For the emperor, Princess Lingyu's mistakes were tantamount to holding her and the Dongfu Kingdom by the handle, which she had offered up herself, giving the Daze Kingdom an excellent opportunity.
"The people will be detained at Dali Temple for now. Next, I will negotiate with the Eastern Fu Kingdom," the emperor said slowly.
Princess Lingyu is now a hostage, and to ransom her, one must show sufficient sincerity.
The next day, Qiao Lian'er was summoned to the morning court.
Now that she is a princess who protects the country, she can attend the morning court with the ministers and officials and discuss matters with the emperor. Whether she goes or not is up to her. When she is required to go, the emperor will send someone to summon her.
The news of the naval victory had reached the court, and Qiao Lian'er knew that the emperor had summoned her to court to reward her.
Inside the Golden Palace, the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious and joyful, a feeling of relief that even the air felt incredibly calm.
The courtiers chatted and laughed, much more boisterous than before, but the emperor neither stopped them nor showed any displeasure; on the contrary, he was quite lenient.
This major victory along the coast was the first of its kind in nearly two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty.
The Dongfu Kingdom's thousand well-equipped warships were utterly routed, much to the delight of the people.
Looking back, every time the Eastern Fu Kingdom invaded, it caused headaches for everyone, and even before the battle began, people would start calculating the manpower and resources that needed to be invested.
But now, the ships of the Eastern Fu Kingdom were blasted back by cannons.
What a triumphant and exhilarating feeling!
When Qiao Lian'er entered the court, all the officials turned their gazes to her, instantly filled with awe and respect—a heartfelt admiration and complete reverence.
In everyone's eyes, the Princess Who Protects the Nation has become a kind of faith—
The court officials, including first-rank ministers and members of the royal family, all bowed and paid their respects.
"The Princess Zhenguo is truly remarkable, driving away the pirates and enhancing our nation's prestige."
"Princess Zhenguo has solved a major problem for Daze Kingdom. With this success, we will no longer have to worry about those island nations invading us."
Yes, the improvements to the cannons fundamentally enhanced the naval headquarters' combat capabilities, and could even serve as a permanent solution.
After Qiao Lian'er finished her greetings, the emperor said with a smile, "I never imagined that one day, this great worry of mine would be ended by the Princess Zhenguo. This is a great event that the whole country should celebrate. I am very pleased."
One of the princes said, "The Dongfu Kingdom has suffered such a heavy blow this time, and its vitality has been greatly damaged. It will not attack again in the short term. Even if it does come again, our Daze Kingdom has a princess who protects the country. What is there to fear? We will make him run back in a panic, without even having time to raise the banner of surrender."
Hearing these praises, Qiao Lian'er secretly pondered that this meant the defense of the East China Sea had been entrusted to her, and from now on, she could only win and could not lose.
However, one should only do what one is capable of and what one has acquired.
She's happy to do so as long as she gets the appropriate reward.
"Before Princess Zhenguo went to the Naval Headquarters, I promised her that I would give her another fief, or even two. In just a few days, Princess Zhenguo has made such great progress and has not disappointed my trust. I have decided to grant Princess Zhenguo the fiefs of Queyuan Prefecture and Jinglang Prefecture."
"Queyuan Prefecture is three hundred li west of the capital, and Jinglang Prefecture is four hundred li north of the capital. Queyuan Prefecture is more prosperous, while Jinglang Prefecture is somewhat desolate. I believe that under the rule of Princess Zhenguo, both places will surely prosper. I await good news from Princess Zhenguo."
Qiao Lian'er had done a general study and understanding of all the prefectures and counties in Daze Kingdom that were of any significant size.
Jinglang Prefecture is located in the north, on the border, and adjacent to the northern regimes and tribes. Because the terrain is mainly characterized by water, grass and plains, the people here mainly have nomadic habits, with herding as the main activity and farming as a secondary activity.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
