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Upon hearing the old man beside him, Wu Ming's entire demeanor sank, for this elder was sent by his father, the emperor, to protect him but also to watch over him.

The attitude of this elder represented his father's stance; since the elder said that Princess Wu, Wu Junwan, could not possibly betray the interests of Great Wu, it implied that in the elder's view, there was nothing wrong with the trade cooperation document.

The elder was clearly reminding him not to act rashly and to stop making a fuss.

Wu Ming also knew that if he continued making trouble and caused the trade agreement to not be signed, he would surely face trouble from his father upon his return to Great Wu.

With this thought, Wu Ming let out a cold snort and then said, "Fine, very well, this prince will remember this incident!"

Having said that, Wu Ming sat down abruptly and then fell silent, saying no more.

Seeing Wu Ming's anger, Lu Chen simply smiled faintly; this was precisely the effect he had wanted. He had never intended to let Wu Ming sign the trade cooperation document.

Lu Chen's suggestion that Wu Ming should sign was to make him believe that the credit he thought within easy reach had been snatched away by the despicable tactics of Princess Wu, Wu Junwan, thereby exacerbating the conflict between them and intensifying the infighting within Great Wu.

Great Sum was in a rather pessimistic situation, and Great Wu needed to be thrown into chaos as well. Only if Great Wu was in disarray would Great Sum, despite an internal war, face only internal strife without external threats.

Without external threats, even fierce internal conflicts within Great Sum would still be a matter among its own people.

If Great Wu had no issues internally when Great Sum was engulfed in civil war, then Great Wu would be likely to launch an attack against Great Sum, and the simultaneous internal and external pressures could potentially lead to Great Sum's downfall.

Although Lu Chen planned to continue keeping a low profile, he did not wish to see Great Sum be destroyed by Great Wu at this time.

At this moment, Princess Wu, Wu Junwan, had signed her name on the trade cooperation document and then stamped it with the seal of Princess Wu. On Lu Chen's side, the King Seal had already been affixed.

The two parties then exchanged scrolls; after both had signed and stamped the second document, they exchanged them again for safekeeping.

Lu Chen then smiled and said, "Princess, let's wish for a pleasant cooperation between Great Wu and the North Country!"

Princess Wu, Wu Junwan, smiled graciously and replied, "Yes, a pleasant cooperation."

Hearing their conversation, Wu Ming inwardly cursed, "Damn couple!"

Though he felt uncomfortable inside, Wu Ming did not cause trouble at this time.

Once the trade cooperation document was signed, Lu Chen held another banquet in the Hall of Political Affairs to entertain the members of the Great Wu delegation.

After the lunch banquet was over, Princess Wu, Wu Junwan, and her entourage prepared to return to Great Wu, having spent so long in the North Country, it was time to head back.

Just as Princess Wu was about to leave, a soldier approached her and said, "Princess, my lord, the Prince, wishes to meet with you alone."

At these words, Princess Wu was slightly taken aback.

The trade cooperation document was already signed; what was the point of meeting alone now?

Nevertheless, Princess Wu decided to give the North Prince this opportunity. She wanted to see what this young man intended to do.

Afterward, Princess Wu said, "Alright, lead the way."

The soldier from the Prince's Mansion then led Princess Wu to the outer courtyard of the mansion, with Pei Hong following closely behind her. As they were about to enter the courtyard, the Prince's Mansion soldier addressed Pei Hong, "Your Excellency, please wait at the entrance. The Prince intends to have a private conversation with the Princess."

At this, Pei Hong was momentarily stunned. He frowned and said, "I am the Princess's Protector. Wherever she goes, I naturally follow to ensure her safety."

The previous two times Lu Chen met with Princess Wu had been in private, and each time Pei Hong had been extremely anxious. But those times they hadn't signed the trade cooperation document yet, and now that they were about to return to the Great Wu Dynasty, who knew what the North Prince might do to Princess Wu.

At this point, Princess Wu said, "Protector Pei, don't worry. You just wait here for a while. The North Prince is unlikely to have anything important to discuss with me, I will come out shortly."

Seeing that Princess Wu had spoken, Pei Hong had no choice but to respond, "Alright, Your Highness, please be careful."

Princess Wu then proceeded directly into the courtyard.

At this time, Lu Chen was already seated in the pavilion.

Seeing Princess Wu enter the courtyard, Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, "I thought the Princess might not come."

With that, Lu Chen gave Princess Wu a once-over.

Like last time, Princess Wu donned a purple gown. The sheer fabric draped over her full figure, suggestive yet veiled, sparking infinite imaginings. Her entire presence exuded a mature and dignified air that attracted Lu Chen, just like Chu Yuqin, Lin Wanyun, and Yelv Nanyan—their aura was irresistibly appealing to him.

Feeling Lu Chen's gaze lingering on her, Princess Wu's brows knitted slightly.

She had always been held in high regard, later becoming a princess recognized by the Martial Emperor, and in this world, there were very few who dared to look at her the way the North Prince did, especially in the Great Wu Dynasty where those who dared to gaze at her so directly were even fewer, let alone with such suggestive eyes.

Princess Wu took a seat at the stone table, gracefully sitting down as her curves slightly sank into the seat. She then asked directly, "May I know why the North Prince has sought to meet with me?"

Lu Chen poured her a cup of tea and then said, "It's simply because the Princess is returning to Great Wu. I cannot bear the parting, so I wished to see the Princess one last time. I also wonder when I will have the chance to see the Princess again."