Shunzhou during the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
Cui Du never expected that the opportunity for revenge would come so quickly—General Mo Xing had just gone out to fight in the morning, and in the afternoon he dragged Liu Bo into the dungeon.
Shang Shaoyan did not hide the fact that Liu Bo had been captured from Cui Du, but simply said, "You can do whatever you want with Liu Bo, but not now."
Although Cui Du was anxious, he did not dare to negotiate with Shang Shaoyan. In the past few days, he had spent time with Shang Shaoyan and had already discovered that this Empress of Southern Chen was a person of her word, with her own rules and regulations. She could listen to advice, but in his situation, he really could not say much.
Turning his head, Shang Shaoyan stuffed a whole bunch of medical books into his hands. They were all copied by Shang Yunlan and sent to Bei Zhou by fast horse. Cui Du was overjoyed and temporarily forgot about Liu Bo's matter, holding the books and reading them with great eagerness.
No sooner had Cui Du left than Mo Xing came knocking on the door: "Your Majesty, I feel something is amiss today."
Shang Shaoyan, who was reviewing memorials, paused slightly upon hearing this, then rubbed his temples and asked, "Is it because of Liu Bo?"
Mo Xing shook his head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "It was those Northern Zhou generals... I saw that they seemed very eager to get rid of Liu Bo, and I personally witnessed their weapons hitting Liu Bo several times. It can be said that half of the credit for my capture of Liu Bo was due to the Northern Zhou generals."
Shang Shaoyan: "..."
She shook her head with a slight chuckle: "Do you know the current situation in Northern Zhou?"
She paused, then said, “The civil and military officials of the Northern Zhou are at odds, with Liu Bo leading the civil officials. I have heard that Liu Bo is an ambitious man, and I am afraid that he has the idea of using the emperor to command the princes. Therefore, it is normal for those military officials to want to get rid of him... I just don’t know which genius came up with this dirty trick to send Liu Bo to the front line. They are really something.”
Mo Xing suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is! I heard that this was a decree personally issued by the new emperor of Northern Zhou. It seems that the new emperor of Northern Zhou is a wolf in sheep's clothing! He should not be underestimated."
Shang Shaoyan's heart skipped a beat: "An imperial edict from the new emperor of Northern Zhou? Qiao Zhuo?"
Mo Xing nodded: "Exactly."
Shang Shaoyan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "What a fine Qiao Zhuo!"
Mo Xing scratched his head and sighed, "I think he acts in a way that resembles Your Majesty's style. He is probably a wise ruler. If we want to take down Northern Zhou, it will probably take us a while longer."
Shang Shaoyan didn't speak; she was also pondering this question... Now that Qiao Xiuyu had taken power, would things change?
Does he think that the country is more important than a beautiful woman?
However, Shang Shaoyan soon changed his mind.
Because she knew that she had to trust Qiao Xiuyu. It was normal for emperors to be suspicious, but if she couldn't even trust the person next to her in bed, what was the point of living?
To avoid overthinking, Shang Shaoyan met up with Cheng Chu, who had already arrived in Shunzhou from the west, and together they led their troops straight to Luoyang. A month later, they were at the city's gates. Everything west and south of Luoyang was now the territory of the Southern Chen.
Now that we've reached the gates of Luoyang, the next steps are simple: either fight or negotiate peace.
One hundred thousand troops were arrayed on the banks of the Luo River, waiting for Shang Shaoyan's order to cross the river and attack the Northern Zhou capital.
That night, many soldiers sat around the campfire, chatting and reminiscing.
"Her Majesty seems to be in a bad mood for the past month..." a bold soldier whispered. "The last time I saw Her Majesty so fierce on the battlefield was during her first war in the Northwest."
“Indeed,” another soldier sighed. “But this is not something we should be saying, so be careful.”
Shang Shaoyan, sneaking by under the cover of night: "..."
Was she obviously in a bad mood?
Shang Shaoyan returned to the main tent and asked Bai Feng, "Do I seem to be in a bad mood?"
Others might respect Shang Shaoyan, but Bai Feng only respected him and had no fear of him. Therefore, without hesitation, she said, "It is all too obvious that His Majesty is in a bad mood."
Shang Shaoyan smiled bitterly, "It's all for Qilang. Old friends are fickle..."
Bai Feng remained silent for a moment, unsure whether she should speak or not. Logically, this was His Majesty's private matter, and she, being merely a palace lady, should not interfere or express her own opinions. However, since His Majesty had spoken up himself, it seemed he was willing to listen to her.
So Bai Feng massaged Shang Shaoyan's shoulders and said softly, "Your Majesty need not worry. I have always felt that the Seventh Prince has the heart of a child. You and the Seventh Prince have been together for two or three years, so you must understand him. It's just that you are blinded by your own involvement. I believe that the Seventh Prince will not change, and I also believe that you will not change."
Shang Shaoyan lowered his eyes and said with some helplessness, "Who knows?"
Although he did feel a little better, Shang Shaoyan was still somewhat uneasy.
Unexpectedly, the very next day, an imperial edict for peace was sent from Luoyang, Northern Zhou, along with several envoys. Among them, the leader was none other than Cheng Qing, the cousin of Qiao Xiuyu whom he had met in the Southern Chen palace.
Upon seeing Shang Shaoyan, Cheng Qing unconsciously revealed feelings of sadness and regret.
If he hadn't helped the Lady of Heyang County obtain the Tiger Tally back then, would the Northern Zhou Dynasty be in its current state?
Sitting at the head of the table, Shang Shaoyan naturally saw the regret in Cheng Qing's eyes.
She couldn't help but smile, and after the banquet began, she said, "I have come this far thanks to the help of many capable people, but everything I have achieved today is the result of my own hard work and dedication. Even without A's help, B would have stepped in. This is exactly what is meant by favorable timing, location, and human relationships."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Qing knew that the former Princess of Heyang, now the Empress of Southern Chen, was trying to comfort him. He felt a little soothed and relieved.
After the guests and hosts had enjoyed themselves to the fullest, Shang Shaoyan looked at the peace terms offered by Northern Zhou and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Is Northern Zhou willing to submit and become a vassal state?"
Cheng Qing sighed inwardly, naturally feeling distressed, but this was the best solution to preserve the bloodline of the Northern Zhou royal family: "Exactly. If Your Majesty is willing, Northern Zhou is willing to offer Your Majesty the most outstanding young man from the imperial clan."
This was the best solution they could come up with.
With the Shang dynasty now in power in Northern Zhou and unifying the north and south, it is an inevitable trend. Rather than resisting stubbornly, it would be better to find a way to maximize one's own interests.
Sending a prince from the Northern Zhou royal family would be the best solution. If the empress could give birth to a prince or princess with the bloodline of the Northern Zhou royal family, then the bloodline of the Northern Zhou royal family would be preserved.
Shang Shaoyan smiled and stood up from the seat at the head of the table. Her red dress with dragon patterns was dazzling, and her bright and beautiful face was filled with an inviolable and dignified majesty.
She said, slowly and deliberately, "It is acceptable to bring my husband here."
She paused, then raised an eyebrow: "I want Qiao Xiuyu to marry into this family. Otherwise, you can all expect my iron cavalry to march into Luoyang!"
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