Zheng Quchi didn't know if he was joking with her or if he really intended to lure her into marriage with benefits, but either way, she would not agree.
Marriage can be a practical guarantee for pursuing happiness, but it cannot be a manifestation of personal value.
She couldn't understand the theory that marrying well is like being reborn.
She believes that investing in oneself, working hard and cultivating one's career to reach new and higher levels, and building one's "empire" step by step is the true way to transform oneself and restart a new life.
Skills, once learned, will always be yours. Marriage is not unimportant, but it can be a "nice-to-have" rather than a "lifeline."
Zheng Quchi smiled, his face relaxed, and said, "On the way, Princess Sheng'an said something that I still remember very clearly."
She said that first there is the general, then there is the general's wife; without the general, she is nothing.
"Guess what I answered her?"
Yuan Xingzhou paused for a moment. He was so intelligent and perceptive that he could tell from her words that she was trying to find a reason to reject him. He didn't necessarily need to know what she would say to reject him.
However, wanting to understand her and know what she was thinking, he went along with it and asked, "What did you say in reply?"
Seeing that he didn't stop there and wanted to hear more, Zheng Quchi sighed and said, "I said, I am just me, Zheng Quchi. I will not lose my own name just because I have become the general's wife. If I have to choose between being called the general's wife and Zheng Quchi, I would rather be myself than be an appendage of Yuwen Sheng."
"You mean you only want to get what you want by yourself?" Yuan Xingzhou asked.
Zheng Quchi felt that a more accurate statement would be: "Not entirely, but I will only pay the price I am willing to pay to get what I want."
"You're so unwilling to marry me?"
Zheng Quchi did not want to antagonize him, especially after she understood the benefits of forming an alliance with him today. So she changed her approach to persuade him: "Your Highness, what do you think a marriage contract is? Is it an arranged marriage by parents or a union based on the exchange of benefits?"
Yuan Xingzhou's answer to this question was obvious. He scoffed, "Naturally, it's driven by self-interest. Marriages in the Yuan family must adhere to this principle: the other party must possess sufficient value, like my mother, the Queen Consort, and all the concubines in the harem."
She originally wanted to lecture him on the principle of "marrying for love," but after hearing what he said, she wondered if she was being unreasonable.
If you tell someone who has never eaten sugar that sugar is sweet, very sweet, and ask them to try some, what do you want?
But he doesn't want to eat candy; he'll just ask, "What's the use of sweetness?"
"So, you want to marry me, a divorced woman, because you're after the benefits I bring?"
He learned quickly: "Didn't you just say that you are you and not anyone's appendage? Then I will marry you simply because you are Zheng Quchi."
Zheng Quchi didn't say whether she believed it or not; she simply raised her head and stopped.
We've arrived at the Hall of a Hundred Departments.
The newly appointed head eunuch said, "Your Highness, Madam Yuwen, please rest for a while. Once the banquet is arranged, we will come to inform you to attend."
Zheng Quchi thought that given the King of Ye's current state, he probably wouldn't be able to attend the banquet.
"Will the King also come?" she asked, knowing the answer already.
The chief eunuch smiled and said respectfully, "His Majesty is unwell and may not be able to attend tonight, but the Queen will preside over the banquet in his stead."
Queen?
Zheng Quchi inexplicably felt that the banquet would definitely turn into a trap. Just as she was about to make an excuse to refuse, she heard Yuan Xingzhou ask, "Besides the Queen, who else was invited to this banquet?"
"This..." The chief eunuch glanced at Yuan Xingzhou, remembering his identity and the attitude of the Prince of Ye towards him, and finally replied, "There are also envoys from five other countries. People from Hongsheng, Beiyuan, and Nanchen have all arrived. Only the envoys from Julu and Xize, which are further away, have not yet arrived."
Bei Yuan Kingdom… Thinking of that reply letter, Zheng Quchi immediately changed his mind: “When will it begin?”
"At the exact hour of You (5-7 PM)."
"By the way, has the date for the six-nation military exercises during the Spring Search been set?"
Upon hearing this, the chief eunuch immediately bowed his head in fear: "We servants would never dare to pry into matters before the palace. This matter will be decided after the Queen discusses it with the envoys from various countries and the generals who will be participating in the drills."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi immediately sensed that something was amiss.
How could such a crucial matter of state be decided by the successor king? Where is the King of Ye?
Although he was so fat that he had difficulty moving around, she observed that he was mentally sound and had not yet reached the point where his eyesight was failing and he could not distinguish things.
Zheng Quchi inevitably imagined many stories in her mind. She felt that what she was now involved in was just like a love-hate drama or palace intrigue drama that could go on for three hundred episodes.
She exchanged a gloomy glance with Yuan Xingzhou.
Yuan Xingzhou asked again, "If Father is not here, would it be appropriate for me to go?"
The chief eunuch hurriedly said, "It's appropriate. His Majesty will make all the necessary preparations for Your Highness's return. Your Highness only needs to go and observe the situation."
——
After the chief eunuch had arranged everything, he bowed and left the Hall of a Hundred Departments. Yuan Xingzhou and Zheng Quchi went in and dismissed the palace servants, then spoke with each other alone.
Zheng Quchi asked, "Do you know that Queen Consort?"
Logically speaking, he should not have known anyone since he was taken out of the palace shortly after the death of the late queen. However, as the eldest prince, he might have known all the noble families in Shengjing.
The Queen that the King of Ye would marry is certainly not just any daughter from a random family; he might even know her personally.
As expected, Yuan Xingzhou said, "She is my aunt."
"..." It turns out they not only knew each other, but were also related by marriage.
It has to be said, the entertainment industry is truly chaotic.
"Do you have a grudge against her?"
Hatred? Yuan Xingzhou's eyes showed no emotion: "She probably longs for my death more than anyone else."
Zheng Quchi knew that the Queen had a sick child, and that Princess Sheng'an was also her son. For the sake of her child's interests, she was definitely unwilling to let Yuan Xingzhou come back and share the spoils.
Her understanding was that simple and straightforward.
But by sheer coincidence, she brought him back unintentionally.
So... she indirectly attracted a huge wave of hatred back?
She realized that not only had Yuan Xingzhou become a thorn in the Queen's side, but she herself might have become a thorn in his side as well!
Her expression instantly turned distressed, and she asked, "Why don't you tell me what you want to do next?"
Seeing that her expression was truly adorable, Yuan Xingzhou countered, "Why don't you tell me what you're planning to do next?"
Zheng Quchi was too lazy to waste her breath on him, so she told him directly: "Let's make a pact. We can work together, but all your actions must not harm the foundation of Ye Kingdom, cause hardship to the people and waste resources. Revenge is allowed, but it cannot involve innocent people. Also, you cannot interfere with what I want to do."
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