That's it?
Have the Second Prince and the Third Prince run out of things to say?
Chu Xinxin replied calmly, "The golden dragon belongs to the metal element. If I were to wear gold jewelry while carrying the dragon pearl, the golden energy would be absorbed by the golden dragon and turn into white ash. This would be a great disrespect to Your Majesty. Therefore, I have dressed in this way."
The scrutiny in Emperor Zhou's eyes faded, and he repeatedly praised Chu Xinxin for her thoughtfulness.
The second and third princes were quite unwilling and wanted to say more, but a loud voice rang out from outside the hall.
"Did my second and third brothers take advantage of my absence to bully my betrothed?"
Zhou Huaichuan appeared in the main hall looking travel-worn.
Chu Xinxin's eyes lit up instantly.
A month later, Zhou Huaichuan seemed to have lost some weight, which made his long arms and slender waist appear even more prominent, highlighting his height and long legs.
Zhou Huaichuan walked to the center of the main hall and bowed to Emperor Zhou.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's protection, the flood has been controlled and the people on both sides of the river have been resettled. Only then was I able to rush back to the capital to celebrate Your Majesty's birthday."
Emperor Zhou had never been kind to him, but today, after receiving such a generous gift, he suddenly became very kind and benevolent.
“Prince An’s filial piety is commendable. Please take a seat.”
Zhou Huaichuan didn't move. He bowed again to the Emperor, saying, "Father, while controlling the floods, I discovered..."
Emperor Zhou interrupted him, looking very pleased, and said, "Your wife has already brought it up on your behalf. You have done a great job. This pot of wine is a gift for you and Anru."
Zhou Huaichuan sat down next to Chu Xinxin, looking completely bewildered.
What should he give as a gift? He wanted to mention the gold mine discovered during the flood control efforts.
Chu Xinxin quietly leaned closer to him: "I gave Emperor Zhou a dragon pearl, inside which there is a golden dragon swimming around."
"Golden Dragon?"
“I told you you found it when you were controlling the floods, so don’t try to tie it up.”
Zhou Huaichuan raised an eyebrow, and using his wide sleeves to conceal himself, reached out and took Chu Xinxin's hand, his calloused hand caressing Chu Xinxin's delicate palm.
Chu Xinxin felt like there were ants crawling all over her heart, making her very itchy.
Their exchange of glances caught the eye of a woman opposite them, igniting a fire within them.
"Emperor of the Great Zhou." A beautiful woman suddenly stood up from the Mongol delegation.
This person is a princess of the Mongol Kingdom, named Ali.
“Ali had seen Prince An’s heroic figure on the battlefield, and after that, Ali’s heart no longer belonged to her.”
Ali spoke very frankly: "Emperor of the Great Zhou, Ali would like to offer Prince An the strongest wine from our Mongol Kingdom."
Emperor Zhou laughed heartily: "Princess Ali is frank and natural, I grant your permission."
Ali filled her wine glass with fine wine, walked up to Zhou Huaichuan, and looked at him intently: "Your Highness, please."
Everyone watched this wonderful show with wide eyes, afraid of missing anything.
Zhou Huaichuan did not accept the wine from the beauty. He said, "Princess Ali, I have no interest in you. Please give this wine to someone else."
According to the customs of the Mongolian nobility, if a man drinks wine offered by a woman, he is obligated to marry her.
Ali showed no embarrassment at being rejected; instead, she was quite arrogant: "Prince An, a hero like you should be paired with the fiercest and most beautiful woman on the grasslands. The birds in the capital are kept in cages and have long lost their melodious voices. They are nothing more than puppets, utterly boring."
Zhou Huaichuan: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the princess is perhaps too self-important."
"It's not that I think too highly of myself, but none of the flowers in this capital can survive the wind and rain; they would only be a burden."
Ali pushed her wine glass forward again: "Your Highness Prince An won't even drink my wine. Is this how the Great Zhou Dynasty treats its guests?"
It's just a drink, why make such a fuss, and even drag the Zhou Dynasty into it?
Emperor Zhou opened his mouth as if to urge Zhou Huaichuan to drink quickly and stop dawdling, but a slender, fair hand took the wine cup from him.
“Princess Ali, I will drink this cup of wine on behalf of His Highness Prince An.”
Before Ali could stop her, Chu Xinxin downed the whole thing in one gulp.
"Who told you to drink that!" Ali glared angrily at Chu Xinxin.
“The princess made me drink it.” Chu Xinxin blinked. “Haven’t you heard? In our Great Zhou, there’s a saying: ‘Husband and wife are one.’ Although I’m not married yet, His Majesty has already approved of it. It makes no difference whether Prince An drinks the princess’s wine or I drink it.”
A hint of a smile appeared in Zhou Huaichuan's eyes as he added, "That's right, our hearts are alike."
Ali was furious when her confession failed and the other person put on a public display of affection for her.
"Emperor of the Great Zhou, the Meng Kingdom wishes to forge a marriage alliance with the Great Zhou. We request that the Emperor of the Great Zhou bestow a marriage upon me and Prince An!"
Ali used her trump card.
In recent years, the Mongol Empire has enjoyed political stability and harmonious relations with neighboring countries, leading to its growing national strength and a growing tendency to surpass the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Emperor Zhou was quite tempted by Ali's suggestion.
Zhou Huaichuan realized something was wrong and immediately wanted to stand up and expose his shortcomings, but Chu Xinxin grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "Wait for me to punish her and let her know what it means to be outmatched!"
Chu Xinxin slowly walked to Ali's side: "Princess, everything is about first come, first served. You can't just take away my perfect marriage like that. That's not very kind of you."
“The capable should rule. If Prince An marries me, he will have the entire Mongol Kingdom as his backing.” Ali glanced at Chu Xinxin with disdain. “You? What can an unfavored daughter of the Prime Minister’s family give him?”
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the second and third princes of the Zhou Emperor, who had been watching the spectacle, all changed.
Damn, I was so happy, I didn't even think about this floor.
Chu Xinxin smiled: "In the past ten years, the Meng Kingdom has fought ten battles with the Great Zhou, seven of which were fought by Prince An. All seven were great victories. Although the Meng Kingdom is strong, Prince An will only become stronger."
Ali bit her lower lip, unable to think of a rebuttal.
Seeing her unconvinced expression, Chu Xinxin suggested, "Just now, the princess didn't say a word about the women of the capital. I would like to have a contest with the princess. If I lose, I will apologize to the emperor and voluntarily relinquish my position. If the princess loses... let's increase the annual tribute from the Mongol Kingdom by 10%."
Ali was confident she wouldn't lose and readily agreed.
"This princess does not wish to be known as a bully. Let's each write down six things we are good at, and then choose one of the other envoys to draw lots. Whatever we draw, we will compete in that. Best of five, how about that?"
Chu Xinxin nodded in agreement.
Ali wrote: horseback riding, archery, drinking, whips, and dancing.
Chu Xinxin wrote: playing the zither, composing poems, medicine, drinking, and dice.
After everyone had read the document, they began to draw lots.
The first competition was archery.
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