They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

Chapter 340 Proposing Marriage

She could start by taking down the soldiers around her.

Their carriages traveled much more smoothly once they reached the territory of the Wu Dynasty, and they arrived in Rongyang territory in no time.

Chu Ling was about to part ways with them, and Wu Ziyan and the others did not stay overnight in Rongyang.

We only stayed for half a day and bought a lot of meat and wine. There was some wine left over, so we didn't buy any more and decided to buy it locally in Qiyang.

Those meat vendors who had their entire stock bought up were happier than during the Lunar New Year, and some even wanted to go back and slaughter meat on the spot!

Several large carts were used to pull it, but fortunately there was oil paper to drain the blood, so it wasn't dripping blood all the way.

As they set off, Wu Ziyan's little scheme was obvious to any smart person—he was just trying to please his future mother-in-law!

Fang Yuerong and Changsun Boyou stayed in Rongyang and did not go with them, each saying they had something to do.

But the other party knew perfectly well that it would be inappropriate for them to follow them to Qiyang, since it wasn't their home turf.

But they left Yue'er with her.

After all, she's someone who doesn't pay attention to her appearance when she's out and is almost completely unable to take care of herself!

Wu Ziyan thanked them for their consideration; thankfully, Fang Yuerong and Changsun Boyou were the ones they brought along.

If it were Han Yuxiu, what a show he would put on!

Before leaving, he gave each of them a hug behind their backs without saying a word.

Fang Yuerong thought for a moment and then told her that he and Boyou would go back first.

After all, within the territory of the Wu Dynasty, Fang Yuerong's words still carried weight in the business.

Moreover, Wu Ziyan was able to contact the branch of Shengwu and have someone escort them back to the capital.

They made the arrangements and then set off for Qiyang. As expected of heading north, the weather there was a sense of impending doom, like dark clouds pressing down on the city.

The wind was like a knife, carrying sand and dust. Yue'er was with the others, and now there were only the four of them in the car.

Chu Yu, Chu Qiu, Wu Ziyan, and Qi Zexuan were riding in the same car, and they didn't find it crowded at all; in fact, it was quite warm.

Because they were sitting on opposite sides, Wu Ziyan was practically wrapped in a blanket.

Then, under the blanket, their hands secretly joined together.

Chu Yu and Qi Zexuan both noticed their little actions.

But their actions were more blatantly intimate than they appeared.

The two walked hand in hand, Qi Zexuan leaning on Chu Yu's shoulder, looking at Wu Ziyan and even raising an eyebrow at him.

She knew what Qi Zexuan meant; he was just showing off.

She thought that Situ Hongyu would definitely like him, but not her.

The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed. Her limbs would sweat profusely whenever she thought about it, and her palms were already sweaty.

Chu Qiu even rubbed his hands together. Wu Ziyan felt embarrassed and wanted to withdraw her hand.

Chu Qiu pulled her tightly from inside the blanket, thinking to himself, "If she can't even pass this test..."

If he has to back down, then he really has to give up.

"Let's just say your mother wouldn't kill me in a fit of anger, would she?"

"Don't worry, she still has that much respect between a ruler and his subject."

Chu Yu smiled innocently and comforted her, but she was even more scared. Was she reliable?

Looking at Chu Qiu's profile, it became clear that his difficulty lay with his mother.

Great! If we give Situ Hongyu something new and interesting right now, would she like it?

The carriage moved slower and slower on the road, and snowflakes began to fall outside.

It was just scattered snowflakes, but as I walked further, it turned into heavy snowfall, and in many places, snowdrifts had formed.

"The adults' carriage got stuck in the ditch next to them."

Wu Ziyan sighed. It was like adding insult to injury, adding another layer of torment to her mind as she tried to reach her destination.

Everyone got off the vehicle and worked together, pushing all the carts onto the road.

Although Wu Ziyan didn't put in much effort, it seemed like he was just slacking off.

He didn't know how long they had been traveling, but he was already dozing off in the carriage, and the carriage in front of him slowed down again.

He thought he had gotten stuck in some ditch or pit again.

Then Tian Liang heard the voices of people outside. It turned out that people who were about to enter Qiyang City were talking.

At this moment, Wu Ziyan lifted the curtain and saw that the world outside was covered in white snow, and the city wall in the distance was tall and had a cold gray hue.

"This is Qiyang? It looks lifeless," Qi Zexuan said.

Wu Ziyan dared not speak carelessly here. If someone caught her doing something wrong and she offended her future mother-in-law, it would be troublesome.

He immediately pulled the blanket off himself, tidied his appearance, and called out from outside, "Go and call Yue'er for me."

One must dress appropriately to avoid losing dignity and offending the other party.

"By the way, Chu Qiu, how does your mother usually like women to dress? Is it formal, elegant, or refined?"

Actually, their mother was quite rough around the edges, and when it came to dressing up, it seemed like she had no recollection of her at all, which was evident in their appearance.

But she trusted Yue'er's judgment; when Yue'er was summoned to the carriage, she was somewhat reluctant.

They had followed the young master back to the capital, but now they had been sent to this desolate place to serve as her personal attendants.

However, he has always been an open-minded person, and this is not a good opportunity to monitor them.

When we get back, we must tell their young master everything that happened here.

Inside the carriage, Yue'er styled Wu Ziyan's hair into a rather elegant bun.

He was dressed in military uniform again, which was warm but also neat, and looked like the kind of clothes people who grew up here wear.

That's why Yue'er is so observant.

"Moon, you're amazing. What would I do without you?"

"These are all thanks to my young master's excellent teaching; I am not even a tenth as good as him."

We need to keep Fang Yuerong in the public eye at all times and not let his popularity fade away.

"Yes, yes, I really have to thank Yue Rong for her thoughtfulness."

"When we enter the city, will we go directly to the Situ residence?"

Chu Yu and the other two didn't know either, and shook their heads, after all, their mother... well, she didn't play by the rules.

When they entered Qiyang City, Chu Feng was already waiting for them at the gate, as he had already received the news.

They said they would enter the city today, so he waited here early in the morning.

Chu Feng looked all smiles, and Wu Ziyan wanted to get out of the car to greet her first.

Who knew that Qi Zexuan, who was running ahead, would be so quick to speak: "You must be General Chu Feng, right? I am Qi Zexuan, Chu Yu's husband. Hello, elder sister."

That fawning smile looked extremely ingratiating, and Wu Ziyan's outstretched hand seemed to be unsure whether to retract or extend it.

Fortunately, they had met a few times before. Chu Feng walked past Qi Zexuan and stood in front of Wu Ziyan, bowing respectfully: "Fourth Prince!"

"Chu Feng, why don't you be a little more easygoing with me, just like you are in the capital? I'm not used to being so reserved."

"We are on the border, and we must set a good example; etiquette must not be disregarded."

Since she said that, she had no choice but to put on airs, but she really wasn't used to it.

It's strange that a group of acquaintances have to be careful what they say here.

Ultimately, she decided it was better to be herself.

"I brought some cashmere vests and hand warmers, as well as some raw meat. I wonder if General Chu Feng could distribute them to the soldiers?"

"As for meat, I have an idea. We can make a big hot pot, that way it will be warmer."

"On behalf of those soldiers, I thank Your Highness the Fourth Prince."

"By the way, Chu Feng, where are we headed now?"

"right now we……"

The problem stumped her too; they could have gone directly to the Situ residence when they arrived.

However, his mother said that Wu Ziyan was not allowed to go in and that he had to be taken to the military camp where soldiers were training first.

She wanted to test her and see if she was worthy of Chu Qiu!

Looking closely at Wu Ziyan's frail physique now, it's clear she wouldn't have passed even one of her mother's tests.

"My mother is waiting for you all at the military camp. These things can also be taken to the training camp. Fourth Prince, I want to ask you, are you here on official business or personal business?"

"It shouldn't really be considered official business. I'm here to propose marriage to General Hongyu, and secondly, I wanted to send some things to the soldiers on the border who are suffering from the cold."

"Oh, Your Highness, you'd better be prepared."

His eyes were full of concern, and a hint of sympathy. Then he placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it twice solemnly.

These two slaps had a lot of meaning, making Wu Ziyan's heart pound. It seemed that the later levels would indeed be quite difficult.

The people in the city weren't curious about the large number of trucks that had arrived.

The fact that business was conducted as usual demonstrates just how orderly things were under Situ Hongyu's rule.

They marched into the military camp where they were training, and the shouts of the soldiers could be heard from afar.

Their voices were loud, powerful, and perfectly synchronized. Whenever Wu Ziyan saw such a scene, he would feel a strange sense of emotion.

She looked at the dark sky again. The snow had stopped for a while, and she wondered when it would start falling again.

The soldiers, their hands and faces red from the cold, had unwavering eyes and not a single complaint.

They arrived at the gate of the military camp, where Situ Hongyu stood tall and imposing.

Wu Ziyan had never imagined that a woman could grow to be over 1.9 meters tall; she almost always looked up to her.

Before she could even say hello, Situ Hongyu, standing and looking down at her, blurted out three words: "Little pumpkin!"

Wu Ziyan finally understood why only Situ Hongyu and his men were assigned to guard the border.

With such a foul mouth, he certainly won't be able to thrive in the imperial court.

"Greetings, General Hongyu."

"If you hadn't come, things would have been better for us. Tell me, why did Wu Mingkong send you here? To see if I've been colluding with foreign enemies?"

"Or shall I show you whether I'm ruling the place, you little rascal!"

Judging from her full of resentment, it seems that she has a deep grudge against his mother, the Empress, and is taking all her anger out on her.

"Um... I'm here to propose marriage to General Hongyu. I'm in love with Chu Qiu."

The voice wasn't loud, but many people heard it and made a sound of surprise. They never expected that Chu Qiu, that aloof and unattainable beauty, would like this kind of person.

It would have been better if he hadn't said it; the fact that he did made Situ Hongyu even angrier, and he took two steps closer.

Wu Ziyan could already feel her oppressive aura, but she had to stand firm. If she retreated now, she would be truly doomed.

That huge face slowly magnified before her eyes, and she wore an awkward yet polite smile.

Situ Hongyu stared at her for a while, then turned around and flicked his sleeves.

"Do you know how popular my four sons are? Many soldiers are fond of them. What ability do you have, you little pumpkin!"

Wu Ziyan was already grimacing inwardly; she hadn't expected Situ Hongyu to have such a terrible temper!

"I..." After a moment of silence, I realized that I really didn't have any special skills.

But she could only bite the bullet and ask, "Then what conditions are required to marry Chu Qiu?"

"Little pumpkin, do you think I'm selling my son? What are your conditions? Fine, fine! Since you've already brought it up, I have to grant your request."

With a wave of his hand, as if it had been prepared in advance, he carried a long table to the doorway, on which were placed 19 empty bowls.

They all went inside, and Situ Hongyu picked up the wine jar and poured wine into the bowl in a very bold manner, so much so that half of it was spilled.

"Little pumpkin, the first challenge is to drink 18 bowls of wine, one of which is poisoned. Drinking it will paralyze you and turn you into an idiot. Do you dare to do it?"

In reality, there was no poison in it; it was just ordinary wine. The purpose was simply to test Wu Ziyan's courage.

If she backs down at this first step, it means he's a coward and should just get lost!

Wu Ziyan wasn't afraid of being poisoned; she wouldn't die. She guessed that this was probably a test of courage.

After all, the crime of plotting against the royal family is not something that just anyone can bear!

In this freezing weather, and after drinking so much alcohol, his body probably couldn't take it, but for Chu Qiu, she was willing to risk it.

Meanwhile, the soldiers all lay on the sidelines watching the spectacle, eager to see the legendary Little Pumpkin Fourth Prince.

Whether he has any backbone or not, Chu Qiu is the apple of everyone's eye. The Situ family army treats him like a younger brother, like family!

Wu Ziyan picked up the wine and brought it to his nose. A pungent smell shot straight to his head; this was definitely strong liquor.

She didn't know how many drinks she could have, and luckily, the bowls weren't filled to the brim; most of it spilled out.

One bowl after another, I kept drinking, feeling a burning sensation in my esophagus, but I forced myself to frown.

He drank bowl after bowl, 19 bowls in total. His face was burning hot, but strangely, he remained perfectly conscious.

He tilted the last bowl down and said to Situ Hongyu.

"Excellent wine, General Hongyu! Thank you for serving me such fine wine!"

Situ Hongyu's eyebrows twitched slightly, but his expression remained unchanged, which did not change the fact that she was a little rascal.

"Fourth Prince, you certainly have a good capacity for alcohol, but compared to the First Prince, you are still far behind. Little pumpkin, you should at least know how to ride a horse and shoot arrows, right?"

“I won’t compete with you, lest you say it’s unfair. Instead, I’ll have the youngest soldier in our army compete with you.”

"Don't you know how the competition will be conducted?"

"Horseback archery, whoever scores the most rings wins."

"it is good!"

Chu Qiu's worry was written all over his face, but he was afraid of his mother.

But Wu Ziyan has already drunk so much, and the liquor is so strong that he would probably collapse after a few more cups, yet he is still so clear-headed, which is abnormal.

Unexpectedly, the horses in the army run extremely fast. If he accidentally loses control of the reins and falls off the horse, he could be in danger of losing his life.

Wu Ziyan, however, brazenly walked up to Chu Qiu in front of Situ Hongyu and took his hand.

"May your luck be with me!"