~~~
When he was alone in the study, Xiao Muzhou would always stare at the portrait in a daze. The person in the painting was none other than the girl he missed every day.
Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted his meditation.
"Who?" Xiao Muzhou said displeased.
"it's me."
Jinrong?
Xiao Muzhou lowered his guard, and his unhappiness at being disturbed earlier also eased, "Come in."
As soon as Jin Rong opened the door, she saw Xiao Muzhou carefully putting away the portrait in his hand. She pretended to ask casually: "Are you thinking about the fourth princess?"
"Um."
Jin Rong sighed: "The fourth princess is already married, but you still have a deep love for her. If you weren't in troubled times, you will definitely be together and become a couple that everyone admires."
"If Yinguo hadn't been so greedy and deceitful, how could there have been troubled times? However, this situation will not last long. I promised Ah Xin that I will do my best to assist Ah Xuan so that she can see a peaceful age as soon as possible."
"You hate Yin Guo so much, why do you want to save me and marry me?" Jin Rong asked calmly.
"You are different!" Xiao Muzhou said anxiously.
If Jinrong hadn't said anything, he would have forgotten about it.
~~~
Xiao Muzhou was born into a noble family in the Rong Kingdom. He grew up with Ah Xin and Ah Xuan. They had a very good relationship, especially with Ah Xin, who had mutual feelings for each other.
The two siblings seemed noble, but in fact they were in a bleak situation. In order to survive and for the future of her brother, Ah Xin finally chose to marry someone else, someone who could help her and her brother a lot.
Soon after, he also began to be forced by the king and his father to start a family.
But there was always only one person Xiao Muzhou wanted to marry.
After Ah Xin got married, Xiao Muzhou met Jin Rong. He helped and took in this strange woman, and Jin Rong never concealed his identity as a foreigner from Xiao Muzhou.
The longer they spend time together, the more Xiao Muzhou appreciates and trusts Jinrong.
Since the holy will was irresistible and he couldn't bear to disappoint his aging father, he had no choice but to let Jin Rong accompany him in this drama.
I thought she would be rejected, but I didn't expect that she readily agreed without any hesitation.
The king and his father did not know that Jinrong was from Yinguo. They only thought that she was a poor person.
They were reluctant at first, but seeing that they were determined, they did not continue to object.
They had been married for some years, and Xiao Muzhou had been deliberately hiding his dislike for the Yin people in front of Jin Rong. He didn't want to make her unhappy, but he forgot about it in the excitement just now.
However, Jin Rong didn't care about this, she just smiled faintly.
Just now Mu Zhou said that he was different. How different was he?
"I really hope I have the opportunity to see the Fourth Princess and the Ninth Prince in person, or even look at the portraits." Jin Rong glanced at the portraits that Mu Zhou had collected and said seemingly casually.
"Members of the royal family will never show their faces easily. Even portraits cannot be shown to others. Unless they are important confidants, they cannot be leaked to anyone." Xiao Muzhou's face became serious.
"Especially for a Yin countryman, you have to be even more careful, right?" Jin Rong smiled softly.
"That's not what I meant, don't get me wrong!" Xiao Muzhou hurriedly denied, "I was just doing my duty and duty."
"I understand. Of course I know how you have treated me for so long. I was just talking casually, so don't take it to heart."
In order to prevent Mu Zhou from overthinking, Jin Rong changed the subject and said, "I don't understand, the fourth princess has done so much for the ninth prince, why are there still rumors outside that they are not close to each other?"
Xiao Muzhou sighed, "It's dangerous in the palace. At an age that should have been innocent, Ah Xin was forced to do anything to survive. She loved her mother and brother deeply, but she didn't want to show her feelings, especially to Ah Xuan. . After their mother died, Ah Xin was even harsher on Ah Xuan. A sentimental person cannot survive in the palace. If he wants to live, his heart must first become cold."
After hearing this, Jin Rong immediately thought of another person. Perhaps there are really few people in this world who can live their lives as they please.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Muzhou asked softly when he saw Jinrong was lost in thought.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking that the fourth princess and the ninth prince may not be close to each other in the eyes of outsiders, but in fact they are protecting each other in their own way."
"yes!"
Jin Rong looked at Xiao Muzhou and asked, "Can I also ask you for something?"
"What do you want?" Xiao Muzhou asked curiously.
He and Jin Rong had been a couple for so long, and this was the first time he heard her ask for something from him.
"I want you to give me a peaceful and prosperous age, but this is not only a peaceful and prosperous age for the people of the Rong Kingdom, but also a peaceful and prosperous era for the people of the Yin Kingdom. The price of war is too cruel, so it is best not to fight."
"Based on the current situation, this war is difficult to avoid. The Rong Kingdom has been suppressed for too long, and a lot of grievances and bitterness must be released."
"I know." After coming to Rong Kingdom, Jin Rong gradually understood how difficult this country is, "But in Muzhou, the people of Yin Kingdom are also innocent. We can't transfer our anger to everyone in Yin Kingdom because of the mistakes of those in power. At least Please promise me that if the Rong Kingdom wins, you must treat the people of the Yin Kingdom well, okay?"
Xiao Muzhou nodded and responded solemnly: "Don't worry, I'm not a cruel person."
Jin Rong is right, because it is wrong for some people to hate everyone.
If the Rong Kingdom really wins, but chooses to treat the Yin Kingdom in the same way, it will definitely accumulate more dissatisfaction and resentment. Then how can there be peace and prosperity in the end?
Jinrong knows Xiao Muzhou's character, and she is absolutely assured of this.
Fortunately, the person he chose to follow was not a bloodthirsty person.
If the country is in his hands, he will definitely work hard to improve the relationship between Rong and Yin, and will never bully the weak like the previous emperors.
Jin Rong has already made her choice, and she will do her best to prevent Yin Guo from losing.
Years of companionship and each other's care have made Jin Rong understand this nominal husband more and more. She does not want to hurt Mu Zhou, but their ending is already doomed.
She also has something more important that she wants to protect.
Jinrong accepts her mission calmly and will never regret it.
