Chapter 1022 - Backing Her up from Thousands of Miles Away
Chapter 1022 Backing Her up from Thousands of Miles Away
With hatred, Shao Jing said through gritted teeth, “Let Madam Jiang live in her previous yard. Still, she doesn’t have to meddle in the mansion’s affairs. Lock her up there until she dies!”
How could he not hate her? He used all ways to get the title, but it was taken away from his son because of Madam Jiang.
At present, he couldn’t do anything to Madam Jiang and could only keep her in his mansion. Anyhow he wouldn’t let her see anyone again.
This time, he was determined to make Madam Jiang die as a secondary legal wife…
When Chu Liuchen received Shao Wanru’s letter, he had just arrived at the border and was welcomed into the city next to the border with the Xu State.
!!After reading the letter, Chu Liuchen put the letter down in an amiable mood. With a smile on his handsome lips, he languidly folded it in his hand, putting it in the inside pocket of his sleeves.
“Lord Qin, will you go out today or tomorrow?”
“Everything is ready, and this matter allows no delay. So, let’s do it today!” Qin Huaiyong said, his eyes on Chu Liuchen’s sleeves. He remembered Chu Liuchen looked terrible a moment ago, but this letter coming in time changed his impression straight into a genial one. Was it a letter from Princess Chen?
“Lord Qin…” Chu Qing was a little worried, not considering it a good thing to go there in a hurry. Besides, he had to prepare for it.
“Since Ningyuan Army General has agreed, it’ll do. Get ready and send Lord Qin and Commandery Prince Qing on the diplomatic mission.” Chu Liuchen ignored Chu Qing and said to the garrison officer standing aside.
He was the top official here. But after Chu Liuchen and the others arrived, his influence plummeted. At present, it was Chu Liuchen who supervised and controlled the affairs here.
Since Chu Liuchen had made the final decision, Chu Qing knew it was useless to say no. Thus, he also nodded and left to prepare with Qin Huaiyong.
Since they had made some arrangements beforehand, they didn’t spend too much time preparing before gathering their men and getting ready.
Chu Liuchen personally walked them to the city gate. When the bridge above the city moat lowered, a group of men and horses galloped through it to the outside of the city, and then the heavy bridge was slowly pulled up.
The Xu State that got the news sent some people over. Chu Liuchen sat in the tower over a city gate and looked down. To his surprise, he saw a woman among the Xu State group and knew from her gorgeous clothes that she should be the princess of the Xu State.
“Is this Xu State princess really going to marry into our country?” Chu Liuchen raised his eyebrows and asked. Because he was a little far away from her, he couldn’t see her face clearly.
“That’s what I heard. There was no such thing at the very start. Later, when they learned there were two princes coming over together, they sent a messenger, saying that the princess wanted to marry one of the two princes,” the garrison officer reported with the utmost care.
With the greatest urgency, he delivered this news to Chu Liuchen, one of the two princes. Since the Emperor valued Prince Chen the most, a humble garrison officer like him wouldn’t dare to make any decisions on this matter.
“Is she here to size up her future husband?” Chu Liuchen said in a leisurely manner. Though the chair he sat on behind the city wall was tall and large, only his head was visible above the merlon of battlements. Just like he couldn’t see the facial features of the princess, the princess couldn’t see what he looked like either.
So, she came here to see Chu Qing.
Chu Qing was quite good-looking. Although he looked ordinary among his cousins, he appeared attractive compared with many others.
“It seems to be a good idea to make Chu Qing a son-in-law of the Xu State.” Chu Liuchen let his thoughts wander freely.
“Perhaps. Princess Yutao is famous in the Xu State.” The guard lowered his head, sweating profusely.
“Oh? Then why is she well-known?” Chu Liuchen said with great interest, looking over. He saw the two teams had met. Princess Yutao seemed to have said something to Chu Qing, and it could be seen that she had a good impression of Chu Qing.
“This gorgeous princess is bold and vigorous, and many men in the Xu State are no match for her, so she hasn’t found a satisfactory husband in Xu State,” the garrison officer said.
Since this place was near the border between the two countries, occasionally, he could get some news from these Xu State businessmen carrying on trade here. Princess Yutao was not someone to be trifled with. As the legitimate eldest daughter of the queen in the Xu State, she held a distinguished position. Even such an extraordinary lady was worried about her marriage as well. Eventually, she turned her eyes to the men in the neighboring country.
“A nice princess. Not bad. Great. Commandery Prince Qing does need such a legal wife!” Chu Liuchen watched the fun and said casually with pleasure. Waiting until the two groups go away together, he got to his feet, patted his sleeves, and said leisurely, “Your Excellency, wait here and pass on the latest news to me. It won’t take too long!”
“Yes, I understood!” The Garrison responded promptly.
“I’ll go down for a walk,” Chu Liuchen said with a casual air, “You don’t have to follow me. I’ll just walk around!”
With this, he walked down the city gate tower with Xiao Xuanzi. Chu Liuchen, who had changed into plain clothes, became an ordinary young man with a refined appearance and handsome features.
This area was at the border between the Xu State and the Kingdom of Dongcang, which were now at peace. With so many merchants hunting for gain nearby, this place looked prosperous and bustling. Not only could they see the products of the Kingdom of Dongcang, but also there were goods and business people from the Xu State. The scene of local people getting mixed up with foreigners that once seemed novel became common now.
Chu Liuchen’s appearance caused a great stir in the crowd.
Most of these people who got thrilled were girls.
Folks in the Xu State had much fewer rules than the Kingdom of Dongcang’s civilians. When these foreign girls spotted an outstanding young man, they couldn’t resist coming up to talk to him. Moreover, girls living at the Kingdom of Dongcang’s border near the Xu State were much more enthusiastic than those in the capital city. Therefore, girls along the way flocked to see Chu Liuchen and crowded around him.
They had never seen such a drop-dead gorgeous man.
Today, Chu Liuchen was in a good temper, so he endured this noisy scene of excitement. He just ignored the bunch of girls following behind him. As for those who wanted to strike up a conversation with him, Xiao Xuanzi would handle them.
It was rare for his master to be in a jolly mood to hang around, and Xiao Xuanzi did not want anyone to distress him. After he winked at several guards who protected Prince Chen in the dark, they deliberately sabotaged these girls’ access to their master. Gradually, these girls were left so farther behind that it became difficult for them to come over for a talk.
Along the way, more and more items were piled up in Xiao Xuanzi’s hands. Originally, Chu Liuchen only threw one or two things at him, but in the end, Xiao Xuanzi ended up carrying a load of goods like a stacking shelf.
Like this, these girls and young married women found them to be increasingly interesting.
“Master, let’s go back, shall we? There are so many of them. I can’t take any if you buy more!” Xiao Xuanzi pleaded with a bitter face. His master had purchased a lot of things, which were gadgets that he would use to please Princess Chen.
It was just that there were too many of them!
“There may be better ones ahead of us!” Chu Liuchen looked back at Xiao Xuanzi and was also amused.
“Master, how about buying more next time? We can bring a few more people with us. See? You have practically attracted all the people on this street.” Xiao Xuanzi said, looking quite helpless and anxious.
He tried hard to raise his chin, pointing back.
As he had said, these unbashful women followed them all the way here and nearly blocked the way.
“Okay, next time!” Chu Liuchen reluctantly agreed and turned back.
Seeing him coming over, a large group of young ladies and married women behind hurriedly flashed aside to let him go through while staring at Chu Liuchen with admiration.
When they were in the capital city, no one dared to watch Chu Liuchen in such a flagrant way. Of course, Prince Chen, who had always been well protected, never got a chance to lounge about the streets in the clothes of ordinary people. It might be because locals were valiant and Chu Liuchen dressed like ordinary people. Even if he appeared to be a rich young man from a wealthy family, sons from those merchant mansions here were in equally fine clothes.
Fortunately, the capable secret guards did well in making some hiccups from time to time. Gradually, fewer and fewer people were after Prince Chen.
In the end, no one followed them.
Xiao Xuanzi finally felt relieved in his heart after staying in a nervous state for a long time. In this kind of place, people were agile and brave. If anything happened to Prince Chen, Xiao Xuanzi couldn’t bear the consequences.
They returned to the Garrison Mansion, where Chu Liuchen lived for the time being. To clear a temporary dwelling place for Chu Liuchen, the garrison officer’s family members living there before had already moved out. These days, Chu Liuchen would live here, waiting for Qin Huaiyong and Chu Qing to return.
Xiao Xuanzi put down all the things and asked servants to put them away according to categories. Then he went to the central room.
Sure enough, there his master was reading the letter again, and looked quite delighted. Xiao Xuanzi, standing behind him and stretching out his neck, stole a glance at the letter on tiptoe. Right away, Chu Liuchen threw him a stern look, and he hurriedly lowered his head to avoid his piercing eyes. “His Highness has read the letter many times, hasn’t he?”
The longer he looked at it, the more amiable his mood became. Thanks to it, even a large crowd of onlookers didn’t piss him off just now. Otherwise, with his character, how could he allow others to stare at him so casually?
Princess Chen was powerful indeed! She could significantly affect Prince Chen, who was very rigid in his ideas.
“Prepare the pen and ink. I’ll write to Imperial Grandmother!” Chu Liuchen put the letter away and said unhurriedly after reading the letter again to his heart’s content.
“Didn’t you write a letter to Her Majesty a few days ago?” Xiao Xuanzi asked in surprise.
“But that was a few days ago. I have to write another one now. Princess Chen is now isolated and cut off from help in the capital city, so I need to ask my Imperial Grandmother to take better care of her!” Chu Liuchen touched his chin and said languidly, “I have always been too mild and inoffensive to teach others bloody lessons. At most, I want one leg! Recently, the imperial court has been in a bustle already. Let’s wait and see!”
Xiao Xuanzi shivered all over. “Was His Highness talking about Princess Chen? When did Princess Chen appear so pitiful? “Princess Chen can even subdue my master. How could she get herself into such a vulnerable position?
“I’ve read the letter from Qing’er. Princess Chen proceeds with everything at a leisurely pace. She doesn’t need my master’s superfluous help at all, does she?”
Of course, he didn’t dare to say it out loud. His master was deeply concerned about Princess Chen living alone in the mansion. As a eunuch, he certainly didn’t understand the affection between them. “But according to my master, this should be called the pleasure between a couple, right?”
However, he was just a eunuch without a companion. How could he understand it? Xiao Xuanzi felt frustrated and turned to prepare the brush and ink with a melancholy expression.
“I know it! My master is always willing to back Princess Chen up because he doesn’t want her to suffer the slightest.”
As for the arm or the leg that his master had mentioned, Xiao Xuanzi didn’t care much. Her master was indeed gentle. After all, his opponents were handled without any blood spilling, weren’t they?