Chapter 19 Preemptive Strike

Chu Yunjin was carried all the way back to Shuangxue Courtyard.

Once inside the bedroom and sitting on the bed, she realized, "Yan Cang, didn't you go to the palace? You're back so soon?"

Yan Cang didn't speak, but stared intently at her.

"You..." A hint of hesitation crossed her face: "Did you call Taozhi here to test me because she suddenly appeared in the garden?"

Yan Cang did not expect her to strike first.

After a moment of silence, he slowly shook his head: "No."

"I don't think so either," Chu Yunjin muttered. "How could such an upright man like you do something so despicable?"

Yan Cang: "..."

Chu Yunjin wrapped her arms around his neck: "I didn't arrange to meet Taozhi in the garden. I just wanted to take a stroll in the garden. Who knew she would suddenly jump out from behind a big tree? I was so scared I almost lost my mind."

A cold glint flashed in Yan Cang's eyes: "I will handle it."

"No need." Chu Yunjin slowly shook her head. "Ade has already ordered someone to drag her away and whip her twenty times, just to teach her a lesson."

She wasn't raised under ancient imperial power, so she couldn't treat human life as worthless. Besides, to be honest, Taozhi was just a maid who obeyed orders; if it weren't Taozhi, there would have been someone else.

The real culprit was Yan Heng.

"Yan Cang." Chu Yunjin wrapped her arms around Yan Cang's neck, looking at the handsome face so close to hers. "Isn't the struggle between royal brothers very cruel? Will you and Prince Jin be mortal enemies?"

That's a really bold question.

Even women in ancient times would never dare to ask their husbands such questions so directly.

Yan Cang remained silent, recalling what she had said in the garden earlier: that the Prince of Jin should divorce his queen, concubines, and other wives to prove his affection.

Then I heard that question again.

Yan Cang lowered his eyes and asked, "If it really has to be a fight to the death, who would you want to die?"

"Of course it's Prince Jin." Chu Yunjin answered without hesitation, then raised her hand and tapped his head. "Is Your Highness stupid? You are my husband, we are husband and wife as one. What would I do if you died?"

Yan Cang gazed deeply into her eyes.

Chu Yunjin pressed her face against his chest and sighed, "Please, Your Highness, never doubt my love for you again, and never doubt your importance in my heart. You are my husband, and whether now or in the future, even sixty years from now, there will only be you in my heart, and there will never be room for another man."

Yan Cang's heart skipped a beat: "Your love for me?"

Chu Yunjin blushed slightly and nodded gently: "Mm."

He asked in a low voice, "Then why did you make the Prince of Jin divorce his queen, concubines, and mistresses?"

Chu Yunjin frowned and released her hands from the back of his neck: "You heard everything just now?"

Yan Cang pursed his lips and remained silent.

"Since you heard it, you must have been outside for a while." Chu Yunjin thought to herself, "Just as I thought, that's exactly right," but a hurt expression appeared on her face. "You just stood by and watched Taozhi slander me?"

Yan Cang's expression changed slightly: "I'm not—"

Chu Yunjin sneered: "If I hadn't suddenly said I was dizzy, would you have continued listening?"

Yan Cang's expression tightened: "Jin'er..."

"Haha, I was just kidding you. Look how nervous you are." Chu Yunjin smiled, reached out and hugged his neck, and gave him a hard kiss on the lips. "I said that on purpose so that Taozhi would pass on the message to Prince Jin. He married the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family to increase his bargaining power. How could he possibly divorce his wife for a small pawn like me? He doesn't have that kind of guts."

Yan Cang breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to hug her back: "Your body..."

"It's nothing serious." Chu Yunjin snorted lightly. "That Taozhi is really stupid... but I was even more stupid to be fooled and instigated by such an idiot before."

While scolding Taozhi, she also took the opportunity to scold the original owner of the body.

Standing outside the door, Qingchuan frowned, a strange look appearing on his face.

The princess is definitely acting strangely.

Someone who used to be so demanding is actually starting to reflect on their actions today? And they're even criticizing themselves. It's like the sun has risen in the west.

Chu Yunjin’s voice was calm and sounded much wiser than before: “The Prince of Jin would never divorce his wife, nor would he divorce his concubines or mistresses. So if he sends someone to feign affection and try to deceive me with his feelings again, I will have a perfectly reasonable reason to respond to him.”

Qingchuan nodded unconsciously.

That's true.

After all, the Prince of Jin's mansion no longer has a principal wife.

Even if the Prince of Jin truly liked her, he could only offer her the position of a concubine at most. She wasn't stupid enough to give up being the Princess of Yan to become the Prince of Jin's concubine.

wrong.

Qingchuan frowned. Wasn't the princess stupid before?

They're just plain stupid and dumb.

Although he didn't know why she seemed like a different person these past two days, it was good that she could come to her senses. It's not easy for royalty to divorce their wives, and it's even harder to get a proper divorce. Before, the thought of the prince having to spend his life with a woman like this gave him a huge headache.

But things are alright now.

Qingchuan thought that as long as the princess could sever her ties with Prince Jin and devote herself to living with him, that would be enough. He didn't expect her to be as well-educated, dignified, and virtuous as other princesses, nor did he expect her to be particularly clever or able to provide much help to the prince.

As long as she doesn't hold us back, that's fine.

Who told his prince to be so talented in both literature and martial arts, a brilliant strategist, and so skilled, yet have such poor taste in women?

Chu Yunjin sat down on the couch and couldn't help but cough lightly: "Was I too rough?"

"No," Yan Cang said, "but you need to take care of your health."

Chu Yunjin smiled, pursing her lips.

When you like someone, everything they do is right.

In ancient times, which lady from a prominent family didn't have to be gentle, dignified, knowledgeable, and reasonable?

Marrying into the royal family is even more strictly governed. There are rules governing everything from walking and talking to eating and sleeping. Not to mention the things she did in the past, even today, in front of many maids, Yan Cang saw her kicking a peach branch with her own eyes, yet she could say "not rude" without blushing or panting.

Chu Yunjin sighed, "Being love-struck is truly a man's greatest charm."