Prince Lu Wei cupped his hands and greeted. "Crown Princess. Thank you for your invitation."

"Please, have a seat." Princess Lingchen gestured towards the chair.

The Prince glanced around the room and sat down. He watched Jiang Xiao Tian move and stood behind the princess and smiled. "I don't know why you invited me for tea today? If you have something to say, you could invite me to the palace."

"They say that in the palace, even the walls have eyes and ears," Princess Lingchen said. She observed the Prince's expression and knew that the prince understood her meaning. "Besides, the tea and pastries in this shop are quite tasty. It's even better than the pastries made in the palace. I wonder if Prince Lu Wei has visited this place before?"

"I haven't. This is the first time I came here."

A servant walked into the room with a pot of tea. After the maidservant placed the teapot on the table, she stood silently on the side and waited for further instruction.

"Do you have anything you would like to eat?"

"I'll just follow your recommendation," Prince Lu Wei answered.

Princess Lingchen turned to Jiang Xiao Tian, and soon, the man whispered something to the maidservant. The maidservant nodded and exited the room. Once the door closed, Princess Lingchen started pouring the tea into the cups. Jiang Xiao Tian stepped forward to serve the drink before the prince. Then he went back to his spot behind the princess.

Prince Lu Wei eyed the cups with wary. Then, he slowly reached the cup and took a sip. In an instant, the fragrant taste of the tea lingered in his mouth.

"Prince Lu Wei, I'm sure you must have heard from Mister Jiang that we ran out of medicine needed to cure the poison in my body," Princess Lingchen asked. When the prince nodded, the Princess continued, "I heard that you have another way to cure the poison in my body."

"I have. But as I said, there are a few terms," Prince Lu Wei said. "The treatment must be in private. Due to some circ.u.mstances, I cannot disclose my method to others."

"Even if I put a knife on your throat?"

The Prince's face went stiff at the question. He studied the princess' expression, wondering if the woman before him was joking. The corner of his lips tilted up slightly before he finally gave his answer, "Even if you kill me. I made a promise to my mother. I don't intend to break this promise."

"Prince Lu Wei, you should know that recently, the Emperor of Qian Rong has delivered letters to urge us to return you to them," Princess Lingchen said. "According to your Emperor, we have been keeping you in Da Cheng as a hostage. Even my father, the Emperor, was distressed about this matter."

"Are you threatening me?" Prince Lu Wei asked. His expression somber, and his voice contained anger. "If I don't give in to your wishes, you will send me back to my brother? We have an agreement, Your Highness. Don't forget that."

"You're mistaken. I am not threatening you." Princess Lingchen lowered her gaze. Her fingers were tapping the surface of the table softly. Suddenly, she reached for her cup and drank her tea. When the Princess put down the cup, she had a serious look on her face. "Prince Lu Wei, why don't we marry?"

Prince Lu Wei leaned back on his chair and blinked. He must have heard it wrong. Marry? Who? How did the Princess change the topic so fast?

"I have been fighting with this poison for years," Princess Lingchen said. "I had to suffer every time the cold poison acted in my body. I need to get rid of this poison from my body before I die because of it. The only way I can follow to your terms is if we get married."

"Your Highness. Don't you think that you're reckless?" Prince Lu Wei asked. "Married? Just because you need to get rid of the poison? However, I'm sorry. I do not want to involve myself with politics and power struggle. I've said it before. I don't care about wealth and power. I just wanted to live my life peacefully."

"The Emperor of Qian Rong wanted you back," Princess Lingchen repeated. "You know how it is with a newly ascended ruler. The Emperor of Qian Rong will want to do something to prove his power. Do you still think that you can live a peaceful life when a war between two countries ignited because of you?"

Prince Lu Wei opened his mouth to counter, but he could not say anything.

"Sooner or later, Da Cheng might not be able to protect you any longer," Princess Lingchen continued. She took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "Let's be honest. I wanted to protect my secret from others. But my secret is not as important as the life thousands citizen of Da Cheng. If you want to continue living a quiet life, safe and away from your brother, marrying me is your best choice."