Furthermore, the abducted princess was either a princess already officially appointed by the emperor for a marriage alliance, or Pan Wenjun, for whom the imperial decree had not yet been issued. These two cases made a significant difference to the state of the nation. With the former, Emperor Pingjia, in his rage, might raze Yandang Mountain to the ground at any cost. With the latter, perhaps it would simply be a passing breeze, and the matter would be forgotten once the anger subsided.
When Li Qingchen left the palace, as he expected, Sun Xingjian was waiting for him outside the palace gate, and Wei Shuwan was also there.
The three of them boarded Li Qingchen's carriage together, and while instructing the coachman to proceed slowly, they discussed matters inside the carriage.
"Young Prince, I heard that you have sided with His Majesty, is that right?" Wei Shuwan spoke first, her tone calm and without anger, but her disappointment was still evident.
To defect in the face of battle is tantamount to being a traitor on the battlefield.
Li Qingchen and Wei Shuwan exchanged a glance, then turned their gaze to Sun Xingjian and said apologetically, "Marquis of Pingyang, I have offended His Majesty in the past."
Sun Xingjian felt frustrated, but he couldn't refute what Li Qingchen had said. He sighed and said, "Your Highness is too kind. You are only weighing the gains and losses from the perspective of benefiting the country and its people."
Seeing that Sun Xingjian was easily fooled by the few words he had used to deceive Emperor Pingjia, Li Qingchen smiled helplessly: "Marquis Pingyang should know that I sincerely want to help you."
Sun Xingjian looked up at him, his eyes filled with both hope and hesitation: "But what the young prince said is not wrong. If sacrificing just one person can bring peace to both countries, it is indeed the best way to resolve the conflict. If I were the one to sacrifice, as a man of Da Ye, I would have no complaints. But it shouldn't be a woman..."
Sun Xingjian was tormented by a conflict between public and private interests. He struggled to find a balance but could not find an answer. Reason told him that he also wanted peace, but if that peace had to be exchanged for Wenjun, he would rather go to the battlefield alone than give away the woman he loved.
Li Qingchen frowned slightly and explained, "Those words were just to stop you from acting impulsively and to tell the whole truth. At first glance, there seems to be no problem, but I didn't say that if the Ziyi Kingdom is sincere in negotiating peace, they won't start another war even without this princess. But if they are only pretending to negotiate peace, then even if this princess is sent, she will only become a tool for them to humiliate Daye."
"Therefore, there is never an easy way to pacify the world by sacrificing one person. If there is, it must be because one side is filled with hatred and uses this lie to lure the opponent into handing over something that can vent their anger. However, after a brief period of peace, the result is still the same."
Wei Shuwan stared intently at Li Qingchen, carefully listening to every word he said, and she was deeply shocked.
Unlike her, who had been reborn and possessed precognitive abilities, Li Qingchen relied solely on his judgment to foresee future events. Sitting here, he could see the suffering Pan Wenjun would endure after marrying into the Ziyi Kingdom.
This man was frighteningly shrewd, but fortunately, he was now on her side. For the first time, Wei Shuwan felt a secret joy because of her relationship with Li Qingchen.
Li Qingchen also noticed her unusual behavior and looked back at her.
Sun Xingjian, who was standing to the side, was finally freed from his painful dilemma and nodded vigorously: "The young prince is right!"
In his excitement, after a moment's thought, Sun Xingjian asked in confusion, "Then why didn't the young prince say those things at Tianlu Pavilion just now?"
"Because even if I explain these reasons, His Majesty will not listen. As far as His Majesty is concerned, if Ziyi Kingdom keeps its promise, Daye will have gained something. Even if this matter is just a deception, Daye will not suffer much loss. It is just the sacrifice of a princess sent for a marriage alliance. On the contrary, it will inspire the soldiers on the front line to fight the enemy even more bravely."
These words sent a chill down Wei Shuwan and Sun Xingjian's spines. Indeed, in the emperor's eyes, he would never be the loser in this gamble.
At this moment, Li Qingchen changed the subject and continued, "Besides, I have already thought of a way to resolve this matter. If you had impulsively revealed your relationship with Madam Pan just now, it would have aroused the Emperor's suspicion after the matter was settled."
Wei Shuwan's eyes lit up, and at the same time she heard her uncle impatiently ask, "What idea does the young prince have?"
Li Qingchen did not rush to answer, but asked first: "Yesterday I heard Marquis Pingyang say that it doesn't matter if Lady Pan's reputation is ruined. Is this true?"
Sun Xingjian was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Of course it's true. Empty fame is nothing to worry about, as long as the person can be saved!"
"Alright, I can arrange for someone to kidnap Lady Pan. The princess who was sent for a marriage alliance has disappeared, so what's the point of the marriage alliance?"
Sun Xingjian was stunned for only a moment before realizing that the plan was feasible, and asked urgently, "When does the young prince plan to take action?"
"No rush. Before we take action, I need to arrange for the Pan family to become enemies with this group, and make sure everyone knows about it, so that things can proceed smoothly and avoid arousing suspicion."
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