"Fifth Princess, you've misunderstood. I have no relationship with Prince Yu. I was injured and fainted at the hunting grounds. Even if your third brother were there, he would have carried me out."
When Su Luo said this, she thought of what Nangong Chiyu had said to her in the hunting grounds.
He actually asked me to be with him; I don't know what he was thinking.
"real?"
Su Luo nodded: "Really? If he cares about me, it's only because he doesn't want me to die. His Crimson Feather Army is still waiting for my cotton-padded clothes."
He also needs me to perform acupuncture on him; for him, I'm only a burden for these things.
Nangong Manyu still had doubts in her heart. She clearly saw the anxiety on Prince Yu's face that day.
That was Prince Yu, a man who remained unfazed even with his army at the gates. She had never seen him with such an expression before.
Moreover, Su Luo is a widow, and widows can remarry. She doesn't know if Su Luo also has those kinds of feelings for Prince Yu.
"Lady Su, just tell me directly, do you like Prince Yu?"
"No!"
Su Luo answered this question decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
As for Nangong Chiyu, the two could only be considered friends, but she had absolutely no romantic feelings for him, and she had no intention of getting married again.
"What about Prince Yu? Does he like you? As your friends, if you have any questions, please tell me. I don't want to be kept in the dark and become a laughingstock."
Nangong Manyu was outspoken and straightforward; she only wanted to hear the truth.
These words put Su Luo in a difficult position: Did Nangong Chiyu like her?
Does she like him or not? If she doesn't like him, why did he ask her to be with him? Looking at everything he's done, Su Luo can't say for sure.
"Fifth Princess, I have two children. I promised them that I would not find them a stepfather. My mother-in-law is also the best mother-in-law in the world, so I am willing to remain a widow for my husband."
"Lady Su, do you really not want to get married again?"
When Nangong Manyu heard Su Luo's answer, she wondered if she had pressed Su Luo too hard.
"In no mood!"
"Then your husband must be a very outstanding man, otherwise why would you be willing to remain chaste for him?"
Su Luo chuckled. This Fifth Princess was too naive and hadn't understood what she was saying. What did her not wanting to get married have to do with Chen Huaixu? She simply didn't want to.
"I don't know, I've never seen him."
Nangong Manyu was shocked and suddenly stood up from the stool. How could this be? How could a woman have a child if she has never even met her husband?
Or is it that Su Luo's child is not her husband's?
Seeing Nangong Manyu's shocked expression, Su Luo chuckled again.
"Is the Fifth Princess very curious about my relationship with my husband?"
Nangong Manyu nodded; she was indeed curious.
"It's nothing. If you want to know, I'll tell you."
“I was injured and mentally impaired for a while before. It was around that time that the Chen family bought me back. That night, it was pitch black, and I was not in my right mind. That's when I got pregnant with two children.”
As for my husband, he went to join the army the next day and never returned; he died. That's why I said I never saw him and didn't know what he looked like.
So that's how it is. Suddenly, Nangong Manyu's eyes were filled with sympathy for Su Luo.
“Miss Su, you are so pitiful. You are in the prime of your life, but you have become a widow.”
"It's alright, at least Chen Huaixu gave me two lovely children, so I don't really hate him."
As for my lifestyle, I am now extremely wealthy, owning both land and an official position. What more could I ask for?
Nangong Manyu stopped pressing Su Luo for answers. She felt that Su Luo's reluctance to get married was simply out of fear—fear of meeting another man like her husband and of experiencing the same fate again.
"Lady Su, I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't matter!"
Su Luo was telling the truth. People always felt sorry for her being a widow, but she didn't care at all.
...
Two days later, His Majesty finally met Ye Beihan in the imperial court and discussed the marriage alliance between the two countries.
After the alliance agreement between the two countries is signed, and they return home, the princess will be escorted here to marry him. The round trip will take two months. As for who the Northern Liang princess will marry, that will be decided at that time.
However, everyone had already decided that this marriage could only be arranged by the Third Prince.
"The envoy shall set an auspicious time to return. For the sake of peace between the two countries, and for the sake of our dynasty's respect for the Northern Liang princess, I have decided to present movable type printing technology as a betrothal gift to Northern Liang."
The Imperial Advisor presented Ye Beihan with two copies of the marriage alliance agreement between the two countries.
He produced the envoy's seal, stamped it with his consent, and only then was the marriage alliance officially established.
"Hahaha... Regent, please take a seat. I will summon the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Vice Minister of Agriculture to personally teach you the art of movable type printing."
This is a great invention. It was passed down from the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat that led to the invention of movable type printing.
With it, it can be widely used in books, so that everyone can read, know shame, and understand etiquette in the future.
Ye Beihan was furious but dared not speak out; the Northern Liang emperor's words were a direct challenge to him.
They said he was reckless and lacked manners.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Once the alliance is signed, the marriage is a done deal. If Northern Liang goes back on its word, it will be condemned by the world.
If not handled properly, it could lead to an uprising in Nanning, which would then be another major battle.
Nie Hanlin was carrying a box containing the characters he had carved, as well as movable type printing plates.
"Your Majesty, these are all the words in the marriage and alliance agreement between our two countries. I have made a copy using movable type printing."
May peace prevail between our two countries, reducing conflict and ensuring its continuation for a century.
Nie Hanlin had already arranged the characters, and Su Luo applied ink and printed them out in front of Ye Beihan.
The font is neat and tidy, and in no time, an entire sheet of paper is filled with the font, which is an absolute breakthrough for the development of books.
"Your Highness, this technique is simple. If there are still things you don't understand, just study it a little more and you'll get the hang of it."
Su Luo had little patience for Ye Beihan; everything she did was merely official business.
"The product was developed by the Vice Minister of Agriculture. If the Vice Minister of Agriculture says it's simple, then it must not be difficult."
Ye Beihan looked at Su Luo with a probing gaze. How could she know everything? Could it really be as the world says?
Was she a celestial being descended to earth? He wanted to know, was there anything in this world that Su Luo couldn't do?
Although she was a widow, it's no wonder that Nangong Chiyu would like a woman like her.
"Alright, the matter of the alliance with Beiliang will now be handled by Prince Yu."
Nangong Chiyu clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your subject obeys!"
After discussing the marriage arrangements, the emperor looked at the officials and asked, "Where is the Grand Minister of Agriculture?"
At the emperor's command, Su Luo and Minister Nie Hanlin stepped aside.
"Your subject is here!" Lin Kaiji stepped forward and bowed.
"It's mid-March now. Have the seeds from Nanning been distributed to various prefectures and states and reached the hands of the people?"
"Your Majesty, most of it has already been distributed. As for the high-quality rice, it will need to be inspected by the Vice Minister of Agriculture before it can be allocated."
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