Chapter 38: The Wedding Date

The Crown Prince's Residence.

A figure landed silently in the exquisite courtyard, quickly locating Gu Zhaozhao, who was calmly examining ledger books in the study.

"Miss Gu." The shadow guard spoke in a low voice, "His Highness has returned. You instructed us to report promptly, and he is currently on his way to the main study."

As for the fact that the Crown Prince looked grim and hurried, clearly in a foul mood... that fell outside the scope of Gu Zhaozhao’s instructions, so he did not report it.

Her hand, busy with the ledgers, did not pause. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and continued marking the pages. "Understood. You may withdraw."

The breeze from her moving sleeve caused the orange candlelight to flicker.

The sound of rustling pages continued uninterrupted. A moment later, once the mental countdown in Gu Zhaozhao’s mind concluded—calculating that Xiao Ze must have reached the study—she finally stood up to leave. Before departing, she pulled a confidential letter from the bookshelf.

"Your Highness." She reported in a businesslike, detached tone, "A secret dispatch has arrived from the Northern Frontier. Shall I read it now?"

It appeared that the matter of Dou Hongyan's letter had already been turned over for her.

Xiao Ze rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation, his eyes cold and filled with a hidden, icy malice. Without a word, he waved his hand, signaling for Gu Zhaozhao to proceed.

He leaned back, half-closing his eyes, forcing himself to pull away from the intense desire to kill Shen Yishu. Listening to Gu Zhaozhao’s calm, steady voice, he began to focus on official matters.

Her tone remained as it always was, almost entirely devoid of emotional inflection: "The report from the Northern Frontier states that the refugees you suppressed have not rioted again since your departure. The local governor is already re-registering them and distributing land and housing. The region is stabilizing."

Xiao Ze replied, "I see."

That was his way of telling her to continue.

Gu Zhaozhao paused for a moment and turned the page. Her eyes, as calm as still water, swept across the letter. Upon grasping the contents, she frowned slightly.

"After the refugees were brought under control, government officials investigated the cause of the riot. It was revealed that the reason they gathered for the uprising was that someone had been inciting them, stirring up their emotions, and even providing weaponry."

Xiao Ze asked, "Any progress?"

"For now, we only know that the group behind the incitement uses a symbol resembling a willow leaf."

"A willow leaf..." Xiao Ze narrowed his eyes. When he looked up, his face had returned to a mask of calm, his sharp gaze fixed on the letter. His eyes tightened, and he quickly instructed Gu Zhaozhao: "Send word back. Tell them to investigate the local religious sects. You are to continue monitoring the Northern Frontier."

Gu Zhaozhao tucked the letter away. "Understood."

She bowed, and without lingering, she turned to leave once the report was concluded. Before stepping out, she suddenly recalled something. "Your Highness, the Northern Frontier is vast and distant; our control there is insufficient. It would be most prudent for you to make another trip there yourself."

Xiao Ze’s clear eyes flashed with a sharp, piercing light. He narrowed his eyes at Gu Zhaozhao. Instead, he asked in a leisurely tone, "How old are you this year?"

"Four years your junior."

"Oh..." He nodded faintly. "That is not so young. Have you considered getting married soon?"

His tone was casual as he picked up his brush to write. His manner toward Gu Zhaozhao was the usual calm, strictly professional tone, yet it carried the ease and familiarity of a long-standing acquaintance. His composed voice was enough to lower one's guard in the stillness of the night.

Gu Zhaozhao frowned, lowered her eyes to think for a moment, and suppressed a subtle flicker of emotion in her heart.

She then analyzed it seriously: "Now is not the right time."

"Oh?"

"A Crown Prince's wedding is a major event. We should use it as leverage and wait for a more suitable opportunity. Rushing into it now would be useless."

She spoke with cold calculation regarding her own long-overdue marriage.