She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

Seeing the Champion Marquis and his wife come out, all the servants hurriedly knelt down with a ”thud.”

”Greetings, Marquis, Madam.”

The servants greeted in unison, but the gaze of the Champion Marquis and his wife did not rest on them, but rather on Princess Changle.

”Changle!”

The Champion Marquis’s wife caught sight of her daughter, her voice trembling, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

She quickly stepped forward, embracing Princess Changle, her fingertips trembling as she caressed her cheek.

”My child, how... how did you end up like this?”

Princess Changle leaned against her mother’s embrace, closed her eyes briefly, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice: ”Mother, I’m home.”

The Champion Marquis stood to the side, his face darkened, his gaze sweeping over his daughter and the disheveled servants, his brows tightly furrowed.

He asked in a deep voice: ”What exactly happened? How did you end up like this?”

Princess Changle lifted her head from her mother’s embrace, her gaze calm yet tinged with weariness.

”We encountered bandits on our way back, were taken up the mountain, and finally managed to escape.”

Upon hearing this, the Champion Marquis’s wife couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down, her fingers tightly clutching her daughter’s sleeve: ”My child, you suffered... did those bandits harm you in any way?”

Princess Changle shook her head, her voice cold.

”No. They just kept us confined and did not touch us.”

The Champion Marquis’s wife breathed a sigh of relief, but she couldn’t help but lovingly caress her daughter’s cheek.

”The Empress said you admire Zhao Zun, did you run to Canzhou to find Zhao Zun?”

”Mm!”

Princess Changle nodded gently.

”Why were you so foolish, going alone to Canzhou? That place is barren and desolate, how could a girl like you go to such a place?”

The Champion Marquis’s wife sighed, exchanging a glance with the Champion Marquis.

With Princess Changle gone for so long, they thought she had already started a splendid affair with Zhao Zun in Canzhou!

Who would have thought, not only was there no affair, but she returned in such a disgraced and miserable state.

Princess Changle lowered her eyelids, her voice softening: ”I just wanted to see him.”

”See him?”

The Champion Marquis snorted coldly, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

”Canzhou King Zhao Zun? You, an unmarried Commandery Princess, ran off to meet a man, nearly losing your life! Do you realize, if this gets out, your reputation will be ruined!”

Princess Changle lifted her gaze to meet her father’s, her voice soft yet determined: ”I don’t care about reputation. I just want to see him once.”

”You!”

The Champion Marquis, furious, pointed his trembling finger at her.

”You are... so reckless! What kind of place is Canzhou? It’s a frontier land, impoverished and backward! Although Zhao Zun is a Vassal King, he’s not allowed in the capital without summons. Even if you have feelings, what can be done? Do you plan to marry far away and suffer in such a place?”

Princess Changle pressed her lips together, offering no response.

Seeing this, the Champion Marquis’s wife quickly pulled her husband’s sleeve, softly advising: ”Marquis, the child has suffered so much, she’s just returned, don’t scold her further.”

The Champion Marquis took a deep breath to suppress his anger and said coldly: ”From today onward, you are not allowed to step out of the mansion! As for Canzhou King, abandon that thought!”

Princess Changle did not argue, merely lowered her head silently, her fingers tightly clutching her clothes.

The Champion Marquis’s wife sighed, then turned to the servants still kneeling on the ground, her voice severe: ”Listen, today’s events must not be spread! If I hear even a whisper, you know the consequences!”

The servants quickly bowed, their voices trembling.

”We understand, we wouldn’t dare to speak.”

The Champion Marquis’s wife nodded and waved her hand: ”Go now, clean up properly, and don’t let anyone notice.”

The servants retreated as if granted amnesty.

Princess Changle stood in place, her gaze hollow, as if she were a soulless shell.

The Champion Marquis’s wife compassionately held her hand, softly saying: ”Changle, go freshen up, have a good rest. We can talk later.”

Princess Changle nodded, letting her mother lead her towards the inner courtyard.

The Champion Marquis stood there, watching his daughter’s back, his brows furrowed, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

He murmured in a low voice: ”Canzhou King Zhao Zun... It seems I must find a way to completely sever her thoughts.”

The breeze gently swept through the mansion, lifting a few fallen leaves, as if foreshadowing that this storm was far from over.

... I am a lazy divider line ...

Canzhou, Fufeng County.

Due to years of conflict at Beiguan, aside from the Beiguan Camp, there were few able-bodied young men in Canzhou.