Before she could make a move, Fu Zhun pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

His voice was tinged with excitement as he quickly explained to Su An.

"No, although I want to be with you, I respect your decision more. I'm just afraid that you made a hasty decision without thinking it through and will regret it later."

"Don't worry, although I, Su An, am not exactly a gentleman, I am a man of my word and will not go back on my word."

Su An pushed him away, patted his chest, and said this.

Seeing her like this, Fu Zhun was stunned for a moment, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

However, since Su An has already agreed, it would be best for them to leave as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications, lest those old fogies in the court cause further trouble.

Fu Zhun, with a smile in his eyes, took Su An's arm.

"In that case, it's settled then. We'll leave together tomorrow at noon."

Su An nodded emphatically and readily agreed.

"Okay, then see you tomorrow."

After things were out in the open, Fu Zhun became much more unrestrained, hugging Su An for a long time before reluctantly leaving.

Su An finally resolved the knot in her heart, followed her inner feelings, and was immersed in a pleasant atmosphere, humming a little tune as she packed her things.

But unexpectedly, an uninvited guest soon arrived at the steamed bun shop.

This man had white hair and beard, wore a dark purple official robe, and had a refined appearance, giving him the air of someone with profound knowledge.

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Su An was taken aback, but then bowed respectfully to him.

"This humble woman, Su An, greets Elder Yao. May I ask what brings Elder Yao to my steamed bun shop?"

Yao Qingwen stroked his beard, his cloudy old eyes staring intently at Su An.

Suddenly, he hunched over and knelt down before Su An with a thud.

This completely terrified Su An.

Even if Yao Qingwen were just an ordinary old man, he wouldn't deserve to kneel before him, let alone be a veteran of three dynasties.

Su An's expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"What are you doing, Elder Yao? Let's talk this out. Why such a grand gesture? Su An is utterly unworthy and incompetent; he truly cannot accept this."

But clearly, Yao Qingwen was determined not to get up. No matter how Su An pulled him, he remained kneeling on the ground, refusing to move an inch.

His face was righteous and awe-inspiring, and his aged voice carried a hint of grief and indignation.

"I have come here today to beg you, young lady, to show mercy and spare the lives of the people of our Great Chu!"

These words darkened Su An's face, and anger welled up in his heart.

She frowned, looked at Yao Qingwen with a puzzled expression, and asked in confusion.

"Old Yao, what you're saying is outrageous, isn't it? I'm just an ordinary person who sells steamed buns. How could I be endangering the people of Da Chu? Let alone leaving them any way to survive? Su An doesn't understand what you're saying, Old Yao."

Upon hearing this, Yao Qingwen stopped playing games with her and directly cupped his hands in a respectful bow to her.

"The Prince of Zhenbei is highly skilled in martial arts and has extraordinary talent. It can be said that the entire Great Chu is prosperous and standing strong because of the Prince of Zhenbei. But now the Prince of Zhenbei is going to give up the entire Great Chu for the sake of a girl."

"If the Prince of Zhenbei were to simply leave, the court would surely descend into chaos, and the common people of the land would be thrown into turmoil as well. Therefore, I have come here today to beg you, young lady, to show mercy and spare our lives!"

For a moment, Su An felt a mix of emotions.

Although she really didn't want to give up Fu Zhun, Yao Qingwen was right; Fu Zhun had long since become the pillar of the Great Chu.

Once he leaves the court, the officials will fall apart, and other countries will take advantage of the situation. At that time, the country will cease to be a country, and families will cease to be families. How can they live in peace?

But she had clearly made an agreement with Fu Zhun yesterday, and if she went back on her word now, Fu Zhun would definitely be heartbroken.

Moreover, Fu Zhun is also a human being. Asking him to give up the life he wants to create a peaceful and prosperous world and protect millions of people would be too cruel for him.

She frowned and sighed for a moment, her gaze fixed intently on Yao Qingwen.

"So what do you want me to do? Reject him? But Fu Zhun is not a tool you use to stabilize the court. He is a living, breathing person. Have you considered his feelings?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Qingwen not only did not feel guilty, but straightened his back and said it was only natural.

"For the sake of the common people, someone must make sacrifices. Now that we have taken this position, we should be prepared to sacrifice for the people at any time."

"The people of Great Chu now need the Prince of Zhenbei, so the Prince of Zhenbei must not leave."

As he said this, he raised his head and stared intently at Su An.

"I know that the Prince of Zhenbei is deeply in love with you, and he will never give up easily. So I beg you to die for the sake of the millions of people of Great Chu!"

What?!

She initially thought the old man was trying to persuade her to give up on Fu Zhun, and she even hesitated for a moment.

Despite all her calculations, she never expected that this old man was there to take her life.

The lives of millions of ordinary people matter, but isn't her life also a matter?

Upon hearing this, Su An's anger surged to her chest, making it impossible for her to suppress it any longer.

She laughed in anger, put her hands on her hips, pointed at Yao Qingwen's nose, and cursed him.

"Bah! I'm no criminal, why should I die? I've been lenient with you because you're a veteran of three reigns, but you've taken advantage of me. If you're so capable, go and handle state affairs! What kind of ability is it to make things difficult for a weak woman like me?"

"Is this the style of you veterans of three dynasties, where you try to shift the blame onto others when you are incompetent?"

Yao Qingwen's face turned red and green as she spoke.

The next moment, the person kneeling on the ground suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with determination.

"If I had such talent, I certainly wouldn't shirk responsibility, but now, I have no other choice. But rest assured, young lady, I will never let you die in vain. I will repay your life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Su An was blinded by a flash of cold light.

Immediately afterwards, Yao Qingwen held a dagger in his hand and stabbed it toward his own heart.

Su An's eyes widened suddenly, and he quickly stepped forward to stop him.

But it was too late. The sharp dagger pierced the flesh, and blood dripped from the blade onto the ground, blooming into blood flowers.

Fortunately, the dagger missed its mark due to Su An's interference, and did not hit any vital organs, thus preventing Yao Qingwen from losing his life.

Otherwise, if she were to die here, she might really lose her life.

What a bunch of complete lunatics!

A chill ran through Su Anxin, and she frowned as she spoke.

"Alright, you don't need to say anything more. I will take my family and leave the capital, hide far away, and never appear here again."