The old Duke of the Protectorate had been silent for a long time, because he found that Su Rong was making sense.
He suddenly realized that his worries might be unnecessary, overthinking, worrying for nothing. Clearly, it was his grandson who was more difficult, more temperamental, more willful. Otherwise, this young girl would not, having already had Ye Guixue in her hand, choose him instead.
The old Duke lifted his tea, took a sip, cleared his throat twice, reminding her, "You are, after all, a princess, the future Nanchu Queen. How can you always listen to him? It’s not right!"
Unable to hide her amusement, Su Rong replied, "He is my royal husband, I naturally listen to him."
"You shouldn’t indulge him too much," admonished the old Duke. "If indulged for a long time, he will become arrogant due to being spoiled and will no longer be adorable."
Su Rong didn’t think that would be a problem. "He’s always quite adorable."
The old Duke: "..."
Oh dear, he was blushing at being told by this young girl that Zhou Gu was somehow adorable at any point.
He was at a loss for words: "Although you two have decided on a lifetime commitment and are now family, it’s not necessary to praise him too much."
Su Rong laughed, "It’s not praise, I truly find him adorable."
The old Duke was completely speechless. Alright, if she insisted on saying that, how could he argue? Did he need to argue that his grandson was not adorable? There was no need for that.
He remained silent for a moment, deciding to change the topic, he inquired, "When do you plan to go to Nanchu? When I was in the capital, I received news that the Nanchu King is ill. The Crown Prince should have already passed the message to you."
"Yes, I received the Crown Prince’s message a few days ago," Su Rong replied calmly. "After things in Daliang are settled, and the Crown Prince is firmly in his position as the heir, I’ll go to Nanchu."
"Aren’t you worried about the Nanchu King?"
"Not worried." Su Rong shook her head, "How do I know whether he put out word about his illness to expedite my return to Nanchu? Throughout these years, I’ve never heard of the Nanchu King being afflicted with any major illness or disaster."
The old Duke said, "You still need to take it seriously. After all, the past is the past, and things are different now. The Nangong Family has been unable to kill you, and they might be cornered like a desperate dog. Plus, you didn’t use the Ye Xiang Residence as a ladder, Ye Xiang must be annoyed at your disregard for him. You should know that the position of the Ye Xiang Residence in Nanchu is second only to the Nangong Family. And his second son, Ye Guixue, is exceptional. You refused him just like that, what reason would he have to assist you in acquiring the throne?"
"If the Nangong Family could take that position, we would not have reached this day. The relationship between Ye Xiang Residence and the Nanchu King may not be as solid as tofu either, not resistant to wind and rain." Su Rong spoke calmly, her heart clear as a mirror, "My biggest reliance right now isn’t the Nanchu King, nor is it the rejected Ye Xiang Residence—it’s Daliang behind me. As long as Daliang is secure, then the alliance between the Crown Prince and me is unbreakable. This path to Nanchu will be clear. Even if the Nanchu King can’t wait for me to be conspired against and lose the throne, I can still fight in Nanchu and seize it."
Hearing her words, the old Duke laughed, "That’s true, you’re right."
His mood lifted a little and he praised, "You are indeed a smart girl, no wonder the Crown Prince says that no matter what happens, you never panic."
"There are times when I panic, like that day when I was pursued by Nangong Yu. I was unable to escape, chased to a dead end. I was getting ready to fight him, preferably to mutual destruction. Yet I was thinking, even if I killed him, I would still be at a loss. It would be an unsatisfactory death." Su Rong said, "I was quite panicked at that time."
The old Duke nodded, "It is understandable when facing life and death. No one is an exception."
He looked at Su Rong, "But the Nanchu King is after all your biological father and he does love you. Over the years, he has laid the groundwork for you in the shadows. The fact that he intended Ye Guixue to be your partner is evidence enough."
Su Rong nodded, "I know, so do you think that he will be willing to die without seeing me one last time? Once he’s seen me, will he be content to die without getting the chance to spend quality time with me? Let’s not forget, initially, my mother liked Uncle Xie, yet he managed to snatch my mother away from Uncle Xie, and even made my mother fall in love with him."
The old Duke exclaimed, "You’re a smart girl. You understand everything. It seems that I’ve been worrying for no reason."
Su Rong laughed, "You’re worried about me because you care about me. I also like it when you show concern for my affairs."
"As long as you are confident about your plans," the old Duke sighed, "Ah, when you get old, you tend to overthink and worry too much. You are not like you young people, clear-minded and quick-witted."
"I think you are not old at all. If I hadn’t won over Zhang Yun, you would have fearlessly fought Zhang Ping." Looking at the old Duke with his completely white hair, Su Rong knew that he was still in high spirits, energetic despite his age, showing no signs of senility.
"That’s a given, I’ve always wanted to deal with that bastard Zhang Ping, but I didn’t expect him to raise two good sons." The old Duke looked at Su Rong appreciatively. "You are unconventional, you know how to select talented people to serve you, and you are tolerant and have a discerning eye. Most importantly, you can make people believe that you’re someone worth following to Nanchu, even leaving their home behind. This capability is rare among most people. Xie Yuan taught you very well."
Su Rong smiled, "Uncle Xie has already left for Nanchu before me."
The old Duke stroked his beard, "I’ve heard about it. The talents of Daliang are all heading towards Nanchu. The Crown Prince would probably feel a pinch if he heard that they were all being lead to Nanchu by you."
Su Rong chuckled, "The Crown Prince is generous, and probably would not be so petty. Daliang is teeming with talent, and the people I employ, whether it’s Ning Ze, Zhang Mao, or Zhang Yun, they are all people who are unlikely to serve in the Imperial Court in the future. They have been idle for three generations, so it’s better to follow me to Nanchu. And the same goes for Uncle Xie."
She paused, then smiled, "As for Zhou Gu, he truly was whisked away by me, but in exchange for this, Daliang was spared from a civil war. So, I think this could balance out the scales, right?"
The old Duke grunted, "Yes indeed, the benefits weighed out. His singular existence is not comparable against the lives of millions of citizens who were spared from war."
Having said that, he looked at Su Rong, then switched the topic again, "Now that the troops have gone to the border, do you think Dawei will act at this time if they see Daliang’s military forces there?"
"Hard to say."
The old Duke nodded, "Have you ever thought about returning to Nanchu and borrowing two hundred thousand troops from Daliang?"
Su Rong: "..."
She hadn’t really thought about it. She looked at the old Duke, surprised, "Are you suggesting that if Dawei doesn’t act, I should borrow troops from the Crown Prince? Two hundred thousand?"
"Yes." The main reason why the old Duke had summoned Su Rong was to mention this, "It can also demonstrate to the Nangong Family and the Ye Xiang Residence that your backbone is Daliang."
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