Zhou Huaichuan's lips curled up slightly: "Okay, I'll throw it away for you."
His smile was like a spring mountain breeze, replacing the cold with warmth and becoming gentle and tender.
His eyes held a mixture of indulgence and pampering in his smile.
Chu Xinxin looked up and said, "Zhou Huaichuan, you look so handsome when you smile. You should smile more often."
Zhou Huaichuan responded with a soft "Mmm," then leaned in and gently kissed Chu Xinxin's nose.
"And then what?"
"Then you came. Chu Xuan let us into the secret passage. No sooner had he left than the King of Huainan forced me to write down the prescription."
"Can Liu Xin really be cured?"
“Yes, I can save him as long as he has a breath left, but…” Chu Xinxin smiled like a little fox, “I will make sure that the Prince of Huainan’s family line ends.”
Zhou Huaichuan: ......
Why did I suddenly feel a chill down my back?
"So... the King of Huainan asked the Zhou Emperor for a marriage alliance not only to bind Chu Xuan to his side, but what he really wanted was your medical skills."
"I guess so. I suspect he wants me to marry Liu Xin this month, and then switch places with me and take me to the Southern Barbarians."
Zhou Huaichuan loosened his grip on Chu Xinxin's hair slightly, pulling her closer to him: "Then he'll die this month."
Chu Xinxin wholeheartedly agreed: "I think so too."
Zhou Huaichuan's brows and eyes relaxed again.
The candle flame was more than half burned.
It was so warm in Zhou Huaichuan's arms that Chu Xinxin fell asleep without realizing it.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.
Haitang came in to help her wash and dress.
"Hey, Miss, why has your apricot blossom hairpin turned into a jade hairpin?"
[It was Zhou Mouchuan who released it.]
Chu Xinxin: ......
They share the same petty and narrow-minded nature.
......
Prince An's Mansion.
Zhou Huaichuan and Su Guogong are playing chess.
"Your Highness's chess skills have improved again," Duke Su said, stroking his beard in admiration.
"Teacher, you flatter me." Zhou Huaichuan placed his last piece and won.
"I am merely stating the facts," Duke Su waved his hand. "Your Highness's previous chess style was aggressive and daring, often taking unconventional approaches with a do-or-die determination."
But in today's matches, through careful planning and strategic maneuvering, they managed to launch surprise attacks at the most unexpected points, utterly annihilating Jiang Chen.
Zhou Huaichuan remained respectful: "It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent guidance."
The two played a few more rounds, and after Duke Su had enjoyed himself, he talked to him about the current political situation in the court.
"The Second Prince is going south with the Prince of Huainan, and His Highness has broken his leg. Now the First Prince and the Third Prince are trying to win over the Imperial Guards and the defenses of the capital."
"Whom does His Majesty favor?"
"The eldest prince and the third prince's maternal family members are respectively the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy. Neither of them has military power. However, the eldest prince is mediocre. I dare to guess that His Majesty will give the eldest prince the position."
A hint of mockery flashed in Zhou Huaichuan's eyes. The Emperor's paranoia was truly...
"Teacher, I heard that the Spring Festival Gathering was postponed a few days ago. Why don't you suggest to His Majesty that we hold the Spring Festival Gathering and let the First Prince and the Third Prince compete? This would also boost the morale of the soldiers who are fighting against the Southern Barbarians."
"Can."
A few days later, Emperor Zhou summoned several ministers to the palace to discuss whether the eldest prince or the third prince should take over the imperial guards and the defense of the capital.
Duke Su advised, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards and the defense of the capital need truly capable and competent people; otherwise, it will be difficult to win the people's respect."
Chu Xuan and the other ministers also thought this method was excellent.
Emperor Zhou then ordered the Spring Outing Festival to be revived.
Spring outings emphasize horsemanship, archery, and martial arts skills, and men generally have more opportunities to showcase these skills.
After the news spread, the capital city became lively again.
Liu Xin was even more anxious. He urged the Grand Wizard to have Chu Xinxin increase the dosage of the medicine, as he wanted to stand up again at the Spring Festival Gathering and wash away the humiliation he had suffered during this period.
Chu Xinxin got what he wanted, but... the faster Liu Xin recovered, the faster his body would be drained.
"Sigh, everything comes at a price," the system commented.
Chu Xinxin nodded, resting her chin on her hand. Haitang immediately appeared beside her: "Miss, are you feeling unwell? This Prime Minister's residence is no place for a human to stay. We've only been here for a short while, and our young lady has already fallen ill. In another two days, won't she be seriously ill?"
The imperial decree bestowing the marriage upon Chu Xinxin has been delivered, along with an oral edict from Emperor Zhou.
The Prince of Huainan will be leaving the capital soon, and before he leaves, he hopes to see his beloved son Liu Xin get married.
I hope Chu Xinxin will return to the Prime Minister's residence as soon as possible to prepare for her wedding.
So, Chu Xinxin moved back.
Liu knew how important she was to the Prince of Huainan. She disliked her, but she didn't cause her any trouble. She sent an unfamiliar old woman over to be at his beck and call and then left her alone.
Chu Yun, on the other hand, said she married a man who was paralyzed in bed.
Chu Xinxin had someone relay these words verbatim to Liu Shi and the Prince of Huainan's family. Chu Yun was slapped by Liu Shi and was then locked in her own courtyard to reflect on her actions.
"Haitang, they've been cleaning up a lot of dust. I'm going out for a walk. You stay here and keep an eye on things."
Haitang muttered to herself, "He's definitely going to see Zhou Mouchuan again."
Chu Xinxin pretended not to hear and left with Yun Gui.
Tianxiaju is the largest restaurant in Beijing.
Chu Xinxin chose a private room facing the street and leaned out the window to watch the guards sent by the Prince of Huainan to follow her wander around downstairs, but they couldn't find her.
Zhou Huaichuan entered without making a sound, but the scent of pine and ink wafted from behind him to Chu Xinxin's nose.
Immediately afterwards, Chu Xinxin was picked up.
Zhou Huaichuan liked to hold her on his lap.
"Have you been waiting long?" Zhou Huaichuan asked.
"A little. You'll have to punish yourself with three drinks later."
"good."
Today, Zhou Huaichuan wore a dark purple robe with a qilin pattern, the same color as Chu Xinxin's dress.
Chu Xinxin: ......
No wonder Haitang hasn't come in yet; this outfit was already placed next to her bed.
It turns out that Zhou Huaichuan secretly put it there last night while she was asleep.
Chu Xinxin sought verification from the system.
System: [I forgot to tell you about your sister. Zhou Huaichuan comes almost every night, I've gotten used to it. I'm already dressed up, so just think of it as trying to appease him.]
Chu Xinxin checked the favorability rating and, sure enough, it had increased again.
"Did the people from the Prime Minister's residence give you any trouble?"
Zhou Huaichuan helped Chu Xinxin straighten the jade hairpin, his voice sounding less hoarse than before, becoming deep and gentle.
"No, Chu Xuan received what the King of Huainan gave him, and he has long since disowned me as his daughter."
Chu Xinxin said indifferently.
Zhou Huaichuan glanced down at her, and only after confirming that there was no sadness on her face did he reply, "Yesterday, the guards reported that Zhou Rui went to see the Prince of Huainan, and Zhou Qin went to see Chu Xuan."
Zhou Rui is the name of the eldest prince, and Zhou Qin is the name of the third prince.
"What is the eldest prince thinking? Anyone with eyes can see that Emperor Zhou doesn't like the Prince of Huainan, yet he still tries to curry favor with him?"
Chu Xinxin sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"The Prince of Huainan lured him there," Zhou Huaichuan said calmly. "Zhou Rui is foolish, but easy to control."
So the Prince of Huainan wants to help the eldest prince seize the imperial guards and the defenses of the capital?
Zhou Huaichuan: "That's exactly what you think."
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