Chapter 26 Power (Xiao Xiu) Yaoyao, don’t you understand? I...
Just as the Minister of Revenue finished speaking, An Yuanshan suddenly saw a figure moving slightly behind the screen.
My heart was suddenly shocked. She was really a princess?!
An Yuanshan glanced at Xiao Chengjing stealthily, and his suspicions grew even more intense.
The one sitting on the throne went into battle at the age of fifteen and seized the palace through a mutiny at the age of twenty.
The evil spirit that emerged from the sea of blood and corpses placed the princess in the court. This was definitely not an ordinary favor, but had a deep meaning.
Taking a deep breath, An Yuanshan put away his pure complaint. With a solemn expression, he bowed respectfully towards the throne, speaking earnestly, "Heaven's grace is immense! I, Your Majesty, thank you for saving our princess from danger. This kindness and virtue will be forever unforgettable to the people of Li State!" His voice trembled slightly as he bowed again, "Your Majesty's soldiers are buried at the border to protect the princess. Li State is deeply saddened! Your Majesty is so kind that you treat the princess as a guest of honor. Li State is deeply grateful!"
"It's just..." After a pause, he said in a deep voice, "The Kingdom of Li is indeed facing a famine unseen in decades, and the treasury is so empty. If we are forced to pay tribute as usual, I am afraid we will not be able to maintain peace on the border next year. If this causes further chaos and disturbs Your Majesty, I, an external minister, will never be able to atone for my sins!" He lifted the hem of his robe with both hands and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, for the sake of the enduring diplomatic ties between our two countries, please consider reducing the annual tribute." He spoke slowly, his voice slightly lower, as if he was telling the truth. "If Your Majesty is considerate, the Kingdom of Li is willing to find another way to show our loyalty."
Shu Yao was a little surprised when the envoy mentioned the peace on the border.
Could it be that Liguo is not as weak as she thought?
Just as the thought came to his mind, he suddenly heard a loud shout from the hall.
"Arrogant!" The Minister of War's face flushed red, and he showed his indignation without any concealment, as if he had heard some outrageous remarks.
Holding the golden belt around his waist with his left hand, the Minister of War suddenly stepped out of the court.
He pointed his right tablet at An Yuanshan, his voice trembling slightly. "Emissary An! What do you mean by that?!"
He immediately raised his arm and turned towards the outside of the palace: "Are you threatening our Celestial Empire by setting fire to the border?!"
After he finished speaking, he realized his mistake and hurriedly bowed towards the throne.
His blazing tiger eyes remained fixed on An Yuanshan. He snorted heavily and said, "We Daliang have a million strong army. How could we alarm His Majesty over a few minor problems in your country?" He turned his tone to sarcasm, "If the Li Kingdom is unable to maintain peace within its borders, our Celestial Empire's royal army can pacify it once and for all!"
Seeing that Xiao Chengjing didn't need to say anything, the civil and military officials in the court would refute the envoy for him.
The hope that had just risen in Shu Yao's heart was immediately dashed.
In addition to despair, a strong sense of unwillingness suddenly surged up.
How could she just sit there and wait for death?
No matter how insignificant she was as a princess, she always represented the dignity of the royal family of the Li Kingdom.
Instead of passively waiting for the verdict, it is better to take the initiative and use the envoy to bring the unresolved issue of her ownership to the table.
If successful, the journey back home is long, and it is much easier to escape than to be trapped under Xiao Chengjing's nose.
If that fails, letting the envoy use her to reduce the annual tribute would be considered a good thing.
Thinking of this, she suddenly lowered her head, raised her sleeve to cover her lips, and let out a suppressed cough.
An Yuanshan, who was standing below, heard the voice and felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart, and he could hardly suppress the curve of his lips.
He quickly lowered his brows even further, concealing his expression with a bow. His voice, however, was deliberately deep, revealing a touch of just the right amount of regret: "Your Majesty, please understand! The princess is in poor health, and even behaved disrespectfully before the emperor..." His grief deepened, as if he couldn't bear to speak. "Hearing this, I am heartbroken. However, I know full well that this isn't due to your Majesty's lack of care, but rather to your long stay in a foreign land, the longing for your homeland, which has led to your illness! I boldly request that your Majesty reduce the annual tribute by 30%, so that our country can have a moment's respite, our national strength can be conserved, and the people's livelihood can be improved. Then the princess's worries will be relieved and her depression eased."
Shu Yao's cough was both within and beyond Xiao Chengjing's expectations.
He always knew that she was intelligent, otherwise he would not have gone to such great lengths to place her in the palace.
What he didn't understand was why she would rather use the messenger to force him in a roundabout way than to face his true feelings directly.
Confusion turned into an indescribable frustration. His eyes darkened, a stern look forming in them. He deliberately avoided mentioning Shu Yao, "The annual tribute can be reduced. However..." His tone was firm, making it seem as if the matter was settled and irreversible. "From today onwards, any caravan from Daliang passing through the Silk Road must not be stopped by the Li Kingdom. Furthermore, soldiers from Daliang must be allowed to accompany and escort them to ensure their safety."
Hearing this, An Yuanshan couldn't help but feel troubled.
Although the annual tribute has been reduced, allowing the Liang army to enter the country with the merchant caravans is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger...
"Your Majesty..." He opened his mouth, wanting to argue again.
Suddenly, he remembered that King Li had repeatedly reminded him before leaving: This time, just ask for a reduction in tribute, and all other things can be compromised.
I thought to myself: saying more at this moment might not be beneficial, so I simply replied: "Your Excellency obeys your command."
Finally, An Yuanshan glanced behind the screen.
A light cough could actually make Emperor Liang give in?
When An Yuanshan looked at Shu Yao, Shu Yao was also looking at An Yuanshan.
Shu Yao pointed at herself with desperate hope.
She thought that after the envoys had used her to lower the annual tribute, they should at least try to welcome the princess back to the country.
An Yuanshan vaguely caught a glimpse of the shadow behind the screen and knew that the princess was worried about whether to stay or leave.
After a brief pause, he bowed to the throne and said, "The Kingdom of Li would like to invite the princess to stay in Daliang temporarily. This will not only preserve the friendship between the two countries, but also show your majesty's benevolence and care for distant people."
Stay in Daliang for a while?
Shu Yao couldn't hold it anymore.
Where did the momentum that just threatened Liang State go?
So a princess can be sacrificed at will? !
Xiao Chengjing had not expected that the envoy would give in so readily on the issue of the princess's stay or departure.
His eyes subconsciously swept towards the screen.
Seeing Shu Yao's frown and her hand rubbing her temples, she looked extremely annoyed.
Tapping his fingertips lightly on the imperial throne, he said, "Emissary An is mistaken." His tone was gentle, yet carried the dignity of an emperor. "The princess has been in Jin for fifteen years, and both her body and mind have been damaged. If I were to allow her to remain in Daliang as a hostage, wouldn't that be taking advantage of someone's misfortune and only undermine Daliang's meanness?" He paused briefly, a barely perceptible smile flickering across his eyes. "Since she has fallen ill within the borders of Liang, I shall do my best to be a good host. I will allow the princess to temporarily recuperate in the palace. After she recovers, we can discuss whether to stay or leave."
My heart finally died.
Discuss again? I'm afraid we won't discuss it again!
The carriage slowly drove away, and Shu Yao saw several court officials kneeling on the palace road.
The mind moves like lightning.
He was determined to keep her... perhaps not without resistance.
Maybe... she hasn't reached the end of her rope yet.
In the evening, Yunxiu walked towards Shuyao with a mother-of-pearl box in her hand.
The box was shining with precious light, which was so beautiful that it was dazzling.
Shu Yao felt that a box like this should be placed in a museum and viewed through glass, rather than being held by Yunxiu for her to see.
As he was lost in thought while staring at the mother-of-pearl box, he suddenly heard a voice from afar: "Open it and take a look."
You don't have to think about it to know who is coming.
Just as he was about to stand up and salute, Xiao Chengjing raised his hand to stop him.
He gave Yunxiu a look.
Yunxiu understood and gently lifted the lid of the mother-of-pearl box.
Inside the box lay a golden compass, its surface carved with three layers of heaven and earth. The outermost circle was engraved with the twenty-eight constellations, with pearls inlaid as stars and silver threads woven into the heavenly and earthly stars. In the middle layer floated the sun and moon wheels, the sun inlaid with rubies, the moon with cat's-eye stone. Gently turning the mechanism set them into motion.
Shu Yao felt that such an exquisitely crafted object should be photographed and appear in the Christie's auction catalog, rather than appearing in front of her for free.
When Xiao Chengjing saw a flash of surprise in her eyes, he knew that this item was to her liking.
He immediately picked up the compass and stuffed it into her palm.
The touch of gold against my skin caused a shiver.
She lowered her head to stare at the compass, sighing softly, "Your Majesty, why bother with all this trouble..." Her fingertips slid across the needle, watching it tremble as it pointed to the eight directions. Her voice gradually trailed off, "I've lived in this small place for so long, what use is there for this instrument for observing the sky and measuring the sea?"
"Yaoyao, don't say such discouraging words." His voice was like warm wine. "This is the promise I made to you. I said that one day, I would walk through the vast mountains and rivers, the boundless seas and rivers with you."
When Shu Yao heard the soft and gentle voice, her whole body trembled, as if she was frozen in place and unable to move.
She subconsciously raised her head and stared into his eyes, trying hard to find a hint of possible teasing or temptation in them, but she only saw the dark color surging.
All the palace servants present had left without knowing when.
"Yaoyao." He called again, his voice getting deeper and deeper. "Will you stay with me?"
These words didn't sound like a question, but more like an imperial decree.
Only then did she understand.
Power means having more soldiers and generals and being superior to others.
It may even be that they give you countless benefits with a smile, but deprive you of all choices.
Xiao Chengjing's affection may be true.
For her, it was like moving from one cage to another golden cage.
What's worse is that the guard was replaced by the most powerful person.
Now, she doesn't even have any room to maneuver.
She put on an almost bitter smile and said, "Your Majesty, do you really care whether I am willing or not?"
Xiao Chengjing frowned.
The familiar and irritating feeling of powerlessness gripped him again.
He raised his hand, wanting to brush away the hair that had fallen from her cheek. Just as his fingertips were about to touch her, he paused. "If I didn't care, why would I bother taking care of you?" He finally lowered his hand dejectedly, a barely perceptible hint of weariness in his voice. "Yaoyao, don't you understand? I want you."
She turned her head away imperceptibly and spoke with difficulty, "Your Majesty is rich and all women in the world admire him. Why must it be..." She no longer concealed her panic, her voice trembling with an uncontrollable tremor, "It had to be me?"
"It has to be you." Xiao Chengjing said firmly, "It has always been you." His eyes were burning, as if he wanted to melt her into his eyes. "You also said that all women in the world yearn for you, so why are you the only one who doesn't want to?"
The author has something to say:
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Thank you for your support, you can join V now [花]
I'll stop updating for a few days to prepare for a 10,000-word update [evil smile]
In addition, the character of the Li Kingdom Envoy is really a pig teammate, and can be ranked in the top two of the most annoying villains in the whole article [rolling eyes]
I read the heroine's reply but I'm not satisfied yet, so I'll delete it first and revise it later [burst into tears]
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