Xiao Yan sighed again, "Now is not the time." He paused, then looked at Gu Linchao, "Today in court, the Emperor released Prince Jue."
"What?" Wen Nongnong's expression changed. "Is he out of his mind?" Gu Linchao had just arrested Jue Wang, and he released him right afterward.
Gu Linchao frowned slightly, then said calmly, "Let him be."
Xiao Yan sneered, "I think he did that to make the Prince of Jue keep you in check. He has a good plan, but I'm afraid he doesn't have the ability to control that old fox, the Prince of Jue. Otherwise, he might end up handing over the throne to someone else."
It's not worth it for Wen Nongnong to replace Gu Linchao.
He painstakingly protected his great cause, clearing away all obstacles, but Gu Heng did not cherish it at all, instead wantonly trampling on it.
"Hengzhi, are you really not considering staying?" Xiao Yan asked.
Gu Linchao held Wen Nongnong's shoulder and shook his head. "No, my mind is made up." He paused. "Gu Heng is no longer a child. He should learn to stand on his own. Since he chose this path, he should bear the consequences himself. From now on, I will no longer concern myself with the affairs of the court."
Having gone through this experience, he has come to understand many things.
He had spent half his life toiling away, half his life guarding his great cause. For the rest of his life, he only wanted to cherish his beloved Nong Nong and live a carefree life with her.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan stared at him intently for a long while before giving a bitter smile, "Hengzhi, you've changed."
"People always change," Gu Linchao said dismissively.
Xiao Yan nodded. "You're right, people always change." He paused, then said with some relief, "But it's good that you're like this. You've done enough for the great cause; it's time for you to take a good rest. Don't give up on seeing a doctor about your eyes; maybe they can be cured."
"And that military tally, you absolutely must not hand it over. If trouble arises, having the tally in hand will at least allow you to command all the troops under heaven, and he will have some reservations, preventing him from going too far..."
Listening to his nagging, Gu Linchao did not interrupt this time, but listened silently. Finally, after he finished speaking, he said gently, "I know. Mother is also going to Xiangzhou with me. There will be one less person to protect you in the future. You have to be careful."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan said uncomfortably, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old child who needs someone to bail me out? You should mind your own business. You'll be free from now on, but don't forget to have children soon. I'm looking forward to celebrating my baby's one-month birthday. I'll definitely be heading to Xiangzhou then."
Gu Linchao smiled upon hearing this and gripped Wen Nongnong's shoulders tightly. "Okay."
Xiao Yan looked at the two of them with a mixture of envy and jealousy. "Alright, I've already told you what I wanted to say. I won't see you off tomorrow. Take good care of yourselves. Sigh, I think I got some sand in my eyes. I'll head back now." With that, he hurriedly left.
Watching the figure quickly disappear by the door, Wen Nongnong said with a sigh, "Your Highness, is my uncle crying?"
"Maybe," Gu Linchao said with a hint of helplessness.
“My uncle says he doesn’t care, but he’s actually very reluctant to part with the Prince,” Wen Nongnong said.
"Alright, stop guessing. We're leaving tomorrow. Go check if you've packed everything properly, don't forget anything. It's a long journey, and it'll be a hassle to come back for it later." Gu Linchao rubbed her head.
Wen Nong Nong nodded obediently, "Then I'll go take a look. I want to take all the treasures the Prince gave me, as well as the ones my mother gave me."
"Then go quickly," Gu Linchao said.
Wen Nong Nong let go of his hand. "Then Your Highness, please sit for a while. After I've packed everything up, I'll go to the study and check it again to see if there's anything I forgot to pack."
"Okay." Gu Linchao nodded.
Wen Nongnong instructed Wang Houde, who was standing beside her, "Eunuch Wang, then you will take care of the prince."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant will take good care of the Prince," Wang Houde immediately replied.
"Then I'm leaving." Wen Nongnong said to Gu Linchao, and then hurriedly returned to Chenxiang Courtyard.
She does have some things to collect.
Jewelry and ornaments are secondary; she has something else that is very important.
Back in her room, she retrieved the late emperor's edict that she had been hiding. After much deliberation, she folded the edict neatly and placed it into the box containing the erotic illustrations. She then put the box into a trunk, intending to take it to Xiangzhou the next day.
After finishing her chores in the house, she went to the study to check if the servants had forgotten anything.
When she arrived, Gu Linchao was sitting in a chair, and Wang Houde was directing the servants to pack things.
"Your Highness, shall we take these paintings from the bookshelf?" At this moment, Wang Houde picked up a stack of paintings from one corner of the bookshelf and asked for permission.
"What painting?" Wen Nongnong asked casually.
"This servant doesn't know either." Just as Wang Houde was about to hand the painting to her, Gu Linchao suddenly stood up, his voice somewhat urgent, "Give it all to me."
"What kind of painting is it? Can't I see it?" Wen Nongnong asked curiously.
“These are some diagrams of troop deployments; you won’t like looking at them.” Gu Linchao’s speech suddenly quickened, and he reached out his hand towards Wang Houde.
Wang Houde had no choice but to hand the painting over to him.
Wen Nong Nong looked at Gu Linchao suspiciously, "Since it's just a formation diagram, why don't you just put it away? But Your Highness seems to treasure it."
“These paintings were all hand-painted by me, so they are naturally treasures and must not be lost.” Gu Linchao said casually, taking the paintings from Wang Houde as if nothing had happened.
Little did he know, Wen Nongnong had quietly taken a painting from his hand and then slowly opened it to look at it.
When she saw the person depicted in the painting, her eyes widened in surprise, then a smile appeared on her lips. "Was this really painted by the Prince himself?"
"Mmm," Gu Linchao responded, clutching the painting to his chest as if it were a precious treasure.
Seeing him like this, Wen Nongnong was in a great mood and found him strangely adorable.
She took his arm and teased, "So, Your Highness has been secretly drawing me in private."
Gu Linchao was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, and an awkward expression flashed across his handsome face.
“But why did Your Highness keep it from me? If you like to paint me, you can tell me. I’ll pose you however you want,” Wen Nongnong said generously.
Upon hearing this, Gu Linchao, for some reason, recalled several times when she was on the bed, her back bent over...
He curled his fingers. "Okay, I'll tell you next time."
Wen Nongnong had no idea that a certain serious prince was thinking some inappropriate things. She smiled and took another painting from his arms to look at it.
"So, in the prince's heart, I am this beautiful," she said with great satisfaction.
Gu Linchao's lips curled slightly, and he said gently, "Nongnong is beautiful."
Wen Nongnong was overjoyed. Overjoyed, she disregarded the presence of servants and stood on tiptoe to give him a hard kiss on the handsome face. "Your Highness has the best taste."
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