She refused to marry.

The gates of the capital were opened to welcome Prince Changxin to the capital for peace talks.

This incident sparked discussion among the people, who speculated whether His Majesty was failing.

People gathered at the city gate at all times, mostly the men of King Changxin. With their former master back, they must be thinking of turning the tables.

In a secluded courtyard in the western suburbs, Su Wanwan packed her bags and boarded the Pei family's carriage, which was leading away from the capital.

The search in the capital city suddenly stopped after two days, which puzzled her quite a bit.

Before she could figure out one thing, another thing started troubling her—

Prince Changxin entered the capital.

Isn't Your Majesty afraid that Prince Changxin will cause chaos in the capital?

The two sides fought, one losing 50,000 men and the other 70,000. Now that they are negotiating peace, who is truly willing to accept it?

The carriage slowly drove out of the capital. When it arrived at the dock, Cuizhu came over:

"Madam, the bird has left the capital and is causing a lot of trouble. Would you like to go and take a look?"

Su Wanwan stepped out of the cabin and saw Changying flapping its wings and banging against the cage.

She couldn't bear it, so she went to the deck and opened the cage. Changying circled once, then flew straight to the second floor of a house on the dock, finally landing steadily on the man's arm.

A mist appeared in Su Wanwan's eyes.

"My husband..."

The two gazed at each other from afar.

Su Wanwan stepped forward, gazing at the figure she had longed for, her nose tingled, and tears involuntarily streamed down her cheeks.

"Miss, I'll go tell the boatman to wait a little longer. Would you like to see the Emperor?" Qiu Shi stepped forward.

When did Your Majesty discover their whereabouts? They encountered no obstacles whatsoever along the way.

Su Wanwan nodded, glancing at her husband as she ran.

She was truly reluctant to leave, not knowing when she would see him again.

She disembarked and looked up to see her husband already standing by the boat, walking slowly toward her with a heartbroken look in his eyes.

Su Wanwan rushed over and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly and sobbing.

"Waaaah... my husband..."

Xiao Xuanjing held his wife tightly, his hands so strong they almost crushed her.

The bitterness and reluctance in my heart were hard to swallow.

He feared that his wife would leave him like his sister had.

"Husband, please don't be angry, okay?" Su Wanwan choked back tears, sniffed, and apologized softly.

Xiao Xuanjing gently released his grip, softly cupping his wife's face in his hands, tears welling in his eyes: "Silly fox...where are you going? You could have told your husband. Aren't you afraid of upsetting him by leaving without saying goodbye?"

"I'm afraid, but I'm even more afraid of my parents losing their lives. My husband will forgive me, right?" Su Wanwan kissed her husband's palm.

Xiao Xuanjing's hand froze, the discomfort becoming increasingly unbearable, and he could only hold her tighter.

"Don't go too far. Your husband will come to find you as soon as he finishes his business." Xiao Xuanjing lowered his head and placed his warm lips on her forehead.

"Hmm..." Su Wanwan raised her eyes, her eyes filled with tears as she smiled softly, "Husband, I've heard there's a divine physician in the southwestern border region who can turn white hair black again. I'll go and find him."

"The southwestern miasma-ridden lands, Madam, please do not go." Xiao Xuanjing lowered his eyes. "White hair is no problem."

Su Wanwan shook her head: "Only if I go will my parents be safe."

Xiao Xuanjing took a deep breath and held his wife tightly in his arms: "You have two ships behind you, with over two hundred men, armed with swords, spears, and halberds. At the next dock, we'll transfer your crew there; they'll protect you. Three months later, your husband will come to find you, to travel and enjoy the scenery, and then bring you back to the capital, how does that sound?"

"Hmm, isn't three months a bit short..." Su Wanwan looked up. "Um... was it your idea to send Prince Changxin to the capital?"

"Hmm... Madam need not concern herself with matters of the court. Let's depart as soon as possible." Xiao Xuanjing was afraid that she would mention the Crown Prince's name.

"My husband, I have a favor to ask of you." Su Wanwan cupped her husband's face in her hands.

"What is it?" Xiao Xuanjing's heart tightened.

"Did you save Miss Shen's life?" Su Wanwan looked up.

Xiao Xuanjing lowered his eyes: "Why are you asking about her?"

"She and the prince were meant to be together, but my unexpected appearance caused them to lose their fate. Husband, can you help me atone for my sins?" Su Wanwan whispered.

"Alright, when I'm not home, my husband, don't overwork yourself. Eat well, sleep well, and rest when you're tired. Take good care of yourself. Don't shoulder everything by yourself anymore. You have someone backing you up now, so please be considerate..."

"good……"

Qiu Shi stood by the boat, and seeing that the dock was getting more and more crowded, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Madam, it's time to go."

Su Wanwan broke free from Xiao Xuanjing's hand, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with tears: "Husband, I'm waiting for you to come and get me."

"Okay..." Xiao Xuanjing's voice choked with emotion.

Su Wanwan turned and walked towards the boat. She had only taken two steps when she was pulled into her husband's arms.

She dared not move, standing cautiously, and heard the emperor gasp slightly.

"Husband, don't worry, I will take good care of myself and won't let you worry." Su Wanwan didn't dare to turn around.

"These past three days, you haven't asked about anything else, and I had a premonition that something was wrong. But I didn't know that everyone around me was forcing you to leave—my mother, the Grand Tutor, and even His Majesty. My wife, rest assured, your husband will not let you down. When I return, I will make sure you can be a good wife in peace..."

Su Wanwan's eyes welled up with tears, which slowly slid down and dripped onto her husband's hand.

Xiao Xuanjing felt a surge of warmth in his heart and hugged her even tighter.

"Wait for your husband to come and pick you up..."

"Hmm..." Su Wanwan responded with a nasal tone, released her husband's hand, and walked towards the boat without looking back.

Qiu Shi took Chang Ying from Jian Qingshan, fastened the small lock to his arm, and walked onto the deck: "Set sail—"

Su Wanwan stood on the deck, waving to her husband incessantly, forcing a smile, but tears streamed down her face.

My dear husband, please take care of yourself.

Don't lose weight, it will make her feel bad.

Even as the people at the dock shrank to the size of grains of rice, she still refused to lower her waving hand, staring intently in the direction of the dock, not daring to blink.

As Xiao Xuanjing watched his wife walk away, a deep pain and hatred slowly rose in his heart.

The person who loved him is gone again.

At this moment, the resentment of the past and the pain of today mingled and surged in my heart.

Xiao Xuanjing looked up. The sky was dark, with thick clouds swirling around some dark clouds, slowly drifting in the direction where his wife had left.

From childhood to adulthood, no one ever asked him what he liked or wanted. He was a human being too, and he needed tenderness.

Now that someone is finally willing to stay with him, understand him, and care about him, the people around him are forcibly driving him away.

His father, his mother, and even his teacher and emperor all demanded that he do better than anyone else.

He's tired now.

I don't want to be an obedient puppet anymore.

Let it all end.

It's time to end this.

Jian Qingshan watched his lord's dejected figure as he walked away. "My lord, it's getting dark, and it looks like it might rain heavily soon. His Majesty has summoned you to the palace for a meeting. Let's go. With a large group of guards around, Madam will be fine."

Xiao Xuanjing took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the repression and pain in his heart, and slowly withdrew his gaze from his slender back.

As dawn broke and the docks came alive with people, he turned and slowly walked back.