I am born a beauty, and I am supreme - Chapter 14
And this newly appointed top scholar, Yue Yan… though delicate-looking, lacked any feminine airs. His eyebrows were like swords, clearly displaying a masculine vigor. His movements were devoid of any feminine shyness or bashfulness. Moreover, he was quite tall, though it was unclear whether he had an Adam's apple. But then again, even in Shundu, there were men with feminine features, like Ge Xing…
Chu Zhen felt that he must not have seen wrong; this martial arts champion was indeed a man.
But unfortunately, he has so many unpleasant similarities to him.
Could it be...
Could it be...?
Chu Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly.
"Who's following us?" Chu Zhen asked.
“It’s Jifeng and Xu Lin,” a voice immediately answered from outside the sedan chair.
"Leave Xu Lin here. Jifeng, go back and tell Qianye to immediately begin a thorough investigation into the identity and background of the newly appointed martial arts champion. Make sure it's detailed!"
"Your subordinate obeys."
Outside the sedan chair, a white light flashed swiftly and disappeared in an instant.
"If you really are..."
Chu Zhen's jade-like face twitched slightly with his thick, dark eyebrows, then he slowly closed his eyes and fell silent.
※※※※※
Chapter Fourteen: Northern Frontier
A furious roar of grief and indignation echoed from the mansion of the newly crowned martial arts champion:
"That treacherous and cunning villain, the Nine Gates Admiral!"
"Young master, he really..." The maid, Shishu, asked curiously while cracking melon seeds, "...forced himself on you?"
Xiao Di, who was standing at the door, swayed.
“Don’t say that,” someone said, waving a fan to cover half their face, looking shy. “It would be more accurate to use words like ‘personal injury’ or ‘violent assault’.”
"That's the same, young master. Please listen to the whole story, including detailed descriptions."
"Cough cough..." Tang Leyan coughed repeatedly, covering her face with her fan, only her eyes showing as she rolled them around: "That's not necessary, is it? When did you two become so wicked? Didn't I tell you to stay pure?"
"This is called 'one who stays near ink gets stained black, and one who stays near vermilion gets stained red.'" A sneer.
"Xiao Di wouldn't do that!" she said confidently.
"Little Di is numb. Come, young master, don't change the subject. How did the Nine Gates Admiral begin... did he touch here first, or here... or directly..."
"Ink Pig, what are you doing... Ahh! You're molesting me!"
Xiao Di, standing at the door, tightened his grip on the sword in his arms and sighed helplessly.
※※※※※
After bending down to get out of the sedan chair, Chu Zhen looked up and glanced at the two characters "Military Affairs" on the plaque above her head.
The soldiers on both sides immediately clasped their hands and knelt down: "Greetings, Your Excellency!"
As it moved, the iron armor on its body clanged and clattered.
Chu Zhen nodded slightly and walked forward without looking to the side.
A short while later, a man came out from inside, bowed, and said, "Your Excellency has returned!"
Chu Zhen agreed and walked inside with her hands behind her back. The other person followed closely behind her until they turned the corner of the corridor and entered the pavilion.
After settling down after the case was solved, Chu Zhen asked, "Any news lately?"
The man bowed and respectfully replied, "The Imperial Censor Xue, who oversees the four prefectures of the Northern Frontier, sent a letter this morning, but because His Excellency was at court, it was delayed and he didn't have time to deliver it."
Chu Zhen's vision blurred for a moment. Lord Xue, oh, it's Xue Xin...
Since he went to the northern frontier, he had heard a lot of discussions about Xue Xin in the court. All the ministers praised Imperial Censor Xue for his ambition at a young age. He was willing to give up the glamorous world of Shundu and go to stay in that godforsaken place in the northern frontier for more than ten years. His noble sentiments were truly admirable.
To hell with lofty sentiments.
Whenever Chu Zhen heard these discussions, he wanted to sneer. In the beginning, he was also acting as the governor of Donghai County and wanted to stay there for the rest of his life. However, the emperor ordered him to be granted the title of first-class duke and also entrusted him with the important task of the Grand Councilor, so he had no choice but to stay in Shundu.
On the contrary, Xue Xin and Xue Nuo were at ease.
Their thoughts are the same as mine; they're all just trying to protect the place that person left behind. What bastards.
Now those two are free and unrestrained outside, while he's all alone in this boring cage.
He'll go crazy sooner or later.
Because of jealousy, Lord Nakado's expression was a little off.
The secretary, who was carrying Imperial Censor Xue's letter, was taken aback when he saw the Grand Secretary's frosty expression, which was even colder than usual. He dared not approach.
He had served the Grand Secretary for quite some time, and being a native of Shundu, he had even spent some time in the ministers' council chamber fourteen years ago. Through what he had heard and witnessed, he had a general understanding of what had happened in Shundu in the past. Chu Zhen, when he was the Marquis of Zhenyuan, was such a dashing and spirited noble young man, with a willful personality, until he met "that person" and then restrained himself. In the end, "that person" left, and he became like this! His appearance remained unchanged, but his heart had aged, a complete ice beauty living in seclusion in an ancient tomb.
It is clear that the word "love" can cause great harm.
The secretary hesitated to approach, but Chu Zhen had already come to her senses and said calmly, "Bring it here."
The secretary hurriedly stepped forward, presented the letter with both hands, placed it in front of Chu Zhen, then stepped back two steps, standing far behind the Grand Master with his hands hanging down in a respectful posture.
※※※※※
Chu Zhen reached out, her jade-colored fingers picking up the letter, and gently cut it open with the paper cutter on the table.
Xue Xinjuan's elegant and fresh handwriting appeared before my eyes.
Chu Zhen read through the lines and saw that what he said was nothing more than the customs and people of the Northern Frontier. He mentioned that winter was coming, and someone had predicted that this winter would be unusually cold. The grass in the Northern Frontier was gradually turning yellow, and every household in the Northern Frontier was busy preparing winter food for their horses and livestock. Then he praised how spirited and charming the women of the Northern Frontier were, and he extended a strong invitation to the Grand Secretary to come and visit. Finally, he complained about Xue Nuo, saying that this "Marquis of Dingyuan" was indeed very "calm" and "distant," not at all close to his own brother. He had guarded the East Sea for so many years without ever coming to visit his relatives. He was really quite calm.
Chu Zhen read the letter expressionlessly and then put it aside.
Chu Zhen thought to herself, "How can a fiery personality be paired with a touching and pitiful one? Xue Xin has been in that barbarian land of the Northern Frontier for so long, it's clear that his aesthetic sense has changed a lot."
Thinking about this, I really wanted to laugh, but unfortunately I couldn't, so it turned into a cold laugh in my heart.
Chu Zhen sighed, stood up, walked to the window, and stared blankly at the pond and willow trees outside.
"Has anyone else sent messages?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, there are no more. As for the other memorials, the other officials in the Grand Council have already handled them."
"Okay, that's good. Just don't let it accumulate."
"yes."
The conversation was bland and tasteless, yet the image of that graceful figure in red appeared before Chu Zhen's eyes again. Chu Zhen felt a tightness in his chest and frowned. The willow trees before him were withered and yellow, and a gust of wind suddenly blew in, causing the long branches to dance wildly and pale yellow leaves to fly all over the sky, creating a chaotic scene that made him even more uneasy. The gust of wind was so strong that Chu Zhen felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and then he heard a loud "bang" as the window crashed straight down in front of him.
Chapter Fifteen: Deploying Troops
That window was originally extremely sturdy, but somehow it fell down.
The wind outside howled and roared like a tiger, pounding against the windows with a soft rustling sound.
Chu Zhen was caught off guard and startled, causing her to sway involuntarily.
"My lord, be careful!" The secretary rushed over and grabbed Chu Zhen's arm.
"I'm fine," Chu Zhen managed to say, feeling a surge of blood in her chest, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Why am I so confused?
Chu Zhen frowned, pushed away the secretary's hand, and slowly returned to the table.
Is it because of... the newly crowned martial arts champion? Let's wait for Jifeng to report back on his background before we talk about it. If his origins are really strange, we'll just find an opportunity to get rid of him. Out of sight, out of mind, and to avoid overthinking.
……But……
I still felt uneasy.
Chu Zhen turned around and glanced at the things on the table haphazardly: What's wrong with this? What's wrong with this...?
Why am I so flustered and panicked today?
His gaze swept over Xue Xin's letter.
"The weather has been getting colder lately, and the grasslands of northern Xinjiang are desolate. People are gathering fodder and food to prepare for the winter, but rumors are spreading that this winter will be exceptionally cold and difficult..."
Chu Zhen's eyebrows twitched.
As the weather grows colder, on the grasslands of northern Xinjiang, people gather fodder to prepare for winter... The cold is biting, and life is tough...
Words flashed before my eyes.
Chu Zhen felt a powerful force strike him, and immediately pressed his hands on the table and stood up.
I was so nervous that my whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
He had no choice but to clench his fists and try his best to endure it.
The secretary bowed respectfully behind him, and as he looked up, he saw the Grand Secretary suddenly stand up, looking surprised. He heard the voice beside him, each word distinct and deliberate:
"Immediately—summon General Chu Gexun, leading 1,000 Ironclad Guards and 20,000 troops to rush to the northern frontier, and... order Commander Chu Gexing of the Nine Gates—open the Martial Gates wide... for the deployment of troops!"
The voice was low and heavy, each word carrying immense weight, as if it had been uttered slowly with all its might.
The secretary was terrified, wondering if he had misheard.
"My lord!" the secretary exclaimed in surprise. "Are you planning to launch a military campaign against the northern frontier? But why the rush? Besides, to mobilize a large army, we must first request permission from His Majesty the Emperor, and the oath-taking ceremony and such... will take at least a full day..."
"I can't wait any longer!"
"But sir, what if His Majesty blames us..."
"I will take full responsibility!"
"Sir, Your Majesty, he..."
"Is His Majesty the Emperor more important, or the territory? Is the head of a subject more important, or the lives of the people?" The Grand Secretary said through gritted teeth. "I will go immediately if I say so. Even if His Majesty blames me, I, Chu Zhen, will bear the consequences alone! If His Majesty wants the head of a subject, I will gladly sacrifice my life and shed my blood to send troops!"
The secretary was about to persuade her again, but Chu Zhen had already turned around.
Is this the Grand Secretary?
Tranquil, aloof, never showing his emotions, but now...
It's like he's become a completely different person.
Meeting the other person's bloodshot eyes, the secretary shuddered and immediately said, "Yes, sir!"
"Get it done immediately! If you delay military operations, you'll be beheaded!"