Carriages and sedan chairs lined up in clusters, and carriages and horses rumbled along.
The long queue stretched from the city gate all the way along Zhuque Avenue toward the palace.
"How lively! Is this the envoy from the State of Qi?"
"Hey, that burly man riding that tall horse looks really fierce, his arms are as thick as my thighs! He's kind of scary!"
"Hey, what's there to be afraid of? Those were the Northern Di that our Crown Prince defeated before the new year! They're scared and have come here with their tails between their legs to beg for peace!"
...
Inside a magnificent carriage, a woman nervously clutched the hem of her skirt, cautiously raising her eyes to look at the person opposite her: "Royal brother, does Father really intend for me to marry into the Daqing Kingdom?"
A glimmer of hope lingered in her eyes, though it was extremely faint.
The man leaned against the pillow, dozing with his eyes half-closed, his expression nonchalant. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and said with a half-smile, "Of course. What, is my royal sister unwilling?"
This man was none other than Jiang Heng, the second prince of Qi, and the woman opposite him was Jiang Zhijing, the seventh princess of Qi.
Her thick eyelashes drooped down, completely concealing the emotions in her eyes. Jiang Zhijing pursed her lips and remained silent.
Seeing her taciturn demeanor, Jiang Heng lost his patience and spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "Since ancient times, marriage alliances have been the destiny of a princess. As a princess, you must shoulder the responsibilities of a princess. Only in this way can you be worthy of the people of Qi who support you. Don't you understand this principle, my royal sister?"
Is a princess's destiny to be married off?
Jiang Zhijing's eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes red and seemingly filled with despair. After a long while, her voice was hoarse: "I understand."
Seeing that she was sensible, Jiang Heng's expression relaxed. Suddenly, he thought of something and narrowed his eyes, warning her with an ambiguous meaning: "Daqing is not like Qi. When you are out and about, you must be careful with your words and actions, so as not to tarnish our country's reputation and make us a laughing stock. Otherwise, Father will be unhappy."
She gave a self-deprecating smile: "Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will remember it."
——
"It is said that the seventh princess was lost among the common people for more than ten years and was only found last year. She didn't even have a title and didn't enjoy much wealth and honor, but she had to shoulder responsibilities and was forced into a marriage. It's pitiful."
After Wen Yao finished speaking, she noticed that the atmosphere was a bit quiet, so she quickly cleared her throat and looked at Gu Qingxu somewhat awkwardly: "Of course, Sister Gu, I still stand firmly on your side!"
Gu Qingxu lowered her eyes sadly, forcing a smile at the corners of her mouth: "I'm fine."
Shen Tangning's eyes flashed, and she slowly said, "Actually, there might still be a chance for this to turn around."
As soon as she spoke, both of them turned to look at her.
Her eyes shone brightly as she continued unhurriedly, "His Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the country. If nothing unexpected happens, his Crown Princess will be the future Empress. This position certainly cannot fall into the hands of a princess from another country. Her Majesty the Empress will not agree to it, nor will His Majesty."
She paused, then continued, "Unless, the Seventh Princess of Qi is willing to become a concubine."
However, Qi was not a vassal state, and its status was not much different from that of Daqing. It would be unfair for a princess to be a concubine.
Therefore, she felt that the possibility of a marriage alliance with the Crown Prince was slim.
"Thinking about it, Ningning has a point! Things haven't been settled yet, isn't it too early for us to worry about things like this?" Wen Yao glanced at Gu Qingxu tentatively, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her smile.
"It's all my fault. I've made you two feel uneasy because of me." A look of guilt flashed in Gu Qingxu's eyes, then she smiled and said, "This meal is on me today."
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