Chapter 190 The Alliance Between Qin and Jin
He leaned closer to Feng Deshun and began to throw out bait in his words.
"If you help us stabilize the situation now, you will be the most meritorious minister after the new emperor ascends the throne. You will be ennobled and appointed as a general in no time. Even your descendants will enjoy wealth and honor."
This statement was a clear indication that as long as Li Yuanyou was helped to ascend the throne, he would receive considerable benefits.
Feng Deshun's fingers tightened slightly.
He rose through the ranks of the military, and his rise to the position of General of the Dragon Guard was not due to luck, but to meticulous planning and keen insight into the situation.
To be ennobled and appointed as a general was indeed his greatest ambition after a lifetime of seclusion.
But no matter how tempting it was, he didn't agree immediately.
"Prime Minister Cui, even if I were willing to lend a hand, the risks involved are simply too great. The Princess commands the Imperial Guards; if... if the plan goes awry, I fear my life might be in danger..."
Cui Shiliang saw through the hidden meaning in those words at a glance.
It wasn't that Feng Deshun didn't trust him, nor was he afraid of the risks; rather, he felt that the promise of "being granted a title and appointed as a general" wasn't substantial enough, and he wanted to gain more leverage for himself.
After all, empty promises are far less reliable than tangible benefits.
Cui Shiliang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he smiled and said, "If the general still has concerns, why don't we form a marriage alliance between our two families? That way, we will be a true family, and we can naturally help each other through thick and thin without any worries."
Feng Deshun was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at him in confusion.
He had served in the capital for many years and had only heard that Prime Minister Cui had nine sons, but he had never heard that he had a daughter.
How can we even begin to talk about this "Qin-Jin alliance"?
At this moment, Cui Shiliang stood up, walked to Li Yuanshu's side, and put his hand on her shoulder.
"The Third Princess is sixteen years old, gentle and virtuous, and is also the Second Prince's younger sister."
He paused meaningfully, "I think that... and a hero like the general are a match made in heaven."
Upon hearing this, Feng Deshun's eyes lit up instantly.
He couldn't help but look at Li Yuanshu in front of him, his eyes devoid of romantic love, filled only with a thirst for power.
Marrying the Third Princess would not only allow him to become a member of the royal family by marriage, but also make him the brother-in-law of the future emperor, which would be even more secure than "the merit of following the emperor's rise to power"!
Li Yuanshu looked up in disbelief, glancing at his uncle and then at his mother.
Seeing that her mother only lowered her eyes and remained silent, without any intention of objecting, she suddenly realized what was going on.
It turns out that her mother and uncle summoned her today not to "participate in the discussion," but to use her as a bargaining chip to win over Feng Deshun!
This Feng Deshun was in his thirties, big and burly, and a widower who had lost his wife. Normally she wouldn't even give him a second glance, but now she was being asked to marry him.
She refused outright, "Mother, I don't want to..."
"Shu'er!" Cui Yunyi quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pinching her hard with her fingertips, her eyes full of warning, "This is all for our grand plan, you need to understand!"
Li Yuanshu felt a sharp pain from being pinched and immediately fell silent.
Looking at this absurd scene before her, she couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
It turns out that in the eyes of these people, women have never been "one of their own," but merely a form of power currency used to win people's hearts and engage in political opportunism.
The people inside ignored her, while Cui Shiliang stared only at Feng Deshun.
“General Feng, what do you think? When the Second Prince ascends the throne, you will be both a meritorious official who helped him rise to power and his son-in-law. We will then be one family and work together to assist the new emperor. The land of the Great Qi will have a share for the Cui family, and naturally, it will also have a share for you, General Feng.”
Feng Deshun's doubts completely dissipated. He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Cui Shiliang, and said, "If Prime Minister Cui can truly facilitate this matter, this humble general will do his utmost to help the Second Prince ascend the throne!"
"Good!" Cui Shiliang patted Feng Deshun on the shoulder, his eyes full of pride. "Then it's a deal! During the New Year's Eve banquet, you just need to lead your troops to surround Linde Hall as planned. Leave the rest to me."
After Feng Deshun got up to take his leave, the atmosphere in the study instantly became somber.
Li Yuanshu then stood up and slowly began to clap his hands.
The crisp applause sounded particularly jarring in the empty study.
"My mother and uncle really have a good plan!" A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Without consulting me at all, they've already chosen a 'perfect son-in-law' for me. I really have to thank you for this 'thought'."
A hint of guilt flashed across Cui Yunyi's face. She quickly took two steps forward and tried to take her hand, her tone reassuring.
"Shu'er, don't be temperamental. This is for your brother's sake, and for the sake of our Cui family! In the current situation, if we don't win over Feng Deshun's Dragon Martial Army, we have no chance of winning..."
"For my brother, for the Cui family?" Li Yuanshu abruptly pulled her hand back, interrupting her with a cold laugh, "Have you ever thought of me for even a moment?"
Cui Yunyi was still trying to persuade him, "Although Feng Deshun is a bit old, he is still a third-rank general of the Dragon Guard, holding military power. His status and position are worthy of you! Besides, there are advantages to being older. He is caring and will definitely not wrong you in the future."
Li Yuanshu retorted without any politeness, her eyes full of mockery, "Since he's as good as you say, why don't you marry him, Mother? After Father passes away, you'll be a widow and he a widower—wouldn't that be a perfect match?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Cui Shiliang's face darkened, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "With such a critical matter at hand, how can you be so willful!"
Cui Yunyi hurriedly advised, "Yes, you can bear with this for a while. After your brother ascends the throne, you will be the most honorable Grand Princess. At that time, you can keep as many male concubines as you want and do whatever you want. Your mother will not stop you, okay?"
"No!" Li Yuanshu practically roared out those two words, her voice filled with years of pent-up grievances and anger. "Grievance? Haven't I suffered enough grievances here?"
"You only have eyes for that good-for-nothing Li Yuanyou, have you ever seen me? From beginning to end, I've only been a tool for you to consolidate your power! Now you're even using my marriage to pave the way for Li Yuanyou..."
She sneered, "Ascension to the throne... Do you really think that good-for-nothing Li Yuanyou can ascend the throne? It's laughable!"
Hearing this, Cui Yunyi couldn't help but frown. "Shu'er, what do you mean by this?"
"It doesn't mean anything. I just want to tell you that from now on, I don't want to suffer even the slightest grievance anymore! And don't even think about manipulating me anymore!"
Li Yuanshu looked around at his two closest relatives, and the last bit of warmth in his eyes was completely extinguished.
"If you're so eager to marry, then go ahead and marry! I, Li Yuanshu, would rather die than marry!"
After saying that, she turned and left.
"Shu'er!" Cui Yunyi tried to stop her, but Cui Shiliang persuaded her to stay.
"Your Majesty, let her be. She's just having a moment of weakness and throwing a tantrum. Marriage is always arranged by parents and matchmakers; how can a junior like her make such a decision? Once the Second Prince ascends the throne, he can issue a decree to bestow the marriage upon her. Even if she's unwilling, she'll have no choice but to comply."
Cui Yunyi looked at the empty doorway and sighed softly, her voice tinged with helplessness.
"That's all we can do... I hope Shu'er will understand in the future that we're all doing this for her own good."
As Li Yuanshu stepped out of the Cui residence, he felt dizzy and had to lean on the door frame to keep his balance.
The cold wind whipped against her face, cutting her skin like a knife, but it cleared her muddled mind somewhat.
She must be crazy to believe her mother again and again, to naively think that even if her mother was biased, she would at least have a place for her in her heart.
But reality always manages to wake her up time and time again.
In that woman's heart, there will always be only that good-for-nothing son.
From this moment on, she would pretend that she no longer had a mother or the Cui family as her maternal family.
Even though she always felt in her heart that the so-called rebellion of Li Yuanzhao was not simple.
But she didn't want to struggle anymore.
Since they insist on jumping into the fire, let them go.
What does it have to do with her?
From that moment on, she lived only for herself.
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