Chapter 226: Pressure for Marriage
"What is the little Khan thinking?"
The man on horseback looked back. He was very tall, with long brow bones, a high nose bridge, eyelashes like crow feathers, and the outer circles of his pupils were light blue.
"Nothing." Suo Meng lowered his eyes, a river-shaped wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows, and he squeezed his horse's belly and galloped towards the direction of the palace. "Is Yan Mo still unwilling to marry?"
"The Empress Dowager of Daqi has been sending frequent letters lately, all urging the young Khan to calm down. She's trying to convince Zhang Pu to agree to the marriage," a subordinate whispered hoarsely. "Daqi still has three princesses, but they're all still young. The only one we can choose is the Seventh Princess, Yan Mo, who's still two months away from coming of age."
Suo Meng was silent for a moment before speaking in a solemn and cold voice, "Put pressure on the Daqi court. If they can't hand over a new princess for marriage within a month, the Northwest will tear up the peace treaty and destroy the capital."
"Also, Ji Heng's whereabouts are still unknown?"
"...Yes." The subordinate lowered his head and spoke cautiously, "We have sent people to stake out any places the Third Prince might go, but we haven't seen him show up. That villain Huo Beiting has also cut off contact with us, and all the letters we sent have been returned."
"He's planning to repay kindness with hatred." Suo Meng curled his lips and sneered, his eyes full of disdain. "Don't you think I'm as weak as my father, the Khan? The Northwest has been reborn and has no need for him, Huo Beiting. This ally is better off being abandoned."
The subordinates agreed repeatedly, "Then let's——"
Suo Meng raised the corner of his lips slightly, with a hint of contempt in his voice, "The Queen Mother of Daqi is a soft persimmon, without any backbone. As long as we put a little pressure on her, she will be the first to be unable to sit still."
"I want her to open the palace gates herself and welcome my cavalry into the imperial city."
"Yes, the little Khan is wise."
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Shouqing Palace
The empress dowager was kneeling on a cushion, in front of which was a golden Buddha statue. She clasped her hands together, her expression extremely pious, her lips moving as if she were muttering something.
"Empress Dowager!"
Fuqing walked quickly into the Buddhist temple, with a rare look of panic on his face.
The string of Buddhist beads in her hand suddenly broke and the beads scattered on the ground. The empress dowager seemed to have seen something terrible and fell to the ground weakly.
"Empress Dowager..." Fuqing's face changed drastically. He immediately bent down to help her up, his face full of worry.
"What happened?" The Queen Mother looked at the Buddhist beads scattered on the ground, grabbed her wrist tightly, and bit the soft flesh in her mouth.
This string of Buddhist beads was consecrated by Master Ji Tong of Fo'an Temple himself. It has not been long since it broke suddenly. There must be a reason for it.
Fuqing dismissed the palace attendants from the Buddhist temple and whispered, "Queen Dowager, all the letters we sent out were intercepted by the people from the northwest. They conveyed the young Khan's words: if the princess is not handed over for marriage within a month, the iron cavalry from the northwest will definitely break through the city gates."
"What...what..." The Queen Mother's eyes went dark and she almost fainted.
"Empress Dowager, please don't scare me!" Fuqing hurriedly supported her arm, wanting to cry but unable to. "If you fall, who will take charge? Those people in the cabinet can't be relied upon at all!"
She accompanied the empress dowager to visit Lord Zhang several times and tried to persuade him to agree to the marriage, but was rejected by Zhang Pu on the grounds that the princess was still young.
The Queen Mother held herself up, not wanting to fall, her back teeth creaking as she bit them. "We can't count on Zhang Pu anymore. How much silver is left in the treasury? We must not start a war. Daqi must not perish in my hands, otherwise the Sheng family will be infamous for eternity... Where's Huo Beiting?"
"Replying to the Queen Mother, the King has not appeared in public for a long time..."
"That bastard!" The Queen Mother's face turned pale as she cursed softly, "It's all because of him that we've come to this point. At this critical moment, he actually dared to disappear?"
Fuqing was at a loss, "Queen Dowager, what should we do?"
"Call the Seventh Princess over here." A dark glint flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes, and her voice was hoarse. "There's no need to send anyone to inform Zhang Pu. I have full authority over the marriage."
About half an hour later, Fuqing hurried back, "Empress Dowager, the Seventh Princess is waiting outside the palace."
The Queen Mother had already changed her clothes and was sitting upright on the small couch. She whispered, "Call her in."
"yes."
Soon, a thin figure appeared outside the hall.
The girl was fifteen years old, but she was a little shorter than her peers. She had a pretty face, but it was a pity that she always kept her head down, looking timid and pitiful.
"Xiaoqi, come here and let the Empress Dowager see you." When the Empress Dowager saw her, she smiled kindly and waved to her.
Yan Mo's body visibly stiffened for a moment. This was the first time she saw the Empress Dowager smiling at her, and she was a little stunned for a moment.
Seeing that she was hesitant to come forward, the empress dowager's smile froze, and she patiently called out, "Xiao Qi?"
Fuqing also spoke at the right time, and whispered a reminder, "Seventh Princess, the Queen Mother is calling you."
Yan Mo finally came to her senses and hurried forward, "Grandmother, please forgive me. I was distracted for a moment and lost my manners."
"It's no problem." The Queen Mother's mouth twitched twice, and her smile was a little strange. "Ever since I exempted everyone in the palace from paying respects, I haven't seen Concubine Liang for a long time. Are the flowers in her yard blooming?"
Speaking of her mother, Yan Mo had a faint smile on her face. "If mother knew that the Imperial Grandmother was thinking of her, she would be very happy. In the entire palace, only your Yunyi Palace has the most flowers and plants. Now the flowers are in full bloom, even more beautiful than the Imperial Garden. If the Imperial Grandmother is free, your granddaughter will accompany you to see them."
"It's only the beginning of summer, so the flowers still have a long time to bloom. There's no rush." The Queen Mother looked uninterested, but she had to put on a smile. "Ever since your father became seriously ill, Concubine Liang has been depressed and ill. Her illness was like a devastating blow. She's finally managed to muster up the energy to tend to the flowers and plants. Seeing them like this makes me feel a little relieved."
"I heard that your maternal uncle has been arguing for flood control in the court recently, causing quite a stir."
The smile on Yan Mo's face faded a little, and she lowered her head again. "Grandmother, several generations of the Zheng family have served in the Capital Book Bureau. Water control and flood prevention are the responsibilities of the Capital Book Bureau, and my uncle is also sincere."
"The Empress Dowager has no intention of blaming your uncle. It's just that the national treasury is tight, so flood control can be put on hold for a while." The Empress Dowager waved her hand. In her heart, she despised her timidity, but she had to force a smile and pretend to be kind. "Court affairs shouldn't be discussed with a little girl like you."
"But you are the princess of Daqi, raised by the people of the world. Your elder sisters had bad luck, and only Rongqing grew up safely. When it was finally time for her to serve the country, she was sent to marry, but this unworthy girl ran away!"
The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and observed her expression imperceptibly. "Now the Northwest is blaming us and asking Daqi to give an explanation. The Imperial Grandmother is having a headache."
Yan Mo was stunned for a moment, vaguely guessing what the Empress Dowager was thinking, but she didn't dare to agree.
"Empress Liang...Empress Liang, the Queen Mother is summoning the Seventh Princess. You cannot go in!"
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