The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

"Mr. Gu, you don't know that this place is the junction of several countries and there are many bandits. Even in the mansion, there is no guarantee of absolute safety. The master is doing this for your own good."

Liu Chuan's voice was low, and he didn't look directly into Gu Nianzhi's eyes when he spoke to her. His humble look formed a sharp contrast with his tall stature. His words revealed his loyalty to Cen Yu and his concern for Gu Nianzhi.

Gu Nianzhi nodded, said nothing more, and followed Liu Chuan forward silently.

They walked along a quiet path, with lush flowers and trees on both sides. The moonlight sprinkled on the ground, forming patches of mottled light and shadows. Gu Nianzhi's mind was full of thoughts. She kept thinking about what Cen Yu said, thinking about the possibility and truth of it.

Yanagawa led the way silently, his steps were steady and powerful, without making any sound. His eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, always maintaining a high state of alert.

"Liu Chuan, you have been with Cen Yu for a long time, right?" Gu Nianzhi suddenly asked.

"Mr. Hui-Hui, yes." Yanagawa replied briefly.

"Then you must know him very well?" Gu Nianzhi continued to ask.

"I am not in a position to say much about the Sect Master's affairs." Liu Chuan still spoke in that low tone.

Gu Nianzhi frowned slightly. She felt that Liu Chuan seemed a little too reserved and conservative.

She sighed and stopped asking questions.

They continued walking in silence, passed through a small garden, and came to the door of Gu Nianzhi's room.

"Mr. Gu, we're here." Liuchuan said.

"Thank you, Liu Chuan." Gu Nianzhi said with a smile.

"This is what a subordinate should do. Good night, Mr. Gu." After Liu Chuan finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave, but was stopped by Gu Nianzhi.

"Yanagawa, can you do me a favor?"

------

Cen Yu sat quietly at the table, staring intently at the letter in his hand. His focused expression seemed as if he could see through the letter.

His fingers gently stroked the edge of the envelope, and then he carefully checked the envelope and the letter again to make sure there was nothing else hidden inside.

"I have checked and there is indeed nothing else." Liuchuan responded respectfully.

There were only two short lines of words on the letter paper in Cen Yu's hand.

"Lord Yao, I am fine. I have something urgent to deal with, so I will leave first. Don't worry. Please remember me."

These brief words caused a complex emotion to surge in Cen Yu's heart. His brows slightly furrowed, and his eyes revealed a hint of doubt and thought.

"Just to let you know you're safe? No code words or anything like that?"

Cen Yu's voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of uncertainty in his words.

He knew very well how smart Gu Nianzhi was and always felt that this letter would not be that simple.

"I saw with my own eyes that Gu Gu...Mr. Gu picked up the pen and wrote it down, using the paper and pen from our mansion. There shouldn't be any mystery behind it."

Yanagawa replied, a hint of caution in his tone.

Liu Chuan already knew from Cen Yu that Gu Nianzhi was a woman, but without Cen Yu's consent, he could only call Gu Nianzhi Mr. Gu.

Liu Chuan knew very well how much Cen Yu valued Gu Nianzhi, so he was particularly careful when answering, fearing that he would say something wrong and cause Cen Yu's dissatisfaction.

Cen Yu was silent for a moment, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, making a rhythmic sound.

He kept pondering the meaning of the letter in his mind, trying to find some clues from it.

However, no matter how he thought about it, he felt that this letter seemed to be just a simple letter to report safety.

"Forget it, send someone to deliver it. It will be good to let Sima Yao know about Gu Nianzhi's safety, so that he won't miss the important task."

Cen Yu finally said, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

He knew Sima Yao's feelings for Gu Nianzhi, and he also knew that Sima Yao was always worried about Gu Nianzhi's safety.

Now that Gu Nianzhi has suddenly left, this is the only way to reassure Sima Yao.

The tent was brightly lit, illuminating the entire space like daylight.

Sima Yao was like an ant on a hot pan at this time, walking back and forth anxiously in the tent, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes full of anxiety and worry.

"Report..."

A hurried report was heard, and a soldier came running over, even out of breath because he ran so fast.

"A flying dart brought a letter addressed to Prince Yao." The soldier said hurriedly.

Upon hearing this, Sima Yao grabbed the letter like lightning and opened it impatiently.

He quickly scanned the contents of the letter and murmured, "I am fine. I have something urgent to deal with, so I will leave first..."

After reading it, his eyes were full of confusion and doubt.

"Did Mr. Gu send someone to deliver it?" Shu Huaiyuan asked softly.

"It's his handwriting." Sima Yao said as he handed the letter to Shu Huaiyuan.

Shu Huaiyuan took the letter and read it carefully for a long time with a frown on his face, his expression serious and focused. "Indeed. But, what urgent matter could Mr. Gu have here?"

He murmured in a low voice, his mind also full of questions.

"Besides, she was abducted."

Sima Yao said with a gloomy face, all kinds of bad guesses kept emerging in his mind. He believed that Gu Nianzhi wrote this letter under coercion, and he became more and more worried about Gu Nianzhi's safety.

"But, since he was kidnapped, the thief must have something to ask for when sending the letter. Why would he come specifically to report that he is safe?"

Shu Huaiyuan pondered and fell into deep thought.

"Perhaps the person who kidnapped Mr. Gu is an old acquaintance of his, and kidnapping him will not harm him."

Shu Huaiyuan put forward his own speculation, trying to make some sense of this complicated situation.

"You mean, Nianzhi sent this because he was afraid that we would worry?"

A hint of thought flashed across Sima Yao's eyes, and he seemed to be thinking about the possibility of Shu Huaiyuan's point of view.

"Although Batu is willing to negotiate with us, after all, a war is imminent. It is reasonable for Mr. Gu not to want us to be distracted by her departure. Why not, let's put an end to the search for Mr. Gu for now."

Shu Huaiyuan said slowly, he looked at Sima Yao, hoping that he could think calmly about the current situation.

Sima Yao was silent for a long time, his heart was constantly struggling and entangled.

On the one hand, he was worried about Gu Nianzhi's safety and wanted to continue looking for her; on the other hand, Shu Huaiyuan was right. The war was imminent and the military morale and deployment could not be disrupted because of Gu Nianzhi.

In order to find Gu Nianzhi, the entire military camp was turned upside down.

From the tents to the training grounds, from the kitchens to the stables, no corner was spared.

The soldiers were busy moving around, carefully searching for any clues or traces that might be related to Gu Nianzhi.

The soldiers on duty were serious and performed their search mission meticulously. They carefully checked every suspicious place and did not miss any slight signs. The soldiers who were not on duty were also urgently summoned and questioned one by one. They stood in neat rows with different expressions. Some were a little nervous, while others looked confused, but they all answered every question honestly.

Time passes by every second, but the results are always disappointing.

Gu Nianzhi was not found, nor was any useful information obtained.

Such a large-scale search operation consumed a huge amount of manpower and material resources, and the entire military camp was filled with an atmosphere of tension and anxiety.

If this continues, I'm afraid the entire army will be in panic.

The soldiers' minds may be diverted from the upcoming battle and their morale will be affected, which is undoubtedly fatal for an army that is about to face a major war.

Sima Yao was fully aware of the serious consequences of unstable military morale, and he also clearly understood that what Shu Huaiyuan said made sense.

After a painful struggle and weighing of the pros and cons, he finally reluctantly ordered to suspend the search.

He knew that he had to put the overall situation first and not let the entire army fall into chaos because of Gu Nianzhi.

After everyone left, Shu Huaiyuan turned around and was about to leave, but he heard Sima Yao mutter to himself: "But, she said that when I come back, she has an important secret to tell me... Why did she leave like this?"

Sima Yao's voice was full of loss and confusion, and his eyes revealed deep attachment and worry.

Shu Huaiyuan sighed, turned around, looked at Sima Yao and said, "Your Highness, you don't have to worry too much. No matter what Mr. Gu's current situation is, he was taken away by someone after all, and many situations may not be under her control."

Although Shu Huaiyuan's words were meant to comfort him, Sima Yao was more worried. He couldn't imagine the various dangers that Gu Nianzhi might be facing, and every possibility made his heart tighten.

Sima Yao was silent for a long time, then slowly said: "Privately, we should send people to continue to investigate, and we must not take it lightly."

His voice was low and firm, and there was an unquestionable light in his eyes.

"Subordinates take orders."

Shu Huaiyuan responded respectfully. He understood Sima Yao's deep feelings for Gu Nianzhi, and he also knew that Sima Yao would never give up looking for Gu Nianzhi easily. Although the large-scale search was suspended on the surface, the private efforts would never stop.

The candlelight flickered as Sima Yao sat there in a daze, seemingly mesmerized.

The color of the candlelight was similar to the setting sun in the sky, but the situation before him was completely different.

You were so affectionate just a few hours ago, but now you are all alone.

"Nianzhi, where are you?"

Whenever Sima Yao thought of Gu Nianzhi, his heart felt as if it was being grabbed by someone, with a dull pain mixed with a stabbing pain.

"When I win a great victory, I will conquer this northern desert and bring you back to me."

The candle flame flickered, and the faint and warm light danced gently in the darkness. Sima Yao just sat there, staring at the candle flame, and seemed to be mesmerized.

The color of the candlelight was surprisingly similar to the setting sun in the sky, both with a dim and lonely hue.

However, the situation before my eyes was quite different from that at the time of setting sun.

A few hours ago, he and Gu Nianzhi were still loving each other, snuggling up to each other, enjoying the sweet and wonderful time, but now, he was the only one sitting here alone, surrounded by endless silence and loneliness.

"Nianzhi, where are you?" Sima Yao murmured to himself. His voice was particularly clear in this silent space, but it was also filled with endless sorrow and longing.

Every time he thought of Gu Nianzhi, his heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by someone. It was an indescribable pain, a dull pain with a sharp sting, which hit his heart again and again, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Gu Nianzhi's face kept appearing in his mind, her smiles, her gentle words, her concerned eyes, all of which were deeply engraved in his heart like a knife.

Sima Yao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he didn't feel any pain. He swore in his heart: "When I win a great victory, I will conquer this northern desert and bring you back to me."

In this quiet night, Sima Yao's thoughts drifted far and wide. He recalled the good times they had spent together, the days when they strolled among the flowers together, the nights when they looked up at the stars together, and the moments when they shared joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness together. Every memory was like a bright star, embellishing his heart, making him feel warm and sweet. However, now all of this has become the past, and he is left alone in this darkness, missing and suffering.

Sima Yao slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night sky outside. There were no stars in the night sky, only endless darkness, just like his mood at the moment. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that he couldn't stay depressed like this. He had to cheer up, for Gu Nianzhi, for himself, and for their future. He had to become stronger and more powerful. Only in this way could he protect Gu Nianzhi in this complicated world and fulfill his promise to Gu Nianzhi.

The candle flame was still swaying, and Sima Yao's figure appeared lonely and firm in the candlelight. He stood there quietly, his heart full of thoughts for Gu Nianzhi and longing for the future. He was looking forward to the arrival of that day, looking forward to the moment of reuniting with Gu Nianzhi.

---------

The early morning sunlight gently poured in through the window, creating patches of mottled light and shadows on the dining table.

Gu Nianzhi and Cen Yu sat opposite each other and had breakfast together. The room was filled with the aroma of food and a peaceful atmosphere.

"I have already made a decision about what you said yesterday."

Cen Yu's voice broke the silence. He looked calm, and as he spoke, he sandwiched a bag of quicksand in front of Gu Nianzhi. His movements were natural and smooth, as if it was just a very ordinary action.

However, his words made Gu Nianzhi concentrate instantly. Her eyes were fixed on Cen Yu, full of anticipation and nervousness.

"Do you accept my proposal?"

Gu Nianzhi's voice trembled slightly. She felt both anticipation and uncertainty.

She knew very well what this plan meant to Cen Yu, and also knew the huge impact it might bring.

Cen Yu did not answer immediately. He blew gently on the porridge in the bowl, then took a sip carefully, as if he was savoring the sweetness of the porridge, and as if he was thinking about how to answer Gu Nianzhi's question.