Su Yujiao looked a little awkward and didn't want to talk about these trivial things with him.
"If Your Highness does not understand what I mean, I will make it clear once more: I will not marry you as a concubine."
Chu Zhongyuan looked at her with deep, unfathomable eyes, like a deep, icy pool, giving her an inexplicable sense of suffocation.
Just as Su Yujiao was struggling to breathe under his oppressive aura, Chu Zhongyuan suddenly spoke: "This king is willing to depose the queen for you."
"I promise you the position of my principal wife. If I ascend the throne in the future, you will be my empress."
Su Yujiao sneered: "Your Highness's position as Empress is probably already overrated."
"You offer the Empress position to everyone you meet? Is the Empress position so worthless?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed in Chu Zhongyuan's eyes. He touched his nose and said, "With others, it's just playing around. But with you... I'm serious."
"Why would the prince choose a divorced woman over a beautiful young lady?"
"I have neither power nor connections, what do you want from me?"
Chu Zhongyuan stared at Su Yujiao's beautiful face with the naked gaze of a man looking at a woman—blunt, burning, and possessive.
"I have no ulterior motives towards you; perhaps it is true love."
Su Yu chuckled.
You don't believe me?
"I didn't believe in love before, but after seeing you, I believe in love now."
"I think of you day and night, and cannot sleep at night."
Su Yujiao retorted sarcastically, "Does thinking about him day and night not prevent the Prince from favoring other women?"
"Ahem... A man who is not romantic in his youth is not a man at all. If you are willing to consummate our marriage, I will naturally not want to touch those vulgar women again."
"Stop! Stop!"
How did things turn into such indecent behavior?
"Your Highness hasn't even had a drink yet, how can you be drunk? I'll pretend you never said those words tonight."
"Hey you, hurry up and help your master back."
"Jiaojiao, one day you will see my true heart."
Chu Zhongyuan wasn't one to cling to people; after eating and drinking his fill, he left, not wanting to make the atmosphere too awkward, otherwise it would be embarrassing to meet again.
It has to be said that her cooking skills are indeed excellent. Putting aside her pretty face, just for her cooking skills alone, one has to get her.
Su Yujiao frowned as she watched the man's departing figure.
He probably won't give up easily. He might still greet her with a smile if she doesn't give him a friendly look once or twice, but if it happens too often, who knows what insidious methods he might use to deal with her?
It seems we need to contact the Southern Crown Prince as soon as possible. With the Southern Frontier Kingdom protecting him, Chu Zhongyuan will at least not dare to openly rob him.
Xiao Tao and the others only dared to come out after Chu Zhongyuan left: "Miss, what did he come here for?"
"Ignore him, you guys keep eating."
"Come home with me later, I miss my two babies."
Xiao Tao said, "I've finished eating, and I can accompany you now, Miss."
"Should we bring the young lady and young master back?"
"I'm just going to take a look; I won't bring them back yet."
"Um."
Wei Yingzi said with some concern, "Madam, let me accompany you. Xiao Tao doesn't know martial arts, what if something unexpected happens on the way?"
While eating skewers, Wei Sashuang raised her hand and said, "This servant will go too. It's getting dark, and it will be safer if my sister and I go with you."
"OK."
On their way to the Su family home, as they passed Yipinju, Su Yujiao saw a familiar figure.
Was that person Mo Lingchen?
Did he come out from Peony?
“Young master, you can’t drink anymore. If you’re really feeling down, why don’t you go find Miss Peony to cheer yourself up?”
Mo Lingchen, slightly drunk, slumped on the table and waved his hand weakly: "I can't go, I can't go anymore."
"Why is that? Do you no longer like Miss Peony?"
"I like it... but I can't go."
The servant looked at his young master with a puzzled expression, completely baffled.
Su Yujiao seemed to remember something and suddenly rushed into the restaurant: "Did your young master go to see Mudan tonight?"
The servant shook his head instinctively, then realized what he meant and asked, "Who are you?"
Su Yujiao had already left in a hurry, and Mo Lingchen only saw her back.
"Madam, what has happened?"
"Aren't we going to see the children?"
Su Yujiao quickened her pace, her heart filled with worry, hoping it wasn't what she thought.
The original book says that Jin Mudan's leg was broken by Mo Lingchen's wife after the Lu family's downfall. Now that she has changed the plot, I wonder if other plot points will change as well.
Hopefully not!
Passing by the Peony Pavilion, the shop was pitch black. Su Yujiao went up and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.
She thought Jin Mudan might have already gone home.
"Yingzi, fly to the second floor, climb through the window, and see if anyone is inside."
"yes."
"Madam, there's no one in the shop."
"Let's go to her house."
Su Yujiao led the Wei sisters to Jin Mudan's house. As soon as they arrived at the door, Wei Sashuang spotted the meat skewers and wine jugs scattered on the ground.
"Madam, look."
Looking at the meat skewers scattered all over the ground, Su Yujiao felt increasingly uneasy.
Just as she was about to knock on the door, Wei Yingzi spoke up: "Madam, may I go in and take a look?"
"I'm afraid there might be danger inside."
"Xiao Shuang, protect Madam."
"Um."
Wei Yingzi quickly opened the door from the inside and said with a worried expression, "Madam, there are signs of a struggle inside. The tables, chairs and benches in Miss Peony's bedroom are all overturned, and there are bloodstains on the floor."
"The maids and servants in her courtyard have all disappeared."
Su Yujiao went inside and looked around, her mood growing increasingly heavy; something must have happened to Peony.
In the Peony Courtyard, there is an old woman who cooks, a mute guard, and a personal maid, the one who just went to reply to the letter, Yanzi.
Now that all four of them—master and servants—are gone, she can't help but think of the worst-case scenario.
Su Yujiao panicked and tried her best to recall the plot of the original book, hoping that she could stop it in time.
What abandoned temples are there nearby?
The Wei sisters looked at each other and shook their heads: "Madam, we are not from the capital and are not very familiar with the city's layout."
"Tiger Stone should be familiar with this. I'll go back and ask him right away."
"Okay, let's split up and go find some dilapidated temples or courtyards with lots of beggars."
"yes."
After Wei Yingzi left, Su Yujiao took Wei Sashuang away from Peony's courtyard. The two bumped into the drunken Mo Lingchen as soon as they left the courtyard.
"Young master, that was her just now."
"You know what a peony is?"
Su Yujiao frowned, she didn't have a good impression of Mo Lingchen, she felt that he was even worse than Lu Ziqian.
Lu Ziqian would at least not treat her like that!
"If Young Master Mo is truly worried about her, he should send someone to look for her immediately; something may have happened to her."
When Mo Lingchen heard her say that Jin Mudan had an accident, he instantly sobered up a lot.
"What happened to her?"
"That's a question for you to answer. If you can't make her happy, then don't bother with her."
"You messed with her and couldn't even protect her, what a coward."
The servant shouted angrily, "How dare you disrespect my young master!"
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