Chapter 232: War Begins
"Qingshuang, pour the tea."
Su Cheng's eyes were like a deep pool, without any ripples. She looked quietly at the two people sitting opposite her. "The princess is anxious, and I understand. However, the marriage is a matter of family and country, and it is not for me to decide."
"This..." Yan Mo's face turned pale, and she subconsciously looked at her royal brother beside her, her eyes slightly red.
"I only ask Miss Zhao for some advice. You don't need to show up." Yan Mu spoke at the right time, his eyes half closed, never looking directly at her face. "Save Xiao Qi from danger. We can meet any request."
Hearing her brother's words, Yan Mo nodded repeatedly and whispered, "Miss Zhao, on the way here, my brother kept praising you for your intelligence and wisdom. I really had no other choice, so I came to you for help. I hope you can show me a way forward. After the matter is accomplished, I will definitely repay Miss Zhao."
Children of the royal family are extremely humble. If Su Cheng continues to take advantage of Qiao, she would be wrong.
Su Cheng slowly raised his eyes, swept his gaze over the two of them, and finally looked at the maid behind them.
Yan Mo was good at observing people's expressions. Seeing this, she turned sideways and ordered, "You guys go down first."
"yes."
When the maids left, only Su Cheng and the Yan siblings were left in the hall.
Yan Mo clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her face showing nervousness, "Ms. Zhao, can you tell me now?"
"This marriage is an opportunity for the Northwest to launch a rebellion, using the excuse of Princess Rongqing's escape to force Daqi to surrender. Although the Seventh Princess hasn't reached the age of marriage yet, she is undoubtedly the best candidate at the moment."
Su Cheng picked up a cup of tea from the table, pinched the lid, and gently skimmed off the foam on his face. His face was calm. "I met the only daughter of the Zhang family a few days ago. I happened to hear her mention that Lord Zhang would rather withstand pressure from all sides than agree to the marriage. On the contrary, the Queen Mother was very determined and had many arguments with Lord Zhang."
Yan Mo bit her lower lip lightly, a trace of resentment flashing across her face. "How about... picking a few decent-looking girls from aristocratic families, giving them the empty title of princess, and marrying them off to the northwest for me..."
Su Cheng glared at her and said calmly, "Princess, is the life of a girl from an aristocratic family not a life?"
Yan Mo choked and lowered her head in embarrassment.
Su Cheng always looked calm and composed. She gently turned the lid of the cup with her delicate hands and said softly, "It's not difficult to escape the marriage, but——"
"Just what?" Yan Mo looked anxious, and Yan Mu beside her also looked over.
"It's just that I need the support of the Zheng family."
"Zheng family?" Yan Mo was stunned for a moment, and her originally straight back bent again, turning into a timid look. "Why do we need the Zheng family to come forward?"
"Don't worry, Princess. I have absolutely no ill intentions towards the Zheng family." Su Cheng raised his eyes and smiled at her. "Concubine Liang has been confined to her house and is being punished with the board every day. She is the only daughter of the Zheng family. Even if Princess doesn't want the Zheng family to get involved, Concubine Liang's four brothers will not sit idly by when they hear that their sister has been punished."
"I..." Yan Mo stammered for a moment, looking helplessly at her royal brother who was sitting next to her.
Yan Mu nodded at her and said in a deep voice, "Miss Zhao is right."
Yan Mo finally gave in, lowered her head, and whispered, "Grandfather and my uncles only know how to control floods. They don't have any other skills..."
"Princess, you are wrong. It is precisely because your grandfather and uncle both served in the Metropolitan Water Conservancy Bureau that things were easier for them. Through their positions, they met many local officials and must have made many connections."
Su Cheng gently lifted her eyelids, her almond-shaped eyes clear, "I can save the princess from the marriage, on the condition that, when necessary, the Zheng family must do everything they can to win over the officials who are on good terms with them and stand on my side."
"When necessary?" Yan Mo's eyes flashed with surprise, and she murmured, "What do you mean when necessary? What exactly does Miss Zhao want to do?"
Su Cheng just smiled without saying anything, lowered his head and took a sip of tea.
"Don't ask too many questions." Yan Mu frowned and scolded her, his tone low, "Miss Zhao has her reasons for doing things."
Yan Mo paused, secretly surprised.
The third prince actually trusts Miss Zhao so much.
Yan Mu straightened his expression, his eyes fell on Su Cheng, and he opened his thin lips slightly, "Miss Zhao, is there any way to save Xiao Qi from the marriage? Please give me some clear instructions."
"The Northwest rats are so rampant now because they are sure that Daqi dare not fight them." Su Cheng leaned back on the soft pillow of the chair, and raised the corners of his lips slightly. "Since that's the case, let's do the opposite. This war must be fought."
Yan Mu paused, frowning, "Start a war?"
"We can't fight!" Yan Mo's face turned pale instantly, and she spoke hastily, "Although I'm a princess, I also understand the state of the country. The national treasury is running out of money, and the harem's expenses have been cut again and again, even clearing out a group of palace maids who are not yet 25 years old. Without money, how can we get food and fodder? This war can't be fought."
Yan Mu also nodded and whispered, "Xiao Qi is right. The national treasury is tight, and Lord Zhang will never agree to go to war."
"I have money, I have food, I have fodder." Su Cheng smiled calmly and said, "Why can't we fight?"
After hearing this, the Yan brothers and sisters looked at each other and saw shock in each other's eyes.
-
Xie family
"Start a war?"
Yan Ci stood up suddenly, nearly knocking over the teacup beside him, and stared at the girl in front of him in amazement, "It's still a few months before early autumn, why did my sister-in-law suddenly bring up this matter?"
"Your Highness, don't be shocked. The war I'm talking about has nothing to do with Huo Beiting." Su Cheng pursed her lips and smiled, reassuring him with her eyes, "This war is with the Northwest."
Although Xie Suzhou was silent, his brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly. He looked at Su Cheng intently, as if waiting for her next words.
Xie Ming sat aside, listening quietly to the two of them talking, rubbing the gun barrel with his fingertips, wondering what he was thinking.
Su Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he argued, "The people of the Northwest are so arrogant that they're demanding that Daqi send another princess over for marriage. They're trampling on Daqi's national prestige. If we don't fight this war, how can the people of the world feel at peace?"
"But first it's the Northwest and then it's the King's support. I'm afraid this money will be spent like water." Yan Ci frowned, looking a little embarrassed.
If you have enough money, why do you have to hide again and again, just defending and not fighting back?
How could he not understand that only by winning the battle could the Northwest be completely suppressed?
Maintaining soldiers, storing food, making weapons...where doesn't money need to be spent?
"Over the past few years, Daqi has been plagued by natural disasters, including earthquakes and floods. The people have no land to farm, and they can't even pay their taxes. The treasury is almost empty." Yan Ci frowned and took a deep breath. "If it weren't for this, why would Huo Beiting be willing to lose sixteen border cities in exchange for joining forces with the people of the northwest? The money from the four aristocratic families alone wouldn't be enough to sustain him."
Su Cheng naturally understood the concerns in his heart.
"One gold mine and one copper mine, is that enough for His Majesty?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
