respectively
“Master’s wife,” Chu Chanyin bowed to her, speaking very quickly, “My cousin and I have come here to help you escape this marriage.”
Zhao Youyi, who was standing nearby, quickly said, "That's right, we've discussed it. Three days later, when the marriage carriage enters southern Manchuria, my cousin and I will pretend to be bandits and kidnap our teacher's wife. From then on, we'll have a wide-open world, and our teacher's wife will no longer have to sacrifice for the Jin Kingdom."
Princess Yulang looked at the two people in front of her, her expression changing unpredictably. The atmosphere fell into a deathly silence for a moment. Zhao Youyi keenly noticed her silence and thought of an impossible truth.
"Master's wife..." Chu Chanyin called out subconsciously. He also realized why Princess Yulang was silent. She was unwilling to fake her death to escape. She still couldn't let go of General Xie Bizheng's death, so...
“Xiao Yi, Xiao Cong, thank you for your kindness, but I will not run away,” Princess Yulang said calmly. “Jin cannot fight any more wars, at least not until the situation stabilizes. Now that You Li is dead, there is no one in the court who can lead the army. I must go to marry a foreign ruler.”
“But the State of Jin and the Southern Barbarians have a deep-seated hatred and grudges. The Southern Barbarian King’s request to marry the princess is just to humiliate the State of Jin. Why must you do this, Master’s wife?” Zhao Youyi’s eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn’t help but advise him.
Princess Yulang smiled slightly, her expression resolute: "You said it yourself, with national and family hatred at hand, how can I live a life of ignominy? As a princess of a nation, this is what I should do. As Xie Lang's wife, I want to avenge him."
Hearing this, Zhao Youyi fell silent. They knew all too well how difficult this path was, but for the sake of the people they loved, they had to keep going no matter how hard it was.
The moonlight illuminated Princess Yulang's face, and she realized that after removing her makeup, Princess Yulang's face was so pale. Perhaps after that incident ten years ago, Princess Yulang's heart had become like a stagnant pool, with only hatred sustaining her to live.
Chu Chanyin was about to say something when Zhao Youyi stopped him. The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.
"Teacher's wife, you mean...?" Zhao Youyi took a deep breath and asked her.
Princess Yulang looked at her and nodded. "I will kill the King of the Southern Barbarians and make them submit to the Jin Kingdom. Although I have lived a secluded life these past years, I am not oblivious to the affairs of the world. I am no longer the princess who was pampered by my brother and husband and was ignorant of the ways of the world. I will succeed."
Chu Chanyin looked at her with admiration. In fact, he should have called Princess Yulang his cousin, but he had been raised in Jiangzhou since childhood and was first taught by General Xie Bizheng before being recognized by the royal family. So, he preferred to call Princess Yulang his teacher's wife in private. General Xie Bizheng had said that although Princess Yulang was pampered since childhood, she was resilient and that women, like men, could accomplish great things.
Thinking of this, Chu Chanyin stopped trying to dissuade her. After all, the Jin Kingdom was not at peace at the moment, and he and Zhao Youyi could protect Princess Yulang for a while, but they could not protect her forever.
Zhao Youyi stepped forward and grasped Princess Yulang's hand: "Master's wife, the journey ahead is long and arduous, please remember to take care of yourself."
Princess Yulang smiled and nodded, then beckoned to Chu Chanyin. Chu Chanyin stepped forward, and Princess Yulang took his hand through her sleeve and placed it in Zhao Youyi's hand, her tone full of laughter: "I heard about your marriage a long time ago, but it was too rushed at the time, and it was not appropriate to make a fuss about it, so I didn't go to congratulate you. Now that I see that you two have a good relationship, I am relieved."
Zhao Youyi was startled and subconsciously turned her head to look at Chu Chanyin. She saw that her beautiful cousin's face was completely red, and he turned his face away shyly, staring intently at the floor.
Seeing Chu Chan's expression, Princess Yulang said with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "Xiao Cong, you are a boy and a few years older than Xiao Yi. Why is it that Xiao Yi isn't shy, but you are the one who's shy first?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin's face turned as red as a burning cloud. Zhao Youyi, seeing his expression, suppressed a laugh and withdrew her hand, explaining, "My cousin and I are not in the kind of relationship that my teacher's wife thinks. My cousin only married me because of my brother's last wish. He treats me like a real brother and sister."
Upon hearing this, Princess Yulang looked between the two in disbelief. Only when she saw that Chu Chanyin had also taken a few steps away after Zhao Youyi withdrew his hand did she reluctantly believe it. "So that's how it is. No wonder Xiao Cong's face was as red as a monkey's bottom. It's my fault for not asking clearly."
After calming down for a moment, the blush on Chu Chanyin's face had quietly faded. "It's not Master's fault. At that time, it was an emergency and we didn't have time to tell Master's wife."
Princess Yulang waved her hand to indicate that she didn't care, "It's nothing, Xiaoyi. What are you planning to do next? Go back to Fuzhou with Xiaocong?"
Zhao Youyi shook her head gently, her eyes resolute, and said, "I plan to stay in the border region. Our Zhao family has been buried here for generations. I have established a women's army and will surely show the world that women have countless paths to choose from, including going to the battlefield to kill the enemy."
Upon hearing this, Princess Yulang was stunned for a moment, looking at her with undisguised surprise: "Xiao Yi, I never knew you had such lofty ambitions."
Over the years, she had been consumed by hatred and rarely went out. She also rarely saw anyone related to Xie Bizheng. She had heard that the Zhao family's daughter had fallen ill since returning to the capital and was in poor health. Therefore, the two rarely met. She could guess that Zhao Youyi was doing this to avoid trouble. After all, the emperor was eyeing the military power in Zhao Youli's hands, and Zhao Youyi was afraid of being betrothed or forcibly taken by the emperor.
“In the past, my elder brother protected me. He hoped that I would live a peaceful and smooth life and not get involved in these conflicts.” When Zhao Youli was mentioned, Zhao Youyi lowered his head and smiled bitterly. “Now that my elder brother has died unjustly, I naturally have to shoulder the responsibility he took on, to revive the Zhao family, quell the war, and protect the peace of this region.”
Princess Yulang remained silent for a long time before finally embracing her, gently patting her shoulder, and saying softly, "Alright, Xiaoyi, your master wishes you all your dreams come true."
Princess Yulang's embrace was warm, like a kind mother or a gentle elder sister. Since her mother's death, Zhao Youyi had not received such a soft embrace for a long time. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but tear up.
"Master's wife, the journey to the Southern Barbarians is fraught with difficulties and dangers. I hope you will take care of yourself," Zhao Youyi said, holding back her tears.
Princess Yulang softly replied, "Okay."
The next day, the wedding procession left the borderland in a grand procession. Zhao Youyi and Chu Chanyin stood on the city wall and watched the red figure gradually become smaller and smaller until it could no longer be seen before they turned their gaze away.
Because of Princess Yulang's marriage to the foreign ruler, the atmosphere between the two was unusually quiet. Originally, Chu Chanyin had planned to stay a few more days because he intended to intercept Princess Yulang's carriage, but the plan changed unexpectedly. Princess Yulang was determined to leave, and they could no longer persuade her.
“Cousin,” the two walked along the street toward the inn. A light spring rain began to fall, carrying a slight chill. Chu Chanyin tilted the oil-paper umbrella slightly toward her to make sure she wouldn’t get wet. “If the rain stops in the afternoon, I will set off back to Fuzhou. Wanzhou and Youzhou will all depend on you, cousin.”
Seeing that he was tilting the oil-paper umbrella this way, Zhao Youyi reached out and grasped the handle to straighten it, then moved closer to him. "So soon?"
Because they were close together, the hems of their clothes brushed against each other, and their movements carried a hint of ambiguity and intimacy.
"When I received Brother Nianling's message by carrier pigeon, it was too rushed. There were many matters piling up in the army," Chu Chanyin explained with a slight smile. The main reason was that his clansmen were definitely dissatisfied with his long absence.
He did not initially intend to rebel. He inherited the throne to protect the royal family for his young nephew. The clan chief had proposed adopting an adult son to inherit the throne to ensure the purity of the bloodline. In order to prevent collateral descendants from usurping the throne, he fought his way to the throne despite rumors of impure blood. Even now, there are still quite a few people in the clan who want to take his place.
Although he didn't care for power and wealth, he had to hold onto it.
"In that case, Nianwan wishes her cousin a safe journey." Zhao Youyi gave a gentle and polite smile, suppressing the reluctance in her heart.
Perhaps it was the repeated separations that caused these inexplicable emotions, or perhaps it was because she had gotten used to having Chu Chan by her side for the past few months and felt a little reluctant to part with him.
However, since their grand plan is not yet complete, they are merely allies, and it is not appropriate to discuss anything else. Apart from wishing each other smooth sailing, they will not say more.
When they arrived at the inn, Zhao Youyi saw that Yin Jiu and his group had already packed their bags. Chu Muqing was standing next to Yin Jiu, tugging at his sleeve and calling out, "Uncle, why aren't you back yet?"
"Mu Qing," Chu Chanyin crouched down and beckoned to Chu Mu Qing, signaling him to come into his arms. Upon receiving the summons, Chu Mu Qing quickly rushed into his embrace.
Seeing Zhao Youyi standing beside her, Chu Muqing's eyes lit up immediately. "Is Aunt coming back with us too?"
Zhao Youyi reached out and gently pinched his soft cheek: "No, Mu Qing, go back first. Your aunt will come to see you in Virginia again when there is a chance."
Hearing this, Chu Muqing pouted unhappily, his face full of regret. However, he had been taught by Chu Chanyin since childhood to be obedient and sensible, so he could only tug at Zhao Youyi's clothes and urge her, "Then Auntie must come! When Auntie comes, I will give all the little rabbits Uncle raised to Auntie!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi glanced at Chu Chanyin with a smile, the meaning in his eyes self-evident: Look at the good nephew you've raised, he's siding with outsiders.
Chu Chanyin was momentarily stunned by her gaze. When he came to his senses, he was so angry that he pinched Chu Muqing's cheek and said, "You little brat, you used my things to do me a favor. I'll deduct your snacks for half a day when we get back!"
Chu Muqing instinctively flinched, then glared at him angrily: "Uncle, you're so stingy! You won't even give Aunt a rabbit, you're such a cheapskate!"
Chu Chanyin reached out and tapped his forehead: "You little devil, I didn't want to send your aunt a rabbit, did I? I'm angry that you used my rabbit to do a favor. Don't try to confuse the issue."
Watching the two laughing and joking, Zhao Youyi felt as if she had returned to her childhood. Back then, she always liked to use Chu Chanyin's little things as favors to give to other playmates. Chu Chanyin couldn't do anything about it and could only let her do as she pleased.
The King of Chu, who ruled over a region, was mature, steady, and decisive in his actions. In private, Chu Chan was just an eighteen-year-old boy. When he played with Chu Muqing, the two did not act like uncle and nephew, but rather like brothers.
After lunch, the group loaded their luggage onto the carriage. Considering that Chu Muqing, a small child, might be afraid to ride in the carriage, Chu Chanyin did not choose to ride a horse.
Zhao Youyi offered to escort them to the city gate, but Chu Chanyin politely declined, saying, "Cousin, there's no need to escort us any further. It's not like we won't meet again someday."
He couldn't bear it. Zhao Youyi had experienced two partings in one day. Rather than letting her see him off, he decided to let it end there.
“Of course, once the Women’s Army has settled down, I will go to Fuzhou to resolve the issue of military pay.” Zhao Youyi handed him the oil-paper umbrella, her gaze falling on his fair and strong fingers.
“Before that, I’ll send some letters to my cousin.” After saying that, he asked as if he remembered something, “Will she reply this time?”
Seeing that he brought up the letters that hadn't been replied to, Zhao Youyi felt a rare pang of guilt and hurriedly said, "Yes, I will. I will definitely read your letters carefully and reply to them."
“It’s alright if you don’t reply.” Chu Chanyin reached out and touched her dark hair, like an older brother, gentle yet respectful. “Anyway, I’m already used to it.”
"After waiting for a long time, naturally there is no expectation."
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