The next day.
Fu Zhen waited in the Yongchun Tower. Looking at Chu Qiwen sitting opposite her, she took a good look at him.
He was indeed gentle and elegant. With just a few words, he could ease the atmosphere.
A gentle breeze blew in through the half - closed window. Chu Qiwen looked up at her and said, "I'm very sorry. I didn't respond immediately when the news spread."
Fu Zhen was stunned. She thought she would be the one to bring up this topic, and she never expected him to apologize for this.
"I did have my own selfish motives," Chu Qiwen lowered his head and gave a self - deprecating smile. "But these days, I've been tossing and turning sleeplessly. I really think I made a bad move. If you hadn't invited me today, I would have asked you out to make things clear."
He did have some feelings for her, especially after he found out that she was not the biological daughter of the Marquis's Mansion but a cousin.
Her family background was not as noble as he had thought. Even though he was a fourth - rank official and had a child at home, they were a good match precisely because of this.
Chu Qiwen looked at her apologetically. "I've damaged your reputation. I'm sorry."
He did like her a bit, but he didn't have to have her. When he found that the situation had developed beyond his expectation, he had already keenly sensed that there was someone behind this.
And this person was obviously targeting the Marquis's Mansion.
He had just arrived in the capital and his foundation was not yet stable. It was really not suitable for him to get involved in this mess.
Moreover, it was the critical period of the fight for the throne. It was not hard to guess who was trying to bring down the Marquis's Mansion.
No matter how much he liked Fu Zhen, he would never ruin his future for the sake of this kind of love.
Fu Zhen lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and then said softly, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, even without this, my reputation wasn't that good."
Reputation was not an important thing to her now. She was willing to sit opposite Chu Qiwen and willing to come out to solve this matter just for the sake of the Marquis's Mansion and Chen Tingfeng who was fighting on the battlefield.
As for Chu Qiwen... he was really an unimportant person.
Chu Qiwen looked at her and almost instantly understood her attitude. A sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.
Even though he knew he didn't leave much of an impression on her, seeing her nonchalant look at this moment still made him feel a bit stuffy in his heart.
He suppressed his thoughts and said to her gently, "I'll send people to spread the news that you saved Kang'er. I went to the Marquis's Mansion originally to thank you."
Fu Zhen gave a faint smile. "Let's just end this matter here. After this, it's better for us to stay out of each other's way."
Chu Qiwen sighed softly. Knowing that she was unhappy with him, he nodded and replied, "Yes, it should be like this."
He had been delusional.
With both sides coming out, this rumor was quickly suppressed. After all, they said it was a life - saving grace. If people still talked about marriage, it would be rather ugly.
In the northern border.
Chen Tingfeng took off his black clothes stained with the smell of gunpowder. Turning to Yuan Bao, he asked, "What's the matter?"
Yuan Bao silently took out a letter from his bosom. "My lord, this was sent by the Second Prince today. He said it must be delivered to you."
Chen Tingfeng had just sneaked into the enemy camp in the dark and set it on fire. Seeing Helian Zhen's furious face, he finally calmed down a bit and led his men back.
Hearing that it was from the capital, he immediately thought of the news he had heard yesterday.
Someone had almost stolen his home while he was away.
His face suddenly turned cold again. He took the letter from Yuan Bao's hand with some force and quickly opened it to read.
Yuan Bao silently withdrew his hand and rubbed it in his sleeve.
The aura from the young lord hit him like a knife. Even after a successful attack on the enemy, his anger was still so great.
He remembered the look on the young lord's face when he heard this news yesterday. He had laughed out of extreme anger!
The pen in his hand had snapped in two!
If that Lord Chu from the capital were in front of the young lord, the young lord might directly wring him in two.
He sighed in his heart and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Lord Chu.
Daring to provoke the lion! How bold!
Chen Tingfeng unfolded the letter. Looking at Xie Yan's scrawled handwriting, a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. After reading the whole story, he felt a bit more at ease for a moment. Then he folded the letter and burned it on the fire.
Of course, he believed in Fu Zhen. Moreover, there were obvious signs of human manipulation in this matter. Maybe it was a coincidence that Fu Zhen met Chu Qiwen that day, but from the moment Chu Qiwen visited the Marquis's Mansion, there must have been other motives.
Whether it was Chu Qiwen's own motives or Xie Guang's, it was not a good thing for the Marquis's Mansion or Fu Zhen.
He watched the ashes slowly fall on the table, his eyes deep.
It seemed that he had to speed up.
On the Xiongnu side, Helian Zhen sent people to pour water for a long time before finally putting out the fire.
His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Standing in front of the half - burned grain and forage, he was silent. He only felt a surge of anger in his heart, almost breaking through his brain.
Provocation, blatant provocation!
After setting the fire, Chen Tingfeng even stayed for a while. When Helian Zhen came out of the tent and saw him, he just gave a soft laugh and then disappeared into the darkness.
Helian Zhen suddenly punched the wooden post beside him with full force. His finger joints broke the skin and blood oozed out.
"Your Majesty!"
Suddenly, a soft but powerful voice came from somewhere.
A figure suddenly appeared in Helian Zhen's mind. He turned his head and couldn't help widening his eyes. "Xiao Jing'er?"
Hua Jing looked a bit disheveled at this moment. Her clothes were not as clean and tidy as when she was by his side before. There seemed to be some mud stains on them.
She rode her horse closer. Before getting off the horse, her face had already become extremely aggrieved.
"Your Majesty!" she called out again. Her voice was charming. The people around immediately stepped back and lowered their heads, not daring to look anymore.
Helian Zhen quickly stepped forward to support her as she got off the horse. Frowning, he scolded, "Who let you come!"
Taking a closer look, Hua Jing had dirt on her face. She was like a beautiful little cat that had been wandering outside, but her temper was still hot.
She frowned and immediately showed a pitiful expression on her face. "I missed you! Without you, I couldn't get along with them! I came all the way to find you, but you scold me just like them. I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Saying that, she was about to angrily get back on the horse and run away again.
Helian Zhen quickly grabbed her. There was a bit of helplessness in his eyes. "It's so dangerous outside. Only you are brave enough to come and find me."
Helian Zhen himself also felt a bit incredible. When he saw her on this sandy battlefield, the first thing he felt was not anger but worry for her.
Over the years, she was the only one who valued him more than her own life.
Even though his heart was as cold and hard as iron, he couldn't help but be touched at this moment.
But old habits die hard. He looked down at her, and a bit of suspicion gradually welled up in his heart.
It was just too coincidental. She had actually come all alone on such a long journey.
Could an ordinary woman do this?