Chapter 1685 -1678: Begging the Crown Prince to Grant a Marriage

In the end, she did not accept Su Chenyang’s promise, but Su Chenyang chased after her on horseback and shouted by the roadside, “Princess, I vow that in this lifetime, you will be the only one I pledge to.”

I will never break my promise.

If I fail, may I suffer eternal damnation!

Chu Xi was filled with emotions and tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand.

Did she truly deserve such a vow from Su Chenyang in this lifetime?

Would she… ever see him again?

——

Su Chenyang returned to Jiang Du City with Su Hao. Su Hao did not ask why he had gone after the princess but simply understood and supported him. Whatever Su Chenyang wanted to do, as long as it was reasonable, he and Wu Jinyan would not stand in his way.

After returning, Su Chenyang became very obedient, focused on studying and practicing martial arts, delivering excellent results in both.

From the moment he began writing, his essays received commendations from the Grand Tutor and the Crown Prince.

Chu Heng looked at an essay written by his cousin Su Chenyang and praised it highly, “Brother Chenyang will surely become a pillar of our nation in the future. Ninth brother, don’t you agree?”

“Ninth brother?”

Chu Heng called several times, but Chu Jinling was still lost in thought.

Chu Heng tapped the imperial table with the brush, “Ninth brother!”

“Sisi!”

Chu Jinling suddenly jolted awake, unable to suppress the cry from deep within.

“Sisi?” Chu Heng saw his scattered expression and softened his voice, “Ninth brother, are you thinking about General Lin again?”

It had been nearly two years since their father had gone on campaign against Qiongzhou City. During the battle, General Lin was involved in an incident and had been missing ever since. His ninth brother searched relentlessly, but hope had all but faded.

Yet in recent days…

Chu Heng noticed that Chu Jinling had started to drift off into his thoughts again.

Chu Jinling lowered his head, staring at the half-written folk tale in his hand. His gaze grew dark and deep, “Sisi, where are you?”

“Ninth brother said that General Lin is no longer with us, didn’t you?” Chu Heng, though factual, spoke gently.

He knew that with their father and mother absent, his ninth brother was his closest family.

Chu Jinling put down the brush and let out a long sigh, “How could I not know? But recently, I feel as if Sisi has returned, as if she’s right by my side!

Yet no matter how I search, I can’t find her.”

The one he loved most—Sisi—if she saw him, how could she bear not coming out to see him?

He missed her dearly!

No amount of busywork, no heaviness of court affairs, could suppress his longing for her.

Chu Heng didn’t know how to console his ninth brother, so he decided to write to their father and mother about it.

Lately, his ninth brother’s distracted state and accumulated court affairs were giving him a headache.

Chu Yihan wrote back, advising him to enlist Zhuo Junli and Lu Mian, ensuring they didn’t show up together but instructing them to resolve all their tasks at once.

Chu Heng thought for a moment about his father’s suggestion and decided to grant his ninth brother some time off to rest. He then summoned Lord Lu Mian to the palace.

Lu Mian, a man of few words but high efficiency, had been promoted steadily over the years. By his early thirties, he had already reached the rank of a fourth-grade official.

Among the civil officials, he was second only to Zhuo Junli.

For matters Chu Heng didn’t understand, Lu Mian always had solutions upon arrival.

With Lu Mian spending entire days in the palace, Chu Heng felt much more relaxed and even managed to practice equestrian archery in his spare time.

Thinking about rewarding him, Chu Heng asked, “Lord Lu, is there any particular item you wish for as a reward? The tributes from various regions this year are quite good.”

Allowing Lu Mian to choose freely would express the Crown Prince’s sincerity.

After all, Lu Mian had been as dedicated in his service as his ninth brother.

Lu Mian, with his cold and stern visage, and always deep gaze, typically displayed no desires or pursuits. But this time, when Chu Heng posed the question, Lu Mian voiced a bold request, “Your Highness, I humbly ask for a marriage decree.”

“A marriage decree?” Chu Heng was slightly startled. Having dealt with many court affairs, he naturally knew more about such matters than most officials. His curiosity deepened, “Whose daughter does Lord Lu have his eye on?”

His father had previously considered arranging a marriage for Lu Mian, but Lu Mian, with his ascetic temperament, showed no interest in such matters.

Now…

He felt compelled to write to his father about this tidbit.

Lu Mian impassively stated a shocking choice, “I admire Miss Leng Muling of the Leng family.”

Chu Heng: “…”

Lord Lu, are you serious?

Chu Heng massaged his temples, “Regarding this marriage decree, I must consult with my father. Lord Lu, please wait for further news.”

For others, he could make decisions freely.

But he recalled that Leng Muling had originally been intended as a match for his uncle Mo Qi.

What was Uncle Mo Qi up to these days?

Chu Heng sent a letter to his father and mother and promptly summoned Mo Qi to the palace.

Mo Qi had been placed by Chu Yihan to guard Chu Heng, but since Chu Heng rarely left the palace, Mo Qi managed the Imperial Guards and often sought assignments outside the capital. Months would pass before he returned to Jiang Du City, leaving Chu Heng with little opportunity to see him.

Mo Qi entered the palace to report to Chu Heng and, in passing, briefed him on his recent field inspection. After hearing the report, Chu Heng set it aside and asked, “Uncle Mo Qi, are you considering marriage recently?”

Mo Qi was stunned. “I… have no plans for marriage. Why does Your Highness ask such a question?”

“I was just thinking of Miss Leng Muling from the Leng family. She has reached an age where we should consider her future. She used to amuse me a lot,” Chu Heng remarked.

Mentioning Leng Muling, Mo Qi’s blood froze, and the color drained from his lips. “She… is she getting married soon?”

Chu Heng replied, “There is no news from Miss Muling yet, but Lord Lu Mian wishes to marry her. I’ve already sent a letter to my father for his opinion. If there are no issues, the marriage decree will likely be issued for them.”

“A marriage decree!? Your Highness… Can we not issue such a decree? I… I…”

Mo Qi had words screaming in his heart but could not voice them to a mere child.

“Correspondence takes time, and my father isn’t likely to decide immediately. There’s still time,” Chu Heng said, his tone gentle, softly reminding Mo Qi.

After leaving the palace, Mo Qi immediately rushed to the Leng household.

It had been months since his last fleeting encounter with Leng Muling.

She had wanted to sever ties with him, never to see him again.

How could he stand idly by and watch her marry someone else?

Mo Qi arrived at the Leng household, where Yun Sijin received him. Yun Sijin said, “Miss Ling’er went out early this morning. She had lunch with Lord Lu and hasn’t yet returned. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for her, Chief Mo.”

Mo Qi shook his head, “No matter, I can wait as long as it takes. I just wish to see her for a moment.”

His words were so urgent that he worried his tongue had faltered, leaving his face awkward. Yun Sijin merely smiled and acted as if she hadn’t noticed, treating him as a guest.

She sent a maid to notify Leng Muling and then went to the study to find Zhuo Junli.

Zhuo Junli had just returned from an assignment outside the capital. He had finally found a quiet moment to brew himself a pot of snow sprout tea. When Yun Sijin walked in during this brief respite, Zhuo Junli pinched his brows, “Do they work the village donkey this hard?

Has that Crown Prince given me another task?”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.