"What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly!"

With Yuan Xiu's encouragement and reassurance, Lu Zhao finally raised his head and said, "Diplomacy is all about interests and face-saving. The Southern Zhou wants to marry the princess of our Great Jing for the purpose of maintaining peace. They want the eldest princess not because the second prince is so infatuated with her, but simply because the eldest princess holds the most importance in His Majesty's heart. Once the eldest princess marries into the family, their interests will be maximized."

"On the contrary, if another princess were sent, the goal of maintaining peace could also be achieved, but their interests would be reduced."

Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, Lu Zhao emphasized and continued, "If we openly try to weaken their interests, it will exacerbate the conflict between the two countries. At this point, we need to give them a way out."

Yuan Xiu nodded and said, "That makes sense, go on!"

"The Southern Zhou specifically requested the Eldest Princess because she hasn't found a husband yet. If we find a husband for her, wouldn't we have a reason to refuse?"

"Although Zhou Jinghuan could guess that we had temporarily chosen a consort for the princess, as long as the consort was indeed chosen, it would be a way out for Southern Zhou."

"Then His Majesty can offer Zhou Jinghuan some benefits, or as His Majesty said, let him take two princesses back with him. That way, Zhou Jinghuan can save face and go back to report his success."

Yuan Xiu's eyes lit up as he listened, and he exclaimed, "Wonderful!"

As he spoke, he pointed at Lu Zhao and laughed, saying, "Lord Lu, you truly deserve to be the Minister of Rites; this is a brilliant idea!"

"Left Prime Minister, Elder Mu, what do you two think?"

Wen Tai nodded and said, "I think it's a good idea!"

"This old minister also thinks this method is feasible, however..." Mu Shanyue hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, if we are in such a hurry to find a consort for the Princess, will the Princess agree?"

“Sigh, there has to be a choice!” Yuan Xiu frowned and said, “Staying in the palace is better than marrying far away to Southern Zhou! I will talk to my elder sister myself. Let’s get through this first. If the consort can’t satisfy my elder sister in the future, then we can just have an accident happen to him.”

"Cough cough!" Mu Shanyue almost choked on his own saliva.

Yuan Xiu added, "That's true, but it would be best to find a suitable husband for my elder sister. You all know her age; she's two years older than me, twenty-three, and it's time for her to get married!"

"Now that we've discussed this much, can you think of any suitable candidates?"

Mu Shanyue closed his eyes, as if deep in thought. Lu Zhao lowered his head again, looking down at his nose and contemplating his inner thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Wen Tai said, "I have someone to recommend."

"Oh? The person recommended by the Left Prime Minister must be extremely outstanding." Yuan Xiu squatted down on the imperial desk, looking at Wen Tai with curiosity, and urged, "Tell me quickly, whose son is it?"

Wen Tai said, "Lord Sha County."

Yuan Xiu exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Sha County? Isn't that your nephew, Wen Hu??"

Wen Tai nodded and said, "It is indeed my nephew, Wen Hu."

Mu Shanyue suddenly laughed and said, "Left Prime Minister, you really don't avoid suspicion!"

"Recommend the virtuous without regard to personal relationships!"

Wen Tai said earnestly, "His Majesty knows about my family's situation. My eldest son is mediocre, and my younger sons are still young. The Left Prime Minister's residence cannot function without Wen Hu's management, which shows that he has the ability to manage the household."

“Wenhu did not rely on my connections back then. After entering the army, he started as a soldier. He was hardworking, fearless, and earned his military achievements by fighting his way up. After years of service, he made numerous military merits and finally earned the title of Earl of Shaxian. Later, because of my reasons, he withdrew from the army to avoid suspicion, but he has already proven himself to be an excellent military general.”

"But he also has a weakness, which is that he doesn't like to read. But ever since I talked to him about it, he has started to study history books and military strategy diligently, and he is thinking about having the opportunity to make contributions to the Great Jing again in the future."

"Although he is already 28 years old, he is focused on his career and has not yet married."

Wen Tai bowed deeply to Yuan Xiu and said, "After much thought, I believe no one is more suitable than him."

Lu Zhao echoed, "I trust the Left Chancellor's judgment. To recommend truly capable people while avoiding relatives would be disloyal to the court."

Yuan Xiu did not reply immediately, but stared at Wen Tai for a while before jumping down from the imperial desk and saying, "Wen Hu is indeed a talented person, and I think highly of him. The Left Chancellor's recommendation of him is correct."

"Does he...have concubines?"

Wen Tai immediately replied, "Absolutely not!"

"So what if I have one!" Yuan Xiu waved his hand dismissively, "I'm twenty-eight years old, surely I have a woman by my side?"

Wen Tai firmly stated, "Really not!"

"That's really pitiful for him..." Yuan Xiu sighed, "Alright, then it's him!"

Wen Tai breathed a sigh of relief, not expecting the emperor to agree so readily.

"I will speak to my elder sister, but Prime Minister, you should think this through. As I just said, if my elder sister is dissatisfied in the future and something happens to Wen Hu, it will be a loss for our Great Jing!"

Wen Tai said solemnly, "I am merely making a recommendation. If Wen Hu is fortunate enough to become the imperial son-in-law, but fails to fulfill the duties of a son-in-law, that is his problem!"

"Good! That's exactly what I wanted to hear from the Left Chancellor!"

Yuan Xiu became happy, shook his sleeves, and laughed, "This matter is settled then. After the state banquet, I will confront Zhou Jinghuan!"

...

After watching Zhao Cheng enter the house, Zhao Wu and Xia Qiqiu were seated in the pavilion outside the house by Heng Wenhao. Soon after, someone brought them wine and snacks.

Heng Wenhao stayed in the pavilion with them, chatting with Xia Qiqiu and occasionally glancing up at the house.

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