With guards protecting her, Jian Yang felt confident and actually leaned against the car wall to fall asleep without a care in the world.
Cai Lian was surprised that she could fall asleep in such an environment, and for a moment he didn't know whether to admire her for being brave or thick-skinned.
Jian Yang was woken up.
When she opened her sleepy eyes, she found that Cai Lian had gotten off the carriage at some point, and in his place was Zhou Jing'an.
Jian Yang: "..."
How can she sleep so soundly?
Seeing that she didn't seem too surprised by his appearance, Zhou Jing'an asked in surprise, "Is this how the Empress reacts when she sees me?"
Jian Yang no longer concealed her identity and said lazily, "What else? Does Second Brother expect me to cheer enthusiastically?"
Zhou Jing'an was immediately amused. "Your Majesty, how can you be so funny?"
Jian Yang said, "You flatter me. Second Brother, please just say what your purpose is. Let's be more honest and less manipulative."
Zhou Jing'an laughed and said, "Very good, I like straightforward people like you!"
"If you like it, that's fine, but let's talk business."
Zhou Jing'an gazed at her affectionately and said slowly, "If I told you that my purpose was to tell the Empress that I like you very much, would you believe me?"
Not again?
This wasn't the first time Zhou Jing'an had confessed his feelings to her, but Jian Yang completely ignored him.
"If you don't believe me, let's get down to business."
This wasn't the first time Zhou Jing'an had been rejected by her, so he said, as if it were nothing new, "In my opinion, this is the important matter."
Jian Yang was really annoyed; this guy was just making a fool of her.
If it were truly for confessing her feelings, why couldn't she have done it anywhere? Why did she have to involve so many people in this charade?
But Jian Yang was well aware of the philosophy that life is like a play and all depends on acting skills, so she sighed and said, "If that's the case, then we will really be letting down Second Brother's sincere heart."
Why did I let you down?
Jian Yang said with a wistful look, "Second Brother, do you know that when it comes to matters of the heart, the order of arrival matters the most?"
"Could it be that you can't bear to part with the Emperor?" Zhou Jing'an asked.
Jian Yang nodded: "Of course."
Zhou Jing'an sneered, "If you really couldn't bear to part with him, why did you choose to fake your death in the first place? And why haven't you returned to the palace for so long?"
Jian Yang looked surprised: "How did the Second Prince know that I faked my death?"
Zhou Jing'an paused for a moment, then said without changing his expression, "Naturally, it's a rumor I've heard in the streets recently."
Jian Yang clicked her tongue and said, "Second Prince, you absolutely cannot believe those rumors. They might just be fabrications made up by my father's political enemies to smear him."
Zhou Jing'an curled his lips: "Empress, you don't need to hide it anymore. I'll tell you the truth. The person who released this news is none other than the Emperor, whom you care about so much. Even now, you still can't forget him?"
Jian Yang opened her eyes wide in shock, her gaze filled with disbelief.
"No, it couldn't be the Emperor. He promised me that he would never pursue this matter, nor would he tell anyone about it."
Zhou Jing'an shook his head: "Empress, you are too easily trusting. If the Emperor hadn't told me, how would I have known about this?"
Jian Yang's eyes were already brimming with tears.
Zhou Jing'an pressed his advantage, asking, "Do you know why the Emperor told me this?"
Jian Yang looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Zhou Jing'an said, "He wants to take this opportunity to depose the prime minister."
Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, and Jian Yang choked out, "My father was loyal to the Emperor, why did the Emperor depose him?"
Zhou Jing'an's expression turned serious as he said, "Ayang, political matters are very complicated, and I can't explain them in just a few words. But you must believe that in this world, no emperor can tolerate being deceived, let alone accept the existence of forces that he cannot control."
This translates to: the emperor could not forgive her for faking her death, and he was even less tolerant of the emerging power behind Prime Minister Jian.
Jian Yang was extremely saddened.
Zhou Jing'an quickly reassured her, "It's getting late, why don't you rest at my residence for a while?"
Jian Yang nodded gently, looking very obedient.
Zhou Jing'an was very satisfied and personally led her down from the carriage.
As soon as she returned to the room Zhou Jing'an had prepared for her, Jian Yang immediately rubbed the hand that had been held by him vigorously on her clothes.
unlucky!
She went to great lengths to gain his trust.
After staying inside for a while, Jian Yang felt a bit stuffy, so she opened the window to let some fresh air in.
As soon as the window was opened, Jian Yang was so startled that she took two steps back.
"Brother!" Jian Yang looked at Jian Hong outside the window and said in a low voice, "What are you doing standing outside someone's window in the middle of the night? You scared me to death!"
Jian Hong leaned against the windowsill with one hand and nimbly jumped into the room. He looked up and tapped her on the forehead: "You know how to scare people? When I found out you were kidnapped by the Second Prince, do you think I was scared?"
Jian Yang rubbed her forehead, tugged at his sleeve guiltily, and said pitifully, "It's all my fault, I made you worry, brother."
Jian Hong snorted coldly and said forcefully, "Since you know I'm worried, come home with me now."
"No." Jian Yang refused without even thinking.
Jian Hong's face immediately turned ashen: "A Yang, you had better give your brother a reasonable explanation, otherwise I'll tie you up and take you away today."
Jian Yang knew that her elder brother was not so easy to deal with, so she had no choice but to tell the truth: "Actually, I stayed behind to collect evidence of the Second Prince's crimes. This man is as slippery as an eel. Several times when officials in the court were brought down, the evidence always pointed to him, but he managed to escape every time."
Jian Hong asked in a deep voice, "Investigating cases is something that should be left to the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review. Why are you getting involved?"
Jian Yang retorted, "I wasn't just joining in the fun. Jing An has made things difficult for me several times this week. Can't I even get revenge on him?"
She paused, then added, "Moreover, I strongly suspect that he is colluding with the rebel forces and plotting a rebellion."
People always leave traces when they do bad things, and Jian Yang firmly believed that evidence of Zhou Jing'an's crimes could be found in this mansion.
Jian Hong's pupils suddenly contracted, and he immediately grabbed Jian Yang's wrist, saying, "Since this matter is so dangerous, I can't let you venture out here alone."
Jian Yang thought to herself, "This person is just like the emperor; even their lines are almost identical."
She quickly tried to pry his fingers open: "Brother, trust me, I'm sure nothing will happen to me. This is a rare opportunity to stay at the Second Prince's residence. If I miss it, I'll never have another chance. Brother, please let me investigate."
Jian Hong remained unmoved.
Jian Yang said with a mix of pleading and coquettishness, "Brother, besides, with your bodyguards protecting me, how could I possibly get into trouble? Don't you even trust the bodyguards you personally trained?"
Jian Hong looked down at his younger sister's big, watery eyes, and finally his heart softened. He sighed and said, "Alright, but let's make it clear first, if you encounter any danger, I will immediately have someone take you away."
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