Chapter 226 -

Chapter 226: Chapter

"We don’t need to sneak them in," Xiao Chen said smoothly, a clever glint in his dark eyes. "But we do need a proper plan first."

He set his teacup down and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Soon, Father will send me to the north to build a new defense unit against the rival empire. That is the perfect excuse I need to train my ten thousand men and get them completely ready for the rebellion without raising anyone’s suspicion."

Xiao Chen then turned his gaze to Wenzhe. "As for you, you are still supposed to be recovering from your severe injuries. All you need to do is go to the Emperor and convince him that you want revenge against the mysterious enemies who kidnapped and tortured you for two whole months straight. Tell him you want to accompany me to the north to clear your mind and help with training."

A sharp smile spread across Xiao Chen’s face. "The Emperor will surely let you come along. And to make it even more believable, you can bring Yueqing with you. After all, no man would ever bring his precious wife along if he was secretly planning to raise thousands of soldiers for a treasonous rebellion."

Wenzhe listened carefully, his sharp mind quickly processing every single detail of the Third Prince’s strategy. He looked down at Yueqing, who was still dabbing her lips with her napkin.

"Going to the north under the excuse of training and revenge..." Wenzhe murmured, nodding his head slowly. "It is a smart disguise. My father will think I am simply angry about my kidnapping and staying far away from court politics."

Yueqing’s eyes brightened as she looked between the two men.

[Oh, this is actually genius!] she cheered in her mind, her eyes sparkling with excitement. [ But why are they taking me to the battle field.. I don’t want to get too involved Hust giving ideas is enough.]

"Very well," Wenzhe said, holding out his cup toward the Third Prince. "I will attend the morning court of tomorrow and speak to the Emperor tomorrow after morning court. We have a deal, Prince Xiao Chen."

Xiao Chen raised his own teacup, clinking it lightly against Wenzhe’s. "We have a deal, General Xi."

After they were done talking yueqing ans Wenzhe said their goodbye Xiao Chen snd made their way back home.

They stepped into the waiting horse-drawn carriage. The moment the wooden door shut tight and the wheels began to roll along the paved street, Yueqing slouched back against the soft silk cushions, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

She turned to glare at Wenzhe, her hands crossing tightly over her chest.

"Is it really a must that I follow you to the north?" Yueqing asked, her voice full of complaint.

Wenzhe turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes fixed on her pouting face as the carriage rolled smoothly through the market.

"You are talking like you didn’t just spend a whole month up there before," Wenzhe said plainly, his deep voice carrying a dry smirk.

Yueqing rolled her eyes at him, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "At least for that one month, I was staying at Xiao Chen’s mansion in complete comfort!"

The moment those words left her mouth, the playful mood in the carriage vanished. Wenzhe’s dark eyes narrowed sharply, an instant wave of fierce jealousy washing over his face.

"Thank you for reminding me," Wenzhe said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low rumble. "I have yet to punch that asshole for keeping my wife for a whole month while I was away fighting."

[Yikes, jealousy alert!] Yueqing shouted in her mind, her jaw dropping as she shrank back into her seat. [Why did I have to open my big mouth?! He looks like he wants to go back upstairs and drag Xiao Chen out by his hair!]

Seeing his sudden, scary intensity, Yueqing quickly held up her hands, trying to wave away the danger.

"Hey, hey! It was purely business!" Yueqing stammered quickly, her face turning pink. "Besides, we were in separate courtyards!"

Wenzhe did not say a word. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them until his chest was almost touching hers, trapping her against the soft cushions. He reached out and caught her chin gently between his fingers, tilting her head up so she was forced to look straight into his dark, burning eyes.

"Separate courtyards or not," Wenzhe whispered near her lips, his voice possessive and thick with heavy heat. "You belong to me, Yueqing. From now on, you stay by my side that’s why you are coming with me."

Yueqing’s heart thumpered wildly against her ribs at his intense gaze. She swallowed hard, trying her absolute best to stay stubborn, but her burning cheeks betrayed her completely.

He leaned back slightly, his dark eyes searching her face with quiet suspicion. "Speaking of Xiao Chen..." Wenzhe started, his voice cautious and low. "What do you think about his late mother?"

Yueqing’s heart skipped a beat.

[Why is this idiot suddenly asking me about that?!] she panicked internally, her eyebrows twitching. [Did I mistakenly spill something earlier?! No, no, calm down, play it cool!]

She immediately pushed his heavy chest away, straightening her back and sitting up properly. She folded her arms tightly over her chest, eyeing him up and down. "Why do you suddenly want to know about her?"

Wenzhe kept his eyes fixed on her face, trying to read every tiny reaction. "I was just curious. I have heard many rumors about her, but she died before I ever got the chance to see her."

Hearing that, Yueqing let out a small, silent scoff in her head, pouting slightly.

[Even if you had seen me back then, it wouldn’t have done anything,] she complained in her thoughts, completely unaware that he could hear every single word. [I was way older than you back then! Who would have ever thought I would end up being the wife of my own son’s enemy in my last mission?!]

The moment those words echoed in Wenzhe’s mind, his whole body went completely rigid. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened in utter shock as he stared at the woman sitting in front of him.

Yueqing, however, was far too busy trying to act cool to notice his pale, frozen expression.

"Don’t ask me stupid questions! I’m not answering," she huffed aloud, turning her head away to look out the carriage window, deliberately ignoring him.

Meanwhile, Wenzhe sat in complete silence, his heart pounding like a war drum against his ribs as his mind raced to comprehend the unbelievable truth.

So... she was Xiao Chen’s mother?