Requesting entry to the temple

"The general doesn't like going to the garden anyway, and besides, there are no women in the household, so the pavilion has been left unfinished." Although Zhou Cong had tried to persuade Wei Shu before, he was determined to do so, so it was difficult to change his mind further.

"Find someone to repair it, and report all the broken items and rooms in the mansion to me. I'll arrange the order of repairs." Jiang Jin was somewhat impressed that Wei Shu could manage the Wei mansion so well.

"Have the steward give me the keys to the account books and the storeroom account books." Jiang Jin led Zhou Cong on a walk around the Wei residence and found many places that needed repair.

“Wei Shu is really carefree. Luckily, his reputation is so great that no one dares to enter the Wei residence, otherwise he would be laughed at for not even being able to manage his own mansion.” Jiang Jin returned to the courtyard, and Zhou Cong hesitated before speaking, “Madam Ziyuan, she…”

"Don't worry, although she's a bit erratic, the fact that she sent us a message means she's doing alright. Her writing skills are good, which means she hasn't been tortured," Jiang Jin reassured Zhou Cong, though she was very worried.

"Madam." Abei and Mo Niang came out together. "Alright, you can go now." Jiang Jin waved her sleeve and led the two into the house.

"Mo Niang will stay in the side room for now and wait for your family to come to the capital before joining them." Jiang Jin drank a cup of tea. "There aren't many rules in the manor. As long as you don't go to the general's study, everything else is fine."

"Madam," Ah Bei said, pointing to the sun outside, "you must be tired today, why don't you rest for a while?"

"No need, I have other matters to attend to. Abei, you take Mo Niang for a stroll around the manor." Jiang Jin noticed the sun outside and suddenly remembered her appointment with His Highness, then gave Abei a look.

"Yes." Jiang Jin put on her veil and left the Wei residence. Only after confirming that no one was following her did she enter the third floor of the clothing shop, where Lou Xuan was already waiting.

"Your Highness?" Jiang Jin asked worriedly, looking at Lou Xuan's somewhat listless state.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired from being busy with the wedding preparations lately." Lou Xuan rubbed his temples. "The people in the Ministry of Rites and the Sixth Bureau are the ones who are pitiful. First it was my third brother, then me, and finally the Imperial Concubine. They are the ones who can't sleep at night."

Lou Xuan beckoned Jiang Jin to sit beside him. "I know about Zi Yuan's matter and have already made arrangements. If I find out who betrayed me, I will make that bastard wish he were dead."

A flash of hostility crossed Lou Xuan's eyes, but Jiang Jin could clearly sense her hatred.

"Your Highness, a letter from Ziyuan." Jiang Jin presented the letter. Lou Xuan glanced at it and breathed a sigh of relief. "How is Wei Shu doing?"

"He won't stop us as long as we don't harm Da Yan or His Majesty." Jiang Jin reached for the dagger at his waist.

"Your fourth aunt and second brother have quite a story, don't they?" Jiang Jin followed Lou Xuan's gaze downwards and a familiar figure came into view.

"Your Highness, should I go down and stop them?" Jiang Jin frowned, but she had to suppress her anxiety because of Lou Xuan.

"Rumors about them have spread throughout the capital. Is your father planning to send your fourth aunt out of the capital or to a temple?" Jiang Jin nodded. "However, I suggested that my father go to His Majesty to apologize, but unfortunately he doesn't want to take the risk."

"How can Imperial Censor Jiang go back and perform this act of testing the Emperor?" Lou Xuan smiled and handed a teacup to Jiang Jin.

"These two risked so much to meet, surely they didn't intend to pour out their hearts to each other?" Lou Xuan suddenly found this whole scene quite interesting.

"Go and see what my second brother is up to, and while you're at it, take your sister back so she doesn't get beaten to death by your father." Lou Xuan propped her head up with her slender fingers and looked at Jiang Jin.

"Your Highness, Wei Shu has met with Song Zhimin, but I made him wear a mask. However, for some reason, Wei Shu keeps pressing him." Jiang Jin took a sip of tea before putting down his teacup.

"I understand, I'll handle it." Lou Xuan pointed to the restaurant ahead and said, "Go quickly, I'll be angry if you mess up my scene."

"Understood, I'll go right away." Jiang Jin bowed helplessly and left the room.

"Analogous One." The woman appeared behind Lou Xuan like a ghost. "Did you find anything?"

"Our men have done a thorough search and found a few suspicious individuals. We'll have to wait for the interrogation to find out the details." A handed a booklet to Lou Xuan.

"Hmm, let's lock them all up in the dark dungeon. Your secret guards need a few punching bags anyway." Lou Xuan placed her nail-painted index finger to her lips.

"How is Wang Wu Niangzi?" Lou Xuan asked with a gentle smile as Jiang Jin entered the restaurant.

"The Crown Prince has taken the bait, but the Third Prince remains wary." Lou Xuan nodded. "Then let's use some drastic measures. I think Ah Jin's performance last time was quite good. This time, let Xiao Wu be the scapegoat. There's always a time like this when you're in court." Lou Xuan chuckled softly, her sharp eyes softening slightly as she looked at the sun outside.

"How is things at the Imperial Palace?" Lou Xuan asked wearily, closing the window and lying down on the small couch.

"The Fifth Prince has noticed Lady Wang, but she's a bit unpredictable," Jia Yi said cautiously. Lou Xuan paused, playing with a strand of hair, and raised an eyebrow.

“Good. Have our men stop. Let her calm down and think about whether the Fifth Prince, whom she so desperately wants, can protect her in the palace, or whether the Fifth Prince will even bother to protect her.” Lou Xuan closed his eyes and gestured for Jia Yi to continue reporting.

"Everything's normal on the Consort's side, except she's been a little overbearing. The Dou and Liu families are locked in a bitter struggle, each believing the other is backing them." Lou Xuan, lying on the couch, found things increasingly intriguing.

"Bianzhou has been cleared, and our people have already entered the city, but according to Lady Jiang's instructions, only a portion of them have been deployed." Lou Xuan suddenly raised his hand to stop Jia Yi from speaking.

"How did that go?" Lou Xuan slowly opened his eyes and looked at Jia Yi.

"I have quite a few, but I still don't find some of them appealing." Jia Yi said truthfully. Lou Xuan looked at the ring on his hand and pondered, "Send people to spread A Jin's words more widely, and spread them to the aristocratic areas."

"Yes." Jia recounted all the other trivial matters one by one. Lou Xuan would sometimes say a few words, and sometimes close her eyes to rest.

Jiang Jin, still angry, stepped into the restaurant and looked up at the second floor. The room guarded by two guards must be the Second Prince's room.

"I want the private room next to that one." Jiang Jin scattered the gold beans in her hand onto the table. The innkeeper stared intently at the gold beans and quickly had someone bring Jiang Jin over.

As soon as she stepped into the private room, she heard crying coming from next door. Jiang Jin sighed, her fingers tracing the surface of her teacup.

"Your Highness, I will go to the temple to pray for your well-being and freedom from illness." Jiang Su's voice reached Jiang Jin's ears intermittently.

"Su'er, I will ask my father to issue an edict making you my principal wife. As for your father, I will try to persuade him!" An anxious male voice came from behind. Jiang Jin nodded, secretly admiring Jiang Su's clever use of a feigned retreat.

"Your Highness, my father will not agree, and my final fate will certainly be to be abandoned by the family. Your Highness, I am like a drifting duckweed; I cannot lose the support of my family." This was the first time Jiang Su had uttered such intelligent words, which impressed Jiang Jin.

"I can also be Su'er's support and reliance." The man's voice was gentle and tender, revealing a hint of affection.

“Your Highness will have someone else in the future. A fading, abandoned wife, abandoned by her family, struggling in the inner palace—I don’t want to live that kind of life. I will pray for Your Highness at the temple. It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave now.” Hearing the footsteps, Jiang Jin was unsure of Jiang Su’s intentions, so she waited at the corner and stopped her.

"Jiang Jin?" Jiang Su looked at Jiang Jin with a mixture of confusion and fear.

"I didn't come here..." Jiang Jin covered Jiang Su's mouth and led her away from the restaurant into a small alley.

"You're really bold! You actually dared to come out and see the Second Prince when Father is so angry!" Jiang Jin looked at the bustling street outside. "If you were caught on the spot, you wouldn't just be sent back to your hometown, you would be beaten to death."

"Me!" Jiang Su's face turned pale. If it were before, she could still argue with Jiang Jin, but now, if she were really tricked, she might actually be beaten to death.

"Tell me, what brings you here? Are you asking the Second Prince to request His Majesty to grant you a marriage?" Jiang Jin's voice softened slightly, remembering that Jiang Su was only of marriageable age.

"No, I've come to say goodbye." Jiang Su pulled down her veil and looked at Jiang Jin. "Second sister is intelligent, third sister is reserved, even aunt is shrewd and calculating, while all I do is smash things." Jiang Su squatted down, tears streaming down her face.

"Your Highness wouldn't even lie to me about the empty backyard. I don't want to go back to my hometown or become an outcast, so going to the temple is the best way." Jiang Su seemed like a different person; her eyes were filled with a do-or-die courage.

“The best things in a man are the ones he can’t have. If I were to enter his household, I might exhaust all our affection. It’s better to step back and preserve some of our feelings.” Jiang Su rarely spoke of profound truths. Jiang Jin circled around her, then tentatively touched her forehead.

"You've caught a cold, and these words don't sound like something you'd say." Jiang Jin looked at Jiang Su suspiciously, wondering how likely it would be if someone were impersonating her.

“It was my third sister and aunt who explained it to me in great detail. If His Highness could coax me today, I might be able to put up a fight. Unfortunately, His Highness is unwilling.” Jiang Su put her veil back on. “Second sister, I will be going to a temple in the suburbs in a few days. You can come and see me when you have time.”

Jiang Su's figure disappeared from Jiang Jin's sight. The street was still noisy. Jiang Jin only came to her senses after returning to the clothing shop and seeing Lou Xuan.

"What's wrong? You seem distracted. Could something have really happened?" Lou Xuan asked, flipping through the book and observing Jiang Jin's expression.

"Fourth Sister has chosen to go to the temple." Jiang Jin's few words shocked Lou Xuan.

"These are the words of your fourth wife. Are you sure this isn't a ruse to feign retreat?" Lou Xuan had some understanding of the women in the Jiang family because of Jiang Jin.

“I’m also wondering what she’s been through in these few hours, but this is one way to do it.” Jiang Jin sat on the stool and looked at Lou Xuan. “But who is spreading the rumors in the capital? They’re heading straight for the Jiang family.”

"I had someone investigate, but thinking about it, it's obvious that only a few people would dare to target Imperial Censor Jiang." Lou Xuan looked up and smiled at Jiang Jin.