The prince is more stable

Chapter 607 Six Women Gather
If your wife is taken away by another man, even an ordinary person would find it unbearable, let alone a king.

Especially since Li Qianshun was only seventeen years old, a time of youthful vigor, he went through the proper procedures to propose marriage and happily married a wife. However, he didn't even know what his wife looked like before she was kidnapped by Zhao Xiaoqian halfway through the marriage. Who wouldn't be angry?

"Zhao Xiaoqian! Zhao Xiaoqian! This scoundrel is utterly shameless! I wish I could skin you alive and devour your flesh!" Li Qianshun slammed his fist on the table and roared.

Li Jinzhen knelt on the ground with a bitter expression, but her hands still clung tightly to Li Qianshun's thighs, making him unable to move.

"Your Majesty, the Song army is now elite and invincible, and its defenses are unbreakable. Your Majesty has recklessly raised troops and angered Zhao Xiaoqian. Our Western Xia will surely perish. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!" Li Jinzhen pleaded bitterly.

"How unwise it is to ruin one's ancestral heritage for a woman!"

Li Qianshun sat down, panting heavily, his eyes still blazing with anger.

"How could you be such an envoy? Zhao Xiaoqian kidnapped the Liao princess, why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you threaten to kill yourself?" Li Qianshun stared at Li Jinzhen angrily.

Li Jinzhen opened his mouth, then dejectedly lowered his head: "Yes, Your Majesty, I know my crime."

Li Qianshun gradually calmed down and realized he had spoken out of turn.

They sent cavalry to seize the princess, what could Li Jinzhen do? Could he stop the Song Dynasty's firearms? Under those circumstances, no one could have protected the princess, so blaming Li Jinzhen is completely unreasonable.

As his emotions calmed down, Li Qianshun regained his rationality.

At this point, he naturally understood that the Song army was now sweeping across the world and invincible. If the Western Xia wanted to raise an army to fight the Song army, the result would inevitably be as Li Jinzhen said: the only way out would be the destruction of the country.

To risk the destruction of one's country and fight a war with the Song Dynasty for a Liao princess is definitely not worth it. Anyone with a modicum of rationality would not do such a thing.

However, Zhao Xiaoqian stole his wife, and Li Qianshun felt a lump in his throat, unable to vent his anger.

"So, Zhao Xiaoqian stole my empress, and I was right to remain silent, wasn't I?" Li Qianshun said, still seething with anger.

Li Jinzhen sighed, "The only solution I can think of is to send an envoy directly to Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty, to negotiate with the Song emperor. Zhao Xiaoqian is unreasonable, but surely the Song emperor should be reasonable?"

Li Qianshun said expressionlessly, "And then what? Even if the Song emperor is willing to return the Liao princess to me, she has been by Zhao Xiaoqian's side for so long, she, she..."

As Li Qianshun spoke, he was overcome with grief, and choked with sobs, saying, "She has already taken the form of Zhao Xiaoqian! How can I still want her?"

Li Jinzhen also cried. "When the ruler is sad, the minister is disgraced; when the ruler is disgraced, the minister dies." So when the ruler cries, he naturally cries too.

"Your Majesty, in the war between Xia and Song, our Western Xia suffered heavy losses and is now in dire need of rebuilding. Meanwhile, the Song army is gaining strength and we are at a disadvantage. We Western Xia can only bide our time and wait for the right opportunity. I beg Your Majesty to endure this humiliation and plan for the eternal prosperity of our Western Xia."

Li Jinzhen remained silent for a moment, then said, "Moreover, if we were to argue with the Song Dynasty over this matter, I fear that Western Xia would be in the wrong."

"After all... it's clear to everyone that the marriage alliance between Western Xia and Liao was intended to unite Xia and Liao against Song. Zhao Xiaoqian's abduction of the princess and disruption of the marriage alliance was, in fact, a stern warning to Western Xia. If Your Majesty wishes to reason with Song, you risk incurring their murderous intent..."

Li Jinzhen emphasized his words and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty should already know that two months ago, the Liao Emperor raised 100,000 elite troops and launched a three-pronged attack on the Song Dynasty."

"As a result, under Zhao Xiaoqian's command, the Liao army suffered defeats on all three fronts, and some were even wiped out. The Liao emperor was criticized in the court because of this battle, and now he had to hand over some power and let his grandson Yelü Yanxi oversee the country."

"Even a powerful nation like the Liao Dynasty suffered such a crushing defeat, which not only severely weakened the Liao Dynasty but also shook the imperial power. Why should Your Majesty repeat the Liao Dynasty's mistakes for this matter?"

Li Qianshun fell silent.

It must be said that although Li Jinzhen lacked courage, he was indeed very eloquent.

Originally furious and ready to launch an attack on the Song Dynasty, Li Qianshun regained his senses after Li Jinzhen's analysis and abandoned the idea of ​​raising an army.

The thought that even a monarch had to suffer such humiliation, with no one to reason with, filled Li Qianshun with resentment and shame, and he wept silently.

"Your Majesty, I believe that with the Song Dynasty growing stronger day by day, Western Xia has only two options: one is to completely submit to the Song Dynasty, live in peace here, and be an obedient vassal state for generations to come."

"Secondly, we should send another secret envoy to Liao to discuss the alliance with the Liao emperor. This trip must be kept strictly secret so that Zhao Xiaoqian does not learn of it again. However, this is a risky move that could lead to the destruction of the country. I urge Your Majesty to think it over carefully."

After a long period of contemplation, a hint of maturity and wisdom appeared on Li Qianshun's young and innocent face.

After a long silence, Li Qianshun gritted his teeth and said, "Strong means strong, weak means perish. The Song Dynasty is growing stronger every day and will destroy our Western Xia sooner or later. Rather than waiting to die, we should act in times of crisis, unite with the Liao Dynasty to resist the Song Dynasty, and only then can we win a glimmer of hope for our Western Xia."

"Let's choose the second option: secretly send envoys to Liao to discuss an alliance with the Liao emperor. Song has already defeated Liao several times, and their next step will inevitably be to covet the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. If Zhao Xiaoqian raises an army and marches north, Xia and Liao can simultaneously provoke war on both the eastern and western fronts, leaving Song unable to attend to both ends."

Li Jinzhen bowed and said, "Since Your Majesty has made this choice, I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens. I request to be sent to Liao again, and this trip will surely lead to an agreement on the alliance between our two countries."

…………

Zhending City.

After handing Chai Ruona and the other criminals over to the Imperial Guards and ordering them to escort the Chai family to Bianjing, Zhao Xiaoqian hurried back to the Prince's residence. His wife was still pregnant, and Zhao Xiaoqian's only thought was to be with her. If it weren't absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to be too busy; for him, spending time with his pregnant wife was the most important thing.

Upon entering, Zhao Xiaoqian excitedly headed straight for the backyard, but as soon as he reached the moon gate, a person walked towards him, leaving Zhao Xiaoqian stunned.

Di Ying, dressed in a lake-green, fitted palace dress, stood smiling at him in the backyard.

Behind Di Ying stood Jiang Miaoxian and Yuan'er, both graceful and elegant.

The three women from Bianjing have indeed come to Zhen Ding Prefecture!

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but admire Niao Niao's brilliant strategy; indeed, only women truly understand women.

When the news of Niao Niao's pregnancy reached Bianjing, Di Ying and the other two women couldn't sit still.

Di Ying stood in the backyard, looking at Zhao Xiaoqian, who was travel-worn and looked exhausted. Her eyes were red, but she smiled and said, "My lord, you rushed back in such a hurry, are you perhaps eager to see your pregnant concubine?"

After a brief moment of surprise, as a man with high emotional intelligence who had one wife and multiple concubines, maintaining impartiality was an essential skill. If even a tiny bit of this water were spilled, the Zhao family's backyard would be in chaos, and they would never have a peaceful life.

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately opened his arms and ran to Di Ying with great joy: "What concubine! I heard that Madam has come to Zhen Ding Prefecture, so I rushed here to see Madam without stopping. Madam, I've missed you so much!"

While tightly embracing Di Ying, Zhao Xiaoqian winked at Jiang Miaoxian and Yuan'er behind her and pouted as if to kiss them.

Men with many women are just this tired.

Jiang Miaoxian and Yuan'er covered their mouths and chuckled softly, but Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly felt a pain in his waist. Looking down, he saw Di Ying pinching and twisting the soft flesh of his waist.

“Niao Niao is quite promising. I don’t know how much effort you put into her, but she became pregnant first. I, the principal wife and the princess consort, have been married for several years but still have no children. Tell me, are you being biased?”

Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth in pain, ignoring any explanation, and shouted for her to let go. Di Ying, who had been harboring resentment for a long time, refused to let go no matter what.

Unable to break free, Zhao Xiaoqian simply grabbed Di Ying's buttocks and twisted them hard, turning them left and right...

Di Ying cried out in surprise, looking at him in disbelief: "My lord, you...you actually! In broad daylight, let go!"

"I won't let go, you let go first!" Zhao Xiaoqian said without any manners.

Di Ying's skin was definitely not as thick as his. Upon hearing this, she immediately let go, then quickly jumped back a big step, glaring at him angrily.

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his waist, then laughed and stretched out his arms again: "My wife, I've missed you so much! Come here, let your husband hug you again."

"No!" Di Ying gritted her teeth and refused, then looked him up and down, a seductive smile playing on her lips.

"My lord has had a long and arduous campaign. I have ordered the maids in the manor to boil water so that you may bathe and change your clothes..." Di Ying chuckled mischievously and instructed, "My lord, please make sure you are thoroughly clean."

After saying that, Di Ying turned and left.

Jiang Miaoxian and Yuan'er were still standing there, covering their mouths and laughing, when Zhao Xiaoqian stepped forward and embraced the two women.

"Is Madam angry?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Di Ying's expression just now was a bit hard to read, seemingly angry but not angry, seemingly smiling but not smiling. Even though Zhao Xiaoqian had seen many women, he found it difficult to discern Di Ying's mood at that moment.

Jiang Miaoxian chuckled and said, "Madam is not angry, but a little upset. After all, the first prize was won by Sister Niaoniao, and the eldest son of the future husband will not be the legitimate son. It is a troublesome matter."

"Why bother with that? I'm not biased." Zhao Xiaoqian glanced around nonchalantly, then asked, "Where's Niaoniao?"

Jiang Miaoxian chuckled: "Niao Niao and those two Japanese sisters hid in the west wing of the backyard and haven't dared to come out to see anyone for a long time."

"Why are you afraid to see people?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked in astonishment.

"Sister Niaoniao said that the Princess Consort, the principal wife, has arrived. Fearing that the Princess Consort might be too angry, she threw her into the well to prevent future troubles..."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily, but as he laughed, his laughter grew a little dry, and a hint of uncertainty appeared on his face. He said nervously, "Ying'er wouldn't really do that, would she?"

Jiang Miaoxian gave him a charmingly glaring look and said, "If my sister were truly such a ruthless person, would my husband, with his temperament, allow her to continue being the principal wife?"

Before her marriage, Yuan'er was Di Ying's personal maid. She came with the dowry. When she saw Zhao Xiaoqian questioning Di Ying, she timidly said, "My lord, Madam, she... she won't. Madam just hasn't seen you for a long time and is just being a little temperamental in front of you. She'll be fine in a while."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, feeling saddened as he recalled Di Ying's earlier instruction to wash himself properly.

It seems unlikely that things will get better. Now, the six wives are living under one roof. Because of Niao Niao's pregnancy, the other five are secretly holding their breath, thinking that they will treat her like an animal in the future.
(End of this chapter)