Chapter 029

Jiashan's eyes flickered, she smiled slightly and said softly: "Your Excellency's question is indeed a bit too broad. What I answer him has nothing to do with you."

"You opened my letter privately, and I didn't hold you accountable."

She spoke in a crisp tone, turned her head, and looked at him fearlessly.

Zhan Yue's face was as calm as water, but there was a flash of heat in his eyes. He asked, "What do you want to do, Your Highness?"

Zhan Yue took a sip of tea and said slowly, "I will leave it to you to deal with."

He put down the teacup, opened his arms, and fearlessly met Jiashan's gaze.

Zhan Yue had a good figure, with long arms and legs, broad shoulders and a slim waist. Without his armor, his body looked slender and strong, and the muscles on his chest could be vaguely seen.

Jiashan blushed and avoided his gaze.

Zhan Yue smiled and said, "Since the princess doesn't count, then I have to ask, why did the princess call me here today?"

"Could it be that I guessed wrong?" Zhan Yue asked himself, "Princess, are you going to give me an answer?"

He stood up slowly, with the corners of his lips raised, and walked to the desk in front of Jiashan. He placed one hand on the desk, half leaned over, and stared at Jiashan.

Zhan Yue's pupils were as black as ink, and his eyes were filled with tenderness. This tenderness quickly spread in his eyes.

His narrow eyes were slightly curved, and he spoke in a deliberately soft voice.

Jiashan's eyebrows slightly wrinkled. She restrained herself from looking at Zhan Yue's eye-catching face. She lowered her head slightly and asked politely, "Have you ever seen a snake?"

Zhan Yue replied, "I have eaten it."

"I've seen it." Jiashan said softly.

She looked into the distance, as if recalling the past: "When I was a child, my brother, Youcheng, always liked to keep some strange things in the palace. Among them, snakes were included."

"Your Highness is afraid of snakes?" Zhan Yue narrowed his eyes slightly and asked naturally.

"I was scared," Jiashan admitted frankly. She used her hands to measure the length of the snake raised by Zhao Youcheng. She said, "I was five years old and Youcheng was only four years old, but the snake looked big and long. I saw that it was thicker than our arms."

"One time, I was flying a kite in the Yu Garden, and I happened to see him walking a snake." Jiashan's eyes were cold and hard. She smiled with her beautiful eyes slightly bent, "The snake he raised was green, exactly the same color as the grass. I was not careful and stepped on the snake's tail. The snake turned around and bit me."

Even though Jiashan was talking about the past, Zhan Yue's expression tensed as he listened.

Sensing the audience's nervousness, Jiashan opened his mouth and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir, it's not poisonous, but its teeth are very sharp."

"When the imperial physician applied the medicine to me, the tingling and numb feeling of being bitten has been lingering in my heart. All these years have passed, but I have never forgotten it." Jiashan paused.

She looked in the direction of Zhan Yue and raised her head. She said, "Have you ever heard of the saying, 'Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of the rope for ten years.'"

Jiashan pronounced the words clearly and each word penetrated into Zhan Yue's heart.

Zhan Yue looked at her and whispered, "Your Highness, do you think I am a snake?"

Jiashan smiled, and it was really not right to say "he looks like" so she said, "Your Excellency is more like a lone eagle, fighting in the sky, soaring thousands of miles."

"It's just," Jiashan lowered her eyes and said calmly, "I was bitten once, so naturally I tend to be suspicious of everything."

Jiashan lowered her voice and said, "Do you understand?"

She raised her eyes slightly, and finally looked at Zhan Yue.

He was still staring at her motionlessly, with a hint of stubbornness and danger in his long, beautiful phoenix eyes.

Zhan Yue pursed his lips. He was silent for a moment, then he raised his chin slightly in the direction of Jiashan and said in a serious tone: "If a snake bites me, I will just use it to cook snake soup."

He lowered his eyes slightly and said slowly: "If I were there at that time, I would never have let the snake that bit the princess go."

Jiashan raised her eyebrows and smiled, "It really hasn't stopped. When the emperor found out, he beat Zhao Youcheng with a stick and sternly ordered him not to keep these strange things anymore."

Zhan Yue nodded and said without surprise: "Your Majesty loves the princess."

Jiashan was silent for a while, then she pursed her lips and said, "Yes. Father has always loved me."

"He even thought of all the ways out for me in the future." Jiashan thought of Princess Dening's son Zheng Yunchi, and said with a bitter smile, "When I think of how much my father has worked so hard for me, I sometimes want to accept my fate."

"Are you willing to marry Zheng Yunchi?" Zhan Yue was a very insightful person. When he heard Jia Shan say that he accepted his fate, a bright light flashed in his eyes. He suddenly said, "You are willing, but I am not."

He approached her slowly and silently, looking straight into Jiashan's eyes.

Jiashan's expression remained unchanged.

"Princess, are you trying to provoke me on purpose? You have considered him but not me?" Zhan Yue asked in a cold tone. He raised his eyebrows at her expressionlessly.

Jiashan's cheeks couldn't help but turn red again. She turned her face away and said, "I've thought about it. With Aunt Dening's face, he won't bully me. At least I can be at ease."

"Princess Dening doesn't seem to get along with Empress Yuan, and she's not too close to Your Highness either." Zhan Yue smiled, thinking of what happened in the afternoon, and said in a hoarse voice, "Today I ran into the princess at the palace gate, and she specifically told me to pass the message to Zhan Shaoying, trying to arouse his desire to marry her."

Zhan Yue saw Jia Shan's face was slightly cold, so he said, "However, I have no reason to help her spread this message."

Jiashan's expression lightened up slightly, but his eyes were still solemn.

"I am different from Zheng Yunchi," Zhan Yue stood in front of the desk, he side-glanced and stared deeply at Jiashan, "I protect you not for anyone's sake."

His voice was tense: "I just want you to not be alone in this life."

"I want to do my best to fulfill your wish." Zhan Yue said slowly.

Jiashan looked at him gently and bit her lip slightly.

Zhan Yue's fingers were cold. He stretched out a fingertip and slightly lifted Jiashan's snow-white chin. His voice was slow and hoarse, and every word seemed to be squeezed out of the throat.

He stared at Jiashan, his lips tightened and he softened his tone: "Princess, do you believe me?"

Jiashan didn't answer for a moment, she just looked at Zhan Yue's face carefully.

Zhan Yue's entire face, illuminated by the candles, was handsome and somewhat unreal, just like him. It was as if he was thousands of miles away from you, but he could always find the gap in your heart at the right moment and easily defeat you.

Jiashan closed her eyes slightly, and the past events lingered in her mind for a long time.

She thought of Zhan Yue from her previous life, of Zhan Yue saying under the willow tree, "There is a girl in his heart", and of that night when the moon was full...

Having lived two lives, no one should be able to see Zhan Yue's abilities more clearly than her. It seemed that he finally got what he wanted.

This time, he said he would protect her and make sure she wouldn't be alone.

Jiashan's back was tense, and she slowly held Zhanyue's hand that was holding her chin. Zhanyue's fingertips were cold, but Jiashan's palms were hot.

The fiery temperature, as if burning, faintly penetrated Zhan Yue's skin and blended into his blood. Zhan Yue's body trembled, he blinked his long eyelashes, and looked at Jiashan for confirmation.

Jiashan said, "If I marry you, will you really protect me forever?"

Zhan Yue said: "I deceived you, and I will not die well."

"Even if..." Jiashan looked at him with a complicated expression.

"Even if I can't give birth to a child for you in a short time," Jiashan lowered her tone a little, thinking of the last life when she and Zhan Shaoying had been married for eight years without getting pregnant. Her almond eyes sparkled with tears, "Can you accept this?"

Zhan Yue was stunned. He mistakenly thought that Jiashan meant that he would not consummate the marriage with him too early.

He turned his head to the side, slowly clenched his hands into fists at his sides, and said gently, "I'll listen to you."

Jiashan's eyes flashed and her eyes turned red.

Jiashan smiled at him and said, "Then I will be your wife."

At this moment, Zhan Yue's expression became extremely gentle. He slowly tightened his palms and took the initiative to rub Jiashan's palms with his fingertips.

His gaze also carefully turned into reckless.

Before leaving, Zhan Yue hesitated for a moment, but still reached out his hand and pinched Jiashan's face before stepping out of Fengyang Pavilion.

After talking to Dening about Jiashan and Zheng Yunchi, Emperor Zhanghe felt more and more satisfied with this combination. In fact, he knew in his heart that Princess Dening and Aqiao were at odds over some old things, but the grudges of the older generation would not affect the younger generation.

What's more, Jiashan is not only the empress's child, but also his child.

After all, De Ning is the emperor's sister. In the future, she will be able to take care of Jiashan and Zhao Youze for her sake.

Just as he was about to draft the marriage proposal and was about to choose a good day to have Chen Gongsong go to the Duke of Zheng's mansion, Chen Gongsong said, "Your Majesty, Xin An wants to see you."

Emperor Zhang He was stunned for a moment before he realized who Mr. Xin'an was talking about.

Princess Ruyang really became a nun in Changchun Temple. In order to show his seriousness, the late emperor specially gave her the title of laywoman, which was "Xin'an".

Over the years, she would send some greetings during festivals, but she rarely came to the palace in person. Now that he heard that Ruyang had come, Emperor Zhanghe had to put aside the matter of the marriage and summoned Ruyang to see him.

Ruyang was still wearing plain clothes and did not dress up specially for entering the palace. She bowed to Emperor Zhanghe.

Emperor Zhanghe allowed her to stand up and gave her a seat. Then he said with a smile, "I and my sister haven't seen each other for many years."

"Yes." Ruyang smiled calmly. The eunuch in front of her poured more tea for her. Ruyang thanked him, which frightened the eunuch and he kept saying, "I dare not."

Emperor Zhanghe took in the whole scene. He smiled and said, "My sister has cultivated herself and improved her character over the years. Her temperament has become more peaceful. I am a little jealous of her."

"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler," Ruyang said modestly, "Why do you envy me, a person with nothing?"

"It's me who should be jealous of your majesty for having so many children." Ruyang smiled lightly at Emperor Zhanghe.

Emperor Zhang He was silent for a moment.

He also knew that one of the main reasons why Ruyang became a nun in the temple was that her husband Fu Yi died too early. The Yongding Marquis's Mansion lost power, and she was unable to leave behind any children. She was disheartened and became a nun.

Having no children and the Yongding Marquisate must have left two indelible scars in Ruyang's heart.

He saw some silver hair growing on Ruyang's hair, and he couldn't help but sigh and said, "Since the imperial sister is here, please stay in the palace for a while. I will have someone clean out the palace where Concubine Zhen used to live."

After saying this, as if fearing that Ruyang might find it inappropriate, Emperor Zhanghe added: "In half a month, it will be my birthday. My sister will stay in the palace and liven up the party with the young people."

Ruyang smiled calmly: "Since your majesty is so kind, I will not refuse."

Zhang Hedi nodded: "Of course."

He turned his head and told Chen Gong: "Zhan Yanqing is on duty today, call him over to meet his aunt."

Chen Gong was about to take the order and leave, but Ruyang said, "Wait a minute, eunuch."

Emperor Zhang He raised his eyes.

Ruyang explained, "Last time, he escorted the eldest princess and the fourth prince to Changchun Temple. I talked with him in the temple and reminisced about the past."

She smiled and said to Emperor Zhang He: "The child is very good-looking. Your Majesty is nostalgic and has promoted him to be the commander-in-chief. It is enough for him to do his best in front of Your Majesty."

Emperor Zhanghe sighed. In those days, the reputation of Yongding Hou shook the world. He actually felt sorry for Ruyang and Yongding Hou. He had always taken good care of Zhan Yue, and this might have been one of the reasons.

He smiled and said, "I am not nostalgic. Yan Qing impressed me in the autumn examination that year. He has never made any mistakes in his work over the years. He deserves the title of commander."

Ruyang said: "It also depends on your Majesty's wisdom in identifying talents."

"Sister, stop flattering me," Emperor Zhanghe said with a smile, "I thought you were asking me for something."

I don't know whether he said this intentionally or unintentionally.

After hearing this, Ruyang raised her eyes slightly, stood up, and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, I do have a request for you."

"Oh?" Emperor Zhanghe glanced at Ruyang, then he stopped smiling and said in a dignified voice, "Sister, just speak frankly."

Ruyang opened her lips and said slowly, "I heard that the eldest princess has reached the right age to get married. Your Majesty has been troubled by this matter these days."

"Yes." Emperor Zhanghe frowned. He didn't expect Ruyang to say this. He smiled and said, "I have already selected a candidate. If the princess is willing to stay in the palace for a few more days, she can also come to watch the ceremony."

Ruyang pursed her lips and said, "I would like to recommend another person to Your Majesty. What do you think?"

Zhang Hedi looked at her in surprise: "Who?"

"Zhan Yanqing." Ruyang's tone was lighter, but his voice was firm and steady.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhanghe could not help but frown.