Regent, please maintain your aloof image.

Yanxi Palace

It was late at night, the moonlight was hazy, and Su Qianrou was sleeping in the room. Suddenly, she turned around and subconsciously wanted to hug something, but found no one there. She woke up and was stunned when she saw that there was no one beside her. Then she called out, "Chunzhu."

"This servant is here," Chunzhu said, pushing open the door and entering. "Your Highness."

"What time is it?"

"Your Highness, it is already late midnight."

"Has the prince not returned yet?"

"No, the prince sent someone back to say that he will be staying in the palace tonight and that the princess need not wait for him."

"Okay, I understand. You can go now."

So Chunzhu went outside.

A few days later, Su Qianrou summoned Granny Qi to inquire about the progress of the wedding preparations.

"Granny, how are the wedding preparations going?"

"Your Highness, preparations are almost complete, but there are still some details that need to be checked again."

"Thank you for your hard work during this time."

"Your Highness is too kind. Since it is Your Highness's order, this old servant will certainly do my best to fulfill it."

"Now that the wedding is approaching, I would like to trouble you to keep a close eye on things to prevent any mishaps."

"Yes".

"After Xiaoyu and Xinyue get married, I'll give you a few days off so you can rest and visit your family."

"Thank you, Your Highness. If there is nothing else, this old servant will take his leave."

"it is good".

Then, Granny Qi went out.

At the same time, Chunzhu walked in and said, "Your Highness, Yingfeng said that the Prince will not be coming back for dinner tonight, and that you don't need to wait for him."

Mu Jinchen had not returned for three days in a row, nor had he come back to sleep. Instead, he stayed in the palace, something that had never happened since their marriage. Su Qianrou was puzzled and wondered if she had upset him. However, she couldn't remember what she had done wrong, so she asked, "Did Yingfeng say what it was about?"

"It seems to be an invasion from Annam."

"Call Ang Lee over."

"Yes".

A moment later, Li An walked in, "Your Highness."

"Are you aware that Annam is invading?"

"Your Highness, I know that we have heard that two of our generals have been killed in action."

No wonder he was too busy to come back. "Since you know this, why didn't you come to report it?"

Li An thought she knew, so he didn't say anything. But a mistake is a mistake, and no amount of excuses will help. So he immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "I know I was wrong, please punish me, Your Highness."

"One month's salary will be deducted as punishment."

"Thank you, Princess Consort."

"I will report any major affairs of the court to you immediately in the future."

"Yes".

"You can go down now."

"I shall take my leave."

She couldn't help with national affairs, so the only thing she could do was not to upset him. Of course, she also had to take good care of his health. She knew without a doubt that he had been too busy to eat or sleep these past few days. So she instructed, "Have the kitchen prepare some chicken soup. You should personally deliver it to the palace and make sure the prince drinks it."

“Yes,” Chunzhu replied.

When Mu Jinchen returned home that evening, Su Qianrou was fast asleep, but he woke her up, calling out, "Rou'er, Rou'er."

Su Qianrou woke up groggily, saw him, and said sleepily, "You're back."

"I have something to tell you."

Su Qianrou was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, so she replied with her eyes closed, "Go ahead."

Mu Jinchen pulled her into his arms and said, "I plan to go to the Southwest myself."

In the southwest, Su Qianrou suddenly realized something, opened her eyes, looked at him, and asked, "Are you going to the front line?"

"Yes, this time Annam came with great force, resulting in the sacrifice of two of our generals. General Zhao and General Qian were both veterans with great prestige in the army. Their sacrifice has been a great blow to the soldiers, to the point that the morale of the army is now low. Only if I go there in person can I boost morale and inspire the troops."

Su Qianrou knew that he wouldn't go in person unless absolutely necessary, so she didn't try to stop him, but simply asked, "When are you leaving?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

"So fast."

"The war is urgent, and I must get there as soon as possible."

"How long will you be gone?"

"It will take anywhere from three months to half a year."

"So long?" was Su Qianrou's first reaction, but then she thought it was normal, since it would take a lot of time to get there.

"I have made arrangements in the court. On ordinary days, the Duke of Su, Minister Song, and my father-in-law will jointly oversee the country. In case of any emergencies, especially in urgent situations, you will have full authority to make decisions without waiting for my approval."

"You really know how to cause me trouble."

"You are my wife, my strongest support, so I can only entrust Yunyue to you for the time being."

"Alright, I'll reluctantly help you out, but you need to come back quickly. After all, you know I'm a lazy person, and I might just quit any day."

"it is good".

Su Qianrou was a little reluctant to part with him and also a little worried. She couldn't help but hug him tightly and said in a muffled voice, "You must come back safely."

"it is good".

Seeing her worried expression, Mu Jinchen deliberately said ambiguously, "I'm leaving tomorrow, and I won't be gone for several months. Tonight, shouldn't we have some intimate time?" As he spoke, his hands wandered restlessly over her body.

Contrary to her usual behavior, Su Qianrou took the initiative to kiss him.

Mu Jinchen couldn't stand the provocation, so he immediately turned the tables, taking the initiative and seizing control.

And this night was destined to be a sleepless one.

Outside, Chunzhu and Yingfeng stood guard at the door.

After hesitating for a moment, Yingfeng finally spoke up: "Um... tomorrow, I'm going to the southwest with the prince to go to the front lines."

Chunzhu was stunned. "The prince wants to go in person."

"Ok".

For a moment, Chunzhu didn't know what to say. Worry, fear and other emotions lingered in her heart. But undeniably, besides worrying about Mu Jinchen, she was also worried about the person in front of her. "Then protect the prince, and also, protect yourself."

“I will,” she said, then added, “While I’m gone, take good care of the Princess, and… yourself.”

"Do you even need to tell me that?"

Then neither of them said anything.

After a while, Chunzhu couldn't help but say, "You... came back safely."

"If I return safely, you will marry me, how about it?" Yingfeng looked at her expectantly.

Chunzhu said shyly, "We'll talk about it when you get back."

"What if I don't come back?"

"Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about? You will definitely come back safely," she said, then took out a sachet and handed it to him, "Here you go."

"For me," Yingfeng said, somewhat flattered.

"Didn't you say you wanted this before? I just made it. I was planning to give it to you in a few days."

"You embroidered this especially for me," Yingfeng said with delight.

Chunzhu naturally wouldn't admit it, "I had some leftover fabric, and it would be a shame to throw it away, so I just embroidered one for you on a whim."

Yingfeng didn't mind, and put it away, a smile he couldn't hide on his face.

Chunzhu was delighted to see that he liked it.