The princess regretted it.

Jin An couldn't help but raise an eyebrow after hearing Changsun Wuwang's words, thinking: As expected, no one comes to the temple for no reason. His expression was calm as usual as he said, "Oh? What do you want to discuss with me, Third Brother?"

The Third Prince hesitated and looked around. Jin'an understood and asked Zhao Ma and the others to leave. After everyone left, Changsun Wuwang lowered his voice and said, "Jin'an, Third Brother wants you to do me a favor."

"How can I help Third Brother?" Jin An couldn't help but feel alert when he saw him like this.

"Jin'an, Third Brother wants you to help him date the daughter of Imperial Tutor Liu." As he said this, a touch of shyness appropriately appeared on Changsun Wuwang's face. Unfortunately, the calculation deep in his eyes was not hidden at all. Jin'an sneered in his heart, but remained calm on the surface. He pretended to be surprised and said, "Third Brother, are you interested in the daughter of Imperial Tutor Liu? This is really a good thing. Why don't you go to the Emperor or directly to Imperial Tutor Liu?" Jin'an's heart was secretly sarcastic: Do you have the courage to go to the Emperor and tell him that you want to marry the daughter of Imperial Tutor Liu?

Zhangsun Wuwang lowered his head awkwardly, his eyes darkening for a moment. He thought to himself, "Isn't it because that stubborn old man, Imperial Tutor Liu, refuses to see me? How could the Emperor allow me to marry Imperial Tutor Liu's daughter? He has always respected Imperial Tutor Liu and will certainly respect that stubborn old man's wishes."

When he looked up again, his face had returned to its gentle and shy look, and he said, "Jin'an, you don't know, but I wanted to consult Miss Liu first. If she's willing, I'll ask the Emperor. If she's not willing, I don't want her to be forced into a blind marriage. So, it's not appropriate to alert the Emperor and Imperial Tutor Liu about this matter for now. Miss Liu and I haven't had a chance to get to know each other in depth yet, and rashly asking the Emperor or Imperial Tutor Liu to intervene might put pressure on Miss Liu. So, I'd like to ask Jin'an to help me ask Miss Liu out on your behalf."

These words were spoken with such high-sounding grace, as if they were the actions of a truly honorable gentleman. Jin'an was well aware of his intentions. He had some understanding of Liu Taifu. When he went to the Eastern Palace to look for his brother as a child, he had been reprimanded by him several times. He was a man of profound learning, extremely respectful of rules, propriety, righteousness, and honor, and his actions were methodical. Liu Taifu was also extremely strict in his education of his children, and his daughter must have been a dignified and respectful person.

And how could such a calculating man as Changsun Wuwang catch the eye of Grand Tutor Liu? Jin An pondered in his heart, wasn't Changsun Wuwang asking him to meet Grand Tutor Liu's daughter just to win over Grand Tutor Liu? His calculations were so obvious that they could be heard from ten miles away. Grand Tutor Liu was a man respected by my father, and he was also the Grand Tutor appointed by my father to his brother. Anyone with a discerning eye could see why my third brother was targeting Grand Tutor Liu.

He even implicitly respected Miss Liu's wishes, not considering that if Imperial Tutor Liu learned his daughter was secretly meeting with a man outside his family, Miss Liu might be forced to sever her hair and live in seclusion. That would be a disservice to Miss Liu. She couldn't be easily exploited by him. She had to find a way to handle this matter properly without offending Changsun Wuwang.

She lowered her head and remained silent, lost in thought. Changsun Wuwang was anxious. Jin'an was now more cunning. She was so easy to fool before, and she would do whatever she was told. But now she was hesitating. Could it be that she saw through his intentions? He coughed lightly, trying to break the silence: "Jin'an, Third Brother knows that this matter is a bit difficult for you, but Third Brother promises that he will never do anything beyond the rules. I really don't want to let her down. But I also want to fight for a chance for myself. Please help Third Brother this time."

Jin An slowly raised his head and looked at Zhangsun Wuwang, a subtle hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes. "Third brother, it's not that I don't want to help you. You said you wouldn't overstep the bounds, but privately meeting with a lady from a noble family is indeed a violation of the rules. This is indeed inappropriate. Taifu Liu has a very strict upbringing, and Miss Liu is well-educated and well-mannered. If anyone discovered that she was privately meeting with a man from another family, it would definitely damage her reputation. I can't harm Miss Liu by helping you."

Changsun Wuwang's face froze, and a surge of anger welled up in his heart, but he couldn't let it out. He could only suppress his anger and forced a smile, saying, "Jin'an, Third Brother knows that this request is inappropriate, so I want you to help Third Brother. You also want Third Brother to be happy, don't you? And Third Brother won't let you help in vain. As long as you help Third Brother to make an appointment with Miss Liu, Third Brother will definitely reward you handsomely. Okay?"

Jin An shook his head slightly and said firmly, "Third brother, I can't agree to this. You and I both know what kind of person Grand Tutor Liu is, and I haven't seen Miss Liu for a long time. My reputation hasn't been good over the years, so I'm not sure I can invite Miss Liu. Please don't make things difficult for me, third brother."

Seeing Jin'an's determination, Changsun Wuwang knew that forcing him was futile, so she angrily stopped the topic, chatted casually for a while, and then left timidly. Jin'an watched Changsun Wuwang leave with a sigh of relief. She knew that her rejection of Changsun Wuwang might cause him dissatisfaction, but she also couldn't do something that would hurt another innocent woman for such a scheming and hypocritical man.

Changsun Wuwang returned to his Cuiyuxuan, his calm expression failing him. He turned gloomy and walked into his room without a word. Seeing this, Eunuch Xiao Xizi knew his Highness had been humiliated by the princess. This situation had never happened before. Xiao Xizi reflected that ever since Lanzhu had been accidentally given to Wu Changfeng at the palace banquet, the relationship between his Highness and Princess Jin'an seemed to have weakened.

He now felt that Princess Jin'an seemed a bit distant from his Highness. Although she still sent him gifts from time to time, she wasn't as attentive as before. They no longer knew what Jin'an was doing day to day or who he was interacting with. Without Lan Zhu, they had no way of knowing Jin'an's private activities. Furthermore, the Feiyu Palace's defenses were now much stronger than before, and they couldn't place spies there. Just the other day, he had just spoken to a maid, and the next day, she was transferred to the Clothing Department. When his Highness learned of this, he told him to hold off.

Eunuch Xiao Xizi was secretly worried. He knew Changsun Wuwang's temper well. He knew that after running into a wall with Princess Jin'an, the princess would surely be furious. He followed cautiously, not daring to say anything. Entering the room, Changsun Wuwang suddenly sat down in a chair, his face gloomy and terrifying. He was filled with resentment towards Jin'an, feeling that she was just like everyone else, looking down on him by refusing his request. She didn't treat him like her brother, as she claimed.

As he thought about it, Changsun Wuwang grew increasingly furious, his anger burning fiercely within him, unable to quell. He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it hard on the table. A loud "bang" shook the objects on the table slightly. The sudden noise startled the father-in-law, Xiao Xizi, and he quickly looked up, but dared not say anything, and quickly lowered his head again. Changsun Wuwang's hand ached from the shock. He gritted his teeth and clasped it tightly with his other hand, his eyes still burning with anger.