Chapter 1536: The Regent Prince Is Too Fond of Me, What Should I Do? 05

The royal hunt lasted seven days. Jin Chen originally thought that after that day, Xie Zhiwei would stop having him and the "future Empress" cultivate feelings, but the next day she summoned Chu Qingqing again.

However, after a night's thought, Jin Chen also made a preliminary plan for the current situation; aside from training his body as a long-term plan, the first step was to win over Chu Qingqing.

Jin Chen deliberately did not let the guards sent by Xie Zhiwei follow, and led Chu Qingqing to a vine forest where hardly anyone would notice.

"Your Majesty, where are you going?" Chu Qingqing feared there might be assassins in the dark, and kept a tight grip on her long whip, not daring to loosen it.

"Shh… we'll talk when we get there."

Jin Chen gestured for her to follow, and indeed he spotted a wooden box beside a stream.

Inside this box was the key item that Jin Chen had secretly instructed his personal attendant Liu Feng to fetch today.

"Miss Chu, I have a matter to discuss with you," Jin Chen said, holding the wooden box with a solemn expression.

"Please speak."

"You also know the Empress's position is just a decoration, just like mine," Jin Chen said, sitting on the ground, gazing sadly at the flowing water, mourning his past life as a salted fish.

Chu Qingqing remained silent, sensing that what the young emperor wanted to discuss was probably not so simple.

Jin Chen opened the wooden box, took out a scroll, and Chu Qingqing saw the young man depicted on it, her pupils constricting sharply.

"The newly crowned Top Scholar comes from a humble background; the Minister of Works looks down on him and won't allow you to marry him," Jin Chen said, handing the scroll to Chu Qingqing, "but I refuse to marry someone I don't like, and I won't tear apart lovers."

Chu Qingqing's voice was a little hoarse as she gripped the scroll tightly: "Your Majesty, this isn't something we can decide."

The Regent Prince holds sway over heaven; even the emperor cannot defy him, let alone her.

"As long as Miss Chu cooperates with me, the outcome might be different."

Chu Qingqing frowned at the earnest young emperor and said, "What if I, your servant, do not agree?"

Jin Chen: "Then I'll grant the Top Scholar a marriage decree when I return."

Chu Qingqing: "……"

Jin Chen continued to paint a grand future: "If Miss Chu agrees, I will let you enter the court as an official—wouldn't governing the realm be better than wasting your youth in the harem?"

Chu Qingqing took a deep breath, knelt, and pledged: "I, your servant, will dispel Your Majesty's worries and henceforth be loyal only to you."

"Very well, you may go back first," Jin Chen said softly, lowering his eyes and turning to continue sitting by the stream.

"Your Majesty, this place is not within the hunting grounds; there may be danger."

"I am aware."

"…… I, your servant, will wait for you from a distance."

Taking advantage of her departure, Jin Chen immediately set up a barrier and sat to cultivate his energy.

Half an hour later.

After completing a minor circulation, his body, which had been so empty he could faint at any moment, finally gained a bit of color.

【Hehe.】

Ling Gun Gun gloated: "【The Main God has arrived! Danger!】"

Jin Chen dusted off his clothes and stood up; just as he dispelled the barrier, he saw Chu Qingqing approach quickly: "Your Majesty, the Prince has arrived."

I, your servant, have just woven a few grass baskets.

Jin Chen's eyes lit up; he immediately pulled her to sit down again: "Perfect, I don't even need to think of an excuse."

What arrived faster than Xie Zhiwei's people was the faint beast roar coming from not far away.

Jin Chen blinked warily: "Did you hear the sound?"

Chu Qingqing gripped her long whip, her expression grave: "It's a mountain tiger."

In the blink of an eye, after Chu Qingqing caught the beast's roar for just a few seconds, a spotted blur shot out from the grass, opening its bloody maw, roaring repeatedly, and lunged at the two by the stream—more precisely, at Jin Chen.

"Roar——"

Chu Qingqing swung her whip, but it missed; the mountain tiger, fierce and one of the giant beasts, possessed strength nearly matching a grand master-level martial artist—far beyond what Chu Qingqing could match now.

Jin Chen couldn't dodge in time, watching helplessly as the ferocious tiger lunged; in the flash of lightning, everything around seemed to slow down.

He first heard hurried footsteps approaching, but they were still far off; here there was only him and his ally Chu Qingqing.

Thinking of this, Jin Chen's eyes shifted slightly; he raised his hand, a golden light flashed, and killing intent burst forth.

Chu Qingqing's gasp caught in her throat; she didn't see how Jin Chen struck, only glimpsing a faint golden light flash—then the mountain tiger crashed to the ground, its body staining the streamside water red.

In that instant, Chu Qingqing felt what an imperial aura was—even more terrifying than the Regent Prince's.

"【Spiritual Power attacks are indeed more useful than fists for a weak body!】" Ling Gun Gun cheered, "【Host, you're awesome~】"

Hearing the footsteps draw nearer, Jin Chen took a few quick steps and shoved Chu Qingqing forward: "This tiger was killed by you; remember that."

Your Majesty is hiding his talent!

Chu Qingqing instantly felt she had boarded a pirate ship; having already gotten on the tiger's back, she could only resolutely uphold her intention to support Jin Chen.

She glanced at the tiger's corpse, gritted her teeth, took out a dagger, and stabbed her shoulder a few times, feigning wounds from the beast.

"This tiger is extremely fierce; if I, your servant, emerged unscathed, it would be hard to explain."

Jin Chen was deeply moved, picked up a handful of mud, and smeared it on himself.

That way he wouldn't bleed; otherwise Xie Zhiwei would slaughter this mountain.

Xie Zhiwei had come with the Dark Dragon Army's guards, but the place Jin Chen found was truly remote; he had taken many detours to reach it.

"Young royal uncle……"

Jin Chen, face pale, hid behind Chu Qingqing; seeing Xie Zhiwei's eyes light up, then timidly step forward, he said, "I… I am not injured."

As if afraid of being scolded.

Xie Zhiwei felt a tender pang in his heart, stopped in place, and reached out gently: "Your Majesty, come over."

Jin Chen followed suit, stepped over, and took Xie Zhiwei's hand: "Young royal uncle, I truly am unharmed—thanks to Qing sister."

Qing sister……

Chu Qingqing's eye twitched; she hurriedly lowered her head, daring not to meet Xie Zhiwei's gaze.

Xie Zhiwei's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, she unconsciously held Jin Chen in her arms, "Your Majesty, how did you and Miss Chu come here?"

"I and Qing sister…" "Your Majesty, watch your words." Xie Zhiwei's aura turned even colder.

Jin Chen's lips quivered slightly, feeling wronged he lowered his head; his already pallid face grew even paler under the harsh tone, filling him with unbearable fear.

"I… just took a casual stroll with Miss Chu; I didn't expect there to be a fierce tiger here."

"Little Royal Uncle, I'm so scared."

Jin Chen wrapped his arms around the beautiful Regent Prince's waist, burying himself against her, as if both fearful and involuntarily reliant, "That fierce tiger is so mighty, it only chased after me."

As the saying goes, "the listener has intent"; Xie Zhiwei's gloomy, piercing gaze swept over the dark dragon guards behind her, she took Jin Chen and left this place.