"Won't they replace that group and then be wiped out by the Nanzhao government?"
As long as they don't follow that group's example and rob the government of a sum of tax money, thus angering the higher-ups, no one will bother them.
With the system providing companionship, Yue Fuguang is no longer sleepy at all.
She looked towards the front of the procession, where the vermilion and gold-painted phoenix palanquin belonging to Princess Pingning Xie Zhiyao stood quietly.
The carriage canopy resembled clouds, and the gilded phoenix bells hanging from the four corners remained motionless and silent in the cool morning breeze.
Although Xie Zhiyao married as a princess, Emperor Mingxi granted her special permission to use the princess's ceremonial regalia as a sign of his favor.
Following the imperial carriage, an endless procession of dowry cars stretched out to the end of the Imperial Street, disappearing into the still-lingering morning mist.
【Master, the rulers and ministers of the Dayan Dynasty are not like the Tang Dynasty on that blue planet you once visited, where a princess would marry into a foreign land and reveal all their wealth to the other party.】
They have superior breeds, advanced technology, and skilled craftsmen; wouldn't taking these with them be aiding the enemy?
As for cultural exchange? In the system's view, it's all just nice talk, because they only started using that term after they became family.
If not, do you think you'll be criticized by future generations?
Little Days and Little Sticks are living examples.
Yue Fuguang hesitated for a moment. The Crown Prince, standing beside her, could see the struggle and uncertainty on her face, and heard her inner thoughts in his ear.
"Emperor Mingxi wouldn't be that foolish, would he? Although I didn't say it explicitly, I did hint at it to the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial. They shouldn't... go that far?"
[I'm afraid your reminder is too subtle. These people consider themselves a superior nation, and they're used to flaunting their wealth; they won't be able to change their mindset overnight.]
Emperor Mingxi looked at Zhang Zhongping and You Mingmin, and judging from their expressions, he knew that the two men had probably been right about what their ancestors had said.
Zhang Zhongping and You Mingmin were also in a panic. They had indeed taken precautions when Princess Pingning asked them for skilled craftsmen.
The two men refused to agree, even though they were about to die. Not only did they refuse, but Lu Qi, the Minister of Works, also took away all the craftsmen from the Prince of Qi's mansion, except for the apprentices, under the pretext of temporary transfer.
As a result, those standing in the queue were all former apprentices of the Prince of Qi's mansion. Xie Zhiyao's attempt to recruit from the common people was secretly prevented by them.
But besides craftsmen, the two thought of tools, improved seeds, and books, which seemed to be things they actually had!
Emperor Mingxi seemed very concerned about his niece's dowry, so he asked, "Minister Zhang, Minister You, has Pingning's dowry been arranged in full?"
The princess's marriage to a distant land is a great honor for the nation; therefore, the dowry must be handled with utmost care to avoid any mishaps.
Zhang Zhongping, whose face was still a little pale, immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, all of the princess's dowry has been loaded into the carriages."
Your humble servant and Lord You will conduct one last check to ensure that there are no omissions in the Princess's dowry.
Emperor Mingxi nodded in satisfaction and waved to the two men, saying, "You two go quickly and return promptly, lest you miss the auspicious time."
Standing behind Emperor Mingxi from beginning to end, the sickly-looking Prince Qi and his wife remained silent.
"Little Pearl, is King Qi truly ill or faking it?"
[Half and half. He was indeed worried and afraid while being confined, but in order to gain sympathy from his family today, he deliberately made himself sick from the cold two days ago.]
"This King Qi is really going all out to get out of here as soon as possible. Even though he's imprisoned, he still has the ability to mobilize assassins to kill me. He's got some serious influence!"
It seems even Emperor Mingxi's guards were incompetent; they managed to get the message out even though the Prince's residence was besieged.
[Master, I've already told you to let me take action and eliminate him, but you won't.]
"Didn't Emperor Mingxi say he would handle it well? Let's give him a chance, and save ourselves the trouble of getting our hands dirty."
If they can't even handle this little thing, it's not too late for you to take action. Anyway, King Qi is like a bird in a cage or a turtle in a net; he can't escape.
Emperor Mingxi's heart stirred, knowing that this was a test from the Little Immortal Lord for him and for Dayan. If this matter was not handled well, the two of them might really be disappointed and run away.
The three officials in charge of handling the matter—Cai Xian, Wei Ping, and Feng Tang—exchanged glances and quickly reached a tacit understanding.
Time passed slowly, and the dowry procession was the first to move. The leading part was the part symbolizing the ritual: with the jade tablet and the imperial edict at the head, they were placed in a sandalwood box and carried by eunuchs.
Following closely behind were daily necessities, such as a rosewood bed inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a multi-tiered cabinet, and wardrobes and chests.
Complete sets of porcelain ornaments, brocade fabrics as radiant as clouds, and boxes of pearls, translucent jade, and warm, lustrous jade all shimmered with a dazzling brilliance under the palace lanterns.
Bringing up the procession were cartloads of carefully selected rice and hemp seeds, bundles of Confucian classics, agricultural and medical texts, and even exquisite models of looms and plowshares…
"Master, you really overestimated the rulers and ministers of Dayan. Look at the contents of these last few carts. Take these to Xiqiang, and in a few years, they will become arrows aimed at the people of Dayan."
"I never expected them to be so stupid. Everyone keeps their good stuff to themselves. Why do they like to show off? They have one or two taels of silver and they want everyone to think they have ten taels."
Perhaps the downfall of the Dayan Kingdom was also related to its penchant for 'flaunting wealth'?
These people are dead, but it's a pity for the common people. Should I send down heavenly fire to burn all of this?
The Great Yan Emperor and his ministers: No, Divine Artifact, what do you mean we'll just die? After all this time together, don't you have any feelings for us at all?
Is our love less than that for ordinary people we've never even met? Why do I feel inexplicably sad?
"No need. The people here are devout believers in ghosts and gods. If you send down heavenly fire for no reason, wouldn't that make Dayan and Xiqiang think it's a warning from heaven?"
It would be bad if it affected the marriage alliance.
Without a marriage alliance, Xie Zhiyao would only face certain death. Yue Fuguang felt that this ambitious troublemaker might have unexpected positive effects if placed in another family.
If Xie Zhiyao, that troublemaker, can pry open even a crack in the Western Qiang from within, then Emperor Mingxi's decision to spare her life will not have been in vain.
Meanwhile, outside Chengtian Gate, both sides of Zhuque Street were already packed with people, making it impossible to move.
The clamor and discussion were incessant. People stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to look out as all sorts of red-clad women, stretching for miles, flowed out from the wide-open palace gates.
Everyone envied the royal family for being so generous in marrying off their daughters, bringing out cartloads of all sorts of wonderful things that they had never seen or even heard of in their lives.
Especially when they saw the intricately crafted canopy bed that resembled a small house, they were filled with amazement.
What they saw and heard today is enough for these ordinary people to brag about for decades. In the foreseeable future, following the Gao family's story, it will become the talk of the town and the best topic to enjoy with a meal.
Zhang Zhongping and You Mingmin, who had gone to check the dowry, quickly returned with a group of subordinates to report back.
Emperor Mingxi asked, "Is there anything missing from Pingning's dowry?"
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