"The second prince is right. What are your thoughts on the letter of state sent by Northern Liang this time, Prince Yu?"
Nangong Chiyu stepped forward and said, "As far as I know, the Emperor of Beiliang is sickly and there are no princesses in the palace. The harem is full of incompetent people."
Most of the power in Northern Liang is controlled by Regent Ye Beihan. With Ye Beihan in power, now is not a good time to conquer Northern Liang.
Nangong Chiyu's implication was that he agreed to allow the region to recuperate, but he also informed the court officials that Beiliang had no princess.
If Northern Liang really chooses the path of marriage alliance, then they can only select a noblewoman from the ancestral hall, bestow upon her the title of princess, and send her to marry into the Northern Liang.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that Ye Beihan is the fifth son of the Northern Liang Emperor. He is ruthless, vicious, and full of cunning schemes."
Since he made his name known, only he and the seventh son of the Northern Liang emperor remained among the princes of the Northern Liang royal family. He could have been the one to sit in the position of the emperor, but instead he became the regent.
It is therefore easy to imagine that the royal family of Northern Liang was in utter chaos, and the day of its downfall was just around the corner!
The speaker was Yan Honglang, the Prime Minister who was revered by thousands.
He rose through the ranks by passing the imperial examinations, and his keen insight into matters earned him the emperor's favor.
"Oh! Minister Yan also believes that it is best for the two countries to make peace first?"
"Yes! But if this Princess of Beiliang is to be chosen from among the noble ladies of the imperial family, has Your Majesty considered which prince you intend to betroth her to?"
These words from Prime Minister Yan were also what troubled the emperor the most.
“Father, the Crown Prince and I already have principal wives. This Princess of Beiliang cannot be a concubine. Please reconsider, Father.”
Nangong Jingyao truly lives up to his reputation as someone who can rival the Crown Prince; his mind works incredibly fast. By arranging a marriage alliance with Beiliang, all his years of efforts have been in vain.
If the Crown Prince is involved in refusing the marriage alliance, the Emperor will not blame him alone, and the Crown Prince will take the blame if anything happens.
"Yes, Father, I already have a principal wife to share the burden of the country. My third brother can also contribute. He has always been a loner, which is perfect for him."
"alright!"
The emperor was displeased upon hearing this and continued, "This matter is not yet settled. I will make my decision when the time comes."
Nangong Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to marry a princess from an enemy country he had never met, even though there was someone impossible in his heart.
Whether that day will bring good or bad fortune will only be known once the imperial advisor calculates it.
Seeing the emperor's signal, the head eunuch raised his voice.
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned!"
The court session was finally adjourned. This was the first time Su Luo had stood and listened to people speak for so long. In matters of state, the Ministry of Agriculture had no say in such things.
After waiting a while, just as the ministers were about to say that nothing was wrong, a discordant voice came from behind them.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Nangong Chiyu stepped forward, wondering what he was up to now.
"Prince Yu? Is there anything else, Prince Yu?"
As long as it didn't harm Nangong Qing, the emperor would be in a good mood. Besides the chief eunuch around him, only the imperial advisor knew about this matter.
"Your Majesty, I have a chronic illness that has caused me to forget many things from my past. Recently, after receiving acupuncture from the Vice Minister of Agriculture, I seem to be able to recall some fragments of my past."
"It is highly likely that I still have family members alive, and my wife, children, and widow may still be well. Therefore, I request Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering the Deputy Minister of Agriculture to treat me."
Su Luo was reluctant, because she knew that acupuncture was not very effective in awakening a person's memory.
However, when the emperor heard Nangong Chiyu's words, it was interpreted differently. He said that the emperor had a wife, children, and widow who were still alive, which was a very serious matter.
If Nangong Chiyu were to marry, how could he possibly betroth his beloved Manyu to him? A princess would never become a concubine.
"I have heard of the Vice Minister of Agriculture's medical skills. In that case, I hereby order the Vice Minister of Agriculture to treat Prince Yu until he is fully recovered, and he shall not disobey."
The emperor has his eye on her and won't even give her a chance to resist.
"I...obey your order..."
After the court session, Nangong Qing wanted to leave with Su Luo, but the emperor summoned her and overheard the ministers discussing the possibility that he wanted to discuss the marriage alliance with Nangong Qing.
Nangong Qing is a prince, and Su Luo can't interfere if he's willing.
After leaving the main hall, Su Luo asked Lin Kaiji which minister was the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.
Lin Kaiji pointed to a thin old man who was walking with his eyes squinted, and walked on his own without saying a word to him.
Du Siyuan said he was only fifty-seven years old, but he looked like he was well into his sixties.
"Does Minister Su have business with the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?"
Su Luo nodded: "There's something I'd like to ask him for help with."
"Alright, when Minister Su has some free time, come to the Lin residence and we will discuss the seed matters for spring planting."
"Okay, I won't forget my responsibilities."
After saying goodbye to Lin Kaiji, Su Luo just wanted to catch up with the thin old man as soon as possible.
But Nangong Chiyu followed Su Luo closely after leaving the main hall.
"Prince Yu, I don't have time to give you acupuncture today, another day..."
Nangong Chiyu persisted, glancing sideways at Su Luo: "My illness is urgent. What could the Deputy Minister of Agriculture possibly have that is more important than my illness?"
Su Luo ignored him, her eyes fixed on Nie Hanlin, afraid that he would disappear around some corner.
"I really don't have time. Too much acupuncture is not good for my health!"
"Su Luo, do you intend to defy the imperial decree?"
This is another threat to Su Luo. What Su Luo hates most is being threatened. Now that she's in the capital, Nangong Chiyu is always trying to outdo her.
"Alright, alright! I'll give you acupuncture after I'm done with my work, okay?"
Nangong Chiyu didn't want to wait even a day longer. Since Su Luo said she was busy with her own affairs, he would follow her and wait for her.
If he could recall two images every time he received acupuncture, Nangong Chiyu thought that it wouldn't be long before he could remember them both.
After chasing for a while, Su Luo finally caught up with the old man. The two bowed to each other, and Nie Hanlin spoke first.
"Vice Minister of Agriculture, Prince Yu, why have you stopped me?"
When facing Su Luo, Nie Hanlin was cautious and apprehensive. Su Luo's achievements were such that the entire court could not utter a single word of rebuttal.
But she was, after all, a businesswoman. Businessmen are profit-driven, cunning, and deceitful. They say one thing to your face and another behind your back, and they are utterly shameless.
"Lord Nie, I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."
"I am getting old, and I am afraid I am no longer able to help the Deputy Minister of Agriculture."
Before Su Luo could even say anything, Nie Hanlin already wanted to keep his distance from her.
It seems that what Du Siyuan said is true. Nie Hanlin is very averse to merchants, and even if Su Luo becomes an official, he does not want to have a close relationship with them.
Since that's the case, Su Luo has her own way of communicating.
"Lord Nie, I have something that can write more than a dozen books a day. I wonder if you would be interested?"
Nangong Chiyu glanced at Su Luo. This woman really liked to boast. Besides being very skilled in medicine and agriculture, what else could she do?
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