The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Bamboo grove outside the city.

"Thank you for today's help."

Jian Yue and Chu Tian walked side by side, while Jia Banwen deliberately took a half-step longer, following behind them.

Chu Tian smiled and said, "No need to thank me. I just happened to be passing by and that's how I saw you. How have you been lately? Have those people been giving you any trouble?"

"those people?"

"Yes, the one who kidnapped you, the one who broke my sword."

Jian Yue was taken aback, then chuckled: "Is this what you're asking about? You've been in the capital the whole time, surely you don't know what's been happening lately?"

Chu Tianyi paused, stopped and looked at Jian Yue. Jian Yue also stopped and looked at him. Only then did Chu Tianyi say, "I know. I know you followed Murong Chuan, and I also know about that person who looks exactly like you."

Jian Yue shrugged and said casually, "Then why did you ask?"

Chu Tian shook his head and continued walking: "I just don't want to follow the rumors circulating in the streets. You know, those are just stories embellished by storytellers, and you shouldn't take them seriously."

Jian Yue followed him, smiling as she asked, "But what if all of this is true? What will you do then?"

Chu Tian was taken aback, then Jian Yue sighed and said, "Do you believe that people can be reborn after they die?"

Chu Tian shook his head: "I don't believe in ghosts and gods. I only believe in the sword in my hand."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Now that the sword is broken, I don't even know what I should believe anymore."

Jian Yue turned around and asked, "Then do you believe me?"

"letter."

Almost without hesitation, Chu Tianyi said, "From the moment I met you, I knew that your heart was pure and kind. Compared to us, you are a pure white lotus. If I don't believe you, then no one else can be trusted."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue burst into laughter, then looked at Chu Tian with a teasing expression: "Your words are ambiguous. When we first met, you carried me to the palace and proposed to me in public. You didn't even care whether I was married or not. The way you saved me back then was much more innocent than me!"

Chu Tianyi chuckled and said, "You never had any doubts about your actions that day, which were somewhat suspicious?"

Jian Yue's smile froze, then she withdrew her smile and sighed, "As expected, you really did lie to me."

Seeing Jian Yue's disappointment, Chu Tian quickly explained, "Although I was a bit pretentious that day, my subsequent actions were based on my true feelings. As for you, while I wouldn't say I'm deeply in love, you are someone I've never disliked until now."

Father once said that when you meet the love of your life, you will give everything you have to make them happy and joyful; that is your destined one. When I first met you, I found I had no aversion to your body. At first, I was curious, but then…”

Before she could finish speaking, Jian Yue waved her hand to stop her, and smiled slightly, saying, "Of course I believe you, I've always believed you."

Chu Tianyi was stopped from saying what he was about to say, but he was not angry. He just shook his head helplessly, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

Jian Yue continued, "If you don't believe me, I wouldn't have asked you for help when I planned to fall into the water. Although the outcome was not satisfactory, it was still a testament to the trust between us. In this world, there are not many things I care about, except for the word 'love' which I value too much. Wherever I fall, it is always related to love. I really don't know how much debt I will owe or how many people I will hurt."

If it weren't for her, Hua Xiangrong might have lived a much more carefree life and would never have ended up in this situation. If it weren't for her existence, the Shangguan family wouldn't have been branded as traitors, and Bai Jianan wouldn't have broken with Heli Hong, besieged on all sides, and had to use forbearance to recover his strength.

She suddenly smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"If only I had died in my mother's womb, none of this would have happened. That bastard can go after whoever he wants; it has nothing to do with me."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tian retorted, "But what do you think the world would be like without you? Self-deprecation and self-pity are not good solutions, nor are they in your nature. I believe that one day you will make a comeback and take in the splendor of Yue Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue burst into laughter and said, "You're treating me like a female thief trying to seize the Yue Kingdom's territory! I don't have those abilities. I just want my family to be safe and happy."

Chu Tian shrugged and said jokingly, mimicking Jian Yue, "Why not? Yue Kingdom is no longer the Yue Kingdom it once was. Father said that Yue Kingdom was once glorious, but now it is a mess and needs someone who can change it."

I have never felt that you are impulsive or overly emotional. On the contrary, I think that valuing relationships is precisely what makes you most attractive. In your eyes, there is no arrogance or greed like others do, which is exactly what people want to pursue and desire.

"Jian Yue, I want to help you, so if you need me, don't hesitate. My iron cavalry of the Northwest lives for the people, and has nothing to do with the Yue Kingdom."

Chu Tianyi spoke very seriously. Jian Yue listened, nodded, then shook her head. She said, "I know what you're thinking. I thank you in advance, but I can't. You also said that the iron cavalry of the Northwest are born for the people, but they can also start wars and cause great suffering. Isn't that contrary to what you said?"

Perhaps I really am acting on my emotions, worrying about this and that, and I can't bear to let things get out of hand too badly and cause innocent people to suffer. But I really am powerless to change any of this.

Previously, I swore that I would make all those who had wronged me in this world grovel at my feet and watch me stand tall.

But now I realize how wrong I was. I don't have the ability or the heart to do that. Anyone who offends me, I have no other intention than to kill them. How could I be a violent king and control this vast land? That's why I'm in such a sorry state now!

But it's okay. There's a saying that goes, "Destruction precedes construction." I think this is the beginning of my new beginning. Only by enduring hardship and toil can I understand what I should do and what I should do.

Chu Tianyi, I consider you a friend, and I won't say many words of thanks about what happened today. But you really should stop. Your people are waiting for you.

As Jian Yue spoke, she stopped and looked at the figure in front of her.

Chu Tian looked up and saw He Xinle pouting, standing not far away, looking at him with a mournful expression.

His brows furrowed slightly, his expression displeased, but Jian Yue smiled and said, "Why are you so aggrieved? That girl has been chasing you for so long and has suffered so much. You can never repay her for that. Why not try to get to know her? Maybe you'll develop feelings for her."

"Is it?"

Chu Tianyi uttered two words, lowered his eyes and smiled, the coldness in his eyes intensifying, but he did not lash out. Instead, he looked at Jian Yue and asked, "What are your plans for the future? I think it would be better if you came back to the Northwest with me. In my place, you can at least have some support."

Jian Yue shook her head: "No need, I have my own place to go. When I return after enduring hardship and biding my time, we can drink and make merry again."

Chu Tianyi was silent for a moment, then took the dagger from his waist and handed it to her. Jian Yue looked at it and saw that it was the same dagger he had once intended to give her. Just as she was about to refuse, Chu Tianyi said, "Don't refuse. I'm giving it to you not because I want you to promise me anything. This dagger, although it has a legendary marriage contract associated with it, is not."

Since my father took charge of the Northwest, our motto has been to bestow a precious sword upon a hero. So today, I give you this dagger for self-defense; it's better than nothing.

Jian Yue smiled, and after a while, she pushed the hand he offered back, saying, "I have my own weapon, which is much better than yours. You should give this to your future queen. After all, since there is such a legend, it's best not to let people gossip."

"But what if I asked you to be my queen? Would you refuse?"

Chu Tianyi finally said what he wanted to say today. He looked intently at Jian Yue, who felt a little embarrassed but had nowhere to hide it. She could only glance helplessly at He Xinle and then smiled at Chu Tianyi, saying, "You know I have someone I love, so why are you telling me all this?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Tian became somewhat excited, his voice tinged with impatience.

“Is Bai Jianan really that important to you? I know he deliberately appeared today to let you go, but even so, what he did to you is unforgivable. You shouldn’t still have any expectations of him.”

Jian Yue lowered her head, shrugged, and said, "That's me! I can never let go of feelings, even after suffering a lot of betrayal and disappointment. I still don't want to move on; I just want to preserve this beautiful memory."

I was really foolish, but I think I'm doing well now, really. Chu Tianyi, thank you for your feelings for me. Actually, to me, you are the same as my family.

Although you appear cold on the outside, you have a passionate heart. It is my honor to know you.

"But I don't need your honor. I only hope that you can let go of the past and accept me."

Chu Tianyi smiled bitterly, put the dagger back into his belt, and said, "Forget it, what's the point of saying all this? I'm not forcing you to make a choice. I will wait, just as you waited for him, until you forget him and accept me."

Jian Yue disagreed, frowning as she said, "Chu Tianyi, you..."

"You don't need to persuade me. You're so stubborn, how could you not know that I'm just as stubborn? Once a man from the Northwest has chosen someone, he will follow him tenaciously, unless my heart is filled by someone else. So, I will not give up on you."

Jian Yue, I know you didn't want me to come along on this trip because you didn't want to be a burden to others. My decision not to go is a testament to my belief that you will surely return to me, and I only hope that day will come soon.

After saying that, Chu Tian stopped and looked at Jia Banwen, who was looking around with great interest. He frowned and said, "This maid has betrayed you before and is also one of Murong Chuan's people. I might as well kill her now to save you trouble."