Surprised by An Yunyi's performance, Xi Xizhi looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Shouldn't a princess, upon hearing this news, first ask which country the man is from?
Why did the Fourteenth Princess turn pale and powerless upon hearing this news?
With the same doubts, An Honghan and Liu Fuqing also noticed An Yunyi's unusual behavior.
"Fourteenth Princess, are you feeling unwell?" Liu Fuqing asked.
Many people turned their attention to this side. An Yunyi's face was terribly pale, as if she might faint at any moment.
"Should I go and fetch the imperial physician?" Lin En instructed two palace maids to quickly help the Fourteenth Princess, fearing that she might fall.
Under the concerned gazes of many, after a long while, An Yunyi raised her hand and wiped away the cold sweat with a silk handkerchief, "No... there's no need to trouble the imperial physician, I'm fine."
An Yunyi's hands, hidden within her sleeves, clenched tightly as she spoke through gritted teeth, "Royal brother, I am still young. Many of my elder sisters are not yet married. How can I marry before them?"
Her words are reasonable and logical, but her previous behavior, coupled with what she said now, raises even more questions.
An Honghan's lips curled into a cold smile, but it vanished in an instant, leaving no trace.
"Aren't you going to ask which marriage I've arranged for you? The other party is the ideal husband that many women dream of. Aren't you afraid of missing a good opportunity by rejecting him so early?"
Everyone knows that His Majesty never jokes, so if he says so, the other person must be an extremely perfect ideal partner.
Many of the princesses present were eager to make a move, but none of them dared to act rashly because of the chilling aura emanating from An Honghan.
Situ Feiyu, who had been plied with wine by many ministers, was now quite drunk. His wrinkled face was flushed with intoxication, and unable to control himself, he let out a burp. "This...this humble subject dares to ask Your Majesty which country proposed marriage to Fengze Kingdom?"
He spoke haltingly and walked unsteadily, requiring the support of two eunuchs.
Liu Fuqing had always disliked his behavior, and seeing him in a drunken state only fueled his anger. He pointed at the eunuch beside him and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and prepare some hangover soup for Lord Situ!"
Stroking his gray beard, Liu Fuqing snorted and glared at Situ Feiyu.
Although he didn't say it aloud, anyone who saw his disgusted expression knew that he was cursing Situ Feiyu for disgracing the royal family.
He's supposed to be the prime minister of a country, yet he's so drunk he's in such a state—what kind of behavior is that!
The eunuchs and palace maids were good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that Lord Liu was so angry, they all quickened their pace and ran to instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare a hangover soup.
"Women can't stay at home forever, do you intend to stay in the palace for the rest of your life?"
An Honghan's tone seemed to have grown even colder, a chill emanating from him that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
An Yunyi, as the person involved, was naturally terrified. Although she had become the most favored princess, she still dared not be presumptuous in front of her brother.
Compared to the young lady beside her elder brother, she, as a princess, might not even be worth mentioning.
But the thought of getting married...
An Yunyi gritted her teeth and said, "If I could stay by my brother's side and serve him for a long time, I would be very willing to never get married."
Her evasive expression aroused suspicion.
Especially someone as intelligent as An Honghan, how could he not see the evasive meaning in An Yunyi's words?
Xi Xizhi was also extremely puzzled, as she understood very well what the word 'princess' meant to An Honghan.
If the other party is a good husband, it is best to marry him; otherwise, ending up like An Ruoyan would be the most tragic thing.
"Don't you want to think about it carefully?" Perhaps out of pity for the former Fourteenth Princess, Xi Xizhi couldn't help but ask.
This question made An Yunyi hesitate. She was worried that if she went against her brother's wishes, she would lose his favor.
But when she thought of the person who had silently supported her and given her advice to help her bring down An Ruoyan, she gritted her teeth and said again, "Everything Yunyi said is from the bottom of her heart. Yunyi is still young and only wants to stay by her brother's side. She is not in a hurry to get married."
With a crack, the wine glass in An Honghan's hand shattered.
All eyes were on An Honghan's palm. Fragments were falling from between his fingers, yet his hand remained unharmed. He coldly rebuked, "Everything I can give you, I can take back at any time. Just because you're not in a hurry doesn't mean others aren't. As a princess of a nation, you must be prepared to sacrifice yourself for your country at any time. Do you understand this?"
This was the first time An Honghan had said something so inhumane in front of everyone.
Everyone understood that while princesses enjoyed wealth and luxury, their greatest responsibility was to marry into a foreign land for political reasons, so the ministers tacitly agreed.
After all, it was Liu Fuqing who produced the letter, so he didn't want to make things too tense.
Taking two steps forward, Liu Fuqing nodded to the Fourteenth Princess and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty is also thinking about your life's important matter. You will surely be satisfied with this marriage. It would be unwise to refuse too early."
Liu Fuqing's words aroused the curiosity of many people.
It's unclear which country proposed the marriage alliance, but both An Honghan and Right Chancellor Liu Fuqing kept praising it.
Taking advantage of An Honghan's inattention, Xi Xizhi snatched the letter from his other hand. Seeing that An Honghan did not stop her, she stuck out her tongue and reluctantly opened the letter.
"The Third Prince of Huiying Kingdom has long admired the beauty of your Fourteenth Princess and has earnestly requested permission from His Majesty of Fengze Kingdom to marry her. He hopes His Majesty will grant his request." This simple sentence was slowly recited by Xi Xizhi in her awkward voice.
The words "Huiying Kingdom" reached everyone's ears, and many people's expressions first turned grim, then quickly improved.
Huiying Kingdom is a neighboring country of Jiu Kingdom, and its military and financial strength are similar to those of Lüyun Kingdom.
Because of its proximity to the Kingdom of Jiu, the Kingdom of Huiying has always coveted the Kingdom of Jiu, wanting to seize this prize for itself.
Despite its small land area, the Kingdom of Jiu is rich in real estate, and its wealth far exceeds that of other major countries.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com