Marrying the Crown Prince

At the city gate of Anping, Li Changyuan loosened the reins a little, and the horse, sensing this, slowly came to a stop.

Looking at the ancient city gate before him, he thought to himself: After traveling day and night, we have finally arrived.

"Let's go." He guided the horse forward slowly.

As a result, the soldiers guarding the city saw this and all raised their spears—

"Stop!"

"Aren't you coming down yet?"

"Don't you know to dismount upon entering the city?"

Li Changyuan's expression changed slightly as he looked at the gleaming blade. "You dare to make me dismount? Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are!" the soldier retorted immediately. "Even if it were the King of Heaven himself, he'd have to dismount and be searched!"

As they spoke, the soldiers on the city wall also drew their longbows and aimed them at Li Changyuan.

Li Changyuan: "..."

He gritted his teeth, took out a jade pendant, and held it high, saying, "Seeing this pendant is like seeing..."

"Screw you!" the soldier cursed. "I'll count to three, and if you don't dismount, don't blame us!"

He was furious, but had no choice but to dismount.

Just as the soldier was about to step forward to search him, a voice came from behind him, "No need to search this person."

The soldier looked back, immediately saluted, and exclaimed, "General!"

Li Changyuan also looked over, and what he saw was a scar more than an inch long on the person's face, like a centipede spreading across the face. Disgust and horror surged into his heart. Then, Li Changyuan noticed the other half of the person's face, which was so perfect and flawless that even the most beautiful woman in the capital could not compare.

Chen Muchuan approached Li Changyuan, his eyes indifferent. "Where's the jade pendant?"

Even though he didn't say or do anything extra, Li Changyuan's heart was still pounding.

He suppressed his shock and handed over the jade pendant.

Chen Muchuan took it and took out a jade pendant from his own body. The two jade pendants were put together to form a perfect round jade.

Li Changyuan's pupils dilated in shock—wait, who is this person? Why is his jade pendant a pair with the Empress Dowager's?

While he was yelling and screaming, Chen Muchuan on the other side remained calm and began to speculate about Li Changyuan's identity.

He asked, "Has His Majesty sent any message?"

This……

The Emperor didn't say anything, but the Empress Dowager sent him a letter.

Li Changyuan's expression was strange as he took out the letter. "This is what my mother told me to give to the general."

Chen Muchuan tore open the seal and took out the letter inside.

The letter was simple, saying that the eldest prince, Li Changyuan, had done some outrageous things in the capital, so he was being sent to his side for training.

If possible, Zhou Zhou and Li Ziyan both hoped that Chen Muchuan could take this rascal as his apprentice and teach him some principles of life.

"When will you return to the capital, young master?" He closed the letter and looked at Li Changyuan.

Li Changyuan replied, "The return date is undetermined."

This answer left Chen Muchuan somewhat puzzled, so he handed the letter to Li Changyuan, saying, "Young master, please take a look."

Li Changyuan skimmed through the text, quickly finishing reading it, and then looked at Chen Muchuan with a complicated expression.

Chen Muchuan: "..."

Actually, I didn't really want to take you as my apprentice.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere was very strange.

Li Changyuan couldn't take it anymore and broke the deadlock, "Um, sir... where are we going now?"

Hearing the change in his address, Chen Muchuan sighed silently, his expression remaining unchanged. "Young master, please follow me."

【One month later】

Li Changyuan was strolling leisurely in the front courtyard of the general's mansion when a handkerchief drifted by from afar.

He stopped them casually.

Soon, a young woman dressed in a light green long gown came out.

She was graceful and delicate, with long, flowing hair like a waterfall, resembling a willow tree in spring, as if carrying the fragrance of the mountains and forests.

"Miss." The servant who was following Li Changyuan bowed and greeted the woman.

She smiled slightly, nodded gently, and then looked at Li Changyuan, "Young master, this is my handkerchief."

"I just saw this thing floating by and picked it up casually. Since this handkerchief belongs to you, young lady, then I'll return it to you." Li Changyuan didn't hesitate and handed the item to the servant beside him.

The servant took it and presented it with both hands.

Xi Qiu took the handkerchief back, said no more, nodded as a farewell, and left.

Li Changyuan looked in the direction she left, then back in the direction she had just appeared, and recalling how the servant addressed her, he began to guess Xi Qiu's identity—

"This is from the gentleman's residence..."

He originally wanted to say "Madam," but everyone knew that the general had not remarried since Madam Qingyuan died for her country.

Therefore, Li Changyuan changed his title—

"girl?"

The servant was quick-witted and immediately revealed Xi Qiu's identity and background: "Miss Xi Qiu is an orphan and a good friend of the general, so she is staying here as a guest."

"Oh?" Li Changyuan's brow twitched slightly.

Seeing that Li Changyuan was interested, the servant immediately cleared his throat and vividly recounted this poignant love story.

In one battle, Chen Muchuan led his army in a surprise attack on the Western Qin Kingdom and saved Xi Qiu, who was almost defiled.

Xi Qiu had her long hair loose, her head bowed, only half of her face visible. Her face was covered in blood and tears, making her look quite disheveled, but her eyes were filled with defiance.

Chen Muchuan was stunned; that profile...

He closed his eyes, burying the image he dared not touch again deep into the depths of his heart.

He looked at Xi Qiu again, only to see her struggling to get up, her clothes torn...

The adjutant beside her felt a pang of pity and took off his cloak, draping it over Xi Qiu's shoulders. "Miss, can you ride a horse?"

"Thank you, General, but I have never learned horsemanship." Xi Qiu wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and shook his head.

"Young lady," the lieutenant hesitated before speaking, "may I take you riding, shall I?"

"Thank you very much, General."

So Xi Qiu mounted the deputy general's horse and followed the main force back.

Chen Muchuan met Xi Qiu for the second time in the military camp, where she was washing and drying medicinal herbs with the military doctor.

She tied her hair up high, inserted a wooden hairpin, rolled up her sleeves, and moved her hands quickly and neatly.

Such a face, such movements...

Everything before my eyes makes it seem as if she is still alive.

Chen Muchuan was lost in thought once again.

"General." Upon seeing Chen Muchuan arrive, the military doctor hurriedly bowed.

Upon hearing the sound, Xi Qiu, carrying the medicinal herbs, also bowed.

Seeing Xi Qiu bowing, Chen Muchuan suddenly came to his senses and said, "No need for formalities, you all go about your business, I'm just taking a look."

Having received the password, the two got busy again, completely ignoring Chen Muchuan.

Chen Muchuan stood there for a while, and seeing that Xi Qiu did not make any suspicious moves, he left.

Watching his departing figure, Xi Qiu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said to the military doctor beside him, "Sir, I was so scared. The general was just sitting here motionless and didn't say a word."

The army doctor looked at her and laughed, "Don't be afraid, the general just looks scary."

On the other side, Chen Muchuan looked at his deputy and said, "Go and find out how she got in."