Chapter 27 of Volume 1: Sincerity Revealed

  This Jing Wang Fu and Xu Wu Yan's residence in Lingzhou were both filled with bamboo, especially the kind that was as thick as an arm and straight and tall. It seemed that Chu Han Che really loved bamboo, apart from bamboo, it was rare to see people in silence.

  Waking up from a dream, Xun Youyan was already gone, and had been to the Jingwang Fu for half an hour. Except for a cluster of lush green bamboo, not a single person was seen;

  Although quiet, the living water lake, pavilions and buildings in front of him still show a layout and scenery that reveals human presence everywhere, telling Xu Wuyan that this is a strictly hierarchical and severely disciplined royal palace, not an uninhabited desolate mansion.

  Everywhere the eye can see are beautiful and magnificent scenery, rich and majestic palace buildings, auspicious beasts qilin high relief, corridor colorful paintings, carved beams and painted rafters, plus brocade clothes, noble status, delicious food, this is truly a great temptation. Xu Wuyan looked at the luxurious fake mountains, emerald lakes, and exquisite palace buildings in front of him, with a slight smile on his lips, a hint of a heart that had something to look forward to. If Xu Wuyan were to exchange a lifetime of freedom for this life of a caged golden bird, it would be absolutely impossible!

  "Miss! Miss! It's windy here, why did you come out?" Zhu Mo saw Xu Wuyan standing alone by the lake, blowing in the cold wind, and hastily stepped forward to say.

  Xu Wuyan looked at Zhu Mo, the little girl who had disappeared from his side on the night of Ling Wenqing's death, and now suddenly appeared in front of him, still caring for him so considerately. "Zhu Mo, where have you been these past few days?"

  Bamboo looked at Xu without words, his expression slightly embarrassed, "Miss! I didn't mean to leave without saying goodbye! It's just that something happened to the king in Lingzhou, and I didn't have time to bid farewell to you before leaving!"

  "What's wrong? What happened?" No wonder when I saw Chu Han Che, he looked so exhausted, did something happen?

  Zhu Mo's hands were clenched into fists, grasping his own sleeves, "Miss, it's not that Zhu Mo doesn't want to tell you, but the prince ordered him not to tell you!"

  Xu Wuyan looked at Zhu Mo, this girl who was attentive and meticulous in her service by his side, but whose heart was loyal to Chu Hanchen. If he really married Chu Hanchen, Zhu Mo would certainly be one of the women sharing that man with him. "If you want Chu Hanchen to recover quickly, then tell me what exactly happened!"

  Miss! The war situation in Lingzhou is very critical! The enemy army has adopted a tactic that I don't know what, and our Tianhe border guards have been heavily damaged! General Wang has always been a god of war, with few defeats, but this time he seems to be at a loss for what to do! Moreover, our military equipment is extremely lacking, and the military pay has not arrived on time. The court officials who have been jealous of General Wang are taking advantage of the situation to speak ill of him. The Emperor has always been suspicious of General Wang, and this time he listened to the words of the treacherous officials, withholding the military equipment that should be issued, and issuing an edict ordering General Wang to break through the enemy lines within a month, otherwise he will be punished by military law! Miss, General Wang is now almost surrounded by enemies on all sides!

  "You went to Lingzhou just to tell the king about the affairs of the court?"

  "Yes! Miss, Shaoye is worried that someone in the imperial court will harm Prince Wang, so I hurried to Lingzhou to inform Prince Wang!" Zhumo said sincerely, looking at Xu Wuyan. Since he wanted Xu Wuyan's help, he had to be honest with him; otherwise, it would only drag Prince Wang down.

  Xu Wuyan nodded, the politics in the imperial court were complex and treacherous, with interests intertwined; even if Chu Hanchen had three heads and six arms, he alone in Lingzhou could hardly withstand the unavoidable hidden arrows and cold swords from the imperial court.

  "Zhu Mo, tell me in detail about the battle between the two armies you saw in Lingzhou. Don't leave out any details!" Xu Wuyan decided to go all out this time and help Chu Han, it was a way of repaying him for saving his life, if not then it would be just listening to a story!

  Chu Han Che sat alone on the training grounds of the Wang Fu, staring at this place where he had crawled and practiced martial arts since childhood. He had trained in literature and martial arts, led the Wang Fu guards, and on the day of his coronation, he personally went to Lingzhou to preside over border affairs. In these years, he had led the army to fight more than a hundred battles, but never once had he let Chu Han Che's heart and soul be exhausted, his heart cold and his will frozen.

  I led the troops to fight bloody battles in Lingzhou, but my imperial brother listened to the words of flattering officials, cut off military supplies and stopped providing weapons. He even suspected that I, his own brother, was colluding with the enemy army. Even if the enemy had a thousand cunning tricks, they were no match for the harm caused by having one's own people stab them in the back!

  Now the border military salary is only enough to support two months, and the weapons are extremely scarce. The emperor also ordered that the enemy be defeated within a month, isn't this sending the border generals to their deaths? How can this battle be fought on?

  Chu Han Che's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement, as a bamboo stick whizzed past his eyes and embedded itself halfway into the bluestone wall.

  How could this bamboo be so sharp? Chu Han walked up to it in surprise, pulled the bamboo out from the wall, and inserted it into the wall. The place where it was inserted did not crack or break, and the tip that had been cut with a corner was intact!

  "What do you think of this bamboo?" Xu Wuyan smiled and walked towards Chu Hanchen, who couldn't help but feel a little admiration for Chu's composure. Was he extremely confident in his own palace guards or was he too arrogant about his own skills? The bamboo had just brushed past his face, yet he could still remain so calm and collected, studying the bamboo.

  Chu Han Che looked at Xu Wu Yan, "How did this bamboo become so hard and sharp?" The question was simple and direct.

  Xu Wuyan naturally didn't need to beat around the bush either. "Your Highness, don't you think this bamboo can solve the problem of a shortage of weapons?"

  Chu Han's eyes lit up with excitement, "Yes! The hardness of this bamboo is enough to pierce through the bluestone wall, it can naturally be used as a sharp tool." "Xian Er, how did you know?" He had told her not to reveal...

  Xu Wuyan smiled and said, "The story of the King of Jing being reprimanded in court has spread to every street and alley, how could I not know?" Xu Wuyan asked back.

  Chu Han Che revealed a hint of bitter smile, it seemed that he had become a key figure after all. Holding the bamboo in his hand, a wave of inexplicable sorrow surged up in his heart.

  "Matters of war are urgent! I hope you can be honest with me, face it together instead of keeping me in the dark!" Xu Wuyan said to Chu Hanchen clearly and sincerely.

  Chu Han Che looked at Xu Wu Yan, always wanting to protect her under his own wings, not letting her get hurt was the best love for Xu Wu Yan; now, she said with a solemn expression and firm eyes that she wanted to face it together with him, just one sentence, why did it bring warmth and comfort to Chu Han Che's heart?

  "Have you thought it through and are you going to be honest with me?" Xu Wuyan asked, looking at Chu Hanchen who seemed a bit numb, with a warm smile in the corner of his eyes.

  Chu Han Che's beautiful and cold arc finally relaxed, revealing a noble and elegant smile. He nodded slowly and asked, "Xian Er, what is the name of this excellent tool?"

  Xu Wuyan knew that his words had taken effect, and Chu Hansheng had loosened up a bit, which was also a good thing; although Xu Wuyan's mind didn't have any memories of Chu Hansheng stored in it, for Chu Hansheng, Xu Wuyan was someone who wholeheartedly protected him.

  Xu Wuyan's eyebrows suddenly opened up, and his clear voice, filled with hope for the future, loudly said: "This thing is called Lang Xuan!"