Chapter 97 (First published on Jinjiang) 097 He did something stupid, he'll definitely make her...

After leaving Prince Chen's residence, Chao Lu was in a good mood. It was already broad daylight. He casually found a small stall and ordered three baskets of meat buns and a bowl of noodles. His appetite astonished the stall owner.

Chaolu ate heartily. Ever since Yuyu left, his food quality had plummeted, and he had little appetite, content just to fill his stomach.

Arriving in the Central Plains has broadened my horizons, whetted my appetite, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meat buns.

He patted his belly and then took another cage with him.

Seeing the snacks in the market reminded him of the milk cakes that Yu Yu made; he hadn't had them in so long.

As he pondered this, Chaolu considered returning to the vicinity of Prince Chen's residence to keep watch, but that wouldn't work...

Last night was lucky, but the people from Prince Chen's mansion aren't incompetent, and besides...

"Fourth Master!"

A few burly men walked over from not far away. Chao Lu knew that Yang Chong was a man of principle and had definitely gone to the post station early. Everyone knew that he, the Khan, had arrived in Chang'an.

As expected, Aoki rushed over, his face full of surprise: "Great Khan, why did you come so suddenly!"

Chao Lu clicked his tongue, and the other party immediately changed his tune and lowered his voice: "Fourth Master..."

Chao Lu: "Let's find a secluded place to talk."

The group turned around and entered a restaurant. Aoki asked for a private room.

"Greetings, Great Khan!" A large group of people immediately bowed to Chaolu, who waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. I don't want to reveal my identity yet."

Aoki: "...Why?"

Did you come here to tell me about my intention to come?

"Of course, the Emperor has asked me several times indirectly. I have always firmly believed that you would set off after the White Festival, but I did not expect that you would have arrived now."

Chao Lu: "What was the emperor's attitude?"

Aoki was taken aback. What kind of attitude was that...?

Before the imperial envoy could speak, several young men couldn't help but say, "We feel that Prince Chen and the emperor are acting strangely, subtly hinting at things and being wary of us! They even forbid us from mentioning you to the princess!"

Chao Lu was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.

I guessed it.

He had guessed it from the moment Chen Wang took Yu Yu away from the grasslands. Even if he became the Great Khan, Chen Wang would not be willing to hand his daughter over to him. Of course, Chao Lu could not provide her with a better life at that time, so he worked day and night for the past few months.

However, upon arriving in Chang'an, he realized that Prince Chen had no intention of letting him take Yu Yu away again. This time, Chao Lu needed to adopt a better approach.

“If we go directly to him, he’ll probably just leave us hanging,” Chao Lu said.

"But the Princess would want to see you, wouldn't she?"

Chao Lu: "..."

He couldn't say for sure, because he had done something foolish before Yu Yu left, which must have hurt her deeply.

These past few months, I wonder what that old fox Chen Wang has been gossiping about in front of her!

Therefore, before that, he had to meet Yu Yu alone and privately.

Chaolu suddenly saw Has.

He hadn't shaved his beard yet, and Chaolu suddenly seemed a little disgusted.

"Has, from today onwards, you are mine."

Has was eating a steamed bun when he suddenly froze: "Huh?"

The others were also taken aback.

"Your Majesty, this..."

Chao Lu: "Although you are not as good-looking as me, we are about the same size. You can take my place and spread some news in the palace that I have arrived. Let them hear what they think. Anyway, no one except Prince Chen has seen me, not even the emperor, so be smart. Don't shave your beard, use it to cover your face."

Haas: "Me? Me? Me? I'm impersonating you!"

"Yes. Yang Chong is more clever than you, so let Yang Chong follow you."

"Great Khan, and what about you!"

The envoy holding the imperial staff was greatly alarmed.

Chaolu chuckled, thinking of the brat he had just encountered: "I have more important things to do."

Everyone looked at each other, completely bewildered. But it was alright; the Khan must be right, they would just follow his lead!

“Oh, right,” Aoki suddenly said.

"Um... the Qiuliu tribe sent Tuoya, who arrived in Chang'an yesterday. I don't know how to settle her, so I came to ask the Great Khan for instructions."

"Toya, who?" Chaolu was completely bewildered.

Who is Toya?

Aoki: "..."

Has: "...Great Khan, your memory is terrible. It was your childhood sweetheart whom you found not long after you took power. People say you had a very good relationship with her when you were in Qiuliu."

Chao Lu: "?"

He remembered, and his face instantly darkened: "Don't talk nonsense, I don't remember her at all."

"You may not remember, but others do. Ah, the Great Khan was a hostage in Qiuliu back then. They met in the jungle and shared a roasted chicken. I've heard this story several times. I didn't expect him to follow us all the way to Chang'an. You're very well-informed."

"The main reason is that the Qiuliu tribe is very wealthy. I didn't expect them to have accumulated so much wealth in secret. They helped our tribe a lot this winter, and many people have high hopes for you and Toya."

Chao Lu: "Stop! Let her come, but don't say she's here to see me. Has, you handle this."

Has: "I... how am I supposed to handle this... Hey, Khan, Khan...!"

After Chao Lu finished speaking, he turned around and left, completely ignoring them.

The people left in the room stared at each other in bewilderment.

Yang Chong patted Has on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Greetings, Great Khan."

Haas: "Go to hell!"

...

Chao Lu left the restaurant and then disappeared from sight.

At noon, Ruan Ziyan returned to the palace from the school, and was somewhat absent-minded during the meal.

Of course, Ruan Yu was one of them.

Jiang looked at her son, then at her daughter, and finally back at her son: "Can't you eat slower? What's the rush?"

Ruan Ziyan chuckled: "Mom, I'm going to the martial arts school this afternoon."

"You go there every day, do you really enjoy practicing martial arts that much?" Jiang Shi said helplessly.

Ruan Ziyan: "Hehe, I know what I'm doing. I'll just use this as exercise!"

Jiang shook her head and looked at Ruan Yu. Ruan Yu was also eating absentmindedly. She smiled when she noticed her mother's gaze: "It's alright, let him go if he wants to. But I'll have to talk to your martial arts master about it another day. Tell him to take it easy."

Ruan Ziyan gave a vague reply, not daring to mention that he had invited a grassland person, and then slipped out after finishing his meal in two bites.

Jiang said, "You've seen it yourself, he's like a monkey, I can't control him now."

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "That's how it is at this age."

After she finished speaking, for some reason, she thought of that person again, fifteen-year-old Chaolu...

"An'an, what's wrong with you these past few days? You seem to be more and more preoccupied each day."

Ruan Yu: "I'm fine, Mother."

"I know whether you're alright or not. Tell your mother honestly, are you thinking about the grasslands?"

Ruan Yu paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes.

Madam Jiang sighed, "I haven't dared to ask you about this matter, for fear of upsetting you... I think your father... also intends to keep quiet. So, An'an, what are you really thinking? How did that person treat you on the grasslands...?"

“He…” Ruan Yu pursed her lips: “He is very good to me.”

"Then why doesn't he come looking for you?"

Thinking of the snow disaster, Ruan Yu said softly, "When I left, the grassland was in chaos. He must have been busy fighting after he took the throne. And then... I heard that the grassland had suffered a snow disaster."

"A snow disaster?" Jiang asked in surprise.

"I haven't heard of it."

This is exactly what has been bothering Ruan Yu these past two days; she has never heard of it before.

But her father and brother must know; they are keeping it from her.

Because they disliked Chaolu?

Now that things have come to this, Ruan Yu is also a little confused. She seems to be waiting, but she doesn't know if she should wait or if she will be able to wait. Although it has only been a few months, it feels like the two of them have been separated for years.

Hearing about the snow disaster, she felt relieved, and her worries lessened a bit, but at the same time, she felt lost.

"Alas, even I can't say for sure about such things. I don't know him at all. But An'an, those who care about you will definitely come. If they don't, then we don't need to linger."

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "I know, Mother, don't worry."

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. It was A Yuan: "Princess, the Prince requests your presence in the study now."

Ruan Yu was taken aback: "Now?"

"yes."

Madam Jiang: "An'an, then go quickly."

Ruan Yu nodded and followed A Yuan to Prince Chen's study.

"Father, you wanted to see me?"

After Ruan Yu entered the study, Prince Chen looked up at her and smiled, "An'an, take a look at these."

Prince Chen gave her a booklet, which Ruan Yu accepted with curiosity.

above……

"These are all the scholars who will be able to enter the palace examination this time. Their portraits will be sent over later. Your imperial brother specially brought them over for you to see first."

Ruan Yu: "Father, what does this mean..."

Prince Chen smiled and said, "If you are willing, the newly appointed top scholar at the Qionglin Banquet will be your son-in-law."

Ruan Yu: "..."

She closed the booklet, handed it to Prince Chen without even glancing at it, and asked, "Father, are you also in such a hurry to marry me off?"

Prince Chen: "An'an, of course not... Your father will not force you. You are the eldest princess, and your husband is also your subject. Everything is for your benefit."

Ruan Yu: "I don't want to think about this for the time being."

King Chen remained silent for a moment.

“An’an, if you simply don’t want to consider it, your father will never force you. But if it’s for the sake of Chao Lu, your father thinks it’s not worth it.”

Ruan Yu pursed her lips.

"Father, I also have a question for you, regarding the snow disaster."

Prince Chen: "You know."

Why did you keep this from me?

Prince Chen said calmly, "I haven't been hiding anything from you. You've been recuperating since you returned to Chang'an, and the grasslands are far from Chang'an, so it's normal for news to be delayed. Besides, An'an, if you wanted to find out, you would have known long ago. Why didn't you ask? Aren't you somewhat disappointed with Chaolu?"

Ruan Yu choked for a moment and fell silent.

"An'an, your father has no other intentions. Your heart is your own choice, but I actually received news half an hour ago that Chao Lu should have arrived in Chang'an by now."

Ruan Yu suddenly turned around and opened her eyes wide.

"he……"

"Don't rush, take a look at this again."

Prince Chen handed her another memorial: "I am not actually targeting Chao Lu. I have been keeping a close eye on him these days. Read it and then make your judgment. You may not want to choose a consort at the Qionglin Banquet, but perhaps someone has already set their sights on the position of Da Hadun."

Ruan Yu opened the folded document and looked at it for a while: "Toya..."

"Yes, I heard that the two have known each other since childhood, and Toya has also come to Chang'an now."

Ruan Yu pursed her lips slightly.

Prince Chen: "So now I'm also curious about what Chao Lu came to Chang'an for. An'an... you can decide for yourself."

Ruan Yu was silent for a moment: "Thank you, Father, for informing me of this, but I want to make my own decision. Let me think about it first."

King Chen paused for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Ruan Yu turned and left.

...

Inside the martial arts school.

Ruan Ziyan was panting heavily after being teased by Chao Lu for several rounds.

I was extremely frustrated.

But when he looked up, he found that Chaolu was smiling and laughing, as if he was playing with him.

Chao Lu reached out to him, and Ruan Ziyan pursed his lips. Before he could even exert any force, he felt his body lighten. Woohoo!

It's like he's flying!

When Ruan Ziyan landed, her face was flushed red: "W-were you serious about wrestling with me?!"

Chao Lu spoke frankly: "No. You're too weak."

Ruan Ziyan: "..."

"Insolence!" a servant muttered.

Chaolu wasn't annoyed: "I'm just stating the facts. On the grasslands, you'd be about the size of an eight or nine-year-old child, maybe even younger."

Ruan Ziyan: "You don't have to be so rude..."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Chao Lu's eyes: "Eat properly, and stop trying to wrestle like people. It's fine to play around, but if you really run into us, we can hurt you with just one hand."

"...How can you be so sure? Are you the best on the grasslands? Have you ever participated in the Naadam Festival? What place did you get?!"

Chaolu laughed heartily, but did not answer him.

Ruan Ziyan snorted: "You have a name from the Central Plains and a house in Chang'an?"

"have."

"So what were you doing in Chang'an?"

"The fur business."

"Oh, that's quite profitable. So you've already decided to stay in the Central Plains, right? You might not even know the real situation on the grasslands!"

Chao Lu raised an eyebrow: "Are you curious about that side?"

Ruan Ziyan: "...A little. I was very curious when my older sister went there, but they won't let me ask her since we came back..."

Chao Lu: "Your elder sister is..."

Ruan Ziyan immediately became alert: "It's nothing! Come on, let's continue!"

Chao Lu: "Want to play some more?"

"Let's play! Come on! Didn't you say it's like you're helping me exercise!"

Chao Lu smiled helplessly: "Okay."

I really don't know if these two siblings were malnourished when they were young. He was more tired than if he had used all his strength because he was afraid of hurting them.

...

Yang Chong acted quickly, purchasing the Wei residence in just one day.

It's impossible to get close to Prince Chen's residence, but thankfully...

It's very close to the Princess's residence!

This was also thanks to Yang Chong's cleverness. The two houses looked far apart and faced different streets, but after going around two blocks, the back alleys were next to each other!

Based on his understanding of the Great Khan, Yang Chong felt that this must be what the Great Khan wanted!

So he immediately went back to report the good news.

When Yang Chong arrived at the entrance of the post station, he was suddenly stopped by someone.

"Guard Yang."

He turned around and saw Toya.

The other person was also an eighteen-year-old girl, very pretty.

She was considered a beauty of the Qiuliu tribe.

Toya stepped forward with a smile: "You still remember me, right?"

Yang Chong bowed and said, "I remember."

"Long time no see, where's Da Han?"

Yang Chong: "..."

He didn't know either.

No, he immediately realized what was happening and pointed to the room at the end of the room.

Toya laughed and said, "Okay, I'll go right now!"

Yang Chong: "Uh..."

Okay, take care, bro.

At this moment, Has was extremely depressed. He was fast asleep in bed when the door suddenly opened.

He thought it was Da Han returning and was about to get up when he heard a sweet, girlish voice.

"Great Khan, are you there? It's me."

Haas: "..."

"are you sleeping?"

Toya was still a shy girl, so she didn't approach.

Hass, unsure of what to do, coughed and whispered, "What is it?"

He then rolled over and lay down inside.

Toya smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Fourth Brother, I didn't tell you I was coming to Chang'an beforehand... but actually, my grandfather asked me to come and see my cousin. I have a cousin in Chang'an, do you remember him? He's from after my aunt married into the family..."

"Hmm, what is it?"

Has was about to explode. He probably knew that this little girl liked the Khan, but he wasn't the Khan!

Toya smoothed her braids: "Nothing... I just wanted to ask if you're free these next few days. Shall we go out together? I'm not familiar with Chang'an, and my grandfather said it would be best if you accompanied me to deliver the gift to the Emperor, otherwise how could I dare to presume to meet him... So I came to find you..."

Haas: "We'll discuss this further."

Toya: "...What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

She quickly took a few steps forward as she spoke, and Has hurriedly said, "No!"

Has coughed lightly again and mumbled, "My throat is sore, I probably caught a cold. You should go out first, it's not good for you..."

Toya, being a girl after all, stopped and said, "Okay... Fourth Brother, I'll go find you a doctor. I'll come see you again later..."

Has breathed a sigh of relief.

This is terrible.

He now understood why the Khan insisted on having him there.

Well, he'll have to apologize to his wife when he gets back.

-----------------------

Author's note: I've been feeling restless and stuck these past few days. I'll definitely see you in the next chapter.

The next chapter might be released tonight, but it will definitely be tomorrow.