A secret that would shock her?
Chu Qing's face darkened as she remained silent.
What secret could Wei Ying possibly have?
Could it be...
Suddenly, Chu Qing smiled, narrowing her eyes as she slowly spoke, "I wonder what secret the eldest prince is talking about. What if it's not worth my while to let you out?"
Seeing that Chu Qing didn't seem to care about the secret he mentioned, Hu Yan Longchang grew anxious. "I, the prince, am willing to stake my head on it. If this secret fails to shock you, I'll... submit to your disposal!"
"Submit to my disposal?" Chu Qing was slightly taken aback. Was Hu Yan Longchang so desperate to get out? Did he really believe his secret could shock her?
Seeing that Chu Qing remained unmoved, Hu Yan Longhao gritted his teeth and said, "The Prince of Ning is not from the Great Yan!"
"Yeah, I know," Chu Qing replied with a mysterious smile.
"Oh, you know...? You know!!!" Hu Yan Longhao's eyes widened in shock.
Seeing his reaction, Chu Qing said cheerfully, "I'm afraid I knew this earlier than you. So... it's really a pity, Your Highness. You'll have to submit to my disposal."
Hu Yan Longhao's massive body trembled as if unable to bear what he had heard. Unwillingly, he continued, "Even though he's not the Prince of Ning, you're still so devoted to him?"
Chu Qing looked up at him, her eyes filled with something Hu Yan Longchang couldn't understand. "I married the man, not his status."
"In that case, why don't you and the Prince of Ning submit to our Western Liang? If I ascend the throne, I'll surely grant you titles and lands! How about it? Aren't you tempted?" Hu Yan Longchang clenched his fists, his eyes shining.
Any sane person would be tempted!
But Chu Qing might not be a "sane person" at this moment.
Chu Qing gave a cold smile and replied calmly, "If you offer Western Liang to us, we might... consider it."
Upon hearing this, Hu Yan Longchang's eyes widened in anger. He coldly scolded, "I never thought the Princess of Ning would be so greedy! Do you take me for a fool?"
"Do you take me for a fool?" Chu Qing's aura suddenly flared up. With just a casual glance, Hu Yan Longchang felt a chill run down his spine.
This Princess of Ning was indeed not easy to deceive.
Hu Yan Longchang gritted his teeth secretly and said, "Doesn't the Princess of Ning want to know... the true identity of the Prince of Ning?"
Chu Qing paused. Although her heart was stirred, her face remained expressionless.
Hu Yan Longchang was a bit discouraged. This Princess of Ning was even more impervious to persuasion than he had imagined.
Just then, Hu Yan Longchang suddenly remembered a novel he had read from his favorite concubine. It said that a man should be domineering to catch a woman's attention. Once he caught her attention, he could win her heart. If he won her heart...
He was so clever!
Since she was impervious to both soft and hard approaches...
He...
Had to sacrifice himself.
"Woman, are you trying to catch my attention with that pose?" Hu Yan Longchang puffed out his still-solid chest and tried to look as domineering and wild as possible.
Chu Qing was stunned for a moment, then took a few steps back.
"What... did you say?" Had she heard wrong?
Seeing that Chu Qing had reacted, Hu Yan Longchang was overjoyed. He narrowed his eyes and repeated what he had just said.
At this moment, Chu Qing's expression was rather... complicated.
Did the eldest prince of Western Liang read novels meant for young girls and women in his spare time?
Woman, you've caught my attention.
Woman, you're playing with fire.
What the hell! These were the lines she had read in her previous life when she was young!
Now, hearing such lines only made her feel extremely embarrassed and nauseous!
Chu Qing took a few more steps back. After thinking for a while, she turned around and was about to leave.
No, she couldn't stay here. What if Hu Yan Longchang went crazy? She wouldn't know how to explain it to Wei Ying.
Hu Yan Longchang had expected the other party to blush and respond to him, but instead, she was turning to leave.
He immediately panicked. "Don't go! Let's discuss it further!"
But Chu Qing quickened her pace and got farther and farther away.
Hu Yan Longchang slumped to the ground in frustration.
This shouldn't be!
Why wasn't the Princess of Ning attracted by his charm?
Could it be...
Was the Princess of Ning a man?
Was the Prince of Ning gay?
Thinking of this, Hu Yan Longchang felt a chill run down his spine.
After Chu Qing left the prison, a complex emotion welled up in her heart.
She suddenly felt a bit sorry for Western Liang.
How could a royal family full of oddballs... last?
None of the two princes and the princess were normal.
Tsk, the royal family of Western Liang was really pathetic.
...
A few days later, Chu Qing finally received another letter from Wei Ying. The letter said that he was about to set off on his return journey. They would bring Hu Yan Longchang back to Yongcheng. If the emperor of Western Liang wanted to get his only son back, he might have to... cede territory and pay indemnities.
Chu Qing calculated that the letter had probably been sent two days ago. So... Wei Ying would be back in the next two days? If he traveled quickly... he might arrive today?
Chu Qing suddenly stood up and grabbed the green-clothed maid named Lvluo who was packing up. "Come on, accompany me out of the city."
"Ah?" Lvluo was a bit confused. "Why are you going out of the city, mistress? Are you going to the Fengyue Villa?"
"To see if our great hero will be back today."
"Ah? The great hero? His Highness the Prince of Ning? He's coming back?"
"Yeah, if there are no accidents, it'll be either today or tomorrow," Chu Qing said with a smile and nodded.
"Great! I'll help you dress up nicely!" Lvluo happily helped Chu Qing to a chair.
Seeing this, Chu Qing didn't refuse.
It had been a long time since they last met. She definitely wanted to look her best.
The little meatball hidden in Chu Qing's consciousness sighed silently. This time, it didn't make a sound to scare its mistress.
It couldn't afford the consequences if it really scared her.
...
After Chu Qing finished dressing up and walked out of the room, she ran into Lady Zhou who was coming to see her.
When Lady Zhou saw Chu Qing, her eyes lit up. Then she said with a smile, "The princess seems to be in a good mood today. Is there any happy news?"
Chu Qing returned a smile and replied without hiding anything, "The Prince of Ning should be back in the next two days. I'm going out of the city to see if I can greet him."
Lady Zhou was stunned for a moment, then she bent slightly with a beaming face. "Then I'd like to congratulate the prince and the princess on their reunion in advance."
Seeing Lady Zhou suddenly bow, Chu Qing immediately reached out to help her up. Knowing that the other party was sincerely congratulating her, Chu Qing didn't say much.
"Although the people of Western Liang have already retreated, you still need to be more careful when going out. Do you have enough people around you? How about taking a few guards from the city lord's mansion? It'll be safer that way."
"I appreciate Lady Zhou's concern, but I have some means to defend myself. There's no need to go through so much trouble," Chu Qing said. She knew that Lady Zhou was thinking about her, and she felt touched. However, she didn't want to trouble others too much.
Seeing that Chu Qing declined, Lady Zhou still looked worried. "How about... I go with you? I wonder if the princess minds?"
Seeing Lady Zhou like this, Chu Qing couldn't refuse her kindness anymore. She pursed a smile and nodded in agreement.