After so many years of ups and downs in the political arena, someone who had risen to the position of Regent must be extraordinary. How could he just give up the throne to a woman with some special abilities? Not to mention the hardships he had endured, not least at the hands of his stepmother, how could such a man be willing to be controlled by a woman?

Before Qiao Man sent anyone to find her, Shen Huaixu wanted to contact the Regent. She first ordered Lixia and the others to hide outside Xiangyi City. After arranging them, she and Shuangjiang changed their appearances and walked out of the restaurant.

As soon as the two stepped out of the restaurant's door, they were stopped by heavily armored Nanxia soldiers.

"Miss Shen, my master invites you, please come with me!"

Shuangjiang immediately drew his sword and stood in front of Shen Huaixu.

The restaurant owner wiped the sweat from his face and walked over to ask, "Auntie, who have you offended? These soldiers surrounded my restaurant and refused to answer any questions. I never thought it was all because of you, my girl. God have mercy on us. We are all legitimate merchants. We do business as long as you pay us..."

On the surface, he was speaking to Shen Huaixu, but in fact, he was speaking to the ferocious soldiers.

Having been well taken care of by the shopkeeper these past two days, she took the opportunity to say, "To be honest, I don't know who I've offended."

She looked at the leading soldier and asked, "Could you tell me who your master is?"

The soldiers just stared at Shen Huaixu, as if they were afraid that she would run away in front of everyone.

No one answered. Shen Huaixu was silent for a moment, and then stopped asking. He turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Thank you for taking me in these past two days. I am a clean person and I am upright. I will go with them. Goodbye."

Her current appearance is different from the portrait that Qiu Ye issued for her wanted life. Since she was taken away in public, no one should cause trouble for the restaurant.

Chen Huaixu, Xiaoman and Shuangjiang were blindfolded and taken to a remote courtyard, and then Chen Huaixu was locked up in a room alone.

The interior of the house is decorated quite gorgeously, and outside the house there is the occasional sound of clear wind chimes.

She pushed the window, but could only open a gap that was too small for anyone to pass through. She walked to the door and tried to open it, but found it was locked.

"I'm hungry, bring me some food."

Shen Huaixu walked to the table and sat down, paying close attention to the movements outside. Soon, he heard footsteps fading away.

The meal the maid brought in was pretty good, with three dishes and a soup. She asked the maid where Xiaoman and Shuangjiang were, but she pretended not to hear her, but remained respectful on the surface.

When the maid left, Shen Huaixu saw that someone was guarding behind her, so he retreated back into the house, sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise that there were no extra ingredients in the food.

Qiao Man didn't come until the next day.

When she arrived, Shen Huaixu, who had been bored for most of the day, was sitting by a well outside the house reading a storybook.

As soon as Qiao Man entered, she saw Shen Huaixu's figure. She glanced at the people kneeling in the courtyard with a look of displeasure, until their heads almost hit the bottom. Then she whispered to the people around her, "Go down first. Don't disturb me from reminiscing with old friends."

The palace maids and eunuchs around her did not seem to be curious about how the frail eldest princess, who had lived in the royal villa for a long time, knew this old friend. They just lowered their heads and nodded.

After everyone left, Qiao Man walked to Chen Huaixu and said, "Chen Huaixu, long time no see, you came to my place——"

Her voice paused subtly for a moment, as if she was considering her words, "—on vacation?"

There was a small table next to Shen Huaixu, on which were some watermelon cut into small pieces, melon seeds, snacks and tea.

Chen Huaixu didn't even bother to glance at Qiao Man. Without even raising his head, he simply said, "The eldest princess brought me here without a word, and she won't even allow me to fend for myself and live comfortably?"

This well-adjusted look made Qiao Man even more unhappy. She leaned forward slightly, reached out to lift Shen Huaixu's chin, and smiled gently, "To be honest, I want to kill you more."

"Why not?" Shen Huaixu asked her in confusion.

Qiao Man loosened her hand, her previous anger vanishing. Her expression was cold as she spoke, "Of course it's because of Fu Yin. I advise you to be quiet and don't try to leave here, otherwise this place will be razed to the ground in an instant. Don't blame me for not informing you in advance. Even Fu Yin wouldn't be able to detect what I've done."

Shen Huaixu's brows were cold for a moment, but soon they melted away. Her gaze returned to the storybook. "It seems that what I looted from you before was only a small part. What a pity."

Speaking of the past, Qiao Man remembered how embarrassment she was when she fled from Dajin. Her expression broke for a moment, and she said coldly, "You have such an unpleasant mouth. Now it seems that being a mute girl is the best choice for you."

Chen Huaixu looked up at her and suddenly sighed, "I thought you had made progress in the past few years, but I never thought you were not as ambitious as before. Now you are actually quarreling with me. It's really disappointing."

After saying this, she put down the script and picked up the teacup, her intention to see the guest off was obvious.

Qiao Man admitted that she was angered again by Chen Huaixu's attitude of taking the initiative. Such a clear understanding made her want to take action, but when she thought of Fu Yin, she suppressed the anger in her heart.

"Your two maids are still in my hands. If I don't want them to suffer too much, just be obedient."

After saying that, Qiao Man turned away.

A hint of worry flashed across Shen Huaixu's lowered eyes. She put down the teacup in her hand and tapped her fingertips on the table a few times. What should she do if she wanted to beat Fu Yin up?

In the evening, Fu Yin, who saw the little note written by Chen Huaixu, appeared as promised and saw Chen Huaixu sitting at the table waiting for him. When he saw him coming, he immediately stood up and walked towards him.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!