She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Moreover, she had secretly inquired about it.

Xiao Che was quite chaste, as there were no concubines in the Regent's Palace. If there was really no fate between them, he would enjoy his delectable body one last time before getting married, and then leave as soon as possible!

Although I'll be sad for a while, it's the first time I've ever fallen for someone!

But it's better than being crushed to death in the struggle between wives and concubines for your entire life.

He shook his head vigorously.

We'll talk about the future later.

The most important thing right now is to find out Xiao Che's feelings, make him jealous, and make him lose control for her!

The most direct way to make a man lose control is to go and discuss marriage with another man!

There are many noble sons in the capital, so there are plenty of candidates.

Of course, Shao Yunting was the first one she ruled out.

She would never get involved with any man who clearly had feelings for her; she couldn't shake him off and it would only cause her more trouble.

"In July, let the eleventh crane in."

He went out in July and made a gesture.

A short while later.

Eleven Crane then entered, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and asked, "What can I do for you, Miss?"

Jiang Ruining had Jin Yu bring over two stools and asked them to sit down so they could talk: "How often do you report back to the Prince about my affairs?"

July: "The prince didn't give any specific instructions, only that we should give a signal immediately if anything happens."

Eleven Crane: "When the Prince is by your side, there is generally no need to go out of your way to report."

The unspoken second half of the sentence: After all, you two are always together, so there's no need for me to reply.

Jiang Ruining pondered for a moment, then asked, "If we are to send a reply, should we go directly to the Prince, or should we have Shi'an relay it?"

Eleven Crane said, "When a message is sent by carrier pigeon, Shi'an usually reads it first and then forwards it."

July nodded: "Now that we're closer, we can probably ask them questions directly when they come in."

Jiang Ruining rested her chin on her hand, looking somewhat troubled: "If I don't want you to report everything about me, will you still tell me?"

In July, there was a more tactful approach: "If the prince summons you for questioning, I can say first: 'The young lady is not allowed to speak because she feels the prince is spying on her and is unhappy.' If the prince still insists on my reply, then I will have no choice but to reply."

Eleven Cranes nodded: "Yes."

Jiang Ruining sighed, "If Yun Mi were half as smart as you guys, I wouldn't have to worry about anything!"

Yun Mi frowned and looked distressed, but she couldn't argue back.

Knowing that her brain wasn't as sharp as everyone else's, she said, "This servant will try harder to improve my brain!"

Jiang Ruining patted her head: "Then let's do it the way July suggested!"

I'm curious to see how Xiao Che will react after hearing "the young lady forbids me to say it".

He wanted to know even more, so he secretly kept an eye on her himself.

Or will you refrain from asking?

"How much do you know about Xiao Qing, the second young master of the Prince Ke's mansion? What are his likes and dislikes, habits, and is there a girl he likes?"

Eleven Crane was suspicious, but still answered all the questions he knew.

Key point: "I'm not looking for a partner, and I haven't heard of any girl I like."

Jiang Ruining nodded.

It's good if there's nothing at all!

"Go and stake out him, see where he goes and what he does every day, and report back immediately."

Eleven cranes hesitated.

Jiang Ruining made up a plausible reason: "I found him a bit strange and wanted to observe him up close, so I pretended it was a chance encounter without any ulterior motive."

Her keen insight was almost universally acknowledged, so when she said that, Shiyihe's doubts disappeared.

In July, she accepted: "The Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince's wife are quite familiar with each other. If Your Highness helps, it will be easier to get closer to them."

Jiang Ruining shook her head: "She's pregnant, let's not bother her."

The main concern is that if the evil spirit gets angry, it might implicate my sister.

"Go for the National Day holiday!"

Eleven Crane was very obedient; it nodded and went to carry out its task of staking out people.

Jiang Ruining then asked Jinyu to invite Chu Jin and Zheng Lingyi over.

If she doesn't involve them, they'll definitely be angry with her when they find out.

Moreover, with more people come more ideas, and there's always someone who's there to chime in!

……

Jiang Ruining's words.

The news quickly reached Xiao Che's ears.

Unexpected, jarring.

"She doesn't plan to marry, and if she has to, she'll marry down, and she'll control her husband so he won't take a concubine... That's certainly something her spoiled and willful nature would say!"

He sat at the table, slowly turning the jade beaded string in his hand, murmuring to himself. Two beads, as he manipulated them, rustled against her fingers, carrying the coolness of autumn rain.

The plain white lampshade filtered out a cool, clear light, and a few wisps of milky white smoke slowly drifted from the openwork gilded incense burner with passionflower carvings, gently curling and gathering before his cool face, obscuring his expression and gaze.

The guard Baxi, who was replying, wished he could become invisible, but he still had something to say: "Duke Shao, through Lord Xie, sent the county princess several colors of pigment that you haven't yet collected."

"The county princess guessed as much and returned the money, saying that she couldn't afford any of the others' and was waiting for you to get it for her."

Xiao Che's icy lips softened: "She really has me wrapped around her little finger."

Ba Xi said, "The county princess knows that you love her, and she is naturally your closest friend."

Xiao Che snorted softly.

He had absolutely no idea that the heartless guy knew anything!

"What else?"

Ba Xi nodded and truthfully reported, "The county princess told July and Eleven Crane that they are not allowed to report all her affairs to you. They feel like they are being watched, like prisoners, and they are unhappy."

Xiao Che's understanding of Jiang Ruining was quite profound: "What is she planning to do now that she doesn't want Master to know?"

Baxi heard this, but didn't reply directly: "July gave the young lady some advice, saying that if you ask about the county princess, you should first say: the county princess forbids me to talk about it. If you really need to know, then you can report back."

"So, Your Highness, shall I continue to report back?"

The main reason is that they dare not offend the county princess, after all, even the master has to give her a lot of leeway!

If the county princess finds out that he reported everything to the prince, she will definitely punish him as well after she has dealt with the prince!

Xiao Che: "..."

That's it!

If you don't want to talk about it, then don't!

With several skilled fighters protecting her on either side, no one could harm her.

"Keep a close watch on her. If she makes any further mistakes, you know the consequences!"

Baxi knew the consequences.

Protecting the county magistrate's safety is their top priority, a task they must risk their lives for. If anything happens to the magistrate, they will all perish with her!

"Yes, I understand!"

Shi'an is on duty outside.

Holding his sword, he gazed at the carefree twinkling stars in the sky, a stark contrast to the distress in his eyes.

They thought that after testing each other for a while, the answer would be revealed, the betrothal would be arranged, and the wedding date would be set. Who would have thought that this would happen?

Although the prince, at his advanced age, had only ever been with one woman, a young woman, it was imperative for him to take wives and concubines in order to appease the court officials and consolidate his power.

The lower-ranking concubines could be left to fend for themselves, but the two concubines from noble backgrounds could not be treated with any respect.

The prince certainly cannot meet the young lady's requirement that she not share her husband with other women.

If you forcibly keep them by your side, they will probably turn against you sooner or later.

"This is too difficult!"

Jiu Jing wasn't that worried. In his mind, a decisive man like the prince wouldn't be so preoccupied with petty love affairs. At most, he would feel down for a while before focusing on state affairs.

"Shall we make a bet? Will the prince give up now, or will we try to get the young lady to drop her request?"

Shi An drew his sword and poked at the firewood burning in the copper basin by the door, sending sparks flying. "Is there any need to gamble? Iron trees rarely bloom; how can we give up so easily?"

Jiu Jing thought about it and agreed, then changed the bet: "Will the prince succeed or fail?"

Shi An wasn't confident and didn't choose: "You dare bet on the prince losing?"

Jiu Jing: "..." Forget it, let's not gamble anymore! There was no turning back, and the prince was thrown back into the Dark Guard camp to rebuild his life.

The two men stood guard at the tent entrance, one on each side, swords in hand, gazing at the sky. After a moment of silence, they both sighed.

Shi An: "..." This is difficult!

Jiu Jing: "..." It is foreseeable that the prince will have a very unpleasant expression and be very difficult to serve for quite some time to come!

Their job is really not easy!

……

Shao Yunting and Xie Lanheng shared a tent.

The two spoke in hushed tones.

The servant knocked on the door.

Shao Yunting responded with "Go".

A servant brought in a long, flat brocade box and placed it on the table in front of Xie Lanheng: "Master, the county princess sent someone to return the congratulatory gift, saying it was too valuable and she couldn't accept it, but she appreciated the sentiment."

Xie Lanheng raised his chin, signaling the servant to leave.

He turned to look at Shao Yunting.

"Clearly, she guessed that you sent it through me, so she didn't accept it and didn't give you any false impression. Unlike the likes of Cui Jingwei, who clearly don't like someone but deliberately string them along and use their admirers, resorting to any means to achieve their goals!"

Shao Yunting looked at the returned paint, her feelings were complicated.

The candlelight was a warm, pale yellow.

The light shone on his face, but it couldn't penetrate his heart.

This was the umpteenth time he had regretted it. He had listened to others' one-sided opinions and hadn't properly observed Jiang Ruining, who had taken the initiative to approach him. He hadn't seen through her feigned stupidity and hidden cleverness, and had missed a great opportunity.

"That's one of her strengths."

Xie Lanheng was speechless.

How is that an advantage?

This is what they mean by "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," where even Xi Shi's cough is beautiful.

Ha ha!

"Collecting all this paint must have cost a lot of money and effort, right? It's all for nothing."

Shao Yunting didn't care: "At least let her know that I'm willing to put in the effort for her, and that liking someone isn't just empty words."

Xie Lanheng was taken aback and almost choked on his own saliva.

What kind of idiotic nonsense is this?