"By the way, the third princess also said that she is good at archery."
"This Second Miss Chu is beautiful and has a good temper. No wonder the Third Princess likes her."
It is no secret in the palace that the third princess Anle likes beauties. The palace maids around her are only good-looking, and ability is secondary.
In the past, the Crown Princess did not comment on the Third Princess' preference, but now it is different. The Third Princess is likely to marry Nan Hao, so it is better for her to have beautiful people around her, who can also help her consolidate her favor in the future.
"Don't worry, Your Highness." The Crown Princess added soothingly, "She is just a concubine's daughter."
She had seen many concubines like Chu Qianchen, who was raised by her aunt and came from a small family. What could she achieve? Even the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion, Chu Qianhuang, was no better than this. She only knew how to get close to Anle and was very superficial.
Gu Nanjin raised his hand and rubbed his brows, and laughed, thinking that he was indeed overthinking.
He had too many things to do recently and didn't have the energy to focus on Chu Qianchen, so he reminded the Crown Princess: "Crown Princess, you should pay attention to Miss Chu Er."
The Crown Princess agreed and advised Gu Nanjin to close his eyes and take a rest for a while.
She also knew that such a big thing had happened today, and the prince could not think of having a good rest. After returning to the palace, he would definitely have to meet the emperor.
After that, the carriage fell into silence until they returned to the palace.
The Crown Princess returned to the East Palace, while Gu Nanjin went to the Imperial Study to meet the Emperor.
Immediately afterwards, the six ministers, Jinyiwei commander Lu Siji and other important officials were summoned into the imperial study.
Once they went in, they didn't come out until night fell and the moon was above the willows, and the imperial study was brightly lit.
Not only the imperial study was brightly lit, but also the posthouse in the south of the city.
The postmaster looked at the lighted courtyard and did not dare to go near. The night wind occasionally brought some unclear sounds.
This night is destined to be a sleepless night.
"Your Highness, these Northern Qi people are too outrageous!" Duo Mo slammed the table heavily and said in a rough voice, "The Northern Qi emperor did not show up himself. Is he hiding something?"
Another square-faced young man also said dissatisfiedly: "Even if it is the intention of the Northern Qi emperor, I am afraid they are deliberately turning a blind eye!"
“…”
Kala, who was sitting by the window, was still wearing a white monk's robe. The corners of the robe were spotlessly white without any blood stains. It was obvious that he had changed into a new set of monk's robes.
The white monk's robe gleamed in the light, just like the small porcelain jar between his fingers.
He had already checked and found that there was a pill inside.
It was written on the silk paper given by Chu Qianchen that this pill was used to save lives in emergencies, to give a dying person a glimmer of hope.
Jialou had no doubt about the effectiveness of the medicine, just as he had no doubt that Prince Gu Jue was indeed seriously ill.
He casually played with the small porcelain jar between his fingers, and Chu Qianchen's words in the daytime emerged in his mind: "Everything is like the game of yin and yang. When yin is strong, yang is weak, and when yang is strong, yin is weak. One rises while the other falls, and the other rises while the other falls?"
The candlelight reflected in his eyes, which were like the vast starry sky, danced and flickered, making his handsome face exude a solemn and sacred temperament.
He gently placed the small porcelain jar on the table and said calmly and affirmatively, "It's Haoren."
Tama and the others fell silent for a moment, with nothing but conviction on their faces.
If Jialu says yes, then it must be.
The room fell into silence.
A moth was attracted by the flame, flew in, and circled around the lantern.
Jialou continued, "If I die in Northern Qi, it will only be a thankless task for Northern Qi."
He was an envoy of the Hao State. When the two countries were at war, there was still a principle of not killing envoys.
The Northern Qi Emperor Gu Lang is not only suspicious, but also very concerned about his reputation. He would not like others to question his reputation in any ulterior motive, as can be seen from the way he treats Prince Gu Jue.
"Besides, even if Northern Qi really wants to kill me, why must they do it now? When I leave the capital and return to Hao Country, it will be thousands of miles away. In Northern Qi's territory, Northern Qi will have plenty of opportunities to strike. Why rush at this moment?"
"Especially the last stab by the guard. It was totally unnecessary. It was obvious that he wanted to silence the witness and put the blame on Northern Qi. It was too deliberate."
Jialou spoke slowly and everyone seemed to be thinking about something. One of the middle-aged scholars said, "Also, judging from the attitude of the Northern Qi crown prince, the Northern Qi emperor should want to form an alliance with my Dahao."
The Northern Qi Dynasty was willing to use 5,000 horses from the Western Extremes as a dowry to form an alliance with Dahao, which shows how strong its determination for peace was.
Duo Mo clenched his fist and said angrily: "Prince, the person behind the scenes was able to place people in the Northern Qi Palace. I'm afraid he has been planning for many years."
The middle-aged scholar gave Tama an appreciative look, as if to say, you have finally learned to use your brain.
"Prince," the middle-aged scholar looked at Jialou, "you should have an idea of what's going on, right?"
When he said this, the others also thought of something, and the square-faced young man blurted out, "Uhaduro."
In Dahao, everyone knew that Emperor Hao's third brother, King Wu Uhaduluo, was ambitious. His fiefdom occupied three states of Hao, ranking the highest among the nine vassal kings.
Jialuo didn't say anything, but just watched the moth flapping its wings quietly. The moth's wings hit the lampshade, making a "puff" sound.
Over the years, Uhadula has been trying to connect with the other eight princes, and his ambition has long been obvious.
Everything is like a game of yin and yang.
Northern Qi and Nan Hao are just like the Yin and Yang of Tai Chi. Northern Qi is afraid of Nan Hao, and Nan Hao is also afraid of Northern Qi.
Therefore, my father did not dare to act against Uhaduro easily. Once a civil war broke out in Hao, it would inevitably lead to a huge turmoil that would not be quelled in two or three years, which would inevitably give Northern Qi an opportunity to take advantage.
This is also what Uhaduro fears. He wants to seize the throne of Emperor Hao, but does not want the Great Hao to perish.
Wuhadula had endured for so many years, but finally took action. Killing himself would be like cutting off one of his father's arms, and he could also put the blame on the people of Northern Qi.
Seeing that the moth was about to fly into the lampshade, Kala suddenly flicked his sleeves and swept it out of the window.
Without its interference, the lights returned to a steady state.
Tama said again: "Prince, should we return home as soon as possible?"
Jialou hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "Let's wait until Prince Chen gets married before leaving."
He thought that maybe he would have to visit Prince Chen's Mansion again, as Chu Qianchen's meaning today should also be the Prince Chen's meaning.
Domo frowned, feeling something was wrong: this was the territory of Da Qi, they had limited manpower, and he was afraid that Uhaduro's men would attack again.
Jialou seemed to see what he was thinking and said, "It's too hasty to leave now."
The middle-aged scholar immediately understood what he meant and agreed, "The eldest prince is right. The Northern Qi emperor is suspicious. If we set off immediately at this time, people might notice something is wrong."
Once Northern Qi discovers the crisis of their Hao Kingdom, it will be ready to take the opportunity to bite back.
The room was silent for a moment, and the air became heavy and depressing.
The middle-aged scholar continued, "Grand Prince, according to my investigation, His Royal Highness Prince Chen has not seen outsiders for some time..."
What he wanted to say was that since Prince Chen had not even met the Emperor of Northern Qi, he would most likely not meet Jialuo.
Jialuo gently stroked the Canaan rosary in his hand and looked out the window.
The courtyard was pitch black at night, and a few clumps of green bamboos were dancing in the night breeze, as if whispering.
No one knew that Gu Jue was not in Prince Chen's Mansion at all, but was thousands of miles away in the northwest.
This night was also a long night for him.
At night, there were strong winds and dust in the Helan Gobi Desert.
The battle had lasted for most of the night. Torches burned the night sky red, and shouts of killing shook the sky! On the barren gravel ground, there were twisted corpses, scattered weapons, and fallen horses everywhere. Blood flowed out from the wounds of people and horses, dyeing the ground below red, and blood flowed into a river.
In the air, a strong smell of blood spread with the night wind...
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!”
Dozens more feather arrows streaked across the night sky like meteors, and screams and sounds of horses falling rang out one after another.
The young general holding the Lin State flag fell off his horse. The frenzied horse stepped on his chest. He clearly heard the sound of some internal organs bursting in his chest and vomited blood uncontrollably.
His eyes couldn't help but look in the direction of the silver moon.
The silver moon is like a hook, casting cold moonlight.
On the rugged rocky mountain below, a figure in silver armor is so eye-catching, like the brightest pearl shining in this barren Gobi Desert.
In the eyes of this young general from Lin State, the towering silver figure was like a demon from hell.
And they have been targeted by the devil! "It shouldn't be like this..." He moved his mouth slightly and muttered to himself in Lin Guoyu.
Although the Lin State had reached a cooperation with the Second Son of King Nanyang, they did not fully trust the other party. This time they chose to go through the Helan Gobi Desert to guard against the Second Son of King Nanyang, so as to prevent the other party from turning against them at the last minute.
This Helan Gobi Desert is as complex as a maze, and the route they chose is only known to them.
However, they encountered an ambush by the Da Qi people, as if the other party had known that they would pass by here.
He vomited another large mouthful of blood, and then fell into darkness forever, with only his eyes wide open as if he had died.
Even if they knew they had fallen into a trap, it was too late.
They are already trapped.
When the sky turned pale, the war finally came to an end. The soldiers of the Nanyang Army strode swiftly on the battlefield littered with corpses, still in high spirits. Even though they had not rested all night, they did not feel tired at all.
Previously, the Nanyang Army had suffered a series of blows because of the death of King Nanyang and the truth of Qin Xuan's patricide, until this victory finally swept away the haze and boosted morale.
Prince Chen is worthy of being Prince Chen, his reputation is well-deserved, the mere people of Lin are nothing to be feared at all!
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from the direction of the rising sun in the east, which was particularly eye-catching in the Gobi Desert at dawn.
The patrolling soldiers immediately spotted the person coming and hurried over to report: "Your Majesty, someone is coming from the Nanyang military camp!"
After a while, Tang Yuchu was led to the stone mountain where Gu Jue was, looking tired and happy.
"Your Majesty, I have finally found you!" Tang Yuchu almost cried for joy.
Tang Yuchu and the five Nanyang Army soldiers who were traveling with him had been searching in this desert for several days but had not found anyone.
Gu Jue's deployment was too covert, and Tang Yuchu was afraid of attracting the attention of the Lin people, so he couldn't look for people in a high-profile manner. He could only look for a needle in a haystack until Gu Jue ambushed the Lin army.
As the fighting started here, there was a lot of noise, and the remnants of the Lin State soldiers were running around everywhere. Only then did Tang Yuchu find their traces and he immediately rushed over at full speed.
Seeing Tang Yuchu, who was supposed to be in the capital, appear in the northwest, even Gu Jue showed a bit of surprise between his brows.
His first reaction was that something happened in the capital, but then he felt something was wrong. Looking at Tang Yuchu's happy face, it didn't seem like anything serious had happened.
Therefore, Tang Yuchu also answered directly: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has granted you and Miss Chu the marriage, and the wedding will be held in nine days."
A slightly cool morning breeze suddenly blew towards them, blowing up the cloak behind Gu Jue. The silver-white cloak fluttered in the wind, rustling.
The light of the rising sun cast a layer of light gold foil all over his body, giving him a dreamy glow.
Gu Jue's pupils shrank slightly, and the girl's bright and delicate face appeared in front of him.
When she looked at him, her beautifully shaped phoenix eyes seemed to reflect the stars in the sky, exceptionally bright, exceptionally clear, and with a hint of coquettishness.
When she smiles, she is so beautiful that all the flowers on the tree pale in comparison.
As Tang Yuchu reported, he also looked at Gu Jue's expression and sighed: The prince is worthy of being the prince. When they heard the news, they were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped. It was because the prince was still so... steady as a rock! Tang Yuchu continued to report, starting from June 10th, when the emperor suddenly came to the Prince Chen's mansion, talking about Taoist Xuan Jing, the marriage, and Chu Qianchen's proposal to postpone the wedding date...
The wind seemed to be a little stronger, and the flying cloak was dancing wildly.
Gu Jue frowned and pursed his thin lips into a straight line.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
This is simply ridiculous! Gu Jue shot a cold glare at Tang Yuchu, which made him lower his head silently, and he felt wronged in his heart: This was all Su Mubai's idea... No, it was also Miss Chu's idea.
He was just an errand boy! Tang Yuchu felt that he was more wronged than Dou E, and more miserable than Kuafu who chased the sun.
Was it easy for him to come all the way from the capital to see the prince? !
Gu Jue had originally planned to wait until the battlefield was cleared before leaving, but now he had to change his mind temporarily. He left two thousand Nanyang soldiers to finish off the task, and he took the rest of his troops back to the Nanyang Army camp.
The news of the Lin people's defeat had already reached the Nanyang Army camp. The whole army was filled with jubilation and their morale was rising.
Especially those Nanyang Army soldiers who participated in this battle felt a little light-footed.
They had originally thought that the battle would last at least a month, but they did not expect to defeat the enemy so quickly.
The prince is really a master of strategy, and his use of troops is really amazing! This battle was won with great pleasure and ease! Today, all the soldiers who returned victoriously were warmly welcomed by their comrades. The soldiers of the Nanyang Army and the Beidi Army who had fought side by side were so close that they seemed like a family, and there was no longer any estrangement between them.
In this lively atmosphere, Gu Jue was probably the only one who couldn't laugh.
As soon as he returned to the camp, he took Tang Yuchu to the central tent with him as if he was familiar with the route.
"Ninth brother," Qin Yao showed Gu Jue an overly brilliant smile with a row of neat white teeth, and happily cupped his hands, "Congratulations!"
He was in a good mood, and his short sentence was full of double entendre, both congratulating Gu Jue on his triumphant return and congratulating him on becoming the groom soon.
Gu Jue: “…”
Gu Jue naturally understood Qin Yao’s two meanings and felt that this brat was asking for a beating.
Qin Yao's servant Yuanbao was sweating in his heart for his own prince, thinking that he was really determined to pluck the whiskers from a tiger's mouth.
Tang Yuchu felt that he had nothing to do here, so he waved to Yuanbao with confidence and asked him to take him out to get something to eat, such as the shredded chicken cold noodles and meat buns that he had eaten last time, which were quite good.
Only Gu Jue and Qin Yao were left in the big tent.
Qin Yao did not dare to continue challenging Gu Jue's patience. He suppressed the teasing look in his eyes and diligently poured Gu Jue a cup of warm tea.
"Ninth brother, have some tea." He said with a smile, "Actually, this marriage is quite good. Our emperor has done a rare good thing!"
Qin Yao thought about it over and over again and felt that this was a match made in heaven.
"I think Chu Qianchen cares about you, otherwise she wouldn't let Su Mubai and the others drag it on like this..."
Gu Jue's injury still depends on Chu Qianchen to treat. Based on this point alone, Qin Yao believes that Su Mubai, Cheng Linhua and others will not ignore her wishes if Chu Qianchen is dissatisfied at all.
In the eyes of all of them, Gu Jue’s safety is the most important thing, and no one would take risks for this.
So is he.
Qin Yao's smile deepened, "Brother Jiu, maybe the little girl is also happy about it..."
Gu Jue glared at him coldly. Qin Yao could only shut his mouth awkwardly and touched his chin. He really felt that Chu Qianchen treated his ninth brother in a special way.
He poured himself a cup of tea, took two sips, and then said, "Brother Jiu, the wedding is only a few days away. Even if you rush back now, it will be too late..."
As he spoke, the expression on his face became less serious again, and he patted Gu Jue's shoulder with his free hand, "Since it's already like this, you might as well... accept it."
He abruptly changed the words "give in" that were about to come out of his mouth into "accept it", and became more and more happy as he spoke, with a kind of excitement of "watching the fun without minding the trouble".
"Nonsense!" Gu Jue casually grabbed a golden apricot from the fruit plate and threw it at Qin Yao. Eating it couldn't shut him up.
Qin Yao took the apricot given by Gu Jue without even looking at it and took a bite happily.
Sweet and juicy.
He took another bite and shrugged, thinking that the marriage was almost certain. Ninth Brother also had feelings for the little girl from the Chu family. When he returned to Beijing, the wedding would be done and it would be a done deal!
If his leg hadn't healed yet, Qin Yao would have already crossed his legs, thinking about what gift to give to Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen.
Gu Jue's cold voice suddenly rang in his ears:
"I am running out of time."
Gu Jue's voice was clear and light, like a calm lake, without joy or sorrow, without desire or demand.
The atmosphere turned cold, and the tent was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
The smile on Qin Yao's lips disappeared instantly, and even the apricot in his hand felt tasteless.
"Ninth brother, don't curse yourself!" Qin Yao scolded unhappily.
He knew that Gu Jue's injuries were very serious, and many so-called famous doctors had sentenced Gu Jue to death, but since Chu Qianchen said he could be saved, he must be saved! Gu Jue just smiled and said nothing.
The light in the tent was a little dim, making Gu Jue's face look a little pale.
At this time, Tang Yuchu came back, biting a meat bun, and felt that the atmosphere in the tent was a little weird.
"Prepare pens and ink." Gu Jue ordered.
Tang Yuchu swallowed the bun in three or two bites and hurried to prepare the four treasures of the study.
Gu Jue pondered for a moment and wrote the letter in one go.
"Xiguang," Gu Jue called Qin Yao's name firmly, "Send a pigeon to deliver this letter to the capital."
"Prepare the horses, I want to go back to Beijing!"
When they said the last six words, Qin Yao and Tang Yuchu's expressions changed slightly.
Qin Yao pushed his wheelchair to Gu Jue and objected without thinking: "Brother Jiu, are you going to die? No, you can't leave today!"
Gu Jue had just come down from the battlefield, and he must have been exhausted in the past few days. At this time, asking him to rush all the way to the capital was simply a life-threatening act! Tang Yuchu nodded frequently. That's right, rushing from the capital to the northwest at full speed, without sleep for several days and nights, even he felt half dead, let alone the prince.
"Brother Jiu, if you dare to leave today, I will die in front of you!"
"Brother Jiu, if you die, Chu Qianchen will become a jinx for her husband, and the emperor will definitely let her stay with you for the rest of her life."
"Your life depends on the lives of the three of us. With Tang Yuchu, that makes four..."
Qin Yao started talking nonsense again and was about to throw a tantrum, but even though he was being unreasonable, it did work, and after a lot of persuasion he finally "cajoled" Gu Jue into agreeing to leave the next morning.
Tang Yuchu looked at the Prince Qin with admiration.
It’s high, really high!
He can kill his brother, and he can also act like a spoiled child! Qin Yao was afraid that Gu Jue would run away secretly, so he stuck to him, going in and out together, eating and sleeping together... Until the cock crowed the next day, Qin Yao personally sent Gu Jue and Tang Yuchu out of the camp.
This time, he didn't have the chance to say much, because Gu Jue rode on Jueying without saying a word and galloped towards the rising sun with a team of guards.
Only a rolling yellow sand was left, and the sound of horse hooves broke the cold silence of the early morning.
Qin Yao sat leisurely in the wheelchair, looking ahead, and suddenly asked: "Xiao Yuanbao, do you think Brother Jiu can catch up?"
Yuanbao: “…”
Without waiting for Yuan Bao to answer, Qin Yao stroked his chin and asked himself, "I bet Brother Nine will definitely not be able to catch up."
Yuanbao: “…”
The figures of Gu Jue and others in front were getting farther and farther away. Qin Yao asked again: "If Brother Nine doesn't show up on the day of the wedding, I wonder if Chu Qianchen will still side with Brother Nine?"
Yuanbao: “…”
Yuanbao's expression was a little subtle.
This marriage is for the purpose of bringing good fortune. If Prince Chen does not show up, then the second Miss Chu will have to enter the bridal sedan holding a big rooster.
Qin Yao burst out laughing, and muttered with a hint of regret: "Hey, if I didn't have to stay and clean up the mess, I really wanted to go and watch the fun."
Yuanbao: “…”
Qin Yao's eyes suddenly became cold and stern. He casually moved his knuckles, causing them to make a creaking sound.
He said to himself, "I missed my ninth brother's wedding. I must take note of this."
Yuanbao silently shed tears of sympathy for those Lin people.
The sun rises slowly, and the bright red sun hangs in the blue sky, casting a warm color on the surrounding objects.
This is true in the northwest and also in the capital.
Chu Qianchen also got up early, which was rare, and of course there was a reason for it.
Today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent the wedding dress to Chu Qianchen for him to try on. The dress of a princess is naturally expensive and complicated. Moreover, with so many eyes in the court watching this marriage, there must be no mistakes in the wedding dress.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent more than ten people to help try on the dresses, record the places that needed to be modified, or directly mark them on the clothes.
It took nearly two hours just to try on the dress.
Chu Qianchen was like a puppet being manipulated by them, and his soul had already flown away.
Finally, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs left, and the room suddenly became empty.
Amber asked, "Miss, the third lady has been waiting outside for an hour. Do you want to bring her in?"
Chu Qianling came an hour ago to ask to see Chu Qianchen, but because Chu Qianchen was trying on a dress, he asked her to wait outside, and she waited for a whole hour.
(End of this chapter)