The afternoon sun was shining brightly.

The Song family mansion is located in the southeast corner of Ping'an Town, with nine courtyards and nine exits.

The courtyard with the lotus pond in the middle is the residence of Princess Lin'an.

The maid Caiwei walked in excitedly, carrying a plate of crystal-clear purple grapes.

"Miss, look at today's grapes, they're so big and round."

Reclining on the couch, Lin'an wore a pink high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and exquisite makeup, making her appear even more beautiful.

She glanced seductively at the man standing to the side. He hadn't given her a single smile since he came in, and to make matters worse, his eyes were fixed on the outside, completely ignoring her.

"Caiwei, peel it and let Young Master An have a taste."

Caiwei was displeased. This Anrong was stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason. Giving him such good grapes was worse than giving them to Ahua in the yard.

Ahua is a dog from Persia, with snow-white fur and bright blue eyes, more crystalline than sapphires.

The princess had given the order, so how could she disobey? Reluctantly, she peeled a fruit and fed it to An Rong.

"Young Master An, please have a taste."

An Rong was arrogant and dismissive of everyone, ignoring them completely.

Caiwei bit her lip in anger, "Miss."

Her pitiful appearance was so striking that Lin'an couldn't bear to look at her any longer.

"Fine, you can go out now, I'll feed them."

Caiwei understood immediately, and led the maids out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Song Lin'an lazily got up, holding Ahua in his arms.

"Rong-ge'er, it's been so long since I've seen you. I miss you terribly. Have you missed me too?"

An Rong remained unmoved.

She wasn't annoyed; she just moved closer, her head just touching An Rong's chest.

"Brother Rong, you're quite skilled. You escaped right under my nose and recovered so well from such serious injuries."

Song Lin'an gazed at An Rong with deep affection, his eyes like burning candles, igniting sparks on every part of An Rong's body.

His body held a fatal attraction for her.

“I heard that your poison has taken effect and you won’t live more than three days. I summoned you here, and you should know why.”

An Rong stood tall and straight, straighter than a pillar.

"Do you know why I like you?" Song Lin'an reached out, about to touch his face, but was dodged.

"I just like your energetic side."

On the surface, he is as cold as ice, but inside he is as passionate as fire.

"Rong-ge'er, you are very lucky to have such a beautiful wife. Do you love her?"

An Rong's tense features relaxed for a moment.

Fleeting.

Song Lin'an smiled; he really did have feelings for that woman.

"I'm very interested in her. What do you think? Should I invite her over for a visit?"

An Rong lowered his head and glared angrily at Song Lin'an.

"Are you angry?" Song Lin'an smiled gently, breathtakingly beautiful, like a poppy.

An Rong clenched his fists, wishing he could punch her hard in the face.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to hit me?" Song Lin'an laughed instead of getting angry.

It's not easy to anger a big iceberg.

"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore."

"I'll give you two choices: divorce Yuan Doudou and marry me, or you die and I'll make her and the child pay for your death."

"Song Lin'an!"

An Rong's fist, as big as a sandbag, aimed straight at the top of her head.

"Someone come here!"

At a command, three or four guards burst through the door and subdued An Rong in no time.

"Lock him in a small building and keep him under strict guard."

Song Lin'an's eyes sparkled, and she smiled sweetly: "Remember, today is the first day, you still have two days left."

An Rong's face was ashen, his eyes blazing, as if he wanted to burn Song Lin'an to ashes.

In the courtyard, Caiwei looked at the unyielding Anrong and sneered, "It's your good fortune that my princess has taken a liking to you. You don't know what's good for you and you've angered my princess. You'll regret it later."

An Rong pursed his lips and remained silent, wishing he could tear her to pieces.

He shouldn't have intervened in the first place; perhaps none of this would have happened.

He looked at the sky, wondering if DouDou had already gone back.

It's all because I'm useless, and I dragged DouDou down with me.

Yuan Doudou didn't go back. She walked halfway, but couldn't rest easy, so she turned back.

She went to the government office and beat the drum to appeal for justice.

"Miss Yuan?" Fang Deming, who had just returned from his business, recognized Yuan Doudou at a glance.

Yuan Doudou's eyes lit up; Fang Deming was an old acquaintance.

"Officer Fang, I have an important matter to ask of Lord Zhao."

Fang Deming did not hesitate and took her inside directly.

At this time, there were no cases being heard, and Zhao Anling was enjoying tea in the backyard.

"Yuan Doudou, what a rare guest."

He likes Yuan Doudou; seeing her makes him feel better.

"Lord Zhao, I have a favor to ask of you." Yuan Doudou said respectfully.

Zhao Anling felt uncomfortable seeing her so polite.

"Come, sit down and have a cup of tea."

Yuan Doudou was extremely anxious and didn't want to drink any of that rubbish tea.

"Some things can't be rushed. You have to sit down and calm down to come up with a good solution."

Yuan Doudou had no choice but to obey and sat upright at the table.

She had no interest in drinking tea, but the aroma of it made her feel refreshed.

"You're looking for me because of An Rong?" Zhao Anling asked, getting straight to the point as always.

"My lord, with your keen eyesight and keen hearing, do you have any way to resolve this predicament?"

After finishing one glass, Zhao Anling, still wanting more, poured himself another half glass with practiced elegance.

Yuan Doudou couldn't imitate him, nor did she like drinking tea.

"You know perfectly well that she is the Princess of Lin'an, yet you still come to see me. You think too highly of me."

Zhao Anling revealed a playful expression, very curious about Yuan Doudou's thoughts.

"Your Excellency is the local official in charge. My husband is in trouble. I never thought of any other way to turn to you besides Your Excellency." This is the truth.

Zhao Anling smiled and said, "That makes sense, but unfortunately, I'm just a lowly ninth-rank official. In the eyes of the Song family, I'm nothing."

It wasn't that he was being modest; he was genuinely very humble.

For a minor official like him to successfully establish himself here, he would need the support of local aristocratic families.

Having offended the Song family, his future career will likely be very bumpy.

"No matter how rich and powerful the Song family is, they have no real power. Compared to the adults, they are nothing."

For Anrong's sake, Yuan Doudou had no choice but to lie through her teeth.

The Song family held official positions, though they remained vacant. Even without real power, their status as imperial relatives ensured they had no worries.

"DouDou, can you be more realistic? Stop making me laugh."

Zhao Anling saw through her thoughts, which was rather naive.

"Sir, you are our magistrate. Are you going to stand idly by and do nothing for the sake of your career when we are in trouble?"

If praising him doesn't work, then belittle him.

Zhao Anling was no longer a naive newcomer to officialdom, and such words could not arouse his sense of justice.

“What Princess Lin’an wants is very simple: your husband. Instead of begging me, you should beg your husband to compromise, and everyone will be happy.”

Yuan Doudou felt a sense of suffocation, truly realizing how difficult the fate of people at the bottom of society could be under such a social system.

It's fine if nothing happens, but if something does happen, having power is worse than having money.