Now that the topic of the relationship between Kang Yueran and the Duke of Zhenguo has been brought up, Chai Shijing has no intention of brushing it off.
“Duke Qin Yuan’s ancestors were founding heroes who followed Emperor Taizu in conquering the country. Generations of Dukes of the State have been loyal to His Majesty, so His Majesty is very fond of them.
The people of Dayong all claim that Duke Lu is the most powerful, but that's simply because he's flamboyant. In terms of true strength, Duke Lu is no match for the Zhenguo Duke.
The Duke of Zhenguo has two sons and one daughter. His daughter, Princess Yongtai, looks very much like him and is his favorite. Yueran, Princess Yongtai is very similar to you. You both hate etiquette and rules, and you both have ambitions. If you go to the capital, you will definitely be able to get to know her."
No wonder Yiming glanced at He Zeng when he mentioned Duke Lu's power that day. "You want me to go to the capital so I can establish a good relationship with Princess Yongtai, so that the Duke can help you at a critical moment?"
Since he is only loyal to the emperor, it is unlikely that he can be won over. However, power comes from the barrel of a gun, and if he sides with Chai Shijing at a critical moment, then Chai Shijing will have a greater chance of winning.
"Yes! Yueran, you can help me when you come to the capital. His Majesty's health is not as good as it looks, so we don't have to wait long.
When I seize the throne, I will help you with whatever you want to do. If you want to build a dock, I can help you build it in every place with water; if you want to form a fleet, I can order the Ministry of Works to build ships for you. If you want...”
Chai Shijing was still talking endlessly about his vision for the future, but Kang Yueran could no longer listen.
She thought she was not valuable and that Chai Shijing was with her out of love, but she didn't expect there was another Princess Yongtai. "Chai Shijing, I won't go to the capital with you."
"Yueran, I swear, I truly love you. You also hope that I can win, don't you?"
"Since you truly love me, you shouldn't force me. If I tell you now that I truly love you, Chai Shijing, are you willing to give up the fight for the throne for me?
You can't! Why should I do something for you that you can't do? It's not fair!"
Chai Shijing was a little furious, "Why give up? Yueran, we can share the world, I will be the emperor and you will be the empress, isn't that great? Besides, you know very well that if I give up the fight for the throne, neither of us will survive."
No matter what Chai Shijing said, Kang Yueran refused to agree. In the end, Chai Shijing slammed the door and left.
Kang Yueran sat in a chair next to the tea table in a daze. Her love with Chai Shijing was mixed with utilitarianism from the very beginning.
She was unsure what her fate would be if Chai Shijing took the throne. In ancient times, concubines of emperors not only served to carry on the family line but also to balance the political situation.
If Chai Shijing becomes emperor, will he really be the only one with her for life? If the court officials collectively advise him against it, will Chai Shijing stick to his line? Or will he try to persuade her to be more magnanimous?
Kang Yueran closed her eyes and took a long breath, telling herself to just forget it!
Chai Shijing next door was still angry. He didn't understand Kang Yueran's thoughts. He just wanted to change the order.
Kang Yueran would first accompany him in the fight for the throne, and afterwards he would do his best to help Kang Yueran with business. As long as he became the emperor, there was no business Kang Yueran could not do.
He really couldn't understand why Kang Yueran refused to realize both his kingdom and his ideals.
The two of them were in a cold war for two days, and neither of them was willing to speak to the other first.
He Zenglai asked Chai Shijing when he planned to return to Beijing. Chai Shijing did not want to be separated from Kang Yueran, so he submitted a memorial to Emperor Jianning, stating that he had been stabbed in the abdomen, had a broken left arm, and had been poisoned and shot in the back. It was not suitable for him to travel and he would return to Beijing in a month.
The imperial physician Hangzhou would occasionally visit various counties to check on the epidemic situation, and he was not very familiar with the process of how Chai Shijing was injured. However, he mentioned in his previous memorials reporting on the epidemic in Anzhou that Chai Shijing was indeed seriously injured.
Combining the two factors, Emperor Jianning had no doubts and agreed to Chai Shijing's request. In his reply, he also asked Chai Shijing to take good care of his injuries.
He Zeng was seriously injured in the disaster relief mission in Anzhou. Emperor Jianning rejected the crown prince's recommendation and promoted Sun Liang, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, replacing He Zeng.
Sun Liang and He Zeng are good friends and also Chai Shijing's men.
On the ninth day of the cold war, Chai Shijing could no longer sit still. He took the initiative to go to the study to find Kang Yueran, intending to have a calm talk with her.
He sat on a chair at the tea table and asked, "If I don't come to see you, are you going to keep silent with me?"
Kang Yueran sat behind the desk and replied, "I know that most women in this era regard their husbands as their gods, but I don't agree. If my husband only wants me to obey him in everything and never considers me, then I don't want such a husband."
Chai Shijing's heart was suddenly hit, "What do you mean? Are you going to abandon me?"
"I don't want to abandon you. I just want you to know that I love you, but I love myself more. Everything I do for you is based on my willingness, not because you need me to give up everything and follow you."
Chai Shijing wanted to be angry, but he felt powerless to be angry. He smiled self-deprecatingly, "In the final analysis, you just don't want to believe me. You say you love me, but have you ever considered me? Have you ever thought about our future?"
Seeing Chai Shijing like this, Kang Yueran softened her heart. She walked over and sat on Chai Shijing's lap, hugged Chai Shijing's neck, and told him the decision she had already made.
"Ah Jing, you are not allowed to leave the capital without an imperial decree, but I can still go to the capital to see you. How about we set a three-year limit? After three years, no matter how far I have achieved, I will go to the capital to find you, okay?"
Chai Shijing wanted to refuse. He was reluctant to be separated from Kang Yueran for three years, but he knew that this was already Kang Yueran's concession. Compared with being separated for three years, he was more reluctant to lose Kang Yueran.
After a while, he uttered a word with difficulty, "Okay!"
He hugged Kang Yueran in his arms, "Yueran, believe me, I love you sincerely. I agreed to the three-year agreement because I can't give you a reason to abandon me."
They have different concepts, ideas, and ways of doing things, which indicates that conflicts are inevitable between them.
But there is love between them, and love makes both of them willing to make concessions for each other, accommodate those differences, and reach an agreement on some point.
The two hugged each other and no one spoke.
Yili disagreed with Chai Shijing's decision, and he didn't understand what Kang Yueran was insisting on. But the master had already made the decision, and it was not his turn as a servant to lecture him.
Kang Yueran and Chai Shijing reconciled, but there was a little distance between them compared to before.
Kang Yueran didn't want Chai Shijing to return to Beijing with a knot in his heart, so she suggested going out for some fun.
Chai Shijing was also willing to pamper her, "Where do you want to go?"
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