“What you two elder sisters say is right. Just by looking at his appearance, you can tell that the second son is indeed extraordinary. He is definitely not an ordinary person.”
Upon hearing the praise from the three concubines, Sun Jian naturally knew to be humble and quickly bowed again.
"Your Excellencies are too kind."
As they spoke, the three concubines again told Sun Jian that he didn't need to stand on ceremony.
They all knew that Emperor Qianlong greatly valued Sun Jian, so they wouldn't keep making Sun Jian bow to them.
As they spoke, the three concubines couldn't help but steal glances at Princess Chang Le, Li Ganrou, and Princess Taiping, Li Ganxue, who were standing to the side.
The three of them had watched these two princesses grow up, so they knew exactly what the princesses were thinking.
It's easy to see from the way the two princesses look at Sun Jian at this moment that both of them have fallen for him.
Princess Chang Le, in particular, looked at Sun Jian with a gaze that went far beyond mere liking; it was as if she were looking at a man she had admired for many years.
It was clear not only to the three princesses that they both liked Sun Jian, but also to Crown Prince Li Gancheng that Princess Changle was extremely infatuated with him.
But such things can't be forced, especially since Li Gancheng knew that Sun Jian already had three wives.
She was given to Sun Jian as a wife as a war widow. Li Gancheng had also advised his sister, Li Ganrou, that Sun Jian had three wives and that they had a very good relationship.
She gave up on this idea and was able to marry a good man in the future.
However, Li Gancheng's advice at the time had no effect. Instead, it made Li Ganrou's longing for Sun Jian even stronger, perhaps even more intense.
Li Gancheng, as the elder brother, knew that there was no need to persuade him further. He and Sun Jian were good friends, but he understood Sun Jian and would not put him in any difficult position in this matter.
At this moment, Li Gancheng also glanced at his younger sister Li Ganrou, and then greeted Sun Jian as if nothing had happened.
"Brother Sun, Consort Xian is right. We're all family, so there's no need for such formalities."
Li Gancheng stood still, letting the eunuchs and palace maids help him change his clothes. Normally, he would have patted Sun Jian on the shoulder before saying those words, but at this moment, even if he wanted to take a step forward, it would be difficult.
After all, so many people are watching!
Just as Sun Jian and Li Gancheng were exchanging pleasantries, the leading lady, Consort Xian, covered her mouth and coughed lightly at Princess Chang Le (Li Ganrou) and Princess Taiping (Li Ganxue) beside her.
"Cough cough!"
Her cough had a clear purpose: to intentionally remind the two princesses to be mindful of her gaze, since there were so many servants watching them.
A princess should still maintain a certain dignified demeanor.
With Consort Xian's reminder, the two princesses finally came to their senses and quickly looked away from Sun Jian. However, they were still young girls and did not have much cunning.
At this moment, the two princesses looked like children who had done something wrong, or like their privacy had been exposed. They were shy and their eyes kept darting away.
That scene was both adorable and made you want to chuckle.
Seeing the two princesses in this state, the three ladies exchanged glances and shook their heads with wry smiles.
Sun Jian, do you know that you have made two princesses of Da Gan infatuated with you, especially Princess Chang Le, Li Gan Rou, whose heart is so devoted to you.
I don't know if this is a tragic fate or something else...
It's just that I met the right person at the wrong time!
Seeing that the greetings had already been given, Liu Jin, the shrewd one, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over regarding Sun Jian's earlier remarks.
After all, Sun Jian's current status is second only to the emperor, and he, a mere eunuch, still has to give his masters a way out in everything. Otherwise, after Sun Jian explained for so long and no one responded, wouldn't the famous Lord Sun be embarrassed?
Liu Jin then appeared to suddenly understand, nodding thoughtfully as he responded to Sun Jian's earlier explanation.
Although the response seemed somewhat slow and sluggish, at least those in the know could clearly see that Liu Jin was trying to curry favor with Sun Jian.
"Oh...this servant understands! Now that you've explained it to me, Your Excellency, this servant finally understands!"
"It seems that no matter what the circumstances, whether countries are enemies or friends, there will always be a diplomatic element involved, and diplomacy is mostly manifested during such festive occasions."
"My lord, is my explanation correct...?"
At this moment, Sun Jian and Li Gancheng finished their pleasantries. After listening to Liu Jin's words, Sun Jian looked at Liu Jin with interest and then continued to speak in the same vein.
"That's right! That's exactly the point."
"So whether it's today's grand wedding of His Highness the Crown Prince, or the triennial grand court assembly a month from now, the surrounding foreign countries, the Great Xia, the Great Song, and the Great Zhou will all send people to offer their congratulations and send envoys to attend!"
After saying these words, Sun Jian suddenly thought of his later life.
For example, in later times, the small Sakura Kingdom next to the Dragon Kingdom committed an unforgivable crime against the Dragon Kingdom.
But even under those circumstances, diplomacy between the two countries never ceased.
That's the principle at hand.
Although Da Gan was at war with Da Zhou and Da Song at the moment, it was nothing compared to the war against the Dragon Kingdom at that time.
At this moment, the war between the three kingdoms of Daqian, Dazhou, and Dasong is at most a war of attrition over border and territorial issues.
Envoys sometimes represent not only their country, but also all the different factions within that country that hold opposing views.
This depends on the specific circumstances and needs to be considered in detail.
Of course, only Sun Jian himself knew the truth.
His Highness the Crown Prince's wedding is different from the grand court assembly!
The former is a congratulatory message, while the latter is a contest of national power between countries.
However, the grand court assembly is still a long way off, so there's no need to bring this up in front of everyone right now.
"Thank you, Your Excellency, for answering my questions and resolving my doubts!"
Liu Jin cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, feigning an enlightened expression, and then thanked Sun Jian.
Sun Jian didn't dwell on the issue too much, but before he could even respond to Liu Jin...
At this moment, Li Gancheng kept giving Sun Jian meaningful glances.
Sun Jian was genuinely caught off guard at first, wondering what the Crown Prince was up to by suddenly giving him a meaningful look.
Why did he suddenly act like he was having a seizure while we were talking...?
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