Chapter 105: Defeat the scheming boy and tease the sultry general (15)
Li Ziyan had thought it wouldn't take too long, but Chu Heng was gone for a whole day. When he returned, it was almost dusk. Instead of returning home, he went straight to the palace. As if he had expected Chu Heng to come, Li Ziyan specifically ordered dinner to be served later and prepared a rich dinner for Chu Heng.
"Why haven't you used it yet?"
"Waiting for you. You must be very tired after a busy day. Ahem." Li Ziyan walked forward and took off the heavy coat on Chu Heng himself. He also put on the coat that Caiwei had prepared in advance for Chu Heng. The servants beside him all lowered their heads and did not dare to look at him.
Chu Heng held Li Ziyan's hand on his chest, exerting a little force, with a little solemnity on his face, but it was quickly concealed.
"Don't bother, I'll do it myself. You should eat well in your body. Why are you waiting for me for so long?"
"...I'll wait if I want to. There's no need for so many reasons." Li Ziyan pulled his hand back and turned around, his ears slowly turning red. Chu Heng had gotten to know Li Ziyan quite well over the time they'd spent together. Whenever he'd poke a pang at his inner thoughts and made him shy, Li Ziyan would act like this.
The heaviness in his heart dissipated a little, and Chu Heng sat on the stool and picked up the bowl and chopsticks.
Originally, the royal family and the aristocratic families had a rule of not talking while eating or sleeping, but with the passage of time and the change of dynasties, this rule is no longer as rigid as it once was. People with good relationships would often say a few words to lighten the mood in such casual occasions.
But for some reason today, Chu Heng, who had been trained by Li Ziyan to be a little extroverted, turned back into his former confused and taciturn self. He didn't say a word and opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out.
"Caiwei Yunle, you all go down first."
"promise"
It was obvious that they had something important to discuss. Caiwei didn't dare to linger any longer and took Yunle with her to lead all the servants out, leaving only the two of them. The room was quiet for a moment. Li Ziyan coughed lightly twice, stood up, walked over, grasped Chu Heng's wrist, pulled him into the inner room, and made him sit on the couch.
"But what happened? My brother suddenly came to see you today. It's definitely not to reminisce about the past."
Chu Heng frowned. He was always tongue-tied and didn't know what to say. Li Ziyan was a prince, and this matter was not that simple. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, it wouldn't be long before Li Ziyan would know. But secretly, he didn't want Li Ziyan to worry too much, nor did he want Li Ziyan to do anything that might hurt him.
"There may be unrest again in the near future."
"...But the King of Southeast?"
"How do you know?"
Li Ziyan's expression was also somewhat serious. He sat down, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "Actually, when I was working on the proton, I discovered that the southeast wasn't as peaceful as we imagined."
"Well, the King of Southeast recently sent people to pay homage, but he also proposed the idea of changing his fiefdom. It's more like he was asking for a fiefdom from us than changing it."
As a powerful dynasty that dominated the continent, the Great Jin Dynasty has always been the object of competition and covetousness among various small tribes and small leaders.
The Southeast King's territory was once a fiefdom of the Great Jin Dynasty, but due to recent wars, they surrendered to the Jin Dynasty. However, this year's succession struggle has caused some turmoil in the Jin Dynasty, and the Southeast King has replaced a new king. They have been gathering strength and amassing troops for this day, hoping to take advantage of the Jin Dynasty's efforts to rectify the mess left by the previous dynasty.
"After the old King of Southeast passed away due to illness, his youngest son took the throne. When I went there, it was the third year of his reign. This youngest son is indeed quite capable. Ahem, ahem, although Southeast is not as rich in grain as our Great Jin Dynasty, with its wealth and people's well-being, it still has some foundation. After all, it made its fortune a hundred years ago."
"Well, it seems that their ambitions are quite ambitious this time. If we really give them fiefdoms, I'm afraid there will be no peace in the future."
Li Ziyan thought about the times he had met the King of Southeast, and then about all the memories he had before, his brows slowly furrowed. "This little King of Southeast is quite ambitious. He's willing to help our dynasty this time. I'm afraid he has this in mind. He wants to use us to eliminate those barbarians. That way, they'll have fewer opponents and can develop with peace of mind. Now that we've given them so much time to rest, it should be enough for them to improve their strength."
These were exactly what Chu Heng and the emperor analyzed. He nodded and looked at Li Ziyan, who was looking worried, and held his hand.
"Your Highness, don't worry. The Emperor and I have made preparations and will not let our court fall into danger. Moreover, if something does happen, my soldiers are no pushovers."
"Of course I know Huan Zhi's abilities, and I also know that the men of our dynasty are not cowards. It's just... cough, cough, cough, it's just that I don't want a war to happen. I don't want you to take risks, and I don't want the people to suffer."
Chu Heng was touched and felt his eyes were sore. He swallowed and looked at Li Ziyan with a thousand emotions in his eyes.
Just as Chu Heng thought, two days later, Li Ziyan was recalled to the palace. The ministers discussed the matter together and decided to hold a state banquet on the same day.
It wasn't for anything else, but simply because their visitor was the King of Southeast. Li Zihan disliked war. Like Li Ziyan, he didn't want his people to be caught up in this avoidable conflict. However, it was precisely because of his people-oriented heart that he earned the love of the ministers and the people.
Because it was a state banquet, all attendees had to dress formally. Li Ziyan had prepared these formal official uniforms for Li Ziyan a few days ago. The crimson-purple outer robe was embroidered with a four-clawed golden python in gold thread, which was enough to show how much Li Ziyan valued Li Ziyan and that Li Ziyan had an extraordinary status.
The inherent nobility in one's bones cannot be faked. After Li Ziyan changed into this exquisite and complicated court robe, put on a four-clawed golden crown, and tied up his long hair, he looked much more fierce. His eyebrows and eyes were actually somewhat similar to the emperor's, but he was usually a little more gentle, but now he showed his appearance with the aura of a real dragon.
All the officials and representatives in the court were shocked when they saw Li Ziyan. It was not for any other reason, but because they just realized that this prince had such a seductive side.
This was the first time Chu Heng saw Li Ziyan wearing such formal attire since that court appearance. The palm-wide waist belt outlined Li Ziyan's slender waist, but the crimson-purple clothes did not make him look too thin. His hair stood up high, and his delicate facial features were fully revealed, especially the pair of peach blossom eyes, which were enough to make him lose his mind.
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