Chapter 362 King You

After the turmoil involving the Northern Barbarian delegation subsided, the capital soon welcomed another grand event: the wedding of Princess Ping'an and Prince You, Gu Yanzhi, was approaching.

This King You was not of royal blood, but a king of a different surname who was granted the title by his ancestors for their outstanding military achievements. His fiefdom was Youzhou, located at the border between the north and the Central Plains. Although it was not the most prosperous, it was a strategically important military location and held a prestigious position.

According to the established rites, the wedding should be held in the capital, so King You arrived in the capital half a month in advance.

On this day, a banquet was held in the palace, both to celebrate the Northern Di's tribute and peace offer, to welcome King You back, and to discuss the specifics of the grand wedding.

The palace banquet was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, brightly lit, with toasts and laughter filling the air.

Civil and military officials, along with members of the imperial family and nobles, gathered to celebrate the temporary peace in the northern border and to welcome Prince You, Gu Yanzhi, who was about to get married.

Jiang Huan has been practicing yoga whenever she has free time lately, and she takes nourishing supplements with every meal. She doesn't know which one is working, but her morning sickness has eased a lot, and she has the energy to attend banquets with Huo Lin.

At this moment, she was sitting beside Huo Lin, a faint smile on her face, accepting the worship and greetings of everyone.

Of course, their eyes weren't idle either.

Actually, she had another purpose for coming today: to see the much-discussed Prince You, Gu Yanzhi.

He sat in the prince's seat, tall and handsome, with a calm and composed demeanor despite being only twenty-three or twenty-four years old.

When conversing with others, he speaks appropriately and responds with ease, maintaining the dignity of a prince without the slightest arrogance.

He was extremely considerate towards Princess Ping'an, acting like an impeccable fiancé.

Jiang Huan observed quietly. This Gu Yanzhi was indeed not like an ordinary member of the imperial family. Princess Ping'an had good judgment; this person was definitely not someone to be underestimated.

She pondered for a moment, then approached Huo Lin and asked softly, "That King You seems quite outstanding. His Gu family must be a very prestigious family in Youzhou, right?"

Huo Lin was taking a sip of wine when he heard this, so he put down his cup and explained to her: "The Gu family is indeed a prominent family in Youzhou, with generations of officials. Their ancestor, Gu Hong, was a fierce general under the Emperor Taizu. He made great contributions during the founding of the country and was granted the title of Youzhou, which was hereditary. He has been guarding the border for nearly a hundred years. The sons of the Gu family are mostly brave and good at fighting. They have a deep foundation in Youzhou and are very popular with the people."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Gu Yanzhi, who was chatting and laughing with someone not far away, and continued, "Gu Yanzhi is the outstanding member of the Gu family in this generation. He is skilled in both literature and martial arts. In his youth, he fought alongside his father and brothers and made military achievements. After inheriting the throne, he governed Youzhou in an orderly manner, and the border defenses were much more stable under his leadership."

Jiang Huan understood immediately and couldn't help but recall the original plot.

The Gu family has produced many capable people in each generation, which is truly remarkable. Princess Ping'an is also a very intelligent and insightful person.

It's not surprising that these two, with their combined strengths and resources, were able to dominate a region.

However, the cost of this plot is too high, and she will not allow the situation to be reversed.

Jiang Huan smiled slightly and didn't ask any more questions: "I see. As expected of a descendant of a prestigious family and a talented young man, Princess Ping'an is truly blessed to have such a good match."

Seeing that she looked normal, Huo Lin felt relieved. He gently placed her hand on the table and said in a low voice, "You've been sitting for a long time today. Do you feel tired? If you're not feeling well, I'll accompany you back to the palace first."

Jiang Huan grasped his fingers in return and smiled gently, "It's alright, let's watch for a while longer. It's lively here, it'll be stuffy going back."

Huo Lin asked no more questions. The two exchanged a smile and continued to watch the song and dance performance in the hall.

Two days later, He Ling came to Weiyang Palace to pay her respects and kept Jiang Huan company to relieve her boredom.

As they chatted, the conversation turned to Princess Ping'an, who was about to get married, and the renowned Prince You.

He Ling had also vaguely heard rumors that King You was not a simple person, and coupled with the occasional risk assessment from her system, she felt a little uneasy.

She leaned closer to Jiang Huan and whispered mysteriously, "Your Majesty, you said that Prince You doesn't seem like a simple character, and Princess Ping'an is so clever. If the two of them join forces, what if their power grows too great in the future? Could it be... you know?"

She winked and gave a knowing look.

“I think we should nip these potential risks in the bud, like in the storybook. Should we think of a way, like finding an excuse to postpone the wedding, or give King You a sinecure in the capital so he can’t go back to his fiefdom and has to keep an eye on things?”

The system further fueled her imagination: "Ding! Based on historical data simulation, the risk level of the target Gu Yanzhi and Princess Ping'an combination is medium to high."

"It is recommended that the host take intervention measures to reduce the potential threat. Points can be used to exchange for strategies such as sowing discord and using seduction..."

He Ling: [Shut up, I'm asking for Her Majesty's opinion!]

Jiang Huan couldn't help but laugh when she heard her terrible idea and the system's inappropriate sales pitch.

She reached out and poked He Ling's forehead: "You should stop reading those messy novels, they've all been led astray."

"Gu Yanzhi is capable and ambitious, which is not a bad thing. The court needs capable officials, but the key is how to use them. If we block other people's marriages and suppress capable officials because we are afraid of potential future risks, wouldn't that ruin our own future and discourage loyal ministers and generals?"

Looking at the bright sunshine outside the window, her voice was calm yet firm: "Besides, nothing in this world is perfect. If you're constantly anxious and trying to nip every possibility in the bud, how can you live your life?"

He Ling nodded as if she understood, "Your Majesty is right. I misunderstood."

He scratched his head again, "It's just that I always feel uneasy knowing a little about the future, and I keep thinking about whether I can do something to avoid it..."

Jiang Huan smiled and said, "The future is not static. It is much more important to do well in the present and strengthen ourselves than to worry about things that have not yet happened. If one day they choose the wrong path, we will deal with whatever comes our way. A wise ruler and virtuous ministers, and the people's hearts will be won over. This is the key to preventing disasters."

Upon hearing this, He Ling suddenly understood and looked at Jiang Huan with admiration: "Your Majesty, you see things very clearly. I was just being stubborn."

As expected of the Empress, her vision is truly grand!

[System, learn something! Stop all you do is issue warnings and try to sell me things by making me spend points!]

System: "...Data analysis in progress...Host's current emotion: admiration. It is recommended to learn more from the target person."

He Ling: 【…Why did you have to be so talkative? Hindsight is 20/20!】

Jiang Huan couldn't help but smile as she listened to their inner conversation.

She wasn't worried, nor was she blindly confident; rather, she believed that anything could be accomplished through human effort.

Her arrival changed many things; Huo Lin's fate and her own fate were both different, and the future would naturally be full of infinite possibilities.

Instead of worrying unnecessarily, we should live each day to the fullest and cherish everything she cares about.

Moreover, she and He Ling have a high level of intimacy, and she has enough system points to use.

If Gu Yanzhi does betray us in the end, the high-tech items we redeemed from the system shop will be enough to give him a hard time.