Dreaming Back to Jiangnan

  "This time, Wu Erdi is serious, we can't not marry!" Gu Jing said with a bitter smile.

  "It's you who can't get married, not 'us'!" Chu Qing corrected with a crazy laugh.

  Gu Cheng glanced at him sideways, coldly laughing: "Fourth Prince is your good friend, I just happened to take your place and help you play this role well, don't expect me to also marry a wife and have children for you!"

  Chu Qing said innocently, "Who says I'm the Fourth Prince? Let's take a walk on the street and see who will say I'm the Fourth Prince. For so many years, you've been the Fourth Prince, and everyone only recognizes you. You should just admit it! As for getting married, you can go ahead, I have Rong Er already, don't expect me!"

  Kun Gu Jing gave him a sideways glance and frowned, saying: "Didn't your adoptive father scold you for being responsible for Xiao Cong Rong? Don't you regret it?"

  "Why should I regret? I like Rong'er, and I don't think it's a bad thing! If Father can accept her, then everyone will be happy. If not, I'll take Rong'er far away from here, and I won't care about anything else!"

  Chu Qing said recklessly, but his heart was bitter and aching. How could he allow him to ruin his own plan after Chu Yun had been operating in secret for so many years?

  "Really as easy as you say? Then you wouldn't have left Xiao Zong staying in the Xiao Mansion!"

  "Haha, you've seen through this too! ...Alright, I admit it, I left her at the Xiao estate to protect her!"

  Chu Qing's smile was reined in, and he looked at Gu Jing with a sincere expression: "Over the years, you should know my personality. I'm not afraid of anyone... except for Father Yi... I'm not afraid that he'll force me to marry Shui Pei, but what I do fear is him taking revenge on Rong Er! I'm willing to endure anything he makes me do, except for one thing - hurting Rong Er... That's my bottom line!"

  "But... Father won't tolerate anyone ruining his plans..." Gu Jing looked at him sympathetically.

  "I won't let 'anyone' hurt Rong Er either, even if it costs me everything, I won't allow it!"

  Chu Qing laughed coldly: "I don't want the throne, nor do I want to be the useless Fourth Prince! Now that you're here, even if I weren't around, his plans would still go smoothly. Do you think he really cares about me?"

  "But I am a fake fourth prince after all! You are the real prince with martial family bloodline! Only by giving orders to the world can you be justified!"

  "Fake is fake, and what's more, he chose me, a sickly person. Who knows, maybe I'll die before anything big happens... How could he let you go?"

  "What's real and what's fake, in the eyes of the Wu family, I've been dead for a long time! I never considered myself as part of the Wu family, I'm just Chu Qingkuang, a Jianghu person, a merchant, who only wants to live a carefree life. Power and thrones mean nothing to me, whoever wants it can have it!"

  Chu Qing's tone was calm and unhurried, seemingly not taking it to heart. Gu Jing remained silent, understanding his younger brother's nature all too well. Not many people could force him to do something against his will; if push came to shove, he would rather die than be manipulated by others. But the other person was their master who had raised them for many years - how could he possibly resist?

  "Never mind that, does your foster father know about the seal being taken away?" Chu Qing said with a frown: "If you're really banished from the capital, it'll be very hard for you to come back!"

  "Fourth prince, it's all you! Stop saying it's me! How much longer can this body of mine hold on for you? Sooner or later, you'll have to return to the palace and live your own life. Why don't you think about your own future instead of pushing everything onto me?"

  Chu Qing let out a deep sigh and said sincerely, "I only hope that every day can be like this, you continue to be the Fourth Prince, and I'll run around outside! You know I'm naturally restless, if I have to stay cooped up in the palace every day, I estimate that within three months I'll be bedridden with illness! Don't say every day that I won't live long, I don't like hearing those words. You and Shui Pei are my loved ones, even if it means using all the wealth under heaven to cure you, I'm willing!"

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  If someone else said this, Gu Jing might have been half-believing and half-doubting, but since Chu Qingchuan said it, he completely believed him. With a slightly complicated gaze at Chu Qingchuan, he smiled helplessly: "Alright, alright, I won't say anything from now on. Being able to accompany you for one more day is one more day... Come, let's talk about this, which piece of land do you want to choose among these?"

  He took out three slips of paper from the book and handed them to Chu Qingkuang, saying: "Let's discuss it first, have a bottom line, and then go talk to my father."

  Chu Qing took it over, on which were written Jiangnan, Shudiqu and Huainan.

  He raised his head, shook off the paper with Jiangnan written on it, and raised an eyebrow: "This doesn't need to be thought about, not going!"

  Gu Cheng pretended to be puzzled: "Isn't this good? Returning to Jiangnan is just in time to find Shui Pei, and it's also one's own territory, a triple gain!"

  "It's precisely because it's our own territory that we can grasp it with one hand without even going there! Don't pretend with me, you're thinking the same thing in your heart, right? Shu and Huainan, which one do you choose?"

  Chu Qing's hand supported her chin, although she was asking Gu Xiang, her eyes became deep and profound, as if lost in thought.

  Gu Cheng didn't rush to answer, as if waiting for Chu Qingkuang to think it over before speaking together. Strangely, he found it amusing that the two of them, upon hearing about the fiefdom, weren't thinking about how to stay in the capital, but were instead both thinking about which fiefdom would be most beneficial.

  This is the tacit understanding cultivated through years of cooperation! In the eyes of outsiders, they are sometimes one person, playing the same role at different times according to needs, communicating information in a timely manner, and even people who know them communicate in a timely manner.

  The two were also very intelligent, and since Gu Jing had an illness, there weren't many social engagements either. So for such a long time, no one discovered the matter of the two fourth princes, nor did anyone think anything was amiss.

  There was just one thing, Chu Qingkuang had never been to the imperial palace, and all the royal banquets and social events were handled by Gu Jing. One time, Gu Jing couldn't help but ask: "Xiaojiu, don't you really want to go see him? His illness is getting worse and worse, don't you really plan on seeing him one last time?"

  Chu Qing's response was a cold laugh, saying: "Who is he to me? Why should I go see him? Even if he were my own father, has he ever raised me for a single day? He has so many children, and it doesn't matter if one of them is missing. What's the point of seeing him?"

  Chu Qing's usual easy-going nature was replaced by stubbornness on this matter, which no one could persuade him to change. Over time, Gu Jing avoided mentioning it to avoid upsetting him, after all, the emperor was his father, and only he had the final say.

  Shu and Huainan compared, Gu Cheng prefers Huainan, close to Jiangnan, both water and land transportation are convenient, the land is vast and rich, even if you want to return to the capital in the future, it's easy to recruit soldiers and buy horses.

  The roads in Shu are rugged and mountainous, although the land is fertile, but there are also many local small lords, which is not the most advantageous choice for him who has no real power in his hands.

  Look up at Chu Qingkuang, just about to ask him what he chose, Chu Qingkuang waved the paper with Shu's land written on it and said: "Choose this one!"

  "Why?" Gu Jing was really puzzled this time, he had priority, why didn't he choose Huainan?!

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  Chu Qingxiao smiled and said, "You know that Huainan is good, but Wu Mingzheng doesn't know? If you choose Huainan, you will become a thorn in his eye, he must think you have the intention of rebellion. As for Jiangnan, don't even think about it, that treacherous Empress He has definitely reserved it for the Fifth Prince. Although they said let you choose first, do you dare to want it? So, only Shu is left, whether you want it or not, you have to take it!"

  Gu Xue learned that he touched his chin, frowned and said: "Father must not agree to take Shu land! Let's see what he says first! Maybe he has a way to turn the situation around!"

  Chu Qing nodded: "Then go talk to him! He's been angry with me for the past few days, I won't go see him, wait until he's in a better mood!"

  Gu Xing let out a sigh and walked over to retrieve a bottle of medicine from the cabinet. "Come on, I'll help you change your dressing," he said.

  Chu Qingkuang suddenly took off his outer garment, bared his upper body and walked over, turning his back to Gu Jing before sitting down.

  Gu Cheng slowly unwrapped the bandage on his back, revealing a sieve-like wound with some scars already formed, while others, due to his restlessness, had not yet healed and were still oozing blood.

  Gu Cheng applied medicine to his wound while asking: "Uncle, are you still determined to have me marry Shui Pei?"

  Chu Qing furrowed his brow, nodded slightly. Gu Jing didn't know how to advise him anymore, sighed and said: "Can't you just talk to Third Miss? Marry both of them, I believe you won't mistreat her!"

  Chu Qing laughed coldly and said, "How can I marry two? Rong'er won't be a concubine, and I don't want her to be one either! As for Shui Pei, even if she's willing, I'm not. I've always treated her like a younger sister, you know that! If I really wanted to marry her, what difference would it make even if she had broken legs?! I would have married her years ago, why wait until now?!"

  Gu Cheng remained silent, and to be honest, he couldn't imagine what Chu Qing's life with Shui Pei would be like. This kind of free-spirited person wasn't someone that Shui Pei could tie down, and rather than being unhappy after they got married, it was better for him to be cruel to her now so that she might still find her own happiness!

  Thinking of leaving, Shui Pei's eyes were brimming with tears as she pulled on his arm, and Gu Jing felt a soft ache in his heart, at that moment he knew this goodbye would be forever.

  So many years of separation, only to know her news from others' mouths, listening to her every move, worrying about her weakness, rejoicing at her recovery, worrying about her happiness... Does she still remember that there was once a brother named Gu Xing in her life?

  Dreams return to Jiangnan, those childhood memories are already out of reach, only that pair of tearful eyes is his only concern!

  Will we meet again in this life?

  Apologies, everyone! I made a mistake earlier. The Zhou Ze in the previous chapters was actually Qi Ze, Qi Gang's son. I got it wrong and didn't even notice until someone pointed it out to me. Sorry about that! Please forgive me, and I'll make sure to correct it from now on. It's indeed Qi Ze~~~~~