Meng Zhi-Xiang did not respond.

  He instead plucked a peony flower from the branch of a nearby tree and put it on Li's head.

  "It's really beautiful, I planted a patch of peonies for you outside the city, why don't we go take a look?" He said as he tried to help her up, but Li Shi remained still, staring at him with a sharp and resentful gaze.

  Meng Zhi-xiang's lips pursed slightly, and he didn't say another word or move again, maintaining the gesture of supporting her as if waiting for her to get up.

  But Li suddenly started coughing violently, that coughing sound, seemed like he was about to run out of breath!

  Meng Zhi-xiang saw this and his face turned deathly pale. He hastily helped her pat her back while loudly calling for someone to go fetch a doctor.

  Mr. Li coughed for a while and finally coughed up blood.

  Meng Zhi-xiang's eyebrows were scrunched up in concern, and he let out a loud shout, urging the midwife to hurry over. Just then, Li recovered from her exertion and grasped his hand: "No need! I'm fine now."

  "How can you say it's nothing?" Meng Zhi Xiang was indignant: "I've told you so many times, I don't want you to worry about my affairs, precisely because I'm afraid of this, and you..."

  "How can I not worry?" Li gazed into Meng Zhi-Xiang's eyes, her beautiful eyes welling up with tears: "You are my husband!"

  Meng Zhi-xiang was at a loss for words, he sat in stunned silence for a moment, then sat down beside her, but looked unhappy.

  "I know you're proud and arrogant, but I also know your inner ambitions." Li tightly grasped his hand: "It's said that a married woman follows her husband, I should have devoted myself to you, but...I'm the princess of the Tang Dynasty after all. With family and country to consider, it's hard for me, I...cough cough..."

  The excitement caused Li to cough again, and Meng Zhi Xiang helped her pat her back with a heartache, slowly, she calmed down again.

  Meng Zhi Xiang let out a sigh.

  "I know I can't stop you." Li's eyes were filled with resentment: "But at least you should have told me..."

  "Are you telling me?" Meng Zhi-Xiang suddenly became somewhat annoyed: "You're telling me so that I can make up my own mind, is that it?"

  Li was said to have been seen through, and immediately withdrew his hand, lowered his head and remained silent, quietly crumpling the blood-stained handkerchief into a ball.

  Meng Zhi Xiang tilted his head and looked at Li Shi, looking at the blood-soaked handkerchief in her hand, and reached out to grab her hand.

  "You were married to me at a young age, the noble Princess and sister of the King of Jin, yet you humbled yourself for me. I know that behind my back, the palace servants would gossip and mock you! At that time, I made a vow that one day I would let you hold your head high!"

  "Old Master..."

  "Listen to me, when I set foot in Shu territory that moment, I knew the opportunity had arrived. For this, I have been planning and scheming for thirty years, waiting for good news. But unexpectedly you are so worried and worn out, your body is getting weaker by the day, I..."

  Meng Zhi-xiang's eyes reddened at this point, and he choked back a sob: "I can't bear to see you like this. If I really have to give up now, and put aside the goal of my entire life, I won't be able to forgive myself! I really won't be able to forgive myself!"

  Who wants to be looked down upon?

  Who is willing to degenerate and not strive for progress?

  His family's ancestral glory had gradually declined, and by his generation it was almost in ruins.

  Once highly praised as a rare talent, but ultimately trampled underfoot and reduced to nothing.

  Intolerable, humiliating, making his innate blood boil and scream, and what he asks for becomes more and more!

  He endured humiliation and hardship, managing and calculating, all for the sake of revival!

  When he got the opportunity to come to Shu, came to this land of abundance, came to this mineral-rich and almost isolated region, his grand cause will naturally follow!

  But why can he come? Because he is the son-in-law of the Tang Dynasty, the daughter's husband of the Li family, and "a member of the family".

  His loss of control was that he would rebel, and in rebelling, Li's clan was the first to be blamed.

  Marry a chicken and follow the chicken, marry a dog and follow the dog. He thought his wife would accept reality and silently follow him, after all, he believed that their pride and dignity were tied together as two people.

  But her silence was gloomy, and her acceptance was enduring with a broken heart. As a result, she was left with only a faint spark of herself, which was precisely a satire to him - all his desires were tearing apart her glory.

  "Old master, don't say anything more." Li gave him a faint smile: "I won't ask you again from now on."

  Meng Zhi-xiang heard this and tightly grasped Li's hand: "Madam, I'm telling you these things today because I want to let you know that I won't make things difficult for you."

  Li looked at Meng Zhi-Xiang with a puzzled expression.

  Meng Zhi-Xiang took a deep breath, and with deep feeling and solemnly promised: "I grant you one wish, as long as you live, I will never raise my flag, I swear to let you, this Grand Princess of the Great Tang, be dignified and worry-free."

  Love and great career, who doesn't want them?

  When two things cannot be obtained at the same time, how to choose?

  Meng Zhi-xiang gave the answer, at this moment, Li's heart melted into a sea of sincerity, her tears gushing down, she threw herself into Meng Zhi-xiang's arms: "With a husband like you, even if I die standing up, I will have no regrets!"

  Meng Zhi-xiang heard this and tightly hugged his wife, stroking her back. He raised his head to gaze at the distant blooming hibiscus flowers, recalling the day they got married.

  The beauty under her veil is unparalleled, shy and gentle, without a hint of disdain for the humble him.

  "My lord, you have humiliated the princess." At that time, he was as humble as mud, still immersed in the pain of being pierced by those words at the banquet.

  "Old man, you're drunk." She said softly, holding his hand: "A family shouldn't speak of two families' affairs."

  What is love?

  He didn't know before and never changed his extravagant ideas.

  But in that instant, he knew he had fallen in love with this woman, not for her princess status, nor for her beautiful face, nor for her gentle and affectionate nature, but because she didn't look down on him.

  In this mundane world, he is the most beautiful one; he is fortunate to have obtained him.

  ……

  "Didn't you say that you would catch the counter-revolutionary?" Ma Xifan looked at Zhao Jichang, with discontent clearly visible in his eyes.

  "Your Majesty is blessed, the altar of the land and grain is blessed. This time, no unusual movements have been discovered, your throne and country are extremely stable."

  Ma Xi's voice trailed off for a moment, then the dissatisfaction on his face disappeared, replaced by a smug expression: "I told you so, once Qi Wang is dead, there won't be any more danger, what are you all..."

  "We caught four people." Zhao Jichang's sudden words confused Ma Xisheng, who stared at Zhao Jichang: "Didn't you say there were no suspicious persons?"

  "Your Majesty, this time there is indeed no unusual movement, but you are concerned about the other princes. After consulting with the Right Chancellor, I think it's better to use a strategy of killing one to warn the others..."

  "Get to the point." Ma Xi couldn't be bothered with beating around the bush.

  "When the funeral was held, we arrested those who had recently been close to Liu Gongzi and those who had been in close contact with Qi Wang. Your Majesty, if they were severely punished, who would dare to make a move under the imperial court?"

  "Oh, I see......" Ma Xi nodded, but couldn't help feeling worried: "But then, won't the Left Chancellor and the others......"

  "Your Majesty, you are the great king of Chu State!" Zhao Jichang said calmly: "Whoever dares to question you, that person's heart is truly... rotten to the core!"