The affairs of the husband and wife were a mess that couldn't be sorted out. They had known each other since childhood, and were considered to be a match made in heaven. White Madame was even betrothed to Pan Rui's older brother, Pan Yue, from a young age. At the time, Pan Rui was still the son of the Marquis of Chu State, and he excelled in every role, whether as a son, fiancé, older brother, or friend, with hardly anything to criticize him for. In comparison, Pan Rong seemed inconspicuous and unnoticed. Pan Rui and White Madame were also well-suited for each other, with both sets of parents looking favorably upon the match. However, later on, Pan Rong offended someone he shouldn't have, which directly led to Pan Rui's downfall.

  It's not entirely Pan Rong's fault. He was young and fond of playing, not valued by his family, and became somewhat self-destructive. He often fought with the sons of nobles in the capital, and during a cockfight, he couldn't bear the humiliation and hit a royal prince. The prince called a group of imperial brothers to take revenge on him. At that time, he was with Pan Rui, and both brothers were beaten, seriously injured. Afterward, he survived, but Pan Rui died from his injuries. The Marquis of Chu State knelt at the palace gate day and night, but although the emperor punished the culprits, they only found a scapegoat, while the real culprit was still enjoying great fortune.

  Jiang Changyang let out a sigh, "I was in the Anxi Protectorate when I received this news, and it was especially difficult for me to bear. He was originally my best friend. When I left with my mother for the capital, only he and his brother truly came to see us off. Afterwards, we continued to exchange letters. As for other acquaintances, including relatives, they either mocked or coldly observed from the sidelines. I had made a pact with him that while I was in the Anxi Protectorate, he would be in the capital, and together we would achieve great things. Who could have known that he would end up dying such an ignominious death?"

  After being stunned for a moment, he asked: "Who is that person?"

  Jiang Changyang's face turned gloomy, and he said, "Min Wang is older than Pan Rong by several years, but he has never been able to beat him. He does things that are not decent, and when he takes revenge, he uses indecent means. In the past, he was more arrogant, but after this incident, he became even more sinister."

  This is indeed the style of King Min, who likes to secretly harm others. Peony couldn't help but think of several things that King Min had done and sighed silently, thinking that there were hardly any good people in the royal family. He continued, "What happened later? Did White Madam marry Pan Rong? I heard her mention it briefly, she didn't seem to have a good relationship with the wife of the Marquis of Chu State, and wasn't happy at all in the Marquis's residence." If White Madam loved Pan Rui, then she must have resented Pan Rong in her heart and not wanted to marry him?

  "Intermarriage between families, unless it's really helpless, how can it be easy? Brother didn't marry the sister-in-law, sister didn't marry the younger brother, for everyone's sake, personal wishes don't count. Jiang Changyang's lips curled up in a sarcastic smile and continued: "Afterwards, Pan Rong was granted a title and married Madame Bai, but he always felt extremely guilty and thought no one had forgiven him, they all looked down on him, it was all his fault. So he acted somewhat absurdly, the Hou Mansion previously still hoped that Madame Bai would take charge of him, help him get back on track, but he couldn't listen to Madame Bai's advice at all, as soon as she advised him, he said he wasn't Pan Rui, he was Pan Rong, can't do what Pan Rui usually does."

  Who can stand being stabbed in the heart again and again? Madame Bai doesn't care about him, but this way, he becomes even more unscrupulous in taking concubines into the house. Someone like Madame Bai couldn't possibly ask him to stop taking concubines. Naturally, she turns a blind eye and lets him do as he pleases, and he becomes even more unrestrained. This again provokes the dissatisfaction of the Marquis of Chu State and his wife. The Marchioness of Chu State lost her beloved in middle age, and her temperament has always been somewhat strange. She herself is also somewhat dissatisfied with Pan Rong, often giving him the cold shoulder, yet she blames Madame Bai for not making an effort. Having given up hope on her daughter-in-law, she pins all her hopes on young Pan Xiang instead. However, her way of teaching differs from Madame Bai's, and conflicts are inevitable.

  It's like a vicious cycle, but the root of it all lies with Pan Rong. Peony furrowed her brow and said, "If Pan Rong were willing to change, although not everyone would be satisfied, at least fewer people would suffer." She paused for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "What I'm most concerned about now is whether he truly has feelings for Madame Bai or not. Looking at him, it seems like he still has feelings for her, but if he does have feelings, why must he torment people like this? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

  "They are childhood sweethearts, and only they themselves know the specifics of some things. But I can be sure that he definitely doesn't dislike Madam Bai, and even has some affection for her. In fact, he feels somewhat inferior in front of Madam Bai, thinking that he is far inferior to Pan Rui. Under this mindset, Madam Bai's unintentional words could easily trigger his intense resentment and pain. I've advised him on what should be advised, and also advised him on what shouldn't be advised, but he still remains like this... If you're worried about Madam Bai, then I'll invite him out again to have a good talk with him. If he still refuses to listen, and they don't want to divorce, then there's nothing left but for you to accompany Madam Bai more often to lift her spirits."

  "Looks like it's come to this."

  The two of them walked on in silence for a while, and Jiang Changyang saw that Mudan was frowning and deep in thought. He knew she was worried about Madame Bai, so he intentionally tried to shift her attention: "Tell me in detail about what happened when Madam Du came to your house that day?"

  "Peony recounted the whole thing in detail, complaining in a low voice: 'I don't like her one bit. She looks all smiles and courtesy, but it's all just an act. She's good at pretending, that's all. But she couldn't help herself, digging a pit for me to jump into. When I didn't fall for it, she couldn't resist revealing her true nature, even going so far as to deliberately knock over our family's tea bowls. And what was the gift she brought? Some worthless old ginseng from who-knows-where. I'm not interested.'"

  Jiang Changyang saw that she was both delicate and charming, and for a moment he itched with impatience, wishing there were only the two of them present so he could reach out and stroke her head. However, Wu and others were nearby, and there were many people passing by, so he had to endure his frustration and forced himself to crack the whip twice, laughing and saying: "Don't mind her, she's targeting me, she won't do anything to you, at most she just wants to use you to deal with me."

  "When the soldiers come, I'll stop them; when the water comes, I'll cover it with earth. I don't have any real interests or harm in relation to her, so I'm not afraid of her." Peony looked at Jiang Changyang worriedly: "On the contrary, I'm worried about you. What are you doing? She's just defending herself, but why do those people all want to take advantage of you? You keep refusing them, won't you offend them too much? I don't understand these things very well, but I think that if you want to continue on this path and go further, you need to have some priorities, make some choices. Otherwise, it will be very difficult in the future..."

  She doesn't understand these political affairs, but based on her past work experience, in the midst of various interpersonal conflicts, it's impossible to mind one's own business, or rather, it would be extremely difficult. There must be some emphasis and some choices made.

  Jiang Changyang looked at her with a faint smile and said in a low voice: "Are you afraid to suffer with me? What if... will you regret it?"

  The peony looked at him, shook her head without thinking: "Don't be afraid. As long as you treat me with a true heart, I can accompany you to suffer together and won't regret it. But the premise is that you treat me with a true heart." Everything wants to gain must have a return, wanting him to treat her with a true heart, she naturally wants to pay back.

  Jiang Changyang saw that her eyes were dark and deep, her expression was serious and cautious, and she answered quickly, without any hesitation. He couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness in his heart, as if something had filled his chest, warm and full. He finally couldn't bear it, stole a glance at Wu and the others, and quickly grasped Peony's hand, saying in a low voice: "Don't worry, I won't let you suffer. I know what I'm doing, and I have enough ability to take care of myself."

  Just then, a few people behind him burst into suppressed laughter. Jiang Changyang quickly withdrew his hand and said in a low voice: "I'll tell you something first, so that you won't worry. Although I'm currently under the Imperial Guard, they're just looking at my other identity and want to get some help for themselves. Firstly, it's because of the Jiang family; although Zhu Guogong is cautious, he can't deny his prestige in the military. Secondly, it's because of my adoptive father. Now that His Majesty is in his prime, some things are still too early, and the situation is not clear. Therefore, I have gained His Majesty's trust. As for later, I have my own plans and measurements."

  He still didn't tell Peony what he was doing, those things were dangerous. In fact, since he was selected and came to the capital, he only listened to the emperor's command, specifically investigating some people's ugly affairs and cases that the government couldn't solve. There must be people who hated him, but as long as he wanted to do things and move up, it was unavoidable. For important matters, he knew exactly who could be offended and who couldn't. However, doing this kind of thing wasn't a long-term plan, fortunately, once he finished the case in his hands, he could extricate himself. But these things were far from Peony, she really didn't need to know. She just needed to happily tend to her flowers and wait for him to marry her.

  Peony looked at him and knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, she didn't like this feeling of being kept in the dark, so she asked softly: "You actually have a thing for Jing Wang, don't you?"

  Jiang Changyang raised an eyebrow in surprise, then burst out laughing, revealing a row of pearly white teeth: "Why do you think that?"

  Peony knew she had guessed correctly, and glanced at him sideways: "I do know, but I won't tell you. And I also know that you're still observing and waiting for the right moment to act. Just like when I grow flowers, I have to choose the most unique and vigorous one from many buds, no room for carelessness."

  Jiang Changyang smiled wryly: "Then let's plant flowers together." He looked at the peony warmly, "You have to learn how to cleverly use external forces. Sometimes you need to ask for help, but you can't go door-to-door asking people, you have to wait for them to come to your door and ask if they can help you. When he helps you, he's overjoyed, and you're even more delighted, it's a win-win situation."

  The city wall was right in front of them, and Mudan reluctantly looked at Jiang Changyang: "You be careful yourself."

  Jiang Changyang nodded: "You be careful too. I'll make an appointment with Pan Rong as soon as possible, and then let Gu tell you that if you have something to say, you can also tell him, he has a way to find me."

  "Peony glared at Gui: 'He's the traitor. He secretly told you I was here, but didn't tell me, pretending to be mysterious.'"

  Gu Xun Wen shrunk his neck, and Jiang Changyang smiled: "Don't blame him, he couldn't be sure if I could make it here on time."