Qi Mansion.
Chu Xinxin slept until the sun was almost setting before waking up.
"System, broadcast tonight's news."
She sat in the rocking chair with a peach in her hand, looking exceptionally content.
[First news of the evening, sister: your courtyard has been surrounded by the Qi family's secret guards.]
"Um?"
Chu Xinxin jumped off her rocking chair and walked around the yard three times: "Nobody's here!"
Sister, do you even know what a secret guard is?
The system generated a scan image, and when Chu Xinxin saw it, she realized that not only her courtyard, but the entire Qi residence was under tight security.
It seems that Qi Yi was terrified by Chu Xuan's forced entry into the Qi residence.
[The second piece of news is that I overheard Qi Yi's conversation; the Zhou Emperor wants to execute the King of Huainan.]
"What news is this? The Prince of Huainan won't die."
[My sister is incredibly resourceful; the King of Huainan's confidant will send news of the Southern Barbarian disturbances to the palace tomorrow.]
"Okay, next one."
[The third piece of news: Chu Xuan has petitioned Emperor Zhou to grant you a marriage decree, and the imperial edict has already been brought back to the Prime Minister's residence.]
"Oh...a marriage decree?!"
Chu Xinxin's breath hitched: "Damn, has he lost his mind? What marriage proposal? Liu Xin?"
No, Liu Xin and the Prince of Huainan are imprisoned in the imperial prison.
The system brought up the affinity rating screen: [He's asking for your relationship with Zhou Huaichuan.]
Chu Xinxin looked down and saw that the previously empty progress bar had become 80, and the name field had changed to "Zhou Huaichuan".
[Wow, sister! You're already eighty even before you've fully recovered your looks.]
The system started urging again: "Sister, give me a Rejuvenating Pill! Wouldn't your stunning beauty be instantly maxed out?"
Chu Xinxin frowned deeply: "Did Emperor Zhou agree?"
"You agreed," Chu Xuan said, taking out the jade pendant and tearfully recounting his feelings of longing for Zhou Huaichuan. The Zhou Emperor was so moved that he immediately agreed!
"Tell the truth."
[Oh, it's rare to find a woman in the capital with the right social standing to marry Zhou Huaichuan, and her father has even agreed. Emperor Zhou would love for you two to get married right now.]
Chu Xinxin always felt there was a conspiracy: "A daughter who marries into the royal family must not have an unusual appearance. Have Emperor Zhou and Chu Xuan both forgotten about this?"
[You two are in special circumstances, which makes it a good match for you two. Chu Xuan wants to make Zhou Huaichuan one of his own. No matter who becomes emperor in the future, his son-in-law will have military power, and no one will dare to touch him.]
Chu Xinxin lowered her head in thought, feeling that this matter was not so simple.
After all, in Chu Xuan's eyes, she was being controlled by a sorcerer using witchcraft.
"System, where is Zhou Huaichuan?"
[I don't know. He's still in the palace and hasn't come out yet. The palace is too far away; I can't find out anything.]
After much deliberation, Chu Xin decided to wait for him at the palace gate.
Before she even reached the gate, Qi Yi had her men drag her back.
"Uncle, what are you doing? I want to go out and play!"
Chu Xinxin clung to Qi Yi's leg and cried pitifully.
Qi Yi had already figured out her nature, so he sat and slowly drank his tea, ignoring her.
"uncle!"
Chu Xinxin took the teapot away, then came back and started acting coquettishly.
Qi Yi then said, "Xin Xin, things are too chaotic outside right now. You should stay home for the time being. Once things calm down, your uncle will naturally let you out."
Chu Xinxin protested, "When will that be?! I'll suffocate, Uncle, waaaaah..."
No matter how much Chu Xinxin cried, Qi Yi wouldn't budge.
"I have other important matters to attend to, butler. Keep an eye on Miss."
After saying that, Qi Yi flicked his sleeves and left.
Chu Xinxin pouted.
Haitang suggested, "Miss, if you can't get out, you can ask His Highness Prince An to come over!"
Haitang was captivated by Zhou Huaichuan's dashing appearance when he broke into the Prime Minister's residence yesterday. She is now a fan of the Chu Xinxin and Zhou Huaichuan couple!
"You're right, Yun Gui!" Chu Xinxin told Yun Gui to go and wait for people at the palace gate.
Yun Gui had not returned by late at night.
Having slept too much during the day, and with something on her mind, Chu Xinxin tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Suddenly, the sound of several swords being drawn came from the courtyard. Chu Xinxin opened her eyes with a start, and her door was opened from the outside.
"who!"
Chu Xinxin immediately aimed her musket at the doorway.
[Sister, it's Zhou Huaichuan.]
Zhou Huaichuan's hoarse voice rang out: "It's me."
"Zhou Huaichuan!" Chu Xinxin walked to the door in the dark, and could barely make out his outline by the moonlight outside.
Zhou Huaichuan stared at her intently. The faint sounds of Yun Gui and Qi Yi could be heard outside, but inside the room, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Zhou Huaichuan, what's wrong?"
Chu Xinxin asked.
Zhou Huaichuan's throat bobbed a few times, but no sound came out.
The high fever caused him to temporarily lose his voice.
Chu Xinxin asked again, "It's so late, is something urgent? Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"
Zhou Huaichuan's head throbbed with pain. The girl in front of him was talking, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. Her graceful figure also turned into two overlapping silhouettes.
Why aren't you saying anything?
The girl moved a little closer, and Zhou Huaichuan finally caught her unique fragrance.
It felt like I was instantly at ease.
Zhou Huaichuan also took a step forward, reaching out to pull the person into his arms, just like the last time they rode horses in the outskirts of Beijing.
Forgetting his knee injury, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
Chu Xinxin caught him, and when her hand touched his burning hot palm, her expression immediately changed: "Zhou Huaichuan, you have a fever?"
System: [41 degrees Celsius, thank goodness, don't worry, sister.]
Upon hearing Chu Xinxin's exclamation, Yun Gui, Yun Zheng, and Qi Yi rushed in.
"master!"
Yun Zheng carried Zhou Huaichuan to the soft couch.
Chu Xinxin gave Zhou Huaichuan a different fever reducer.
The white pills made Yun Zheng hesitate for a moment before he didn't stop them.
Zhou Huaichuan fell asleep quickly.
Chu Xinxin asked Yun Gui to watch over him inside, and then she and Yun Zheng walked outside together.
"What happened?"
Yun Zheng briefly recounted the information he had learned.
Qi Yi then realized that Zhou Huaichuan had been falsely conveying the imperial edict when he was at the Prime Minister's residence.
"No wonder he arrived so quickly..."
"Lord Qi, Miss Chu's safety was unknown last night. My master was extremely anxious and had no time to go to the palace to ask for instructions. We had no choice but to act first and report later."
Qi Yi felt a mix of emotions. He had originally wanted to kick the person out, but now he felt embarrassed.
Yun Zheng then turned to look at Chu Xinxin: "Actually, Master wanted to come to the Qi residence as soon as she left the palace..."
"...He fainted once outside the palace, but after he woke up back at the Prince's residence, he still insisted on coming over no matter how we tried to stop him."
Yun Zheng bowed to Qi Yi: "Lord Qi, His Majesty has ordered that my master stay at home for three months to reflect on his mistakes. I would be grateful if you could take the trouble to cover up my master's visit to the Qi residence."
"good."
Qi Yi glanced at Chu Xinxin, knowing they had something to say, and went to deal with his business first.
After he left, Yun Zheng looked at Chu Xinxin, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"He won't wake up that soon. Tell me what's wrong," Chu Xinxin said.
Yun Zheng breathed a sigh of relief: "Miss Chu, actually, Master... cares about you quite a bit."
Chu Xinxin nodded: "I know."
Yun Zheng choked up, almost unable to continue speaking.
"You should also know what kind of life it is to be born into the royal family, without a mother, without a maternal family, and without the emperor's favor..."
“Those people will eventually pay the price for everything they’ve done, but before that, Master doesn’t dare to take any risks. If he fails in what he’s doing, it will be utterly disastrous. It’s not that he doesn’t like you; he might just be… reluctant to let you go.”
"The success of one general is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers. My master doesn't want to involve you."
"During the Spring Festival banquet, Master locked himself in his study every day, his calligraphy becoming increasingly frantic... He rarely showed his emotions; he thought you truly liked Young Master Su..."
"Miss Chu, I see that you are not entirely uninterested in our master. How about... we take advantage of this now? Let's make it a fait accompli. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility! You can just say that I forced you to do it!"
One second he was being sentimental, the next he was a brothel madam forcing women into prostitution.
The style changed too quickly, Chu Xinxin: ......
Why don't you talk to the system?
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