Chapter 733: You can give the position of Crown Princess to someone else. I don't want it.
Gu Qingchen didn't care how the farce in Merlin ended.
She and Qian Zhenyun returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and played chess leisurely at the stone table under the tree.
The black and white pieces on the chessboard are intertwined, and the killing is decisive, just like her mood at the moment.
Qian Zhenyun played with white pieces, and his style of play was calm and steady, taking every step carefully. He was always able to leave a space for himself under her fierce offensive.
As the night deepened, only a dim lantern was lit in the yard, stretching the shadows of the two people long.
"Snap." Gu Qingchen dropped the black piece, cutting off a big dragon of the white piece.
Just as she was about to say "I win", the gate of the courtyard was violently pushed open with a bang by someone from outside.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an, dressed in a dark brocade robe and exuding a chill, strode in.
He was not followed by a large number of guards, only a personal eunuch, but the pressure from the crown prince instantly enveloped the entire courtyard.
Gu Qingchen paused holding the chess piece and slowly raised his eyes.
Zhao Chenan's gaze passed over her and shot straight at Qian Zhenyun like two poisoned knives.
"Qian Zhenyun," he said, his voice suppressing the raging anger, "you are so bold."
Qian Zhenyun slowly put down the white piece in his hand, stood up, and bowed slightly to the prince, his expression calm and unperturbed: "Your Highness."
Zhao Chenan approached step by step, his handsome face distorted with anger.
"Who gave you the courage to meddle in the affairs of the royal family, plot against the princess... and stir up trouble in the capital?"
In his eyes, the instigator of all this must be the study partner who was plotting behind the scenes. Although Gu Qingchen was arrogant, he did not have such sinister thoughts.
Gu Qingchen slapped the chess piece in his hand on the chessboard with a "pa" sound, stood up suddenly, pulled Qian Zhenyun behind him, and met Zhao Chenan's fiery eyes.
"Zhao Chen'an," she raised her chin slightly, "If you're angry, come at me! What's the point of bullying Gungun?"
Zhao Chenan's chest heaved violently. He stared at Gu Qingchen's protective face and laughed in anger.
"Well, good on you, Gu Qingchen! Have you had enough of this?" He shouted harshly, "For your petty personal grudge, you've pushed the Yongding Palace into a desperate situation, bringing the two families into a complete confrontation!"
"Do you know what this means? Do you want to turn the entire court upside down?"
He took a step forward, his tone slightly slower, with a hint of final persuasion.
"Qingchen, listen to my advice. This matter ends here. As long as you are willing to stop, I can pretend that what happened today never happened."
Gu Qingchen seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. She looked at Zhao Chenan and suddenly laughed. The laughter was crisp, but it was filled with biting coldness and sarcasm.
"Stop? Your Highness, have you forgotten that it was you who wanted our two families to clash from the very beginning?"
Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like a slap in the face, slapping Zhao Chenan hard.
"It's just that the drama started early. You saw this scene before you even sat on the throne. Are you disappointed?"
Zhao Chenan's face turned pale in an instant.
"You, what did you say?"
"Your Highness, don't you understand what I said?"
Gu Qingchen's eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring at him without giving in.
"Balancing the court? How high-sounding! You want to marry me because you're attracted by the military power in my father's hands! You want to marry Jiahe because you want to win over the Yongding Palace and appease those old nobles!"
Qian Zhenyun was behind her, his expression slightly changed. He reached out to pull her sleeve and whispered, "Qingchen..."
Gu Qingchen seemed not to notice and shook his hand away.
At this point, she no longer had anything to worry about.
She took a step forward, almost touching Zhao Chenan's face, and could clearly see the shock and panic in his eyes.
"You took the two of us, sworn enemies since childhood, and brought us together into the Eastern Palace, placing us in the same backyard. Let us fight, let the Duke of Zhenguo and the Prince of Yongding fight in the court! Fight until both sides are mutually devastated, their vitality severely damaged. Only then can your royal family enjoy the show and keep both of our families firmly under their thumb!"
Her smile became more sarcastic, but her eyes were cold.
"This is exactly what you and the Queen have been planning for over a decade, right?"
"shut up!"
Zhao Chenan was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. All his disguises and scheming were torn to pieces at this moment, leaving only the brutality and anger of a superior.
He could never have imagined that these calculations hidden behind the heavy curtains would be spoken out so bluntly and without reservation by Gu Qingchen in public!
"Gu Qingchen!" He squeezed out her name through his teeth, murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "Do you know what you are saying? You are seeking death!"
"Of course I know." Gu Qingchen slowly stood up straight, and all the expressions on his face disappeared.
"From today on, my Zhenguo Mansion will no longer have any connection with your Eastern Palace."
She looked at his livid face and spoke each word with great force.
"You should save the position of Crown Princess and give it to someone else. I, Gu Qingchen, don't want it!"
"How dare you!" Zhao Chenan suddenly raised his hand.
Qian Zhenyun's pupils shrank, and he instantly dodged in front of Gu Qingchen.
The slap from Crown Prince Zhao Chenan did not land in the end.
His hand stopped in mid-air, shaking violently.
He looked at the two people in front of him, one with a wary look, the other with eyes full of determination, and suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and frustration.
He slowly lowered his hand and pointed at Gu Qingchen. The last trace of warmth on his face disappeared, leaving only a cold threat.
"Okay, very good. Gu Qingchen, remember what I said today."
He looked at her deeply, as if he was looking at a dead person.
"I hope you and the Zhenguogong Mansion behind you will not regret it in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and walked away without looking back, his back filled with raging rage and murderous intent.
The courtyard returned to deathly silence.
The night wind blew, and the leaves of the osmanthus tree rustled.
The chess pieces on the board still maintained the endgame situation.
But for those who play chess, their state of mind can never return to the same state as before.
The night wind blew through the hall, causing the candlelight in the main hall to flicker.
The celadon teacup in Chu Ruohan's hand had long lost its temperature. Her delicate brows were tightly furrowed, and it was obvious that she already knew what had happened in the front yard.
Gu Junze looked normal, and was slowly skimming the foam in the cup with the tea lid.
Chu Ruohan finally couldn't help herself and put down the teacup, "Qingchen must have really messed up this time."
Gu Junze took a sip of tea and hummed nonchalantly.
"That's the crown prince, the future heir to the throne. Our daughter exposed all those schemes right in front of him. How is that any different from pointing at his nose and scolding him?"
"I heard that when the prince left, his face was extremely grim, and he even...had murderous intentions."
"Murderous intention?" Gu Junze finally raised his eyes. He put the teacup heavily on the table, making a dull "bang" sound.
In those eyes that had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield, there was no fear at this moment, only a coldness that seemed to have been touched.
"He dares!"
These two simple words carried the murderous aura of the Duke of Zhenguo's half-life of military service, and the air in the entire main hall froze.
"This marriage was a conspiracy between the Queen and him from the very beginning. They wanted to use the military power of my Zhenguo Mansion to pave the way for his position as Crown Prince, and they also wanted to use Chen'er to contain me."
Gu Junze sneered, his eyes full of contempt, "Now that the chess piece is disobedient and wants to jump off the board, he is angry and embarrassed?"
"But he is the prince after all,"
"We have completely torn our relationship with the Eastern Palace. I'm afraid it will be very difficult for us to move forward in the future."
"Is it difficult?" Gu Junze held his wife's hand with his backhand, with a reassuring strength.
"Have you forgotten? My title of Duke of Zhenguo was not earned through anyone's grace. It was earned with every sword and every spear, and with my life."
"My attitude, Gu Junze, has been clear from the very beginning."
"I, Gu Junze's daughter, am a noble and beautiful woman. I only seek a husband and will not marry outside my family."
Gu Junze looked at his wife, his eyes filled with determination that never wavered.
"He, Zhao Chen'an, wants to marry my daughter. Okay. Then he can take off his princely robe and come to my Zhenguo Mansion..."
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