Chapter 92: Marriage [Update 2] He destroyed the secret letter, his expression solemn...
Chapter 92
Jing Zhuoyue asked Lin Zhiqi, "Do you know what shyness means?"
Lin Zhiqi: "Of course I know! Being shy means...blushing and not being able to look people in the eye..."
Jing Zhuoyue: "...did I ask you to explain this?"
Lin Zhiqi realized it belatedly: "Your Highness is angry?"
Jing Zhuoyue smiled: "Why should I be angry?"
Lin Zhiqi: "Who knows? Aren't your princes' minds as hard to fathom as a needle in the sea?"
Jing Zhuoyue: I wasn’t angry just now, but I’m a little angry now.
"You are really not suitable to think about these things. It's better to think about what to eat for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet." Jing Zhuoyue said calmly.
Lin Zhiqi's attention was indeed diverted: "Okay, this suits me!"
Hmm...I'll definitely have the roasted whole lamb again...The wine is good too...
…
At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Jing Zhuoyue was the most respected, with Gu Tingxuan and Lin Zhiqi sitting two seats below him. Opposite them were Hale and his little daughter Amina, and further back were the leaders of other small countries.
This time, Hale turned a disaster into a blessing. He cooperated with Gu Tingxuan to interrogate Aziz. Not only did he clear his suspicion, but he also got clues from Aziz that Haida was colluding with someone in Beijing.
Gu Tingxuan knew that this matter involved a wide range of people, so she did not hide it. She directly wrote a memorial and planned to inform Emperor Longshun.
Of course, she also reported this to Jing Zhuoyue.
After reading her memorial, Jing Zhuoyue pleaded with the attitude of a junior, "General, you have stated this matter very clearly. I have no objection. Please send it directly to the capital."
Gu Tingxuan looked at him twice more and said readily, "Okay."
——She could understand that the Fourth Prince didn’t want to get involved in the incident.
After all, this matter is closely related to King Rui.
It is fine for her to report it, but if the Fourth Prince reports it, he will be suspected of competing for favor, taking advantage of others' misfortune, and causing fratricide among his brothers.
The mind of an emperor is hard to predict. If Your Majesty gets angry, the gain will outweigh the loss.
Only after they had settled this matter did they have the heart to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Hale used his own method to retaliate - threatening the families of Aziz and others, winning over most of them, and then reorganizing and strengthening his own military strength.
The leaders who participated in the assassination with Aziz and Haida did not even have the chance to be subdued by threats - they would be taken to the capital to await the final trial.
As Hale's power grew, the attitudes of the leaders of other countries towards him improved significantly.
Gu Tingxuan privately suggested to Jing Zhuoyue that if Hale could lead these small countries, everything would be safe.
Jing Zhuoyue still had concerns. Gu Tingxuan had blinded Ha Lai, so didn't he want revenge? Perhaps his current expressions of submission and gratitude were all fake.
Letting him be the leader of the Western Regions would very likely be a disaster.
Gu Tingxuan had another suggestion that she didn't say, which was something Hale discussed with her privately - Hale wanted to send Amina to Dayan Capital to marry the Fourth Prince.
In this way, the Western Regions and Dayan are in a marriage alliance. Hale has ties in the capital, he is blind in one eye, and he was defeated by Gu Tingxuan, so there is no reason for him to rebel.
If there was a rebellion, it could be settled with a single battle. If Hale wasn't stupid, he would never drag the people of several countries into a fight.
What's more, Hale was even more worried that the Fourth Prince might not even like his little daughter.
Gu Tingxuan herself is a woman, and also a general who fought on the battlefield, so she actually doesn't want to use the method of "marriage" to consolidate the relationship between Dayan and the countries in the Western Regions.
This is unfair to the women who are marrying off to other countries.
It's not fair to the prince either.
But Amina seemed to be very fond of Jing Zhuoyue. If she was willing to marry him, he would have no right to object.
It all depends on what His Majesty the Fourth Prince thinks.
No, I'm afraid that the Fourth Prince's marriage is not decided by him. It depends on the attitude of His Majesty.
I heard that the third prince of the capital has been engaged to the daughter of the Minister of Rites, Ji Wushuang.
She is the sister of Xiuyuan’s classmate, Ji Wuyou.
Before this, His Majesty had always been unsure about the marriages of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, and had not allowed them to choose the daughters of Duke Lin. Unexpectedly, after being implicated in the last assassination, the Third Prince and Uncle Meng were almost blamed. In order to appease the Third Prince, His Majesty chose a very good wife for him.
She is even more suitable for the Third Prince than the daughters of the Lin family.
"Master, what are you thinking about?" Lin Zhiqi asked.
Gu Tingxuan withdrew her thoughts and smiled at her: "Thinking about what my family is doing now."
Over the years, Gu Tingxuan has treated the Lin family as her own family.
Lin Zhiqi's words reminded her of home, and the smile on her face faded a little. She lowered her head and took a sip of wine. "They must be enjoying the moon together. The eldest sister is playing the zither, the third sister is reciting poetry, and I wonder what new things the fourth sister has made to show parents... As for Yuan'er and the princess... they should be in the palace."
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so it's normal for them to come to the palace to accompany His Majesty and the Queen." Gu Tingxuan was very familiar with some palace rules. She guessed, "Perhaps they went home yesterday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with their family."
Lin Zhiqi agreed: "Yes, that's definitely the case! Yuan'er has always missed his family. Sometimes he looks like a child who has never grown up, and sometimes he is very reliable. I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, he would get married."
Gu Tingxuan knew the inside story of Lin Zhiyi's disguise as a man, but she didn't say much. She just smiled and said, "You've all grown up. You've also grown a lot from this experience. Come, Master will have a drink with you."
Lin Zhiqi clinked glasses with her: "Okay! Master, please! Thank you very much for teaching me and giving me this opportunity."
The two of them were chatting here, and over there, Hale was complimenting Jing Zhuoyue and talking about the customs and folkways of the Western Regions.
Amina was dressed up today, wearing a bright red dress and a special hat. Her long black hair was braided into several small braids that hung behind her head and beside her face. Her jewelry jingled, and she looked particularly pretty and charming.
She generously toasted Jing Zhuoyue, and Jing Zhuoyue responded politely at the banquet.
Later, Amina saw that everyone was not having a good time drinking, so she generously offered a dance.
The musicians and Amina cooperated very well. The dance and music complemented each other, and were passionate and unrestrained. The drum beats almost matched the heartbeat, which was very eye-catching.
Jing Zhuoyue was a little drunk, so he looked at her a few more times.
When Lin Zhiqi saw Amina dancing, her flexible waist made her admire and jealous, so she couldn't help but applaud. It was difficult to applaud, so she just slammed the table to agree.
Seeing that everyone was getting excited, Gu Tingxuan just followed her.
While dancing, Amina stared at Jing Zhuoyue with affectionate eyes, and she was reluctant to look away until the end of the song.
Hale sighed lightly and thought, tomorrow I will personally express my youngest daughter's feelings to His Majesty the Fourth Prince.
After the banquet, Jing Zhuoyue returned to the inn to rest.
When he finished his shower and lay on the bed, the red shadow was still dancing before his eyes.
He could understand what Amina meant and was now weighing the pros and cons.
Should I try my best, express my feelings to Miss Lin Er, and see if I can get on the Ding'an Duke's big ship... or should I settle for the second best and choose Amina?
The Western Region forces on Hale's side were also a considerable force. Although not as powerful as Duke Ding'an's, they were more stable. As long as he chose Amina, he would definitely have Hale's support.
But it's not certain for Lord Ding'an...
Jing Zhuoyue could actually infer his father's inclination - if he knew that Amina was showing interest in him, his father would definitely agree to let him marry Amina, which would not only arrange his marriage but also stabilize the power in the Western Regions.
It’s difficult…
After thinking about it all night, Jing Zhuoyue made an appointment with Lin Zhiqi the next day to test her feelings.
Lin Zhiqi came over, sleepy-eyed and not too concerned about her image. She asked Jing Zhuoyue, "Why did His Highness summon me?"
Jing Zhuoyue looked at her for a while before asking, "Are you going horse racing?"
"Okay!" Lin Zhiqi woke up, "Want a match?"
"Well, let's go pick a horse."
The two men each chose a horse that they thought was suitable. After getting to know each other, they drove the horses to the wilderness near the post station.
The sky here is high and the land is vast, which is very suitable for horse racing.
Lin Zhiqi will not let anyone win, her personality is suitable for trying her best.
Jing Zhuoyue knew this, so he also gave it his all.
They actually have very similar personalities: both love martial arts, refuse to admit defeat, and are ambitious.
When Jing Zhuoyue saw Lin Zhiqi galloping on his horse across the field in front of him, he suddenly understood everything.
——She is an eagle with spread wings, destined to soar into the sky, rather than be imprisoned in the deep palace.
This trip to the Western Regions was to follow in the footsteps of her master, General Gu.
What she wants is freedom to roam freely, not a noble position.
Lin Zhiqi rushed to the finish line first, then turned his horse around and looked at Jing Zhuoyue with a smile on his face: "Your Highness, you lost!"
Jing Zhuoyue slowly pulled the reins and stopped the horse opposite her. He stared at her bright face with regret and said with a wry smile, "Yes, I lost."
Five days later, Jing Zhuoyue took the initiative to report that Hale's youngest daughter wanted to marry him.
After a while, he received a secret letter from the capital.
——Emperor Longshun agreed and instructed him and Gu Tingxuan to help Hale ascend to the throne and lead several other small countries. After completing this task, they could return to Beijing.
Of course, he would bring Hale's little daughter with him when he returned to Beijing, and they would get married in Dayan Capital.
Lin Zhiqi was indeed heartless and had no idea of Jing Zhuoyue's thoughts at all. When she learned that he had agreed to marry Amina and that His Majesty had granted the marriage, she came to him with a smile and two jars of wine, sincerely congratulating him without a trace of romance.
Jing Zhuoyue drank two jars of wine with her, and then they became brothers and sisters.
…
When Jing Yue was checking the news about the Western Regions presented by Tang Cong, it happened that they had just eliminated the forces of a small country that was pretending to obey but actually disobeying.
It seems that the power of the countries in the Western Regions will completely fall under the control of Hale.
And Harley will completely submit to Jing Zhuoyue and Gu Tingxuan, and to Dayan.
Jingyue also learned that the fourth prince was going to marry Princess Amina from the Western Regions.
He destroyed the secret letter with a serious expression.
It seems that the forces of the Western Regions will become the reliance of the four emperors...
If the fourth prince had no intention of seizing the throne, he would definitely be able to guard the border and become a great vassal king in the future.
But if he has that idea... Father's move may very well be nurturing a tiger to harm him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
