Chapter 357: Junzhan Loves Shi Qingxue?

After Concubine Tao realized this matter, the next things could be understood more easily.

Mo Junzhan’s obsessiveness was to compete with Shi Qingxue on archery and win her once openly.

Mo Junzhan liked the battlefield indeed these years and had learnt much to arrange battle arrays. He was always strict with himself by the standards of a general, but he had never slacked off on practicing archery.

However, after both of them grew up, they had few chances to see each other, and the chances for them to compete on archery were slimmer.

Concubine Tao didn’t need to guess with effort. After Mo Junzhan heard Shi Qingxue’s words, he would agree without hesitation.

In this case, Mo Junzhan’s plan to go to the northern border far away in the near future would be…

Even if Mo Junzhan was determined to guard the northern border, he would discuss with Shi Qingxue first as he couldn’t compete with her.

Since they would talk face to face, Shi Qingxue would have more chances to change Mo Junzhan’s mind.

“As she talked with me about this matter, she must have agreed to help me persuade Junzhan.” Concubine Tao thought and got relieved.

She pondered for a while and then told somebody to bring the ninth prince without delay.

After hearing Concubine Tao’s words, as she guessed, Mo Junzhan didn’t emotionally shout that he would go and guard the northern border but looked hesitant.

“Mother, I want to go to the northern border, yet I can’t break the appointment with Qingxue. What should I do?”

His handsome face looked hesitant, as if he was in a dilemma.

Concubine Tao felt that it was annoying but funny after seeing that. She didn’t know how to give a suggestion, so she left the hot potato to Shi Qingxue. “I have no idea. If you can’t make a decision, go to see Qingxue.”

She said that with jealousy.

Concubine Tao thought that she wasn’t narrow-minded, yet she tried her best to persuade Mo Junzhan not to risk his life at the northern border, while the boy didn’t listen to her but even quarreled with her.

After Shi Qingxue just lured him with the archery competition, he got hesitant at once.

So Concubine Tao was angry at this thought.

Mo Junzhan didn’t notice Concubine Tao’s displeasure, while his eyes lit up, and he stated joyfully, “Right. I can go to see Qingxue.”

Afterward, he ran out happily before Concubine Tao said more.

She goggled. “This bad boy.”

“Your Highness, I am afraid that it’s improper as you told His Highness to see Lady Qingxue,” Concubine Tao’s personal maid Mammy Guo reminded in a low voice.

Concubine Tao expressed, “Why is it improper? I can’t persuade this stubborn boy, so I have to let Shi Qingxue do it.

“Fine, I will just owe her a favor. Anything is fine as long as Junzhan can stay alive.”

Mammy Guo shook her head. “I didn’t mean it, but…”

Concubine Tao didn’t like Mammy Guo’s hesitation. She ordered impatiently, “There is nobody else here. Just say it directly, Mammy.”

Mammy Guo tried to remind tactfully, “Your Highness, don’t forget that Lady Qingxue has been titled as the wife of King Rui’s heir. Even though she hasn’t married His Excellency, she is his woman.”

“What does it have to do with this matter?” Concubine Tao certainly knew that Duke Shi’s family and King Rui’s family were behind Shi Qingxue. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so polite to the girl.

“Your Highness, don’t you think that His Highness’s attitude toward Lady Qingxue is…a bit…” Mammy Guo couldn’t find a euphemistic word.

Fortunately, Concubine Tao understood what the old maid meant, so she turned pale in an instant and asked in surprise, “Do you mean that Junzhan loves Shi Qingxue?”

Concubine Tao said that straightforwardly, yet as soon as she finished her words, she covered her mouth and finally looked shocked.

“No. No way?” Concubine Tao was in panic for a while and then started to deny her own words.

Mo Junzhan didn’t like to hang out with girls since childhood. He always thought that girls were cowardly and fragile and liked crying, yet he was close to Shi Qingxue alone and even followed her all the time, taking her as an elder sister.

But…

Shi Qingxue was nearly three years older than Mo Junzhan, and she was an elder sister in front of him.

The two didn’t look like a couple anyway.

“You are right, but His Highness’s attitude toward Lady Qingxue is really special. Even if he is aboveboard, it will easily make people imagine.”

Mammy Guo looked at Concubine Tao’s face cautiously, to see that the mistress didn’t get angry because of her words, so she continued, “This matter can be significant or unimportant in others’ eyes, yet it is not something good anyway. If it spreads, it will harm His Highness’s reputation. What’s more…”

Mammy Guo gritted her teeth and spoke out what she was most worried about. “What’s more, all people in the capital know that His Excellency spoils Lady Qingxue so much. Let’s ignore how long he will spoil her. Now, if His Highness’s attitude is distorted by some people with evil intentions, it may bring endless trouble.”

With Mo Junzhan’s age and experience, he would surely die in front of Mo Junyang.

After hearing Mammy Guo’s words, Concubine Tao realized the seriousness of this matter. Although she had never contacted King Rui’s heir, there were widespread rumors about him in the capital city.

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The most famous story was that Mo Junyang eliminated Zhao Ming’s family and Qin Shirong’s family in order to avenge Shi Qingxue.

All people guessed secretly how long Mo Junyang would love Lady Qingxue, but nobody dared to irritate him because of something about Shi Qingxue.

Concubine Tao didn’t have the nerve.

She was flurried and grabbed Mammy Zheng’s arm, asking, “What should I do? Shall I chase Junzhan to tell him to go back and forbid him to have contact with Shi Qingxue?”

Mammy Guo smiled bitterly. “Your Highness, I am afraid that you can’t stop him…”

Mo Junzhan had a quarrel with Concubine Tao about whether he would go to the northern border, and he finally distracted attention. If Concubine Tao forbade him to contact Shi Qingxue, which meant that they couldn’t have an archery competition, Mo Junzhan wouldn’t surrender.

Concubine Tao touched her forehead helplessly and sighed. “Why do I have such a naughty boy? I am really pissed off by him.

“Mammy, you have a lot of good ideas. What do you think I should do?”

“Er…” Mammy Guo pondered for a while and then suggested cautiously, “In fact, His Highness has never expressed his love for Lady Qingxue, so don’t worry too much, Your Highness. As long as you intentionally try to prevent them from seeing each other frequently, you don’t need to worry after Lady Qingxue marries into King Rui’s mansion.”

Concubine Tao didn’t like such a passive way, but she couldn’t figure out another way for a moment, so she had to nod in agreement. “The silly boy Junzhan is dedicated to the battlefield and isn’t in the mood to think about the romantic relationship. He hasn’t arrived at puberty, which makes me worry less.”

If Concubine Tao knew that Mo Junzhan had arrived at puberty earlier and even asked Ling Ruiyin to grant his marriage to Shi Qingxue, she would probably want to spit blood out of anger.

After Mo Junzhan got out of the imperial palace, he rushed to Duke Shi’s mansion, and then he finally knew that Shi Qingxue didn’t live in this mansion since long ago.

He urged his horse in a hurry and headed to the Lanxun Villa. When he reached the destination, it was almost at dusk and the sun was sinking in the west.

Shi Qingxue had guessed that Mo Junzhan would come, while she didn’t expect that he couldn’t even wait one day but came at once.

He said as soon as he saw her, “Qingxue, let’s have a competition now. Don’t wait so long.”

Mo Junzhan had a perfect plan.

As long as he competed with Shi Qingxue now and won, he could be satisfied and ask Mo Xiangbin to let him guard the northern border as a general of the garrison.

However, Shi Qingxue disillusioned him without mercy. “No way.”

Mo Junzhan goggled in confusion. “Why?”

“I don’t feel well recently, so I can’t shoot arrows. Even if I can pick up a bow with difficulty, I can’t shoot accurately.” Shi Qingxue told a lie unhurriedly without hesitation.

In the end, she added intentionally, “If you want to take the opportunity and win me, let’s have a competition now.”

Mo Junzhan always wanted to compete with her openly. How would he accept such an invitation?

Even if he won, he would just win by unfair means.

Mo Junzhan got furious instantly. “It will be pointless even if I win. We will compete after you recover.”

Shi Qingxue nodded. “So I said that we would have a competition after my eighteenth birthday. Then I will probably recover.”

“But…we have to wait two months.” Mo Junzhan frowned and murmured with displeasure.

Shi Qingxue pretended as if she didn’t know Mo Junzhan’s anxiety, and she took it for granted, saying, “Only in two months, so soon.”

“However, in this case, I can’t tell Father that I will go to the northern border,” Mo Junzhan complained in depression.

He pondered for a moment with his dim-witted brain and then suddenly figured out a way which could satisfy both sides. He suggested happily, “How about delaying the competition? Wait for me. Let’s compete after I come back from the northern border. Is it okay?”

Then he wouldn’t miss either of them.

Shi Qingxue thought, “This inflexible boy finally gets smart after coming back from the battlefield at the southern border, and he can’t be fooled easily.”

She didn’t object to Mo Junzhan’s suggestion immediately but asked, “Your Highness, what do you think the difference between the northern border and southern border is?”

Mo Junzhan didn’t understand why Qingxue suddenly changed the subject, yet he still answered frankly, “The refugee rebellion at the southern border has been suppressed, and the local official of this term administers the area properly, so it’s peaceful and stable there, while the northern border is near Liang Country, where people like fighting and harass our officials and common people there now and then, so it is more dangerous and difficult to rule than the southern border.”

“Your Highness, how many soldiers did the imperial court send to the southern border? How many years did it take before they make the southern border at peace?”

Mo Junzhan paused for a moment and then spoke out the numbers. “About three hundred thousand elite soldiers have been sent from beginning to end, and it took nearly five years till I returned to the capital.”

Shi Qingxue asked, “Your Highness, in your estimation, how many years will it take before everything calms down and you can return with the army if you go to the northern border now?”

Mo Junzhan couldn’t speak a word.

He knew that after he went to the southern border, the rebellion there had almost been settled, and they only needed to suppress few bandits. When the soldiers sent by the imperial court went there, he just practiced his military tactics, and it was not dangerous or difficult.

It was a matter that he knew it, while it was another matter that Shi Qingxue pointed it out directly.

Mo Junzhan wouldn’t become angry from shame but just felt frustrated.

His face fell, and he asked gloomily, “Do you think that I am incapable yet still rush to the fore recklessly?”

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