Becoming the Protagonist's Short-Lived Fiancé (GL) - Chapter 9

Wen Fei had been back in Chang’an for some time, but her hands and feet were tied by the Emperor’s sudden impulse to bestow a marriage. It wasn’t until she reached a consensus with Chu Xi that she took the time to go to the palace—Wen Fei had served in the Imperial Guard before, so entering and exiting the court was commonplace. Although she couldn’t enter as freely as before, it wasn’t difficult to request an audience with the Empress Aunt in her capacity as an imperial relative.

Ultimately, the rise of the Qi family was inseparable from Empress Qi, and Empress Qi’s secure position was inseparable from her family. They were a natural alliance. Moreover, Empress Qi now had the Crown Prince, so the Qi family and Wen Fei had to maintain closeness with the Prince.

Of course, there was no need to worry about factionalism and building private influence now, as the young Crown Prince was only seven years old this year.

When Wen Fei entered the palace, the young Crown Prince was in the Empress’s residence. Wen Fei stepped into the hall, saw the two of them, and saluted: “Your subject, Wen Fei, greets Her Highness the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Empress Qi smiled gently, quickly raised her hand, and said: “You are family, Ah Fei, no need for excessive formality.” She then scrutinized Wen Fei with her beautiful eyes, and continued with concern: “This campaign against the Northern Barbarians kept you away for over a year, Ah Fei. Swords and arrows have no eyes on the battlefield. I only heard that you won the battle and took captives. I don’t know if you took care of yourself this past year and if you were hurt anywhere?”

Her words were somewhat measured, but the concern was obvious. Wen Fei felt a warmth in her heart and replied: “Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Ah Fei is well, and small injuries are nothing to worry about.”

Empress Qi was naturally concerned upon hearing she was injured, and after a few more inquiries, the atmosphere between the aunt and niece became cordial.

After the two had conversed for a while, Wen Fei looked down and found that the quietly behaved young Crown Prince had walked up to her sometime without her noticing. He said nothing, only looked up at her, his childish face attempting to appear mature, but his eyes were dark and bright. At first glance, his gaze was quite similar to how Qi Jun looked at her.

Wen Fei’s heart softened at the familiar gaze, and her tone involuntarily softened: “Is there something His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to say to your subject, looking at me like this?”

Wen Fei was now a first-rank official, a young Marquis and General, and the second successful person in the Qi family besides the Grand Commandant Qi. Empress Qi was naturally pleased to see the cousins grow closer. Therefore, even before Wen Fei returned to Chang’an, Empress Qi had already told the young Crown Prince about her great achievements. Young boys most admire heroes, and the Crown Prince was very interested in his victorious cousin.

The young Crown Prince now stood with his small hands clasped behind his back, having thoroughly examined Wen Fei. He spoke with a frown: “Mother says that Cousin is a great hero, skilled in battle, and invincible… But to me, Cousin looks so thin and weak?”

Thin and weak might be an exaggeration, but slender was accurate. It was just that people who heard of her great achievements would subconsciously overlook Wen Fei’s appearance.

Empress Qi did not know Wen Fei’s true gender. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but look at Wen Fei’s slender shoulders, showing a hint of confusion—Wen Fei was no longer a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. An adult man should have broad shoulders and a wide frame, especially a general who had fought on the battlefield. It was only because Empress Qi had watched Wen Fei grow up from childhood and was used to her appearance that she had overlooked this.

Wen Fei sharply noticed Empress Qi’s gaze, but she clearly had no intention of explaining anything. The young general was originally quite bold, so she simply picked up the young Crown Prince and laughed: “His Highness the Crown Prince has been studying, so you should know not to judge a person by their appearance.”

The young Crown Prince was clearly surprised by Wen Fei’s boldness, and his small face instantly flushed red. However, he placed one hand on Wen Fei’s shoulder and didn’t struggle or push her away. He still maintained his serious little face, pretending he wasn’t being carried: “Cousin speaks the truth. Father also says that one cannot judge a book by its cover. But any skill must be demonstrated to win the people’s respect.”

Wen Fei smiled when she heard this: “Then how about I take Your Highness for a ride?”

The young Crown Prince was only seven years old, a tiny child with short arms and legs. At most, he could ride a small pony led by someone else, which wasn’t very exciting. Now, hearing Wen Fei offer to take him riding, the young Prince’s eyes immediately brightened, and his little arms instantly circled Wen Fei’s neck.

Empress Qi also dismissed the matter of Wen Fei’s appearance, looking at the pair with worry in her eyes.

Wen Fei was, of course, not being reckless, nor would she worry her elder. Seeing the Empress’s concern, she immediately explained: “Aunt, rest assured, I will only take His Highness for two laps around the training grounds. I won’t let him ride alone.”

With this assurance, Empress Qi was no longer worried. After all, Wen Fei was a formidable figure who could lead an army to sweep across the steppes and shatter the Northern Barbarians. Riding a horse was as natural as eating and drinking to her. With her protection, there was no need to worry about taking the young Crown Prince for two laps on the training grounds, or even outside the city.

Clearly, Empress Qi was also happy to let the Crown Prince bond with his maternal family, so she gave a few instructions and let them go.

Before stepping out of Changqiu Palace, the young Crown Prince struggled to be set down. He straightened his clothes and resumed the appearance of a dignified heir. He looked more mature than his father, the Emperor, at his young age, and then raised his small, tender chin: “Let’s go. I can walk to the training grounds myself.”

Wen Fei found this amusing but indulged him, only slowing her pace to accommodate the Prince’s short legs.

The journey was not dull, as the two chatted casually. It was mostly the young Crown Prince asking about the war on the frontier, and Wen Fei recounted the past events from her memory as stories, which she seemed to have a knack for telling. She narrated the battles with dramatic ups and downs, making them thrilling and exciting. By the time they finally reached the palace training grounds, the young Crown Prince looked at Wen Fei with eyes full of admiration and longing.

Perhaps feeling much closer now, just before stepping onto the grounds, the young Crown Prince suddenly tugged at a piece of Wen Fei’s robe corner. When she looked down, he looked up at her with an expression of hesitation, his eyes seemingly carrying a hint of sympathy.

Wen Fei was bewildered by the gaze. Confused, she squatted down and asked, “Does Your Highness have something you wish to tell your subject?”

The young Crown Prince looked at his cousin, who was now eye-level with him. He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: “Cousin is so capable, yet I heard that your fiancée ran away with someone. Why don’t you go and chase her back?”

This piece of information was quite substantial and left Wen Fei completely stunned—she knew nothing about this!

It turned out that rumors were terrifying, and the source of the seven-year-old Crown Prince’s news was clearly not entirely reliable—Wen Fei later learned that the young Prince had only heard some gossip from the palace servants. And with rumors, after passing through the mouths of many people, the final message conveyed was certainly miles away from the truth.

Fortunately, the unreliable news from the young Crown Prince didn’t mislead Wen Fei for long, because someone quickly came to debunk the rumor: none other than the Emperor himself, who had learned that Wen Fei had entered the palace.

He was rarely at leisure and, having heard that Wen Fei had taken the Crown Prince to the training grounds for a ride, he personally came to join the fun.

The Emperor’s timing was extremely coincidental; he overheard the Crown Prince’s sympathetic words perfectly. Hearing that Miss Chu was dissatisfied with the marriage and ran away with someone, not only was Wen Fei stunned, but the Emperor, who handled countless affairs of state daily, was also momentarily taken aback. Fortunately, the Emperor had his own judgment and was not one to blindly follow others. He immediately sent someone to the Chu family to investigate personally.

While the three of them rode a few laps around the training grounds, the person sent out returned, bringing back the true news—Chu Xi was indeed no longer in Chang’an; she had been sent to Jiangnan by the Chu family. As for running away with someone, that was purely a rumor!

The Chu family’s attitude displeased the Emperor, but at least the rumor was just a rumor. Since Chu Xi hadn’t truly eloped and disgraced him, the Emperor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He stood on his horse, watching Wen Fei gallop across the training grounds with the young Crown Prince. The Prince’s cheerful laughter and the joyous spirit on Wen Fei’s face were not lost on him.

Look, that was the military talent he had personally cultivated, a person who had swept aside the Northern Barbarians at a young age, earning the unparalleled honor of being a Marquis through military merit. What young lady was not worthy of such a person? The Chu family accepted the imperial edict but sent their daughter away. Were they looking down on his Great General, or were they slighting him?

A fire ignited in the heart of the Emperor, who was in the prime of his life. He firmly took note of the Chu family, waiting for an opportunity to settle the score later. And with his self-important nature, he certainly would not tolerate anyone defying him.

So, when Wen Fei returned from her exhilarating ride with the young Crown Prince, she heard the Emperor say solemnly: “Ah Fei, you’ve been back for some time now, and constantly being idle in Chang’an is not acceptable. Why don’t you take this opportunity to go out and inspect the local garrisons for me.” He paused, then emphasized: “The region of Jiangnan is quite prosperous and prone to corruption. Why don’t you begin your garrison inspection there?”

Wen Fei was slightly startled. The Emperor’s emphasis on Jiangnan made her realize his true intention, leaving her both enlightened and speechless.