Every time the prince opens his eyes, he sees

Chapter 116 The imperial commander’s personal expedition

The Queen shook her head, her face turning pale. "If I try to persuade her, I'll be walking into trouble. Why bother angering the Emperor? That woman is the apple of his eye. No one is allowed to act rashly, let alone be rude to her. Otherwise, if the Weiyang Palace is affected, don't blame me for being rude."

"Yes." The maid nodded in response.

The queen remained silent, and the other concubines dared not be rude to Lu Yaoyao anymore. Lu Yaoyao didn't even hear the ridicule behind her back.

It seems that killing a chicken to scare the monkey is indeed very deterrent.

Not long after, the Emperor issued an imperial decree granting Lu Yaoyao and Liu Wenxuan a marriage, and everyone was confused again.

This sudden decree of marriage caused a lot of discussion among everyone in the harem, and made the queen feel surprised and confused.

The emperor seemed to love Lu Yaoyao very much and protected her tightly, not allowing anyone to hurt her. But in the blink of an eye, why did he arrange a marriage between her and the new number one scholar Liu Wenxuan?

"What exactly does the emperor mean by this?" Even the maid was confused.

The Queen scolded, "How can we guess the Emperor's intentions? Okay, don't mention this matter again."

If that woman could be given to someone else, she would be happy without such a strong competitor.

Lu Yaoyao sat alone in the palace, holding the imperial edict tightly in her hand, feeling mixed emotions.

She originally thought that this was Xie Qingchen's delaying tactic. After all, she had lived in the palace for almost a week and had not seen him grant a marriage. She thought he had put the matter behind him, but she did not expect that he would suddenly grant another marriage.

Looking out the window, it was already late at night. The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on her face, reflecting a complicated expression.

Just as she was lost in thought, there were slight footsteps outside the door, and then Xie Qingchen's figure appeared in her sight.

He walked closer step by step, his eyes deep, as if he wanted to see through her thoughts.

"Why, I arranged a marriage for you, but you are unhappy again?"

"No, how could that be possible? I can't wait to marry Liu Wenxuan tomorrow."

She knew that Xie Qingchen was observing his expression. If there was any sign of uncertainty on her face, he might withdraw the imperial edict and revoke the order.

"Really?" Xie Qingchen's eyes were gloomy. "I have nothing to do recently, so you can embroider your wedding dress."

Xie Qingchen stood up, and before leaving, Lu Yaoyao said to him, "Xie Qingchen, thank you for your help."

Xie Qingchen paused, without looking back, and left quickly.

After that, Lu Yaoyao never saw Xie Qingchen again and didn't know what he was busy with.

To be honest, she is a mean person. Since Xie Qingchen stopped bothering her, she looked towards the door intentionally or unintentionally.

Seeing nothing, perhaps seeing other people coming, she couldn't help but show disappointment on her face.

This kind of days lasted for a few days until Lu Yaoyao started preparing her dowry and wedding dress, and then she gradually became busy. The emptiness in her heart was replaced by temporary fulfillment.

When Liu Wenxuan learned the news of the arranged marriage, he was overjoyed and wanted to go to the palace to see Lu Yaoyao many times, but Lu Yaoyao politely refused him for various reasons.

She didn't want to upset Xie Qingchen at this time. It would be troublesome if he changed his mind. She also didn't want to bring unnecessary trouble to Liu Wenxuan.

However, just as Lu Yaoyao was busy preparing for her wedding, a major event occurred in the palace.

Urgent news from the border: the enemy country suddenly launched a large-scale attack, and the border is in danger.

After Xie Qingchen learned the news, he immediately summoned civil and military officials in the court to discuss countermeasures.

For a moment, the entire palace was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

Although Lu Yaoyao was in the harem, she also learned the news from the discussions of the palace maids.

She couldn't help but worry about Xie Qingchen. She knew that as an emperor, he was responsible for the safety of the country, and he must be under tremendous pressure at this moment.

Just when Lu Yaoyao was worried, Xie Qingchen suddenly came to her palace.

He looked a little tired.

"Yaoyao, the war on the border is tense, and various memorials are piling up like mountains. I am so tired." Xie Qingchen said without any hesitation.

Lu Yaoyao's heart tightened when she heard this, but she remained calm and said, "Your Majesty, state affairs are more important. You must take care of yourself."

Xie Qingchen looked at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He sighed softly and said, "Yaoyao, do you know? Only when you are by my side can I feel less irritable. Even if I just sit quietly, I feel at peace."

Lu Yaoyao felt mixed emotions and she didn't know how to respond to Xie Qingchen's words.

She was about to become Liu Wenxuan's wife, and an insurmountable gap had already appeared between her and Xie Qingchen.

When she was distracted, Xie Qingchen gently held her hand and sighed, "Yaoyao, if only time could stay at this moment forever."

Lu Yaoyao's heart trembled. She wanted to pull her hand back, but found that she was unable to break free.

She looked into Xie Qingchen's deep eyes, as if attracted by an invisible force and unable to look away.

However, at this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, breaking the moment of silence.

A guard hurried in, knelt on the ground and reported: "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border: the enemy's attack is fierce, and our army has suffered heavy losses. Please make a decision quickly."

Xie Qingchen's expression suddenly changed when he heard this.

He let go of Lu Yaoyao's hand, stood up and walked out.

"Pass the order down and gather all the generals immediately. I want to personally deploy the battle plan." Xie Qingchen said in a deep voice, his tone revealing an unquestionable determination.

Lu Yaoyao looked at his departing back, feeling an inexplicable sadness in her heart.

The war on the border lasted for several months and had no end in sight. The enemy generals seemed to be very good at commanding the battles. They had sent elite soldiers to the front line, but they still won fewer battles than they lost.

Many ministers wrote to the emperor suggesting that Xie Qingchen lead the army in person to boost morale.

He came over to tell Lu Yaoyao the news. Lu Yaoyao had a calm expression, looking neither sad nor happy.

Something in his heart was jumping, "If I go, your marriage will be postponed."

"With national affairs as the most important, I believe no one is in the mood for a grand celebration at a time like this."

Lu Yaoyao's words were cold, yet each one was sincere, gradually calming the fluttering in Xie Qingchen's heart. He stared at her, as if wanting to deeply engrave her appearance in his heart, and then slowly nodded.

"You are right, state affairs are more important. But Yaoyao, you know that the thing I am most worried about when I go there is you." Xie Qingchen's voice was low and gentle, with a hint of imperceptible sadness.

Lu Yaoyao's heart trembled, and the defenses she had built up seemed to loosen a little at this moment.

However, she quickly regained her composure, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, you are overly concerned. I will take good care of myself. Please take care of yourself and return triumphantly."

Upon hearing this, Xie Qingchen curled up his lips into a bitter smile. He didn't say anything else, just looked at Lu Yaoyao deeply, then turned and left.

In the following days, Lu Yaoyao embroidered her wedding dress while closely following the war situation on the border.

She can now leave the palace occasionally without being detained.