Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Just as Wushuang forced herself to close her eyes and fall asleep, she suddenly heard barely audible footsteps behind her. She instantly became alert, sat up abruptly, and struck out with her palm. In the darkness, her hand was firmly grasped. Although her injuries had not healed, her skills were still agile. She followed up with her other fist, but it was still accurately caught.

"Who?!"

The next moment, an irresistible force pulled her down hard, and she fell into a firm and warm embrace. A faint smell of alcohol lingered around her nose, along with Ling Heng's unique, refreshing scent.

"The Crown Prince?"

She slightly raised her head in his arms, unable to see his expression in the darkness, but she could feel his arms tightening, embedding her into his body.

Wushuang felt a pang of fear and tried to struggle, but he held her even tighter, making it impossible for her to move. He remained silent, only the steady rise and fall of his chest and her increasingly erratic heartbeat were particularly clear in the quiet night.

The increasingly strong smell of alcohol in her breath reminded her that the prince was quite drunk. She tried to move again, and this time, he loosened his grip a little. She slowly straightened up, and he leaned over her as she moved, his arm sliding down from her back to her waist.

"The Crown Prince?"

In the darkness, Wushuang called his name again. He remained slumped against her shoulder, motionless, only his warm breath brushing against her neck.

How could he be so drunk?

Wu Shuang carefully supported his shoulders and back, gently easing his weight as she laid him down on the bed. Ling Heng let out a muffled gasp.

She took the brocade quilt from the side and gently covered him with it. By the dim candlelight in the outer room, she carefully looked at the person on the bed. She suddenly felt that the prince seemed to be getting more and more unhappy, even more unhappy than before.

Today, I'll return the bed to the young master. She's been occupying his bed for several days now; it's time to give it back. Wushuang pursed her lips and stood up. Suddenly, her wrist tightened. The force wasn't strong, but it carried a heavy weight that she couldn't escape.

"Don't go..."

Ling Heng's indistinct voice echoed heavily inside the tent, hoarse with obvious signs of drunkenness.

His hands paused, and he looked down at the person on the bed, but still couldn't see anything clearly. However, the fingers gripping her wrist tightened even more. She tried to pull away slightly, but instead of being able to, she was pulled slightly by him and fell to the edge of the bed.

"Don't go..."

He murmured it again, turned to the side, and unconsciously leaned his head against her hand, as if seeking reassurance.

Whom is the Crown Prince calling for not to leave?

Wushuang stopped struggling and became increasingly confused. In just one year, the prince was different from before.

That day, when she first woke up from her coma, she clearly heard him tell the princess that he had no one he cared about.

But as he held her hand tightly, who was he pleading with? Could it be that the person in the prince's heart was someone he could not have?

With his status as a prince and the daughters of prominent families in Jicheng, which one couldn't he have? Wushuang pondered this for a long time, but ultimately couldn't come up with an answer.

The next day, Wushuang woke up in Lingheng's bed as usual, but she was alone in the bed, and there was no trace of the prince.

Last night...did she sleep in the same bed as the Crown Prince? Or did the Crown Prince never even come in?

She raised her hand to rub her groggy temples, unable to recall at all when she had fallen asleep.

"Has Miss Wushuang woken up?"

The maid who usually takes care of her brought in a tray with steaming hot food in the bowl.

General Ling instructed that cinnamon twig soup be prepared for the young lady, saying that she might have caught a chill last night.

Caught a cold? She was perfectly healthy, how could she have caught a cold for no reason? A thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly stopped. Last night, the prince really had come in.

She subconsciously raised her hand and pressed her heavy temples, as if she really had caught a cold.

"Miss, let me help you change your clothes."

"No need, I can do it myself."

She was ultimately not used to being served by others, and she couldn't get used to even something as simple as changing clothes.

How long will this concubine of the prince continue to pretend? Wushuang thought to herself as she dressed, she should ask the prince.

"By the way, where is the Crown Prince?"

"The young master left early this morning; I heard he went to Prince Rui's residence."

"Prince Rui's Mansion?"

Wushou's hands suddenly stopped moving. She clearly remembered that the princess had mentioned that as the heir apparent, it was not appropriate for him to easily set foot in the Prince Rui's residence.

He had just attended the court assembly yesterday, and today he went to pay his respects at Prince Rui's residence. It seems that everything went smoothly at the court assembly, and the heir apparent is going to confront Prince Rui at his residence.

It seems that the princess will soon leave Jinling and return to the Chu Kingdom.

The flower hall of Prince Rui's Mansion.

The place is quiet and secluded. The spring sun shines warmly outside the corridor, but there is no warmth inside the hall. A chill silently lingers on both sides of the chessboard. The sandalwood chessboard is smooth and the black and white jade chess pieces are warm and smooth.

Xiao Ce and Ling Heng sat facing each other on either side. Both were noblemen of outstanding character, one aloof and cold, the other gentle and refined. However, at this moment, neither of them showed the gentle demeanor of ordinary young masters. Their expressions were solemn and serious, neither giving an inch.

Xiao Ce's face was chillingly cold, his eyebrows and eyes seemed to be covered with frost that could not be melted, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his aura was so cold that it was intimidating.

Ling Heng's expression was extremely calm, his face was undisturbed, showing no joy or anger. His fingertips lightly tapped the edge of the chessboard, seemingly indifferent and leisurely, but his eyes concealed a calculating mind that was carefully laid out.

Halfway through the game, no one spoke, only the crisp sound of pieces being placed echoed in the quiet flower hall, one after another, exceptionally clear.

Xiao Ce knew perfectly well that Ling Heng's visit today was simply to finalize the matter of the court meeting and the border market, and that he was now fully prepared. This visit was probably to make it clear that he wanted to take Ling Xi back to Chu.

Xiao Ce's gaze fell on the face of the person opposite him, which was seven-tenths similar to Ling Xi's. The image of his elder brother dying on the battlefield flashed before his eyes, and the ferocity in his eyes instantly intensified.

Ling Heng seemed to notice the change in the person opposite him. He suddenly looked up, but saw that the person was focused on the game of chess with his head down.

He picked up a white piece with his fingertips, calmly placed it down, seemingly in a defensive posture, but in reality he had already secretly laid a trap. Every move was calculated, and he silently seized the initiative in half of the game.

Xiao Ce never hesitated when placing a piece. His chess moves were sharp and ruthless, each move a powerful attack without any hesitation or retreat. Every piece he placed was aimed directly at the vital points, as if he wanted to crush his opponent's entire strategy in an instant.

The black and white chess pieces are scattered across the board, going back and forth, making it difficult to determine a winner for a while.

Ling Heng maintained a steady and composed defense, skillfully balancing offense and defense. When faced with strong opponents, he would slow down, subtly defusing dangerous situations before launching a quiet counterattack, demonstrating his calm and calculating nature. Xiao Ce, on the other hand, pressed forward relentlessly, forcefully breaking through even the opponent's seemingly impenetrable defense, refusing to yield an inch.

The two players were both top-notch chess players, evenly matched. After half an hour, it was no longer a simple game of chess, but a silent contest between them, with neither willing to give an inch.