The fragmented rays of light from the warm late spring sun shone through the carved window frames of the upper study onto Ji Zhen's drooping eyelashes, casting a deep shadow under her eyes.

"I dare not use my personal interests to discuss state affairs. I hope Your Majesty will understand clearly."

Ji Zhen was kneeling on the ground, but his back was straight and his shoulders were straight, as if they were tied with a ruler.

The empress sat behind the imperial desk and looked at Ji Zhen carefully. She was a child from the general's mansion, and although she was naughty, her every word and action had been carefully trained.

She is proficient in both civil and military arts, and has a good command of the six arts. She has the charm of a noble family. Her calligraphy, riding and archery were all taught by the general himself, and she is considered to be the best in the capital. If such a woman were in the capital, she would have been married and had a full house.

But just when she came of age, she followed her mother to the northwest, sleeping in the snow and frost, and fought for the title of a prince and a grave that would stand forever on a mountain.

The empress frowned slightly, and suddenly realized that the young prince in front of her had never fought for anything for her.

"Qingyan, if I allow you to be selfish, what will you do?"

Ji Zhen raised her head, met the empress's cold and calm gaze, and smiled faintly:

"It is enough for me to retire from the army, return to the countryside, find a corner of Jiangnan, and be an ordinary woman."

"Don't want the northwest anymore?" The empress locked her eyes on Ji Zhen.

Ji Zhen raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly:

"All under heaven belongs to the king. All the people in the land are his subjects. The northwest has never been wanted or wanted by me. It is your northwest and your people. I am only protecting it for you with my body."

Looking at Ji Zhen's smiling face, the empress suddenly thought of many years ago, in the late spring, when that man smiled brightly and said to her in high spirits:

"Ayan, it's just the northwest, don't be afraid. I'll protect it for you, all you have to do is be a good emperor."

Then she rode away without looking back, and fulfilled her oath with a tomb built on a mountain.

Suddenly, an indescribable bitterness rolled through her heart. The sudden surge of complex emotions made the empress look away. She only looked at the jade pen pillow on the imperial desk and asked:

"So, you don't want Zhao Youqing anymore?"

Ji Zhen suddenly raised his head, glanced at the empress, then lowered his head, closed his eyes, sighed imperceptibly, and said:

"I cannot accept your request."

"What if I grant you the marriage?" The empress turned her eyes and glanced at Ji Zhen, who had a gloomy face. She said angrily, "Look at how little you have. With regard to the matter between you and him, who can you hide from?"

After that, the empress seemed to be angry with someone, called the eunuchs, and said to Ji Zhen:

"I will give you a decree today. Send him back to Yan State or marry him. It's your choice."

Ji Zhen was slightly stunned, and couldn't guess why the empress would do this, but she didn't change her words:

"Your Majesty is wise. Zhao Youqing has no ambitions in the backyard. I do not want to force him. Moreover, if he returns and ascends the throne, he will keep a low profile and not resort to war. Then the four states adjacent to Nanyue will be safe."

After hearing this, the empress remained silent for a long time and just asked Ji Zhen to get up.

As the ruler of a country, she knew all the interests that Ji Zhen mentioned. But she just wanted to see if Ji Zhen would make another choice.

Just happen, just happen......

"You! Just like your mother, so stubborn."

This was the last sentence the empress said to Ji Zhen when she left the palace. Ji Zhen looked at the faint clouds in the sky and thought:

Zhao Youqing's return to China is probably a success.

On the way back home, Ji Zhen went to the banquet hall, picked up four jars of Yantouchun, and kicked open the door of the guest house.

Chaoge held onto the shaky door panel, trembling behind the door, and half of his head stuck out to look at Ji Zhen. Ji Zhen beckoned him with her finger, asking him to come over, and asked:

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost when you see me?"

"No, no!"

Chaoge shook his head desperately. For some reason, Ji Zhen in her palace dress looked like the morning glow that was about to leave the sky. She was so dazzling that he wanted to take a few more glances at her, but he didn't dare to look up because of the scorching heat of the sun.

Under Ji Zhen's gaze, Chaoge's face flushed. He pointed to the main hall behind the screen wall and said to Ji Zhen:

"My lord has been waiting for Your Highness for a long time. Please come in, Your Highness."

Ji Zhen raised her eyebrows, and walked in with the small wine jar. After passing the screen wall, she stopped again before passing through the Moon Shadow Gate, turned her head to look at Chaoge, and asked with a smile:

"Your young master is waiting for me at this time. Do you have any good food? Look, I brought some good wine."

"Yes, the young master went to the banquet hall in person and asked them to bring many dishes that His Highness likes to eat. All of them are kept warm."

"That's fine." Ji Zhen smiled heartlessly.

However, the further he went inside, the more Ji Zhen felt something was wrong.

In her impression, this place shouldn't be so festive, right? Why are there so many red silks hanging? Even the lanterns are red?

When Ji Zhen pushed open the door of the main hall, she was completely stunned.

The whole room was hung with red silk, and a pair of red candles with dragons and phoenixes were burning in the middle. A large red silk embroidered with gold screen was placed horizontally in the middle, and behind the screen was a table full of delicious food and Zhao Youqing in wedding clothes.

Looking at the big words "囍" on the walls, Ji Zhen was stunned. She put down the wine jar, walked quickly to Zhao Youqing, pulled him over, looked him up and down, and only three words came out of her mouth:

"Are you crazy?"

Zhao Youqing looked really weird at the moment. His wedding dress was obviously ill-fitting, a little short and a little wide. He also tied his hair with red silk, which made him look extremely voluptuous.

“You are…” Ji Zhen was speechless.

"Marry you."

Zhao Youqing's face was as red as a peach, his lips were as red as cinnabar, and his pair of clear and bright eyes seemed to be filled with spring water. When he looked at Ji Zhen, there were ripples in his eyes, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

He pulled Ji Zhen into the inner room, picked up a red robe and was about to change it for her, but was stopped by Ji Zhen who had suddenly come to her senses.

"Youqing, what are you doing?"

"Marry you."

Zhao Youqing repeated his words. He looked at Ji Zhen infatuatedly, stroked her face, and said:

"I went to the West Market and took the ten rolls of red silk, but I still felt it was not enough, so I bought these two wedding dresses, wedding candles, and wedding quilts. Then I waited for you here. I knew you would come."

"I came here because you chose Yueying."

Ji Zhen's expression was indifferent, with a pair of lively eyes, calm and peaceful, totally unlike Zhao Youqing's blushing face.

"Yes, I also brought back Yueying. Because my lifelong wish is to return to my homeland with you by my side."

Zhao Youqing leaned over and put his forehead against Ji Zhen's, not denying what he had done. He stared into Ji Zhen's eyes and said softly:

"Let's get married today, and then come back to Yan State with me and become my queen. Okay?"

Ji Zhen was stunned for a moment, then she started to laugh. But her smile was very cold, so cold that Zhao Youqing felt that even he, whose forehead was pressed against hers, was losing temperature.

"Why deceive yourself? Youqing, you should know that only if I am the Prince of Qingyan, you can return to Yan State openly as a prince. If not, what can your uncle's 5,000 troops guarding the altar city do for you?"

Zhao Youqing froze in place, the color draining from his face bit by bit.

"You even know this?"

"If I don't even know these, how can I send you back with dignity?"

Ji Zhen looked at the shaky Zhao Youqing, sighed, put down the wedding dress in his hand, patted his hand, and comforted him:

"Don't be afraid. His Majesty has already allowed you to return to your country. I will definitely let you go back with dignity. As for getting married..."

Ji Zhen looked at the wedding quilt and wedding curtain in front of her, suppressed her throbbing heart, pulled her hand out of Zhao Youqing's, and said softly:

"When you are crowned queen and get married, someone will arrange a grand wedding for you. You are going to be the emperor, so you must not have anything to do with me anymore."

After saying that, Ji Zhen suddenly remembered the Yantouchun he had bought, so he turned around and walked out, saying as he walked:

"By the way, I went to Shiyanlou to buy a few jars of Yantouchun to celebrate for you. Let's drink it until we are drunk today..."

Before Ji Zhen could finish her words, Zhao Youqing suddenly threw her to the ground from behind. He pressed his whole body tightly on her, bit her earlobe tightly, and said angrily:

"What do you mean by a coronation? What do you mean by a wedding? I want to be with you. Don't you understand?"

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