Jiang Shuwan glanced at the old nanny.

The old nanny seemed to be a very proper person. After recognizing her, she immediately came up to greet her and then hurriedly went out to prepare tea and snacks. Song Huaizhang, on the other hand, stayed by her side the whole time, as if he were watching her.

With her hands warmed by the fire, Jiang Shuwan stared blankly at the crackling fire.

Song Huaizhang...

Song Huaizhang...

She felt like she'd heard that name somewhere before...

I just can't remember it for the time being.

Shaking her head to temporarily put the name out of her mind, Jiang Shuwan asked while warming herself by the fire,

"Where is your master?"

"Now that they've been brought here, whether we kill them or torture them, they should at least show their faces, right?"

The other person didn't say anything, just stood beside her, seemingly lost in thought.

Jiang Shuwan: "..."

It seems we'll just have to wait.

That's fine.

The current situation is extremely unfavorable for her.

"Princess, please have some tea and refreshments."

The old nanny brought in three kinds of tea snacks: osmanthus cake, peach blossom pastry, and cloud cake, all of which were her favorites.

"Your master has investigated me quite thoroughly!"

With a cold laugh, Jiang Shuwan didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a peach blossom pastry, putting it in her mouth.

The chefs in this mansion are quite skilled. Their peach blossom pastries are not only exquisitely shaped, but their pink color is also very attractive. Taking a bite is like biting into a peach blossom petal, and your mouth is filled with sweet fragrance.

"Sweet but not cloying, a good cook."

After exclaiming "Good!", Jiang Shuwan took out a handful of gold ingots from her purse and gave them to the cook as a reward.

The old nanny: "..."

The old woman was taken aback by her attitude.

She quickly smiled and accepted the gold ingot, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness. I thank you on behalf of the kitchen chef."

Her address of "County Princess" was far more respectful than before.

Jiang Shuwan felt that the old nanny's attitude towards her had changed in an instant, whether it was her imagination or not.

How should I put it?

Just like her previous respect for her was only due to her status as a county princess. Even though the old nanny rushed over to bow the moment she recognized her, Jiang Shuwan clearly felt that the respect in her tone and expression was not genuine.

At this moment, the old woman became much more compliant.

She even thoughtfully closed the door when she left.

Once again, only Jiang Shuwan and Song Huaizhang remained in the room.

Song Huaizhang remained silent, and Jiang Shuwan was too lazy to talk to him.

She had known Song Huaizhang for some time. He was very tight-lipped; if he didn't want to talk, it was difficult to get anything out of him.

But that old nanny kept calling him Young Master Huaizhang and referring to herself as "this old woman," and even the palace maids and guards obeyed her orders.

She must hold a high position here, and she's quite old. If she can't beat Song Huaizhang, surely she can beat an old nanny?

Some people do pick the softest persimmons.

If a fight breaks out later, we can take the old woman hostage first...

Thinking of this, Jiang Shuwan's mind calmed down a bit.

She met the old nanny in the palace.

An old man from the palace appeared here.

The person who kidnapped her must also be from the palace.

Now that she's a county princess, with the old emperor backing her, there are very few people in the entire world who would dare to kidnap her like this...

Hopefully it's not the eldest prince, Li Chengyou...

Otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you died...

The room gradually warmed up.

Underfloor heating is comfortable, but it's also very expensive.

Jiang Shuwan murmured to herself, shifting her posture as she secretly slipped a teacup lid into her sleeve.

The human brain is both hard and fragile.

Teacup lids may look small, but they can be deadly in a pinch.

Biting into a peach blossom pastry, Jiang Shuwan once again surveyed the layout of the room.

The three rooms were connected together. The two rooms on the left were still dark and without windows or lights, so they were not visible at all. The room she was in, however, was bright and magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters everywhere, exuding an air of nobility and clearly costing a fortune.

And the soft cushion beneath her was made of delicate, silky material, and it felt like the finest Shu brocade.

Using Shu brocade as a cushion shows that the homeowner knew how to enjoy life.

Moreover, he or she also really enjoys watching plays.

After swallowing a bite of the sweet peach blossom pastry, Jiang Shuwan looked out the window.

Looking out the window of this room, there was a stage with loud gongs, drums, and music playing. She had heard it when she was outside, and it hadn't stopped yet.

"Your master didn't kidnap me to watch a show, did he?"

Jiang Shuwan, in a good mood, said something to Song Huaizhang, her clear, bright gaze falling on the stage.

On the stage, a male martial arts performer and a female martial arts performer were performing Kunqu opera. Jiang Shuwan didn't understand opera and couldn't understand what they were singing at all.

However, the martial arts student was handsome and wielded his twin swords with great skill. Even if she didn't understand, she knew that he was quite capable.

The female lead was dressed in gorgeous costumes, with a beautiful face and exquisite makeup.

Tsk tsk.

She's quite good-looking.

As she stared at the female lead, Jiang Shuwan's eyelids began to droop.

She was very nervous when she arrived, but the warmth of the underfloor heating helped her relax a bit, and the voice of the female lead singing was like a hypnotic melody lingering in her ears.

She fell asleep soon after.

When I woke up, it wasn't dark yet. Looking at the lamp oil next to me, it seemed no different from before, so I must have just taken a nap.

Thank goodness.

Taking a nap is fine, but if you fall asleep in the kidnapper's room, you'll become a laughing stock even if word gets out.

Moreover, the fact that the other party didn't take advantage of her while she was asleep makes it highly unlikely that the other party is the eldest prince...

Thinking of this, Jiang Shuwan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still held the cup lid tightly in her sleeve.

She raised her eyes, her gaze falling once more on the stage.

On the stage, the female lead and the male lead are no longer there; the musicians who played the accompaniment are packing up their instruments, looking like they are about to leave.

"Now that the show is over, it's time for the performers to show up."

Jiang Shuwan looked towards the room on the left.

Upon closer inspection...

The hairs on my body stood on end.

A three-panel brocade screen had somehow appeared in the room on the left.

The screen is meticulously crafted from rosewood, with a warm luster and delicate texture.

On the large fan surface, a peony is embroidered, with phoenixes and butterflies fluttering around it. The embroidery is exquisite and lifelike, and the colors are used cleverly, making them bright, dazzling, and radiant.

The edges of the screen are inlaid with pearls and gemstones, exuding luxury and clearly indicating that it is an item from the palace.

There was another person sitting on the other side of the screen.

The man had his back to her; his black hair cascaded down his back, and his figure was tall and imposing, clearly indicating that he was a man.

He was surrounded by four palace maids in white robes, all of whom were barefoot and kneeling beside him.

When Jiang Shuwan turned her gaze, she saw the palace maid remove the crown adorned with many jewels from his head.

She had seen that headdress on the female lead's headdress on the stage.