The emperor had a smile on his face, but he felt a little embarrassed knowing that they were waiting for him.
The imperial concubine rolled her eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Why haven't I seen you so busy before? You've always come to the harem to cause trouble for me. Today's situation is really strange. What happened? Is it worth delaying your visit?"
"Don't be angry with me. I'm really busy today. I just received news that a foreign country is visiting, and the letter of visit has just been delivered to me."
He answered honestly, and the imperial concubine became curious.
"Why are you suddenly visiting from a foreign country? Is there something important? Didn't you always have a fixed time for your visit before? If I'm not mistaken, the visit is at least five months away. Why is it so far ahead of time?"
Gu Yunni pricked up her ears and listened. She had heard of foreign visitors before, but at that time she was a lady in the boudoir and it was not convenient for her to show up.
"The border is unstable, and our country borders a large country. Small countries seeking protection should naturally come and pay tribute earlier. Don't take it too seriously. Just prepare a banquet."
The emperor looked indifferent, and the imperial concubine nodded.
"The most important thing right now is Mingyu and Yunni's marriage. I plan to put most of the palace's energy into this matter. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"It's up to you." No matter what the imperial concubine proposed, the emperor nodded in agreement.
After the meal, Gu Yunni and the others returned home.
In the carriage.
"Do you think paying tribute is so casual? It's impossible for only a small border country to come here to pay tribute. There must be other countries following behind. However, the letter of visit hasn't arrived yet. It seems that there is unrest outside."
Gu Yunni narrowed her eyes and guessed. She had experienced many court affairs and could still guess the thoughts of various countries.
"What? You also know about these things? I have been fighting outside for many years and I don't know what they are thinking in their hearts." Sheng Mingyu's tone was gentle and his eyes were doting.
Gu Yunni smiled a little embarrassedly and talked freely, "Just like your majesty said, the small country brought forward the tribute in order to seek the protection of our country, which means they are aware of the danger. The other country will always send people to pay tribute, otherwise the cooked duck will fly away."
Gu Yunni's words were well-reasoned, and Sheng Mingyu's eyes revealed admiration.
"How does he know which country Your Majesty will choose? What if Your Majesty really chooses a small country? How should we handle this matter? I know that there will be more countries paying tribute in the future, and Your Majesty must choose one of them to be close to. If it were you, which one would you choose?"
His question made Gu Yunni fall into deep thought.
"I truly don't know which country Your Majesty will choose to befriend, but I do know that Your Majesty will definitely choose a powerful nation. If all nations express interest in being friendly, then naturally you will choose the one that can be suppressed and is the strongest."
"Yes!" Sheng Mingyu was very pleased with the conclusion that Gu Yunni came to.
"Your Majesty will indeed choose the strongest one, but our neighboring countries are equally powerful. If Your Majesty were to choose, he would probably choose the remote Han Country. The people there are tall and strong, and other than the slightly cold climate and occasional need for assistance, there's nothing wrong with it."
"Han Country?" Gu Yunni frowned, her tone revealing doubt.
"I seem to have heard before that the land over there is not suitable for growing crops. In winter, they harass the small border countries. Our border is also frequently violated. The quality of this country is too low."
Her tone revealed deep disgust, and Sheng Mingyu nodded.
"Indeed, although their qualities are not good, their abilities are very strong. Your Majesty has always valued ability. Food can solve the problem of our vast land and abundant resources. As long as we collect more agricultural taxes, food will not be a problem."
The two of them just had a brief discussion, nothing too in-depth.
"Okay, we're at the mansion now. Go back and rest first. I'll go visit my mother-in-law with you later."
After they separated, Gu Yunni threw herself onto the bed as soon as she got to the room and took a deep sleep. As soon as she opened her eyes, it was already dark outside.
"Qing'er, how long have I slept? Why didn't you wake me up? Didn't you say you would go to visit my mother's house in the afternoon? Where is the prince?" She rubbed her eyes and slowly got up from the bed.
Qing'er stepped forward to serve, "Your Highness had just arrived at the mansion not long ago, and His Majesty summoned him back to the palace. I heard that many envoys are coming this time and are already on the way. His Majesty asked Your Highness to discuss the welcoming arrangements."
"So fast." She was a little surprised.
I just discussed this with Sheng Mingyu on the way back, and I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
"Yeah, I don't know what's going on with these small border countries. They are very active this time. In the past, they almost didn't come and kept putting it off. If it were me, I wouldn't give them face. What's there to welcome them for? Wouldn't it be better to just give them a meal?" Qing'er complained with disgust.
Gu Yunni shook her head helplessly, "Why do I feel like you have a grudge against those small border nations? As a great nation, we naturally have to follow etiquette and rules. If we don't go to greet them, won't others think we're being disrespectful? Being sincere isn't just about appearances."
"Yes." Qing'er nodded and said nothing more.
Gu Yunni waited in the mansion for a long time before Sheng Mingyu came home.
She brought Sheng Mingyu a cup of tea, sat beside him, and said gently, "Your Majesty, what did you say? What happened outside? Can you tell me about it? If you encounter any problems, I might be able to help you."
Sheng Mingyu pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired, and took a long time to speak.
"It's nothing serious. There are just a lot of countries visiting. His Majesty has already released Du Changming. Kyoto will probably be bustling for a while. Our wedding will not be postponed. It's just that the concubine may not have time to prepare in the next few days."
"It's okay. When the Imperial Concubine has time, I'll ask Mother to come to the palace to discuss the wedding arrangements with her."
There was a hint of guilt in Sheng Mingyu's eyes, and Gu Yunni shook her head gently, showing her understanding.
"The affairs of the court are the most important. What is your mission? Are you to protect the envoys? They always need someone to accompany them when they come to Kyoto. Of all the things they know, you are the only one who is most familiar with them."
Gu Yunni immediately asked a question, and Sheng Mingyu nodded and started chatting with her casually.
"Your Majesty wants me to protect the envoys. When they are in Kyoto, I will be on guard, along with the Eighth Prince. The other princes will be waiting nearby. If anything happens, they will also have to show up."
"The second prince too?" Gu Yunni raised her eyebrows, a hint of doubt in her tone.
When this matter was mentioned, Sheng Mingyu looked grim and nodded with a grim face.
"Yes! I thought this incident had hit Du Changming and the Second Prince to the bottom, with no chance of recovery. Who could have imagined that they would be so lucky to arrive just when the envoy arrived and His Majesty had no one available."
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