The Imperial Palace, Chaoyang Hall.
The King of Huainan received a message from the Su family.
Clearly... his idea of marrying Su Tiyue ultimately failed.
Zhou Lin was a man of his word. Since the Su family was unwilling to accept his offer, he actually went to the palace and reported to the Emperor that the Rouran prince had taken a liking to Su Tiyue.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor flew into a rage, slamming his hand down and smashing the teacup on the table: "They're simply fantasizing! This is absolutely impossible!"
Zhou Lin nodded slightly and advised, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. In fact, Prince Yelü's meaning is very clear: he does not need to marry the eldest princess of Beiliang in the marriage alliance between the two countries; he only needs Su Tiyue."
Zhou Lin pondered for a moment, then said, "Upon careful consideration, sending the daughter of a high-ranking official to marry in place of the eldest princess might not be a bad thing for Northern Liang."
"A good thing?" Zhou Tingyue frowned deeply. "Second Uncle thinks this is a good thing? Can't you see that this is the Rouran deliberately humiliating our Northern Liang? The Northern Liang Princess has such a noble status, how dare they point fingers and nitpick?"
"I believe that since it is a marriage alliance, it should be conducted in accordance with the rules."
"Your Majesty, the two princesses in this palace are both your imperial sisters. Would you rather have them married off to the Rouran than wrong the daughter of Minister Su? I dare to guess... is Your Majesty doing this out of personal motives?"
In fact, Zhou Lin had long since seen through the Emperor's feelings for Su Tiyue.
Upon closer reflection, he realized that he himself did have some affection for Su Tiyue.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what was so special about her, but he just liked her so much that he would always think of her every smile and gesture, no matter when or where.
Zhou Lin's proposal to the Su family that day was sincere.
After being rejected, Zhou Lin felt that his momentary impulse was somewhat ridiculous. He had always only been interested in seizing power and influence, and he almost ruined his great cause because of this little bit of romantic feelings.
Being rejected is fine; it puts an end to that hope, so you don't have to be timid or hesitant when you do things.
Zhou Lin was willing to give up even the woman he liked in order to please the Rouran tribe. What else wouldn't he do?
But even after all that had been said, and with the deal seemingly about to be finalized, the Emperor refused to agree.
Zhou Lin underestimated Zhou Tingyue's feelings for Su Tiyue.
Seeing Zhou Tingyue hesitate, he thought for a long time and said, "Your Majesty, a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. Why should you damage the relationship between the two countries for her sake? Furthermore, if Your Majesty insists on doing so, others will only think that you are too biased towards Su Tiyue."
“Once a person begins to suspect something, they will investigate thoroughly… If the people of the world were to find out about the Emperor’s previous relationship with Su Tiyue, it would probably be detrimental to both of you.”
Zhou Tingyue disagreed and said angrily, "I act with integrity, so I am never afraid of other people's opinions. However, there is one thing that my second uncle is right about: I do favor Su Tiyue, but I do not favor just her. All the people in the world are my subjects."
"As the saying goes, 'If one is in a position, one should fulfill one's duties.' If I cannot even protect a weak woman, how can I protect the people of this land? If I allow the Rouran to bully us this time, how can my people believe that I am a good emperor?"
Zhou Lin: "But Your Majesty..."
"My mind is made up. There's no need to bring this up again." Zhou Tingyue waved his hand, dismissing him.
Seeing that the emperor's attitude was firm, Zhou Lin did not continue to persuade him.
He nodded and stepped back, his expression gentle and calm, but a flash of ferocity crossed his eyes.
*
I thought that Zhou Lin alone couldn't persuade the emperor, so he would try to incite the court officials to persuade the emperor as well.
However, he did not mention the matter at all during the morning court session the following day.
This is quite unexpected.
With the marriage alliance still unresolved, the relationship between Northern Liang and Rouran was not harmonious.
In an effort to improve the harmony between the two countries, the ministers in the court racked their brains to offer Zhou Tingyue various suggestions.
A civil official in front of the palace suggested, "Your Majesty, I believe that in order to maintain good relations with the Rouran, it is essential to have mutual understanding. The culture of Northern Liang and the customs of the Rouran are quite different. Why not hold a large-scale trade fair in Yong'an City?"
"The fusion of Yong'an's unique characteristics and Rouran's specialties not only promotes friendship between the two countries, but may also provide an opportunity for merchants to expand beyond Beiliang..."
Upon hearing this, another person retorted, "You yourself said that our customs and habits are different from those of the Rouran. Would they need the things we sell? Besides, what would the Rouran people sell in Yong'an? Ox horns and sheepskins...?"
"That's right, that's right..."
"That's right!"
"..."
After these words were spoken, more and more people started discussing it.
There are supporters, but the majority are strongly opposed.
It was probably because the people of Beiliang harbored deep-seated hatred and prejudice against the Rouran people, thinking they were all barbarians.
The Rouran people were naturally warlike and brutal, and they still maintained an old system of slavery.
Princes and nobles of high status and lowly slaves lived in completely different environments.
Although there was a distinction between masters and servants in Beiliang, the servants and slaves in Beiliang lived much better lives than the slaves of Rouran.
Therefore, if this ceasefire agreement had not been signed, Northern Liang would certainly not have tolerated the Rouran.
Similarly, the Rouran also looked down on the Northern Liang. They thought the Northern Liang soldiers were short and weak, and the women of the Northern Liang were even more frail in their eyes.
I've heard that most of the princesses sent to the Rouran for marriage alliances didn't live more than six months before being tortured to death.
This also led to an irreconcilable conflict between the two countries.
...
Zhou Tingyue was getting a headache from all the noise from these people.
He rubbed his temples, tapped the table in front of him a few times with his well-defined fingertips, and frowned as he asked, "Do any of you have any other suggestions?"
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, the hall gradually quieted down.
Just then, Minister of War Jiang Zhun strode to the center of the hall, nodded slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a plan."
Zhou Tingyue: "Please speak, my dear minister."
Jiang Zhun said, “Your Majesty, it is the beginning of spring, a good time for spring hunting. Why not hold a spring hunting competition at Yuntai Mountain, with Your Majesty and Prince Yelü leading the way, and each of the Northern Liang and Rouran sending a few brave soldiers to participate? Before sunset, the side that hunts the most prey will win.”
"Hmm...not bad." Zhou Tingyue nodded; this idea sounded much more reliable.
Whether it's a ceasefire or a marriage alliance between the two countries, ostensibly it's for the sake of peace. But aren't both sides secretly testing each other's strength?
Seeing the Emperor's worried expression ease upon hearing this plan, Prince Zhou Lin of Huainan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I also think Lord Jiang's plan is excellent. Regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, we should hold more than four hunting competitions every year. I believe that the soldiers of Beiliang will be able to show their skills and demonstrate the prestige of Beiliang in this competition."
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