Marrying a Disabled General and be His Wife

In the evening, Chu Qingyi brought Ai Xia back to Tianyou City, following the original plan, and temporarily housed her in the princess’s mansion.

However, news of Princess Changle’s encounter with the bandits eventually reached the ears of the King, Chu Minghan. It was inevitable that such news would spread; it was only a matter of time.

Chu Qingyi didn’t even have time to change her clothes before she rode to the palace. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the western horizon, and heavy snow had been falling for an unknown duration, turning the sky over the palace into a vast expanse of white.

Most of the vendors had refrained from setting up their stalls, and the streets were much quieter, with even the horses moving at a slower pace.

Chu Qingyi had left Lan Yue at the princess’s mansion, as she trusted her most, and had instructed Lan Yue to host Ai Xia and provide her with hospitality.

The wind was biting, and Chu Qingyi initially aimed to ride faster, but she spotted a man and a horse standing under umbrellas in the fading sunlight.

Tan Chuyan, wearing a red cloak, held a plain umbrella in one hand and led a spirited horse in the other. There was no trace of frost or snow on him, creating a stark contrast with the snowy surroundings.

Despite the howling wind, his expression remained composed. Chu Qingyi stopped in front of him.

“Your Highness, are you waiting for someone?” she inquired.

Tan Chuyan nodded, his eyes forming a warm smile, and said, “I’m waiting for the princess.”

Chu Qingyi, covered in dust, raised her eyebrows. “Waiting for me? This is the way to the palace. Are you planning to enter with me?”

“Yes.” Tan Chuyan stood beneath the horse and looked up at Chu Qingyi. “Princess Changle’s death is highly suspicious. Since Xibo intends to use her death to provoke a war with the Jing Kingdom, you can wait for her body to be taken to Tianyou City and then have it exhumed to ensure everything is safe.”

“But, Princess, consider this: Princess Changle had just entered the Jing Kingdom, and you received news that she encountered bandits. Don’t you think someone might be deliberately leading you to find her?” Tan Chuyan questioned.

Chu Qingyi quickly noticed the peculiarities and remarked, “So you believe that someone is covertly aiding us to avert war?”

Tan Chuyan responded, “Yes.”

Chu Qingyi fixed her gaze on him. “Does the Fifth Highness know who this person is?”

“Princess, I don’t think the person secretly helping is me,” Tan Chuyan chuckled. “I don’t know the identity of the person secretly assisting, but they prefer to remain anonymous when doing good deeds and secretly harm others.”

Chu Qingyi had no words in response.

Tan Chuyan added, “However, I didn’t come to the palace to advocate for the princess but for my own sake.”

Chu Qingyi’s horse fidgeted, and she tightened the reins. “For your own sake?”

“That’s right,” Tan Chuyan confirmed. “I am the prince of the Qi Kingdom, and I defied a marriage arrangement without authorization, which humiliated the general. I have undoubtedly become a transgressor in the eyes of the Jing Kingdom.”

“If I want to enter the palace openly, I’m afraid I can only do so by accompanying the princess. Otherwise, considering how much the king values the general, he might order my execution and have me carried into the palace as a disfigured prisoner.”

Tan Chuyan paused and then continued, “In the future, I’ll temporarily reside in the princess’s mansion. If the king mistakenly believes that I fled the arranged marriage under the princess’s guidance, it would create a significant problem. Therefore, why not have the king issue an order for me to stay at the princess’s mansion?”

Chu Qingyi couldn’t help but comment, “You certainly have impeccable timing.”

Tan Chuyan responded, “I understand the art of timing, Princess.”

Tan Chuyan’s actions left Chu Qingyi thoroughly impressed. He was calculating each step carefully and making the most of every opportunity.

At this moment, Tan Chuyan’s entry into the palace was unlikely to raise any concerns from her father. Her father was likely preoccupied with ensuring “Princess Changle” wasn’t harmed and thinking about how to keep her in the Jing Kingdom, thereby containing Xibo for a few more years and securing peace for the Jing Kingdom.

Furthermore, Tan Chuyan’s proposal gave her no valid reason to refuse. People’s hearts are indeed difficult to predict, and even though her father loved her, misunderstandings could lead to a situation she couldn’t defend against. She had unwittingly allowed a sinner to reside in her mansion.

When she initially agreed to Young Master Yan’s request, she had contemplated setting aside the matter of Tan Chuyan moving into the princess’s mansion temporarily. She planned to find an appropriate moment to discuss it with her father. However, she didn’t anticipate that Tan Chuyan would resolve this entire series of issues at this juncture.

Well, it was better resolve it now. Sometimes, taking advantage of the turmoil might be the best way to address the problem.

As for how Tan Chuyan would handle this matter, Chu Qingyi couldn’t fathom it at the moment.

She spurred her horse forward, turned around, and stated, “If the Fifth Highness can keep up with me, I’ll take you into the palace.”

Having witnessed Tan Chuyan’s equestrian skills, Chu Qingyi was confident that he could keep up. Additionally, the horse he led appeared to be of high quality, reminiscent of Feng Chilie’s horse, a spirited fierce horse.

Chu Qingyi glanced back and saw Tan Chuyan casually dropping the umbrella, reaching for the reins, kicking his feet, and gracefully mounting the horse. The umbrella tumbled to the ground, rolling through the snow, leaving a long mark. Eventually, the wind carried it away, swaying like a rootless blade of grass.

This horse had been kept at Ling-han Pavilion in the Qi Kingdom and had only been delivered today.

Tan Chuyan patted the horse’s head thoughtfully, whispered in its ear, “Zhaoye, start running, catch up, go faster.”

Zhaoye flicked its tail and, after some pawing in the snow, launched like a lightning bolt.

It left a trail of hoof prints in the snow, arrogantly overtook Chu Qingyi, and seemed to cast a disdainful glance at her horse before pushing off and passing her.

In the midst of the gusty wind, Tan Chuyan shouted, “Princess, I’ll wait for you at the palace gates!”

In the blink of an eye, Tan Chuyan’s figure, dressed in red, was only a fleeting presence, elusive and beyond reach.

Feng Chilie, who stood atop a high structure and surveyed the area, witnessed this scene from above.

The combination of a beautiful man and a spirited horse was a sight that rarely graced the world.

Feng Chilie couldn’t help but display a look of surprise in his eyes.

Ji Bei, who was following him froze in place and inquired, “General, what are you looking at?”

Feng Chilie asked, “Is it appealing?”

Ji Bei seemed perplexed. “What?”

Feng Chilie queried, “Let me ask you, does Tan Chuyan look appealing to you?”

Ji Bei shrugged and replied candidly, “No, he looks too delicate. When he rode off on that horse, he looked like a big red butterfly fluttering away. It’s not my type.”

Feng Chilie “…”

He shouldn’t have asked Ji Bei, a simpleton with no brains and an aesthetic sense that was utterly lacking. He delivered a sharp kick to Ji Bei’s leg and ordered, “Shut up.”

“General, why did you kick me?” Ji Bei jumped a couple of times, clutching his leg, and quickly followed Feng Chilie as they headed towards the palace.

He chimed in, “I was just speaking the truth. Men should be like generals, strong and robust.”

Feng Chilie regretted taking Ji Bei along with him and contemplated tossing him off the roof.

For some reason, there were pebbles on Ji Bei’s standing, the man slipped and fell off but thankfully landed in the deep snow, avoiding injury, though he did end up with a mouthful of snow.

Ji Bei grumbled a few times and wanted to follow Feng Chilie, but he overheard Feng Chilie say, “You even fall off a roof like this. Go back, mount a horse, and stand there for two hours. I’ll enter the palace on my own.”

Ji Bei frowned in response.

Ji Bei despised that little pebble, but he had no choice but to obey the order and return to the General’s Mansion.

As he returned to the mansion, he had a sullen expression, carrying a bucket of water, and stood outside Feng Chilie’s door.

The busy housekeeper, passing by Feng Chilie’s courtyard, sighed deeply upon witnessing this scene.

It appeared that Ji Bei had said something inappropriate once again, and the general had punished him.

.

.

In the Jing Palace, King Chu Minghan, who was in his early fifties but showed no signs of aging on his face, sat in his regular attire, gazing at Tan Chuyan with eyes like a hawk.

If he had the time to deal with Tan Chuyan right now, he might have been tempted to end this arrogant individual with a swift blow.

In a commanding tone, Chu Minghan questioned Chu Qingyi, “Why have you brought him into the palace? Do you intend to vex me to death?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Chu Qingyi replied. “It was merely an unexpected encounter with His Highness the Fifth Prince.”

“An unexpected encounter?” Chu Minghan snorted disdainfully. “I’ve heard from Ling’er that you have a close relationship with the Fifth Highness, and you even wanted to house him in the princess’s mansion for a brief stay.”

“What, I allowed to participate in the competition for the heir apparent?” Chu Minghan slammed the table. “Do you still want to conspiring with the enemy?”

“Father, please understand, I have no such intentions!”

Chu Qingyi immediately knelt, bowed her head, and ground her teeth.

Chu Yiling had people watching her every move, and yet she dared to arrange such a plan!

At this moment, Tan Chuyan suddenly chuckled, meeting the gaze of the elevated Chu Minghan. “I always thought that the king was a man who knew everything, but it appears I was mistaken.”

Chu Minghan sat up straight, exuding a gradually chilling aura, causing the old eunuch standing next to him to break into a cold sweat out of sheer fright.

Chu Minghan, still wearing a stern expression, continued, “Then, tell me, why didn’t I notice the details? If I hadn’t noticed them, your head would have already been severed.”

Tan Chuyan was left speechless, wondering what was wrong with the people of the Jing Kingdom.

Why did they seem intent on cutting him in the head?

Feng Chilie had acted similarly, and now Chu Minghan was following suit.

Tan Chuyan offered an apology and skillfully redirected the conversation back to the main issue: “I misspoke, Your Majesty. However, have you considered how to legitimately retain Princess Changle in the Jing Kingdom? With the strong military might of the Jing Kingdom, there’s no way I can escape, and you can always deal with me later.”

Chu Minghan’s countenance softened slightly, and Chu Qingyi stood up. The king asked her about the Princess Changle’s condition, he let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Princess Changle was unharmed.

However, Chu Minghan was unaware that this relief was quite different from what he thought.

“Qingyi,” Chu Minghan instructed, “you should console Changle in the coming days and prevent her from sending any messages to Xibo. While I discuss this matter with the courtiers, she won’t be able to leave even if she wishes to.” Chu Minghan suggested.

Chu Qingyi agreed and silently thought to herself, “Even if she could leave now, she probably wouldn’t want to.”

At that moment, Tan Chuyan interjected, “Your Majesty, there’s no need to consult with the courtiers; the solution is straightforward.”

Chu Minghan’s attention returned to him as he inquired, “What method are you suggesting?”

“It’s quite simple,” Tan Chuyan grinned and proposed, “Princess Changle came to the Jing Kingdom due to my marriage to General Feng. Now that I’ve terminated the marriage, it’s only reasonable to fulfill Princess Changle’s wishes. Let General Feng marry her.”

Chu Minghan’s reaction: “…”

What a dreadful idea!

Chu Qingyi’s thoughts: “…”

While this long-lasting happiness wasn’t good, but do you not realize why Feng Chilie married you in the first place?

Meanwhile, Feng Chilie, who had been eavesdropping from the roof, contemplated, “…”

‘You are a blackhearted villain, how dare you plot evil things in secret!’