Concubine Wang, who was sitting to the right of the throne, saw her son being questioned. With a gloomy expression and a hint of displeasure, she said, "Third girl, stop making trouble. We're in a court meeting now. We've called you here because we have something to ask you."
Her eyes revealed her dissatisfaction with Liu Xueyu, as if she still had a grudge against Liu Xueyu's previous actions.
Liu Xueyu sneered when she heard this, and her bright eyes flashed with determination:
"Is this the attitude you take when you come to me to ask questions? I just returned to Shu Kingdom and you took me from the princess's residence to the palace. And as soon as I entered the hall, I knelt down before my own brother. Is this the attitude you take when you come to ask questions?"
There was a hint of sarcasm and disdain in her voice, and it was obvious that she did not buy Concubine Wang's accusations.
Concubine Wang's face turned pale in an instant. She didn't expect Liu Xueyu to refute her so directly.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, then slowly spoke: "Xueyu, as a princess of Shu, you should understand the importance of the overall situation. We didn't ask you to come here to argue with you, but to help you find a sense of propriety and share the worries of Shu.
But look at you, as the Third Princess, you personally brought 100,000 dan of grain to support the State of Wei, but you didn't bring back any benefits. How will the court officials view you?"
When Liu Xueyu stepped into the magnificent hall and glanced at the Fourth Prince sitting on the high throne and Concubine Wang beside him, she knew in her heart that she was summoned to the palace so urgently, obviously to find out from her what benefits she had gained in the State of Wei.
After all, the relationship between Wei and Shu was well known. Especially when Wei was facing difficulties, Shu generously provided 100,000 dan of grain. Wei naturally would not ignore this favor and would definitely give Liu Xueyu some treasures.
All the other states had more or less grasped some information about the changes that had taken place within Wei through their respective spies stationed in the state. Liu Xueyu and Chu Fan had grown up together, so Chu Fan naturally had no feelings for Liu Xueyu.
Liu Xueyu, who understood this, naturally would not easily admit that he had obtained any treasure, otherwise it would only bring himself more trouble and trouble.
When Liu Xueyu heard Concubine Wang's words, a glint of anger flashed in her eyes. She raised her chin slightly and said firmly with an unquestionable dignity in her tone:
"Noble Consort Wang, you are completely wrong. I led the grain aid to Wei in order to ensure peace and stability between our two countries. You must understand that without Wei's aid, Shu might no longer exist.
Now that Wei is in trouble, it's only natural that we, Shu, are able to lend a helping hand. As for the benefits you mentioned? I'm not sure what you mean."
Liu Xueyu continued, "Although we didn't directly gain material benefits from Wei, we earned their friendship and respect. This intangible wealth is priceless to the long-term development of Shu. Friendship and respect, though seemingly intangible, can bring unexpected help and support at critical moments."
What we need in Shu is not just immediate benefits, but long-term stability and development. These intangible things may not be enough to feed us, but they can bring us broader development space and more opportunities.
Concubine Wang sneered when she heard this, and was obviously not satisfied with Liu Xueyu's explanation. She said contemptuously:
"Humph, friendship and respect? Can these illusory things be eaten? What we in Shu need are tangible benefits, not your empty promises. We need benefits that can be seen and touched, not those illusory so-called friendship and respect."
Liu Xueyu's eyes grew cold and resolute, and she silently thought to herself: "As expected, she is a woman from a merchant family. She only cares about money and profit. Family and friendship seem worthless to her." Her cold gaze seemed to penetrate people's hearts and send chills down their spines.
Liu Xueyu narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone filled with a hint of provocation and disdain, as if she looked down on someone. "Noble Consort Wang, you are so short-sighted. How dare you sit to the right of the throne? Your concern for profit and your disregard for the greater good will only lead Shu into a predicament where it will be surrounded by enemies.
You know, a country's strength depends not only on its economic and military strength, but also on its foreign policy, cooperation and alliances between nations. I brought food to support Wei in order to enhance the cooperative relationship between Shu and Wei and win more allies and support for Shu.
Only through diplomatic means can we consolidate our nation's position in the complex international situation and ensure its long-term development. Your approach of focusing only on immediate interests will only leave Shu isolated and helpless."
The atmosphere in the court suddenly became tense, and the conflict between Liu Xueyu and Concubine Wang had reached a climax.
The old ministers who had followed the King of Shu to conquer the world would definitely agree with Liu Xueyu's words. When the State of Wei helped the King of Shu, they did not ask for any reward. He could not see that the State of Wei had a treasure now and wanted to use the 100,000 stones of grain he had provided to the State of Wei as moral blackmail to force the other party to give the treasure to him.
Prime Minister Li, standing in the front row, saw this and quickly stood up to try to ease the atmosphere. "Please calm down, both of you. State affairs are more important, and we shouldn't argue here. Princess Xueyu, you just returned from Wei, and perhaps you don't know much about the current Shu Kingdom."
But please believe that we have asked you to come here for the sake of the future of Shu. As for your support for Wei, we can discuss it later."
Liu Xueyu nodded slightly, understanding that Lord Li was trying to help her out. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and then slowly spoke:
"Lord Li is right. National affairs are of paramount importance. I am willing to contribute to Shu, but only if you respect my decisions and actions. As for supporting Wei, I am willing to accept the questioning and scrutiny of the court officials, but please do not treat me in this way again."
He has not seen his father and brother yet, and now is not the time to fight with his fourth brother Liu Buchu and Concubine Wang.
Concubine Wang realized she had been a bit too aggressive. A young eunuch had already quietly informed her that the guards she had sent to the Princess's residence hadn't found any treasures. Now was not the time to fight Liu Xueyu to the death.
Concubine Wang nodded slightly to show her agreement with Liu Xueyu's statement: "Okay, since Princess Xueyu is willing to contribute to the country and is willing to accept the investigation, let's get down to business."
Concubine Wang continued, "Princess Xueyu, why did Wei trade its high-quality, low-cost refined salt with all other countries, but not Shu? Didn't you just say that supporting Wei was for better cooperation between the two countries?"
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