NFBE Chapter 132 I had a dream
Chapter 132 I had a dream
"With the Prince of Jin and the Su family father and son joining forces, is Your Highness confident in dealing with them?"
Thinking about the butterfly effect caused by her entering the hunting grounds, which directly led to the Annamese army's entry into the capital and their coup, Xu Jiaojiao felt extremely uneasy.
After finishing the last bite of noodles, Zhao Yunzheng put down his chopsticks and said, "The strength of the Annamese army is comparable to that of the Zhenbei army. With the addition of Prince Jin's troops, my side really doesn't have much of a chance of winning."
Xu Jiaojiao felt a pang of anxiety, feeling helpless and worried, and couldn't eat a single bite of the noodles in her bowl.
Seeing that Xu Jiaojiao's noodles were barely touched, Zhao Yunzheng gently patted her hand holding the chopsticks: "Don't worry, although Prince Jin has the support of the Annamese army, I have my father on my side. Compared to him, I have a better chance of winning."
Xu Jiaojiao was stunned: "Even the Prince of Jin said you were plotting a rebellion, will the Emperor still help you?"
I'm afraid the Emperor will just add fuel to the fire...
Xu Jiaojiao didn't say the second half of her sentence, but when talking to a smart person, you don't have to say everything.
Prince Chen understood her meaning, but only vaguely said, "Those in power will never allow any one of their subordinates to become too powerful..."
Although Xu Jiaojiao doesn't understand politics, she understands human nature.
Prince Chen's brief, perfunctory guidance was enough for her to understand the deeper meaning.
Whether Prince Chen's rebellion was real or not was completely irrelevant. For the Emperor, the only correct answer was the one that could solidify his imperial power; all other answers were wrong.
Therefore, the Emperor would not allow Prince Jin and the Annamese army to kill Prince Chen, because once Prince Chen is in trouble, there will truly be no one in the world who can restrain the Annamese army.
Based on the scattered conversations she had overheard, Xu Jiaojiao guessed that Prince Chen wanted to take this opportunity to further strengthen his power and, incidentally, eliminate Prince Jin and the Su family.
The idea is good, but the risks involved are enormous; it's a perilous move that we have no choice but to take.
Xu Jiaojiao was deeply shaken. On one hand, she was shocked by the scale of the court struggle and the countless lives that would be lost. On the other hand, she was also amazed that Prince Chen would tell her all of this.
Now that things have come to this, she naturally believes in Prince Chen's sincerity towards her.
That's why Xu Jiaojiao felt heartbroken. She didn't even dare to think about what the consequences would be if Prince Chen failed.
The thought of the unborn child in her belly made her feel choked up, and she could no longer swallow a bite of the scallion oil noodles in front of her.
She sighed softly, put down her chopsticks, lowered her eyes, touched her lower belly, and murmured softly, "Your Highness, you will stay with me and the child for the rest of your life, won't you?"
Zhao Yunzheng's heart skipped a beat.
He knew that Xu Jiaojiao meant she hoped he would be safe.
According to his plan, he is certain to win this game, and Jiao Jiao's worries are unnecessary.
But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't bring himself to say them with conviction.
Making promises is too easy; it only takes a few words. But if you can't keep them, it's a huge hurt to those who believed in those promises.
Zhao Yunzheng smiled casually, "If I can successfully overcome this calamity, I will definitely stay with you and the child for the rest of my life."
Even though these words sounded so ordinary, Xu Jiaojiao's eyes still reddened.
She knew that Prince Chen was afraid of making promises he couldn't keep, lest he hurt her feelings if he couldn't keep them.
Seeing her lower her head and remain silent, Prince Chen could no longer maintain his forced relaxed smile.
He took Xu Jiaojiao's hand in his palm: "Jiaojiao, it's okay. If I don't win, then just pretend these past two days were a dream. Or just follow the original plan to escape the hunting grounds, take the money, and live the life you want."
Xu Jiaojiao's pupils dilated, and the words in her heart blurted out: "Your Highness..."
How could I have known...
Zhao Yunzheng chuckled and lightly tapped Xu Jiaojiao's forehead with his finger: "Did you think that I knew nothing about your cooperation with Jia Rong and your agreement with Lianye?"
Xu Jiaojiao dared not speak…
Because she felt guilty.
From the very beginning, as a concubine of Prince Chen, all she wanted was wealth and status. So even though she knew there were risks in cooperating with Jia Rong, she still took the risk because she wanted money, lots and lots of money.
Because she knew that a man's love wouldn't last, but money could.
In this era of absolute imperial power, the common people mostly suffered, and only by possessing countless riches could she escape the fate of being bullied.
So when Prince Chen discovered her insincerity, her first reaction was to donate money and run away, rather than trying to make amends.
If it weren't for Prince Chen's tolerance and love, Xu Jiaojiao would probably never have faced her own inner feelings.
Having lived in this strange and unfamiliar world for many years, she has always lived in fear and trepidation. In her eyes, simply surviving is already an all-out effort, so she has no time to think about love and romance.
For her, wealth and peace are brocade, and love and happiness are flowers.
At first, she only wanted this rich and peaceful life, but later, Prince Chen's deep affection added even more splendor to her already splendid existence.
Humans are greedy and selfish; how can we calmly accept losing what we already have?
At this moment, Xu Jiaojiao knew perfectly well what she wanted deep down.
She raised her eyes and looked at Zhao Yunzheng, whose gaze was gradually dimming: "Your Highness, is your tolerance and doting on me intentionally so that I will feel guilty and unable to leave with a clear conscience?"
Xu Jiaojiao spoke in a light and sweet tone, as if she were coaxing him: "Hmph! You've succeeded! I'm not leaving! I'll wait for your triumphant return with the children!"
Zhao Yunzheng was stunned.
When he saw the undisguised deep love in Xu Jiaojiao's eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
Seeing him smile, Xu Jiaojiao also smiled.
Her beautiful fox-like eyes curved slightly, as captivating as ever.
The happiest thing in the world is mutual love.
All that has passed is but a fleeting memory. This is the first time we've both fallen in love. It's okay if we don't know how to love; the future is long, and we can learn together gradually…
After paying for the noodles, Zhao Yunzheng and Xu Jiaojiao slowly strolled to the plum grove.
"Your Highness, when did you find out that I was running a shop with Princess Jiarong?"
"Qixi Festival..." The moonlight on the Star-Picking Platform that day was exceptionally enchanting, and Zhao Yunzheng remembered it vividly: "On Qixi Festival, you took me to Grandma in the capital. This shop was truly unique, and I was naturally curious about the extraordinary person behind it. So, after returning, I ordered my shadow guards to investigate..."
Xu Jiaojiao was speechless.
The madness we experienced on the Star-Picking Platform on Qixi Festival is still vivid in my mind.
After that day, Prince Chen left the capital. When he returned, her words, "It was just an act," caused them to drift apart for several days, until now.
She couldn't even imagine how angry Prince Chen must have been back then...
The woman he doted on was not only secretly making money behind his back, but also constantly putting on a fake act to deceive him.
Xu Jiaojiao believed once again that Prince Chen truly loved her; otherwise, she would have already lost her chance to see the sunrise after saying "It's just an act"...