Chapter 569 - 277: A Marriage Between Two Nations (Part 2)

Chapter 569: Chapter 277: A Marriage Between Two Nations (Part 2)

Unfortunately, the Northern Barbarians had strong builds, were fierce and skilled in battle, and particularly excelled at mounted combat. The Black Wind Horses, which they had spent hundreds of years and countless generations cultivating, were the pinnacle of warhorses, moving like the wind across the grasslands. Daqian had made several attempts to breed a warhorse that could rival the Black Wind Horse, but all had ended in failure.

As a fierce and warlike people, the Northern Barbarians had, in recent years, chosen invasion over peaceful coexistence with Daqian. Consequently, the relationship between the two nations saw more war than peace. Amidst this constant conflict, several hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Zheng Xiu still remembered that two hundred years ago, the King of the Beiman had even allied with the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. They planned a coordinated attack, invading from the north and raiding from the west, intending to overrun Daqian Territory in one fell swoop. Ultimately, the Martial Knights held the army of the Western Regions at bay beyond the passes. With the fighting in the north subsiding, the war from two hundred years ago left but a bland, unremarkable entry in the annals of history.

During the hazy truces between their wars, only three things could maintain the relationship between the two nations: resources, gold, and women.

As for resources and gold, it was self-evident. The Northern Barbarians had rare furs, warhorses, and gold mines, while Daqian had grain, rice seedlings, textiles, and ironware. Mutual trade was profitable for both.

No matter the historical era, marriage alliances have always been a crucial component of diplomacy between two nations.

After all, the parties involved in a marriage alliance could, at the very least, be considered distant relatives, thereby building a simple bridge for communication.

From any angle, a marriage alliance between the two kingdoms was a good thing.

When the Envoy of the Northern Kingdom first entered the city with great fanfare, Zheng Xiu had seen the back of a woman from the top floor of the Fragrant Pavilion. He had vaguely guessed the situation then and had sincerely hoped the marriage alliance would proceed smoothly.

War exhausted the people and drained the treasury; it was detested by Heaven and man. Who would want that?

’A marriage alliance is a great thing!’

’So many benefits.’

’The only prerequisite... was that this particular problem didn’t land in your lap.’

And what a coincidence.

In that secret Holy Decree, after a long and earnest preamble, the Great Emperor’s words boiled down to persuading the "good-natured" Red King to be the fall guy... to be the Prince Consort!

’To hell with your Prince Consort!’

Zheng Xiu’s gaze was calm as he met the Great Emperor’s eyes, but inside, his heart was a raging torrent.

The Great Emperor’s gaze was imperious. He smiled faintly and, right in front of all the civil and military officials, began to make small talk with the Red King.

"Have you been well lately?"

"Thanks to the Holy Emperor’s blessings," Zheng Xiu’s mouth twitched as he squeezed out a polite smile, "this subject has just settled a marriage contract with his beloved. My family is harmonious, everyone is well, so there is no need for the Holy Emperor to concern himself."

’I just got engaged, and to Feng Bei of all people—a woman with a notoriously foul temper. And now you want me to become a Prince Consort in a political marriage and swallow this bitter pill? Are you deliberately trying to make my life difficult?’

If not for the favor Venerable Wei Yang had shown the Zheng Clan over the years, Zheng Xiu might have flipped a table right then and there.

At that moment, Zheng Xiu deliberately brought up his engagement in front of all the officials. It was a clear reminder to the Great Emperor: ’I’m already engaged. I’m spoken for. Don’t do this. This isn’t right.’

The matter of the "Red King’s Engagement" had caused a huge stir among the aristocracy; there was no way the Great Emperor hadn’t heard of it, even if he was busy negotiating with the Envoy from the Northern Kingdom. For him to send a secret Holy Decree at this exact juncture made Zheng Xiu suspect the Great Emperor knew perfectly well about his engagement. This was a deliberate "accident."

Besides, hadn’t he sent a pair of golden mandarin ducks as a gift?

Back then, Second Lady had been toying with the jewel-adorned pair of golden mandarin ducks. She had laughed and told Zheng Xiu that the Great Emperor must be very careless to not even be able to tell the birds apart. In a pair of mandarin ducks, the male has a crest and a flamboyant body, while the female is crestless and graceful. The pair the Great Emperor sent were both without crests—they were both female. "This isn’t a proper pair of mandarin ducks," she’d noted. "It’s just two golden females."

Zheng Xiu had joked back to Second Lady at the time: "If the Great Emperor says they’re a pair of mandarin ducks, then they’re a pair of mandarin ducks. Whatever he says, goes. To put it bluntly, they’re just ordinary ducks anyway. Even if the Great Emperor pointed at a rat on the street and called it a duck, he’d be right. Who are we to think otherwise? You are not the Great Emperor; how could you possibly tell the sex of his ducks?"

’Thinking back on it now,’ Zheng Xiu’s eyes widened as he cursed internally, ’a man who can sit securely on the throne doesn’t make foolish mistakes. That pair of golden female ducks wasn’t a mistake at all. It was clearly a setup for what’s happening today.’

’I can only blame myself for not seeing it. I was too careless.’

’When the Great Emperor sent that gift, he was already laying the groundwork. Sending two females was a hint that I should take two wives.’

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Hearing his response, the Great Emperor roared with laughter. "HAHAHA! A joyous occasion indeed! But why not... make it a double blessing!"

As he spoke, the Great Emperor’s gaze swept over the court, and all the officials lowered their heads. The Great Emperor said slowly, "The Red King is radiant on this joyous occasion, heheh. Everyone, regarding the marriage alliance with the Northern Barbarians and the selection of the Prince Consort... are there any further objections?"

The officials remained silent, their heads bowed, merely exchanging glances with one another.

The great hall was deathly silent, the only sound being the soft whisper of breathing.

Zheng Xiu decided to make one last effort, breaking the silence.

"This subject has always been a devoted man. I am now extremely alarmed."

"A true man’s ambition should know no bounds! He should be adaptable to all situations! What is this talk of being devoted to only one!"

"This is a matter of great importance! This subject feels we must deliberate on it further!"

"Heh." The Great Emperor chuckled. "Regarding this marriage alliance, We and the officials have been discussing it for over a month."

Zheng Xiu and the Great Emperor sparred with a few rounds of verbal tai chi. On the surface, they seemed concerned for one another, but in truth, every word was a carefully aimed barb.

Zheng Xiu was saying he didn’t want it, yet the Great Emperor was intent on forcing the title of "Prince Consort" upon him. Zheng Xiu was still puzzled. The whole affair was too sudden. He and Jiang Gaoyi were on excellent terms; if the Great Emperor had let slip even the slightest hint of making him Prince Consort over the past month, Jiang Gaoyi would absolutely have given him some advance warning. There was no way he would have left Zheng Xiu completely in the dark.