Time passes and things change.

When Zhao Junyao experienced the passage of time and thoroughly understood the instructions his father once gave him.

He also step by step became truly mature.

The overall situation is of utmost importance, stability is needed to govern.

Expanding territories and uniting the world cannot truly make the Great Chu Dynasty strong.

But stability can.

With a stable dynasty, the enthusiasm of the people for production reaches an unprecedented high, and the economy flourishes.

This is something that years of war and vast territories cannot achieve.

Therefore.

Turning things over and over, what he has to do now is to control the situation and end this war as soon as possible.

Li Shengan came in from outside and respectfully said.

"Your Majesty, the old servant has already spread the news of the great victory as per your decree!"

"The people of the capital have heard it and are greatly encouraged, stabilizing the situation slightly!"

Zhao Junyao nodded lightly.

"Very good!"

He then turned around and sat in front of the imperial desk, repeatedly flipping through the documents at hand.

After confirming that they were all reviewed, he stood up.

"Prepare to go to Duanning Palace!"

"Yes!" Li Shengan respectfully prepared to leave.

...

In the height of summer heat.

In the blink of an eye, Chenchen has been gone for more than a month.

The situation at the front line has become increasingly tense.

Initially, when they heard it was only a secret inspection, not a direct confrontation, Xia Ruqing was somewhat more accepting.

Now with the armies clashing head-on at the front.

Xia Ruqing’s feelings are as if being fried in oil every day, extremely tormented.

She never believed in Buddhism before.

But now she has even started to immerse herself in Buddhist scriptures.

Although she couldn’t understand what the chanting was about.

But this thing was quite comforting.

Holding it gave her a kind of illusion that as long as I recite sincerely, my child would be safe and sound.

So.

When Zhao Junyao arrived, Xia Ruqing was painstakingly copying Buddhist scriptures.

(Mainly because she couldn’t recognize the strange characters, couldn’t read them, so she could only imitate them...)

Zhao Junyao looked at her writing for a while and couldn’t understand what she was writing about.

He silently twitched his lips, sitting on the opposite side of the desk.

After silently sipping tea, he couldn’t help but persuade.

"Qingqing, it’s really nothing!"

"They are all there; the soldiers are the ones fighting at the front! It’s not his turn to enter the battlefield!"

Xia Ruqing without lifting her eyelids, said faintly.

"You’re wrong!"

"How?" Zhao Junyao was puzzled.

"Chenchen isn’t a turtle, he wouldn’t hide!"

"Since he went, he will definitely head to the front line!"

Deep down, she understands her son very well, and she is proud of him.

How could her son hide far behind?

After all his hard work in martial arts, how could it be wasted? At least he should take down a few more enemies before coming back.

But she subconsciously doesn’t want her son to go to such a dangerous place.

So, two conflicting thoughts intertwined, gradually tangling into a messy ball of yarn in her heart.

Impossible to cut, a chaos difficult to unravel.

Writing Buddhist scriptures was partly to find something to do, so as not to overthink.

Actually, she is quite reasonable!

Zhao Junyao seemed to understand her anxiety, and a faint smile appeared.

"Yes!!"

"I was wrong!"

"My son has been outstanding since childhood, fearless, talented in both civil and martial arts!"

"He is the Crown Prince I meticulously groomed!"

"How could a few barbarian enemies scare him!"

Xia Ruqing let out a soft breath, threw down her brush, and drained a cup of tea.

"Your Majesty! Don’t say more, I understand!"

"I sympathize with you!"

Her eyes were firm, her tone resolute, her heart steady as a mountain.

Since he has gone.

Since it’s what Chenchen should do.

Since it is Chenchen’s ambition, how could she stop him? Why should she hinder him?

If she feels heartache, then she feels heartache.

If she wants to cry, then she cries her heart out.

If restless, then write scriptures, practice calligraphy, and take her daughter out to distract herself.

Eat when hungry, drink when thirsty.

The only thing she must not do is to interfere too much and hinder their growth.

She understands it all!

Zhao Junyao was somewhat surprised.

"You’ve come to terms?"

Xia Ruqing glanced coldly out the window.

"What if I haven’t?"

"He is the Crown Prince, he is to protect the Zhao family’s kingdom! These are his duties!"

"The soldiers born to commoners also shed blood and sacrifice!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Why should the dignified Crown Prince, the heir to the throne, sit back and enjoy the fruits? Stand on others’ bodies to rise?"

That wouldn’t be fair.

Although, in ancient feudal society, fairness was hardly talked about in terms of royal power and wealth.

But even if Zhao Qichen does not bleed and sacrifice.

He should experience it personally, see it with his own eyes.

To witness how brutal the war is.

To feel the tragedy of living lives turning into corpses before him.

To appreciate the peace others fought for with their lives.

Only by understanding these.

Can he be a good emperor in the future?

Also, to not disappoint those who shed blood and sacrificed their lives!

Zhao Junyao looked at her intensely.

In his heart was an overwhelming surprise and a hint of heartache.

"How strong must she be to say these words?"

He still remembered when Father wanted eldest brother, second brother, and fourth brother to go with General Shi to the southwest to suppress the bandits.

The three princes’ mothers, Consort An Taipin, Consort Zhou Taipin, and Empress Dowager Jing.

Blocked the door to the Imperial Study Room, crying and making a scene, and hanging themselves, demanding Father retract the order.

Father naturally didn’t want to, insisting firmly.

"A gentleman’s word is his bond, how can one change decrees at will?"

They couldn’t bear the blow; one threatened to hang herself, two threatened to become nuns.

Those gentle and virtuous women, usually reluctant to speak loudly.

Having such extreme reactions, he could never quite understand!

Now, he finally understood.

There is a kind of madness called maternal love, a kind of selfishness called protectiveness.

He embraced her warmly, offering gentle words of comfort.

"Qingqing, rest assured, I promise you, Chenchen will not be harmed in the slightest!"

Xia Ruqing gave a bitter smile.

"If only promises could make it so..."

They looked at each other in silence, words unspoken yet fully understood.

In the past, Zhao Junyao often teased her about being illiterate and not fond of reading, knowing many small fallacies but missing the big picture.

Now he realized.

His beloved Qingqing understood more than anyone.

She surpassed those touted as ’well-read and talented’ women a hundredfold or more.

She understood logic impressively, and her sensibility was heart-wrenching.

He kissed her hairline.

"Qingqing!"

"I know you dislike confinement like this!"

"When everything’s over, I will take you out!"

"Just the two of us, how about it?!"

"Whatever you like to eat, I’ll join you, whatever you want to see, I’ll see with you, whatever you want to play, I’ll play with you!"

"I’ll always be with you, only with you!"

"Is that okay?"

Xia Ruqing’s eyes brightened slightly.

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Then pinky promise!"

"Alright!"