Chu Qiao shook her head and smiled, saying, "I never drink. Drinking will only make things worse or make me more worried."
Zhao Che was stunned when he heard this. After a long while, he whispered, "I used to think the same as you, but later I gradually stopped thinking that way."
"Your Highness, you were a little confused in what you did today."
"Really?" Zhao Che smiled lightly, raised his head to drink, and did not answer.
Chu Qiao continued, "Your Highness openly humiliated the Crown Prince of Tang in front of everyone, and didn't show up when he saw me beating him, but then he tried his best to protect his mistakes and let everyone know about it. Do you know what the consequences will be if it is leaked? Does Your Highness really trust your subordinates that much?"
Zhao Che smiled lazily, "Then what should I do? Hand you over to Shangluyuan? I wanted to do something in the first place, but someone else did it for me. Why should I repay a favor with a vengeance?"
"Your Highness shouldn't be like this." Chu Qiao shook her head slowly, "It's very different from what I imagined."
"Then what should I be like? Like those people in Shengjin Palace? They are always scheming and fighting with each other, neither a father nor a son, neither a subject nor a minister?"
The woman's face slightly changed, "Your Highness, do you know what you are talking about?"
"Of course I know," Zhao Che's voice suddenly became cold and stern. He looked into the distance with a distant gaze and said in a gloomy tone, "Sometimes, I really want to burn it all down." The man lowered his head and said slowly, "I have been scheming against others for more than ten years. I have been scheming for benefits since I could speak. It was not until I was sent to the border to guard the border that I was truly free. Sometimes, I feel that being with these children of the poor clan is far more comfortable than being in Shengjin Palace. There are my brothers, sisters, parents and relatives in there, but to me, they are more ferocious than floods and beasts.
"Chu Qiao, I came here tonight just to ask you one thing. Are you coming to the Cavalry Battalion to prepare a way out for Yan Xun in the future, or do you really want to be loyal to me?"
Chu Qiao looked calm, looked into the man's eyes, and finally said firmly: "I just want to live, it has always been like this."
A gleam of brilliance flashed in Zhao Che's eyes, he nodded slowly, and said in a deep voice: "From now on, you must follow me wholeheartedly, and no one can hurt you again."
The woman knelt on the snow, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
The lights were dim and the stars were gone. When Chu Qiao returned to the tent, her clothes were almost soaked. She soaked in the steaming hot tub, and all her thoughts suddenly churned.
Everyone in Zhenhuang City is a master of acting, and so is she.
Emperor Xia killed the entire Muhe clan, and with the help of the power of the third prince, the thirteenth prince and the Wei clan, he excluded him alone and sent people to test and guard him in every possible way. If it were anyone else, how could he not feel resentful?
A wise emperor can tolerate an unhappy son who throws a tantrum, but he cannot tolerate a traitor who keeps all the bitterness in his heart, schemes hard and waits for an opportunity to take revenge.
A prince who aspires to the throne can tolerate an incompetent brother who shows his anger on the surface, but he cannot tolerate a competitor who puts on airs, endures humiliation and makes everything flawless.
No one would really believe that a mere archery coach would dare to risk the world's condemnation and beat up the prince of a neighboring country. It is almost obvious who the mastermind behind this is.
She stayed there tonight just to wait for him. She didn't believe that Zhao Che had not sent people to investigate her. As long as he was determined, he would not get nothing for a little slave like her whose origins were unknown. So, she took Zhuge Yue's sword and quietly waited for the opportunity. The Moon-Breaking Sword was a top-grade sword, forged by the sword-forging master Feng Yazi. How could Zhao Che not recognize it?
As long as he knew about the entanglement between himself and the Zhuge family, he would believe that he had no choice but to follow Yan Xun, because he had killed the old man of the Zhuge family and had nowhere to go, so he had to rely on the impoverished prince.
As long as he knew this, he would naturally think that the master-servant relationship between him and Yan Xun was only driven by interests. Only if he holds such thoughts in mind would he try to bribe me to do his bidding.
You are deceiving each other, deceiving your superiors and hiding the truth from your subordinates. When you are secretly delighted in deceiving me, how can you know that I am not just going along with it and being perfunctory with you? We still have to wait and see who will win.
"Human heart?" The cold-faced woman hummed, slowly closed her eyes, and leaned on the edge of the bathtub, "It's nothing but grass."
The long eagle fluttered and perched majestically at the gate of Shengjin Palace. Yan Xun unfolded the letter: Soothe Bian Tang's reverse scale and the overall situation will be stable, but we must be on guard against the Wei family.
Palace lanterns flickered and flames engulfed the sky. Watching the letter being burned, Emperor Xia's new son-in-law, the Crown Prince of Yanbei, issued an order: within three days, all memorials sent to the palace from the Wei clan must be intercepted.
Ah Jing was shocked when he heard this. This matter was of great importance. If he was not careful, all the forces he had built up over the years would be destroyed. He could not help but question, "Prince, is this price too high?"
"Losing Ah Chu would be even more costly."
"Prince?"
"Ah Jing," the man, wearing a light robe and with a jade-like face, raised his eyebrows slightly, "Just remember that Ah Chu's life and death are more important than anything else."
Ah Jing raised her voice, "Heavier than Yan Bei?"
Yan Xun smiled faintly, "If she is not here, what use is there for me to have Yan Bei?"
Ah Jing was horrified, knelt on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness is the Crown Prince of Yanbei, the Young Master of Datong, and the hope of the people. How can you sacrifice public interests for personal reasons? How can you let your love last?"
Yan Xun smiled coldly, "When I was thrown into hell, where was Yanbei? Where was Datong? Who in the world would lend me a helping hand? I have endured hardships for many years, enduring humiliation to survive, one for revenge, and two for protecting the people I cherish. To me, the people of the world are nothing but dirt."
Ah Jing frowned and said angrily, "If that's the case, why did you let her fall into the hands of others, why didn't you protect her under your wings?"
The young man slowly raised his head and said with a firm look in his eyes: "Because I believe in her."
I believe that she is the eagle in the sky, I believe that she is the unyielding blade, I believe that she is the only one who can understand me, and she will stand with me, fight side by side through wind and rain, and together we will fight.
"Ah Jing, I hope that your Datong Guild can be loyal to her as you are to me, and protect her as you protect me. Because with her here, I am the leader of your Datong Guild, and the hope and well-being of the common people in the world. If she is not here, I will become a demon!"
Ah Jing was shocked and looked at Yan Xun in disbelief, the man who had been loyal to the guild for many years. They thought that he would be like Prince Yan Shicheng, loving his people like his own children and advocating universal harmony. But today, in this flickeringly lit study, he suddenly realized that all his previous thoughts were so wrong.
They are making a huge gamble, the stakes are huge, but it could be overturned in an instant!
"Don't panic," Yan Xun smiled faintly, "I dare to tell you that I have never been afraid that Datong will turn against us. Yan Xun is not Yan Shicheng. He doesn't act as a pawn or a puppet. He only fights for his own heart."
Ah Jing lowered his head, his tone was already cold and indifferent, "Your Highness, this makes me feel disheartened."
"It's okay." The window was suddenly blown open, and the sharp wind blew Yan Xun's hair. His eyes looked into the distance, and his voice gradually became vague, but he still firmly transmitted each word to Ah Jing's ears, "I must be a man first, and then I can be your young master."
The wind was as cold as iron, and he seemed to smell the scent of weapons.
All of this was presented on Miss Yu's desk an hour later. Xia Zhi stood aside, frowned and said, "Miss, this woman is the weak spot of Prince Yan, and something bad will happen sooner or later."
"Yes," Bian Cang said in a deep voice, "How can a man who wants to accomplish great things be so sentimental as to ignore the overall situation?"
"Miss, do you want to report this to the higher-ups, or take control of this woman first?"
Miss Yu looked indifferent. She turned her head and looked at Xi Rui, and said slowly: "What do you want to say? Do you want to keep him in your hands, or kill him to prevent future troubles?"
Xi Rui was stunned, then immediately lowered his head and said, "I have no such intention."
Miss Yu snorted coldly and said slowly: "Do you know what a strong person is? The strength of weapons is no more than the enemy of a hundred people, the strength of scheming is no more than the enemy of a thousand people, and the strength of power is no more than the enemy of ten thousand people. The real strong is strong in heart, indestructible, and unyielding. Only with such a steel heart can one be invincible, not afraid of any difficulties, and finally reach the top and reach a height that the world cannot reach. And what is it? Is that true inner strength? Is it ruthless and unfettered, or is it firm in belief and never greedy? None of them, everyone has selfish thoughts, and the so-called white lotus is just a fable. A truly strong person must have something he wants to protect with his life. "The woman put down the letter and sighed slowly, "I finally don't have to worry about the young master anymore, he has grown up. You, do what he wants in the future, and don't ask me for instructions anymore."
"Girl?" Bian Cang was stunned and called out quickly.
"Be thankful," the woman sighed sincerely with her eyes closed, "Years of imprisonment have not completely erased his trust in humanity. If he were a gloomy, cruel, hateful, and completely trustless madman today, then none of us would be able to return to Yanbei alive."
"One is revenge, the other is to protect the one you love?" Xia Zhi, who was born as a knight, smiled faintly and said to Miss Yu maliciously, "What if revenge and protecting the one you love conflict? What should we do?"
When Miss Yu heard this, her eyes suddenly turned cold.
Xia Zhi waved his hand and smiled, "Miss, calm down. I was just making an assumption. This master is not the old prince. His character is still to be seen. I just think it is too hasty to hand over the fate of Datong to such a person."
Miss Yu was silent for a moment, and finally smiled helplessly, and said in a very light voice: "Is that so? But Datong, there is no way out."
It was originally thought that Prince Bian Tang would not give up, and Zhao Che and others were even prepared to fight a protracted war here. Unexpectedly, the next morning, Li Ce insisted on going to Zhenhuang and refused to stay in the army for a moment.
Although she was not afraid, Chu Qiao still secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of how Prince Li will sue me after arriving in Zhenhuang, at least if he is willing to leave, my crime will be reduced.
Three days later, Prince Bian Tang's carriage finally entered Zhenhuang City under the welcome of the Cavalry Battalion!
This is the first time in many years that the two countries have sent royal relatives to conduct such diplomatic relations. The Great Xia Dynasty attached great importance to it, and the Third Prince Zhao Qi led all the officials to personally welcome the guest ten miles away.