Chapter 1000: The sun and moon are him, the wind and rain are him, the four seasons are all him
Nie Xuan's face was gloomy. "What else does Queen Wei want?"
Tang Ning said calmly, "Although I don't like others coveting Your Majesty, I also pity the Third Princess's desire to marry. She has shown goodwill to our Great Wei today. If she leaves now, she will be criticized, and some will say that our Great Wei is unkind."
"However, it would be better if I could help her. The imperial family of Great Wei is full of talented people, with countless men of outstanding virtue and appearance, among whom there are many who can match the third princess of your country."
"For example, Prince Ji..."
She pointed towards the crowd and her finger landed right on Prince Ji's head.
Prince Ji's body tilted and the wine in his hand spilled out, his face turned blue. He was about to stand up and speak when he heard Tang Ning change the subject:
"The second son of Prince Ji's mansion is only twenty years old and has not yet married. He has a handsome appearance and is a humble and polite person. He is Your Majesty's cousin and a legitimate royal bloodline, making him a perfect match for the Third Princess."
"Your Majesty and I wish to confer him the title of Prince, and after marrying the Third Princess, he will have his own residence. This will not only satisfy the Princess's wish to marry, but also help the Lord of Qi maintain the friendship between our two countries."
"What do you think, Uncle Ji?"
Prince Ji originally thought that this shameless nephew was going to try to shove someone in his head again, but now that he heard it wasn't him, even though it was his own son who suffered, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stood up.
"Of course I am willing to do my part to promote the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It is my blessing."
Anyway, he is just an unremarkable son, so just give him away.
There are several more in his house.
Nie Xuan and the third princess of Qi State had very grim expressions on their faces. What they wanted was the position of the Empress of Wei, and they wanted to send her to the harem of the Emperor of Wei, but now she was just the son of a prince, and the second son who could not inherit the throne.
Even if he was granted the title of a prince, he would still be a powerless waste.
The third princess said anxiously, "I don't want it, brother, I won't marry."
"Not marrying?"
Xiao Yan, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly frowned: "What do you think of my Great Wei?!"
"It was you, Southern Qi, who wanted to send someone here, and it was your Emperor who wanted to forge an alliance with my Great Wei. Just now, in the palace, he was very confident in asking for marriage. Now, my Queen has taken the trouble to choose a suitable candidate for you, but you refuse to marry?"
"Why, are you guys kidding me?!"
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became stagnant, and the sound of swords being unsheathed could be heard.
The Third Princess of Southern Qi was terrified, her face pale. Nie Xuan's expression was also tense. Facing Xiao Yan's sudden change of expression, the envoys of Southern Qi were all frightened and stood up. The old minister who had spoken earlier said anxiously:
"Emperor Wei, please calm down. We have no intention of joking. However, the marriage between our two countries is a major event after all, and the Third Princess is of noble status..."
"Is the prince of our dynasty not noble?"
Xiao Yan's expression was indifferent: "Do you look down on my uncle, or do you look down on the royal family of Wei?"
Seeing the envoys from Southern Qi looking at each other in bewilderment, his face turned cold.
"Since you all look down on the Great Wei and deliberately use the marriage to sow discord and trample upon the dignity of the Great Wei, then the alliance we previously made with Southern Qi will be terminated. From now on, there will be no friendship between the Great Wei and Southern Qi."
"Someone come..."
"Your Majesty the Emperor of Wei!!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's sudden change of attitude, the sound of swords being unsheathed in the hall became even louder. The Southern Qi officials turned pale and hurriedly spoke. One of them even turned his head to look at Nie Xuan and lowered his voice and said urgently:
"Your Majesty, we cannot fall out with the Wei Dynasty..."
Nie Xuan had been on the throne for only half a year when the rebels were rebelling and plotting treason. The court was still in chaos. The Wei Dynasty had just defeated Beiling and was exhausted, so it was not easy to fight consecutive battles. But the same was true for the Southern Qi Dynasty.
What's more, the Emperor of Wei was fierce, and the Wei army had just captured Beiling and was at its peak of momentum. If a real battle broke out, Southern Qi would have no chance of winning.
Nie Xuan looked at the envoys beside him who were all trying to get him to submit first, then looked at the Wei imperial guards who were surrounding him with swords in hand. He gritted his teeth and said:
"I have no intention of disparaging the Great Wei, nor do I intend to destroy the alliance between the two countries."
"Southern Qi is sincerely seeking friendship with Great Wei. Since the son of Prince Dao Ji of Wei is so outstanding, I naturally have no objection to his marriage to my sister."
"Royal brother!"
The Third Princess of Southern Qi's eyes were red as she looked at Nie Xuan in disbelief. However, Nie Xuan simply turned his head away from her gaze and said, "I, the Third Princess of Southern Qi, am willing to marry the second son of Prince Ji to preserve the friendship between our two countries."
After hearing what Nie Xuan said, the coldness on Xiao Yan's face faded: "If that's the case, then let's get married as soon as possible."
"The Third Princess is marrying with a rich gift. Our Great Wei will not be stingy. We will confer the title of Rui Junwang on the second son of Prince Ji, Xie Qinglin, and award him the Chengdong Junwang Mansion. His title will remain undeclined for three generations. The marriage between him and the Third Princess will be handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department."
"Kong Xun, Pan Xi."
"I am here."
Kong Xun and Pan Xi hurried to the front of the hall.
Xiao Yan said, "You two, along with Prince Ji, must take care of this matter and arrange for Prince Rui to marry the Third Princess within ten days."
"I obey the order."
After Xiao Yan finished giving his orders, he looked at Nie Xuan and said, "Does Lord Qi have any objections to my arrangement?"
Nie Xuan gritted his teeth and said, "No."
Tang Ning smiled and said, "I was saying that Southern Qi and Great Wei are friendly neighbors. How could the King of Qi have any intentions towards Great Wei? Now that the Third Princess has found a good husband, I am happy for you."
"You are currently a distinguished guest, and the wife of my majesty's brother. It is inconvenient for you to stay in an inn with so many people and eyes. From today on, you will stay in the palace. On your wedding day, you will be married off from Yongzhao Palace. I will prepare a generous gift to maintain the friendship between our two countries."
The third princess of Southern Qi had a pale face.
Tang Ning looked at Nie Xuan again: "The marriage between the two countries is a major event. As the princess's elder brother, Lord Qi will be considered a relative to me and His Majesty in the future."
"The Third Princess must have been feeling uneasy these past few days as she awaits her wedding. The Prince of Qi should also stay in the palace. He can escort her to her wedding as her elder brother. As for the other envoys from Southern Qi, I believe they will be preparing wedding gifts for the Princess, so Your Majesty and I will not be staying with them."
"On the day of the princess's wedding, your majesty and I will drink with you all again."
Everyone in the hall fell silent after hearing these words, and the faces of those from Southern Qi were even stiff.
The talk of letting them stay in the palace to wait for marriage and the deep brother-sister love to comfort them was nothing more than a disguised confinement. The Queen of Wei asked them to prepare wedding things in words and deeds, and she almost asked them to prepare their dowry and come to "redeem" their Majesty on the day of the third princess's wedding.
Their original plan was to exchange a city for the position of the Empress of Wei. As long as they could get her into the bed of the Emperor of Wei, they could get some benefits in return. If the third princess could give birth to the Emperor of Wei's son in the future and gain the favor of the emperor, they could also make other plans.
But now, the imperial concubine is gone, a princess has been lost, and even the Luofeng City in the dowry has been targeted. But they are now in the Wei Dynasty, and the marriage was brought up on their own initiative, so even if they want to regret it, they can't.
The faces of those people from Nan Qi looked as ugly as if someone had died, while Tang Ning looked at the others with a gentle smile.
"Today's banquet is a great occasion, and the Third Princess and Prince Rui are getting engaged. Your Majesty and I are delighted. Our Great Wei has always treated all equally and is willing to form alliances and friendly relations with other countries. I wonder if there are others who wish to do the same as Southern Qi. This palace will certainly help them."
Hu Baoxian's face froze, and the two barbarian girls sitting next to him lowered their heads in unison, pretending not to hear.
The women who were originally watching the fun at the banquet of the Western Frontier envoys were also looking at the beautiful cups and plates attentively, as if there were flowers on them.
Tang Ning felt a little regretful when she saw this: "I was hoping to fulfill my duty as a good host, what a pity..."
Everyone at the table couldn't help but twitch their lips.
I always feel that the Queen's words are a pity. She is lamenting that no one is so blind as to step forward and allow her to continue exploiting them.
…
With the "ends" of Nie Xuan and Nan Qi as an example, the following palace banquet went exceptionally smoothly. Tang Ning's ruthless treatment of skinning and pulling out tendons in the gentle breeze and rain just now shocked everyone.
No matter whether it was the ministers in the court or the foreign envoys, no one dared to disrespect her anymore, and no one dared to doubt her relationship with Xiao Yan anymore.
Halfway through the banquet, Tang Ning left early, and Xiao Yan accompanied her out of the hall.
Behind them, the sounds of singing, dancing and drinking could be heard everywhere, and shouts and laughter could be heard among the cups. Without the two of them present, the hall became less restrained and more lively, while outside the hall, the night was thick and the lights were bright.
Xiao Yan walked with her on the long street holding a lantern, and Tang Ning was wearing his cloak.
The vermilion palace walls on both sides were tall, the candlelight in the stone lamps on the side of the road was dim, and the lanterns in front of them were swaying back and forth in the wind, stretching the shadows of the two people on the ground long.
"Why did you give Ah Yao such a name?"
"how?"
"This is a national treasure, it's too precious."
"Our daughter was born noble, and she can bear any noble name. Besides, I consulted Xin Deng to calculate this name and title. He said that our daughter is extraordinary, and this name is perfect for her."
"Just that?"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow: "What else?"
Tang Ning glanced sideways at him. He was clearly lying, but he always looked serious, just like when they first met on Queshan Mountain. He was clearly gentle to the core, but he always looked fierce and cold to deliberately scare her.
Tang Ning held Xiao Yan's hand, his fingertips warm and scorching. "Brother, when I get better, I'll open the women's academy. I want to select some capable women and give them the opportunity to live in the world like men."
Xiao Yan nodded: "Okay."
Tang Ning: "I know that the world is difficult to change, and it is beyond my power alone, but I can do something to make life easier for women. After a few years when the world is better, maybe women can try to take the imperial examinations."
"good."
"I've been bored in Yongzhao Palace for so long that I'm almost too lazy. Tomorrow, my brother will take Ah Yao with me to Jiyun Lane to stay for a few days. Then I'll ask Uncle He to make us a hot pot. I'm craving hot pot."
"good."
Tang Ning was talking without limit, and Xiao Yan was responding beside her. No matter what she said, he would softly say "OK". It was a cold winter night with biting wind, but his indulgent tenderness dispelled the gloomy night and made her see a world of flowers.
Xiao Yan was suddenly pulled to a stop, and felt the person in front of him squeeze his hand into his palm.
"Brother."
"Um?"
Xiao Yan thought she was cold, so he held her hand gently to keep her warm, but he didn't expect the girl to suddenly throw herself into his arms.
"What's wrong? I'm tired. I'll carry you on my back..."
"I am pleased with you!"
All of Xiao Yan's words were cut off by the sudden tenderness on his lips.
Tang Ning tiptoed in front of him, and placed a slightly cool kiss on his lips, murmuring something as they rubbed against each other.
"I am happy with you."
It was not the impulse of love at first sight, nor was it a vow spoken casually, but the fall of being together day and night and relying on each other for life and death. She once thought that she would never be moved by emotions again after experiencing an unforgettable despair, but when this person was Xiao Yan, she still did not look back.
Tang Ning felt more grateful than ever before, grateful that she had met Xiao Yan on Que Mountain, and that she had found salvation like the bright sun that pulled her out of the abyss.
She likes him very much, so much so that even if the rest of her life is unknown and the future is uncertain, she is willing to do her best to grow old with him.
A hundred years later, the coffin was closed and buried.
From then on, the sun and the moon are him, the wind and rain are him, and the cycle of the four seasons is him.
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