Chapter 893: Princess Chen Does Not Make Concessions
"Commandery Prince Qing? Is he of his own accord?" Empress Dowager frowned. She did not like Chu Qing, but every time she thought of his family background, she would feel a little pity for him. Of course, it could not be compared with that for Chu Liuchen.
"Yes, he is! Because of the previous affair involving Xu State, Uncle the Emperor had a special meeting with him. We found out things relevant to Xu State again and again, so we are afraid that it might have evil ambitions!" Chu Liuchen said implicitly.
Since the remaining evildoers of Xu State were the most difficult to deal with at this time, Chu Qing thought it was the best time for him to go there.
Shao Wanru cast a glance at him silently and breathed a sigh of relief. She had the same thought as Empress Dowager. She didn't care about it as long as Chu Liuchen didn't go to Xu State.
"Is he going there alone?" Empress Dowager asked.
"No. Ningyuan Army General is asked to go together to escort him." Chu Liuchen shook his head.
Ningyuan Army General? Shao Wanru blinked her eyes. She hadn't heard of this person for a long time. When she heard his name again, it seemed that it had been a life-long time since she heard it the last time.
"He can rest assured with Ningyuan Army General's help! Since your Uncle the Emperor has made up his mind, it will be fine that you just go to see them off at that time. However, you have always been in poor health. If you can't stand it, ask Prince Yue and Prince Zhou to do that on behalf of you!" Empress Dowager's words obviously showed that she was partial to Chu Liuchen.
"Empress Dowager treats Prince Chen in a much better way than she treats the other two princes!" Shao Wanru thought.
She smiled slightly. However, she was happy for Empress Dowager's partiality to her husband.
"Imperial Grandmother, I've told you many times that I've recovered and I'm very well now. I'm just a little weaker than other men, but it won't be life-threatening!" Chu Liuchen said.
"Okay, okay, my grandson has recovered and is healthy!" Empress Dowager smiled. Chu Liuchen's current condition made her relieved. "My boy is finally saved."
For so many years, Empress Dowager had always been worried that Chu Liuchen would die before she did in the end and that she would hear bad news from Prince Chen's Mansion. But the current situation could never be better.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager turned to glance at Shao Wanru, who was obediently sitting there. The more she looked at Shao Wanru, the more satisfied she felt. "It seems that Chen'er has been getting better and better since he married this girl."
"This girl is Prince Chen's lucky star!" Thinking of it, she looked at Shao Wanru with increasing favor.
How could Shao Wanru not know that Empress Dowager had expressed such obvious fondness for her? She immediately decided to chat with Empress Dowager for a while before she returned to Prince Chen's Mansion with Chu Liuchen.
By the time they returned to the mansion, it was almost dinner time.
Shao Wanru was indeed hungry after walking in the Peony Garden for a while and then talking with Empress Dowager. When the dishes were presented, she found that most of them were her favorite, so she ate an extra half bowl of rice.
When they were done, the servant girls left.
"Shall we go out for a walk to help digestion?" Chu Liuchen asked with a smile.
"Yes!" Shao Wanru agreed happily. Even if Chu Liuchen didn't suggest so, she would do. It was good for their health. Although Chu Liuchen was not as weak as was thought, he still needed such a regimen.
Chu Liuchen never restrained himself in his own mansion. After standing up, he held Shao Wanru's hand.
Shao Wanru wanted to shake off his hand, but she failed because he held her so tightly. When she remembered that he bent down to help tidy her dressing without considering his noble status today, her heart was softened and she decided not to shake off his hand.
Chu Liuchen sensitively sensed Shao Wanru's indulgence towards him, so he tightened his hand and walked out of the courtyard with Shao Wanru, with a group of servant girls and eunuchs following far behind.
After walking for a moment, Chu Liuchen turned his head sideways to look at her and asked with a smile, "Why don't you talk? Didn't you have a lot of questions before?"
"Your Highness!" Shao Wanru said in a coquettish tone. She did have a lot of questions, but when she was allowed to ask, she didn't know which question to start.
Chu Liuchen raised the corner of his mouth and said lazily, "Then forget it if you don't ask."
"Why do we have to send people to Xu State?" Shao Wanru rolled her eyes at him and asked.
"Some affairs that happened before were figured out to be related to Xu State and Commandery Prince Qing. Now we are unable to find more information and all the evidence we found pointed at Xu State. Uncle the Emperor is worried, so he wants someone to have an investigation in Xu State!" Chu Liuchen answered casually.
There was more than one thing that was linked to Xu State. It seemed that someone from their country had secret contact with Xu State, but they couldn't dig the hidden traitor out. It was perfect that Chu Qing asked for permission to go there.
"Chu Qing was actually a man with lots of experiences!" There was a trace of vague sharpness in Chu Liuchen's eyes as he thought.
"Fortunately, you weren't sent! I… I've heard of Xu State. It's very a remote and small country, but there are many evil things there. Don't go to that state if unnecessary!" As a small country in Nan Jiang, it was never considered a threat. But it had something that was beyond the understanding of the people in the Central Plains.
Shao Wanru had once read those strange things in a book.
They didn't seem to be real, but more like legends of ghosts and monsters. But Shao Wanru felt that they were more than fictional legends. Anyway, Shao Wanru had a very bad impression on Xu State, which was certainly because she thought Chu Liuchen had almost died there in her last life.
"I know you are worried about me. But I certainly won't go there. We are newly married. How can I be so cruel to let Zhuozhuo sleep alone every night?" Chu Liuchen said and raised his eyebrows with naughtiness, with a handsome and rascal look, which was quite different from his usual elegant and noble look.
"Your Highness!" Shao Wanru said with a blushed face and glared at him.
"How could he say such words in front of others!"
"Okay, I'll say that when we are alone!" Chu Liuchen immediately understood Shao Wanru and coaxed her. The gentleness in his eyes was as clear as a spring.
Shao Wanru blushed again. How could he explain it like that? She couldn't help stomping her feet with hatred with her heartbeats pounding faster.
He was becoming more and more unabashed, and Shao Wanru was refreshed again by the limit of his bottom line.
"Okay, okay, I have something important to tell you. I am going to the border with them in a few days!" Chu Liuchen knew that he had to stop teasing her anymore. Otherwise, she would become angry.
"Must you get to such a far place?" Shao Wanru was chilled up her spine. She had thought that Chu Liuchen would just see them off until he got to the place that was just ten miles far from the capital city.
"I must! It's uncertain whether our ambassadors can come back safely or not. I have to stay at the border to keep an eye on them!" Chu Liuchen said indifferently.
"Is it a dangerous trip?" Shao Wanru was so astonished that she widened her watery eyes. The slight uneasiness in her heart had driven her annoyance away.
"Out of question it is dangerous, but it's not necessarily fruitless. Xu State hasn't offered sacrifices to us since many years ago, so they will not show a good attitude toward us. But it is hard to tell. At least, Xu State is still one of our subordinate countries, and it can't make too much trouble!"
Chu Liuchen said with a trace of coldness in his watery eyes. Of course, he had to hide something from Shao Wanru.
Xu State had never been an obedient state, not to mention the current moment when the crown prince had not been decided yet. It seemed that the small country would interfere in the decision of the candidate for the future Emperor.
Another reason why Chu Liuchen had suspected Xu State early was that some old officials of the previous dynasty had fled to Xu State. Although Xu State's governors had once promised that they would find and arrest them, just few of those traitors had been intermittently caught for so many years.
It was said that there was a royal family in the previous dynasty, and they also fled to Xu State at that time.
It was uncertain whether the family had fallen or its members had colluded with Xu State. Chu Liuchen had thought of this early when he set the plot against them.
The journey to Xu State was the beginning of Chu Liuchen's plan. He turned his handsome eyes to look at Shao Wanru's concerned face, with a smile hidden in the raising corner of his mouth. Since he wanted to protect his Zhuozhuo, he couldn't be a fish on the chopping block. Now he could make use of something to which he didn't pay attention before.
Shao Wanru thought for a few seconds and understood Chu Liuchen's words. She asked in surprise, "Your Highness, you need to stay at the border with our armies and give pressure on Xu State so that they dare not act rashly, don't you?"
"Has Xu State been such a serious problem that we have to deploy troops to demonstrate our strength? When we were in the Palace, he revealed nothing to Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager should think as she did before that Chu Liuchen would come back after he accompanied them out of the capital city. But who knew that Chu Liuchen wouldn't until he got to the border?
How could Empress Dowager agree with such a temperament?
"Yes, I must go this time. And you have to pay more attention to Imperial Grandmother. If I go to the border, she will ask you to go to the Palace from time to time. Don't go anywhere else except Imperial Grandmother's palace. I'm afraid that you will be in danger without me staying in the capital city."
Chu Liuchen stood still and looked down at Shao Wanru with his soft eyes which were filled with unhidden love.
Shao Wanru also stood still. She looked at Chu Liuchen, took the initiative to get closer to him, and said softly, "Be careful, Your Highness! I will take good care of our mansion. Don't worry. And I will be more careful when I am in the Imperial Palace! What's more, Imperial Grandmother is there."
It was to not only reassure Chu Liuchen but also to alert herself.
Chu Liuchen's trip might attract many people's secret attention. If he returned in triumph in the future, he could be awarded first-class merit. Therefore, there might be more people paying attention to him than before.
"If you can't solve some problems, leave them to me. I will settle them after I am back. Remember that you are Princess Chen and don't need to yield to others! In the Palace, you don't have to care about anyone except Imperial Grandmother!" Chu Liuchen snorted coldly and said with some displeasure.
"Okay. I won't ruin the reputation of Prince Chen's Mansion!" Shao Wanru couldn't help laughing. She knew that her excessive caution made him unhappy.
Prince Chen had always been arrogant in the Palace, and he couldn't bear to see himself timid and weak.
He was afraid that she would be bullied and even did not dare to tell others. Shao Wanru smiled in her heart. Since she had chosen him in this life, she would spend her whole life with him. No matter how many difficulties there would be in their life, she was willing to face them with him.
"Eh! Don't be bullied by them. Remember to strike back if someone sets you up. I'll arrange a secret guard for you. And don't be scared if you meet the Empress. Go and ask Imperial Grandmother for help!"