Chapter 94 I'm Not Doing This for Your Own Good
Halfway through the welcoming banquet, the cabinet's chief minister, Pei Yuanzhong, finally got down to business. He asked, "General Lu, what do you think of the marriage proposal between Nanjiang and our Dayin?"
Xie Zhaohe, seated upright, glanced at Lu Qianshan calmly, but remained silent. Lu Qianshan caught his gaze perfectly. Silence fell over the hall, as everyone awaited Lu Qianshan's opinion. He pondered for a moment before finally speaking, "The situation in Southern Xinjiang is dire, and reactionary forces are deeply entrenched. Your Excellency, having spent so many years in Beijing, may not be aware of the desolate people of Southern Xinjiang, who are deeply intimidated by the region's witchcraft."
Lu Qianshan paused, then continued, "If one person can bring a chance of respite to Southern Xinjiang, then I think it is worth it."
He thought Pei Yuanzhong was just asking this question on behalf of the young emperor, but he didn't know that this was exactly what Pei Yuanzhong was referring to. He saw a smile on Pei Yuanzhong's aged face, which deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
He looked smugly in Xie Zhaohe's direction and said, "It seems that Her Royal Highness the Princess and her husband are not of the same mind?"
Lu Qianshan was stunned when he heard this and looked up at Xie Zhaohe. He thought Xie Zhaohe had the same idea as him. She was born with a simple nature and after getting the imperial seal, she only cared about profit. How could she want to protect Mingyi?
After being married for many years, he has never seen through his wife.
Facing Pei Yuanzhong's teasing, Xie Zhaohe remained calm and said, "There are no husband and wife in the court. Marshal Lu is telling the truth. Since the cabinet agrees, I have nothing more to say." Xie Zhaohe lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Zhaochu, who was sitting on the other side. "Give the Southern Xinjiang envoy a definite reply tomorrow and have the Ministry of Rites take charge."
As she said, the Xie family's affairs were also the Tian family's affairs. Since the cabinet and Lu Qianshan both advocated for the marriage, and even Xie Zhaochu, the person involved, was willing, she could not change anything. However, she never believed that the marriage was the right choice.
That night, she returned to the Marquis of Xiaoyong's mansion and remained silent for a long time. There were not many people in the mansion, so she did not light a candle and sat in the dark for a long time.
She would remember that Xie Zhaochu came to see her in the palace a few days ago.
Although this youngest sister was loved by her siblings, they were all children of the royal family after all, so this kindness was mostly superficial. Because of the huge age difference between them, she hadn't been close to her sister yet. She had thought she would resent her after the slap, but she hadn't.
That night, Xie Zhaohe was reading documents in the study when Xie Zhaochu suddenly arrived. The girl looked timid and stood timidly at the door. Xie Zhaohe didn't even raise his head. He was still angry and just said coldly, "Come in. Don't stand outside."
Xie Zhaochu then dared to come in and asked in a low voice: "Is Second Sister still angry?"
"I can't be angry with you. You are a man of great righteousness. You are so broad-minded at such a young age." Xie Zhaohe's words were full of sarcasm. Finally, he snorted coldly and said, "It is rare in ancient times."
Xie Zhaochu could tell that her second sister was using her fourth brother's words to provoke her, but her fourth brother's words were meant to persuade peace, recognizing Xie Zhaochu's character and calming her second sister's anger, which was comforting. But her second sister's words were much more painful to hear, and it wasn't her fault. Her second sister defended her in front of the ministers, but she said she was willing to marry far away, which would have angered anyone.
"I know my second sister is doing this for my own good—"
"I'm not doing this for your own good."
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