Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

After the Oirat captives surrendered and became subjects of the "Prince Yuan", Prince Duan Chu Shiyu kept his promise and officially released them from their prisoner-of-war status.

In order to build momentum for the common leader of the grassland, "King Yuan", Chu Shiyu ordered people to set up registration points outside the military camp and near Guiyuan City to process naturalization for other northern tribesmen who were willing to surrender.

There were three types of people who responded most enthusiastically: the first were the most devout believers of the Golden Bloodline who had come for the "pilgrimage" in the first place; the second were the slaves and lower-class people who had escaped from the slavery of the Oirat and Tatars - they had long responded to Prince Duan's recruitment order and made a living as free people in Guiyuan City. Having lost their sense of belonging to the grassland, they were eager for a new sense of belonging; the third were the small and medium-sized tribes who were eager to break free from the shackles of the old order and intend to fight for a future. Most of them dreamed of marrying princesses, princesses, or even becoming the successor of Prince Yuan.

After the surrendered captives were released, Chu Shiyu issued another order, ostensibly as "advice": As subjects of King Yuan, they naturally had to shoulder their responsibilities and prepare for the upcoming selection of King Yuan's successor and the martial arts competition. Specifically, they were to follow the established plan, communicate with the remaining northern tribes, and maintain order during the event.

At first, responsibilities were unclear, order was chaotic, and identities were blurred. Fortunately, the strong presence of the Daxia army prevented a major chaos.

Soon, these new subjects of King Yuan gradually found their place by virtue of their own abilities and influence in the group.

On the eve of selecting the successor, Prince Duan Chu Shiyu held an early bonfire party in the vast area between Guiyuan City and the Daxia military camp.

The invitees were all prominent figures who had risen to prominence among the Yuan princes and their subjects in the past two days. The blazing bonfire illuminated faces filled with excitement, anticipation, and ambition, while the air was filled with the aroma of barbecue and the melodious strains of the horse-head fiddle.

Amidst the flickering flames, Princess Changning Qin Zhen's gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, frequently fell on a figure—the young man from the Golden Family, Altan.

He sat quietly a little further away, the firelight casting light and dark shadows on his young but already resolute profile, in stark contrast to the noisy men around him.

That unique calm temperament made Changning feel that he was "different".

"Brother!" Chang Ning pulled Qin Tao, who was feasting beside him, and pointed in the direction of Altan, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Can you go and get in touch with that Altan and help me get to know him?"

Qin Tao followed his sister's finger and saw Altan's slightly thin figure and overly young face. His thick eyebrows knitted into knots and he sneered in a gruff voice, "You know him? A kid who hasn't even grown all his hair yet? Zhen'er, what kind of judgment do you have?"

After saying this, he felt more and more displeased with Altan's "weak" appearance. He swallowed the meat in his mouth, wiped the grease on his hands casually on a cloth, and walked over with big strides.

"Hey! Boy!" Qin Tao's voice was loud and provocative. "Are you a descendant of the Golden Family? I heard that your ancestors were brave and good at fighting. The atmosphere at the banquet tonight is very lively. Why don't you come and have a wrestling match with me? It will also liven up the party!"

Altan looked up in surprise, looking at the young man who was a few years older than him and full of vigor and vitality... He couldn't help but look at the burly middle-aged man in the distance who looked a little confused - "General Wei Yu of Daxia" Qin Shuangyu.

Then Altan thought for a moment, stood up and accepted the challenge.

Qin Tao was already a skilled fighter, and being a few years older, his physical strength was overwhelming. After several rounds, Altan was unsurprisingly thrown to the ground again and again, covered in dust and grass, looking utterly miserable.

But Altan became more and more courageous as the battle went on. He pursed his lips tightly and said nothing, but the stubbornness in his eyes burned like a flame. He stood up again and again, and was knocked down again and again.

"Hmph! Although you have a strong fighting spirit, you are still far from it! Forget about dreaming of becoming my sister!" Qin Tao clapped his hands, turned around and shouted to his sister, "Zhenzhen, did you see that? This guy is not worthy of you!"

Chang Ning watched Altan fall and get up again and again, and saw the unyielding fire in his eyes. Far from being convinced by his brother, he felt a surge of pity and injustice in his heart, and angrily scolded him: "Brother! You've gone too far! How can you be a hero if you bully the weak with your power!"

Qin Shuangyu, standing not far away, watched the entire scene unfold. He finally realized his daughter had developed an interest in Altan, a descendant of the Golden Family! Alarm bells immediately rang in his heart! That boy's last name was Boljijin! How could this be possible?!

Seeing his daughter arguing with her brother and looking very concerned about the boy, Qin Shuangyu became extremely anxious!

Then, he thought of his daughter who was very close to Liu Rusi. She had originally admired Prince Duan but was easily persuaded. With Liu Rusi, his "sister-in-law", persuading her, it should work!

Anxiously, he glanced around and found a heavily guarded figure on the other side of the campfire. Liu Rusi was quietly observing the dancing flames, lost in thought. Then, sensing his gaze, she looked up at him, as if she understood what he had to say.

Then she whispered something to Chu Shiyu who was sitting with her, stood up alone, and walked towards the shadows between several tents at the back.

Qin Shuangyu took a deep breath, then stood up and followed quickly, and saw Liu Rusi in a relatively secluded place between the tents.

"Liu..." Qin Shuangyu didn't know how to address his son Qin Lie's wife and seemed a little embarrassed.

"Just call me Madam Liu," Liu Rusi said calmly. Seeing Qin Shuangyu's furrowed brows and the anxiety in his eyes, she understood. "General Qin? What are you worried about?"

Qin Shuangyu relaxed a little, lowered his voice, and got straight to the point: "It's because of that girl Zhenzhen... She... seems to have some improper thoughts about that boy named Altan... Changning is young and naive, and I'm afraid of her... Madam Liu, Zhen'er is very close to you, could you please help persuade her? That boy is not suitable!"

Liu Rusi's eyes narrowed slightly, and she didn't immediately respond to the persuasion. Instead, she calmly asked, "Alatan? Which generation of the Golden Family is he from?"

Qin Shuangyu didn't think much about it and blurted out, "He is the seventh son of the previous emperor of the last dynasty and the direct descendant of King Wulan."

Liu Rusi's gaze suddenly grew sharp, piercing Qin Shuangyu like an icicle, and her voice grew colder. "What's wrong with this man being born into a noble family? And why does the general know so much about this?"

Qin Shuangyu froze, his shirt instantly soaked with cold sweat! He then realized that he had revealed some confidential information in his haste!

Under Liu Rusi's penetrating gaze, he had almost nowhere to hide. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a word.

Liu Rusi looked at his instantly pale face and sighed inwardly, but her tone remained calm, even with a hint of warning: "We are four generations apart. Strictly speaking, our blood relationship is already distant, so we are not considered close relatives."

However, Qin Shuangyu became even more anxious, almost growling, "But...but his last name is Boljijin!"

Liu Rusi's eyes darkened completely. She had to make her words clear and not let Qin Shuangyu have any hope.

She looked directly into Qin Shuangyu's eyes, her voice low but every word ringing like a hammer: "General Qin, your last name is Qin! If you continue to regard yourself as 'the father' and fail to truly see yourself as 'Qin Shuangyu', who has no connection with Boljijin, and continue to pay attention to, and even interfere in, matters of a bloodline that have nothing to do with you... sooner or later, you will bring disaster to the entire Qin family!"

Qin Shuangyu was suddenly struck by lightning, his face turned pale, and the fear of danger gripped him.

At this moment, a calm and slightly cold voice sounded from behind him, with an undeniable presence: "General Wei Yu, is there something important that you need to discuss privately with Madam Liu? Why not tell me?"

Chu Shiyu's figure walked out from the darkness where the light and shadow of the campfire intertwined. His auspicious phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze swept across Qin Shuangyu's panicked face, and then he looked at Liu Rusi, who was still calm.

Liu Rusi felt helpless. She knew Chu Shiyu must have guessed the Qin family's origins and understood his intentions. He intervened with a relatively non-threatening attitude of "jealousy" to avoid causing her anxiety...

After calming down her complicated and agitated emotions, she let out a helpless smile and naturally took over the conversation, her tone soothing and explaining, "Your Highness, Prince Duan, you're worrying too much. General Qin was just concerned about the Qin army's wounded and lamented the heavy casualties. I tried to reassure him, telling him not to focus solely on the past but also to consider the future... For example, whether there are successors and whether the company can last."

Chu Shiyu nodded in belief, but then glanced at Qin Shuangyu, who was forcing himself to remain calm, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "I see. The Qin Army is the pillar of the country. I understand General Wei Yu's sincere heart. But..."

He changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of overbearing possessiveness, but also hinting at a deeper warning: "Madam Liu is not your daughter, Qin Zhen. General, shouldn't you exercise due respect and be more cautious?"

Qin Shuangyu sensed a warning, but he simply assumed that Prince Duan was jealous of him getting close to the woman he loved, and was unhappy about it...

His emotions were mixed, but remembering that he had agreed with Qin Hao not to interfere with his mother Liu Rusi's marriage, Qin Shuangyu swallowed his bitterness, bowed his head, clasped his fists, and said, "I apologize for being rude. I will take my leave."

After saying this, he hurriedly left this shadowy place as if he was running away.

The bonfire was still crackling, illuminating the dim corner of the tent, and Chu Shiyu and Liu Rusi's eyes were filled with tacit understanding.

"He's quite sensible," Chu Shiyu was the first to break the silence, his voice low and filled with a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction, "He agreed with Qin Hao not to interfere in our affairs, and he really managed to keep silent."

Chu Shiyu chose to keep the Qin family's secret secret, letting it dissipate in the dust of time. If it were revealed, it would not benefit him, Liu Rusi, or the situation in Daxia.

Liu Rusi realized that he shared the same idea as hers and breathed a sigh of relief. She also didn't elaborate. A hint of helplessness and a hint of self-mockery appeared on the corner of her mouth. "It seems that everyone in the Qin family is so stubborn... Once they've made up their minds, they won't turn back even if they hit a wall."

She commented on the Qin family without hesitation, then her gaze became distracted. With deep anticipation, she looked towards the direction of the roaring bonfire, as if she could see a small figure a thousand miles away. "I hope Qin Hao won't be like this."

"Hmph..." Chu Shiyu hummed softly, and it was impossible to tell whether it was joy or anger in the voice. However, his deep Ruifeng eyes revealed complex emotions that were difficult to dispel, including regret and unspeakable bitterness.

"I originally thought Qin Hao's personality was like yours—intelligent, quick-witted, and adaptable... Now it seems, perhaps..." He paused, as if struggling to acknowledge his longing and regret. Finally, with a sense of fate, he said, "...similar to me."

Liu Rusi's body trembled upon hearing this, and her eyes slowly drooped. Her thick eyelashes cast a small shadow in the firelight, covering the struggle surging in her eyes...

A long silence stretched between the two of them, accompanied only by the noise of the bonfire party in the distance and the sound of the tents rustling in the wind nearby.

Just when Chu Shiyu thought she would not respond, a slightly cool little hand reached out with a firmness that was almost relieved and held his palm.

Chu Shiyu's heart suddenly shook, and he subconsciously clenched his hands, feeling the slight coolness coming from her fingertips.

He looked down and saw Liu Rusi raised her face. An almost relaxed smile appeared on her charming face, with a hint of fatigue and relief after seeing things through.

"It should be that you and I are the same kind of people." Her voice was soft, but it clearly penetrated the noise in the background, with a strange calmness.

"Hmm?" Chu Shiyu was stunned by her sudden classification. Ruifeng's eyes showed confusion. He held her hand tightly, waiting for the next step.

Liu Rusi's smile was tinged with bitterness, and her gaze seemed to penetrate the flames before her, gazing deeper into her own dark corner. "And I just... suddenly realized that I don't like myself. I don't want Qin Hao to be like me."

She felt Chu Shiyu's grip on her hand suddenly tighten, as if silently refuting her. She gently shook it back, signaling him to listen.

"I hate the way I'm always thinking, weighing the pros and cons of countless crossroads. I even have to disguise my emotions to show them to others. Sometimes I can't even tell what's in my heart."

Her voice was calm, yet it was as if she were dissecting a stranger. "I hate the unshakable darkness deep within my heart. It's like a lurking beast, ready to devour the gentle facade I strive to maintain at any moment. I also...know deeply how tiring and exhausting life is for people like me, constantly staring into the abyss within..."

Her gaze finally refocused on Chu Shiyu's face, with deep pity, but she didn't know whether it was for him or for herself.

"I don't want Qin Hao to become like me. At least, I don't want him to go through so many hardships like me and be forced to wake up because of the pain."

The light from the campfire danced in her eyes, as if igniting some overdue epiphany.

"Perhaps, I have always been unable to truly and unconditionally accept you." She looked directly into Chu Shiyu's deep eyes, as if to see into the depths of his soul. "It's not because of you... but because I can't accept myself."

Her voice was trembling, yet incredibly clear. "You're just too much like me. Looking at you is like looking into a mirror, reflecting all the truths about myself that I don't want to admit."

These words were like a heavy stone dropped into Chu Shiyu's heart, stirring up a huge wave. Shock, heartache, realization, and an indescribable resonance instantly swept over him.

He never thought that the high wall she built in her heart had its root in this! What she resisted was not Chu Shiyu himself, but the self that reflected his shadow in her eyes and that she could not reconcile with!

The warmth of the campfire seemed to truly reach us at this moment, dispelling the last trace of chill in the shadow of the tent.

Chu Shiyu held her hand and suddenly hugged her into his arms! As if he wanted to melt everything about her into his chest!

"Rusi..." A deep voice called her name, and Ruifeng's eyes were filled with complex emotions, which eventually settled into a solemnity that was almost pious.

"Do you remember what you said to me last time? I like it too..." Chu Shiyu gently stroked her warm back, as soft as if coaxing her to sleep: "Knowing my darkness, grant me spring morning."

"This is the truth I've been taught. People like you and me should encourage each other."

Liu Rusi was stunned again when she heard this, then she smiled and said to herself in his arms, "Life is always easier said than done."