Separated by the veil, Chen Chao was very silent. He had not expected this scene after he entered the carriage.
However, one thing puzzled him. Even at this point, the woman in front of him, despite her pose, Chen Chao did not feel an unpleasant atmosphere in the slightest. In other words, this woman did not exude a trade of amorous aura. She had a fundamental difference from the women in brothels.
Nevertheless, Chen Chao was still full of doubts. What was the identity of this woman?
"You're Chen Chao?"
The woman's voice slowly sounded out, lacking any overbearing feeling. Except, it was definitely far from gentle too, it had the exclusive air befitting those from influential families.
Chen Chao did not speak. He was still pondering the woman's identity - which official's wife was she? Or perhaps one of the consorts of the two princes?
Seeing that Chen Chao did not answer her, the woman did not get angry. She simply sat up from the bed, and reached out to lift the veil, hanging it up on both sides. With this, there was no longer any obstruction between Chen Chao and her. As he looked at the woman, he noticed her extraordinary beauty. She had a beauty mark on her forehead, giving her a naturally charming demeanor. For a moment, Chen Chao found himself somewhat in a trance.
As she straightened her body, the scene in front of her chest became even more spectacular. She paid it no mind, just supporting her cheek, adding a touch of innocence to her charming posture. It was as if she were an inexperienced young girl, making it difficult to imagine how such contrasting poses could exist in the same woman.
"Is this imperial highness beautiful?"[1]
The woman spoke lightly, her vermilion lips moving gently.
Chen Chao who was somewhat lost in thought, returned to his senses in an instant. At the mention of "this imperial highness." These words were not something an ordinary person could casually refer to themselves as.
Could the woman in front of him really be the consort of a certain prince?
If not for the fact that the entire Great Liang Dynasty knew that the Great Liang Emperor never appointed any consorts other than the Empress, Chen Chao would even be speculating in that direction.
But after thinking about it carefully, Chen Chao suddenly returned to his senses and felt that it was impossible. If this was a prince's consort, how could she possibly show up here?
If it was not like this, then it could only be...
The Great Liang Emperor and Empress treated each other with great respect. They had a total of two princesses and three princes. Among the five imperial bloodlines, the first to be born was not the First Prince but a princess. This princess was deeply beloved by the Great Liang Emperor and Empress. After reaching adulthood, she was officially conferred the title of Princess Anping and resided in the Prosperous Harmony Palace.
Now, the woman before him appeared to be of a similar age to Princess Anping.
The most important thing was that her facial features bore some resemblance to that Empress.
As the legitimate daughter of the Great Liang Emperor, this Princess Anping had always led a reclusive life, with little information circulating about her. In her early years, there was an incident where the Great Liang Emperor, upon ascending the throne, considered marrying Princess Anping to the eldest son of a certain great minister. However, for unknown reasons, this plan was dropped. Over the next decade, no court official proposed that a member of their family marry Princess Anping. The Great Liang Emperor also abandoned the idea of arranging her marriage, leading to the other princess marrying and having children of her own. However, Princess Anping was still single.
"This subject Chen Chao, Commander of the Left Guard, pays respect to Your Highness, Princess Anping."
Chen Chao bowed slightly, but did not kneel. Although this carriage could accommodate a bed, in reality, there was no more space left after putting this bed. If Chen Chao wanted to kneel down, he would only be able to stick to the bed, and it would be those fair legs in front of him.
It would probably be better not to kneel with such a scene.
"Indeed a clever child. In just a brief moment, you managed to see through this imperial highness' identity. No wonder Imperial Father also has high hopes for you."
Princess Anping glanced at Chen Chao lazily and casually said, "This imperial highness heard that Imperial Mother summoned you before she passed away."
Chen Chao said calmly, "Her Majesty, the Empress, indeed met this subject before the imperial banquet.
Princess Anping nodded thoughtfully, looking at Chen Chao. However, she did not say anything in the end, nor did she pursue the topic. Instead, she changed the subject, saying, "During the Myriad Willow Convention, this imperial highness heard your name and later saw your portrait. It's not easy for our Great Liang Dynasty to produce a young talent. After hearing that Imperial Mother had also met you, I wanted to see what the young man whom Imperial Mother favored looked like. However, before this imperial highness could do anything, you had already left the Divine Capital. Now that the Divine Capital is in turmoil, why have you returned?"
Although Princess Anping had been secluded deep in the palace, since she was of imperial blood, how could she be oblivious to the situation in the Divine Capital?
Listening to Princess Anping's tone, Chen Chao was somewhat surprised. Initially, he thought this princess' appearance was to act as a mediator for someone. Unexpectedly, her words carried a hint of reproach, as if she did not want Chen Chao to get involved in this mess.
"This subject is the commander of the Left Guard, I should return to the Divine Capital to fulfill my responsibilities."
Chen Chao replied calmly. While he was unsure of Princess Anping's motives for speaking in this manner, he did not want to reveal anything. His response was reasonable, without anything out of place.
Princess Anping looked at Chen Chao, seemingly unwilling to beat around the bush either. She just said, "Presently, Imperial Father isn't in the Divine Capital. With the undercurrents surging, many are vying for your position of Commander of the Left Guard. You shouldn't have returned. Even if it goes against the laws of Great Liang, ultimately, who would dare do anything to you? Yet, you insist on coming back, diving into this whirlpool. Is there anything more dangerous and less meaningful than contending for the throne in this world? Or do you really harbor the thought of being a loyal subject?"
As Princess Anping spoke, her large eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, staring at Chen Chao just like that. This made Chen Chao somewhat uncomfortable. Originally, he just wanted to say a few indifferent words to brush off the matter. But now, for some reason, he found himself swallowing those words.
He could not say it.
Why return to the Divine Capital? It was not something that could be easily explained in one or two sentences.
Hence, Chen Chao remained silent.
Even now, he did not understand what this princess of Great Liang wanted to say or do.
It was as if she just came for small talk?
But in tonight's Divine Capital, this Divine Capital where countless forces wanted to meet Chen Chao, she seemed very strange.
She was clearly the first to meet Chen Chao, yet she did not go straight into topic for a long time.
After a long silence, Chen Chao opened his mouth, "If there's nothing else, Princess, this subject will take my leave."
Since things were unclear at the moment, Chen Chao felt that leaving here might not be a bad choice.
Princess Anping said, "Could it be that this imperial highness has already grown old and hagged? Do I look so unsightly?" "Well, that Xie Family's girl is currently in the prime of her youth. I heard she's also a little beauty. The Imperial Mother met her before. Tell me, compared to me, who is more attractive?"
In the world, there were many questions. But in reality, when it came to women, this question was truly too difficult to answer. It was also a question that could not be answered.
Chen Chao kept silent.
Princess Anping's voice suddenly became somewhat cold, "This imperial highness is asking you a question!"
Chen Chao started cursing in his heart.
What kind of crazy woman was this?
If it were an ordinary woman, Chen Chao would not need to be too bothered and could even let loose a torrent of abuse. However, given the identity of the woman before him, Chen Chao could not cuss her out.
However, just as Chen Chao was silent, Princess Anping suddenly burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed again.
Chen Chao felt even more baffled.
Princess Anping said softly, "It turns out that when you like someone, even if you have to say one bad thing about her, you're unwilling to do so."
Separated by the veil, Chen Chao was very silent. He had not expected this scene after he entered the carriage.
However, one thing puzzled him. Even at this point, the woman in front of him, despite her pose, Chen Chao did not feel an unpleasant atmosphere in the slightest. In other words, this woman did not exude a trade of amorous aura. She had a fundamental difference from the women in brothels.
Nevertheless, Chen Chao was still full of doubts. What was the identity of this woman?
"You're Chen Chao?"
The woman's voice slowly sounded out, lacking any overbearing feeling. Except, it was definitely far from gentle too, it had the exclusive air befitting those from influential families.
Chen Chao did not speak. He was still pondering the woman's identity - which official's wife was she? Or perhaps one of the consorts of the two princes?
Seeing that Chen Chao did not answer her, the woman did not get angry. She simply sat up from the bed, and reached out to lift the veil, hanging it up on both sides. With this, there was no longer any obstruction between Chen Chao and her. As he looked at the woman, he noticed her extraordinary beauty. She had a beauty mark on her forehead, giving her a naturally charming demeanor. For a moment, Chen Chao found himself somewhat in a trance.
As she straightened her body, the scene in front of her chest became even more spectacular. She paid it no mind, just supporting her cheek, adding a touch of innocence to her charming posture. It was as if she were an inexperienced young girl, making it difficult to imagine how such contrasting poses could exist in the same woman.
"Is this imperial highness beautiful?"[1]
The woman spoke lightly, her vermilion lips moving gently.
Chen Chao who was somewhat lost in thought, returned to his senses in an instant. At the mention of "this imperial highness." These words were not something an ordinary person could casually refer to themselves as.
Could the woman in front of him really be the consort of a certain prince?
If not for the fact that the entire Great Liang Dynasty knew that the Great Liang Emperor never appointed any consorts other than the Empress, Chen Chao would even be speculating in that direction.
But after thinking about it carefully, Chen Chao suddenly returned to his senses and felt that it was impossible. If this was a prince's consort, how could she possibly show up here?
If it was not like this, then it could only be...
The Great Liang Emperor and Empress treated each other with great respect. They had a total of two princesses and three princes. Among the five imperial bloodlines, the first to be born was not the First Prince but a princess. This princess was deeply beloved by the Great Liang Emperor and Empress. After reaching adulthood, she was officially conferred the title of Princess Anping and resided in the Prosperous Harmony Palace.
Now, the woman before him appeared to be of a similar age to Princess Anping.
The most important thing was that her facial features bore some resemblance to that Empress.
As the legitimate daughter of the Great Liang Emperor, this Princess Anping had always led a reclusive life, with little information circulating about her. In her early years, there was an incident where the Great Liang Emperor, upon ascending the throne, considered marrying Princess Anping to the eldest son of a certain great minister. However, for unknown reasons, this plan was dropped. Over the next decade, no court official proposed that a member of their family marry Princess Anping. The Great Liang Emperor also abandoned the idea of arranging her marriage, leading to the other princess marrying and having children of her own. However, Princess Anping was still single.
"This subject Chen Chao, Commander of the Left Guard, pays respect to Your Highness, Princess Anping."
Chen Chao bowed slightly, but did not kneel. Although this carriage could accommodate a bed, in reality, there was no more space left after putting this bed. If Chen Chao wanted to kneel down, he would only be able to stick to the bed, and it would be those fair legs in front of him.
It would probably be better not to kneel with such a scene.
"Indeed a clever child. In just a brief moment, you managed to see through this imperial highness' identity. No wonder Imperial Father also has high hopes for you."
Princess Anping glanced at Chen Chao lazily and casually said, "This imperial highness heard that Imperial Mother summoned you before she passed away."
Chen Chao said calmly, "Her Majesty, the Empress, indeed met this subject before the imperial banquet.
Princess Anping nodded thoughtfully, looking at Chen Chao. However, she did not say anything in the end, nor did she pursue the topic. Instead, she changed the subject, saying, "During the Myriad Willow Convention, this imperial highness heard your name and later saw your portrait. It's not easy for our Great Liang Dynasty to produce a young talent. After hearing that Imperial Mother had also met you, I wanted to see what the young man whom Imperial Mother favored looked like. However, before this imperial highness could do anything, you had already left the Divine Capital. Now that the Divine Capital is in turmoil, why have you returned?"
Although Princess Anping had been secluded deep in the palace, since she was of imperial blood, how could she be oblivious to the situation in the Divine Capital?
Listening to Princess Anping's tone, Chen Chao was somewhat surprised. Initially, he thought this princess' appearance was to act as a mediator for someone. Unexpectedly, her words carried a hint of reproach, as if she did not want Chen Chao to get involved in this mess.
"This subject is the commander of the Left Guard, I should return to the Divine Capital to fulfill my responsibilities."
Chen Chao replied calmly. While he was unsure of Princess Anping's motives for speaking in this manner, he did not want to reveal anything. His response was reasonable, without anything out of place.
Princess Anping looked at Chen Chao, seemingly unwilling to beat around the bush either. She just said, "Presently, Imperial Father isn't in the Divine Capital. With the undercurrents surging, many are vying for your position of Commander of the Left Guard. You shouldn't have returned. Even if it goes against the laws of Great Liang, ultimately, who would dare do anything to you? Yet, you insist on coming back, diving into this whirlpool. Is there anything more dangerous and less meaningful than contending for the throne in this world? Or do you really harbor the thought of being a loyal subject?"
As Princess Anping spoke, her large eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, staring at Chen Chao just like that. This made Chen Chao somewhat uncomfortable. Originally, he just wanted to say a few indifferent words to brush off the matter. But now, for some reason, he found himself swallowing those words.
He could not say it.
Why return to the Divine Capital? It was not something that could be easily explained in one or two sentences.
Hence, Chen Chao remained silent.
Even now, he did not understand what this princess of Great Liang wanted to say or do.
It was as if she just came for small talk?
But in tonight's Divine Capital, this Divine Capital where countless forces wanted to meet Chen Chao, she seemed very strange.
She was clearly the first to meet Chen Chao, yet she did not go straight into topic for a long time.
After a long silence, Chen Chao opened his mouth, "If there's nothing else, Princess, this subject will take my leave."
Since things were unclear at the moment, Chen Chao felt that leaving here might not be a bad choice.
Princess Anping said, "Could it be that this imperial highness has already grown old and hagged? Do I look so unsightly?" "Well, that Xie Family's girl is currently in the prime of her youth. I heard she's also a little beauty. The Imperial Mother met her before. Tell me, compared to me, who is more attractive?"
In the world, there were many questions. But in reality, when it came to women, this question was truly too difficult to answer. It was also a question that could not be answered.
Chen Chao kept silent.
Princess Anping's voice suddenly became somewhat cold, "This imperial highness is asking you a question!"
Chen Chao started cursing in his heart.
What kind of crazy woman was this?
If it were an ordinary woman, Chen Chao would not need to be too bothered and could even let loose a torrent of abuse. However, given the identity of the woman before him, Chen Chao could not cuss her out.
However, just as Chen Chao was silent, Princess Anping suddenly burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed again.
Chen Chao felt even more baffled.
Princess Anping said softly, "It turns out that when you like someone, even if you have to say one bad thing about her, you're unwilling to do so."
