Heartfelt wishes
Zhao Youyi assumed that he was just feeling hurt and offered even more sincere words of comfort: "It's alright, cousin, I won't discriminate against you."
Chu Chanyin felt utterly speechless.
Seeing that Zhao Youyi already thought so, he didn't say anything more, since he would find out in the future anyway.
"My cousin just said she had something to discuss with me. What is it?" Chu Chanyin quickly changed the subject.
"There are some matters in the military that I would like to consult with my cousin." Zhao Youyi took the opportunity to back down, not dwelling too much on whether he was capable or not.
Although she was exceptionally talented in military operations and had been on the battlefield in her early years, managing an army and fighting are ultimately different. Chu Chanyin had been in charge of the Chu army for many years and naturally had more experience in this area than she did.
Chu Chanyin was not surprised to hear this, and invited the person to his study. "In that case, let's play a game of chess and talk as we play."
Zhao Youyi readily agreed, finding no objection to it.
Zhao Youyi played black pieces, and Chu Chanyin played white pieces. The two sat facing each other, the room filled with the aroma of tea. Before they started, Chu Chanyin brewed a pot of fine Longjing tea for her with his delicate hands. His fingers were fair, slender, and strong, and every movement he made was elegant and composed.
"Is my cousin encountering difficulties in the army recently?" Chu Chanyin placed a white piece and looked up at her.
Zhao Youyi then placed a black piece, looking unusually worried: "It seems that the Zhao Family Army and the Women's Army are somewhat dissatisfied with each other. The soldiers of the Zhao Family Army feel that it is against common sense for women to join the army, while the Women's Army feels that the Zhao Family Army is too arrogant. They should cooperate with each other, after all, it is impossible for them to go to the battlefield with distrust towards each other."
"Does my cousin manage the two armies separately?" Chu Chanyin asked.
Zhao Youyi nodded.
“Since we haven’t spent time together, there’s naturally no emotional foundation. Although men and women are different, swords have no eyes on the battlefield. If we can’t trust our backs to our teammates, the morale of the troops may be unstable on the battlefield.” Chu Chanyin pushed the snacks toward her. “Try the water chestnut cake you like.”
Zhao Youyi picked up a piece with his chopsticks and smiled, "Delicious! It's kind of you for remembering that I like this."
After finishing a piece of water chestnut cake, Zhao Youyi steered the conversation back to military matters: "My cousin is right. It seems I need to go back and have them train together in the next few months so they can get to know each other better."
“My cousin is wise. On the battlefield, they are soldiers first and foremost, and only then women or men. My cousin needs them to put aside their prejudices against each other and cooperate well so that the result is greater than the sum of its parts.” Chu Chanyin smiled. In the course of their conversation, the outcome of the game was already decided.
"Cousin, can't you go easy on me a little?" She had never won against Chu Chanyin in chess since she was a child. She thought that things would be different now that he was so indulgent and accommodating towards her, but she didn't expect him to still not show any mercy.
Chu Chanyin raised an eyebrow: "Does my cousin want me to go easy on her?"
Chu Chanyin understood her. If he really let her win, Zhao Youyi would be unhappy. After all, Zhao Youyi had always been competitive since she was a child. If she lost once, she would win twice. She didn't care about other people's charity.
Zhao Youyi thought for a moment, "No, anyway... let's play another round!"
As Chu Chanyin expected, she gave the answer. The two continued playing chess until night fell. When Chu Chanyin relaxed for a moment, Zhao Youyi finally won one more game than she lost. She stretched contentedly, looked at Chu Chanyin, tilted her head and smiled, her eyes full of cunning.
Chu Chanyin loved seeing her like this, like a white wolf returning home with its prey, its eyes filled with the joy of victory, revealing the pride and innocence that only someone that age could possess, its eyes sparkling as if they held billions of stars.
Chu Chanyin poured her a cup of tea, walked up to her and touched her jet-black hair. "Seeing your innocent and carefree smile, like a child, always gives me an indescribable feeling."
Zhao Youyi asked curiously, "Why?"
"It's probably because I can only feel at ease when I see this smile, and that's how I live up to Brother Nianling's entrustment." When Chu Chanyin received Zhao Youli's last letter, he made up his mind that he must protect Zhao Youyi for the rest of his life, treat her like a precious jewel, and protect her for a lifetime without worry.
Zhao Youyi discovered that he really liked to touch her head, like he would touch a child. From when he was a child, he had to stand on tiptoe to touch her head, to now he could touch it so easily. Six years had passed, as if it were a lifetime ago.
"Cousin, what do you want to do after everything settles down?" After dinner, the two climbed onto the roof to look at the moon, just like they did when they were children. Today was the fifteenth of August, and the moon hanging high in the night sky was full and bright. Zhao Youyi took a sip of the peach blossom wine that Chu Chanyin had treasured, and felt happy.
"Me?" Chu Chanyin tilted his head back and took a sip of wine, his voice tinged with laughter. "Why don't you speak first, cousin?"
Zhao Youyi glanced at him, somewhat displeased with his evasiveness, but still went along with him and answered, "I want to be the emperor."
Hearing these shocking remarks, Chu Chanyin didn't react excessively at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrows with interest, signaling her to continue.
Zhao Youyi, on the contrary, was displeased and reached out to pinch his cheek: "Why don't you have any reaction at all? I'm going to rebel! And I'm going to be the empress!"
Chu Chan smiled faintly and dodged the question, "Didn't you already know I would support you? Weren't you full of confidence when you made that bet with Young Master Chi last time?"
Zhao Youyi felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look at him. Ever since she forcibly kissed him last time, she didn't dare to be so confident anymore. After all, she had been so sure that he had romantic feelings for her. But he just said, "I treat you like a sister," which made her furious.
“Last time was last time, and this time is this time. So much time has passed, let me ask again what happened?” Zhao Youyi raised an eyebrow.
"My answer has never changed from beginning to end," Chu Chanyin said firmly.
"What?" Zhao Youyi was confused.
“Of course I’ll follow my cousin to the ends of the earth.” He said exactly what he had said on the boat that night. Zhao Youyi felt her heart suddenly bend, followed by a rapid heartbeat, reddened ears, and difficulty breathing.
"Will you still stay with me in the future?" Zhao Youyi asked cautiously.
Chu Chanyin nodded without hesitation, “Of course I promised Brother Nianling that I would protect you for life. I will be by your side whenever you need me.”
"Even if I were to rebel? To become emperor?" Zhao Youyi couldn't help but ask again.
"What's the big deal?" Chu Chanyin smiled nonchalantly, his peach blossom eyes filled with tender affection. "Even if you want the moon, I'll build you a ladder to pluck it."
Zhao Youyi's gaze was fixed on him, and she felt that his radiance was even brighter than the moonlight.
The moon... the moon was right in front of her, and she really wanted to possess it.
"However, after my cousin no longer needed me, I became a wandering doctor, traveling around to see the beautiful land my cousin had governed." Chu Chanyin drank the wine in the jar in one gulp, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her.
Zhao Youyi belatedly realized that Chu Chanyin had always been a person who cherished freedom. He loved medicine and healing the sick, loved seeing all kinds of scenery, and loved all things free and romantic, just like the name he gave himself—Chanyin, a way of cultivation that was far removed from worldly affairs and integrated with nature.
How could she make the free wind linger for her for a lifetime? And how could she bear to confine the free wind for a lifetime?
But she was still greedy and couldn't bear to part with it.
"What if I always need you?" Zhao Youyi couldn't help but ask.
Chu Chanyin answered without hesitation, "Then I will stay with my cousin."
In his heart, Zhao Youyi will always be his first choice.
Zhao Youyi lowered her head and couldn't help but smile, a smile tinged with bitterness.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or sad. Chu Chanyin was willing to stay with her, and she should be happy, but when she thought about using the power he disliked to trap him for life, she couldn't bear it.
He should live a carefree life, just like his name suggests, and not be entangled in these mundane matters.
We shouldn't be bound by her selfishness.
"Silly girl, what are you thinking about?" Chu Chanyin saw that she looked sullen and tapped her forehead with his slender finger.
Zhao Youyi snapped out of her daze, looked up at him, and said, “Although I want to be emperor, I don’t want to be emperor for the rest of my life. Supreme power is not what I’m pursuing. But in times of chaos, where can one find a peaceful life? Someone has to step forward. Cousin, if one day I don’t want to be emperor anymore, let’s go together.”
Chu Chanyin was somewhat surprised, but he still nodded readily, "Okay, I'll accompany my cousin to the ends of the earth."
Zhao Youyi wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but withdrew it under his gaze, which was devoid of any lust. "What if we fail to rebel? Cousin, will you be afraid?"
"And what about you? Are you afraid of failure?" Chu Chanyin asked instead of answering.
Zhao Youyi shook his head firmly: "Of course not. The winner is king and the loser is a bandit. But as long as it is good for the common people, it doesn't matter to me who is the emperor."
"If that day ever comes, I will protect you." Chu Chanyin's tone was serious as he reached out and touched her hair.
"Just like when we were little, I said I would protect you for the rest of my life." Chu Chanyin smiled gently, his eyes filled with tender affection, so gentle it seemed to drip with water.
Zhao Youyi leaned on his shoulder and gazed at the distant moon. "If such a day ever comes, and I can die with my cousin, I will have no regrets."
These words surprised and moved Chu Chanyin. He gently pulled her into his arms and tentatively asked, "You already consider me family, don't you, cousin?"
Zhao Youyi's lips twitched. For a moment, she didn't know whether to answer yes or no. If she answered yes, Chu Chanyin would definitely think that she regarded him as her brother. If she answered no, Chu Chanyin would be sad. She didn't want him to be sad.
“My cousin already has the answer in his heart, why ask again?” Zhao Youyi reached out and held his little finger, tenderly and intimately.
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