Zhu Dan felt a mix of emotions. Yun'er and Zhu Yu had only spent a few months together, yet it felt more precious than their six years together. Yun'er was so strong now; it was a good thing.
The old emperor said coldly, "Zhu Yu, what do you have to fight against Southern Liang with? Is it your three hundred guards, or can you single-handedly repel two hundred thousand Southern Liang cavalry with your mere bravery!"
"How could I not know that this war with Southern Liang is unavoidable? More than ten years ago, Southern Liang sent a princess to marry into the Southern Liang, and the two countries lived in peace for more than ten years. At that time, they were weak. Now the situation has reversed. What's wrong with us sending a princess over there? All I ask for is ten years. Ten years is enough!"
"Father..."
"Stop talking, stop talking! I'll say it, I'll marry him! Sacrificing myself can save thousands of soldiers and border people from war, and preserve the strength of our Great Zhou."
She looked at Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Dan, her lips twitching, but she couldn't manage a smile. She could only grit her teeth and say two words: "It's worth it!"
Ten years is enough.
Ruoling turned and ran quickly out of the Imperial Study, almost bumping into Physician Jiang who was coming in.
"Ruoling!" Lu Xiaoyun chased after her and grabbed Ruoling's wrist outside the Imperial Study. "Although our Great Zhou is poor, we are not afraid of the Southern Liang. If they dare to invade, Fourth Brother will lead the soldiers to drive them back!"
"If the Northern Qi could be defeated by my Great Zhou, and the Chen Kingdom could be forced to send a letter of surrender, then I, Fourth Brother, am not afraid of the Southern Liang either!"
"You forgot? They all call me the God of War. The God of War can't defeat a staff, and the Duke of Zhenguo will also drive the Southern Liang out of my Great Zhou!"
"And then?" Hot tears slid down Ruoling's face, seeping into her mouth, bitter and astringent.
"Then?"
"We still have to fight, and tens of thousands more soldiers and civilians will die, right, Fourth Brother?"
Lu Xiaoyun fell silent. In war, especially in the era of cold weapons, how could people not die? It was perfectly normal for tens or hundreds of thousands of people to die in a major battle.
"Fourth Brother, in that battle with Chen, you secretly paid for all the grain and supplies out of your own pocket. Although you and Fifth Brother concealed it well, saying it was confiscated from bandits, I'm not stupid. I know it was all your money, Fourth Brother."
"Fourth Brother, Chen and Nanliang are different. Although I am a woman, I am also a princess of the Great Zhou. There are many things I know very well. Nanliang has been building up its strength for more than ten years. Their army is very strong, and their national strength is very strong. The great war between us will not be over in ten days or half a month."
Lu Xiaoyun didn't know what to say. They always thought Ruoling was still a child, a little girl who should be cherished, but she had already grown up.
Living in the palace, she knew more about the political situation and the international affairs than they imagined.
Ruoling took out a hairpin from her sleeve: "Fourth brother, I am a princess, and I was born with responsibilities on my shoulders. Help me return this to him and tell him that we are destined to be together in the next life."
She stuffed the hairpin into Lu Xiaoyun's hand, turned and left without looking back.
This was given to him by Lu Yuyan when he was in Mucheng.
He was just a low-ranking physician in the prefecture, with little salary, so he couldn't afford expensive jewelry and could only give her this hairpin.
Ruoling cherished it and always wore it on her body.
In Mu City, Lu Yuyan made great contributions, but the old emperor knew that he was from the Prince An's mansion, so he didn't give him any reward or even bother with any formalities.
Lu Yuyan didn't care about these things, but he felt extremely guilty for not being able to give Ruoling anything decent. Although his elder sister and Zhu Yu had both said that the things in the Prince An's mansion were his, and that he could take whatever he wanted.
He wanted to earn the money he could give to Ruoling with his own hands.
Lu Yuyan learned the news immediately after returning to the Prince An's residence from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. His mind went blank, and he ran towards the palace. However, Xi Yi caught up with him on horseback and handed him over.
However, he was not an imperial physician and had not been summoned, so the imperial guards would not allow him to enter.
Inside the palace.
After examining the old emperor's pulse, Physician Jiang instructed him not to get angry again before going to write a prescription and prepare the medicine.
After Ruoling ran away, Lu Xiaoyun came back.
At this time, the old emperor had not given up trying to persuade Zhu Dan.
He grabbed Zhu Dan's arm tightly: "I heard that you've been getting very close to Miss Lu from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion lately? You even came to ask me to add her name to your list of potential consorts a while ago. So, she's the one you've been eyeing? Are you going to marry her?"
Zhu Dan looked up at the old emperor, and after a long while nodded: "Yes."
The old emperor's face was expressionless.
Lu Xiaoyun panicked and hurriedly stopped him: "Father, the Crown Prince cannot marry him!"
The old emperor's hawk-like eyes swept over Lu Xiaoyun. Although he also disliked this woman who had captivated both of his sons, it was his business, and he, Zhu Yu, could not say no to him!
"Why! If I were to issue an imperial decree to grant this marriage, would you dare to disobey?"
Lu Xiaoyun knelt down with a thud: "Father, I have already consummated my marriage with him."
"Ha." The old emperor sneered, "You two haven't consummated your marriage in a month, so how come you're divorced and now you're having an affair! Zhu Yu, do you think I'd believe your nonsense! You're deceiving the emperor!"
"Your subject did not, and the Crown Prince is aware of this matter. On the day I was ordered to accompany the Crown Prince to search the Second Prince's residence, I was unfortunately drugged with an extremely potent aphrodisiac, which is why..."
The old emperor slapped Lu Xiaoyun across the face: "Zhu Yu, how dare you! Don't you know that Lu Xiaoyun has been written into the list of candidates for Crown Princess? You still dare to lay a finger on her! Your intentions are despicable!"
The old emperor's slap was extremely heavy, catching Lu Xiaoyun off guard, and a streak of blood immediately seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Zhu Dan was startled and stepped in front of Lu Xiaoyun: "Father! Your Majesty, I do know about this. That aphrodisiac is extremely potent, and there is no antidote. We can only... we can only do this."
"Do you all think I'm a fool? Even if he's been drugged, doesn't the Prince An's mansion have women? Consort Duan brought at least eight or ten maids with her. Couldn't he have just picked any maid? I think he's up to no good!"
The old emperor coughed violently again in anger, and Zhang Zhongwei worriedly advised him: "Your Majesty, please calm down, please calm down. Physician Jiang just instructed you that you must not get angry anymore, Your Majesty."
"My good sons all want me to die sooner, what use is this broken body to me!"
Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Dan both knelt down.
Zhu Dan closed his eyes, enduring the dull pain in his heart, like a scab being ripped open and bleeding profusely, and said, "Father, this is not Fourth Brother's fault. At that time, Miss Lu and Fourth Brother were both drugged with aphrodisiacs. Only if the two of them were together could the poison be neutralized..."
The old emperor stared intently at Lu Xiaoyun with eyes that seemed to be coated with poison. The imperial study was extremely quiet.
After a long pause, he said, "The matter of Ruoling's marriage alliance is no longer open to discussion. I entrust this matter to you, Zhu Yu. You and the Ministry of Rites must handle this matter properly and without any mistakes. Otherwise, I will hold you accountable. This is an imperial edict!"
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