Chapter 84

"Your Highness, this is Cheng Wuben, requesting an audience!" Cheng Wuben stood outside the door, respectfully requesting an audience. After entering Kunling Pass, all of Princess Zhaohua Min Ruoxi's safety and defense matters were taken over by the inner guards from Shangjing. The entire small courtyard, inside and out, was filled with inner guards. Yang Qing, the inner guard commander who had specially led a team from Shangjing, temporarily served as the head of Min Ruoxi's guards. Even Cheng Wuben could not easily see her.

The door creaked open, and Cheng Wuben was surprised to see that it was Min Ruoxi herself who had come to open the door, "General Cheng, please come in."

Min Ruoxi, who had just bathed, was now dressed in a light pink robe, with a white gauze cloak over it, revealing her graceful neck and clearly visible collarbone. The folds of her skirt flowed like the moonlight, cascading to the ground, trailing more than three feet behind her, making her gait even more dignified and graceful. Her long black hair was tied up with a ribbon, and a butterfly hairpin adorned her head, with a strand of hair falling over her chest. She wore a light touch of makeup, which only enhanced her beauty. The faint blush on her cheeks gave her a delicate and charming appearance, like a butterfly fluttering in the wind or clear, transparent snow. Just a glance made Cheng Wuben feel a bright light in his eyes. He had heard that Princess Zhaohua Min Ruoxi was the most beautiful woman in Shangjing, but he had never seen her up close. He had thought it was just a rumor, mostly due to her noble status. When he first saw her outside the city, he had not paid much attention. Now, seeing her, he realized that the reputation was well-deserved. Her beauty was indeed as famous as her name.

A faint fragrance wafted to Cheng Wuben's nose, making him slightly dazed. He coughed lightly to steady himself and stepped into the room.

There was another person standing by the table inside, clearly having been speaking with Princess Zhaohua before he arrived. Who else could it be but Qin Feng, the captain who had escorted the princess?

Qin Feng had now changed out of the civilian clothes he had been wearing and was dressed in the uniform of an inner guard. It seemed that the inner guards had not expected Qin Feng to be so highly regarded by the princess and had not prepared any clothes for him, so they had to find a uniform that roughly fit him.

"General Cheng!" Qin Feng bowed.

"Captain Qin is here too!" Cheng Wuben smiled slightly, glanced at Princess Zhaohua, but said nothing more. Qin Feng, being a smart person, immediately understood why. He looked at Min Ruoxi and said, "General Cheng has something to discuss with you. I won't disturb your conversation. I'll take a walk in the courtyard!"

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Cheng Wuben was even more surprised. Strictly speaking, Qin Feng's position was quite low, just a middle-ranking officer. In the twenty thousand Chu army troops under Cheng Wuben's command, there were at least hundreds of such officers. In front of Cheng Wuben and Princess Zhaohua, he was just a minor official. Yet, Qin Feng addressed Min Ruoxi as "you," something even Cheng Wuben did not dare to do.

Cheng Wuben did not think Qin Feng was being arrogant. He had already noticed some signs of their relationship when they were outside the city. Now, it was even more evident that their relationship was closer than he had imagined.

"You're not an outsider, there's no need to be so formal!" Princess Zhaohua's reaction was again unexpected. Cheng Wuben watched in amazement as she reached out and held Qin Feng's hand in front of him, "General Cheng, what brings you here?"

"I... this... this?" Cheng Wuben was truly at a loss for words this time.

Qin Feng saw Min Ruoxi's face darken and Cheng Wuben's look of difficulty. He gently freed his hand from Min Ruoxi's and said softly, "I've been in the room for too long and feel a bit stuffy. I'll go for a walk to clear my head. You two can talk. General Cheng is a key minister of the state, and he shouldn't act like a child."

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Min Ruoxi's frown turned into a smile, "Alright, go for a walk, but don't go too far. I'll come to you later. You're not feeling well, so don't tire yourself out, understand?"

"Sure, I'll just walk around outside the room." Qin Feng smiled, bowed to Cheng Wuben, turned, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Seeing Qin Feng leave, Min Ruoxi's smile faded, and she looked at Cheng Wuben with dissatisfaction, "General Cheng, what's so important that you had to send Qin Feng away?"

Cheng Wuben smiled bitterly. As the commander of hundreds of thousands of border troops, he had come to see the princess for a reason, and it was certainly not a trivial matter. Qin Feng, regardless of his future, was currently just a middle-ranking officer. There were some things he could not discuss with him, and it was his duty to keep them confidential. If the princess wanted to tell him later, that was her business, not his.

"Your Highness, you and Qin Feng..." Cheng Wuben felt this was not a small matter and probed carefully.

"There's nothing that can't be said." Min Ruoxi blushed slightly at first, then laughed heartily, "General Cheng, after we return to the capital, I will ask my father to make Qin Feng my prince consort. I want to marry him."

Cheng Wuben did not expect Min Ruoxi to be so direct. He was speechless for a moment before he finally reacted. Princess Zhaohua was different from ordinary women. She was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also in charge of the Jiyingtian. She did not have the coquettishness of a young girl, but even so, he found it hard to believe.

"General Cheng, are you unwilling to bless me?" Min Ruoxi pressed.

Cheng Wuben hesitated for a long time, but he could not bring himself to say the words of blessing, "Princess, royal marriages are not that simple. Cough, it's very complicated and can't be decided so easily."

"So, General Cheng, I hope you can bless and support me!" Min Ruoxi smiled slyly, "You are a person of great importance. If you speak, my father will surely give you some face."

Cheng Wuben shook his head, "Princess, let's put this matter aside for now. Whether my words still carry weight is uncertain. The case of the western border army's destruction has been solved. Didn't Commander Yang Qing of the inner guards report this to you?"

"The case has been solved?" Min Ruoxi was taken aback, "He didn't say anything. General Cheng, what exactly happened? How was the military plan leaked? Who is this person? When I return to the capital, I will tear him apart and flay him to vent my anger."

Cheng Wuben hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Min Ruoxi, "According to the investigation by the inner guards, the person who leaked the information is the Crown Prince, and he is also the mastermind behind everything."

Min Ruoxi was stunned. After a long moment, her voice trembled, "General Cheng, are you joking? How is this possible?"

"This case was personally handled by the head of the inner guards, An Ruhai. Yang Qing, who is here at Kunling Pass, was one of the main investigators. If you have any doubts, you can call him in and ask him." Cheng Wuben's mouth was bitter.