Chapter 393 The Queen Mother Wants to See Him
When Xiyan returned to the Jiangdu Palace and stepped into the Liuxia Palace, the Southern Emperor Xie Zhen was sitting at the desk with a gloomy expression on his face.
Queen Nan Jiang Qingyue was sitting aside, the teacup in her hand had already gone cold. When she saw her daughter come in, her eyes instantly turned red.
"Tian'er, are you really going to Tianqi to marry? You just came back to us, how could Mother bear to let you marry thousands of miles away in Yandu?"
Xie Zhen's face was filled with anger, but he softened his voice:
"Tian'er, I will not allow you to marry. My daughter is not a bargaining chip that can be gambled away at will. I have already assembled the troops on the battlefield and will lead the army personally to meet him, Xiao Nanyan, in battle!"
Xiyan was not hurried, she knelt down and saluted, her tone calm and unperturbed:
"Father, Your Majesty, and Mother, please calm down. This daughter did not act on impulse, nor did she treat this as a joke."
"Xiyan, that Xiao Nanyan has gone too far. He has an army approaching and is forcing my only daughter to marry him. He is truly abhorrent. How can I let him go?"
"Father," Xi Yan looked up at Xie Zhen:
"Although Xiao Nanyan used war to force peace, he always surrounded us but did not attack. At the battle at Qixing Mountain, the Tianqi Army did not harm our Nanzhao soldiers. If he really wanted to force marriage, why would he go to such lengths to gamble with my daughter?"
"But Tianqi and our Nanzhao have been at odds for generations. If you marry him..."
"Friends and enemies are never predetermined."
Xiyan interrupted Xie Zhen:
"Father, you often say that those who govern a country should prioritize the safety of their people. Tianqi has a strong army and horses. If a war breaks out, our Nan Zhao will lose at least half of its troops, and the people will suffer. If that happens, won't your daughter become a sinner for all eternity?"
Xie Zhen slammed the table:
"I will protect my kingdom and my people. Why should I trade my daughter's marriage for them? You are the apple of my father's eye and my mother's eye. If you can't even protect your own daughter, what's the point of me being the emperor?"
He took a breath, his tone slowed down but remained firm:
"At worst, I can fight Tianqi! The men of Nanzhao are all brave and mighty, so they might not be afraid of Xiao Nanyan!"
"Father!"
Xiyan knelt on the ground, took a half step on her knees, looked up at her father, tears in her eyes:
"Fight? How? If the Apocalypse cavalry really enters Jiangdu, the city's food and fodder will only be enough to last three months. The people who just recovered from the epidemic last year, can they withstand another war?"
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling with excitement:
"You said you wanted to protect me, but I want to protect the farmers eagerly awaiting the autumn harvest, the children playing within the city walls, and the women weaving brocade in Jiangdu. They've finally had a stable life for over a decade, and I can't let them fall back into misery just because I've been in Jiangdu for a short year. If that were the case, I'd rather never have acknowledged my relatives than be spared this conflict."
Xie Zhen's chest heaved violently, but he felt so uncomfortable with Xiyan's words that he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.
In fact, just yesterday morning at the court, all the ministers knelt down and wrote letters to him, asking him to agree to the marriage with Tianqi to maintain peace between the two countries.
There were also several veteran ministers who wanted to die as a warning to others. There were also rumors among the people that Princess Zhaoning was an evildoer who brought disaster to the country and the people, and brought war to Southern Zhao.
He heard all these rumors, but he suppressed them all.
Because, as a father, how could he bear to see his daughter, who was lost and found again, leave him and his wife and marry into an enemy country?
If you really get married, we will see each other again in the future, no matter how far apart we are.
Even if he can bear it, can his beloved wife bear it?
Seeing his moved expression, Xi Yan said with tears in her eyes:
"My daughter was once a loyal soldier in Xiao Nanyan's mansion, and her martial arts skills are not weak either. Even if she marries him, she will not be a pawn that can be manipulated at will. I believe that father has already received Xiao Nanyan's letter of marriage. I heard from my royal brother that the conditions he offered are very attractive."
She panted slightly:
“If the emperor agrees to the marriage, he will not only return the six cities he has seized, but will also open up border trade. In particular, he will give the Xinzhou, which the emperor values most, as a betrothal gift.
Xinzhou, a strategic location between the north and south, and a key point between the east and west, has always been a battleground for military strategists. Tianqi's willingness to use this place as a betrothal gift demonstrates his sincerity in seeking an end to the war.
This city belongs to Nanzhao, and it is a strong barrier for our country. Xiao Nanyan offers the land that my father cherishes so dearly, not only to show his love for me, but also to establish a long-term friendship between our two countries.
If we take Xinzhou, the border will be safe and the people can farm and weave in peace; if we lose Xinzhou, the flames of war will be hard to extinguish and the soldiers will be exhausted. With Xinzhou in hand, our Southern Zhao will be strong, and if Tianqi has any second thoughts, we must think carefully.
Xiao Nanyan is offering a city in exchange for the well-being of the people. This betrothal gift will bring peace to generations to come. How could my father fail to notice such sincerity? "
"But, Tian'er, Father knows this is a great gift, but Father does not want to use his own daughter in exchange."
Xie Zhen sat tiredly in the chair, his voice full of weakness.
How could he not know the importance of Xinzhou?
In the past, Nanzhao and Tianqi fought openly and secretly for more than a hundred years for this precious land. How many soldiers were buried on the battlefield and how many people were displaced?
Xiao Nanyan was willing to use Xinzhou as a betrothal gift, and his intention was obvious - he wanted to use this to maintain long-term peace between the two countries and turn hostility into friendship.
If it weren't for his daughter's marriage in exchange, he would be so happy that he would grant amnesty to the whole country, hold a 49-day celebration banquet, and announce it to the whole world.
But now, this huge pie is like a red-hot iron, burning his heart and making it ache.
He stroked the map on the table. The location of Xinzhou was circled again and again in cinnabar, which was the obsession of the Southern Zhao emperors of all generations.
But when he looked up and saw his daughter's thin figure, his ambition as an emperor instantly turned into weakness:
Even if you gain the kingdom, what’s the point if you lose the daughter in your hand?
"Tian'er, your father has been a soldier for half his life, what storms has he not seen?" Xie Zhen's Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was hoarse:
"But this is the only thing that Father really..."
Although Jiang Qingyue was crying uncontrollably, she gently tugged at Xie Zhen's sleeve:
"Ah Zhen, what Tian'er said makes sense. Others may not understand my daughter, but don't you understand her? She is so kind-hearted. I don't want anyone to suffer because of her. Our precious daughter is not a calamity for Nanzhao, but a blessing for Nanzhao. Because of her appearance, I can see the world again, and Nanzhao and Tianqi can maintain lasting peace. Besides..."
She glanced at her daughter and remembered that during the half year she was in a coma, her daughter had been by her bedside every day, talking to her. But the person they talked about most was the man she hated the most.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred.
After all, she had spent eight years with that man day and night. Presumably, they had already melted into each other's blood, making it difficult to separate.
Although Xiao Nanyan was overbearing, he was said to be handsome, talented, and worthy of his daughter. Furthermore, he must have truly fallen in love with his daughter, otherwise, why would he have gone to all this trouble?
Her daughter is only sixteen years old, so young and beautiful, and she has Xiao Nanyue's child. As a mother, how can she watch her daughter stay alone with the child like this for the rest of her life?
They were all experienced people and understood the emotions of young people. Wasn't her daughter also deeply in love with Xiao Nanyan?
Otherwise, why would his daughter let him escape from the Soul-Locking Forest a few months ago?
After thinking about it, Jiang Qingyue looked at Xie Zhen with sobs and said softly:
"Tian'er is so young, she'll eventually have to get married. Xiao Nanyan is a dragon among men, and besides, Yin'er is his biological daughter. If Tian'er marries him, he will definitely treat her well. Ah Zhen, you and I have both been young. Don't you understand the feelings between young men and women?"
Xie Zhen was startled for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes. After a long moment, he opened them again, his eyes showing a hint of fatigue and helplessness. He certainly didn't understand his wife's thoughts, and besides, he didn't want to let his daughter down again.
"Qingyue, our daughter is so smart and determined to carry this heavy burden on her own shoulders."
He looked at his daughter's stubborn profile and finally sighed, his voice full of vicissitudes:
"Well, since you've thought it through so thoroughly, then it's all up to you."
"Thank you, Father, and Mother."
Xiyan knelt down with tears in her eyes to express her gratitude.
Jiang Qingyue took a few steps forward and took her daughter's hand, her fingertips cold.
"Tian'er, mother only wants you and Yin'er to be safe."
"My daughter will be safe and will protect Yin'er. Please rest assured, father and mother."
Xiyan wiped away her mother's tears:
"If Xiao Nanyan dares to bully me, I will have my own way to deal with him."
Jiang Qingyue touched her daughter's cheek and said softly:
"Tian'er, your Majesty agrees to the marriage, but Xiao Nanyan must come to Jiangdu in person to propose. Your Majesty, I want to meet him..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
