Pin Shanhe

A glint of light flashed in the Empress's eyes. "According to Princess Xuan, I am the villain?"

In an instant, Shen Fu became the target of everyone's criticism.

All eyes were on her.

If she doesn't answer well, then the charge of damaging diplomatic relations between the two countries will likely fall on her.

Instead of panicking, Shen Fu smiled slightly.

"How could that be? The Empress is a distinguished guest of the Great Yong Dynasty. The Emperor sent the Second Prince to receive her, showing utmost sincerity."

There's a saying: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." The Second Prince did everything in accordance with the etiquette and rules of the Yong Dynasty, but unexpectedly, it caused a misunderstanding between the Empress and the Princess.

"Peace is the most important thing in all things. You have come from afar, so surely you wouldn't disregard the relationship between our two countries because of a small misunderstanding?"

Her response was incredibly clever, effectively putting the ball back in the hands of the Western Regions Queen.

If the other party continues to hold a grudge, then they are petty and unworthy of the magnanimity of a monarch.

The Empress's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

What a sharp tongue! She managed to put herself in a disadvantageous position with just a few words.

Emperor Yong frowned. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Does this mean someone has usurped the role of the host?

He immediately thought of Murong Xiao, who was arrogant and domineering, and didn't even respect him, the emperor.

Was the Empress of the Western Regions also like that?

If the other party is deliberately causing trouble, one cannot continue to tolerate it.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

The Empress was just about to strike first when Shen Fu beat her to the punch.

"Yongchao is a land of etiquette, where men and women do not touch each other, and a woman's chastity is of paramount importance; the Western Regions, on the other hand, is a matriarchal society, where the people are unrestrained and do not care about trivial matters. The customs of the two are very different. When the princess first met the second prince, she threw herself into his arms, but the second prince was afraid that the princess's reputation would be damaged, so he refused her."

Emperor Yong frowned as he listened.

He had indeed heard about the practices of the Western Regions royal family.

But this is the Yong Dynasty after all, not their Western Regions. Shouldn't we pay attention to some etiquette?

The Empress of the Western Regions said coldly, "Aya shows affection to the Second Prince because she sees him as her future husband. His Majesty made a promise to me that our two countries would reach a marriage alliance. Are you going to go back on your word?"

Jun Qiyuan reacted quickly and immediately retorted: "Even if the two countries are to have a marriage alliance, His Majesty has never said that I, the prince, should marry the princess. Even if he really had such a plan, it should be discussed later. The Empress is too impatient."

"That's just sophistry!"

Before proposing the marriage alliance, she had already sent people to investigate.

The only member of the Yong Dynasty royal family who was of marriageable age but had not yet married was the second prince.

Besides, it was the Second Prince who came to receive us this time, so isn't the matter already quite obvious?

It was indeed obvious, but unfortunately they ran into Shen Fu.

"Who said that only the second prince in the Dayong royal family didn't marry? There's also the fourth prince, isn't there?"

Everyone present changed their expressions.

Jun Qiyuan was also present at the scene; today was his first day after being released from confinement.

Although Emperor Yong had suspicions about him, he had not found any evidence. In addition, the matter of the alliance of the four states would damage the royal family's reputation if it were to get out to others, so he released him.

When the marriage alliance with the Western Regions was being negotiated, Jiang Ruoyao was still alive, so he did not meet the requirements.

But now that Jiang Ruoyao is dead, he has become a widower, so the nature of the situation has changed.

Then I thought about how the royal family of the Western Regions was notorious for being "filthy and chaotic".

Which royal noblewoman doesn't keep a few male favorites in her household, just like the three wives and four concubines of the Yongzheng Emperor?

If he were to actually marry this princess from the Western Regions, who knows how many times he would be cuckolded.

Helanya is also the designated "Crown Princess" and will inherit the throne of the Western Regions in the future.

Being with her would mean leaving the Yong Dynasty and marrying into the Western Regions.

Wouldn't his dream of becoming emperor be ruined?

He immediately said, "I have just lost my wife and am still immersed in grief. It would be disrespectful to the princess to remarry so rashly. My second brother would be more suitable."

Jun Jingyan replied, "I am not romantic and dull, unlike my fourth brother who is good at winning people's hearts. Besides, the most important thing about a marriage alliance is the national interest. The princess has a broad vision and will not care about such things."

Unexpectedly, Helan Ya blurted out, "I don't want him, I only want you!"

In the Western Regions, women were respected and men were of low status.

Just like the patriarchal society of the Yong Dynasty, she also had to adhere to the "virginity complex" and had to marry a clean and honest man. How could she possibly want a second-hand man who was considered unlucky in marriage?

Jun Qiyuan almost lost his composure.

It's one thing for him to refuse, but it's quite another for him to be disliked.

After a long pause, he managed a smile: "Princess, you have excellent taste. My second brother is exceptionally talented and handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor. He is the best among the royal family members, and only he is worthy of being your match."

The Western Regions Empress also took the opportunity to put pressure on Emperor Yong.

"I have come here for a marriage alliance. Aya has taken a liking to the Second Prince and is determined to marry no one but him. There is no better time than now, so I hereby issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage."

In fact, Emperor Yong's initial goal was also to have Jun Jingyan marry a princess from the Western Regions.

But I didn't expect him to be so opposed to this matter.

He knew that his son, though seemingly gentle and refined, was actually stubborn and headstrong.

As the saying goes, a forced marriage is not sweet; if a marriage is arranged by force, it may backfire.

If the marriage alliance fails, it could lead to even more serious consequences...

"Isn't it a bit too fast? It's their first time meeting, so why not give them more time to build a relationship?"

The Empress's face immediately darkened. "When you made a marriage alliance with the Northern Dynasty, the marriage was arranged immediately. Now you're making excuses. Do you look down on me and the Western Regions?"

"Of course not..."

"Then issue an imperial decree immediately to grant the marriage; otherwise, the marriage is off, and the two countries will cease all relations from now on."

Shen Fu had not expected that they would be so persistent in targeting the Second Prince.

If this continues, I'm afraid the old emperor will have to back down again.

As expected, she saw the wavering look on Emperor Yong's face, clearly indicating that he was weighing the pros and cons.

Jun Jingyan was also prepared to defy the imperial decree to the death.

There was only one person in his heart, and that was Yun Dai!

He would never marry another woman but her!

Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, a soft laugh rang out from not far away: "What's going on? Why is it so lively here?"

Turning around, they saw the Crown Prince of Dongyue and the Xuan King, who had returned.

Haven't they already left?

Why are you back again?

Chu Lingyu's gaze swept over Emperor Yong, the Empress of the Western Regions, and the others, before finally landing precisely on Shen Fu.

Shen Fu always felt that there was something strange about the way he looked at her.

It wasn't an ambiguous romantic relationship, but rather a feeling that was hard to describe.

She didn't feel repulsed at all; on the contrary, she felt very close to her.