Chen Chu glanced at him and guessed what the guy was thinking. He had only casually blurted it out, yet this guy had actually taken it seriously.
When he looked for women in the future, he would definitely choose someone who caught his eye and made him comfortable. There was no way he would pick from this group.
"Brother Ge, I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first." Chen Chu rose and apologized before heading toward the rear hall.
The ceremony was nearly over, so it was time for him to meet Xue Qinghe at the Orchid Pavilion. After all, that was the real matter of the day.
Xue Qinghe had naturally seen the scene as well. After giving a few instructions to those beside him, he quietly left the viewing seats.
The Orchid Pavilion stood in the rear courtyard of Moonlight Pavilion, a small waterside pavilion surrounded by lush bamboo. It was exceptionally quiet. Chen Chu had only just reached the entrance when he heard Xue Qinghe's voice from within. "You're here?"
He pushed open the door and entered. Xue Qinghe was seated by the window, idly playing with his jade pendant. Only after seeing him enter did he raise a hand and say, "Please, sit."
Chen Chu sat down and looked at the man. "Why did Your Highness the Crown Prince summon me today?"
Xue Qinghe continued turning the jade pendant in his hand as he looked at Chen Chu, his tone solemn. "Brother Chen commands the Defense Army and holds half of Heaven Dou City's defenses in his hands. You are a pillar of the empire."
"Spirit Hall is pressing forward step by step, while Star Luo is also stirring. The situation at court is unclear. I need someone like you, Brother Chen, to stand with me."
Chen Chu picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, playing dumb. "Your Highness is joking. The Defense Army is the empire's army to begin with. So long as there is an order, I will naturally follow Your Highness's command."
"Not enough." Xue Qinghe set down the jade pendant and leaned forward slightly. "What I want is not obedience to orders, but wholehearted loyalty!"
He drew a golden scroll from his sleeve and pushed it before Chen Chu. "This is an imperial decree to expand the Defense Army. As long as you agree, its numbers may be doubled. Weapons, Soul Tools, even the royal treasury—you may choose whatever you wish."
Chen Chu glanced at the scroll. The golden dragon patterns were dazzling. It was genuine, tangible power. He had not expected Xue Qinghe to be so capable that he could even obtain something like this.
But he did not take it. He merely smiled. "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness. However, I have only just taken command of the Defense Army. If its numbers suddenly increase again, it will only become harder for me to manage. Its current size is neither too great nor too small, and it is enough to safeguard the imperial capital."
A flicker of surprise passed through Xue Qinghe's eyes before understanding dawned on him. This was not what Chen Chu wanted.
He clapped his hands again. Two maids entered from outside, dressed in Moonlight Pavilion's silver-white ceremonial gowns. Both were beautiful, and the fluctuations of their Soul Power showed that they were Soul Ancestors.
"These two are the finest girls trained by Moonlight Pavilion. Their martial souls are the Jade Flute and the Embroidery Needle. They can accompany you and ease your stress, while also serving as temporary guards."
Xue Qinghe's tone was enticing. "If Brother Chen is satisfied, you may take them back to your residence today."
Chen Chu swept his gaze over the maids and shook his head. "Your Highness, I have no interest in little girls."
What a joke. He did not believe for a moment that people like them had not come from Spirit Hall. If he truly accepted them, would he not be bringing ghosts into his own home?
Xue Qinghe paused, then smiled again. "It seems Brother Chen's tastes truly differ from those of others."
His tone shifted, turning suggestive. "During Moonlight Pavilion's performance just now, was there anyone Brother Chen took a liking to? Just name her. Other than Pavilion Mistress Yuehua, I can help make it happen."
Chen Chu's hand holding the teacup paused. He looked up at Xue Qinghe, amusement in his eyes. "Does Your Highness truly mean that?"
Seeing that he had not refused, Xue Qinghe was overjoyed and hurriedly nodded. "Naturally. So long as Brother Chen is willing to be of one heart with me, the noble ladies of Heaven Dou City will be yours to choose from in the future."
Chen Chu set down his teacup and leaned back in his chair, lowering his voice. "What if I say the one I have my eye on is Moonlight Pavilion's mistress, Tang Yuehua?"
The smile on Xue Qinghe's face instantly froze. He looked at Chen Chu as though he had not heard clearly. "Brother Chen, don't joke. You may not know that Pavilion Mistress Yuehua has a special status. Not only is she the mistress of Moonlight Pavilion, she is also connected to the Clear Sky Sect. Even Father Emperor shows her some respect. I..."
"I know," Chen Chu interrupted, his tone deliberately disappointed. "That is why I said Your Highness's 'resources' may not necessarily satisfy me. I already have the authority over the Defense Army. I do not lack gold, silver, or treasures either. As for women..."
He looked out at the verdant bamboo, his voice tinged with wistfulness. "In all of Heaven Dou City, only a woman like Tang Yuehua can truly be called a woman. Only she can satisfy me and stir some desire in me. The rest are nothing but little girls in my eyes."
Xue Qinghe fell silent. He had not expected Chen Chu's appetite to be so great, nor his tastes to be so unusual. Tang Yuehua was indeed the most exceptional woman in Heaven Dou City. Her Noble Ring martial soul, temperament, and background were all unsurpassed. But that was precisely why no one dared touch her. Moving against her meant offending the Clear Sky Sect and the noble forces behind Moonlight Pavilion. It simply was not worth it.
"Brother Chen," Xue Qinghe said solemnly, "Pavilion Mistress Yuehua is impossible. Choose someone else. Even if it is a princess, I can ask Father Emperor to grant her to you in marriage. Is that still not enough sincerity from me?"
Chen Chu smiled, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "So even Your Highness has things you cannot do? I thought that in Heaven Dou City, Your Highness the Crown Prince could obtain anything you wanted."
Xue Qinghe's expression darkened at those words, then softened again. "It is not that it cannot be done. The price is simply too high. Brother Chen, you must understand that by working with me, you can gain far more than one Tang Yuehua. The military authority of the Defense Army, the position of imperial regent in the future—are these not more important than a woman?"
"Important." Chen Chu nodded, but his tone grew solemn. "Of course they are important. But those things are all empty promises, things I can obtain myself in the future. Your Highness is trying to recruit me with nothing but blank checks, asking me to do something that could cost me my head. Isn't that looking down on me too much?"
Chen Chu stared at him with piercing eyes and continued, "I'll say it again. If Your Highness wants me to take such a risk with you, then send Tang Yuehua to my residence. This is not difficult. The Clear Sky Sect has secluded itself from the world and has already been crippled by Spirit Hall. Now it depends on whether Your Highness is willing to part with her, and whether you truly have any sincerity."
Xue Qinghe remained seated, tightening his grip on the jade pendant. He knew Chen Chu was forcing him, using Tang Yuehua as a bargaining chip and betting that he would not dare take the gamble.
He understood Tang Yuehua's value all too well. Moonlight Pavilion was the best place for him to win over the nobility. If he moved against her, the noble circle of Heaven Dou City would likely descend into chaos, and the Clear Sky Sect would react as well.
But if he refused, not only would Chen Chu's loyalty never be his, Chen Chu himself would not even come over to his side. Then he would not be able to firmly grasp the crucial blade that was the Defense Army. Over the past few days, several people he had planted within it had already died for no apparent reason.
"Brother Chen." Xue Qinghe drew a deep breath, his tone yielding. "Give me some time. Pavilion Mistress Yuehua is different; I cannot use force. But I will find a way to change her impression of you. Whether it succeeds, however, will still depend on fate."
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