The onlooking common people couldn’t help but point and gossip.

“Tsk tsk, to think he’s a heartless scoundrel, and still has the face to ask his former fiancée to be his concubine—how shameless!”

“Miss He simply has high standards, she’s not blind. Look, that young man is so handsome and even Miss He doesn’t fancy him.”

“This husband and wife are both so ugly, yet they think so highly of themselves!”

“…”

Amid all the commentary, Han Dong’s face grew even redder.

He only had learning but no looks, so naturally he couldn’t compare to that elegant young man. He felt he had completely lost face.

His wife Kong Shi said coldly, “That young man must be a male courtesan from a pleasure house, otherwise He Jingru would have married him immediately!”

Han Dong nodded. “Right, it must be so!”

It seemed only by thinking this way could his heart feel somewhat better.

The crowd on the street gradually dispersed.

He Jingru’s younger sister looked at Chu Hongyu curiously. “Who are you? Are you really my elder sister’s suitor?”

Chu Hongyu closed his paper fan and said seriously, “Naturally so.”

He Jingru’s face instantly turned crimson.

Little Sister He propped up her chin, saying suspiciously, “Being this handsome, you couldn’t be a man from that kind of place…”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” He Jingru scolded coldly. “Go wait for me at the tea house ahead. I’ll come shortly.”

Once Little Sister He left, He Jingru knelt down. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. My younger sister is ignorant. Her words were offensive just now. Please…”

“It’s fine, it’s indeed because I didn’t reveal my identity,” Chu Hongyu used his folded fan to lift He Jingru’s hand as she performed her courtesy. “When you see me outside, there’s no need for such formalities.”

He Jingru nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There’s also no need to call me Your Majesty,” Chu Hongyu coughed. “Have you heard about the Emperor going on campaign?”

He Jingru lowered her head. “Father mentioned it. The Emperor… going on campaign can boost morale and subdue the Northern Di. This subject believes it’s a good thing.”

“Oh?” Chu Hongyu felt somewhat gloomy. “Doesn’t Miss He worry that something might happen to me?”

He Jingru didn’t know how to address the person before her, so she said vaguely, “Young Master Huang ascended to that position at a young age—at just eight years old, he already established great achievements, which truly amazes this commoner woman. During these years on the throne, working diligently for the country and the people, he can be considered a wise ruler of his generation… In this subject’s view, Young Master Huang can plan strategies from thousands of miles away. Before making this decision, he surely had complete confidence. This trip to the northern frontier will definitely result in great victory!”

Praised so highly by his beloved, the corners of Chu Hongyu’s lips immediately lifted.

He Jingru couldn’t help but smile.

The Emperor’s temperament was rather like a child’s—he became happy as soon as he was praised. However, she hadn’t exaggerated the facts. In her heart, the Emperor was exactly like this.

“You’re right, I indeed have complete confidence. Within three months, I’ll definitely return victorious to the capital!” Chu Hongyu raised his hand in a gesture, and a black-clothed person suddenly appeared behind him.

He Jingru was startled.

She thought it was an ambushing assassin and had already prepared to rush over to protect Chu Hongyu.

She was just an insignificant young woman, while the person opposite was the current Son of Heaven. If something happened to the Son of Heaven, the realm would fall into chaos…

But she saw the black-clothed person hand the box in his hands to Chu Hongyu and then disappear.

Chu Hongyu placed the box in He Jingru’s hands. “This is for you.”

He Jingru was a bit confused and instinctively took it, then like holding a hot potato, hurriedly tried to return it. “I cannot accept such undeserved gifts, this commoner woman…”

“Just for what you said earlier, believing I can achieve great victory, you deserve these things,” Chu Hongyu opened the box. “Look, do you like them?”

He Jingru looked.

She saw that the box was full of women’s jewelry—headdresses, hairpins, ornamental hairpins, earrings, bracelets, thumb rings… a whole box full, dazzling brilliantly in the sunlight.

Chu Hongyu said earnestly, “What I said before about making you Empress—I was serious.”

He Jingru suddenly burst into tears.

Since her mother passed away and her fiancé broke off the engagement, she had heard countless gossips, but she had never cried.

She managed household affairs for her father, raised her younger brothers and sisters, carefully operated the He family business so the He family wouldn’t fall into decline…

When the three-year mourning period ended, she was already older, and her father searched everywhere to arrange marriage prospects for her.

But many people, upon hearing she had been jilted once and hearing her age, refused the match. Some who agreed to meet were either widowers, or from extremely poor families, or the men had problems not worth mentioning to outsiders…

She had never imagined there would be someone who, holding a box of jewels, would present it to her as if offering his sincere heart.

She didn’t know what the future would hold, but she was certain that the person before her, at this moment, truly had her in his heart.

She didn’t have an enviable family background.

She didn’t have extraordinary beauty surpassing others.

She didn’t even have any reputation for talent.

His choosing her truly showed his determination to have her stand by his side.

How could such devotion not move one’s heart?

How could such a person not make one’s heart flutter?

He Jingru sniffed. “These things, I’ll accept them.”

“Ah, why are you crying?” Chu Hongyu was somewhat flustered. “Did I scare you? I’m sorry…”

He Jingru said word by word, “I’m willing to be your Empress.”

“You…” Chu Hongyu hesitated. “You—you’re not just doing this to spite your former fiancé, are you?”

“How could that be?” He Jingru smiled. “I stopped caring about that person long ago. None of my decisions have anything to do with him.”

Chu Hongyu still didn’t quite dare believe it. “Then why did you suddenly agree? Do you—do you fancy me?”

“I have no reason not to fancy Your Majesty,” He Jingru paused and said. “What I feel for Your Majesty is admiration, respect, and esteem. For these feelings to transform into affection is too easy…”

Chu Hongyu was overjoyed beyond expectation.

He had never dared reveal his feelings before because he worried He Jingru hadn’t forgotten her fiancé.

It turned out she had long stopped caring about that person.

Had he known this, why waste so much time…

He wanted to lift He Jingru in his arms.

But he was afraid of being too forward.

He happily spun around in circles on the spot.

Then directly ran off.

Leaving He Jingru standing alone in place.

“His Majesty rarely shows such childlike nature!”

He Jingru smiled helplessly.

How could one person both be a wise ruler and also have a child’s heart? How could he be both authoritative and childlike?

“Elder Sister, what are you smiling about?” Little Sister He had waited a long time without seeing anyone and came looking again. When she saw the box in He Jingru’s arms, she was immediately stunned. “My heavens, this is a premium green jade earring, this is a red gold ornamental hairpin… These—these were all given to Elder Sister by that young master just now?”

He Jingru closed the box lid and softly hummed in acknowledgment.

“Elder Sister, what’s his identity exactly? Why is he so generous with his gifts? When will he come to our house to propose marriage?”

He Jingru shook her head.

Probably after three months, when he returned victorious.

If after three months he still had her in his heart, then this would be a marriage worth anticipating.

If after three months there was no word… well, that would be nothing. This wouldn’t be her first time getting hurt.

However, that very evening, an imperial edict arrived.