubine Hui was banished to the cold palace, the palace was almost forgotten for so many years.

In recent days, Imperial Noble Consort Chen has been accompanying His Majesty despite her old age.

I'm afraid that Concubine Hui in the cold palace will regain favor soon.

After seeing Wang Yingying, the Second Prince threw the handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands onto the table. A cloud of gloom covered his face, making his handsome features somewhat distorted.

"What exactly does Father want to do? He asked Jiang Nansheng to investigate the Zhou family! Now he is creating the illusion that Zhao Kang is still alive!"

The words seemed to pour out from between his teeth, sounding extremely fierce.

He turned his eyes and looked at Wang Ying and asked, "Do you know who is the escort?"

The fake eldest prince... this time he must be someone that my father trusts very much. If I can win him over...

Wang Ying bowed and replied: "Father said that the one who escorted the eldest prince was Lord Qin Lang."

Qin Lang, who once served as a servant of the Zheng family and accompanied Zheng Wenyang to Sanjiang Fortress, was a member of the Zheng family faction.

The Second Prince and Concubine Jing looked at each other and realized that this person could not be used by them.

At this time, Qin Lang was in the East Warm Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace.

In the east warm room, green smoke rose from the incense burner, emitting a faint fragrance.

Emperor Jianyuan, who was sitting at the top, changed the subject and said, "Marquis Xuanping and Princess Changning submitted a memorial, saying that if you were not so stubborn, it would not be impossible for you to return to your ancestral home."

Qin Lang lifted up the hem of his Feiyu suit and knelt in front of Emperor Jianyuan's desk. He stood straight with clear eyes and said in a clear voice:

"My surname is Qin. I am an orphan picked up by a girl from the Zheng family many years ago. I would like to marry my lifesaver. I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish."

Emperor Jianyuan picked up the teacup in front of him and took two sips before he could suppress the itch in his throat.

She lowered her eyes to look at Qin Lang who was kneeling below her, and asked him slowly, "Zheng is a divorced woman, and she is a few years older than you. Do you know that if you return to the Xie family, with your current official position, you can marry any noble lady in the capital?"

Qin Lang stiffened his neck and said firmly, "I have loved Zheng Mudan for more than ten years. I would rather bear thousands of accusations in the world to be with her!"

Emperor Jianyuan looked at his righteous appearance and was not angry. A complex look flashed in his eyes and he waved his hand lightly.

Wang Xi, who was standing by, saw this and walked up to Qin Lang. "Sir Qin, the Crown Prince's carriage is ready. You can get on the road now."

Qin Lang stood up and bowed as he left, saying, "Your Majesty, please look carefully. If the Xie family dares to cause trouble for Zheng Mudan, I will dig deep into the ground to find their faults."

After he walked out of the east warm room, the door was slowly closed by Wang Xi from the outside.

Not long after, Imperial Concubine Chen came out from the inner room, sat in the chair below Emperor Jianyuan, and said politely and restrainedly, "Your Majesty, can Qin Lang be trusted?"

Emperor Jianyuan cleared his throat and said slowly, "If the revenge for killing his mother can be covered up by wealth and honor, this person is not trustworthy."

What's more, he is such a loyal person.

She has more courage and determination than him to protect the person she loves, which is the real reason why Qin Lang is valued by him.

When Emperor Jianyuan opened his mouth again, a mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth with a "puff" sound.

The bright yellow robe was dotted with spots on the chest, making him look a little dishevelled for a moment.

Imperial Concubine Chen ran to his side, pressed a handkerchief to his lips, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, you...you can't take that medicine anymore."

Emperor Jianyun rinsed his mouth with a teacup, breathing weakly, "I don't have much time left. For Yu'er, I have to hold on until the New Year's Eve palace banquet."

After a pause, he continued, "When Qin Lang returns from the palace, I will arrange for him to take over Yu'er's affairs. But his foundation in the capital is still shallow..."

......

When Gu Jinchu woke up, he opened his eyes and looked into the eyes of Jiang Nansheng beside him. He didn't know how long he had been looking at her.

She glanced at the sky outside and asked softly, "Fifth Master, why didn't you go for morning exercise today?"

Jiang Nansheng was wearing his pajamas, looking like he hadn't gotten out of bed yet. At this time in the past, he should be in Zhuli Pavilion.

He stretched out his arms, holding her tightly in his arms, lowered his head and spoke to her neck, his breath tickling her skin: "It's you who held me back and wouldn't let me go..."

Gu Jinchu's body was soft, and she pushed him away with a red face, "Now that I'm awake, you go." She began to drive him away in a coquettish voice.

Doesn’t he know his own body?

She didn't tease him!

"Jinchu..."

Jiang Nansheng grabbed her hand, placed it on his neck, and laughed in his hoarse voice.

He held her tightly, and the kisses he gave her became more and more gentle.

He didn't frame her.

Waking up at dawn, he looked at her quietly for a while.

When he was about to get up, she hugged him and whimpered, crying silently in his arms like a kitten.

How could he bear to let her go?