Inside Lingxin Palace, Empress Dowager Yan sat on a chair, her right hand fingers tightly clenched, her brow furrowed, her expression showing considerable impatience.
"Stop pacing back and forth before my eyes."
The Empress Dowager said irritably to her younger brother.
"Sister, tell , what should we do about this situation now?"
Yan Shan'ao stopped walking, let out a sigh, and forcefully patted the back of his hand, his tone full of lancholy.
"What should we do? How would I know? Who could have predicted that the ruler of Qin would pull sothing like this?" The Empress Dowager's tone was equally vexed and angry.
Not long ago, Yan Shan'ao had co to Lingxin Palace to find his sister and told her about the matter concerning the ruler of Qin.
Only then did the Empress Dowager learn that the ruler of Qin had actually sent Qin's eldest princess, Princess Qinyang, as an envoy to the Zhou Kingdom to attend the wedding ceremony of the Zhou Kingdom's ruler but if it were only this, it would be fine. The Empress Dowager would have no objections to this, and would in fact be quite pleased.
Because at least it would show that the current ruler of Qin still rembered their old ties.
This would be a great blessing for the Zhou Kingdom but unexpectedly, as it turned out, the ruler of Qin actually intended to betroth that eldest princess to Xiao Mo!
And precisely when His Majesty was about to marry Ruxue.
What exactly did this an?
Could it be that the ruler of Qin was coming to disrupt the proceedings?
"Does His Majesty know about this matter?" The Empress Dowager asked her brother.
"He knows." Yan Shan'ao nodded and sighed, saying, "That old fox Wei Xun told not long ago that he had already inford His Majesty."
"Then what was His Majesty's reaction?" The Empress Dowager asked.
Yan Shan'ao stroked his chin, his brow furrowing, "Wei Xun said that after His Majesty learned of this matter, he showed no particular reaction, and even asked Wei Xun to co inquire about our opinion."
"Heh heh heh," The Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh, "His Majesty is quite magnanimous. It's clearly his own wedding, yet he acts as if it has nothing to do with him and removes himself from the situation."
"His Majesty is currently obsessed with cultivation and naturally doesn't care about these matters. However, this is actually good, as it aids our control over His Majesty."
Yan Shan'ao rarely spoke up for Xiao Mo.
"Alas, if not for Qin's interference, it would be a good thing. I only fear His Majesty might collude with Qin's eldest princess."
The Empress Dowager sighed again, her emotions gradually calming as she faced reality.
"In any case, the current situation is indeed quite unfavorable. Qin has produced an enlightened ruler who has annexed ten nations and can now be considered a great nation.
Now they are marrying their eldest princess to our Great Zhou. Apart from their ruler rembering the affections of our predecessors, I can think of no other reason.
If we directly refuse at this ti, we would be showing disrespect to Qin.
Qin's military might is abundant. If the ruler of Qin were to attack our Zhou Kingdom in anger, that would be quite troubleso. Not to ntion that Elder Huang of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect is not on our side either."
"Could it be that we should make Ruxue a consort and Princess Qinyang the Empress?" Yan Shan'ao muttered to himself while stroking his chin.
"Absolutely not!"
The Empress Dowager stood up with a loud "slap" as she struck the table, her expression intense as she said, "So what if Princess Qinyang is Qin's eldest princess? Are the talented won of our Yan clan inferior to her? Not to ntion that Ruxue was already supposed to marry Xiao Mo first.
I already feel extrely guilty about having Ruxue enter the palace. Now you want her to give up the position of Empress, how can this be acceptable!
In any case! I absolutely do not agree to making that Princess Qinyang the Empress and Ruxue a consort!"
Yan Shan'ao had only been thinking aloud and hadn't actually planned to have a talented woman from their clan demoted from Empress to consort but the problem was, how should they resolve this predicant today?
Just as Yan Shan'ao was pondering various options, his eyes suddenly brightened.
"Sister, I actually have a solution that benefits both parties!"
"Oh?" The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up, "Tell about it."
…
Minister of Rites' Residence.
Wearing a white dress, Yan Ruxue sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, her slender jade fingers gently holding an invitation.
Beneath the woman's long eyelashes, her pitch-black, agate-like translucent eyes blinked gently, rippling like a clear spring lake.
Mingyue gazed at the woman before her and unknowingly beca entranced.
She had long heard that Yan Ruxue of the Yan clan was the Zhou Kingdom's foremost talented woman, and that her appearance was also exceptional, making her the Zhou Kingdom's most beautiful woman but in Mingyue's heart, she hadn't taken this woman seriously, thinking that compared to her own sovereign, she was rely a firefly trying to compete with the bright moon.
However, the mont Mingyue saw Yan Ruxue, she couldn't help but sigh at how there could be such a beautiful woman.
In terms of appearance alone, she was in no way inferior to Her Majesty, and her figure was even more perfectly flawless.
In her presence, Mingyue couldn't even muster feelings of jealousy, only admiration. Besides this, this woman nad Yan Ruxue's temperant was outstanding.
Her every movent displayed dignified elegance, her every smile was natural and graceful.
Even when she sat there, she exuded an air of scholarly refinent.
After the ti it took to drink a cup of tea, Yan Ruxue slowly put down the envelope in her hand and looked up at Mingyue.
As Mingyue t Yan Ruxue's gaze, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Clearly her eyes appeared so gentle, yet sohow, Mingyue could sense an emperor-like majesty.
Mingyue quickly lowered her head, avoiding Yan Ruxue's gaze, not daring to look directly at her.
"Since Princess Qinyang has extended an invitation, Ruxue naturally must accept." Yan Ruxue said with a smile.
"Please convey to Her Highness the Princess that Ruxue will arrive at Drunken Immortal Tower promptly at dusk."
"Al-alright."
Mingyue bowed in salute and, after one last glance at the stunning face of the woman before her, slowly withdrew.
After Mingyue left, Xiao Chun said nervously, "Young Miss, are you really going to accept the invitation?"
"Of course." Yan Ruxue's lips curved upward, "What, can she possibly eat ?"
"It-it's not that, it's just, it's just that this servant has heard rumors that supposedly the ruler of Qin sent Princess Qinyang to our Great Zhou to marry this eldest princess to His Majesty, to strengthen relations between the two nations..."
Xiao Chun's tone carried so trepidation.
Regarding the matter of Princess Qinyang and their sovereign, for so unknown reason, it had already spread throughout the imperial capital, and the common people of the imperial city were all discussing it now.
At this ti, if Princess Qinyang was hosting a banquet for her young miss, perhaps she intended to intimidate her.
"Oh, there's such a rumor? This is the first I've heard of it..."
Yan Ruxue smiled faintly, tapped Xiao Chun's forehead, and appeared calm and composed, without a trace of nervousness.
"Arrange the carriage. I really do want to et this Princess Qinyang."
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