After Yelü Ti finished speaking, Tian Can also stepped forward without hesitation to echo his words.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant has brought my Baiyue princess on a special visit, wishing to establish a marriage alliance with the New Tang Dynasty. I wonder what Your Majesty's arrangements are?"
The directness of the two envoys put the emperor in a difficult position. He had initially planned to have them attend a banquet first and discuss the matter further, but this was tantamount to forcing the emperor to make an immediate decision…
"Then which of the two princes do you wish to marry?"
Left with no other option, the emperor had to ask for their opinions!
"Our Liao Kingdom is willing to marry our princess to your esteemed Crown Prince Li Zhu..."
"My Baiyue people are also willing to marry our princess to your esteemed Crown Prince Li Zhu..."
Yelü Ti and Tian Can spoke one after the other, but both pointed to the same person…
This caused an uproar in the entire court. They couldn't understand what charm Li Zhu, whom they all looked down upon, had that made the powerful Liao Kingdom and the two distant Baiyue Kingdoms willing to marry their princesses to the same prince. Even if this prince was the crown prince, it was impossible for the two countries to reach an agreement.
Li Zhu was utterly shocked, thinking, "Could it be that my charm has become so powerful that it can no longer be concealed? Even people abroad know about it?"
But he'd only been in this world for a few days, and his predecessor was nothing more than a bloodthirsty good-for-nothing. Even in this modern world with its incredibly advanced information technology, it couldn't have spread this fast...
Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?
The emperor couldn't help but ask!
"Such an important matter cannot be mistaken..."
The two envoys spoke earnestly…
"You're talking about a marriage of convenience, are you sure you mean marrying the princess to us? And not sending the crown prince to your country as a hostage?"
The emperor asked somewhat uncertainly, feeling that these conditions seemed a bit different; Xiliang had demanded that the crown prince be sent as a hostage…
Because Xiliang had a firm grasp on the lifeline of the new Tang Dynasty, the Tang could either follow their lead and receive military assistance to stabilize its borders, or it could simply fend for itself and wait for the new Tang to collapse before seizing the opportunity to take control of the Central Plains…
The reason why Xiliang wanted the crown prince as a hostage was threefold: first, to verify the sincerity of the marriage alliance with the new Tang Dynasty; second, to demonstrate the strength of Xiliang; and third, and most importantly, to ensure that the successor of the new Tang Dynasty was of Xiliang royal blood, so that they could take over the Central Plains without bloodshed and without provoking a backlash.
Li Qi was naturally aware of Xiliang's wolfish ambitions, as were all the civil and military officials...
But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Sending away a prince can bring peace to the land, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive. This deal may seem shameful, but it brings real benefits...
"Your Majesty, our Liao Kingdom's marriage alliance is sincere. How could we do something so humiliating to the New Tang? Our Liao Kingdom admires the Crown Prince's talent and believes he will surely become a wise ruler..."
Yelü Ti said firmly!
“That’s right. Although our Baiyue region is remote, it is influenced by the culture of the Central Plains. The Crown Prince is virtuous and talented, so he is naturally the first choice for the princess to marry!”
Tian Can also spoke with an air of righteousness, as if he knew the Crown Prince very well!
The words of the two princes made the Second Prince and the Third Prince's faces turn ugly. These words were undoubtedly a slap in their faces. They had looked down on Li Zhu since childhood, thinking him a good-for-nothing. But now, suddenly, envoys from two countries had arrived, praising the Crown Prince for his virtue and talent, and predicting that he would surely become a wise ruler in the future...
What are they then? Less than trash?
"Hmph! I thought the Liao and Baiyue were something special, making our New Tang Dynasty fear them like tigers. Turns out they're nothing but ignorant clowns..."
The second prince couldn't help but sneer coldly, clearly not wanting to be treated as a mere background figure and ignored in the struggle for imperial power!
"Your Majesty, who is this person? How dare he spout such nonsense here? Since he looks down on my Liao Kingdom, how about we have a battle on the battlefield?"
Yelü Ti's actions were tantamount to a declaration of war. His attitude, initially respectful but later arrogant, made it clear to everyone that the reason the other party had lowered himself to marry the princess was not out of fear of the New Tang's military strength, but simply because of Li Zhu. Since someone had chosen to be ungrateful, he naturally wouldn't be polite...
No one could understand why the other party valued Li Zhu so much; it clearly didn't make sense...
Moreover, the Second Prince was wearing a bright yellow robe, a symbol of royalty. Anyone who wasn't a fool would know he was a prince, but the other party seemed oblivious. This attitude made the Second Prince's face turn extremely ugly, but the two of them seemed to be completely oblivious to his expression, utterly ignoring him...
"Although Baiyue is located in a remote area, we are not afraid of war. Since the New Tang Dynasty has such confidence, let's have a real fight..."
Tian Can was not afraid of making things worse, and he was no longer as polite as he had been at the beginning!
A hint of panic flickered in the second prince's eyes. If his words truly sparked war on the border, he might as well give up his position as the second prince and go chat with the King of Hell instead...
"Haha... This is my son, Li Ke, the Second Prince. He was just joking. Please don't take it to heart, both envoys..."
War is out of the question. The current priority of the new Tang Dynasty is stability. After adjusting his emotions slightly, the emperor, in order to appease the two envoys, tried to end the farce in a joking tone!
"Since the two envoys are here to arrange a marriage, and you have described the Crown Prince as one of the most outstanding talents in the world, do you two know which Crown Prince this is?"
The second prince gritted his teeth and continued, expressing his dissatisfaction with Li Zhu. Even knowing he would offend the two envoys, he still wanted to salvage some dignity. He refused to believe that they would know who Li Zhu was on their first mission to the New Tang Dynasty…
"The Second Prince is quite the joker. His Highness the Crown Prince is an exceptional man, and every word and action of his is worthy of a saint. How could I not know who he is?"
Yelü Ti said with a cold laugh, then raised his hand and pointed at Li Zhu.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is handsome and refined, possessing exceptional talent. Even in a vast crowd, he stands out from the crowd, making him instantly recognizable as extraordinary..."
Li Zhu's mouth dropped open. This guy was truly something else! The flattery was so sweet, it made him feel like he was floating on air...
"Lord Yelü Ti truly has discerning eyes; I admire him greatly..."
Before the Second Prince could speak, Li Zhu interjected, offering a small compliment in return. Seeing the two flattering each other was somewhat unsettling, but mostly shocking. Many couldn't understand how Yelü Ti knew Li Zhu was the Crown Prince on their first meeting…
"I am truly ashamed, for my knowledge is inferior to that of Lord Yelü Ti, and I have very few words to use to praise someone. I can only say that His Highness the Crown Prince is the most intelligent and handsome man I know..."
Tian Can added from the side!
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