Chapter 313 A Wife's Glory Brings Honor to Her Husband
At the victory banquet, civil and military officials paid homage and envoys from all directions presented gifts, creating a magnificent scene of peace, prosperity, and tribute from all nations.
This battle expanded the territory of the Great Qi Dynasty by nearly 40% to the west and south, making its territory the largest in history.
The surrounding countries were all trembling with fear, doing everything they could to curry favor, lest they be next.
The Xianbei envoys were well-versed in this art. They not only presented several cartloads of rare furs, gems, and fine horses, but also bowed deeply in the palace, shouting: "Your Majesty's achievements are unprecedented and unparalleled! You truly deserve to be called the greatest emperor of all time!"
"The greatest emperor of all time!"
These four words resonated deeply with Li Yuanzhao.
Which emperor wouldn't appreciate such praise? Which emperor wouldn't yearn for lasting fame in history?
She was one of them, of course.
She laughed heartily, then immediately raised her golden cup and drank three cups with the Xianbei envoy.
In the past, before her great undertaking was accomplished, she did not like to drink alcohol.
But now, having reached the summit, I finally understand the taste of this fine wine.
Riding on this wave of exhilaration and the effects of the wine, Li Yuanzhao immediately bestowed a generous reward upon Rumo, granting him the title of Duke of Wu, a hereditary title.
Marquis Wu?!
What an honor, what a grace!
Since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty, no woman has ever been granted a title of nobility.
Ru Mo is the first person to break through the barriers of history!
However, none of the civil and military officials in the hall felt anything was wrong, and no one dared to voice any doubt.
Because everyone knows that this female general is perfectly capable of accepting it!
Her achievements were earned through real battles on the battlefield.
His achievements in expanding territory and his awe-inspiring power were comparable to those of Emperor Shengwu Zhaolie.
Immediately afterwards, Li Yuanzhao issued an imperial edict bestowing upon her newly married husband the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady.
This reward once again caused a low gasp of amazement within the hall.
Since ancient times, it has always been the case that "a husband's status brings honor to his wife."
When a husband achieves great success and is granted a title of nobility or high office, his wife can also benefit from this and receive an imperial decree.
Now, General Ru has earned the title of "First-Rank Imperial Lady" for her husband through her outstanding military achievements, creating a beautiful story of "a wife's nobility bringing honor to her husband"!
Ru Mo and her husband stepped forward to express their gratitude.
The officials raised their glasses in congratulations once again, and the atmosphere in the hall reached its peak of enthusiasm.
Before the excitement had subsided, the Xianbei envoy stepped forward again, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and the Great Qi is powerful. We, the Xianbei, wish to forge an eternal alliance with the Great Qi, to be friendly for generations to come, and never to wage war again! To show our sincerity, the Khan is willing to offer five cities as a betrothal gift, and earnestly beseeches Your Majesty to bestow upon a noble princess of the Great Qi her husband, so that we may form a marriage alliance and be bound by blood, forever strengthening our alliance and sharing peace!"
With the Nanzhao and Tubo dynasties destroyed one after another, the biggest rival of the Great Qi is now the Xianbei.
They were afraid and were eager to bind themselves to the Great Qi through marriage alliances, hoping to leave themselves a way out and temporarily postpone the crisis of being annexed.
Upon hearing this, the previously noisy hall instantly quieted down.
Many people's eyes unconsciously drifted towards the throne.
Everyone knows that His Majesty dislikes "marriage alliances" the most!
She had firmly rejected Tibet's offer of a marriage alliance back then.
After annexing Tibet, the emperor issued an edict to move the tomb of his great-aunt, Princess Fenyang, who had married into Tibet, back from Tibet and bury her in the imperial mausoleum, so that her soul could return to her homeland and her roots could be restored.
Su Qingci, who had been quietly drinking, frowned unconsciously upon hearing this.
She knew that His Majesty would not agree easily.
But now, looking around, the only force that can still somewhat rival the Qi in terms of military strength is the Xianbei, who dominate the north.
The Xianbei offered five cities as a dowry, adopting an extremely humble stance. Moreover, they made this offer at this celebratory banquet, in front of the envoys of various countries. If they were to refuse outright, it would inevitably displease the Xianbei.
This inevitably led other smaller countries to mistakenly believe that the Great Qi intended to exterminate them, thus forcing them to desperately unite and fight to the death.
The Great Qi has just experienced two major battles, which have been extremely depleted. It urgently needs time to stabilize its territory and recuperate. It is not advisable to escalate the conflict or trigger a new war at this time.
I wonder what Your Majesty will decide.
Li Yuanzhao, who had been all smiles, lost his smile.
"May I ask which Xianbei prince you are seeking a marriage with, sir?"
These words shocked the entire hall.
His Majesty's tone... could it be that he really intends to agree?
The fourth princess, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, turned pale instantly.
Now that the third elder sister is dead, the fifth younger sister has changed her surname to Shen and has become the Prince of Ruyang.
The Empress Dowager has been on the throne for over four years, but still has no children.
She was the only princess of marriageable age in the royal family.
Moreover, her mother was from the Xiao family, and her maternal grandfather, Minister Xiao, had participated in Zheng Wenkai's rebellion. If it weren't for her elder sister's magnanimity, she would have been implicated long ago.
At this moment, when the topic of marriage alliances came up, she was almost certain that she would be the one chosen for such an alliance.
The Xianbei envoy was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it is my family's brave and mighty second prince! Your Majesty, rest assured, the Khan already intends to make the second prince the crown prince. Once the princess arrives, he will be the future queen, enjoying unparalleled honor!"
"The Second Prince?" Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow. "I recall that the Xianbei Princess is also still unmarried?"
The Xianbei envoy was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Yes, the eldest princess is indeed not yet married."
“Our Great Qi values etiquette the most, emphasizing the order of seniority and the respect between brothers.” Li Yuanzhao spoke slowly, his voice echoing throughout the hall. “Since the Xianbei princess is not yet married, how can we rush to arrange a marriage for the second prince? This is against etiquette.”
The envoy was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond: "Then... then what does Your Majesty mean?"
"Well then, if you truly wish for a marriage alliance, I have a more suitable candidate." Li Yuanzhao's gaze swept over the officials below the steps, finally settling on a figure who sat with his head bowed on a side seat, almost invisible.
Everyone, including the Fourth Princess, eagerly followed her gaze.
Li Yuanzhao slowly uttered two words: "Yuanyou".
Li Yuanyou quickly stood up from his seat.
He wore a bright blue brocade robe, but the color looked loose and baggy on him.
Although he has grown much taller than he did a few years ago, his face is thin and his brows are shrouded in a lingering melancholy.
After being imprisoned for half a year at Kaiyuan Temple in Weizhou, he was secretly exiled to an even more remote place in the far north.
There, the wind and snow raged, and the environment was harsh. He spent two whole years living in near isolation from the world, his life hanging by a thread.
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