Chapter 536: Snatch (1)
"Unfortunately, this king wants it too."
Everyone at the table was laughing, but then they stopped laughing. Huangfu Hao stared into Prince Rui's eyes, while Fu Xiuyi also looked at him in surprise. Princess Ming'an's face stiffened, her expression twisted for a moment.
The prince laughed heartily and tried to smooth things over, saying, "A beautiful lady is a gentleman's dream. Miss Shen is both talented and beautiful, so she naturally attracts countless heroes!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Prince Rui picked up and put down his wine cup with a half-smile on his face, and said nothing more.
Everyone thought he was just joking. How could the Great Liang Dynasty's King Rui marry a Ming Qi court lady? Not to mention the mismatch between the two, in such a sensitive and tense situation, marrying a woman from another country would be like setting a trap. Who knew if she was a spy sent by the other nation? Even the bravest would not dare take such a risk.
Everyone was still smiling and drinking and eating, but Princess Ming'an had been drowned in resentment ever since Prince Rui said that. Her eyes were filled with hatred, which made Huangfu Hao frown repeatedly.
Overall, the Crown Prince's banquet was a complete success. The Mingqi princes likely sought to ascertain the current attitudes of Qin and Daliang toward Mingqi. Qin had, thus far, been remarkably friendly toward Mingqi, showing no signs of hostility. Prince Rui of Daliang, on the other hand, was neither close nor hostile, making him difficult to grasp. Even when the wine flowed freely and everyone was in high spirits, his lack of alcohol kept him composed and discreet, his words frustratingly precise.
At the end, Prince Rui was the first to leave. His departure further irritated Princess Ming'an. Furious, she scolded several servants on her way back, even scolding the subordinate who had come to hand in a letter of official business to Prince Ding.
Those two were not others, but Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao. Fu Xiuyi reprimanded them a few times, and Princess Ming'an finally gave up. Returning to Prince Ding's residence, Fu Xiuyi informed his staff of what had happened at the banquet and pondered, "That Prince Rui of Daliang seems to have some hostility towards me, and was deliberately suppressing me at the banquet?"
Fu Xiuyi recruited a remarkable group of talented individuals. As a prince, despite his forbearance, his scheming and planning might not be considered the most sophisticated, but his methods and perseverance in recruiting talent were unmatched among the nine princes. He could wait outside a man's wooden door for an entire night in the bitter cold, and he could also plan a stable and prosperous life for his family. Therefore, his staff were not only talented but also loyal. Whenever he had any questions, he could get answers from them.
The art of controlling people is what an emperor should learn most. In this respect, Fu Xiuyi is indeed the best emperor.
The staff members were lost in thought. Fu Xiuyi looked at the man in the blue shirt at the front and asked, "Mr. Pei, do you have any opinions?"
If every staff member here is someone Fu Xiuyi trusts, then Pei Lang is undoubtedly Fu Xiuyi's confidant. Pei Lang was recruited by Fu Xiuyi two years ago. Fu Xiuyi was impressed by his talent, but Pei Lang himself wasn't interested in power. Ultimately, Fu Xiuyi used every trick in his book, even using the principles of justice to persuade him, to finally win him over. And this man, who had taken considerable effort to win over, lived up to Fu Xiuyi's high expectations. Over the past two years, he has solved many problems for Fu Xiuyi. Therefore, even now, whenever Fu Xiuyi encounters an unsolvable problem, he always thinks of Pei Lang first.
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