Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 317: Will You Miss Me (4)_1

Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Will You Miss Me (4)_1

Even though his deep affection had not been accepted, the word "give up" never appeared in Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyes. Only those who do not strive fail to accomplish things!

Had he not been suddenly appointed by Emperor Huian during this morning’s early court as the supreme commander of the 100,000 Army, he would not have hurried over today to reveal his feelings to the woman he admired! He did not know when the war would end; he had to leave an imprint in her heart so that no other man could take advantage when he was away!

Upon arriving at Jingshan Villa, Xiao Ruiyuan made a beeline for the study. By the time he entered, Chu Heng had already prepared tea and was waiting for him.

Chu Heng motioned for him to sit down without waiting for a greeting and personally poured him a cup of tea.

"Although you have been appointed commander of the 100,000 Army, this war will not be easy to win. You’ll need to be prepared."

Xiao Ruiyuan nodded slightly, his face showing no sign of difficulty—clearly, he had already considered this.

Seeing his reaction, Chu Heng did not say more. He looked Xiao Ruiyuan up and down, a smile on his face as he asked, "I thought you would come after the court session ended, but why did you arrive an entire morning late? Were you delayed by urgent matters?"

At these words, Xiao Ruiyuan took a sip of tea to hide the unnatural look on his face, feeling somewhat helpless seeing his cousin stare at him so pointedly.

"Cousin, it was just some personal matters."

Upon hearing the significant term ’cousin,’ Chu Heng knew better than to pry. He let out a gentle chuckle and said, "Since you don’t wish to talk about it, I won’t insist. As long as you have a handle on it, that’s what counts!"

Though he said that, Chu Heng was extremely surprised inside and couldn’t help thinking of something Huaixi had jokingly said last time. Could it be that Hanzhang really had someone she fancied?

Seeing that Chu Heng was not pursuing further questions, Xiao Ruiyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was true the man was his cousin, but he was also the Crown Prince of Great Chu; he would not accept Xiao Ruiyuan fancying a woman of common status. For now, he could only keep it to himself, waiting for the right moment to come clean. This was the best protection he could offer the girl!

"Your Highness, I received news yesterday that there have been rumors of Thousand-year Ginseng appearing in Jizhou Prefecture. Hanzhang has already dispatched more people to verify this in Jizhou Prefecture, and we should hear back soon," he said, taking out a letter from his belt and placing it in front of Chu Heng. The Crown Prince’s illness could not be delayed any longer; even if it was merely a rumor, he would not let it slip.

Chu Heng’s face showed a flicker of joy as he picked up the letter and read it carefully. Despite being only a few dozen characters, he scrutinized it for a long time, the glimmer of hope in his eyes fading again.

Xiao Ruiyuan was perplexed—shouldn’t the Crown Prince be glad to hear about the Thousand-year Ginseng?

Chu Heng concealed the despondency on his face, forcing a strained smile, "The battlefield is unpredictable; I will have someone take over this matter to investigate, and you must not be distracted by such trivialities."

Xiao Ruiyuan’s face showed disapproval, "To Hanzhang, this matter is far more important than the war at the frontier!"

Seeing his earnest younger cousin, Chu Heng felt waves of emotion, his face revealing a genuinely heartfelt smile.

Be that as it may, whether the rumors about the Thousand-year Ginseng were true or false, there was still a glimmer of hope. Even if less than a year remained before the prophecy that he wouldn’t live past twenty-five came true, he wouldn’t give up until the very last moment.

The two then discussed the war at the frontier in detail until the setting sun, and only then did Xiao Ruiyuan leave Jingshan Villa, riding back to the Lord Wei Yuan House.

"Oh, is that big brother coming back?"

Just as he reached the second gate, a voice came from the side. Xiao Ruiyuan glanced to the side and saw two young men under the gallery; wasn’t the one leading them his "good" younger brother, who was wholeheartedly trying to kill him and seize the Princely Heir position?