Qin Zheng noticed Chu Chengji staring at her and felt puzzled.
She looked down at herself and realized that the issue lay with her dress—a begonia-colored dress with floral patterns.
In the State of Chu, the custom was to observe a mourning period of either 49 days or 100 days.
It had been over two months since the death of Duke Qin, but the 100-day mourning period had not yet passed.
Could it be that Chu Chengji found her wearing a colorful dress during this period inappropriate?
Qin Zheng adjusted her collar and said, “When I was bathing, the only clothes delivered to the washroom were this set. I’ll go change into something more plain.”
She was about to walk into the inner room when Chu Chengji called out to her again, “No need to change, this outfit is fine.”
He withdrew his gaze and picked up the ebony chopsticks from the chopstick rest. “If we don’t start eating, the food will get cold.”
Qin Zheng couldn’t help but feel a bit confused.
Why had he been staring at her earlier, then?
She walked over and sat down opposite him.
The kitchen seemed to have received his instructions, as only three dishes and a soup were served, exactly the amount they usually ate together.
Chu Chengji had a habit that Qin Zheng found striking.
Despite being a prince born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he always finished all the food in his bowl, not wasting even a single grain of rice.
Qin Zheng, unaware of his appetite at first, once served him a bowl of rice packed tightly.
He ate it all without complaint but practiced swordsmanship for an extra half-hour that day.
After learning about Chu Chengji’s habit, Qin Zheng would secretly watch him during meals and found that he was not picky at all.
He ate whatever was served on the table.
Qin Zheng had marveled several times at how easy he was to feed.
Because he wasn’t picky, even after so long, Qin Zheng didn’t know his food preferences.
Whether it was Aunt Lu’s cooking or her own, the meals were always made to her taste.
Today’s three dishes also perfectly suited Qin Zheng’s palate.
Having been in this world for so long, she finally got to enjoy a meal of aristocratic-level ancient cuisine, causing her to eat half a bowl of rice more than usual.
Unfortunately, she felt a bit too full afterward.
After the low table was cleared by the servants, Chu Chengji placed a thick stack of documents in front of him and began to read them slowly.
Beside him, bamboo slips were piled into a small mountain.
Although paper was now commonly used, bamboo slips had not been abolished. Many documents were still copied on bamboo slips.
Chu Chengji was reading the documents with great concentration, almost without looking away.
Qin Zheng, leaning on a couch, occasionally massaged her overstuffed stomach, which was a bit unbecoming.
She asked, “Do the blueprints for the old city towers still exist?”
If the blueprints were available, it would save her a lot of work when reinforcing the city walls.
Chu Chengji replied, “I’ll have someone look for them later.”
After reading one document for a long time, Chu Chengji finally finished it.
He put it aside and, as if giving up some form of resistance, rubbed his temples and looked at Qin Zheng, beckoning her over: “Come here.”
Qin Zheng, not understanding his intent, approached like a confused deer, and Chu Chengji immediately pulled her down onto the carpet.
Her collar accidentally swept the documents off the low table, scattering them across the floor.
Before she could even cry out in surprise, Chu Chengji’s lips silenced her.
His kiss wasn’t intense but left Qin Zheng a little breathless, her face quickly flushing.
He pulled back slightly to let her breathe, brushing her long hair away from her shoulders and neck.
His fingers lightly touched her translucent, snow-white skin, his eyes dark like ink dissolving in water.
He soon leaned in to kiss her again, this time on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin—delicate and lingering.
A slight pain came from her neck, making Qin Zheng inhale sharply.
The sound seemed to provoke Chu Chengji.
He bit down harder on her collarbone before burying his face in her neck, his breath hot and intense.
“If you stay silent and don’t resist, does it mean you’re letting me do whatever I want?”
His voice, usually clear and bright, was now husky with suppressed desire.
Qin Zheng stared at him for a moment, then suddenly used her waist and abdominal strength to flip him over, pinning him down.
Chu Chengji had been supporting most of his weight with his hands and had only been kissing her without touching her clothes.
Qin Zheng was now truly sitting on top of him, pressing his wrists to the floor with her hands. “Do you dare?”
Due to the sudden movement, Qin Zheng’s collar loosened, revealing glimpses of her peach-colored long undergarment.
Her black hair spilled into the neckline, and the pale white skin of her collarbone showed a red mole and a faint red bite mark.
Sweat appeared on Chu Chengji’s forehead.
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Although Qin Zheng restrained his wrists, he didn’t struggle but instead leaned up to kiss her, more fiercely than ever before.
“Knock, knock—”
A knocking sound came from outside the room.
“Your Highness, General Zhao has been ambushed by the governor of Meng County and his soldiers! He returned heavily injured and alone!”
Both of their expressions changed instantly.
When Shen Yanzhi besieged the city, Chu Chengji sent Lin Yaoye to harass the enemy troops.
Zhao Kui then took the opportunity to lead 500 elite soldiers out of Qingzhou to ambush the crucial supply route to Meng County, aiming to cut off the imperial army’s supplies.
However, no one expected that the governor of Meng County had received intelligence about this plan.
To the governor, the few thousand rebels gathered by the former crown prince couldn’t possibly withstand the imperial army.
Retaking Qingzhou and eliminating the remnants of the previous dynasty seemed inevitable to many old officials.
The governor of Meng County was reluctant to get involved but feared that Li Xin would blame him for not sending troops to aid Qingzhou.
Following his advisors’ suggestion, he chose a middle ground.
He didn’t interfere directly in the Qingzhou conflict but sent his forces to attack the rebels ambushing the supply route.
This way, he could claim he made an effort when reporting to Li Xin.
Zhao Kui, unaware of the governor’s intentions, thought they were coming to assist Qingzhou.
He and his 500 men fought fiercely, inflicting heavy losses on the Meng County troops, but none of his soldiers survived.
Zhao Kui was hit by several arrows and, despite his sturdy build preventing fatal wounds, he barely made it back to Qingzhou, collapsing at the city gates due to blood loss.
The soldiers quickly reported this to Chu Chengji.
Upon hearing the news, Song Heqing hurried over to discuss it with Chu Chengji: “The threat from Meng County is imminent.
The news that Qingzhou has fallen into your hands will soon reach Bianjing. Li Xin will undoubtedly send more troops to besiege the city.
Your Highness, it would be wise to issue a public proclamation denouncing the Li clan as traitors and restoring the Chu dynasty. Some of the old ministers will surely rally to our cause.”
Chu Chengji’s expression remained calm. “Li Xin will not send more troops. If Minzhou falls, the 20,000 soldiers sent there will turn back to attack Qingzhou.
We need to capture another city before those 20,000 troops return, creating a strategic position with Qingzhou.”
Song Heqing hesitated. “Minzhou is already on the brink of collapse. Why would Prince Huaiyang slow down his attack on Minzhou?”
Lu Ze, standing nearby, laughed. “I will write a letter to my father, asking the Lu family in Yingzhou to delay the capture of Minzhou.”
Song Heqing suddenly understood and bowed. “Your Highness is indeed far-sighted. I am impressed.”
Chu Chengji turned to him. “I’ll leave the task of drafting the proclamation to you, Lord Song.”
He then looked at Lu Ze. “You and General Wang will take 5,000 soldiers to Meng County.”
Song Heqing thought Chu Chengji intended to attack Meng County and quickly advised against it. “Your Highness, you mustn’t! Meng County is known as the granary of Huainan.
The imperial court has stationed over ten thousand troops there, and with its strategic location and strong defenses, a hasty attack would be unwise!”
Chu Chengji’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Who said I intend to attack Meng County?”
Qin Zheng had anticipated that peace wouldn’t last after capturing Qingzhou, but she hadn’t expected unrest to come so quickly.
Chu Chengji began preparations for war.
As soon as Song Heqing’s proclamation denouncing Li Xin was sent out, news of Chu Chengji capturing Qingzhou and repelling the imperial forces spread rapidly.
Although some of the former officials of the Chu dynasty came to join him, they arrived in scattered numbers and didn’t yet form a formidable force.
However, at least Chu Chengji now had more people under his command.
Many advisors moved into the east and west wings of the residence, and refugees willing to join the army were all incorporated into the military.
The number of soldiers in Qingzhou City grew from a few thousand to over ten thousand.
After ensuring that Qingzhou City had enough grain to last three months, all surplus food was transported to Liangyan Mountain, guarded by heavy troops.
Lin Yao, whom Chu Chengji had personally trained, was tasked with training all the new recruits.
Song Heqing, hoping to quickly build a strong army, wrote numerous letters to former Chu dynasty officials who held military power, but received little response.
However, Qin Jian, upon hearing that Chu Chengji had taken Qingzhou, immediately penned essays condemning Li Xin and supporting the Chu clan.
Qin Jian’s writings were so compelling that even Grand Master Lu, who usually clashed with Duke Qin, praised them highly.
He wrote dozens of scathing critiques of Li Xin, each word a gem, which were widely circulated and praised among scholars.
Qin Zheng had yet to meet her nominal brother but had already heard about his writings from others.
She couldn’t help but admire him.
Scholars truly were different—they could insult someone’s ancestors back eighteen generations without using a single vulgar word.
The tension in the air over Qingzhou City was palpable, and Qin Zheng was not idle either.
Chu Chengji was concerned that if he attacked other prefectures, the remaining forces in Qingzhou might be insufficient to defend it, leaving their base vulnerable to counterattack.
Qin Zheng gathered all the craftsmen in Qingzhou City and began systematically reinforcing the city walls.
They dug a large earth kiln outside the city, where thick smoke rose daily from firing blue bricks.
Soldiers brought back sturdy rocks from the mountains, and craftsmen used hammers and chisels to shape them into blocks.
For the mortar used to set the bricks, Qin Zheng insisted on adding cooked glutinous rice paste despite opposition.
The adhesive strength and durability of the glutinous rice mortar, once it cooled, were comparable to modern concrete.
In ancient times, craftsmen and commoners were generally reluctant to build fortifications during wartime, mainly because military officers would pressure them to rush the work, threatening them with beheadings and treating the laborers like animals.
As someone who worked in engineering, Qin Zheng knew how to manage construction schedules.
Even when rushing a project, she never dehumanized the laborers.
Hearing about her approach, many craftsmen who had previously been unwilling to work for the government came forward to help.