With Su Xingze’s great talent, becoming the youngest Grand Secretary was not impossible.
Su Rong believed deeply.
Su Xingze stretched out his hand and tousled her hair, smiling, "You’re all grown up now, but you’re just like when you were a child, saying one thing but feeling another, so stubborn."
As he finished speaking, his smile faded, he sighed, and suppressed the reluctance in his eyes, "With mother by your side, you needn’t think too much about father and me. You are the Princess, and your initial decision was not wrong. Father and I staying in Daliang not only preserves our reputation but also serves as a bond for friendly relations between you and Daliang. Coupled with our marital ties to the Duke Residence now, even if one day, both countries join forces to annex Dawei, with people like us here, perhaps the alliance can be extended for another hundred years."
A hundred years, a long and distant number, was not just about Su Rong and their generation; it might extend to the next generation, or even the one after that.
Su Rong nodded, "Yes, that’s exactly what I thought."
She had once felt that once she made a decision, she would never regret it, but calling off her engagement with Zhou Gu was one of them, and later she regretted it. Now personally seeing Su Xingze leave the Nanchu Capital, in this chilling wind and snow, watching him arrive for her grand wedding ceremony and leave hastily after only two days, she felt regret for the second time.
They say a move on the chessboard can’t be regretted, but when all decisions in life are considered right at the moment, who can foretell, ensuring no regret afterward?
She grabbed Xingze’s arm again and hugged him, like when she, as a child, begged for candy or silver to buy Osmanthus Cake, "Brother, you must visit Nanchu every year or two. If you don’t come, I will return to see you and father."
Su Xingze nodded, "Alright."
The little girl he watched grow up, who had become graceful and dignified and had now attained a revered status as Princess, had married. Yet she was still the same as when she was a child; actually, she had never changed.
He tousled her hair again, "I’m leaving now, it’s freezing. You should head back quickly! When you have my little nephew, I will surely come to see him."
Su Rong let go of him, her eyes reddening, "Take care on your journey, find a girl yourself soon, don’t expect mother to do it for you. She won’t be leaving for a few years, and I won’t let her go back."
Su Xingze chuckled, "Even if you let her go back, she wouldn’t return. In her heart, it’s only you, not father and me."
After all, today his own mother, detesting the cold, hadn’t even come out to send him off. In her heart, her son was as if picked up from somewhere. Originally, how could he blame her for writing thinner letters to him than to Xiaoqi? Since she had come to Nanchu, she hadn’t written a single letter to him or father. Father, upset, wrote to Jibei to complain to him about it. He said she was heartless and too happy to think of home.
Su Rong seemed to remember the Grand Lady’s attitude toward father and son and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Su Xingze laughed again, tousled her hair, mounted his horse, and sat looking back at Zhou Gu.
Zhou Gu, without waiting for him to speak, took the initiative, "Uncle, rest assured, I love Xiaoqi like a treasure, and I will definitely take good care of her."
Su Xingze was not worried about this. After all, the Old Duke of Protectorate, Grand Princess Shengan, among others were now in Nanchu, along with her mother. Nanchu’s court, both civil and military, all revered the Princess immensely, admired her greatly, there were so many who care for her affectionately, Zhou Gu need not over-extend himself. What he actually wanted to say was, as the Princess’ husband, the days ahead would be long and challenging in this role, but seeing Zhou Gu’s spirited appearance, he felt perhaps there was no need to mention it, after all, Zhou Gu relished it, coveting the current situation that he had earnestly wanted.
Moreover, if Xiaoqi liked someone, she certainly wouldn’t let him suffer, and Zhou Gu’s temperament would not allow anyone other than Su Rong to wrong him.
Thus, Su Xingze gave in, nodded, "Alright, take care, I am leaving. After I return to Jibei, I will write to signal that I am safe."
Zhou Gu nodded in agreement, "Dear cousin, have a safe journey."
Su Xingze rode away, the guards following closely behind, and the group quickly galloped off. In moments, all that remained was a faint shadow in the distance.
Su Rong’s eyes were red as she muttered to herself, "Fame and reputation are mere constructs of life and afterlife, what really matters in the end? My brother never cared for historical glory. It was me, initially fearing his control and frequent scolding, later, I wanted him recognized for his talents, adamant that he should not be humiliated because of me, that if he joined the Nanchu court politics and faced criticism, it would be better for him to stay in Daliang. But now, I think, why bother?"
She sobbed and plunged into Zhou Gu’s embrace, "I truly have some regrets."
After all, her brother genuinely wanted to come to Nanchu with her, as he was worried about her.
"It’s alright, if it really comes down to it, exchanging three hundred thousand soldiers isn’t a big deal," Zhou Gu said as he consoled her.
Su Rong shook her head, "Wouldn’t that make the Crown Prince think I’m fickle, untrustworthy, and also betraying my initial reason for wanting my brother to stay in Daliang?"
Zhou Gu disagreed, "If that’s the issue, let him work in Daliang for ten or eight years. After Daliang and Nanchu collaborate and annex Dawei, his talents will be known to all. You can then bring him to Nanchu. Who would dare to criticize him then? Besides, by then, my father-in-law could retire from his office. As for the bond, isn’t the Zhou Family’s Duke of Protectorate’s Mansion in Daliang?"
Su Rong felt his reasoning was sound and embraced Zhou Gu, "Alright, let’s do that."
Zhou Gu comforted her, "Come now, get on the carriage! It’s too cold outside, be careful not to catch a cold."
He helped Su Rong onto the carriage, and after she got in, she moved aside the carriage curtain to look outside one last time. Seeing no trace of Su Xingze at the end of the road, she sighed.
Zhou Gu held her face in his hands, "Your face is cold as ice."
He gently rubbed her face and took a hand warmer from beside him, placing it in her hands, "Warm up, we are heading straight back to the Royal Palace."
Staying at the Zhou Residence, in recent days, he had become somewhat unpopular, his own grandmother almost disapproved of him. Every day Su Rong would sleep until noon, wake up feeling lazy and tired, and they all thought it was his fault. In reality, she was being stubborn, dragging him into her mischiefs, and every night, she would end up begging for mercy.
Su Rong nodded and sighed, "Oh, I have to attend court tomorrow."
Zhou Gu also sighed, "Tomorrow, I must return to the Ministry of Revenue as well."
There were piles of work at the Ministry of Revenue. Although Cui Xingzhi had tried his best to handle many tasks, there were still some duties that only he could perform, things that Cui Xingzhi could not replace, waiting for him to deal with on his return. He had been away from the Royal Capital for a few months and had been busy with the Great Wedding upon his return. Now that his wedding leave was over, there were no more excuses not to work.
It was said that Ye Guixue had been overwhelmed with work since returning to the Royal Capital. The entire court, both civil and military officials, had taken leave during the wedding of the Eldest Princess and her husband, but Ye Guixue from the Ministry of Personnel had too many piled-up tasks to take more than a day off, and it was said that he had been working from his residence lately.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
