The King of Qin of the Western Qin Kingdom, hailed as the God of War of the Lingkong Continent for his wisdom, high position, cold-blooded ruthlessness, and bravery, is not just a figurehead.
Upon hearing his words, the three men widened their eyes and craned their necks in anticipation, hoping that Xuan Yuanhan's brilliant strategy could help the Western Qin Kingdom overcome its current predicament. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of "making the year-end difficult" for them.
What exactly is the better strategy that Xuanyuan Han mentioned?
Since ancient times, the emperor's word has carried immense weight, heavier than nine tripods. Xuan Yuanhan was able to say such words in front of the three rulers of the Western Qin Kingdom today, which shows that he was very confident.
Although Xuanyuan Yue was the most beloved prince and grandson of these three masters, he would normally disdain such trivial matters. But now, it was because of the promise he had made to those two earlier, and even more so because they were people that Yi Shangyun was willing to risk his life to protect and fulfill.
At this moment, he completely disregarded the unspoken meaning of Emperor Jing's words and continued unhurriedly, "Of the four kingdoms of the Lingkong Continent, only Dongning and my Western Qin have not invaded because their battle lines are too long and they fear they will run out of manpower. Although Beilie frequently provokes my Western Qin's borders, it is simply because they covet the vast territory and resources of my Western Qin, which borders them, making it the first obstacle to their expansion. However, due to its geographical limitations, Beilie has never been self-sufficient in supplies and has historically relied on trade with my Western Qin and plundering our borders for survival. Therefore, although Beilie's million warhorses are quite powerful and seem to be my Western Qin's most troublesome enemy, in reality, my Western Qin needs to recuperate and rebuild, while Beilie needs to recover and replenish its strength even more than we do."
At this point, all three of them suddenly realized that Xuan Yuanhan's analysis made a lot of sense.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing felt ashamed of his own inferiority and could only give a wry smile before asking, "What brilliant idea does my younger brother have?"
Xuanyuan Han seemed to have some reservations, but after a moment he continued, "Your subject believes that rather than marrying Yue'er to the bitterly cold Northern Lie Kingdom to suffer, it would be better to marry her to the wealthy Eastern Ning Kingdom of the Lingkong Continent, so that she can have happiness and peace for the rest of her life."
Xuanyuan Han paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, my brother is already married to Princess Dongning. If Yue'er were to marry the Prince of Dongning as well, the world would think that Western Qin and Dongning are allied. After that, I ask you, who would dare to easily harass the territory of Western Qin?"
Upon hearing these words, even the Empress Dowager and the Empress, who were standing nearby, could not hide their joy and nodded to each other, clearly delighted and satisfied. What parent in the world wouldn't want their child to live a happy, peaceful, and luxurious life?
However, Emperor Jing frowned and said, "What my brother said is indeed an impeccable and excellent plan, but I have heard that the second prince of Dongning, Mei Zhihao, has a large number of wives and concubines and is ruthless and cold-blooded. I'm afraid that Yue'er would be wronged if she married him."
At this moment, the Empress Dowager and the Empress, whose hearts had just settled, immediately tightened again. They looked at each other, and the Empress, unable to contain her emotions, interrupted first, saying, "This method is absolutely unacceptable. Yue'er is still young; she must not be defiled by such a person."
Xuan Yuanhan exhaled a deep breath, his eyes flickered slightly, and he said calmly, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the person I am referring to is the Third Prince of Dongning Kingdom, named Mei Zhixuan. He was the Dongning envoy who escorted me to my wedding, and I met him once then. As far as I know him, the Third Prince is a handsome, gentle, and composed young hero, a man of exceptional talent. Most importantly... the Third Prince is still unmarried."
At this moment, Emperor Jing finally showed his worried expression. How could he have forgotten that Dongning Kingdom had a third prince? Although he was not as powerful as the second prince, who had the empress as his mother, Xuan Yuanhan's analysis was still a better strategy. In any case, Dongning Kingdom would be his possession sooner or later.
His face immediately lit up with a smile, and he slammed his hand on the table next to him, exclaiming loudly, "Excellent! I will immediately send an envoy to Dongning Kingdom to discuss this matter. My brother is brave and resourceful, truly a source of pride for the Western Qin royal family."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I only wish not to wrong Yue'er," Xuan Yuanhan said coldly, though he was deeply worried. Even though his concerns were about the future, and everything was still uncertain, he was still concerned nonetheless.
He's always been like this, so thoughtful and far-sighted...
In the end, he still did this thing that even he himself didn't know was right or wrong. It was only because Yi Shangyun had first risked his life to negotiate with Emperor Jing for Xuan Yuan Yue, and then offered everything he had to beg him to help Xuan Yuan Yue get what he wanted.
At that moment, he only hoped that the day he feared would never come. As he thought about it, he frowned, and unconsciously his fists clenched tightly.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress were already beaming with joy, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with expressions of excitement.
After a long pause, the Empress said, "This is wonderful! My son is finally saved. Although he will still have to marry into another country, it is a thousand times better than that desolate and bitterly cold Northern Lie Kingdom."
As Xuanyuan Han stepped out of the Yong'an Palace gates, he was about to return to his residence. He was bidding farewell to Emperor Jing when he heard the emperor say, "Brother, thank you."
"What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?" Emperor Jing asked with a suspicious look. It was clearly Xuan Yuanhan who had contributed the strategy this time, so why was Xuan Yuanhan thanking him?
Xuanyuan Han, however, raised his sword-like eyebrows, smiled slightly, and then took his leave.
Emperor Jing watched Xuan Yuanhan's departing figure, then looked at the Grand Eunuch beside him, who was equally surprised. The two of them stood there for a long time, unable to figure it out.
Although Xuanyuan Han smiled faintly, it was a rare sight to see the Qin King, the renowned iceberg of the Lingkong Continent, with a smile on his face.
Then, Emperor Jing's face showed a look of doubt, and he said meaningfully to the Grand Eunuch beside him, "It seems that I have made a big mistake."
The Grand Eunuch hurriedly asked, "Why does Your Majesty say such a thing?"
Emperor Jing glanced again in the direction Xuan Yuanhan had left, paused slightly, exhaled a breath of stale air, and continued, "Perhaps I shouldn't have bestowed the Dongning princess upon the Prince of Qin in the first place. The reason I didn't marry him to the daughter of a court official was because I feared he would form cliques within Western Qin and threaten my imperial power. Now, seeing how meticulous he has become and how seasoned he has become in his actions, if he were to join forces with Dongning in the future, wouldn't I end up doing all the work for someone else?"
Upon hearing this, the Grand Eunuch was immediately filled with fear and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Qin is a member of the royal family of Western Qin, and he has always been loyal and brave. He wouldn't do that. Besides, isn't Princess Yue also going to marry into Dongning?"
Emperor Jing sneered and scoffed, "Hmph, no way... I think he's been preparing for this all these years. As for Yue'er, sigh..."
The eldest eunuch was filled with fear and dared not say another word. After a while, the two of them slowly walked away.
Inside Fenghua Palace, Xuanyuan Yue was shocked and couldn't believe her ears. She shouted at the little palace maid who had gone to Yong'an Palace to eavesdrop and was reporting back, "What? Tell me again!"
“That’s right, Princess, I heard it very clearly. His Highness Prince Qin suggested that His Majesty marry you to Mei Zhixuan, the third prince of Dongning Kingdom. His Majesty readily agreed and immediately sent an envoy to Dongning Kingdom to discuss the matter.”
The young palace maid, equally excited and breathless, repeated the report.
Xuanyuan Yue finally heard it clearly. Overwhelmed with emotion, she took two steps back, covered her nose with her delicate hand, and cried like a child in front of all the servants in the main hall. Then she rushed towards Yi Shangyun, who was still resting on a bed in the side hall.
"Yun'er, did you hear that? Did you hear that?" Xuan Yuan Yue said to Yi Shang Yun, who was still weak on the bed, with great joy and excitement, almost dancing with joy.
Despite her haggard appearance, Yi Shangyun was still happy for her, so she nodded frantically and replied, "This servant heard you, heard you! Congratulations, Princess, on finally getting what you wanted!"
"Yun'er, I knew that Uncle Qin could do it. There is nothing that Uncle Qin cannot do or solve. Uncle Qin is truly a god-like person, much better than Father Emperor." In her anxiety, Xuan Yuan Yue blurted out such taboo words in the palace.
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun frowned and hurriedly reminded her, "Princess, please be careful with your words. Beware of eavesdroppers."
"What's there to be afraid of? This is my palace. Anyone who dares to talk nonsense will be severely punished by me," Xuan Yuan Yue said, still displaying her arrogant and fearless princess-like nature.
Sure enough, you can't talk about people during the day, and you can't talk about ghosts at night; there really are ears outside the wall.
At this moment, Princess Mei Xiyuan of Qin had just returned from paying her respects at Yong'an Palace and arrived at Fenghua Palace. As soon as she stepped onto the threshold of the sleeping quarters, she heard Xuanyuan Yue's extremely joyful voice from inside.
"What are you whispering about that you don't allow anyone to hear?" Mei Xiyuan teased as soon as she entered the room.
"Aunt, why have you come back again?" Xuan Yuan Yue immediately exclaimed in surprise.
"What, aren't you welcoming the Imperial Aunt?"
"Aunt, please don't misunderstand, that's not what Yue'er meant," Xuan Yuan Yue hurriedly explained. Yi Shang Yun also wanted to get up, but Mei Xi Yuan reached out and stopped her.
"You're not feeling well, so you should rest and rest, so His Highness won't worry about you." Mei Xiyuan's words left Yi Shangyun at a loss for words, and he could only lower his head quietly.
Half a day later, she said, "This servant is truly guilty, causing my masters so much trouble."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue hurriedly said, "Yun'er, what are you saying? You became like this all because of me, so I will take care of you for the rest of my life. Don't worry."
Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan smiled and said to Xuan Yuan Yue, "This lifetime? ...I'm afraid the princess can't take care of her for the rest of her life."
"What do you mean by that, Aunt?" Xuan Yuan Yue asked immediately, while Yi Shang Yun also looked at Mei Xi Yuan with a puzzled expression.
Mei Xiyuan cleared her throat and then said somewhat seriously, "Princess, you may not know this, but just now His Majesty bestowed Yi Shangyun upon the Qin Prince's residence. From now on, she will serve as my personal physician at the Qin Prince's residence. In other words, after this New Year, she will reside permanently at the Qin Prince's residence and be fully responsible for taking care of my health."
"What? Is it true, Aunt? Has Father really agreed?" Xuan Yuan Yue seemed not to believe what Mei Xi Yuan said.
"Absolutely true," Mei Xiyuan affirmed clearly, enunciating each word distinctly.
"No, this princess will not agree! This princess is going to find my father and mother right now. Yun'er cannot go anywhere. This princess cannot live without Yun'er!" Xuan Yuan Yue said, and then angrily strode out.
Mei Xiyuan quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Even if the princess went, it wouldn't make a difference. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and... His Highness Prince Qin were all present, so they all agreed."
Xuan Yuan Yue never expected this outcome. She just stood there, frowning, staring at Yi Shang Yun, who was unable to move on the bed, not knowing what to do.
She seemed to have completely forgotten that just moments before, everyone was still basking in the joy of the wonderful news that she was celebrating.
At this moment, Mei Xiyuan looked at her and suddenly lowered her voice, saying, "Princess, I know that you and Yun'er have a deep bond, but you will soon be ordered to marry into a foreign royal family. Does this mean that you will also take Yun'er to a foreign land?"
Xuan Yuan Yue harbored resentment and didn't want to speak to her, so she said to her without any politeness...
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