After much deliberation, Chu Hongyu decided to write to his parents.

Before long, Chu Yi and Yun Chu replied. Duke Xingguo’s fourth son had been personally watched over by Chu Yi since birth and growing up. From childhood he was intelligent, able to read books and remember everything at a glance. At a young age, he had already finished reading the Four Books, Five Classics, Great Learning, and Analects. Later, devoted to medicine, he gave up the imperial examination career path.

Though this person was somewhat stubborn, his character was simple and his nature purely kind—he could be considered a good match.

As long as the two were mutually in love, they would be happy to see it happen.

But if it was only Changsheng’s one-sided affection, they would immediately rush back to the capital and take Changsheng south to travel.

Chu Hongyu ordered that the fourth young master of Duke Xingguo’s manor be summoned for an audience.

“I hear your medical skills are exceptional,” Chu Hongyu said calmly. “Would you be willing to enter the palace as an imperial physician, the palace’s first imperial physician?”

Murong Bi cupped his hands and said, “This humble subject studied medical arts and cultivated medical virtue with a heart to relieve suffering, hoping to save the common people from illness and pain. If I were to become a palace imperial physician, it would go against my original purpose in learning medicine.”

“What fine words—to save the common people from illness and pain!” Chu Hongyu clapped his hands. “The people of the realm are the common people, and the soldiers at the front lines are also the common people. Am I wrong in saying this?”

Though Murong Bi was stubborn, he was no fool. He immediately understood the implied meaning.

He promptly said, “This humble subject requests to serve as a military physician. I beseech Your Majesty to grant permission.”

“Our Great Jin is about to go to war with the Northern Di. Then I shall dispatch you to support the front lines,” Chu Hongyu paused. “I shall go with you.”

When this matter reached the court, it caused all the ministers to object.

Great Jin had many mature and capable warriors—there was absolutely no need for the Emperor to personally go to battle.

“Our Great Jin has rested and recovered for nearly ten years. The country is prosperous and the people strong, arousing the covetous desires of the Northern Di,” Chu Hongyu’s voice was authoritative. “Now the Northern Di have repeatedly harassed our borders. If we ignore it, harassment will turn into invasion. The border people are also my subjects. I must personally go to the front lines to repel the Northern Di… no, to occupy the Northern Di and eliminate future troubles forever!”

His Father Emperor had conquered the Dongling Kingdom and cleared all bandits from within Great Jin’s territory.

As Emperor, he couldn’t always place such heavy burdens on Father Emperor’s shoulders. After all, Father Emperor was slowly aging.

He needed to go to the battlefield, accumulate experience, reorganize morale, and display their national prestige.

This matter was thus decided.

Chu Changsheng was extremely anxious. “Brother, you are the Son of Heaven. You shouldn’t put yourself in such a dangerous situation…”

“Precisely because I am the Son of Heaven, I need to personally go to the battlefield to win the people’s hearts,” Chu Hongyu said earnestly. “Moreover, as the Son of Heaven, I not only need to know how to govern the country with civil means, but also need to know how to use military force to protect Great Jin, to learn how to deploy troops. Only then will I not be manipulated by others. Rest assured, with Grandfather’s Yun Family Army, nothing will happen to me.”

Chu Changsheng still frowned with worry.

She still remembered that many years ago, Father Emperor went to the battlefield and then disappeared for half a year…

“I’m going to the front lines for another reason—that is to test your future Prince Consort for you,” Chu Hongyu said with a grin. “If he passes my test, I’ll immediately grant you marriage.”

Chu Changsheng couldn’t help but stomp her foot. “I’m talking to you about serious matters, why are you bringing this up?”

“Alright, don’t worry, it’s just a small matter,” Chu Hongyu ruffled her hair. “I’m also going to do something serious now.”

His serious matter was to change into clothes for leaving the palace, preparing to discreetly visit the He family.

He rode his horse to the capital’s bustling main street and saw a jewelry shop. He knew women all liked such things.

Since he was going to see Miss He, he certainly had to bring some gifts.

He dismounted and walked into the jewelry shop. The dazzling array of items made his eyes swim—he had no idea what to buy.

Though he was dressed discreetly, the fabric of his clothes was clearly of extraordinary quality. The shopkeeper immediately came up to him, courteously saying, “Young master, what would you like to buy? For your mother, or for your wife, or for your sisters?”

“For…” Chu Hongyu paused and said, “For my future wife.”

The shopkeeper understood perfectly. “This young master, please come to the private room.”

Half an hour later, Chu Hongyu emerged carrying a box. He felt somewhat annoyed—why hadn’t he brought that fellow Lin Dongdong out of the palace with him? That way there would be someone to help carry things.

He snapped his fingers, and a secret guard appeared silently. He tossed the box over, and the guard holding the box immediately disappeared into the sea of people.

Chu Hongyu, waving his paper fan and leading his horse, walked down the street.

He was handsome, dashing and unrestrained, with extraordinary bearing, causing many women on the roadside to stop and watch.

As he walked, suddenly there was a crowd gathered ahead.

Somewhat curious, he led his horse to watch the excitement, only to see a familiar face.

It was He Jingru.

She had accompanied her younger sister out to buy rouge today and had been rather unlucky to encounter her former fiancé Han Dong.

Han Dong looked at her with a face full of dejection, but she had no desire to acknowledge him at all.

Who would have thought that Han Dong’s wife, Kong Shi, would suddenly rush out, staring at her and angrily saying, “My husband broke off his engagement with you three years ago. How do you still have the face to pester my husband? Oh, I understand now—you can’t get married and have become an old woman, so you want to turn back to my husband, wanting to become my husband’s concubine, is that it?”

Han Dong pulled his wife and said quietly, “Don’t be like this. Taking anyone as a concubine is the same. If she’s willing, it’s not…”

Kong Shi said incredulously, “Anyone is fine, even women from brothels are fine, but only she, He Jingru, is not!”

He Jingru’s younger sister was quite angry—to actually compare her elder sister to brothel women was simply too much!

He Jingru’s expression remained calm.

She laughed lightly. “Madam Han, you really are blindly confident in your husband. With your husband being the way he is, what makes you think I would take a liking to him, much less be willing to become a concubine? This is truly the most ridiculous joke in the world!”

Kong Shi said angrily, “Since you don’t fancy him, then why are you pestering him!”

He Jingru was about to speak.

Suddenly, an elegant young man pushed his way through the crowd.

The young man wore dark-colored robes, his hair bound with a jade crown, black boots on his feet. Though this attire was naturally inferior to dragon robes, among ordinary common people, it was still extraordinarily eye-catching.

The young man walked into the crowd, looked Han Dong up and down, then sneered, “Miss He doesn’t even fancy me, and you think she’d fancy you?”

Kong Shi couldn’t help but turn her gaze to the young man. With this one look, she was stunned.

This young man was far too handsome…

This scene made Han Dong’s face immediately flush red. “You—who are you?”

“Didn’t I just say? I’m Miss He’s suitor,” the young man opened his paper fan and shook his head. “Lord Han was able to pass the imperial examination back then entirely thanks to the He family’s support. When Madam He passed away, she merely asked that you wait three years before marrying, yet you turned your back on them, broke off the engagement, and climbed up to marry a high-status wife. The He family didn’t pursue your betrayal, yet you still brought your wife to humiliate Miss He. I really don’t know where you get such audacity!”

Han Dong was intimidated by the imposing aura released by the young man and couldn’t help but take a step back.

Chu Hongyu shook his head. This person truly was pathetically weak.

He smiled and said, “However, I must also thank you for your grace in not marrying her—it gave me an opportunity.”