Prince! The political conspiracy is not a play, the show is real

Chu Huanjun smiled nonchalantly and said calmly, "You're right. As long as a place is a place where people can eat and sleep, it can be a safe place. But you're also wrong. This is exactly what ordinary people can do."

He looked at the mountains, rivers, pavilions and gardens in front of him, and his sigh was so faint that it was lost in the noise of the wind.

"But I can't... Sometimes I really envy ordinary people who are far away from the imperial palace and the government. They can do whatever they want; if they don't want something, they don't have to worry about social etiquette, right and wrong, and can just reject it directly and easily."

He is a prince, born with imperial dignity and supreme honor.

Being a prince, he holds a high rank and a great salary, and has a silver screen and a golden house.

When he has lost his appetite for this garden mansion that cost countless manpower and financial resources to build, how many poor people in the world are still unable to afford food?

Ordinary poor people may never see such magnificent scenery in their entire lives, but as a prince, he envied ordinary people for being able to decide the size of their residence according to their own ideas.

Tao Yao secretly complained that her background was too ordinary and she could not reach the vision of a gifted child like Chu Huanjun.

She just thought his argument was "Why not eat meat porridge?"

Tao Yao shook her head and said, "Xiao Chu, you always put your heart on the line, so you can't see the hardships people are facing."

"For you nobles like you, building a house requires only a single command—master craftsmen will tailor the blueprints and build it, with hundreds of slaves at your disposal. You don't need to worry about losses or costs, or how much money you need, and you don't even need to think about where to live while the house is still being built...

Ordinary people have to consider a lot of things when building a house.

Not to mention the arduous process of building a house brick by brick with limited manpower, most of the houses of the poor are made of loess mud houses. A strong wind or heavy rain will cause leaks in the walls and beams... For the poor, just having enough food and clothing is the best they can do. How can it be as easy as you imagine?

Chu Huanjun listened quietly to Tao Yao's words, then smiled in admiration. "Xiao Tao, after all, is the daughter of General Zhenbei, yet she understands the hardships of ordinary people so well. Even I feel inferior to her. But... was he really that bad to you when he was old? Even a young lady from a general's mansion like you has so many regrets."

Speaking of Shi Yiqian, Tao Yao seemed to think of something and his face changed.

She brushed her wind-blown hair behind her ears, touched her nose, and smiled sheepishly: "By the way, thank you for letting me recuperate at your house. But you asked me to stay until my legs and feet are fully healed before leaving, and I'm afraid it would be too much trouble for you. I can speak now and walk with a cane. Xiao Chu, when is a convenient time for me to go back..."

Hearing her bring up these unfamiliar topics again, Chu Huanjun felt a surge of anger in his heart.

Yes, he wanted to keep her for a while longer, even if it was just three more days. If someone from the Shi Mansion came to him to ask for her, he would refuse no matter how much trouble it was.

But now Tao Yao was in a hurry to leave, and he couldn't stop her even if he wanted to.

Chu Huanjun wondered what was so good about the Shi Mansion? Wouldn't it be more comfortable and happy to live here peacefully without being bullied?

Tao Yao suddenly felt the air around her suddenly drop in temperature. Turning around, she saw a layer of frost on Chu Huanjun's face.

"You're in such a hurry to go back. Are you afraid of bothering me, or are you afraid of me?"

There was a dangerous tone in his voice. Tao Yao blinked, pretending not to understand the sudden change in his expression.

Tao Yao could guess that Chu Huanjun went out early this morning, and it was definitely not the kind of small-scale trip to Chunfeng Tower to drink and watch a play as usual. When he came back, he was dressed neatly, even his hair was carefully combed, which was completely different from his usual lazy tone. He must have gone to the palace to meet the emperor.

After so long, there is still no definite conclusion on Zhou Yan's case. He must have entered the palace this time for this matter.

As for how the talks went, Tao Yao had no idea.

But she could feel that Chu Huanjun was different today than usual. Although he still pretended to be nonchalant and indifferent, the worry between his brows could not be hidden.

Seeing Tao Yao staring at him offensively without moving, Chu Huanjun simply followed her gaze and moved an inch closer to her, returning her straight gaze.

"say."

Tao Yao had to admit that she was still too young compared to Chu Huanjun. Her thoughts were written all over her face, unlike Chu Huanjun, the old fox who was unfathomable.

"Afraid of you."

The answer was very honest.

This time Tao Yao did not find any messy excuses to avoid the question, which surprised Chu Huanjun, although her answer was expected.

The weather was not warm, but Chu Huanjun felt a sudden heat rising in his heart, so he had to take off the folding fan at his waist and fan himself.

"Why are you afraid of me?" He raised his head and thought for a moment, "Is it because of this case?"

"Yes," Tao Yao answered quickly, "It's not just because of the case. You're a prince, and there are so many things behind you that I can't understand. And without my background as the second daughter of the Shi family, I'm just an ordinary person. I'm afraid I'll never come into contact with the things you've come into contact with in my entire life.

I am afraid of you, not only because of your status, but also because of the unknown behind you."

Every word she spoke was like a strong wind carrying grains of sand, blowing on his heart.

Once upon a time, on a long moonlit night, a boy and a girl walked together on the vast and misty silver sands of the desert.

At that time, they didn't know what rights and status were, they only knew that the moon was bright and the stars were beautiful.

The desert night was like a pure, spotless dream, the wind blowing by without a trace. He left behind only a few fragments of memories, but she remembered nothing.

"You entered the palace this morning?"

Tao Yao asked again.

"Ah."

Chu Huanjun nodded.

"Is it about the case?"

Tao Yao knew she shouldn't ask too much.

"You want to know?"

Chu Huanjun looked at Tao Yao inquiringly.

She had just said she was afraid of the unknown that lay ahead of him, so he wasn't sure whether to tell her everything.

Tao Yao's eyes flickered: "Well, I want to know if Zuo Di was punished, and what the punishment was."

Chu Huanjun casually picked up a stone and threw it into the lake, causing ripples on the surface. He said calmly, "He was exiled to the southwest."

Tao Yao looked at Chu Huanjun quietly, waiting for him to continue, but the sentence stopped abruptly and did not continue.

"I heard that under the laws of the Great Chu, corrupt officials are always punished with death. So, exile to the border is considered a lenient punishment for Zuo Di?"

Her tone was indifferent, as if she was talking about something that had nothing to do with her and was very ordinary.

Tao Yao's unusual calmness was beyond Chu Huanjun's expectations.

In the dungeon, the despicable and dirty things Zuo Di did to Tao Yao, the bloody mess on the ground was still vivid in her mind.

Chu Huanjun thought that she would cry and make a fuss after waking up, or be in a state of panic all day long.

But she has always been so calm and quiet, like a pool of water without ripples.