freenovelworld Chapter 488 She wanted to see just what kind of woman this was!
Chapter 488 She wanted to see just what kind of woman this was!
Three days later, outside the barbican, at Shili Slope.
It's still that same withered tree, and the same endless yellow sand.
"Within ten years, the iron cavalry of Northern Yan will not set foot on Pingzhou even once."
The Northern Yan princess spoke first, her voice hoarse from defeat, yet still retaining the bearing of a princess of a nation.
"I hereby swear this oath in the name of the Northern Yan royal family."
Gu Junze nodded slightly: "It's a deal."
He knew that this battle had severely weakened Northern Yan, and they were indeed unable to launch another attack in the short term.
As for the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it also needed to recuperate and rebuild.
“But I have one condition.” The Northern Yan princess changed the subject, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Junze.
Gu Junze's eyebrows twitched slightly, waiting for the next part to continue.
"I want to see her," the Northern Yan princess said, enunciating each word clearly. "The woman who blew the whistle, Chu Ruohan."
Gu Junze's eyes darkened.
"What makes her so deserving of your protection, Gu Junze? And what makes her capable of cracking the secrets of Northern Yan?"
The Northern Yan princess's voice carried a hint of resentment, but even more so, a strong sense of inquiry and stubbornness.
"I lost to her, and I need to know exactly where I went wrong."
She paused, a strange smile suddenly curving her lips, and her gaze towards Gu Junze rekindled that fervor.
"Gu Junze, my proposal still stands. Divorce her and make her my consort. Only by standing by my side can the son of Princess Anyang truly become famous throughout the world."
She seemed completely oblivious to being a loser, stubbornly believing that Gu Junze belonged to her.
Gu Junze looked at her coldly, as if she were an unreasonable madwoman.
"Princess, you're probably still half asleep."
He turned away and said no more.
The sunlight cast a long shadow of him...
Princess Beiyan stood there, watching his departing figure, her fists clenched tightly.
Chu Ruohan... she wanted to see just what kind of woman she was!
Wengcheng, a secluded courtyard.
Princess Beiyan dismissed all her attendants and sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard.
She was still wearing that golden mask, and sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on her.
Accompanied by Ying Yi, Chu Ruohan slowly walked into the courtyard.
Her shoulder injury had not yet healed, and she still had some difficulty moving around, but she remained calm and showed no signs of stage fright.
"So you are Chu Ruohan?" The voice of the Northern Yan princess came through the mask, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Chu Ruohan nodded slightly: "Greetings, Princess."
"No need to be polite."
Princess Beiyan waved her hand, her eyes behind the mask fixed on Chu Ruohan, as if trying to see through her.
"You're quite good. You've found the knack for controlling my ghost soldiers in just a few days. You're even better than I expected."
This praise came suddenly, yet it carried the arrogance unique to the Northern Yan princess.
Chu Ruohan remained noncommittal, waiting for what would happen next.
"Gu Junze has already agreed to be my consort." The Northern Yan princess's words were astonishing. Was she lying to her?
Upon hearing this, Yingyi's expression changed drastically, and he was about to speak.
Chu Ruohan raised her hand to stop him.
Her expression remained calm, but when she looked at the Northern Yan princess, her clear eyes held a hint of inquiry.
Princess Beiyan seemed quite satisfied with Chu Ruohan's composure and continued, "You know him, sometimes he can't let go of his pride. Naturally, he can't confront you about this himself. So, I'll tell you myself."
She paused, her tone carrying a hint of condescension: "For the sake of the child you bore for him, from now on, I will be the elder, and you the younger. It's not that I can't tolerate you."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Chu Ruohan was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, her voice light: "Princess, do you know the story of Princess Anyang?"
The Northern Yan princess frowned slightly beneath her mask. She hadn't expected Chu Ruohan to suddenly bring up Princess Anyang.
What does she mean?
Chu Ruohan continued speaking to herself: "Princess Anyang was once the most dazzling pearl of the Eastern Jin royal family. She was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was in no way inferior to men."
"During a border conflict, she met a general from an enemy country. The two clashed on the battlefield, but also developed feelings for each other."
The Northern Yan princess's mask twitched slightly, as if she had become somewhat interested in the story.
"That enemy general was also a dragon among men, with great talent and ambition. However, his ambition was too great. What he wanted was not only Princess Anyang, but also the beautiful country behind the princess."
Chu Ruohan's voice was unhurried, as if she were recounting a long-ago story.
"And then?" Princess Beiyan asked instinctively.
Later, Princess Anyang saw through that man's ambition. She chose the country and gave up that hopeless relationship.
Chu Ruohan's tone carried a hint of regret, "After returning to the palace, in order to stabilize the court and reassure the royal family, she married an honest man from a respectable family with a gentle nature."
Everyone thought that she would live a quiet life as a wife and mother.
The Northern Yan princess snorted coldly: "Womanly compassion. If it were me, I would strike first, cut down that enemy general, and then seize his territory!"
Chu Ruohan did not refute, but continued, "But it was all an illusion. Princess Anyang's talent and prestige ultimately aroused the jealousy of her own brother, the current emperor."
"Many court officials also attacked her in every way because she was a woman who repeatedly interfered in politics."
"In the end, to protect her son and to prevent the Eastern Jin Dynasty from falling into internal strife, she was willing to die. She believed that her concession could not guarantee her son's safety..."
Chu Ruohan's voice lowered slightly as she spoke.
"You scoundrel! You heartless wretch!" The Northern Yan princess slammed her hand on the stone table, her voice, hidden behind her mask, filled with rage.
"That emperor and those court officials deserve to be torn to pieces! How could they treat their own sister like that, and a meritorious official who served the country and its people like that!"
Her chest heaved, clearly enraged by the story.
However, after her anger subsided, she suddenly paused, her eyes behind the mask piercingly fixed on Chu Ruohan: "Chu Ruohan, you..."
She reacted.
This woman, from beginning to end, was guided by her emotions!
Use the story of Princess Anyang to make her empathize, to make her angry, and to make her feel indignant!
Chu Ruohan was guiding her...
Princess Beiyan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She had to admit that this Chu Ruohan was even more troublesome than she had anticipated.
Her methods, though not the sword fights of the battlefield, are just as painful.
"Well done." The Northern Yan princess's voice regained some of its composure.
Chu Ruohan gently shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Your Highness misunderstands. I just feel that Princess Anyang is a pity."