Chapter 460 The Welcome-Away Banquet 5

"It's nothing."

Gu Shuyan shook her head; she genuinely felt fine. She wasn't trying to be liked by everyone anyway; let people say what they want, it wouldn't change anything.

Seeing that Gu Shuyan was indeed alright, Madam Ji was somewhat relieved.

This minor incident had absolutely no impact on the welcoming banquet; the emperor wore a smile throughout, occasionally raising his glass to drink with the crown prince and others.

Because of Princess Chuxia's strange behavior today, Gu Shuyan's attention would inevitably be focused on her.

Seeing her seemingly searching for someone in the crowd, Gu Shuyan couldn't help but glance at everyone present. There weren't many people there today, so at a glance, it seemed that almost everyone who was supposed to be there was. But who exactly was Princess Chuxia looking for?

Or is this just another trap set by Princess Chuxia?

Gu Shuyan unconsciously narrowed her eyes, unable to discern the other party's specific intentions.

While Gu Shuyan was sizing up others, Sun Ruoyun was also observing her. Princess Chuxia's behavior today was indeed somewhat strange; she seemed to be deliberately targeting Gu Shuyan.

However, as Gu Shuyan said, Gu Shuyan was just a young lady who had returned to the capital a year ago. How could she have offended the other party so much that she was so concerned about her?

"Sister Shuyan, what do you think of the Crown Prince of Wei?"

Xu Shan'er, who was sitting not far away, quietly approached at some point. Looking at the handsome Crown Prince of Wei opposite her, a blush crept onto her face.

When Gu Shuyan turned around and saw her like this, she thought to herself that something was wrong. Judging from the girl's appearance, she probably had her eye on the Crown Prince of Wei.

"Although he is good-looking, the Crown Prince of Wei has too much murderous aura. We can't afford to offend someone like him."

Although Gu Shuyan did not yet know the true purpose of the Crown Prince of Wei's visit, she knew without a doubt that if Xu Shan'er fell in love with this person, it would not end well.

Gu Shuyan's warning was so blunt that Xu Shan'er understood perfectly; he was admonishing her.

There are some things that, even if you know them in your heart, you still can't help but want to care about the other person.

"Don't worry, Sister Shuyan! I know that a relationship between me and the Crown Prince of Wei is impossible, but that doesn't prevent other things from happening, does it?"

Even though it was only the first time Xu Shan'er and the Crown Prince of Wei had met, Xu Shan'er felt that she had fallen in love with him.

Although Xu Shan'er's face was slightly flushed, her eyes still revealed rationality and clarity, clearly indicating that she understood her situation very well.

Seeing this, Gu Shuyan wanted to offer some words of advice, but ultimately swallowed them back. "It's good that you know what's going on, but there's one thing you must remember: no matter what, never hurt yourself, otherwise Aunt Xiu and we will all be heartbroken."

Gu Shuyan's eyes were full of worry. Xu Shan'er nodded solemnly to her when she saw this, "Don't worry, Sister Shuyan, I will definitely not let Mother and you feel embarrassed."

Although Xu Shan'er may seem a bit mischievous at times, she is actually a very sensible child, especially compared to her peers, she is much more perceptive.

"Okay, I believe you."

Gu Shuyan nodded and gently patted Xu Shan'er's shoulder to comfort her.

Just as the two were whispering to each other, the Crown Prince of Wei, after receiving toasts from a group of people in the main hall, raised his wine cup to the Emperor and said, "Emperor of Great Zhou, I, on behalf of my father, would like to offer you a toast to thank you for your hospitality to the envoys of Wei."

Upon hearing this, the emperor naturally smiled and drank a cup of wine with the prince. After putting down the cup, he asked the Crown Prince of Wei, seemingly casually, "Your Highness, what brings you to the Great Zhou with Princess Chuxia this time?"

The emperor had been holding back these words for a long time, and only now did he finally find an opportunity to ask them.

The Crown Prince of Wei seemed to have anticipated the Emperor's question, so he quickly rose and led a group of Wei people to the center, where he and Princess Chuxia took the lead in bowing to the Emperor in the manner of the Yan Kingdom.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou, the Crown Prince has come to your country not only to promote trade between our two nations, but also to forge a lasting friendship with Great Zhou and solidify the relationship between our two countries."

More than a decade ago, the State of Wei once invaded the territory of the Great Zhou with a large army. However, because General Ji, the eldest son of the Ji family, was present at that time, Wei's dream of dividing up the land of the Great Zhou was shattered.

Over the past decade or so, although trade between the two countries has resumed, much of it has decreased. Their relationship has become one of mutual non-aggression; neither side mentions the past events, yet neither is willing to engage with the other.

I thought that after that incident, the relationship between Wei and Zhou would remain in this state for many years.

To the emperor's surprise, the Great Zhou Dynasty took the initiative to bring its princess to marry him, seeking to establish a marriage alliance.

"Oh?" The emperor asked in confusion, then inquired, "Is this the will of your Wei king?"

The emperor had actually suspected something when the princess of Wei appeared, but knowing it was one thing, and hearing the crown prince of Wei say it with his own ears was another, so the emperor couldn't help but be a little surprised.

For so many years, he had thought that given his relationship with the Emperor of Wei, the two countries would inevitably have a major war sooner or later in their lifetimes.

Who would have thought that the other side not only abandoned the idea of ​​war, but also took the initiative to send the Crown Prince of Wei to the Great Zhou, and even expressed that the two countries were willing to form a friendly alliance. The emperor unconsciously became more and more proud.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou, this is naturally my father's wish. Before he came, my father said that Wei and Great Zhou have been at peace for a hundred years. If we can establish another hundred years of friendship through this action, it will be a blessing for future generations."

The Crown Prince's words weren't just empty talk; he was simply using nice-sounding words to completely convey the meaning of the Wei Emperor.

As expected, the emperor's face immediately lit up with a smile upon hearing the crown prince's words.

For some reason, the emperor breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Speaking of which, I had a little misunderstanding with your emperor back then. It is rare that your monarch is so magnanimous. In that case, I should naturally grant the Wei emperor’s wish.”

The emperor's words meant that he agreed to the marriage alliance between the two countries, but the selection of the bride and groom might still need further consideration.

Just as the Empress had thought, the Emperor also did not want the princess of Wei to eventually marry one of his sons, thus causing a coup in the court.

He was now almost fifty years old, and the older a person gets, the more prone they are to overthinking things. Seeing his descendants eyeing his throne made the emperor very uneasy.