Zhou Gu left the Royal Capital, and Su Rong was having a hard time adjusting.
One evening, after dining with the Nanchu King, she didn’t feel like going back and sat motionless at the table for a long time.
The Nanchu King looked at her, "Missing Zhou Gu?"
Su Rong lifted her eyelids with lethargy, "Is it that obvious?"
The Nanchu King chuckled, "It’s all written on your face."
Su Rong sighed and laid her head on the table, "Father, what do you think about me going to the Southern three states?"
"Not a good idea. You, as the Princess, cannot leave. The court and country, as of now, depend on you." The Nanchu King considered himself just a figurehead, a decorative position she had insisted on him occupying, and he was quite content with it.
Su Rong looked at him with sad eyes, "You are the King, don’t you think it’s a bit shameful to say that?"
The Nanchu King coughed, "Well, it’s the truth."
Seeing that Su Rong looked upset, he quickly changed his tone to console her, "It’s just a separation of a month or two..."
"He said it might be three months."
The Nanchu King immediately said, "Three months is nothing, think about the time you initially decided to break off your engagement, with the mindset of lifelong separation. Now, he is merely leaving the Royal Capital to handle his duties; if all goes well, he could be back in a month."
Su Rong rolled her eyes, "Is that the same?"
"How is it not the same?"
Su Rong said irritably, "Back then, we had spent less time together."
"But what about Zhou Gu? Similarly, your time together was short, yet didn’t he manage to not withdraw despite his situation?" The Nanchu King looked at her, "Just think, while you miss him, he might be missing you right now. You are managing the whole kingdom of Southern Chu with such dedication, he is the best choice for going to the Southern three states, and he’s doing it all for your future together."
"I understand." Su Rong sighed and muttered, "It’s all because you are incapable, otherwise why couldn’t I leave the Royal Capital?"
"You are the Princess; if both of you leave together, it would be too conspicuous. He has the Old Duke as an excuse, but you don’t have one. If you also leave the Royal Capital, people will undoubtedly notice." The Nanchu King patted her head, "Alright now, don’t be gloomy. You are destined for greater things; why would you follow my example and dwell on romantic attachments?"
Su Rong lacked enthusiasm, "With him gone, I don’t even know what to do at night, I don’t feel like doing anything, I just think of him."
The Nanchu King shared his experience, "When your mother left me, I gritted my teeth and bled inside, to support her noble cause. Back then, I thought, to love someone is to be good to them, not to hold them back. If Daliang was destroyed, she would have likely died of grief, better to let her pursue what she wanted. Later, when news of her death came from Dawei, I regretted it immensely, wishing I could have died with her, but I was the King of Nanchu, I couldn’t just follow her. From then on, every night, filled with remorse, would gnaw at my soul. Only when drunk could I dream of your mother, so I drank night after night, and so many years have passed."
Su Rong sat up, feeling rare sympathy for the person before her, "Father, and now? I stop you from drinking every day, does mother no longer visit your dreams? Are your days filled with suffering?"
"Not at all," the Nanchu King sincerely said, "Since you returned to my side, every day has been joyful. You look like your mother. I want to see you marry, have children, dote on grandchildren, and stay by your side until I can no longer do so. Like Xie Yuan said, at that time, I can go to Underworld, ready to meet your mother and tell her, ’You are doing well, the sights you didn’t see, I saw them for you.’ She would be veryhappy."
Su Rong suddenly felt much better, "Compared to you and mother, this brief separation with Zhou Gu really isn’t much."
Feeling energized, she stood up, "Father, you really know how to console someone. I should go now; there are still several reports to review, I need to consider how to respond."
The Nanchu King waved with a smile, "Hurry along then."
Su Rong turned around and walked away.
After she left, the Nanchu King sighed and muttered, "Zhou Gu left the Royal Capital, and even I have had to adapt, alas."
At this moment, Ye Xiang also asked Guixue, "Did the Master of the Imperial really leave the capital just to pick up the Old Duke and others while taking care of some business on the side?"
Guixue shook her head, "Before he left the Royal Capital, he met with me and asked me to help the Princess control court politics. He went to the Southern Three States."
Ye Xiang furrowed his brow, "There’s something amiss with the Southern Three States. Could it be the Nangong Family’s last resort left in Nanchu?"
Apart from that, I generally won’t entertain a second thought.
Guixue nodded, "Perhaps, he went to investigate it."
Ye Xiang sighed, "The roots of the Nangong Family are too deep, and the Princess is too magnanimous and generous. This year, she even allowed people with the Nangong surname to participate in the Imperial Examination and enter the court. If one day they betray us, it will ultimately be troublesome."
Guixue said, "The collateral branches of the Nangong Family left in Nanchu are all discarded pieces. It’s good for a ruler to be magnanimous like the Princess. Should we lose talented people just because the future is uncertain and neglect to use them?"
"That’s also true," Ye Xiang nodded in agreement, looking at his son, "Your mother is planning to find a new wife for your elder brother. Shouldn’t we also consider your marriage?"
Guixue shook his head, "Let mother focus all her attention on my elder brother, I’m not in a hurry."
Ye Xiang looked at him, "I was wrong initially. Perhaps I should never have allowed you to..."
"Father," Guixue interrupted him, "I have no regrets and don’t feel it was a mistake. The Nanchu we see today, thriving and prospering, is exactly what I wished to see. It’s quite good now."
Ye Xiang gave up, "Indeed, let’s talk about your marriage later. There’s a lot going on right now, and you indeed don’t seem inclined to think about such significant matters."
Zhou Gu rode fast with his men, covering two hundred miles in half a day. He did not plan to stop for the night and, after a quick dinner at a restaurant, briefly rested before continuing his journey.
Cui Yuanbin and Liao Yuying had no objections and followed him, riding swiftly.
The horse rode on throughout the night before finally stopping to rest under the canopy of the sky.
Leaning against a big tree, Liao Yuying said, "It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a ride like this."
Cui Yuanbin, exhausted, hardly had the energy to speak, "I’m so tired."
Liao Yuying looked at him, "Husband, you’ve become useless. Over these years, you’ve neglected your martial practice."
Cui Yuanbin closed his eyes, "As a child, I hated enduring hardship in martial training the most. After meeting you, I could only bite the bullet and pick it up again. Once we returned to the Cui Family, even you became lazy, let alone me."
Liao Yuying sighed, "So, you need to pick it up again. If it weren’t for you slowing us down, I doubt Zhou Gu would have rested at all tonight."
Cui Yuanbin fell silent.
Liao Yuying moved closer and found him leaning his head to one side, fast asleep.
Although Zhou Gu had been riding for half a day and half a night, he did not feel tired. Resting with his eyes closed, he wondered what Su Rong was doing now, whether she had gone to sleep. Ah, he missed her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
