As a result, she also received many rewards during the investiture ceremony.

Thinking about it, Jiang Shuwan glanced at the antique shelves around her. The antique shelves in this room were all made of fine wood and were quite expensive.

The various items displayed there, whether it was a precious pearl and coral tree, a jade ruyi with taotie patterns, or a jade qilin... any one of them would be enough to cover her expenses for a year.

The old emperor was so boring. Whether it was Li Yuyan adorned with jewels or Li Chengyun with a room full of treasures, the old emperor didn't give them real power or bestow titles of prince. He just liked to give them these flashy but impractical things.

However, for Li Chengyun, this was probably exactly what he wanted.

After all, who could have imagined that he would be the one to have the last laugh in this great battle for the Li royal family?

Of course, I only laughed for three days.

With a heavy heart full of calculations, Jiang Shuwan knelt behind the low table, holding a teacup in both hands. Her hands and feet were warm, but her heart grew colder and colder.

If she had previously considered taking the old woman hostage to escape, she immediately abandoned that idea upon seeing that the kidnapper was Li Chengyun.

If this thing could be coerced, it wouldn't have only been emperor for three days.

master.

Can't we just go our separate ways and see each other off...?

Swallowing hard, Jiang Shuwan suddenly smiled.

"I wonder what business Your Highness has with me? Have I offended you in any way?"

With a fawning smile, she looked at Li Chengyun across from her, and noticing that his teacup was empty, she eagerly got up to refill it for him.

However, before she could even move her body or touch the teapot, she heard a "whoosh" sound, and Song Huaizhang behind her instantly drew his knife from his waist.

The sound of people jumping down from the roof beams could be heard all around the house.

Jiang Shuwan was sitting right in front of the window, and she could see men in black suddenly appearing from the bushes and by the pond outside.

These people were extremely terrifying in appearance, appearing around the house in the blink of an eye like ghosts.

Not only outside, but also behind the screen that the palace maid had just moved, there was a figure. The person was dressed in black, holding an extremely long sword, and was backlit, so it was impossible to see what he looked like.

But Jiang Shuwan only blinked once, and this person, along with Song Huaizhang behind her, put a knife to her neck.

The cold, sharp blade sent a chill down the spine of the girl's delicate, pale neck, triggering a reaction in her.

She had never seen anything like it before, with two knives pointed at her from both ends...

Her throat was dry, and for a moment she couldn't speak. She just thought, "Is this really necessary? I'm just a weak woman..."

Then, she saw Li Chengyun, who was sitting opposite her, bend down and pick up a white porcelain cup lid from the ground.

"Yours?" he asked, fiddling with the lid as he looked at her.

The man showed no displeasure, but rather some curiosity.

Jiang Shuwan: "..."

Jiang Shuwan then realized that the "weapon" in her hand had fallen out, and for a moment she didn't know whether to nod or shake her head.

In the end, he could only laugh awkwardly and say, "I was poor when I was young and never saw anything good. Please excuse my poor appearance."

The other party snorted coldly, clearly not believing him, but with a wave of his hand, Song Huaizhang and the man in black both sheathed their swords and returned to their original positions.

Relieved that the threat to her neck was gone, Jiang Shuwan quickly picked up the teapot and poured Li Chengyun a cup, smiling as she said...

"It's the same question as before. I wonder what business Your Highness has with me? If it's nothing important, and considering how late it is, perhaps I should..."

She bent two fingers of her right hand, making a gesture as if to leave.

With a slight smirk, Li Chengyun smiled.

When he smiled, his whole face brightened up, especially his eyes. Jiang Shuwan then noticed that he had cat-like eyes, which looked quite round and cute when he smiled.

What a dark, venomous snake! It's as if everything I saw before was just a dream, a mirage.

“Princess, there’s no need to be nervous. I invited you here today because of my cousin. The Song family suffered a calamity before, and it was inconvenient for me to show up. Thank you for your consideration, Princess.”

"Your Highness is too kind. Chairman Song is quite capable and has helped me a lot. We are both getting what we need."

Jiang Shuwan said with a smile, glancing at the door every now and then as she spoke.

All she wants now is to run away.

"Fourth Prince—?"

Li Chengyun then drew out his voice and laughed again. His eyes were still round and adorable, but Jiang Shuwan's hair stood on end.

"I do have quite a few imperial gifts in my room. We haven't exchanged names, so it's not surprising that you could guess I'm a prince. But how did you know I'm Li Chengyun?"

"We probably haven't met before, have we?"

Her palm tightened, and she felt nervous, but Jiang Shuwan still smiled and said, "I haven't seen him before, but I've heard of the Fourth Prince."

What are they all saying about me?

"They say you are incredibly handsome, a rare beauty in our Great Jing Dynasty. I wasn't sure before because it was dark in the room, but now that I'm closer, I can see that it's true. Even the Crown Prince and the First Prince are not as handsome as you."

She said the last sentence in a low voice, as if she was afraid that her words would get out.

Li Chengyun was immediately amused by her, and Jiang Shuwan also laughed, filling the room with their laughter.

Then, without any warning, Li Chengyun's lips tightened, and his voice was as cold as ice, "You don't tell a single truth!"

Jiang Shuwan: "..."

hehe.

Thank you, but you're so hard to please.

Maintaining a fake smile, Jiang Shuwan downed the water in her glass in one gulp, and stood up as she spoke.

"Your Highness has already expressed your gratitude, so I will take my leave now."

As she spoke, she walked out.

"You call Li Chengyou 'elder brother' and the Crown Prince 'second brother,' so why are you called 'Your Highness' when you're with me? Am I not worthy to be your fourth brother?"

Jiang Shuwan: "..."

You're insane!

Who dares to call you brother or sister? Do you think I don't know who slaughtered almost the entire Li imperial family...?

Calling you Fourth Brother? I'm tired of living...

Smiling, Jiang Shuwan turned around and said softly, "I didn't expect Your Highness to know about what happened at the palace banquet. It was just a quarrel, nothing serious. His Highness the Crown Prince was just being polite. How could I, a mere adopted daughter of Consort Rong, dare to address you all as brothers and sisters?"

“Exceeding expectations, far too much.”

As he was speaking, he started to walk out, but Song Huaizhang blocked his way.

Jiang Shuwan: "???"

Frowning, she moved to the left, and Song Huaizhang also moved to the left; she moved to the right, and Song Huaizhang also moved to the right.

They just wouldn't let her leave.

You think you're so great, huh...?

Turning around, Jiang Shuwan sat down directly. She stared at Li Chengyun, who was still playing with the lid of her teacup, and the smile on her face was gone.

"Your Highness won't let me leave, but does that mean I have to stay overnight?"

"Why not?"

Unperturbed by her words, Li Chengyun smiled.

He certainly doesn't have any of the dark, venomous viper vibe now. A venomous viper is just not afraid of the cold, but his personality isn't so unpredictable.