"This dowry is too precious for me to accept." Su Xuening closed the box and tried to return it.

"I am your own aunt, so take it if I give it to you." Consort Su appeared very generous.

Su Xuening frowned almost imperceptibly again. She didn't want to accept Su Fei's things and didn't want to have anything to do with her. But then she thought that everything Su Fei had now was given to her by her father. If it weren't for her father's achievements, she wouldn't have been able to enter the harem and become Su Fei.

Previously, when her father was highly regarded, he brought Su Renyi and Consort Su to the capital so that they could enjoy the riches and honors together. Now that Consort Su has become the Empress in charge of the imperial harem, it is only right that she repays them. She accepts this dowry.

"Then thank you very much, Consort Su." With that thought, Su Xuening accepted the dowry from Consort Su.

"You silly child, you're about to get married, and you still won't call me aunt?" Seeing that Su Xuening had accepted the dowry, Consort Su started playing the family card again.

Su Xuening's face remained expressionless as she lowered her eyes and said, "Your Majesty's status is too high for me to be worthy of you."

These distant and indifferent words were a slap in the face to Consort Su. Consort Su stared at Su Xuening with a stiff expression, clearly not looking up to her as her daughter-in-law. But when she thought of her son's affection for her, and the fact that Madam Bai was also vying for her, she swallowed her anger.

Fine, once she gets her into the palace and makes her her daughter-in-law, she'll have plenty of ways to deal with her!

"Enough. I know you still resent me for the title of Marquis of Yong'an, but how could you understand my suffering?" Consort Su sighed with disappointment, looking like she was wronged but could not say anything.

Su Xuening would rather not watch her act. Even if she had a thousand kinds of suffering, she shouldn't have schemed against her and Yun An like this.

Especially since she personally ordered Yun'an to be torn apart by five horses in her past life, she would never forgive her for that!

Seeing that Su Xuening was unyielding, Su Fei also felt a headache coming on. Calculating that it was about time, she waved her hand and said, "Alright, you can go back now."

"This humble woman takes her leave." Su Xuening didn't want to stay in the room any longer. After rising and curtsying, she left with Bihe and Lülian, not forgetting to take the box given to her by Consort Su before she left.

"Ning'er." Su Xuening had just left Huayang Palace and was about to leave when Xuan Yuan Yu, who had suddenly arrived, blocked her way.

Upon seeing Xuan Yuan Yu, Su Xue Ning's headache returned. She bowed her head and curtsied, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Highness the Third Prince."

Xuanyuan Yu stepped forward and grabbed Su Xuening's hand. Su Xuening was startled and took a step back abruptly: "Third Prince, please have some self-respect!"

Every time Su Xuening rejected him, Xuan Yuan Yu was heartbroken: "Ning'er, you know I love you, so why did you accept Father's decree?"

Su Xuening was speechless at Xuan Yuan Yu's brainless words: "Your Highness is joking. Can you disobey the Emperor's decree?"

Even he, as the emperor's son, dared not disobey the imperial decree, so why should she be expected to do so, especially since she had no intention of doing so?

What were clearly words of utter disdain took on a different meaning in Xuan Yuan Yu's ears. He excitedly ran towards Su Xue Ning, "I knew you had no choice but to accept Father's decree. Don't worry, I will never marry that Zhao Zhen Zhen, Ning'er. As long as it's us, it's us..."

Seeing the abnormal excitement in Xuan Yuan Yu's eyes, Su Xue Ning panicked and kept backing away. Just as Xuan Yuan Yu was about to pounce on her, Su Xue Ning tightly gripped the silver needle between her fingers.

Bihe and Lülian stood guard on either side of Su Xuening, ready to defy her at any moment.

"Third Prince!" Just as Xuan Yuan Yu was about to embrace Su Xue Ning, a sudden shout froze him in place.

Finally, someone came over, and Su Xuening immediately moved out of Xuan Yuan Yu's shadow.

Bihe and Lülian both breathed a sigh of relief.

Xuanyuan Yu turned around and looked at Zong Jiu with displeasure: "What are you doing here?"

Zong Jiu first glanced at Su Xuening before bowing to Xuan Yuan Yu: "Your Majesty requests the Third Prince to go to the Imperial Study."

...Xuanyuan Yu's face darkened instantly.

Previously, when he wanted to go to the Imperial Study to plead for mercy, he was absolutely refused. Now, however, the Emperor is allowing him to go to the Imperial Study again. Is Father doing this on purpose?! For Xuanyuan Zhan's sake!!!

Su Xuening then noticed that it was Zong Jiu who had come. She gratefully bowed to him and then immediately left with Bihe and Lülian.

Seeing Su Xuening's hurried steps as if she were avoiding a plague, Zong Jiu's eyes darkened.

Seeing Su Xuening leave like that, Xuanyuan Yu glared angrily at Zong Jiu: "What does Father want with me?"

Zong Jiu bowed: "This old servant is unaware. Please come with me to the Imperial Study, Your Highness."

After Zong Jiu finished speaking, he turned and left.

Enraged, Xuanyuan Yu flung his sleeves and had no choice but to follow him to the Imperial Study.

The news of what happened outside Huayang Palace quickly reached Consort Su's ears.

Consort Su was somewhat disappointed when she heard that Xuan Yuan Yu had failed to stop Su Xue Ning.

The Emperor is really good at protecting Xuanyuan Zhan. He completely disregards Yu'er's life and death for Xuanyuan Zhan's sake!

Su Fei's face turned green with anger, but when she thought about their plan, her mood improved slightly.

She wanted to see how many times Su Xuening could dodge this!

Consort Su turned to Lu Da and instructed him, "Send the dowry I gave to Miss Su to the General's mansion."

"Yes," Lu Da replied and immediately went to do it.

Su Xuening finally breathed a sigh of relief when she sat down in her carriage.

Did Xuanyuan Yu just try to smear her reputation?

It's unexpected that Xuanyuan Yu would start having such extreme thoughts. You have to know that in her previous life, she was imprisoned in the cold palace for so long, and Xuanyuan Yu never did anything to her.

Suddenly, Su Xuening regretted hiding the fact that she was no longer a virgin. If Xuan Yuan Yu knew that she was no longer a virgin, he would definitely not have any feelings for her anymore, just like in her previous life, and would only imprison her.

However, thinking of how she was criticized, bullied, and insulted because she lost her innocence in her past life, she immediately gave up the idea.

Forget it, there's no need to repeat the mistakes of my past life for the sake of Xuan Yuan Yu. Once she marries into the Holy King's Mansion, Xuan Yuan Yu should no longer have any feelings for her.

No sooner had Su Xuening arrived at the General's Mansion than Lu Da followed her there.

"Young Miss, this old servant has brought you the Empress's dowry."

Su Xuening: "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Lu. Please come in."

Lu Da led a group of eunuchs, carrying boxes, into the General's Mansion.

Consort Su provided a considerable amount of dowry, and it took more than a dozen people about half an incense stick's time to carry all the items in.

Looking at the bright red, luxurious sedan chair, Bihe asked curiously, "Why is there another bridal sedan chair?"

Su Xuening also looked at Lu Da.

Even if it's for adding to the dowry, shouldn't a sedan chair be prepared?

Lu Da explained with a smile, "Her Majesty knows that there are no elders in the General's Mansion and cherishes the eldest young lady, so she specially prepared a bridal sedan chair for her."

Su Xuening simply nodded, but she felt that something was amiss.