Love Lock

Chapter 91 Seeking an Audience with the King of Cangzhou

Upon entering Cangzhou from Jingzhou, the first stop is Qingshui County. Regardless of where Zhao Zun intends to settle in Cangzhou in the future, he will inevitably have to go to Qingshui County first.

Therefore, Princess Chang Le has been waiting here for many days.

Yesterday, she received a report that Zhao Zun had arrived in Qingshui County and was staying at the magistrate's residence. She was so excited that she couldn't sleep all night. She got up before dawn this morning to dress and get ready. Luckily, she arrived in time; any later and she would have missed him.

Princess Chang Le's makeup was exquisite, and she wore pearls and jade in her hair. The closer she got to Zhao Zun, the more her blush of happiness deepened.

Princess Chang Le walked over quickly, slightly out of breath. "Your Highness, I came to Cangzhou to visit a friend, and I never expected to run into you here."

"What is it?" Zhao Zun asked impatiently.

He had no liking for the arrogant Princess Chang Le to begin with, and the thought of Princess Chang Le making things difficult for Han Lei at the palace banquet only fueled his disgust.

"Uh!"

Princess Chang Le was taken aback by Zhao Zun's sudden coldness, and her joy was instantly extinguished by more than half.

But she quickly composed herself and smiled gently, "Actually, Chang Le's trip is not just to find friends, but also to express her feelings to the Prince."

As she spoke, she gently took out an exquisite jade pendant from her sleeve, which was carved with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water, with a profound meaning.

Zhao Zun, seated high on his horse, lingered on the jade pendant for a moment, but did not reach out to take it. He simply uttered two words coldly.

"boring!"

Before coming, Princess Chang Le had thought that Zhao Zun was a fierce general who charged into battle, and might not understand romance, and might speak bluntly and sharply. She did not expect that he would be so blunt and sharp as to be so inhuman.

However, Princess Chang Le, who had come from afar prepared, was not angry, because with Han Lei standing in her way, she was determined to speed up the process and obtain Zhao Zun.

She thought to herself: Men are like that! If you're made of steel, I'll just use a little softness. I refuse to believe I can't win you over! At worst, I'll just abandon all my reserve.

Thinking this, Princess Chang Le revealed what she considered her most charming smile, disregarding a woman's reserve, and gracefully and proactively moved closer to Zhao Zun's muscular thighs.

Her heart pounded like a drum, her cheeks flushed slightly, yet she still looked up firmly into Zhao Zun's deep, dark eyes.

She was very confident in her smile, but Zhao Zun's reaction was unexpected.

The cold light in his eyes was like a sharp sword in the cold night, piercing and intimidating, and his voice was deep and authoritative.

"Little girl, you have no self-respect!"

As they spoke, a flash of silver light appeared in the air, and the sharp sword was already pressed against Chang Le's fair neck, without missing a hair's breadth.

Chang Le's heart started racing for no reason, and she felt an unprecedented tension and fear.

This was the first time she had felt death so close, and the chilling sensation made her tremble involuntarily.

However, at this critical moment of life and death, Princess Chang Le discovered that although Zhao Zun's gaze was cold, it also exuded an indescribable charm.

It was a captivating masculine aura that, combined with his icy, piercing gaze, created an eerie harmony.

Princess Chang Le felt her heart pounding faster and faster, as if drawn by an invisible force. Even knowing that he would pierce her throat in the next instant, she couldn't help but want to be as close to him as a moth to a flame.

Seeing that Princess Chang Le was still smiling at him, Zhao Zun's icy voice became even sharper. "Get out of the way!"

He wanted to tell her to get lost, but Princess Chang Le was, after all, royalty, so he still gave her some face.

With a flick of his wrist, the sword struck Princess Chang Le's chin. She cried out in alarm and stumbled back several steps, her face pale with fright.

"Giddy up!" Zhao Zun gave her a cold, sidelong glance, spurred his horse, and rode off. Pingchuan followed closely behind, expressionless.

Luo Hai didn't recognize Princess Chang Le. His carriage was at the back. Luo Hai, who was watching the commotion by lifting the curtain, raised an eyebrow and shook his head helplessly.

His nephew is utterly incapable of showing any tenderness towards women. With his straightforward and stubborn nature, I have no idea how the delicate and sweet Miss Han could have fallen for him. He must have terrible taste!

Luo Hai seemed to have forgotten that his nephew was a completely different person in front of Han Lei.

……

After nearly two months of construction and reclamation, the wasteland has taken shape. From a high vantage point, the entire wasteland resembles a leaf, with cement roads and ditches crisscrossing and extending like the veins of a leaf, giving it the appearance of a new rural area.

Smoke was rising from the five large thatched huts that were the first to be built on the wasteland. Some women and children were preparing lunch under the huts.

Farmers are selecting and sowing seeds in the fields, while in the distance, waterwheels on the riverbank are using water power to carry water into ditches and out to various parts of the wasteland.

A row of neat, two-story cement buildings stands along the mountainside, their walls made of logs, stones, and concrete, and their roofs of logs and blue tiles. Most of the rooms are already completed and inhabited, while a small number are still under construction by craftsmen.

In the open space in front of the small building, carpenters and bamboo craftsmen were busy making tables, chairs, wooden beds, and doors and windows. The whole work scene was bustling with activity and well-organized.

The reason why Wei Dabao saw that fewer and fewer farmers were returning to Tongfu Building to rest each night was because the accommodation buildings built on the wasteland were gradually being completed, and some people had already been arranged to stay on the wasteland.

Luo Hai led Zhao Zun through the area, explaining things to him as they toured.

Looking at the neat and simple dormitory building, Zhao Zun stroked the gray-blue walls, filled with surprise, and couldn't help but murmur softly, "So, this is the girl's world?"

When they left Qingshui County last time, Han Lei left behind a large number of bags of cement, saying they were for repairing houses and roads. He had also imagined countless times what the wasteland project would look like after it was completed, but he never expected it to be so simple and orderly, yet so magnificent.

Looking around, these achievements all represented traces of Han Lei's time here, seemingly imbued with her vibrant spirit. Zhao Zun's large hand moved gently, as if caressing Han Lei's sweet and delicate cheek.

"How about it? This wall is sturdy, isn't it?" Luo Hai chuckled and pointed to a small gap: "I had someone use a shovel to knock this small gap in, and the rest of the wall is completely undamaged."

Zhao Zun's gaze fell on the small gap. He pressed down hard with his fingers, feeling the hardness of the concrete. "Indeed sturdy."

This notch was clearly the point of impact for the shovel; apart from this spot, there was no other damage whatsoever.

Luo Hai pointed to the discarded concrete blocks in the corner, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. "I even had them soaked in water for three days and three nights, and they were still just as hard. Miss Han is truly an extraordinary person. I wonder where she got this thing called cement from."

When Han Lei was mentioned, Zhao Zun's eyes dimmed slightly. He had already explored every corner of the wasteland project and inquired with many farmers and craftsmen, but still hadn't found any trace of Han Lei.

Just then, a yamen runner hurriedly ran towards them.

"My lord, my lord! The prefect has arrived at the county magistrate's office, saying he requests to see the Prince of Cangzhou!" the yamen runner shouted from afar.

Let's go, everyone! Thank you all for your support along the way.

(End of this chapter)