Being relied on
Xiao Chengjing was so angry at his father's glare that his back was burning. He then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I do not have any wives or concubines at home. However, the princess is of noble status, so I am afraid it would be inappropriate to grant me a marriage."
These words were blunt, even a bit too naive. Although everyone knew that he was worried about losing his official position, they were still a little surprised to hear Xiao Chengjing say it so directly.
Not to mention Xiao Li who was sitting behind Xiao Chengjing, puffing his beard and glaring at him. If His Majesty hadn't been there, he would have stood up and kicked him in the butt.
Qilian Jingyao had long known Xiao Chengjing's temperament, so he didn't feel angry at being contradicted. He just thought this man was really stupid. Even though he was a son-in-law, he was still lacking something in the court.
However, since Sheng State was now under his jurisdiction, he still had great trust in these soldiers. Although he couldn't get any important tasks, being a deputy general with a good reputation would also be good.
Qilian Jingyao naturally ignored what Xiao Chengjing said, and instead looked at Princess Shengyang, who was still standing upright. "Princess, what do you think of this?"
There is a strong possibility that if Princess Shengyang nods, Qilian Jingyao will immediately approve the marriage.
Qin Yuyao, for some reason, also began to feel a little nervous. She then noticed the person beside her chuckle, take her hand, and whisper, "Madam, why are you so nervous? Are you worried that your husband will become a consort?"
Hearing this, Qin Yuyao turned to look at Luan Zhengya, her eyes struggling, but she finally spoke: "Of course I'm worried. His Majesty has spoken so clearly. If it is truly destined for you to marry Princess Shengyang, you will certainly not be able to refuse."
The Emperor of Sheng State has already spoken. If Luan Zhengya directly refuses, what is the difference between that and disobeying the Emperor's order?
Unexpectedly, Qin Yuyao actually thought of this. Luan Zhengya was delighted, and the smile on her lips became more and more sincere. "If it is really my fate, I will refuse. Madam, don't forget that I am the ferocious Regent Prince outside."
Qin Yuyao felt a strange sense of danger at the last sentence. Her eyes widened, and she was about to say something. Suddenly, she heard Princess Shengyang speak, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. However, I do have feelings for Prince Zhen'an. I've heard of his reputation on the grasslands. Although he already has a wife, the custom on our grasslands is to pursue whoever you like."
By this point, many people understood. Those who disliked Luan Zhengya looked on in amusement, while those who cared deeply about Qin Yuyao, such as Ye Jiajia, looked surprised and worried.
The grassland tribes were now so humble only to repair relations with the Sheng Kingdom. If Princess Shengyang were to go on a diplomatic mission to the Sheng Kingdom and choose a suitable husband, it would only deepen the relationship between the two sides.
Therefore, no matter who Princess Shengyang chooses, everyone will be happy. As for whether Prince Zhen'an is happy or not, it is not anyone else's concern.
Qilian Jingyao's expression remained unchanged. He turned to look at Luan Zhengya, who was still sitting behind the desk. Seeing his cold face, Qilian Jingyao sighed secretly, "If that's the case, let's see what Prince Zhen'an thinks."
Suddenly, everyone else was stunned. They didn't expect that at this time, His Majesty would still let Prince Zhen'an choose for himself, which shows his trust in the regent.
Zhang Wenhe, who was sitting to the lower right, heard this and his fingers, which had been resting on his knees, trembled slightly. He glanced at Princess Shengyang imperceptibly and then lowered his eyelids.
Under everyone's gaze, Luan Zhengya not only didn't stand up, but also didn't show a good face. It can be said that her expression was as cold as ever. If the person speaking wasn't the current emperor, she probably wouldn't even give them a glance.
Luan Zhengya raised her head slightly, first looking at Qilian Jingyao and nodded. Then she said, "If Princess Shengyang could see the flowers and trees clearly, she should also be able to see that the person sitting next to me is my princess. No matter how much you like her, it has nothing to do with me."
The ministers present and the maids behind Princess Shengyang were immediately in an uproar. The ministers of Sheng State were furious because Luan Zhengya didn't give anyone face, and she even treated the princess of the grassland tribe the same way.
The people of the grassland tribe did not expect that even after their own princess Douyu had spoken twice, the Regent Prince still refused to accept their toast.
Seeing this, the envoy behind Princess Shengyang was about to speak, but saw that his princess shook her head slightly.
Qin Yuyao watched the changes from the sidelines. Although she managed to keep a straight face, her heart was in turmoil. On one hand, she was happy that Luan Zhengya had directly rejected Princess Shengyang.
At the same time, he was worried that it was because of him that Luan Zhengya rejected the big marriage between the two countries. He felt the scorching temperature of his right hand being held.
Surrounded by warmth and a sense of security, Qin Yuyao lowered her eyes slightly, so as not to let others notice her emotional changes.
Not far away, Ye Jiajia almost screamed out loud. If her mother hadn't held her down, she would have cheered happily for Qin Yuyao. Fortunately, she reacted quickly.
Under the current circumstances, although the two countries are determined to repair their relations, if the princess's attitude changes a little, it is something that His Majesty Sheng and the ministers do not want to think about.
Princess Shengyang remained calm in the face of Luan Zhengya's almost aggressive attitude, even when everyone was a little stunned and didn't know how to smooth things over.
She took the initiative to speak: "Of course I can see it clearly, but I can't help myself and still want to give it a try." After saying that, Princess Shengyang turned and looked at Qilian Jingyao.
"Your Majesty, although His Royal Highness Prince Zhen'an rejected me, I still want to try again. After all, I heard that in Sheng Country, a man can have two wives." Sheng Yang said this calmly. If the content of his words was not shocking enough, others would have thought he was talking about what to eat today.
In an instant, almost everyone admired this princess from the grassland tribe. She was much more patient than ordinary people.
Seeing that if Luan Zhengya was asked to continue handling it on her own, the princess would probably be rejected for the third time, Qilian Jingyao coughed.
Making his face look more serious, he slowly spoke, "Princess Shengyang, after all, Prince Zhen'an has made a lot of sacrifices for our Sheng Kingdom. It's not easy for me to agree to something he doesn't want to do."
After a pause, Qilian Jingyao's voice rose slightly. "However, since the princess is willing to give it another try, I will arrange for her to live next door to the Prince of Zhen'an's mansion. Perhaps after spending more time together, the princess will understand my feelings better."
As he spoke, Qilian Jingyao glanced at Luan Zhengya again, his eyes full of a signal for the other party to restrain herself and not continue to refute his arguments.
In the end, she didn't continue talking, but Luan Zhengya didn't show any apology for rejecting the princess of a country. Instead, she refilled the tea on the table and carefully placed it in front of Qin Yuyao.
After seeing all these actions, no matter how dissatisfied Qin Ziwen was with Qin Yuyao, he had to feel that his eldest daughter was trying very hard to win people's hearts. The thoughts that had been dormant for a few days became active again.
Listening to Qilian Jingyao's words on the high platform, Qin Yuyao still maintained a suitable smile on her face, even though she was puzzled as to why Princess Shengyang was so reluctant to let go of Luan Zhengya.
Now that Luan Zhengya was the villain outside, she naturally had to defend her husband and stand on the same path with him. She knew that in the eyes of everyone, she was no different from a witch who had cast a spell on Luan Zhengya.
However, if she was asked to give up her beloved, she was unwilling to do so. She and Luan Zhengya had met and known each other before they got married, and there was absolutely no reason for her to give up just because she was a princess.
After the palace banquet, Shengjing was abuzz with gossip. The first was about the princess from the grassland tribe, who had willingly become the co-wife of Prince Zhen'an.
The second thing was the enviable Princess Zhen'an of Prince Zhen'an. Although she was indeed beautiful, it was the Princess Zhen'an who directly rejected the princess of the grassland.
It can be said that this has changed many people's views on Prince Zhen'an. They feel that although this evil god is ferocious in daily life, he has a tender side towards his wife.
For a time, Luan Zhengya's reputation, which had been in jeopardy, actually improved.
On the third day after the palace banquet, Qin Yuyao learned from Jin Yu that someone had moved into the mansion next door.
Carriages of all sizes stayed at the mansion for half a day before all the belongings were moved in. According to several maids who came in through the back door, many of the boxes had the insignia of royal supplies on them.
Obviously, Qilian Jingyao was very satisfied with Princess Shengyang who came to make friends with him with the map, so he gave her a lot of rewards.
The mansion next door wasn't her own, so although Qin Yuyao felt a little uneasy, she didn't worry too much. For several days in a row, Luan Zhengya was summoned to the military camp outside the city due to military matters.
She was also relieved and naturally declined several invitations to banquets to watch her have fun. There were countless dignitaries in Shengjing who wanted to see her and Luan Zhengya's joke, not to mention Qin Ziwen, who had written several letters home.
At first, she thought it was about the contract documents, so she carefully opened them and took a few glances. Later, she realized that Qin Ziwen was trying to trick her into obtaining information from Luan Zhengya, so she simply claimed to be unwell and put all the documents aside in the study without reading them.
After a few days, the number of letters and invitations inquiring about the news quickly decreased by more than half, and only a few remained, which were still sent in by people who were still unwilling to give up.
Qin Yuyao is now in the Prince Zhen'an Mansion, and her power is second only to Luan Zhengya. Therefore, without her instructions, all the visitors who came to pay a visit were blocked.
At first, Qin Yuyao was a little worried and told Luan Zhengya about it in advance.
Luan Zhengya, however, was intently serving her food at the table. Seeing her eat, she didn't care and said, "If you refuse, then refuse. I've never seen so many people come to see me before. Most of them came for the matter of the grassland princess."
Luan Zhengya's expression was calm, and she only shifted her gaze when she saw Qin Yuyao seem interested in a particular dish. The maid behind her saw this and hurriedly took note. She planned to serve this dish several more times until the princess grew tired of it.
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