Chu Rong was the birth name of the Nanchu King.
Governor Su deeply agreed, grumbled, "Everybody sings of his literary and martial prowess, but of what use is that? He made a mess of Nanchu’s internal affairs, allowing the Nangong family to hold power and the external relatives to gain the upper hand."
Xie Yuan shook his head, "The death of the Princess had a great impact on him. Over the years, he managed to hold on and maintain stability in Nanchu. That was not an easy task."
Seeing that even he spoke so, who could be considered Su Rong’s biological father, the Governor refrained from saying any harsh words. He then asked, "What did Xiaoqi say?"
"The assassins who came after her were sent by the Nanchu Queen, and I have revealed her true identity to her today." Xie Yuan replied. "She is a clever child, she has never forced us to reveal anything. I originally planned to tell her everything after her hairpinning ceremony, but I did not expect such a thing to happen today."
The Governor’s expression turned grave, "Zhou Gu mentioned to me before he left, he asked me to be prepared to replace Jiang Sheng and head over to Jiangzhou. He must have received some tip-off. If we go to Jiangzhou, Jiangning County is indeed under its jurisdiction, but anyhow, we will be away from Jiangning County. I am rather uneasy about this. The Nanchu assassins dare to act so openly, sending such a group after us in broad daylight. Shouldn’t we think about countermeasures?"
In places secluded from the world, it’s easier to hide certain things. His official position is not high-profile or conspicuous. However, once he leaves Jiangning County and takes up the position as the inspector of Jiangzhou, replacing Jiang Sheng, he could still be targeted.
"Are you aware that Xiaoqi saved the Crown Prince two months ago?" asked Xie Yuan.
Governor Su shook his head in surprise, "Xiaoqi saved the Crown Prince?"
He didn’t know about this.
Xie Yuan sighed, "I was away from Jiangning County for half a year, and during this period, that girl concealed everything."
Governor Su looked innocently, "That girl’s cunning as a fox, to tell you the truth, only you and Xingze can manage her. With both of you absent for the past half year, she has become more willful."
Helplessly, Xie Yuan briefly explained the incident where Su Rong saved the Crown Prince.
After listening, the Governor nodded, "The Crown Prince’s benevolence is well known. As the heir apparent, he is upright and decent, truly a blessing for the nation. Xiaoqi’s act of saving the Crown Prince is indeed a good thing."
Xie Yuan nodded in agreement and expressed his plans for Su Rong to cooperate with the Crown Prince, "At present, the Emperor has intentions of suppressing the Crown Prince, and other princes are ambitious. The court of Daliang is undercurrents, and the Crown Prince is in a difficult position. Nonetheless, he has been designated as the heir apparent since his childhood, and has solid support. Xiaoqi’s cooperation with him would be beneficial and poses no harm."
"How are they to cooperate?" Just as the Governor was processing the implication of Xiaoqi’s life-saving grace to the Crown Prince, he heard Xie Yuan’s next words.
"The Crown Prince will protect Xiaoqi, while Xiaoqi will quietly aid the Crown Prince," Xie Yuan replied, "The Nanchu King has only one successor in Xiaoqi. With her royal status, she could potentially aid the Crown Prince one day."
"You plan to let Xiaoqi return to Nanchu to seize power?" The Governor’s complexion changed dramatically, "No way, it’s too dangerous."
"Let’s take things one step at a time. Even if Xiaoqi doesn’t return to Nanchu to seize power, the Nanchu Queen, together with the Nangong family and the Nanchu royal clan, as well as those who harbour ambitions for the Nanchu throne, are unlikely to leave her alone. At present, only the Nanchu Queen has sent assassins after her. However, if the Nanchu royal clan also started to act, then despite our efforts and the secret guards left by the Princess, it may not be enough to ensure her safety. We still need the Crown Prince of Daliang."
Governor Su’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. He looked at Xie Yuan’s calm face and thought to himself that he wasn’t as composed as Xie Yuan. Such a huge matter, yet Xie Yuan managed to discuss it without flinching. He took a deep breath, "In this given situation, if Xiaoqi can safely marry into Duke Residence..."
"Even though the Duke Residence is prestigious, it is still subject to the throne. Even though the Crown Prince is constantly suppressed by His Majesty, he is still the prince." Xie Yuan said, "The current situation is clear to you. The Duke Residence is also in a difficult position. The elder Duke, perhaps, has long understood His Majesty’s character, which is why he has let the youngest grandson, Zhou Gu, pursue literary studies. Zhou Gu has spent several years in the Eastern Palace together with the Crown Prince, studying statecraft. However, his studies are not for assisting His Majesty, but for assisting the Crown Prince. In other words, the Duke Residence has not outwardly chosen sides, but behind the scenes, with Zhou Gu, it has already sided with the Eastern Palace. The elder Duke has spared no effort and deep thought for the sake of the Duke Residence."
Governor Su looked at Xie Yuan, "So, what you mean is..."
"Even with the backing of the Duke Residence, it is hard to protect Xiaoqi, and even if they could, why should they exhaust all their strength for that? Is it because the Princess saved Daliang, preventing the elder Duke from dying on the battlefield? That would make sense, the Duke Residence would not refuse, but the slightest miscalculation can lead to disaster. The Princess never expected that in His Majesty’s old age, he would so severely suppress the Crown Prince and be wary of the Duke Residence, thus arranging the marriage. However, now, given the current circumstances, this marriage is not the best for Xiaoqi,"
"But Zhou Gu is a very good boy." Governor Su liked Zhou Gu very much. "A young man like him is very rare. If Xiaoqi doesn’t marry Zhou Gu, then in the future..." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
"Zhou Gu is certainly good, but I have gauged Xiaoqi’s feelings, and she does not seem to want to marry him anymore." Xie Yuan knew Su Rong very well. "From what I perceive, it is not that she doesn’t like Zhou Gu, but rather because she believes that her complicated background prevents her from marrying him."
"If she likes him, then she should marry him." Governor Su said, "Our Xiaoqi could marry anyone in the world, so why not Zhou Gu? What is there to fear? Her marriage to Zhou Gu would be an honor for him."
Xie Yuan shook his head, "Old Su, you speak quite boldly."
He continued calmly, "His Majesty is not the same as the past emperors. His Majesty is power-hungry. Once Xiaoqi’s background is revealed, there’s no guarantee that His Majesty wouldn’t exploit Xiaoqi, and why would he allow the Duke Residence to gain more power? The glory of the Duke Residence has reached its peak. As for Zhou Gu, being born in the Duke Residence, even if he was not the eldest grandson, he still has the responsibility to protect the Duke Residence’s family. How can he be impulsive out of love?"
Although Governor Su admitted it in his heart, he still said, "His Majesty is indeed power-hungry, but the Duke Residence is deeply rooted, I don’t think they have reached a dead end, perhaps..."
"Why hasn’t the elder Duke sent anyone to Jiangning for years? Why did he only fulfill the marriage vow when your wife wrote him a letter? The elder Duke is certainly a man of his word and would not back out of a marriage, but over the years, Xiaoqi’s background has made him cautious, and he has not dared to act rashly. What does this mean? It shows that the Duke Residence is not as powerful as before under His Majesty’s watchful eyes. This is not the age of the founding emperor, nor that of the second emperor, and even less of the late emperor’s reign."
Governor Su fell silent, regardless of what the Duke Residence thought, the fact that it had been unresponsive for many years was true.
Xie Yuan continued, "The key is Xiaoqi, she is not a child immersed in love. The things of love in this world are like the winds shaking the willow pistils, why can’t she let go? Even without Zhou Gu, she will meet someone else one day in the future. Even if it’s not the best one, so what?"
Governor Su became angry, "Old Xie, it’s easy for you to say it. If you feel this way, why don’t you remarry in honor of the princess?"
"Because I have let go, I don’t want to remarry and trouble myself." Xie Yuan was very straightforward. "In my last years accompanying the princess, we have regarded each other as family."
Governor Su was silenced, and he had to admit that was the case. He faltered for a moment, pointing at Xie Yuan, "You, you, you... You’ve turned Xiaoqi into this kind of personality, what’s good about that? Hasn’t she become someone without emotion?"
"Not at all, it hasn’t come to that. She still has goodness and sentiment in her heart. You, as her foster father, should not only look at the surface of Xiaoqi’s personality. Isn’t refusing to involve others in unjust situations a kind of character?" Xie Yuan counter-questioned, "Have you heard about Princess Qingping’s daughter, Duanhua Princess? She is so spoiled that she is lawless, selfish, and only thinks of one man in her head. She must have him, like a madwoman, regardless of her own reputation, her parents’ admonitions, or whether she’s causing trouble for others or putting them in an unjust situation. Is that kind of behavior better?"
Governor Su fell speechless and deflated, "I can’t win an argument with you."
He was dealing with the man who had become famous for his debates and outstanding scholarly achievements, so he conceded defeat.
Xie Yuan softened his tone, "Xiaoqi has been very opinionated since she was little, and now that she has grown up, she knows what she should do. Even if some things may seem wrong and are not in the same direction as most of the people in the world, what does it matter? We, as her elders, can only offer advice from the sidelines, to keep her from straying too far off course, as long as she doesn’t harm the country or the people. As for how to go on, how to live in the future, and who to marry, it all depends on her own decision."
Governor Su had to admit that this made a lot of sense, and he had no words to refute it. He nodded, "Alright! As you say, let’s leave it at that!"
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