Chapter 107: Defeat the scheming boy and tease the sultry general (17)
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of a wine glass breaking. However, everyone at the state banquet was already in chaos, looking at each other, at a loss for what to say. Chu Heng's eyes were sinister, and the veins on the back of his hands were visibly blue. If Li Ziyan hadn't stopped him, he would have rushed forward and punched the King of Southeast.
Although there were cases of male-male marriages in the Jin Dynasty and royal sons marrying men, there was no precedent of royal sons marrying anyone else.
What's more, Li Ziyan is the Holy Prince and the emperor's younger brother. Even if someone is interested in Li Ziyan, who would dare to claim that he wants to marry him?
What the King of Southeast said was not only an humiliation to Li Ziyan, but also an humiliation to the Great Jin Dynasty. Everyone at the banquet was almost unable to sit still.
"There has never been a precedent in our dynasty for a prince to arrange a marriage. The King of Southeast is being too conceited."
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. I do admire the Holy Prince, and wouldn't a marriage between us be a blessing for the people of both lands?"
Since ancient times, marriage alliances have been a way to avoid war. If Li Zihan had a younger sister or a daughter who was suitable for marriage, he might have considered this approach. It wasn't that he was cold-blooded, but as an emperor, his selfishness wouldn't outweigh his dedication to serving the people. Sacrificing one person was better than sacrificing thousands or even tens of thousands.
But this time was different. Not only was Li Ziyan's status different from his feelings, but if he really complied with the King of Southeast's request and sent Li Ziyan to marry, it would be an eternal shame for the Great Jin Dynasty. If he died, he would certainly not be able to face his ancestors.
"There is no precedent in our dynasty for a prince to marry outside the family, and there will be no precedent in the future. The King of Southeast should find a young lady or a young man from another family to marry."
Li Zihan's words were blunt. The Southeast King was, after all, the leader of a fiefdom, and he had come with ill intentions. His words could easily embarrass him and lead to a falling out. Perhaps the Southeast King had anticipated this situation and didn't make any further demands.
"I fell in love with you at first sight, but I was busy with the war at the time and didn't pursue you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid no one else would have caught my eye."
The King of Southeast shook his head and sat back in his seat with regret. As he expected, he met the eyes of the furious Chu Heng. He snorted coldly and smiled. He didn't look like a good person at all.
For the rest of the banquet, no one enjoyed their food. The ministers were all experienced and understood that the current situation was not going to be easy.
"Huanzhi," Li Zihan had asked someone to call Chu Heng over earlier. He was carrying Li Ziyan on his back, his brows stern. "Go back and keep an eye on Ziyan. Don't let him have any ideas. He's always been sensitive. I will definitely not let that traitor succeed."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will definitely protect you... and keep you safe."
"Um."
The two of them didn't say anything more, and Chu Heng hurried back to Li Ziyan. After the state banquet, I'm afraid no one will be calm.
"Wenzhu, Rongen, you two should go back first. I will go to the training camp another day."
"Yes, General," Rong Wei replied quickly, but Wen Zhu beside him seemed somewhat distracted. They had just separated for a moment, and when they met again, Wen Zhu looked preoccupied, her gaze still lost.
It wasn't until Chu Heng took Li Ziyan on the carriage and left that Rong En pushed Wen Zhu and said, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so rude? I noticed you weren't in a good state just now."
"I'm just a little worried. The King of Southeast is not a good person today." Wen Zhu lowered his head and shook it with a smile on his face, but his hands hidden in his sleeves were shaking.
Rong En thought he was just worried about the situation and sighed, "This King of Southeast is truly bold, but this is something we had anticipated. Let's go back first and intensify our rehearsals and training over the next few days to avoid any unexpected situations."
"Yeah, that's right."
The two of them left together. No one knew where Wenzhu had gone during his absence. No one knew who he had met. Apart from himself, no one could tell that he was different.
After the state banquet, the situation in the Great Jin Dynasty became tense, but the King of Southeast calmed down. He stayed at the post station or went out for a stroll for a few days and did not do anything inappropriate. However, Chu Heng and his men did not dare to relax and continued training with the training camp.
The situation was dire, and Li Ziyan naturally had no time for fun. He stayed by Chu Heng's side. He already had a wealth of knowledge about poetry, literature, and military tactics, and with 007's help, he had a thorough understanding of many things, making it easy to understand them. It was truly a pleasure to discuss and chat with him. However, because of this, Wen Zhu, who originally "belonged" to this position, felt even more resentful.
"Your Highness!" Yun Le hurried in from outside. After bowing to the few people, he quickly said, "Your Highness, someone has come to the palace. They say that the King of Southeast is coming to visit your Highness. It's estimated that he will arrive in an hour."
"One hour?" Li Ziyan frowned and looked at Chu Heng. Logically speaking, if he really wanted to meet Li Ziyan, he should have informed him earlier. Why did he say it when he was almost there?
However, the current situation did not allow Li Ziyan to turn him away. After thinking for a while, Li Ziyan stood up and said, "Ahem, it seems I have to leave now."
"I'll go back with you. The King of Southeast has ulterior motives, and I'm afraid of him..."
"It's okay, Huanzhi, don't worry. After all, it's the royal palace. Even if he's dissatisfied with me, he wouldn't dare to do anything to me."
Chu Heng wanted to explain that he wasn't worried about the Southeast King attacking Li Ziyan, but rather that he was worried about his ulterior motives. It was just that it was the day of the training camp rehearsal, and they were rehearsing a new formation, so he had to be there.
"General, why don't you let me accompany the prince back to the palace?" Wen Zhu bent his body, his palms sweating slightly, but his expression remained calm. "I think with me here, the King of Southeast won't dare to act too blatantly."
Chu Heng subconsciously wanted to refuse, but he couldn't think of a reason. He always felt something was strange, but he couldn't tell why. He could only frown, his handsome face serious, quite majestic.
"That's it, Military Advisor Wen, come back with me. Huanzhi, you don't have to worry. If anything happens, we'll rush over as soon as possible."
"Well, Wenzhu, you must protect Ziyan's safety."
"Don't worry, General."
After giving a few more instructions, Chu Heng watched Li Ziyan and Wen Zhu leave. For some reason, his heart was beating violently and he felt uneasy.
Wen Zhu and Li Ziyan sat in the carriage without saying a word. He clenched his fists and lowered his head slightly, making it difficult to see the expression on his face.
Not long after, they arrived at the palace, and after they arrived, the Southeast King's carriage also arrived.
"My Lord, it's been a long time since we last met. You've become even more beautiful."
If Chu Heng praised Li Ziyan's beauty, Li Ziyan would definitely be happy, but the person in front of him made him feel annoyed no matter how he looked at him.
"What business has the King of Southeast come here for today?"
"After all, we are old acquaintances. Your Highness wouldn't want to catch up with me, would you?"
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