The moonlight was cool and still.
On the shaded path at the foot of Lion Mountain, Chen Ke and the Princess of Qin strolled along.
The stone slabs under their feet reflected a glossy sheen, and the tranquil light and shadow cast by the tree canopy shone through. Walking like this, without speaking, was quite pleasant.
The Princess of Qin was actually somewhat angry, or rather, angry at herself.
There were too many mysteries surrounding Chen Ke, or perhaps he himself was a mystery. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come out.
Perhaps she worried that even if she asked, Chen Ke might not give her an answer, which would only make her angrier.
"Silly gourd, can't you be a little more proactive? Do you have to wait until I ask before you speak? Do I have to speak first before you speak? Ah, never mind, I'm magnanimous, I won't hold it against you."
The Princess of Qin said calmly, "Tell me, why didn't the person who rescued the Third Prince from the Bear Man Cave just kill him?"
What?
Chen Ke snapped out of his reverie, thought for a moment, and said, "That person probably felt that killing or not killing didn't matter anymore. The Third Prince wasn't the Third Prince then; he was just a victim."
"Then do you know that the person who secretly orchestrated the assassination of your father was very likely the Third Prince, Yin Tianzheng?"
Chen Ke nodded. "I guessed it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made my move today."
*Pfft!*
The Qin princess laughed, giving Chen Ke a sidelong glance. "You talk like you're some kind of expert. If the Third Prince hadn't unexpectedly collapsed, the outcome would have been uncertain!"
Chen Ke also laughed. "How could that be? If I wasn't confident, even if I were impulsive, I wouldn't have used you as a gamble."
The Qin princess's heart trembled slightly. She stopped, her watery eyes looking at Chen Ke. "You understand everything?"
Chen Ke looked at her strangely. "I'm not stupid. How could I not understand?"
The Qin princess stared blankly at Chen Ke, sighing softly, "You... seem completely unafraid of me."
"Why should I be afraid of you?"
Chen Ke's expression became even more peculiar.
The Qin princess averted her gaze and continued walking slowly.
"By the way, hasn't your Shui girl been looking for you lately?"
What, my Shui girl?
Chen Ke shook his head: "It's best she hasn't. I'm trying to avoid her!"
Suddenly, he realized something and looked at the Qin princess seriously: "Princess, you shouldn't send anyone to investigate her anymore. She's very unusual!"
The Qin princess was surprised; it was the first time she had seen Chen Ke so serious.
Faced with such a serious Chen Ke, the Qin princess nodded helplessly: "Alright, I'll withdraw the people right away. But you should also keep yourself pure and not have any more secret rendezvous with others."
Chen Ke was speechless. Secret rendezvous? Even if I had a rendezvous with someone, it wouldn't be with Shui Changqing, okay?
The Qin princess blushed slightly and changed the subject: "The new emperor is about to personally lead an expedition. Do you know about this?"
Chen Ke nodded. The Chen family's winery was currently expanding its production scale to meet the needs of the expeditionary army.
He, the court-appointed "Envoy of Strong Liquor," had long been informed that the army would be setting out next month.
"The king dies for the state, the emperor guards the nation's gates. Everyone thinks the new emperor's personal campaign is just a result of your grand pronouncements, but that's not the case. There's a deep strategy behind it all."
A strategy?
Seeing Chen Ke's blank expression, the Qin princess felt a surge of satisfaction.
Finally, there was something she knew that Chen Ke didn't.
The Qin princess explained, "The new emperor's personal campaign is no small matter, therefore maintaining stability in the court has become paramount. So, under the guise of this campaign, the new emperor has implemented sweeping reforms and appointed new officials with unexpected success."
"Although the retired emperor was aware of this, for the sake of overall stability, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye and allow the new emperor to do as he pleased."
"And at this time, you provided the empire with high-proof liquor and alcohol for healing, which became a powerful tool for the new emperor to win over the Western and Northern armies, and also provided him with an excellent entry point to intervene in the military."
Chen Ke suddenly understood. No wonder the new emperor's attitude towards him changed so quickly, bestowing upon him official titles and ranks; it seemed the new emperor had taken the lion's share of the benefits.
The Qin princess said softly, "I am also one of the unstable factors, so when the new emperor personally leads the expedition, I cannot go anywhere, not even see you."
It was only afterward that the Qin princess realized the retired emperor had forcibly placed guards around her, likely at the behest of the new emperor.
The Xia royal family didn't trust her at all.
But the Qin princess's biggest worry at this moment was Chen Ke.
She stopped and looked at Chen Ke, saying, "I've told you so much because I'm afraid you don't understand the current situation, afraid someone will use this time to target you, afraid you'll cause trouble, afraid you'll fall into someone else's trap."
The princess's eyes were full of genuine concern and undisguised anxiety, moving and heartbreaking Chen Ke.
Deep down, Chen Ke didn't exactly dislike this "wife" who had fallen from the sky, but he didn't particularly like her either.
In this vast tide of the times, he couldn't see the road ahead, nor could he see his destiny; all he could do was drift with the tide.
Whether shrewd or feigning ignorance, burdened by glory or infamy, all these are simply ways of survival.
Unless he possesses immense power to control his own destiny, he can only continue living this way.
Yet, at this moment, the princess treats him with the heart of the moon; how could he let such sincerity flow into a ditch?
Chen Ke couldn't help but reach out and grasp Qin Guo's soft hand, smiling slightly, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. You must take care of yourself too."
Qin Guo's small hand was soft and a little cold, but now, enveloped in dry warmth, her heart pounded rapidly.
Qin Guo softly hummed in agreement, her head slightly lowered, not letting Chen Ke see her flustered and shy eyes.
Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, the path became even more tranquil.
Woman, strong woman—though only one word differs, they are completely different species.
The path, though long, will eventually come to an end.
The night is short; dawn is already breaking. The once demure and affectionate Guoguo had transformed once more into the aloof and unapproachable Princess of Qin. The hint of reluctance in her eyes only deepened the heartache.
The two carriages, protected by their respective guards, parted ways and disappeared into the distance.
Back at the Chen residence, Chen Ke's mind remained unsettled; the faint fragrance of the young girl still lingered in his nostrils.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Chen Ke shook his head helplessly and took out a red jade pendant.
He had taken this jade pendant as a trophy when he left the Third Prince's residence.
The ancient jade pendant, in the dim morning light, emitted a hazy, blood-red glow.
Upon closer inspection, the dragon on the pendant seemed to come alive, swirling and dancing serenely.
A mysterious yet powerful aura subtly emanated from it, vanishing in an instant.
However, Chen Ke, with his keen senses, acutely detected this aura.
*Ding!*
"Synthesizable energy detected. Synthesize?"
Chen Ke steadied himself, held the jade pendant for a moment to sense its movement, then controlled the mouse and clicked "Synthesize".