Past
Wanzhou is only half a day's walk from Fuzhou, so Chu Chanyin received the letter the next day. Facing the teasing looks from everyone, Chu Chanyin took the envelope as if nothing had happened. Su Chaoyang, the young master of the Su family who came to join in the fun, stopped him.
"Your Highness, please wait," Su Chaoyang said, extending his hand to block Chu Chanyin's path. "What is this? This is a once-in-a-century iron tree in bloom, a truly rare sight!"
Chu Chanyin used his fan to swat away the hand that was blocking his way. "Nonsense! Why don't you go to the military camp for training instead of coming to my Chu Prince's mansion to join in the fun?"
"I'm not here to join in the fun, I'm here to find Mu Qing," Su Chaoyang was the son of the governor of Fuzhou, a few years older than Chu Chanyin. After being defeated by Chu Chanyin, he was taken under Chu Chanyin's command and became the deputy general of the Chu army.
"Go find Mu Qing in the back courtyard. What are you doing in the front hall?" Chu Chanyin walked around him and went to the back.
Seeing that he avoided answering, Su Chaoyang felt that there was something fishy going on. "I heard from Mu Qing the other day that you got married. I thought it was just a rumor in the city, but now that I see, it's probably true!"
As he spoke, his eyes kept scanning Chu Chanyin and the envelope, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.
Chu Chan ignored him and went to the study on his own.
With anticipation in his heart, he carefully opened the envelope, and Zhao Youyi's beautiful handwriting appeared before his eyes.
"To Huai Cong himself:"
It has been a long time since we last met. I am doing well in Wanzhou. Both the Women's Army and the Zhao Family Army are developing steadily. My cousin doesn't need to worry too much about my health. After years of conditioning, I am no different from an ordinary person.
I'm sure my cousin is busy with many things in Virginia, so I'm sending this message of longing through red beans. When the time is right, we will meet again.
Nianwan's handwritten note in Wanzhou
After reading the letter, Chu Chanyin picked up the envelope and poured it onto the table. A few red beans rolled down the table, and Chu Chanyin couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hey," Su Chaoyang, who was leaning against the door frame, saw his expression and quickly stepped forward to try to read the contents of the letter, but Chu Chanyin quickly put the letter away.
"Chu Huaicong, why are you being so stingy today?" Su Chaoyang looked him up and down suspiciously. "Could this be a letter your wife sent you?"
He spotted a few red beans on the table, picked one up, and exclaimed in amazement, "These are love beans! They're extraordinary, truly extraordinary!"
Seeing his certainty, Chu Chan glanced at him and said, "This is a letter from Nianling's sister. We did indeed get married in Shenjing, but it was just a temporary measure to help her leave Shenjing."
Su Chaoyang and Zhao Youli were old acquaintances, and Su Chaoyang had naturally heard Zhao Youli mention his younger sister. At that time, Chu Chanyin received Zhao Youli's last letter and rushed to Shenjing. It was Zhao Youli who helped stabilize the situation in Fuzhou.
Mentioning Zhao Youli, a trace of regret and sadness unconsciously appeared on his face: "It is truly a case of heaven being jealous of talent. Brother Nianling died unjustly, and that dog emperor will pay the price for it sooner or later."
Chu Chanyin sighed: "You and I are only close friends, yet we harbor such resentment. How much more so for Cousin Zhao, who is Cousin Zhao's only family. I originally intended to bring her to Fuzhou so that she could live a peaceful life, but she couldn't let go of her hatred for the Zhao family army, nor could she let go of the people of the world. Now she has established a women's army and reorganized the Zhao family army in the border region."
Upon hearing this, Su Chaoyang was dumbfounded. Years ago, he had heard Zhao Youli mention his younger sister. In Zhao Youli's words, his sister was cute and weak, and her health was not good. He never expected that after the incident, such a weak woman would become a general and even form a women's army.
"You didn't try to persuade her?" Su Chaoyang asked incredulously.
Chu Chanyin turned his head to look at him, his expression indifferent: "Advice? My cousin has her own ideas, and forming an all-women's army will inevitably be misunderstood by the world. Why should I make my cousin suffer? What she needs is support, so I will support her."
Su Chaoyang sighed deeply, "If Brother Nianling knew about this, he would be so angry he'd come back to life!"
"There has never been such a precedent in history!" Su Chaoyang exclaimed excitedly.
"Now we have it." Chu Chanyin said calmly, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"I will understand and support whatever my cousin wants to do. If you can't change your prejudices, at least don't say these things in front of her in the future." Chu Chanyin glanced at him indifferently, got up and took a military book from the bookshelf behind him to read.
"She's coming to Florida?" Upon hearing that Zhao Youyi was coming to Florida, Su Chaoyang was so excited that he forgot all about the Women's Army. He had heard Zhao Youli mention his clever and quick-witted sister many times, but he had never had the chance to meet her. Now, seeing how Chu Chanyin was protecting her, he was even more curious about who Zhao Youyi really was.
Chu Chanyin nodded. "Yes, if there's nothing else, you can leave now. You're making a racket."
Su Chaoyang was so angry that he wanted to jump up and hit him, but what he said reminded him of the important matter. "By the way, the anniversary of the death of the late King Chu and his queen is coming soon. The steward asked me to ask you if you want to proceed as usual?"
Chu Chanyin paused for a moment while turning the page, then resumed his normal expression: "The same as in previous years."
Having received a reply, Su Chaoyang left the study to instruct the steward, while Chu Chanyin was somewhat lost in thought as the date approached.
His father's name was Chu Yizhi, and his mother's name was Liu Lengyu.
Chu Yizhi fell in love at first sight with Liu Lengyu, who was playing the zither under the willow tree. He went to her home to ask for her hand in marriage. Although the two were not of equal social standing, Chu Yizhi insisted on marrying Liu Lengyu, and in the end, he got his wish.
However, Liu Lengyu did not like Chu Yizhi. She already had a young man she loved, but he chose to give up because he was afraid of Chu Yizhi's power. Liu Lengyu was heartbroken and married Chu Yizhi.
After their marriage, Chu Yizhi tried his best to please Liu Lengyu, sending her all sorts of nice things. Humans aren't plants or trees; how could they be without feelings? Liu Lengyu gradually succumbed to Chu Yizhi's advances, and the two had their first child, Chu Yongxi.
Life gradually became peaceful and warm, but as time went on, conflicts inevitably arose between the two. When Chu Yongxi was ten years old, the conflict finally erupted when the young man Liu Lengyu had once been in love with came to her door, accusing Chu Yizhi of threatening him with his family and forcing him to give up Liu Lengyu.
Liu Lengyu couldn't believe that the man she had shared her bed with for ten years was such a cold and domineering person. But the evidence was conclusive: the past affection was just a bet Chu Yizhi made with others, a bet on how long it would take to make the most beautiful woman in Jiangzhou fall head over heels for him.
Ten years of love vanished like a bubble. She wanted a divorce, but Chu Yizhi imprisoned her in the courtyard. However, Chu Yizhi couldn't monitor her day and night, so the young man took the opportunity to rescue her. The two prepared to escape from Fuzhou, but were captured by Chu Yizhi. The young man died under Chu Yizhi's sword. Liu Lengyu was heartbroken and from then on treated Chu Yizhi coldly.
Unexpectedly, three months later, she was found to be pregnant. In no time, the news that she was carrying an illegitimate child spread throughout Fuzhou City. However, she knew that the child in her womb was indeed Chu Yizhi's child, and she wished it wasn't.
Chu Yongxi was born amidst the expectations of his parents and possessed their purest love. However, this child was born amidst Liu Lengyu's disillusionment with Chu Yizhi and Chu Yizhi's distrust of Liu Lengyu. On the day he was born, this child, a symbol of his parents' failed love, was sent to Jiangzhou and never returned for more than ten years.
"Uncle!" The clear child's voice brought him back to reality. Chu Chan smiled and caught the little dumpling, pinching Chu Muqing's cheek.
"You little rascal, what's wrong now?" Chu Chanyin asked him with a forced smile.
Holding Chu Muqing in his arms, she said softly, "Uncle Su just said that Uncle received Aunt's letter. Did Aunt mention Muqing?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin subconsciously hid the letter and looked at his nephew's expectant eyes, saying, "Yes, she asked me if Mu Qing has gained weight recently."
Chu Muqing tugged at Chu Chanyin's sleeve and said, "Uncle, please tell Aunt that Muqing is not fat at all! She's even lost a little weight!"
After he finished speaking, he stretched out his thumb and forefinger and gestured. Chu Chanyin couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the tiny little bit.
"Alright, alright, you're not fat, Mu Qing, hurry up and review your lessons. I'll be checking on you in a couple of days," Chu Chanyin said, rubbing the little kid's head.
Upon hearing this, Chu Muqing, like a startled rabbit, disappeared in a flash.
Chu Chanyin watched the rapidly disappearing figure, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Zhao Youyi, far away in Wanzhou, received some bad news. The wealthy merchants from Jiangzhou refused to believe that the people who came were not the ones Zhao Youli had sent in the past, and refused to sell their grain. Zhou Huaiyuan was so anxious that he almost scratched his hair off.
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiming said, "Why not send someone who used to be under General Zhao's command?"
Zhou Huaiyuan sighed deeply: "Those brothers were the elite under the general's command, so they would naturally follow the general back to the capital. Unfortunately, they were killed in Yunzhou."
Zhao Youyi rubbed his temples: "In that case, I'll have to go myself."
"What!" Zhou Huaiyuan exclaimed in shock. "General, you want to leave the border region? No, no, the army cannot be without a commander for even a day!"
Liu Zhiming pondered for a moment but did not object like Zhou Huaiyuan: "The wealthy merchants in Jiangzhou may not trust our men, but they will definitely trust the general. Moreover, the general and the great general look five or six parts alike, which alone is enough to convince people."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Huaiyuan hesitated, his expression shifting unpredictably. "Although we believe in your skills, General, you still can't go alone. You need someone trustworthy to accompany you, so you can at least look out for each other."
Many of her secret guards were sent to the Women's Army to teach martial arts. Although she would still have secret guards accompanying her on this trip to Jiangzhou, Zhou Huaiyuan was still worried.
The wrongful death of Zhao Youli made him extremely wary, like someone who had been bitten by a snake once and was afraid of a rope for ten years. Before returning to the capital, he was still a spirited general, but he was poisoned on the way and did not even get to see Zhao Youli one last time.
Zhao Youyi naturally knew that Zhou Huaiyuan made sense, but nowadays there were very few people he could trust who could also spare the time to go to Jiangzhou together. Zhou Yaqing and Liu Zhiming both had to stay in the army to take charge of the overall situation, and the Zhao family army could not do without Zhou Huaiyuan.
It seems that only one person can accompany her to Jiangzhou.
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