Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1745 Seizing the Opportunity
"Empress." Mu Churui turned Li Qianning's face, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Qianning, you are my Empress. I don't care about you and Aji..."

“Your Majesty,” Li Qianning interrupted Mu Churui’s words in a cold voice, saying each word clearly, “Your Majesty Prince Qi and I have absolutely no connection whatsoever.”

"That's not what I meant." Mu Churui looked flustered. "I didn't suspect..."

"If the king is not suspicious, is he jealous?" Li Qianning struggled inwardly, but could not break free from Mu Churui's grasp. So she simply let go of his hand and let him hold it tightly.

Mu Churui sensed Li Qianning's resistance and loosened his grip slightly, "I..."

“I was originally the most noble princess of Dajing, and now I am married off to Miluo, so I am the most noble empress of Miluo.” Li Qianning changed her self-reference, met Mu Churui’s gaze, and said with an air of authority without anger, “I cannot control what the king thinks of me, but as the most noble woman in the world, I know very well what I should do and what I should not do.”

As she spoke, she took advantage of Mu Churui's momentary lapse in attention and forcefully shook off his hand, saying, "Any doubt from the King is an insult to me."

"Qianning, don't go." Mu Churui suddenly reached out and pulled Li Qianning into his arms. "I don't doubt you, it's just..."

He paused, then said softly, "From childhood to adulthood, no matter what it is, I can never beat Aji. Only you belong entirely to me, only you..."

His voice was filled with unspeakable grievance, which moved Li Qianning somewhat, but when she opened her red lips, she remained arrogant and haughty, "Your Majesty, I belong to you, and I also belong to Miluo and Dajing."

She leaned close to Mu Churui's ear, her voice as delicate as an orchid, and said, "I am not something you and His Highness Prince Qi can fight over and compare."

When she couldn't see him, Mu Churui's expression froze for a moment, but in an instant, he returned to his usual unpredictable and almost manic state, ignoring her completely and holding her even tighter. "Qianning, stay by my side forever, don't go with Aji, okay?"

Li Qianning was stunned for a moment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Unable to get a reply, Mu Churui held Li Qianning even tighter, obsessively, "Qianning, promise me, okay?"

His tone was full of pleading, which made Li Qianning's heart soften for no reason, but she only complained coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you're hurting me."

However, although she said that, she did not push Mu Churui away, nor did she hug him back, which seemed like an ambiguous answer.

Mu Churui released Li Qianning and instead held her shoulder, "From this day forward, I will only love you, only you..."

“Your Majesty…” Li Qianning opened her mouth, but when she met Mu Churui’s burning gaze, she couldn’t say anything.

She knew very well that to fall in love during a marriage between two nations was nothing short of a pipe dream. Passionate love may fade, but peace between the two countries must be maintained.

This is why she traveled thousands of miles to marry into this unfamiliar palace.

But she was still in the prime of her life, and being held so firmly in someone's hands, like a lifeline, was a feeling she had never experienced before, making it hard for her not to be moved. Mu Chuji saw Li Qianning's wavering and was about to add fuel to the fire when she heard her say, "Your Majesty's intentions are clear to me. However, I have only been married into Miluo for two days and cannot respond at this time. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

She reverted to her original self-reference, and her calm and restrained answer made Mu Churui chuckle inwardly. His empress was indeed interesting; no wonder Mu Chuji couldn't forget her.

Wang Quanrui smiled apologetically, "As the official in charge of the capital, Lord Xie is always meticulous and acts in accordance with regulations, without any room for leniency. Please wait here for a moment."

This earnest explanation both smoothed things over for Xie Yanping and blocked the Di Rong envoy, making him believe that this was indeed the normal procedure. So he politely replied, "Lord Wang, you flatter me. This must be the general who saved Princess Erya today? Thank you for saving my life, General."

After he finished speaking, he bowed. Cao Hong was flattered and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Your Excellency, there's no need for such formality."

Several people waited outside the hall, while Xie Yanping inside maintained his bowing posture. "Your Majesty, if what Miss Awan said is true, I'm afraid the Duke of Yue..." Before he could finish speaking, Li Shengxuan gave Xiahou Zhang a wink.

"I will send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly. After you return, take good care of Awan and make sure that nothing like what happened between Ouyang Zirou and Fang Zitong happens again," Li Shengxuan instructed. Xie Yanping nodded and replied, "This humble official understands. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Li Shengxuan waved to Xie Yanping, indicating that he could leave, but Xie Yanping remained standing there, hesitatingly saying, "Your Majesty, the Southeast Camp is about to be reorganized, and the Di Rong delegation is currently in the capital. At this critical juncture, if something happens to the Duke of Yue, I'm afraid the people of Miluo may not remain obedient."

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Should we keep a close watch on the residence of the Loyal Prince?"

"No need," Li Shengxuan said calmly. "Using a child as leverage has never been my practice. The people of Miluo may send Prince Zhongzheng here, but I will not use Prince Zhongzheng as a shield to make friends with them. No matter what our neighbors are like, Dajing has never been afraid."

Xie Yanping was stunned. This was the first time he had felt the courage and confidence of their emperor so directly. He had no doubt that if one day, in dire circumstances, everyone used the loyal and upright heir as a shield to feign compliance with the Miluo River, their emperor would have already protected the country and its people.

"I understand." Xie Yanping heard his own voice and felt a strange sense of relief, as if a heavy stone had suddenly been lifted from his chest, bringing him indescribable joy.

Cao Hong, Wang Quanrui, Di Rongzheng, and a group of guards watched as Xie Yanping walked out with his head held high and then politely invited them inside. Although they were puzzled as to what had happened, they quickly followed him inside.

After entering the palace, Li Shengxuan appeased the Di Rong envoy, saying some polite words, and then dismissed them all, leaving only Cao Hong behind.

"Your Majesty..." Cao Hong hesitated for a moment, then Li Shengxuan went straight to the point: "Cao Hong, I intend to appoint you to take charge of the Southwest Camp. What do you think?"

“If His Majesty commands, I will gladly die for it, but…” Cao Hong clenched his fists, then knelt on one knee and said, “Your Majesty, the Duke of Yue also mentioned that if Your Majesty commands, I will readily accept. But I fear that if I accept, the Duke of Yue will be criticized, therefore…”

He didn't continue, and Li Shengxuan said knowingly, "Fang Zilan mentioned this to you?"

"It wasn't Lord Yue who said it himself, but rather someone else conveyed it to him." Cao Hong pursed his lips and added, "I've been very busy lately, and Lord Yue hasn't had a moment to spare either..."

His voice grew softer as he spoke, and Li Shengxuan felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He had never even met Fang Zilan before, so she must have been in trouble.