Although he was somewhat wavering, he cared more about the people. The Ninth Princess alone could bring peace to Chang'an. To be honest, he was already tempted.
Seeing that the Emperor had made up his mind, Consort Min had no choice but to go and beg the Empress. Unexpectedly, the Empress did not even want to see her and simply closed the door to guests.
She was utterly despondent when a sudden downpour began. Alone in the Imperial Garden, she wept bitterly, wondering who could help her now.
Everyone was talking about it, some pitying her, some gloating, but no one went up to hold an umbrella for her.
Only Ah Qi, holding a small umbrella, walked up to Consort Min and said, "Your Highness, I've heard that the Ninth Princess has a bad fate, but it's not something that can be easily changed by others. If Father Emperor could be more assertive, perhaps it would be possible?"
Consort Min wiped the rain off her face and looked at Ah Qi, saying, "Yes, as long as His Majesty refuses, they have no way to stop him."
"Your Highness, please don't worry. Even if something really happens to Ninth Sister, I'll be there for you." Ah Qi quickly reached out his hand to her.
"Yes, I still have you." A cunning glint suddenly flashed in Consort Min's eyes.
After saying that, she took his hand and the two of them went back to the Scarlet Smoke Palace together under an umbrella.
Meanwhile, the bizarre conditions imposed by the Mingyue Kingdom had reached the ears of the court officials. Although they condemned them, they could not refuse—a problem that could be solved by a woman was not a problem at all.
Pei Xuan, however, was unwilling to accept his fate and even less willing to sacrifice the woman.
He requested an audience with the Emperor three or four times, but never managed to see the Emperor's face. Therefore, he had to find another way.
After much deliberation, Pei Xuan decided to seek out Tianxiang Tower once again.
Fortunately, Xu Yuehuai happened to be sunbathing in front of Tianxiang Tower this time.
"Lord Pei? When did you return?" Xu Yuehuai couldn't contain her excitement upon seeing the visitor. "How did the matter of the refugees go?"
“I’ve already made all the arrangements. The new season’s cotton has been planted, and even the tax issue has been resolved. This time, I really have to thank Manager Xu for her solutions.” Ever since Pei Xuan witnessed her intelligence and resourcefulness, he couldn’t help but admire her, and his attitude became even more respectful. “However, I’ve been away from home these past few days and am unaware of the changes in Chang’an. I wonder if Manager Xu knows the inside story?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuehuai knew that this was not the place to talk.
She invited Pei Xuanrang into the Tianxiang Tower and found a quiet place before speaking: "The Mingyue Kingdom has never given up its desire to destroy us. This time, they used the pretense of peace negotiations to sneak into Chang'an City, intending to kill Qi Guze. After being exposed, they falsely accused Qi Guze of treason. Their intentions deserve to be punished."
Pei Xuan guessed there was more to the story, but he didn't expect it to be so complicated. After thinking for a moment, he said, "In that case, it makes sense."
Xu Yuehuai didn't know what he meant, so she gave him a questioning look.
Pei Xuan quickly explained, "A while ago, the army of the Mingyue Kingdom pressed on the border, but instead of attacking, they put forward peace terms, which were actually to marry the ten-year-old Ninth Princess."
"They assassinated Qi Guze, then launched a massive military offensive, all for a ten-year-old girl?" Xu Yuehuai was baffled, wondering what the King of Mingyue Kingdom was really up to.
“I have an idea. The Mingyue Kingdom is treacherous and wants to subdue the enemy without fighting. If we really exchange this little girl for peace, we will be ridiculed by the Mingyue Kingdom for the rest of our lives. And at that time, who will be willing to fight for the country?” Pei Xuan said, sharing his analysis.
If he knew that the real reason was that Ah Qi was afraid the Ninth Princess would ruin his plans, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.
Xu Yuehuai was also taken aback. After thinking about his words carefully, she found them to make more and more sense, so she said, "So you came to me this time to ask for my advice?"
“No,” Pei Xuan shook his head. “I have met with His Majesty many times. He has made up his mind and it will be difficult to change it. But you have spent some time with the Crown Prince, so you can speak to him. If you can persuade the Crown Prince to plead with His Majesty, there may be a chance for this matter to turn around.”
Xu Yuehuai considered for a moment and wanted to refuse. The game between two countries is not something that everyone can master. She was not Qi Guze and did not want to get involved in this mess.
But seeing Pei Xuan's gaze, she felt too embarrassed to refuse. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I can give it a try, but I'm not very confident, so don't get your hopes up too high."
"Whether it succeeds or not, we should still try. In this situation, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate," Pei Xuan said, shaking his head to comfort him.
Xu Yuehuai tidied herself up and arrived in the imperial city. The last time she came here, she was delivering recipes to Maimaiti and making fun of Qi Guze. But this time, Qi Guze's fate was unknown. Fate is always unpredictable, which is truly ironic.
However, she didn't have time to wallow in self-pity; there was a young girl, or rather, the dignity of a nation, that she needed to strive for.
She patted her face, composed herself, and went to see Ah Qi.
Ah Qi saw Xu Yuehuai from afar and happily called out to her, "Grandma, Grandma, you've finally come to see me."
Xu Yuehuai took out his favorite drink from behind his back. Aqi took it and gulped it down, then said, "Grandma, how did you know I wanted to drink this drink lately?"
“Ah Qi, Grandma isn’t here to reminisce with you this time. Grandma has something important to tell you,” Xu Yuehuai said, patting his head.
"Grandma, tell me, I'll do what I can for you, and if I can't do it, I'll ask Father Emperor. He'll definitely be able to do it," Ah Qi said, waving her little fist.
"Do you know the Ninth Princess?" Xu Yuehuai asked.
Ah Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately guessed why Xu Yuehuai had come to see him. He refused decisively, saying, "Grandma, I'm afraid I can't help with this matter."
"Why don't you go and beg your father? This is a matter of great importance concerning the well-being of the people." Xu Yuehuai still refused to give up.
“It’s a matter of great importance to the people.” Ah Qi said, his eyes darting around. “I saw Aunt Min crying in the rain that day, and later I asked my father. He said that if he could sacrifice his own flesh and blood, he could bring peace to all of Chang’an. He was willing to make that decision.”
"Is there absolutely no room for maneuver?" Xu Yuehuai knew that the Emperor was indeed capable of making such a decision.
“Unless there is another way to make the army outside the city walls retreat, the only option is to send the Ninth Princess away for a political marriage,” Aqi said, shaking his head.
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