The deposed Crown Prince Chu Lang had long been demoted to a commoner and exiled to guard the imperial mausoleum. Bringing up the old case again at this moment inevitably makes people think too much.
At this time, General Meng Zheng, the Zhenbei General, strode out and knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, I beg your command! I am willing to lead my troops north immediately, annihilate the traitors of the State of Chen, recapture Yunzhou, and boost our military prestige!"
The Emperor of Chu's gaze flickered between Meng Zheng and Qin Yuan for a moment. Seeing Qin Yuan nod imperceptibly, he slammed the table and said, "Okay! I command you to immediately mobilize 50,000 troops and rush to the northern border as quickly as possible!"
"I obey your command!" Meng Zheng kowtowed and stood up with his back straight.
Afterwards, the Emperor of Chu looked around at his ministers and said, "The northern border issue has been resolved. The rest of you should each perform your duties and closely monitor the developments on the front lines. Your Highness Qin Yuan has come a long way. Please rest at the inn first. We will discuss other matters later."
"Your Highness obeys your command."
As the Emperor of Chu stood up and left the palace, this heart-wrenching morning court finally came to an end.
The court officials left the Golden Palace in twos and threes, and the discussion continued. Some scolded Zhao Mang for his incompetence, while others were curious about Chu Qingluan and Qin Yuan's marriage.
In the end, only three people were left in the hall.
Chu Qingluan, Qin Yuan.
And there is Chu Hong.
"Oh! Your Highness Qin is truly resourceful! He faked his own death and left the capital, yet he even hid it from his sister. Is this what you call sincerity?"
There were no outsiders around at the moment, and Chu Hong was too lazy to pretend. The jealousy and unwillingness in his eyes could no longer be hidden, and the look he gave Qin Yuan was as if poisoned.
Chu Qingluan frowned slightly: "Be careful with your words!"
Chu Hong sneered, "Am I wrong? Have you forgotten, sister? When he faked his death and escaped, who was the one who was heartbroken and despaired? And now he has returned as a savior, making you, sister, so grateful to him that you are willing to give yourself to him..."
"That's a really good calculation."
These words successfully made Chu Qingluan's expression change slightly.
Qin Yuan's heart tightened, and his icy eyes shot towards Chu Hong.
"Your Highness, Prince Rui, please stop talking nonsense."
Chu Hong, however, tried his best to provoke her, and instead of retreating, he advanced: "Why? Did I hit the mark?"
"You knew that the emperor valued friendship, but you offered her three cities and 100,000 grains of grain as a favor. Aren't you just trying to make her agree to this marriage out of guilt?"
"Royal sister, don't forget that Prime Minister Xie is still far away at the western border, helping you to intimidate those reckless men in the Western Regions. If you agree to His Highness Qin's proposal at this time, what do you think Prime Minister Xie will do?"
Chu Hong smiled maliciously: "Will he abandon the battlefield and run back to Beijing to grab the bride?"
Chu Qingluan didn't say anything, just stood there quietly, with a frown on her face, not knowing what she was thinking.
When Qin Yuan saw this, a hint of pain appeared in his eyes.
He took a step forward and shook Chu Qingluan's hand without regard for etiquette: "Qingluan, look at me."
His palms were warm and slightly calloused, the marks left by years of holding the sword.
"I faked my death because the situation in Daqin was critical and I had to return immediately."
His tone was sincere, his eyes were firm and gentle, and he locked his eyes tightly with Chu Qingluan.
"My two uncles colluded with foreign enemies to seize the throne. At that time, assassins were everywhere in the capital. If I told them I wanted to leave, they would definitely use you as a threat. I didn't dare to gamble, let alone put you in danger. I had no choice but to resort to this last resort."
"How dare you be rude to my sister!" Chu Hong felt jealous when he saw him holding Chu Qingluan's hand, and he stepped forward to grab Chu Qingluan's other hand.
"Let go of my sister!"
Just like that, the two of them, one on the left and one on the right, each holding one of Chu Qingluan's hands, and the air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.
Chu Qingluan frowned slightly and was about to speak when she heard Qin Yuan's cold voice from the left:
"Li Linyuan!"
Li Linyuan, who was outside the hall, immediately responded and came in. Seeing this, he was a little stunned.
"Please ask His Royal Highness Prince Rui to 'go' out and don't let him get in the way here." Qin Yuan's tone left no room for doubt.
"You dare!"
Chu Hong was shocked and angry, and gritted his teeth and said, "This is the Great Chu Palace, and I am the King Rui of Great Chu!"
Li Linyuan didn't care about that. He winked at the two guards behind him, and they carried Chu Hong from the left and right and forcibly took him out of the hall.
Finally, it became quiet, and only Qin Yuan and Chu Qingluan were left in the empty hall.
Qin Yuan slowly loosened his hand, but did not step back. He just looked at her. The sharpness in his eyes faded away, leaving only deep longing, forbearance, and earnestness.
He seemed to have turned back into the Pei Yuan who always silently waited by her side.
"Qingluan." His voice was very soft, with an imperceptible tremor.
"I know that my concealment has caused you injustice. I know how difficult it has been for you these past three months."
He took out a sword tassel from his bosom. It was already half-worn, and some of the silk threads had begun to fade, but the pendant on the tassel was polished to a shine, which was obviously caused by frequent handling.
Chu Qingluan's pupils trembled slightly. She remembered that this was a gift she had given him casually that year.
I didn't expect he still kept it.
"I keep it on my body every day. Every time I touch it, I hope I can come back to see you soon."
"When you gave me this ear of corn, I promised you that I would never betray you."
He placed the ear of corn in her palm and gently closed her fingers. "This promise has never changed. I'm asking to marry you not because you're the Princess of Great Chu, but because you're Chu Qingluan. Three cities, a hundred thousand grains of fodder, are not half as important as you."
Chu Qingluan held the tassel of corn with her fingertips slightly bent.
The sincerity in Qin Yuan's eyes and the firmness in his tone made her feel heavy.
Precisely because she knew his character well, she could not respond to him rashly.
"I know." She said softly, "Pei Yuan would never lie to me."
Hearing this long-lost name, a hint of emotion flashed in Qin Yuan's eyes.
He suddenly knelt on one knee and looked up at her: "Qingluan, I am not begging you as the eldest grandson of the Qin Emperor. The one kneeling here is Pei Yuan, the one who vowed to protect you for the rest of your life."
Chu Qingluan looked at the man who had lost all his edge, and in a trance she saw the figure who fell off the cliff to block the arrow for her.
She raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek, her voice gentle but firm.
"I need to think about it carefully. After all, this is a lifelong matter."
Qin Yuan slowly stood up. Although there was disappointment in his eyes, there was more understanding: "Okay!"
He said solemnly: "No matter how long you think about it, I will wait."
The sunlight filtered through the window frame and shone onto the embracing figures of the two, as if casting a warm halo on this belated honesty.
At this time, a young eunuch crouched down and tiptoed out of the window, heading straight for the imperial study.
Yao Jinzhong had been waiting at the door for a long time. Seeing Xiao Li walking hurriedly with a smile on his face, he hurriedly called him.
"What happened? What did you hear?"
Little Leo first looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then he lowered his voice and spoke excitedly.
"I saw it all. General Pei, oh no, His Royal Highness Qin, he has been with the princess..."
Leonardo DiCaprio stretched out his two index fingers and poked them in the middle, head to head. The meaning was self-evident.
Yao Jinzhong understood, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips: "Really?"
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