affection
Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin suddenly looked at her, "Cousin... what do you mean by that?"
"I was just joking." Zhao Youyi smiled gently at him and said no more.
After Chu Chanyin left, Zhao Youyi unconsciously touched her chest, as if she had some thoughts she shouldn't have.
When Chu Chanyin mentioned preparing the dowry, an incredulous anger surged through her. She even wanted to say, "Haven't we already bowed to heaven and earth? Why are you still telling me to marry someone else?"
However, Chu Chanyin clearly had no romantic feelings for her; perhaps, as he said, he was simply fulfilling his friend's last wish.
"Miss." Xiao Qing came in carrying toiletries. "Miss is finally awake. You scared me to death. His Highness stayed by your side for a day and a night without closing his eyes, looking through medical books and feeding you medicine. I wanted to help, but His Highness wouldn't let me."
Over the years, the poison in her heart had been well suppressed, but recently, a series of accidents occurred. First, the Empress Dowager forced her to marry, her brother died, and then the Emperor forced her to marry. She hurriedly left the capital, and the journey was bumpy. Coupled with Min Guo's betrayal and the stimulation of the Wanzhou incident, she never expected that the poison would take effect.
"Did he feed him the medicine?" Zhao Youyi thought of Chu Chanyin's haggard face and suddenly felt that she had pushed him too hard. Anyway, the two of them were already married, and he couldn't deny it. Being too hasty would only make things worse.
Moreover, with a blood feud looming between them, personal feelings would only hold them back.
The King of Chu was ambitious and had his sights set on the world. He was bound to rebel in the future. Both of them knew this perfectly well. Before everything was settled, discussing these matters was just pointless.
"Yes, His Highness cares about you very much. When you were sick in the past, the General also stayed by your side like this." Xiao Qing's tone was full of joy. "The General is most worried about you, Miss. His Highness treats you like a younger sister. Now the General can rest assured."
"My own sister?" Zhao Youyi murmured unconsciously.
After Zhao Youyi finished washing up, Ying Jiu brought the meal and stood outside the door. "Your Highness, this is a medicinal meal prepared by the Prince himself. You haven't eaten for a day and a night, and the Prince is very worried about you."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi raised an eyebrow and suddenly realized that the people around Chu Chanyin had always regarded her as a princess. Ying Jiu and her group were both guards and secret agents, and were Chu Wang's confidants. If Chu Wang hadn't tacitly approved, why would they address her like that? On the contrary, the people around her did not regard Chu Wang as her husband. After all, Xiao Qing and the others knew that the marriage agreement was just a temporary measure.
"Come in." Zhao Youyi beckoned to him, and Ying Jiu walked in with his head down, carrying the meal.
"Has Your Highness gone to rest?" Zhao Youyi looked at the bowl of donkey-hide gelatin and black chicken soup. It looked very delicate. She wondered how Chu Chanyin could be so... caring towards her. Even after she had told him to leave, he could still calmly make soup for her.
They were incredibly considerate.
What merit did she have to deserve a prince who usually only holds a sword hilt and a writing brush to wash his hands and cook for her?
Ying Jiu shook her head worriedly upon hearing this, "No, the prince said he wants to watch over your medicine; he doesn't trust anyone else."
Zhao Youyi was at a loss for words. Sometimes Chu Chanyin was so considerate that she felt he was deeply in love with her, and other times she felt that she was just imagining things.
"Tell him to go and rest. If you can't get him to go, I'll go myself," Zhao Youyi said while drinking the black chicken soup.
Ying Jiu quickly accepted the order and left.
Xiao Qing, standing to the side, covered her mouth and chuckled. Zhao Youyi glanced at her and gestured for her to speak her mind.
"I misspoke just now. His Highness doesn't treat you like a sister at all; he clearly loves you without realizing it," Xiao Qing said, while observing her mistress's expression.
"What do you think the King of Chu's attitude towards me is...?" Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly; even Zhao Youyi sometimes couldn't see things clearly himself.
“The prince naturally loves and cherishes you very much, like an elder brother and a husband. He takes care of everything for you personally. However, the relationship between you and the prince was initially only based on mutual interests. It’s normal that the prince, being in the thick of things, couldn’t see it clearly.” Xiao Qing was always perceptive in this regard.
Zhao Youyi naturally knew that Xiao Qing was telling the truth. "There's plenty of time in the future. Let's focus on resolving the Wanzhou matter."
Chu Chanyin ultimately watched the medicine being prepared before going to rest. He asked Ying Jiu to deliver it to Zhao Youyi's room. Ying Jiu was somewhat puzzled: "Your Highness cares so much about the Princess Consort, why don't you deliver it yourself? The Princess Consort will surely be happy to see you."
Chu Chanyin shook his head, his expression unreadable: "The path I will take in the future will neither give her wealth nor stability, and her life will be uncertain from day to day. Why should I create unnecessary emotions and cause her unnecessary trouble?"
“Your Highness, you are too arbitrary. Have you asked what the Princess Consort is thinking?” Ying Jiu did not agree with his statement. Ever since the prince decided to seize the throne, his ambition has been waning day by day. He seized the throne to avenge the late King Chu. He secretly taught his elder brother’s son the art of being an emperor, so he probably had no interest in the throne.
Ying Jiu was a bodyguard raised by Chu Chanyin from a young age. Before the Crown Prince's death, Chu Chanyin longed for a life of leisure and freedom. He had no interest in vying for the throne or in fame and fortune. Having not grown up in the royal palace, he did not have a deep relationship with the late King and Queen of Chu. Only the Crown Prince cared for his younger brother. This is probably why Chu Chanyin was so fond of his elder brother's son.
After all, he was the only son of his deceased brother, the only one in the royal family who cared for him.
With a deep-seated blood feud looming, he had little choice in many matters.
"I am not her right man." Chu Chanyin looked at the bright moonlight outside the window and sighed helplessly.
They met as children and addressed each other as brother and sister. Now, by a twist of fate, they have become husband and wife. He only wishes to fulfill her long-cherished wish; as for anything else, how dare he even dream of it?
Seeing his melancholy expression, Ying Jiu said no more. In fact, he understood that after the matter was settled, Chu Chanyin would probably leave. He might go to fulfill his wish and become a traveling doctor, or he might be determined to die. After all, that accident back then had deprived too many people of the right to choose.
After his father and brother died, he was put on the throne. For the sake of peace in the world, for the last wishes of his father and brother, and for his nephew, he had no choice but to do it. This was not his own wish.
But since he has made the choice, he will see it through to the end.
After Zhao Youyi finished his medicine and rested, he got up early the next morning and pondered how to deal with Min Guo. His scouts brought news that Min Guo had not only opened Wanzhou as a place for trade between the two countries, but had also allowed the Nanman army to be stationed in Wanzhou. No wonder the people thought that Wanzhou had fallen. But what was the emperor's intention in doing this? Or was it the Empress Dowager's idea?
Wanzhou is not far from Fuzhou. If the emperor were to station troops here, it would inevitably raise suspicions that he had colluded with the Southern Barbarians to suppress Chu Chanyin's private army.
Thinking of this, Zhao Youyi suddenly realized that this trip to Wanzhou was probably not simple. Moreover, she wanted to take back the Zhao family army, kick Min Guo off his horse, and make the Zhao family army obey her. It seemed that it was time to let the emperor's incompetent behavior sweep across the border.
The border region is far from the capital, and many things do not reach the ears of the people there. Although the soldiers were trained by Zhao Youli, Zhao Youyi knew that Zhao Youli was a loyal and patriotic man and probably would not instill in his soldiers the idea that if the emperor wants his subjects to rebel, they must not rebel.
Brother... You fought for the country your whole life, but you died with a criminal record. Will you regret it?
Zhao Youyi stroked the farewell letter and couldn't help but sigh.
"Xiao Xuan," Zhao Youyi called towards the door. Xiao Xuan came over and asked in a low voice, "Master, what's wrong?"
"Go and tell Qianhuan and the others to spread rumors in the city that the emperor poisoned his brother and that the emperor condoned the embezzlement of military funds by the emperor's father-in-law." Zhao Youyi's gaze was cold. "As for the army, I will personally go and meet with Min Guo."
Xiao Xuan agreed upon hearing this, but still couldn't help but say, "Master, why don't you just send someone to assassinate him? Why do you have to do it yourself?"
"I want him to be utterly disgraced and despised by everyone after his death. How could I let him die without a clear explanation?" Zhao Youyi smiled slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent.
She would not let any of those involved in poisoning her brother go unpunished—the Emperor, Min Guo, the Prefect…
"Cousin." Chu Chanyin, who was standing not far away, called out to her, his expression unreadable.
Zhao Youyi looked up at him, patted Xiaoxuan's shoulder and told her to step back. She had thought that Chu Chanyin would avoid her for a few days, just like after their last marriage.
I didn't expect to see her so soon after only one night.
"Your Highness, what brings you here?" Zhao Youyi smiled politely and took a few steps closer to him, intending to bow.
Chu Chanyin quickly reached out to support her, "Cousin, why must we be like this?"
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