Su Jun opened his mouth, but he couldn't say a word.
Chu Huan looked at Su Jun and said calmly, "The Crown Prince blamed you for our matter?"
"That's not your fault, it's the Crown Prince's narrow-mindedness and incompetence. Before you married him, he couldn't let you notice him, and after you married him, I and you have always upheld our etiquette, haven't seen each other for two years."
"If so, the Crown Prince still grudges it, Jun. This is his insecurity but he acts arrogant in front of you. My Jun will never be wrong."
Chu Huan spoke calmly, but inside, he was tumultuous with great waves.
The Crown Prince actually dared to treat Su Jun in such a way?!
How dare he?
Chu Huan deeply hated the Crown Prince and also himself.
Hating the Crown Prince for his narrow-mindedness, and also hating himself for his impulsive actions in the past, not considering Su Jun.
The emperor's favoritism towards the Crown Prince was a principle that Chu Huan had known for a long time, but back then, he still held a faint hope and sought the emperor. He had only thought about how things would turn out if it succeeded, but never about what kind of doubts Su Jun would face if it failed.
Only until today does Chu Huan feel that fighting on the battlefield is worth it.
Because two years later, he finally had the ability to take control of his own destiny.
"Jun'er, is the Crown Prince treating you poorly?"
Chu Huan still used a question, he would rather Su Jun and the Crown Prince had affectionate times, than for Su Jun to spend two years of his life yearning for death.
The former is the heart-wrenching pain he had long experienced, while the latter would become a nightmare for Chu Huan.
Su Jun avoided answering, how did the Crown Prince treat her?
A trace of the handprint remained on Su Jun's cheek.
But what can Chu Huan do now, knowing this, other than feeling sad?
Although Chu Huan is talented, he hasn't reached the age of majority yet. Now, if he punches the Crown Prince impulsively, the emperor won't forgive Chu Huan lightly.
Chu Huan's face turned white, "Have you been having a tough time these two years?"
If that's the case, then what was the point of his self-restraint over these two years, not daring to go further?
Su Jun shook her head and said, "I have always lived a comfortable life, but only recently did I know that the Crown Prince loves Zhang's family. Chu Huan, I haven't been mistreated."
The only grievance she has suffered is that she is willing to do so.
Otherwise, if the Crown Prince had laid hands on her then, it would have caused a big stir.
Su Jun said, "Chu Huan, in the eyes of others, we may not be compatible. Have you really considered it?"
In Su Jun's eyes, the King of Qi was a gifted genius and he was still young. He would be the most brilliant in the long history, a person like this should have everything that everyone envied.
It's just youthful affection. The King of Qi can have many people in the future, and it shouldn't be because of her that he ruins his reputation, leaving an indelible stain on his glorious and splendid life.
It's not questioning whether he himself is not good enough, but just hoping that the person he loves can have the best.
Whether it's the throne or the envy of outsiders, Chu Huan should get it.
Chu Huan understood Su Jun's hesitation, and it was incredibly bitter in his heart.
Because for the past two years, he has been immersed in such emotions.
Too much love will lead to the inability to control the feeling of inferiority, and it will terrify that he cannot give her the best everything, so he dare not take another step forward.
He is afraid of ruining Su Jun's life, and even more afraid... that Su Jun will hate him.
Chu Huan dare not snatch Su Jun because what he wants is Su Jun as a person, not treating her as an object, and caring about her feelings.
The emperor's wedding gift can only give Su Jun as a person to the Crown Prince, but it cannot inscribe the Crown Prince on Su Jun's heart, nor can it force her to consider the Crown Prince for the rest of her life.
The emperor is like this, and Chu Huan is like this as well.
Chu Huan is afraid that the Su Jun he has taken away will hate him, or will treat him in a polite and courteous way, but now it's different.
Because Su Jun likes him, so he dares to compete for the throne.
Su Jun now shares the same fear as him. The Son of Heaven is rich beyond measure, and there will be successive young women in the future. The great ancestor and the Emperor Shizong loved their empresses, but that didn't prevent them from having three thousand beauties in their harem.
For the Son of Heaven, heart and body are originally two things. It is just that they unconditionally give the Empress the best things, and at that time, the concubines in the harem compared to the Son of Heaven, were more afraid of the Empress.
But Su Jun is different from the Empress Dowager. With her identity, if she were to become Chu Huan's wife again, it would be a hidden worry.
Chu Huan can disregard it now, but can he still disregard it when he becomes the Son of Heaven, who holds absolute power?
The white moonlight will eventually fall to the mundane world.
The memories of youth may become a joke, eventually erased by other women in light strokes, mocking that Su only uses the love of her youth to coerce the emperor.
It's better not to take this step at all, at least to preserve the youthful friendship.
Chu Huan gently sighed and said, "I know your worries, but no one can replace you."
"Others will think that the King of Qi should do what, but I am Chu Huan first. They know my achievements in battle, but before the great victory at seventeen, I was just an insignificant third prince in the palace."
History books won't care about the third prince's life before that. A few words mentioning that the third prince was not valued would suffice, with more focus on his achievements after the great victory.
Perhaps to posterity, the King of Qi... the future Emperor with nothing he doesn't have, why does he have to make his long-time stepmother the Empress? Is she even a second-time bride?
The social customs of this dynasty are not liberal.
But aside from his achievements, he is first and foremost Chu Huan. He had Su Jun in his youth, and he also hopes to have Su Jun in the future.
History books don't care about the appearance of the King of Qi before the great victory, but at this moment, Chu Huan is a real person, not the highly praised Emperor on the history books.
"Jun, there is no absolute match, as long as we both are willing, this is the most suitable."
They have love and trust, so the worldly values of weighing and calculating, status, wealth, appearance... all of these are unimportant.
Su Jun opened her mouth, smiling brightly, but her eyes were misty.
Su Jun lifted her head, unable to cry, crying would raise suspicions. She spoke with a nasal tone, "Chu Huan, when the imperial edict came down, my father said that women have to marry in the end. It's not just the Crown Prince who will be my husband, but also others. But this time, getting married is not a step I must take in my life, but something I want to do myself."
"Chu Huan, don't let me down."
Su Jun has only one heart and one life, which cannot be betrayed.
In this world, if Su Jun marries Chu Huan again, her life is tied to Chu Huan for life.
Apart from love, Chu Huan is like the Crown Prince because both are noble princes of the royal family, both are young, and they will eventually ascend the throne to become the rulers of all under heaven.
When my father passes away, Chu Huan can also have the whole Su family imprisoned.
The only difference this time is that Su Jun is choosing the person herself.
"Chu Huan, don't let me down!"
Su Jun spoke with determination. If it wasn't for her, she would drag Chu Huan down to die with her.
But, the person who could easily decide to kill the Crown Prince at that time, is now hesitant.
Su Jun was completely red-eyed. She hated her own soft heart, but what she said was, "Chu Huan, you promise me, in the future... after you get tired of me, let me leave the palace to cultivate Taoism. Don't wipe out the Su family, okay?"
Never mind, she can't bear it.
It's because Chu Huan betrayed her heart, she has lost that decisive hand in action.
Chu Huan decided firmly: "I can't get tired of you. Jun, you are the only person I care about."
She is his treasure, the one he thinks of day and night.
"Chu Huan! Promise me..."
Su Jun spoke with a crying voice, verbal promises can't control future events. Now, what Su Jun wants is a promise from Chu Huan, believing in him as a person, believing that he will never act against the Su family in the future.
Chu Huan sensed something was off. With Master Su's merits, there would be no emperor who would act against the Su family. Why would Jun think that?
Because of the Crown Prince.
What is the Crown Prince preparing to do?
Chu Huan kept this doubt deep within his heart and solemnly said, "I swear, I will never harm the Su family. If I truly disappoint Su Jun in the future, I will not depose her as empress, but will allow her to retire from the palace and live separately. If I break this vow, may I be pierced by ten thousand arrows..."
"No!" Su Jun abruptly spoke out, her voice shrill, containing too much sorrow. She seemed to see the dream scene again in her eyes.
"No, no need, I believe you."
Su Jun stopped Chu Huan from continuing.
The two of them had been standing for a long time, which had already attracted the attention of the servants. The sudden raise in voice volume only added to the confusion.
Su Jun took a deep breath and said, "A Huan, may I see you every year with the lord!"
