Transmigrated as the Princess Consort of a Fallen Nation-Chapter 83

From the city gate to the government office, people lined the streets to welcome the returning hero.

“The prince is back!”

“I heard that during this campaign, the prince not only captured Meng County but also took several surrounding cities!”

The townspeople were excited, their faces glowing with joy, cheering enthusiastically from both sides of the street.

Chu Chengji sat on a tall horse, wearing a golden crown and dressed in black dragon-scale armor.

The tiger head on his shoulder armor bared its teeth menacingly.

Behind him followed a hundred light-armored cavalrymen, looking very impressive.

When the army arrived at the government office, Qin Zheng was already waiting at the gate with Qin Jian and the Lu family.

This was Chu Chengji’s first return to Qingzhou after capturing Meng County, and the lively atmosphere in the city felt like a victory celebration.

To show her respect, Qin Zheng didn’t wear her usual plain clothes.

Instead, she wore a floor-length deep purple dress with golden floral patterns and a matching shawl.

She had adorned her hair with a few gold hairpins from her jewelry box, which elevated her appearance to a noble level.

Chu Chengji immediately spotted Qin Zheng.

Her outfit today made her look like a majestic purple flower, adding an air of elegance and nobility to her usual ethereal demeanor.

He dismounted and strode to the front of the government office.

Qin Zheng greeted him with a bow, “Congratulations on your victorious return, Your Highness.”

Qin Jian, Song Heqing, the Lu family, and the advisors waiting outside also bowed, “Congratulations on your victorious return, Your Highness.”

Since Bianjing had a new ruler, this was the first time Qin Jian saw his brother-in-law.

He couldn’t help but notice that Chu Chengji seemed completely transformed—radiating a majestic and extraordinary presence, it was hard to associate him with the notorious former crown prince.

Previously, Qin Jian thought Chu Chengji’s victories in capturing Xuzhou and Meng County were due to the help of capable generals. Seeing him now, he realized it wouldn’t be surprising if one day Chu Chengji reclaimed Bianjing.

“Rise,” Chu Chengji said.

Noticing Qin Jian looking at him, he nodded slightly.

Qin Jian felt a sudden shock and bowed even deeper than the others.

The crowd naturally made way, and as Chu Chengji passed by Qin Zheng, he naturally took her hand.

Perhaps from the journey, his palm was warm and rougher than before, a sign of his recent battles.

Qin Zheng’s face flushed slightly. In such a public setting with so many advisors watching, he didn’t show any restraint.

She tried to pull her hand away discreetly, but he held on tighter, even gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

Qin Zheng tightened her expression, afraid someone might notice, and didn’t dare to struggle anymore.

The culprit, Chu Chengji, remained stern-faced, asking Song Heqing about recent affairs.

Walking behind them, Song Heqing and the others pretended not to notice the hand-holding between their superiors.

When questioned, Song Heqing replied formally, “Recent heavy rains caused flooding. The disaster victims were treated promptly, so there were no casualties. Villages and houses are being rebuilt.

The flood damage to the fields wasn’t severe, and crops were replanted, expecting a seventy percent harvest in autumn. However, many livestock died, and the crown princess ordered them burned to prevent disease.”

Chu Chengji nodded, “The villages affected by the flood will be exempt from taxes this year.”

Rebuilding the villages required government subsidies.

If the government took the harvest as taxes, the villagers wouldn’t survive the winter.

Song Heqing’s voice grew noticeably more excited, “On behalf of the people of those villages, I thank Your Highness!”

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Ahead was the fork leading to the rear courtyard and the council hall. Chu Chengji addressed the officials behind him, “You all go ahead to the council hall and wait.”

It was the height of summer, and the heavy black dragon-scale armor was stifling.

To protect his shoulders and neck from injury, Chu Chengji wore a layer of soft armor underneath, making it even hotter.

Song Heqing and the others understood that he was going to change into more comfortable clothes before attending the meeting, so they bowed and saw him off.

Once in the rear courtyard, Qin Zheng ordered the kitchen to send water to the room.

In the summer heat, a bucket of hot water mixed with cold water was enough to fill the bathtub.

The servants quickly prepared the bathwater.

Chu Chengji spread his arms, allowing Qin Zheng to help him remove his heavy armor piece by piece.

The wrist guards, arm guards, shoulder pads—each piece was heavy.

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you come back wearing such heavy armor? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

She was slightly bent over, searching for the hidden clasp on his chest plate, her hair pinned up, exposing a smooth, delicate neck.

The contrast with her deep purple dress made her skin look even whiter.

Chu Chengji’s throat moved slightly.

Before she could undo his chest plate, he grabbed her soft hands and kissed her smooth neck.

The familiar cool fragrance filled his senses, deepening his gaze. He kissed from her neck to the corner of her mouth, his lips barely touching hers.

“I received your letter while training in the camp and suddenly wanted to see you, so I came back,” he said, not having time to change out of his armor.

Qin Zheng felt a wave of emotion in her heart and asked, “What about Meng County now that you are back?”

Chu Chengji laughed, “Do you think I was there for a month doing everything myself? I have capable people to handle things.”

Qin Zheng blushed slightly and pushed him, “I was overthinking. Your Highness is brilliant and talented; naturally, you have arranged everything perfectly. Lord Song and the others are still waiting in the council hall; you should go after bathing.”

Chu Chengji looked down at her, then picked her up and placed her on the dressing table.

He gently caressed her cheek with his rough fingers, “Don’t you miss me, A-Zheng?”

This dressing table, with a large attached mirror, was something Chu Chengji had specially chosen for Qin Zheng because she used to use a water basin as a mirror to comb her hair.

After they arrived in Qingzhou, he had someone find a proper dressing table for her.

Outside, cicadas droned incessantly in the shadows of the trees.

Qin Zheng looked at his handsome face, blushing, hearing only her own pounding heartbeat.

The closer they got, the harder it was for her to say sweet things.

She glanced at Chu Chengji, hooked her arms around his neck, quickly pecked his lips, and then looked at him like a startled rabbit.

As if to say, “Do you know if I miss you now?”

Qin Zheng found it unbelievable.

They had done more intimate things before, but his question and her quick kiss still made her blood rush to her head, feeling inexplicably nervous.

The brief touch of her lips left Chu Chengji stunned for a moment.

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips, “I’ll learn from A-Zheng next time.”

Before Qin Zheng could grasp the meaning behind his words, Chu Chengji had already cupped the back of her neck and kissed her deeply.

It was an overwhelming, aggressive kiss.

When the sun’s rays filtered through the carved wooden windows, the heat had dissipated. Dust particles danced in the light, and the cicadas outside continued their relentless chorus.

A jewelry box had been knocked over, scattering hairpins and ornaments across the floor. In the polished bronze mirror, the reflection showed that several gold hairpins in the woman’s hair were on the verge of falling out.

Qin Zheng’s luxurious purple dress was half removed, loosely draped over her arms. Her white inner garment was still intact but wrinkled, with a small, wet spot around the floral pattern, revealing a faint blush.

Her back was pressed against the cold mirror, and the exposed skin shivered from the chill. Her loose hair clung to her neck.

Her eyes were tinged with a light red, and she asked unsteadily, “Aren’t you going to the meeting?”

Chu Chengji held her tightly, veins bulging on his hands, and closed his eyes, almost surrendering to himself, “I’m not going.”

If he didn’t go, no one would dare to complain, but Qin Zheng thought about how she would have to face those advisors later and felt embarrassed. She pushed away from him, jumped off the dressing table, straightened her clothes, and urged him, “Go take your bath.”

Chu Chengji covered his eyes with his hand for a moment before resigning himself to get up. He peeled off the remaining armor like tearing off rags and headed to the bathing room.

Qin Zheng wanted to help him but feared that if she did, he would never make it to the council hall. So, she picked up the armor he had discarded, hung it on the armor rack, and ordered the kitchen to prepare some chilled sour plum juice.

When Chu Chengji emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and in a clean robe, he noticed the bowl of chilled sour plum juice on the table and glanced at Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng, surprisingly understanding his look, awkwardly explained, “The weather is too hot. It’s to cool you down.”

Chu Chengji said nothing, drank the sour plum juice, and left for the council hall.

Qin Zheng felt inexplicably guilty.

It was still early, and she estimated that Chu Chengji would be gone for at least an hour, so she decided to check what the kitchen had prepared for their meal.

The previous governor of Qingzhou had used his position to amass wealth, using much of it to lavishly renovate the mansion. The large estate had over a hundred rooms.

The rear courtyard included a lotus pond, with a winding corridor leading to a pavilion at its center.

The lotus leaves covered the pond, and pink and white lotus flowers were in full bloom.

Where the lotus leaves did not cover, koi fish swam about, gathering whenever they saw people, hoping for food.

As Qin Zheng walked by, she saw some servants cutting lotus leaves and asked an old servant, “What are you doing?”

The old servant replied cheerfully, “The lotus leaves are too dense, so we’re cutting some back so the fish can grow better. The kitchen also asked for some leaves to make lotus leaf chicken for lunch.”

In this era, paper was precious, and many peddlers wrapped goods in dried lotus leaves. The servants planned to clean and dry the leaves for future use after cutting them.

The lotus pond breeze carried the fresh scent of the newly cut leaves. Hearing about the lotus leaf chicken for lunch made Qin Zheng feel a bit hungry. She added, “Then also make some steamed lotus leaf bamboo rice.”

Freshly cut bamboo was cleaned, filled with rice and water, sealed with a lotus leaf, and cooked over charcoal, infusing the rice with the fragrances of bamboo and lotus.

The rice was then stir-fried with chopped mushrooms and fatty bacon, combining the aromas of bamboo, meat, lotus, and rice.

Chu Chengji was not extravagant with food, so the kitchen usually prepared only four dishes and a soup for their meals.

In the hot weather, appetites were low, so the cook had specially prepared a pot of sour radish and old duck soup to stimulate their appetite.

Close to noon, Chu Chengji returned from the front yard. The servants brought in the meal, and Qin Zheng personally served him a bowl of old duck soup.

After taking a few sips of the soup, Chu Chengji, as expected, praised, “The kitchen put a lot of effort into today’s meal.”

The old servant nearby chuckled, “The meal was prepared by the madam herself.”

Chu Chengji then glanced at Qin Zheng.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Qin Zheng dismissed the old servant before asking, “You seemed troubled when you came back. What’s wrong?”

During the month he was away, Qin Zheng had handled all the affairs of Qingzhou. Nothing significant had happened during his absence, so she couldn’t figure out why he seemed so disinterested after returning from the front hall.

Chu Chengji casually asked as he handed her a dish, “What do you think of Cen Daoxi?”

When Qin Zheng and Madam Qin arrived in Qingzhou, Chu Chengji was away in Mengjun. Cen Daoxi had received them on Chu Chengji’s behalf.

Not sure why he suddenly asked about this, Qin Zheng replied truthfully, “Although Mr. Cen has few close relationships with other advisors, when discussing flood control and disaster relief with Lord Song, Lord Song praised him as being ‘substantive.’ I believe he is a capable individual. After you seized the grain convoy in Mengjun, it was Mr. Cen who came up with the clever plan to deceive the court by having General Yang falsely claim to have brought ten thousand troops.”

Chu Chengji’s expression remained inscrutable. Qin Zheng couldn’t quite discern his mood and asked, “Has someone spoken ill of Mr. Cen to Your Highness?”

Chu Chengji didn’t answer directly. After finishing the last bite of his meal and placing the wooden chopsticks down, he said, “I heard you are planning to go to the Yuan River area. I will accompany you tomorrow.”

Originally, Qin Zheng planned to bring Song Heqing, Cen Daoxi, and a few officials knowledgeable about river management with her.

Song Heqing had assisted in river transport management during his local tenure and was familiar with the Yuan River area. Cen Daoxi had been frequenting the upper and lower reaches of the Yuan River recently, meticulously examining the terrain of the river basin.

Although others questioned Cen Daoxi’s actions, Qin Zheng trusted his judgment due to his previous clever strategies. She believed that Cen Daoxi had his reasons for what he did; it just wasn’t the right time to reveal them.

Chu Chengji’s sudden decision to accompany her surprised her. “Surveying the river, determining the location of the excavation of the underground channel, will take at least three to five days to cover the entire Qingzhou area along the Yuan River. Won’t this delay your return to Mengjun?”

Chu Chengji’s remark, “You’re already anticipating my departure as soon as I return,” sounded odd to Qin Zheng as she lifted her head from her bowl.

Avoiding her gaze, Chu Chengji said, “I’ll go to the study this afternoon to review some documents.”

He didn’t seem angry, and before leaving, he even helped tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear in a gentle tone, “I can’t find peace of mind here.”

While his words sounded reasonable, Qin Zheng couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Since the main house was equipped with bookshelves and a desk, Chu Chengji had rarely visited the study for work. When he was busy, he handled documents at the desk, and when he was free, he would sit with her on the bamboo couch and read together. How could he suddenly find peace there now?

After Chu Chengji left, Qin Zheng secretly summoned Song Heqing and asked what had happened during the meeting that day.

宋鹤卿 recounted everything in detail, but Qin Zheng found it even more perplexing. All of Chu Chengji’s inquiries were about official matters, so why was he behaving so oddly after his return?

Suddenly recalling something, Song Heqing added, “His Highness heard about an incident where a renowned counselor caused trouble after drinking. He demanded the article defaming you written by someone named Chen and asked if you favored Mr. Cen.”

Qin Zheng felt a glimmer of understanding but still found it incredible. She asked, “How did Lord Song respond to His Highness?”

Song Heqing replied, “His Highness values Mr. Cen’s talent highly. Although the madam is a woman, she possesses the spirit of a man and merely cherishes talent.”

The article defaming Qin Zheng had been intercepted in time, but others only knew that it criticized her for meddling in politics and mocked Cen Daoxi for seeking fame. They were unaware that it also fabricated a connection between the two.

Qin Zheng suddenly realized what was happening. She thanked Song Heqing and said, “I understand now. Thank you, Lord Song.”

Song Heqing humbly responded and added, “His Highness cares deeply for you. He rewarded Mr. Cen and personally interrogated the counselor named Chen.”

At that time, Song Heqing was outside the prison, and the agonizing screams that almost overturned the entire dungeon still haunted him when he recalled it.

After Song Heqing left, Qin Zheng sat alone in the room for a while before freshening up and taking some refreshing fruits to Chu Chengji.

She knocked on the door a couple of times, but there was no response from inside. After hesitating for a moment, she pushed the door open and entered.

Chu Chengji was sitting at the desk with a bundle of documents in front of him. However, the ink on the brush next to it was dry, indicating that he had been lost in thought for quite some time.

Hearing the sound, he glanced up at the door. “Why did you come?”

Qin Zheng placed the fruit tray on his desk. “I brought some refreshing fruits for you.”

Although the fruits were delivered, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she looked at him earnestly and asked, “Your Highness, are you angry with me?”

Chu Chengji lowered his eyelids slightly, his expression subdued. “No.”

Qin Zheng pursed her lips. “If Your Highness is truly bothered by the slanderous words of others, I will no longer interfere in the affairs of Qingzhou in the future.”

She turned to leave, but Chu Chengji easily grabbed her arm.

“I said I’m not angry with you.” His grip on her arm tightened gradually, and he seemed somewhat resigned. “I...I’m just upset with myself.”

Qin Zheng didn’t understand.

Chu Chengji pulled her to sit on his lap, completely enveloping her in his embrace, and the restlessness in his heart subsided. “Perhaps I’m being unreasonable, but when I saw that article and heard that you repeatedly defended Cen Daoxi, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.”

Qin Zheng was about to explain, but Chu Chengji beat her to it. “I know that besides discussing official matters, you’ve never met with him outside of that.”

He kissed her on the lips lightly. “But being bothered is being bothered. You’re not wrong, neither is Cen Daoxi. The problem lies with me.”

“I’ve trapped myself in a dead end. I just need some time to clear my mind.”

For him to stoop to explaining himself like this was quite rare.

Qin Zheng’s expression suddenly became strange. Was he jealous? And to this extent?

She tried to reassure him, “I trust and rely more on Lord Song as well. Would Your Highness mind if I work with Lord Song?”

Chu Chengji’s expression became even more peculiar than Qin Zheng’s.

She continued, “I also value General Wang Biao and General Zhao Kui. Would Your Highness feel annoyed because of them?”

Chu Chengji hesitated for a moment before saying, “...No.”

Qin Zheng softened her tone. “In my eyes, Mr. Cen is no different from Lord Song, General Wang, or General Zhao.”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Chu Chengji did feel somewhat relieved. He looked at Qin Zheng and said, “Cen Daoxi is talented...”

But before he could finish, Qin Zheng interjected, “Mr. Cen is five years older than my older brother and is twenty-six years old this year.”

The implication was clear: he was no longer young.

While Qin Zheng didn’t think age mattered much, in this era where people married in their teens, Cen Daoxi, at twenty-six, was no longer considered a young prodigy.

She thought this statement would appease him, especially since he and Qin Jian were of the same age.

However, Chu Chengji’s face, which had softened slightly, immediately stiffened again upon hearing this unexpected remark.

Qin Zheng couldn’t understand how she had managed to upset him.