Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 281, The Princess of the Arranged Marriage

In fact, it's no wonder that Da Xi's officials looked down on Earl Sweet.

Although the British Empire enjoyed immense prestige on the outside, boasting colonies, the Industrial Revolution, and the Age of Exploration, its size and economic power were only barely on par with that of the Great Xi Dynasty.

For thousands of years prior, the various dynasties of the Central Xia Dynasty had firmly held the position of world hegemon.

The people of Zhongxia had long been accustomed to this overwhelming sense of superiority, and therefore naturally regarded themselves as the Celestial Empire and the surrounding countries as barbarians.

The British Empire was equally wary of this.

Although the industrial capabilities of the two sides are not on the same level, the sheer size of the Great Xi Empire should not be underestimated. The British Empire's transoceanic conquests are a long and arduous journey, and it is hard to say who would win if a real war broke out.

This is why the British Empire, which has long coveted Da Xi, has hesitated to take action.

But it's soon.

If Fang Yong doesn't take the initiative to propose cooperation this time, as time goes by and the British Empire's military capabilities continue to develop, it's estimated that within a few years they will be unable to resist their covetousness towards Da Xi and will begin to test the waters.

Then, just like in the past, after a battle, everyone will discover the weakness of Dae Hee. This country, which is one of the world's largest and most economically powerful nations, is actually just a paper tiger that is easily defeated.

At that time, countless ferocious beasts will swarm in and wantonly divide and fight over this fertile land that they have coveted for thousands of years.

Of course, Fang Yong would never allow such a thing to happen again.

Others will divide it up?
It would be better if he didn't go and divide the spoils among others.

Of course, Fang Yong himself was absolutely opposed to aggression.

He would never bully others just because he is strong, unless they provoke him.

However, there are some differences in certain countries.

For example, Yingzhou and Goryeo.

These two places have been part of the Central Plains since ancient times, so it cannot be considered an invasion.

Yingzhou was incorporated into the land of China more than two thousand years ago during the Qin Dynasty, and the people there still speak Chinese dialects to this day. The two are an inseparable part of each other.

Goryeo was also incorporated into the territory of China during the Han Dynasty, which is an indisputable historical fact.

Fang Yong's seizure of these two territories was not an invasion, but rather a recapture of lost land.

In addition, the grasslands were also part of the territory of the Central Xia.

Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan were emperors of the unified Chinese dynasty recognized by all, so their homeland was naturally part of the Chinese territory.

As for other territories, Fang Yong will not invade them.

He has his own bottom line.

Aggression is shameful.

War brings suffering to ordinary people.

The son can inherit it later...

With that thought in mind, Fang Yong entered the bridal chamber.

Princess Sofia looked beautiful tonight. She was tall and slender, but not frail.

To be honest, there was no emotional foundation between the two.

They couldn't even communicate fluently.

The two have very different cultures, consciousness, and thoughts.

The reason they can sleep together is solely for the benefit of their two countries.

There wasn't much interaction, just a few simple greetings, roughly meaning:

"How are you, Princess?"

"Your Majesty, I'm fine!"

Then both of them ran out of vocabulary and didn't know how to continue the conversation.

Fang Yong had no intention of becoming a Casanova.

He couldn't possibly make every woman devoted to him.

So he carried Princess Sofia directly to the bed and then hurried to do things for Zhongxia.

It is said that European and American women have rough skin, but when Fang Yong touched it, he did not find it to be so; it was still delicate, tender, and soft.

As Fang Yong took Princess Sofia's tongue into his mouth and felt her awkward and nervous movements, he realized that she was actually not that old.

He always forgot about that because of her height.

"I'll be gentler!"

Fang Yong whispered in Princess Sofia's ear.

Princess Sofia hasn't even learned all the Chinese characters yet, so naturally she can't understand the exercises in the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic). Therefore, Fang Yong had to restrain himself. Princess Sofia's face turned slightly red, whether she understood or not was unclear.

then……

"Oh, yes! No, no, no!"

Princess Sofia, in her haste, spoke directly in her native language.

Fortunately, this passage in his native language is relatively simple, and Fang Yong can understand it from the emotions and meaning.

After a while, Princess Sofia managed to adjust with difficulty.

However, her pale blue eyes still held a hint of tears.

Looking at her like this, she really does have the feel of a princess from a fairy tale.

Fang Yong picked her up and pulled her closer to him.

Princess Sofia put her arm around Fang Yong's strong waist, looked at him, and then recited a poem somewhat stiffly.

"A gust of wind and rain came late at night, washing away the scorching heat. After playing the sheng and huang, she lightly applied makeup before the mirror. Her skin, thin as crimson silk, was as smooth as ice and as fragrant as snow. She smiled and said to her lover: 'Tonight, the curtains and pillows in the gauze curtains are cool.'"

The sentences are very stiff.

This was a poem taught to her by the pre-wedding trainers. They said it was a beautiful poem from the Central Plains, and reciting it on her wedding night, the most important moment, would win her the king's favor.

Princess Sofia struggled to memorize the poem, but she couldn't fully understand its meaning yet, so her recitation was stiff and emotionless.

However, Fang Yong didn't pay any attention to these things.

The fact that the other party is willing to spend time memorizing the poem is already a very good thing.

Fang Yong lowered his head and kissed Sophia.

Sophia was overjoyed to see this; the king did not dislike her, and her efforts had not been in vain.

What girl doesn't have a child?

Sofia also dreamed of her own Prince Charming.

But she had no choice.

She was married off to a distant Central Plains country, and not even as a princess.

None of the real princesses wanted to go, so she, the neglected illegitimate daughter, was temporarily recognized as a princess and sent to a marriage alliance.

Although Fang Yong's portrait looks quite good, the authenticity of such things depends entirely on the artist and cannot be used as a reference.

Before she came, she only hoped that Fang Yong wouldn't be an old man or a tyrant.

Fortunately, Fang Yong's appearance is perfect, just like in the portrait, and his personality does not seem to be cruel at present.

Although he wasn't the prince charming of her dreams, she was quite satisfied with the current one.

The only downside is that it's...too intense!

Overnight, Fang Yong did three things for Zhongxia.

It wasn't that he couldn't continue, it was that Sofia couldn't take it anymore.

Princess Sofia fell into a deep sleep during the day.

Fang Yong wasn't in a hurry to leave. He didn't have anything urgent to do right now, and even if he didn't have any feelings for her anymore, spending a day with her wouldn't hurt.

At that time, in the palace.

Consul Wu Feng of Wenyuan Pavilion walked hesitantly nearby.

During the early Ming Dynasty, the Wenyuan Pavilion was an important political venue, and it housed the position of Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, which was ranked as a first-rank official and eligible to enter the cabinet.

During the Da Xi era, the role of the Wenyuan Pavilion began to be marginalized. The position of Grand Secretary was abolished and replaced by a second-rank official. The Grand Secretary no longer had the right to enter the cabinet and was simply responsible for the royal collection. Sometimes, the emperor might select the Grand Secretary to serve as a tutor for the princes or the crown prince.

Wu Feng currently holds this position.

He was Consort Wu's grandfather. He had served as an official for many years and was highly qualified. However, because he had no experience in governing outside the capital, he was unable to enter the cabinet and was therefore arranged to retire in the Wenyuan Pavilion.

He thought his life would just end like this, but unexpectedly, the whole country was in turmoil and the Longqing Emperor lost power.

His son, Wu Tianyou, had no intention of being loyal to Emperor Longqing. He immediately sided with Fang Yong. After hearing that Fang Yong was a womanizer, he even sent his granddaughter to the palace for Fang Yong to defile, and also instigated his daughter, Consort Wu, to seduce Fang Yong.

However, so far, the results have not been good.

Fang Yong has too many women around him, and it would be difficult for them to break in in a short period of time.

With the Cheng family and Prince Zhongshun being wiped out one after another, the Wu family couldn't help but panic.

These two families used to be very close to the Wu family. They were both wiped out, and the Wu family might be next.

Faced with this urgent crisis, Wu Feng and Wu Tianyou began to think about whether there was any way to rescue Emperor Longqing.

　Group number 973311696
　
(End of this chapter)