The emperor was overjoyed to receive the agreement, and said, "Thank you, Imperial Uncle."
Not long after, the Fifth Princess found the Emperor, accompanied by Gu Ruiyun.
“Brother, this is the second daughter of the Marquis of Changshan’s family, and also my close friend.”
The Fifth Princess eagerly introduced Gu Ruiyun to the Emperor.
Gu Ruiyun lowered her eyes and bowed to the emperor and Lu Zhao with perfect and elegant posture.
"Are you also a daughter of the Marquis of Changshan's family?" The emperor thought of the woman he had just met, who was also a daughter of the Marquis of Changshan's family. "Did you have any sisters with you today?"
Gu Ruiyun, who had been full of anticipation, felt a pang of unease upon hearing this. "Yes, my sister is also here."
The emperor asked, "What is your sister's name, and what is her birth order in the family?"
Gu Ruiyun's heart sank to the bottom. "My sister is the eldest in the family, and her name is Gu Chaoxi. She is usually spoiled by her grandmother in the mansion, so she is inevitably a bit arrogant. If she has offended the Emperor in any way, I hope the Emperor will forgive her."
The emperor laughed and said, "Not at all. On the contrary, I was the one who was impolite just now."
Gu Ruiyun secretly resented Gu Chaoxi for ruining her plans again; it seemed the Emperor had already seen her. She was furious inside, but forced a smile on her face.
The emperor was captivated by Gu Chaoxi's beauty, while Lu Zhao was deep in thought.
"According to Miss Gu, the eldest daughter is arrogant and spoiled. But the Emperor and I just met her once. She was quiet and even a little timid. How can she be arrogant and spoiled?"
Gu Ruiyun felt that Gu Chaoxi was deliberately putting on an act in front of the emperor.
The Fifth Princess snorted, "Your Royal Brother and Royal Uncle may not know, but Gu Chaoxi is incredibly arrogant in the capital, far from being timid! Relying on Old Madam Gu's favor, she always bullies Ruiyun! It's said that the Zhao family has already broken off their engagement with her because of her domineering nature!"
Lu Zhao had a guess in his mind, so he made an excuse to leave alone.
He walked in the direction Gu Chaoxi had left in.
At the end of Panyue Lake is a wide, flat grassland, next to which a horse farm has been built.
On weekdays, most of the people who come to Panyue Lake are young men and women. Some people have discovered a way to make money here and have built a large horse farm here to raise some horses that are rare on the market, for young men and women who come to play to ride and relax.
When Lu Zhao found her, Gu Chaoxi was riding a gentle horse. She didn't know how to ride a horse, so she only dared to hold the reins tightly and slowly stroll along the back.
When Gu Chaoxi saw Lu Zhaochao walking towards her, she quickly urged Qiu Shuang to lead the horse away.
Lu Zhao, tall and long-legged, caught up with the leisurely horse in a few steps. He tilted his head slightly and looked directly at Gu Chaoxi with his dark eyes. "Miss Gu, we meet again."
"Why...why are you following me?" Gu Chaoxi asked timidly.
When they were face to face, Lu Zhao noticed the panic and guilt in her eyes, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.
She put on quite a convincing act. If it weren't for the Fifth Princess and Miss Gu saying that she was usually spoiled, he would have thought she was timid.
Lu Zhao was already fifty percent certain that she was the woman from the woodshed that day, so he went straight to the point and asked, "Where were you two days ago that afternoon?"
Lu Zhao was usually decisive in court, and his voice was authoritative without being angry, and sounded somewhat fierce.
Gu Chaoxi was startled, not expecting him to suspect her so quickly. Feeling guilty, she dared not answer, tightened her grip on the reins to urge the horse on, and called to Qiu Shuang who was beside her, "Qiushuang, let's go quickly."
Seeing that she ignored him and seemed flustered and afraid to linger, Lu Zhao's suspicions grew. He used his left hand to push Qiu Shuang aside and his right hand to grab the top of the reins, forcing the horse, which had just set off and was about to gallop, to stop.
The little red horse was forced to stop, its body became unsteady, and it threw the rider off its back.
Gu Chaoxi gasped in surprise, her heart leaping into her throat. A feeling of weightlessness washed over her, and she could only protect her head with her hands.
The expected pain did not come; Gu Chaoxi fell into a firm, warm embrace.
Lu Zhao hadn't expected Gu Chaoxi to have such poor balance, falling off the horse with the slightest jolting. His hands moved faster than his brain, and he reached out and pulled Gu Chaoxi into his arms.
The body in my arms was warm and soft, the touch just like that passionate afternoon, and the faint floral fragrance once again wafted into my nose.
Recalling that scene, Lu Zhao swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
Gu Chaoxi had a bad temper to begin with, and she had only pretended to be well-behaved because she wanted to leave a good impression on Lu Zhao and because she felt guilty. Now that he suspected her and she had almost fallen off her horse and been disfigured, she was furious.
Ignoring the fact that she was still being held in someone's arms, she raised her hand and slapped Lu Zhao across the face. "You lecher! Put me down right now! Be careful, or I'll report you to the Prefect of the Capital for abducting a respectable woman and have you locked up!"
My face stung, proving that what the Fifth Princess said was true: Gu Chaoxi was indeed spoiled and had a bad temper.
This was the first time Lu Zhao had ever been slapped in the face. He was stunned, his face darkened instantly, and his words became even harsher than before, though they didn't match his tone.
"I just asked you where you were two days ago in the afternoon. If you don't tell me, I won't let you go."
He hugged Gu Chaoxi even tighter.
Upon hearing him refer to himself as "this king," Gu Chaoxi's arrogance vanished, and she cautiously asked, "You are a prince? Which prince?"
What do you think?
The emperor has no children. The sons of the previous emperor died or were injured in the struggle for the throne, and the rest were sent to their fiefdoms. Now, the only prince left in the capital is the regent, Lu Zhao.
Thinking of this, Gu Chaoxi became obedient and answered quietly, "Of course I was at home two days ago in the afternoon."
Where have you been?
"I didn't go anywhere. I just stayed in my courtyard reading and painting." Gu Chaoxi answered seriously with her eyes lowered, and couldn't help but steal a glance at Lu Zhao's expression after she finished speaking.
Lu Zhao stared intently at her expression, not missing the fleeting look of guilt in her eyes.
"I've answered your question, can you put me down now?!"
Lu Zhao curled his lips in a mocking smile, picked up Gu Chaoxi, and walked towards the woods in the distance from the pasture. "Lying to me? I think you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
"What are you doing! I didn't lie, you bastard, put me down right now!"
Lu Zhao, holding a high position, would never allow others to scheme against him. He had no feelings for her either. If he knew that she had forced him to scheme against him, he would skin her alive.
Thinking of this, Gu Chaoxi struggled violently.
Lu Zhao was strong, and he didn't care about Gu Chaoxi's struggles at all. He easily subdued her and firmly restrained her as she walked into the woods.
Qiu Shuang was terrified, but mustered her courage and stopped Lu Zhao, "Your Highness, please spare my young lady! There must be some misunderstanding!"
Jin Yang, who had been following Lu Zhao, stopped Qiu Shuang and forcibly took her away from the vicinity.
Lu Zhao led Gu Chaoxi into the woods without any hindrance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
