The enemy is at the gates

"Do you know what you're saying?!" Li Yunrui stood up abruptly after hearing Fu Ming'an's words. Although he knew there was something fishy about the Pu Yuan envoy's audience and was prepared, he hadn't expected them to target Li Wuyou. Li Yunrui knew Li Wuyou's position in the Emperor's heart. Naturally, he couldn't agree to it, but his position was awkward. He couldn't decide Li Wuyou's future, yet the power of life and death was in his hands. "Your subject, of course I know," Fu Ming'an smiled, looking up at Li Yunrui. "Your Highness, you just said that you can still make decisions on some matters, didn't you? What... you can't make the decision on the Princess's marriage?" Li Yunrui sensed a hint of provocation in Fu Ming'an's words, but due to the relations between the two countries, he couldn't react. He could only reply in a deep voice, "Li Wuyou is the eldest daughter of Yan Yun, and Father Emperor dotes on her. Although I am the Crown Prince, I only act as regent. The matter of the marriage can only be decided after Father Emperor returns."

"While the Crown Prince's words are reasonable, and I understand, it's just... our Emperor is impatient and may not be able to wait! Please give me an answer regarding the Emperor's return date so I can write back to Pu Yuan and reassure our Emperor." Fu Ming'an bowed, raising his hands in a gesture of respect above his head. Though his voice sounded sincere and urgent, a slight smile played on his lips. Before his mission to Yan Yun, he had thought Li Yunrui was quite capable, but now it seemed he was nothing more than a cowardly and indecisive useless man. How could Li Yunrui know when the Emperor would return? Ever since the Emperor visited the Grand Palace, he had never mentioned when he would return. Now, faced with Fu Ming'an's question, he was at a loss for words.

"My father is the Emperor of Yanyun; how could he share his whereabouts with us? However, I will inform him myself and urge him to return as soon as possible." Seeing Li Yunrui's somewhat embarrassed state, Fu Ming'an straightened up instead of bowing. "Your Highness, we have come from the Mo family of Puyuan, and naturally cannot wait too long. Winter is approaching, and Your Highness knows that the weather in the Mo family is harsh, making it impossible for anyone to leave in winter. The Emperor's return date is uncertain; you must give us some time! Our delegation cannot wait half a year for the sake of this Yanyun ruler's word. Although Yanyun is a great power, I hope Your Highness has not forgotten history. Puyuan and Yanyun were both once powerful states! Do not underestimate your enemy, Your Highness."

Li Yunrui was somewhat embarrassed, but unsure how to handle the situation. Although he wanted to refuse outright, he couldn't be so blunt out of respect for the Emperor. He suppressed his anger and said in a steady voice, "I know what I'm doing. However, as an envoy, Lord Fu should be aware of his position. While it's true that envoys are not to be killed in war, I hope you'll observe more and speak less. You should know where you are right now."

Although displeased, they could only offer a few perfunctory remarks, and the banquet ended unhappily, a forced attempt to save face. The personal guard, previously instructed by Fu Ming'an, walked at the rear of the delegation. Seeing a palace maid passing by, the guard suddenly turned around. "Miss, you've dropped your hairpin!" The maid turned back but didn't rush to look for it. Instead, she glanced at the guard, smiled, and said, "Your Excellency has excellent eyesight. I thank you." She was about to bend down to pick it up when the guard beat her to it, picking up the hairpin and handing it to the maid, saying, "If you wish to express your gratitude, please pay me a visit another day."

The young eunuch leading the way stopped when he saw that some people hadn't followed. He asked in a high-pitched voice, "My lords, are you sure you want to keep up? This is the palace. If anything goes wrong, I'll lose ten heads!" Fu Ming'an glanced at the guards and palace maids, then quickly stepped forward to block the young eunuch's view. He cupped his hands in apology and said, "Sir, we really didn't know the rules. My subordinate has never seen a woman before and has been single since birth. It's only after arriving in Yanyun that he's seen such a beautiful girl. We're truly sorry!" Upon hearing this, the young eunuch looked down on Pu Yuan even more. They used to be citizens of Da Ruan, so how could the difference be so vast now? An envoy, seeing a palace maid as if he were seeing an empress!

The guard watched the palace maid leave with a meaningful look, then put on an embarrassed expression, "I'm sorry, sir, I... I just couldn't move when I saw the young lady." Fu Ming'an didn't say anything, only reminding him that this was the palace and he shouldn't be presumptuous. Seeing that Fu Ming'an had already said so, the little eunuch realized it wouldn't be appropriate for him to make a scene, so he made a gesture of invitation, "Gentlemen, this way please..."

Seeing the delegation had gone far away, the palace maid looked at the hairpin in her hand, pulled hard, and the hairpin broke in two, with the letter sandwiched in the middle. She breathed a sigh of relief, quickly put the hairpin back in place, and inserted it into her hair bun.

"Everything is ready, except for the east wind." Rong Ji put down the letter in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips, indicating a good mood. She had endured so much humiliation and hardship for so many years, sacrificing her youth and beauty, and even fathering a child with a man she didn't love. Now... after so much planning and scheming, she had finally taken the first step. "Go to the Eldest Princess's side, let's try to get that east wind blowing," Fu Ming'an's letter stated bluntly. With the Emperor absent and the Crown Prince timid and unable to handle the situation, if they informed the Eldest Princess about her impending marriage, the matter would undoubtedly escalate to a new level.

Rong Ji knew that Li Wuyou would be in the garden tending to the flowers and plants at this time. Although Li Wuyou had been spoiled by Emperor Yun for many years, he was still like the late Empress in his heart. He was simple-minded and liked to tinker with flowers and plants. He had been playing with Li Yunye since he was a child. "Wu You!" Rong Ji, carrying two hand warmers, walked to Li Wu You's side and called softly. Li Wu You heard the voice, turned around, saw Rong Ji, and nodded with a smile. "Who is it! It's Consort Rong." Li Wu You stood up, dusted off her hands, and took the handkerchief handed to her by a maid. She said, "Your Highness seems to be free today. Come and sit here with me when you have time." Although Li Wu You didn't care about the affairs of the court and the harem, she could still see some things clearly. Rong Ji was the fourth prince's birth mother. As the saying goes, like mother, like son. The two were in cahoots. Her coming to see her must not be for any good reason. But Li Wu You naturally wouldn't expose her. Although she didn't know what Rong Ji's purpose was, she didn't put on a bad face and offend Rong Ji. Rong Ji pushed the hand warmer stove in his hand into Li Wuyou's hands, and pulled Li Wuyou up to walk towards the pavilion, saying as they walked, "Princess, how old are you? You still don't know how to take care of yourself. If your father knew, how could he feel at ease letting you marry so far away!"

"Married far away?" Li Wuyou frowned. "Didn't I say I have no intention of getting married? Don't let him worry about it!" Li Wuyou was already of marriageable age. Over the years, Emperor Yun had been searching for a suitable husband for her, hoping to give her a good home, but Li Wuyou's heart wasn't in it. "Princess, don't you know?" Rong Ji looked at Li Wuyou incredulously, then dismissed the servants before lowering his voice and saying, "Princess, don't you know that the envoy from Pu Yuan has come to propose marriage?"

These words stunned Li Wuyou, who stumbled back several steps, finally managing to steady herself by leaning against a pillar. "A marriage proposal? From whom?" "Yes, an envoy from Puyuan has come to propose marriage to His Majesty, hoping the princess will marry into Puyuan to strengthen relations between the two countries. It's just a pity that His Majesty is not in Xiling, and although the Crown Prince is acting as regent, he doesn't dare to make a decision... Sigh?! Where is the princess rushing off to in such a hurry?" Watching Li Wuyou flee the garden as if escaping, Rong Ji slowly sat down, sneering, "Send a message to Lord Fu, saying that the east wind has been sent, and let him do as he pleases!"

Li Yunrui was somewhat agitated, partly angered by Fu Ming'an's offense at the state banquet earlier that day, and partly feeling powerless about his own incompetence. Removing his court robes, Li Yunrui quietly approached Lin Xiaomei's room. It was early afternoon, and fearing Lin Xiaomei might be resting, he quietly went in first to check on her. "Your Highness, just come in directly, why the sneaking around?" Lin Xiaomei chuckled, covering her mouth. "Your Highness, are you coming here like a thief?" Seeing that Lin Xiaomei wasn't resting, Li Yunrui straightened up and went over. "I was just worried you might be resting! I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to come see you. How have you been?"

"Everything is fine naturally," Lin Xiaomei placed Li Yunrui's hand on her pregnant belly. "Look, the baby has been moving a lot these days; it'll definitely be a little prince." Li Yunrui smiled; half of the worries from the court had vanished because of the baby and Lin Xiaomei. "I heard that Lord Tang Feng is coming back." Li Yunrui paused, then looked at Lin Xiaomei. "How did you know?" Since becoming pregnant, Lin Xiaomei had rarely left the house; how could she possibly inquire about such matters? Besides, she herself didn't even know about it.

"Your Highness," Lin Xiaomei said, "my family still has some connections. These past few days, you've been incredibly busy, mainly because you haven't had anyone reliable to help you. Lord Shen is good, but with so many things piled on him, he's bound to be overwhelmed. I know a little about Lord Tang's trip to the Qiang and Hu tribes; he's decisive and responsible. Your Highness should definitely make the most of him after his return!" Lin Xiaomei's words made Li Yunrui fall into deep thought. Since Tang Feng left, although he had missed him, he knew Tang Feng's personality—once he made a decision, nothing could change it—so he hadn't placed his hopes on him. Now, with Lin Xiaomei's suggestion, Li Yunrui had some ideas.

"Yunrui!" While Li Yunrui was still deep in thought, Li Wuyou barged in despite the servants' attempts to stop him. Li Wuyou glanced at Lin Xiaomei, then at Li Yunrui, and realized he had been rash. Although he felt somewhat apologetic, the matter was too important for him to leave. After a brief standoff, Lin Xiaomei stood up and said, "If Your Highness is busy, I will go sit with my mother first. Elder sister, you and Your Highness can chat at your leisure. I won't disturb you." With Li Yunrui's permission, Lin Xiaomei left.

"What brings you here, elder sister?" Li Yunrui looked up at Li Wuyou, her face blank. "Did the envoy from Puyuan send me to a marriage alliance? Am I going to be married off to a distant place?!" Li Wuyou's voice trembled with tears, and her body shook uncontrollably. Li Yunrui was startled, then said in a deep voice, "Who told you that?" "Never mind who told me, is it true?" Pressed by Li Wuyou, Li Yunrui lost her composure and could only confess, "It is true... but I did not agree. Elder sister's marriage is a major event in Yan Yun. Without Father's return, I naturally would not agree."

"No, simply refusing isn't enough! Even if I don't marry Huaitang, but a man from Yanyun, I will never stoop to marrying Puyuan! Yanyun has always been a strong and prosperous nation, when has it ever needed women for protection? Besides, why should we, the women of Yanyun, become sacrifices for the relationship between our two countries! Yunrui, reject this marriage proposal!" These words, though true, left Li Yunrui extremely embarrassed, unsure how to respond to Li Wuyou for a long time. "Yunrui! Say something!" Seeing Li Wuyou's anxiety, Li Yunrui couldn't refuse. After all, Li Wuyou's position in the Yun Emperor's heart was undeniable. Even if the two countries went to war, the Yun Emperor probably wouldn't send Li Wuyou for a marriage alliance. If that were the case, wouldn't his father praise his decision if he directly rejected the Puyuan envoy's request? With a sliver of hope, Li Yunrui agreed to Li Wuyou's request.

Li Yunrui was efficient and didn't delay. Before the day was over, he invited Fu Ming'an to the palace again. This time, Fu Ming'an knew the time had come. He quickly tidied himself up and followed the eunuch who delivered the message into the palace. Looking up at Li Yunrui on the seat, Fu Ming'an showed no nervousness. He bowed generously and stood up to wait for Li Yunrui to speak. "Lord Fu, I am grateful for the Crown Prince Pu Yuan's kindness, but my Yan Yun is a vast and prosperous land, peaceful and prosperous. We are not so weak as to need a princess to marry into our country to maintain relations. Furthermore, my father has always doted on my elder sister, and naturally he would not agree to this marriage. Therefore, esteemed envoys, please forgive me for not being able to agree." Fu Ming'an, who had already anticipated the outcome, was not angry and cupped his hands in greeting. "It is true that the eldest princess is the treasure of the Yan Yun Emperor, but our Crown Prince is also the apple of our Pu Yuan Emperor's eye! Your Highness, when you mention the word 'marriage into our country,' I cannot bear to hear it. In any case, the area north of Mu Xi was once the territory of Da Ruan. Your Yan Yun Emperor rebelled first, and we have not even called you traitors yet, but you say that the princess marrying into our country is a marriage into our country. I don't know who is wronged by this marriage. It is fine if the princess marries into our country, and we, Pu Yuan, will naturally not wrong the princess. But if the princess does not marry, there are 100,000 of Pu Yuan's troops stationed outside Xiling City!"