Inside the royal chambers of Mengdie County, after listening to her personal maid Xiao Hong explain the recent events, Li Mengdie was filled with regret.
"I never thought I'd fall into the trap! If I had known, I would have defended the city to the death!"
"And that hot air balloon, it can actually be used in warfare! I thought the battle reports from the Eastern Frontier were exaggerated by my fifth sister and that scoundrel Chu Chen to make the reports seem more impressive."
"First, they feigned a retreat to create the illusion of a hot air balloon attack on another county, luring me to investigate and then pursue them out of the city to fall into an ambush. And that illusion turned out to be real, with hot air balloons actually used to breach the city defenses from the air!"
"Chu Chen, this person, is truly my greatest adversary and the biggest obstacle on the path to great achievements!"
Li Mengdie sat on the chair, thinking dejectedly in her heart.
Originally, after the uprising, everything had been progressing towards her imagined goals. There were only occasional deviations, but the general direction remained good.
However, all of this changed after encountering Chu Chen, who took command.
She had failed in this rebellion.
"Where is Chu Chen?"
Li Mengdie asked blankly.
"Prime Minister is still in the front hall handling matters. Shall I inform the Prime Minister that Your Highness has woken up?"
Xiao Hong asked cautiously.
Li Mengdie did not answer, but continued to ask, "That fellow captured me. Did he not send people to guard me and watch me?"
"Yes, there are soldiers stationed everywhere in the royal palace's back courtyard. And to prevent Your Highness from escaping after waking up, it seems there are also experts watching in secret."
Xiao Hong thought for a moment and recounted what she had seen.
"If that's the case, I knew this fellow wouldn't let me off. I wonder why he isn't killing me."
Li Mengdie mocked herself and waved her hand, saying, "No need to inform him. Since that fellow has arranged for experts in secret, he probably knows already and is on his way."
"Alright, you can go out now. If Chu Chen comes, just let him in directly."
"Yes! Your servant shall take her leave."
Xiao Hong thought for a moment, then took the washbasin away. Although she really wanted the princess to wash her face first.
The door was closed again, leaving Li Mengdie alone in the room. She walked to the window and opened it to take a look.
As expected, she saw the soldiers standing guard around the courtyard, but she couldn't sense how many people were watching her from the shadows.
"Experts? I can't sense their cultivation at all. I wonder where Chu Chen found these experts!"
Li Mengdie frowned, glanced, and then closed the window again.
In the short time she looked, she felt the gazes of the standing soldiers on her.
"Forget it, I'll talk to that scoundrel Chu Chen when I see him."
Li Mengdie sighed, returned to her chair, and sat down again. She propped her chin with one hand, her eyes fixed on the ground, lost in thought.
A few breaths later, Li Mengdie suddenly revealed a hint of a mad smile.
Then she got up and went to the wardrobe, slowly opening it.
In the front hall of the royal palace, Chu Chen was handling military affairs.
The Dark Guard suddenly appeared before him and knelt on one knee, saying, "My Lord, the King of Liu has woken up. His personal maid Xiao Hong entered the room with a washbasin, stayed for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and then left. Afterward, she opened the window and looked for a while, and then there was no further movement."
"Hmm, I know."
Chu Chen nodded and sped up his work, finishing the military affairs in his hands. "Another troublesome matter awaits me. I'm truly destined for a life of toil!"
"By the way, don't let anyone inform Xin Yue yet. Let me go and meet Li Mengdie first."
"Understood!"
The Dark Guard received the order and waited for a few breaths. Seeing that Chu Chen had no further instructions, he left.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Chu Chen urgently finished the military affairs at hand, closed the documents, summoned a servant, gave some instructions, and then got up to leave.
He arrived at the royal palace's back courtyard. The soldiers along the way saluted Chu Chen. These soldiers were not from the imperial court but from the Imperial Guard. After all, Chu Chen did not want the news that the King of Liu, Li Mengdie, was still alive to be known to others.
After winning the war, Chu Chen had announced to the public that the King of Liu, Li Mengdie, had escaped and that he had not captured her.
He gently pushed open the door and saw the rising and falling figure within the bed curtains.
"Xiao Hong? Didn't I say not to let anyone disturb me?"
From the bed, Li Mengdie's displeased voice came.
Chu Chen smiled and teased, "I didn't expect Your Highness, the King of Liu, to still maintain her royal demeanor even as a prisoner?"
"..."
Lying on the bed, covered by a soft quilt, Li Mengdie was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "I didn't expect it to be Prime Minister Chu himself. What? Do you want to come and see me, your prisoner?"
"Of course. After all, who knows if these few soldiers in this small room can keep Your Highness, the King of Liu, secure."
Chu Chen said as he walked to the side of the bed, looking at the semi-transparent curtain, hesitating whether to lift it.
"Is that so? Since Prime Minister Chu wants to see, please do. I just don't know if Prime Minister Chu dares to lift the curtain."
Hearing Li Mengdie's teasing voice from behind the curtain, Chu Chen's expression froze. He wondered, wasn't he being flirted with by this King of Liu?
"Damn it, you're just a prisoner. If it weren't for the fact that I don't want to kill you and might benefit the Empress, I would have gotten rid of you long ago. And you're still trying to act like a seductress and tease me?"
It's just looking, what could be so shameful? The curtain was made of semi-transparent material, and he already knew the King of Liu was covered by the quilt.
If that's the case, what can't be seen?
Chu Chen's face showed displeasure, and he reached out to directly lift the curtain, hanging it aside so he wouldn't have to hold it.
As he looked, King of Liu, Li Mengdie, was indeed lying on the bed covered by the quilt. Her complexion was slightly flushed, and she seemed to be ill.
That's right. She was born into royalty and had lived a life of ease. To be suddenly defeated by him and become a prisoner, how could she not be so angry that she fell ill?
"Your Highness, the King of Liu, you don't look well. Are you ill from anger? That won't do. I was planning to send you back to His Majesty alive. You need to take good care of yourself, otherwise, if you die from the hardships of travel along the way, it would be bad."
As Chu Chen spoke, his eyes scanned around.
Hmm~ This Li Mengdie, although her spirits are a bit off, her figure is truly excellent. Even covered by the quilt, she can still form a pair of peaks, tsk tsk~
"Is that so? Since Prime Minister Chu says so, I'm a little worried too. I don't want to die. How about Prime Minister Chu examine me? See if you can treat me?"
Li Mengdie's expression showed no worry, but rather an inexplicable meaning, with a smile on her face.
"Alright!"
Chu Chen also smiled and reached out to grab her wrist to feel her pulse.