Isolated town in northern border region

Half a month later, the envoy from Jing State formally submitted a letter to Emperor Xiao Mu of Chu, expressing that Princess Minyue, Jiang Min, wished to find a suitable match within the Chu royal family.

Upon hearing this news, Xiao Zhang was so happy that he couldn't sleep all night!

In his mind, his sincerity these past few days must have been reciprocated, and he was about to win the heart of his beloved!

But despite all his calculations, he never anticipated that the Chu Emperor had already prepared a trump card for him.

The next morning at court, the Chu Emperor announced an imperial edict.

"From this day forward, no member of the royal family of our Great Chu shall be allowed to hold the reins of power if he or she has married into another country or foreign tribe."

An uproar erupted in the main hall.

This is clearly blocking the Second Prince's path!

If he wants to marry the princess of Jing, he must give up his right to inherit the throne.

The Chu Emperor did not need to consult with anyone; he drafted the decree by himself, bypassing even the cabinet.

But it is so reasonable that no one can find fault with it.

Marriages between foreign countries involve diplomatic secrets, and if the person involved in such a marriage later assumes power, it is inevitable that there will be suspicions of collusion with foreign powers.

This rule makes sense at any time.

What's even more remarkable is that this decree received the support of many veteran officials in the court.

Those officials from humble backgrounds who had been suppressed by powerful families, and those upright ministers who couldn't stand the Second Prince's arrogant behavior, all stood up to second his opinion.

Xiao Zhang stood in the center of the hall, his hands clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Father, your son..."

"What? You have a problem with that?"

The Chu Emperor's voice was calm, but his eyes left no room for negotiation.

Xiao Zhang opened his mouth, but swallowed the words that were about to come out.

He had no objection, nor did he dare to object.

This decree is perfectly legitimate. If he opposes it, it would be tantamount to admitting that he married the princess of Jing Kingdom for the sake of the throne.

But if you agree, you can only watch helplessly as the swan flies away.

Despite the bitterness in his heart, Xiao Zhang still made his choice beneath that towering throne.

"Your subject... obeys the decree."

The four words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

After the court session ended, Xiao Zhang returned to his residence and smashed the vase in his study to pieces.

But what he didn't know was that something even worse was yet to come.

When the news spread, all the officials and civil and military officials were watching the spectacle.

"Doesn't the Second Prince want to marry the Princess of Jing? Go ahead and marry her, then you can forget about becoming emperor."

"Tsk tsk, this imperial edict, His Majesty must have tailored it specifically for him, right?"

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

Xiao Zhang's reputation plummeted.

His carefully cultivated image as a "wise king" shattered before this decree.

When there is nothing to do, he is devoted to his studies and treats others with sincerity; when trouble comes, he only says, "Your subject... obeys the decree."

Encouraged by busybodies, a brand new limerick has even begun to circulate in the market—

The second prince was fond of refined pursuits and was skilled in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

He acts like a grandson in front of a princess, but then he tucks his tail between his legs.

…………

The second prince, so talented, became mute after being frightened by the prospect of the throne.

They say nice things, but when it comes to actually doing something, they're a complete failure.

…………

Sitting in his empty study, Xiao Zhang looked at the half-copied copy of "Collected Works of Shen Gong" on the table and suddenly felt incredibly ironic.

Ever since the Chu Emperor established the rules, the court has been in complete chaos.

The princes who had previously fawned over Princess Minyue suddenly fell silent.

Zhang Yi, the envoy from the State of Jing, sat in the guest seat, smiling but saying nothing.

He watched the farce with a cold eye, but his mind was racing with calculations.

"His Majesty."

Zhang Yi stood up and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"It is not proper for foreign officials to speak too much about matters of marriage alliances."

"But Princess Jing is the apple of the king's eye, and she herself has the right to speak on the matter of choosing a husband."

"I wonder if Your Majesty would allow the princess to choose her own husband?"

The main hall erupted in uproar once again.

Choosing a son-in-law independently? What kind of decorum is this?

The Chu Emperor narrowed his eyes.

The Second Prince is out of the picture; Xiao Yu is just a lowly soldier in the Northern Frontier; Jing Guo looks down on those scions of noble families.

So who does she want to choose?

Or rather, who does Jingguo want to choose?

Emperor Chu wanted to refuse, but the Jing Kingdom was powerful, and Princess Minyue was famous throughout the world, yet now she was regarded as a plague by his princes.

If the request is not granted, it may damage diplomatic relations between the two countries...

"allow."

The Chu Emperor nodded.

"The princess's virtuous reputation is known throughout the land; it is truly an honor that she has chosen to marry my son!"

"The princess wishes to choose her own husband; how could I possibly refuse?"

That night, a grand banquet was held in the palace.

Princess Minyue of Jingguo personally attended the selection of her husband.

The banquet was held in the Zichen Hall, brightly lit and filled with singing and dancing.

Emperor Xiao Mu of Chu sat in the main seat, a smile on his face, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.

The eldest prince was serving as a lowly soldier in the northern frontier and was not present.

The second prince sat on the left, forcing a smile;

The third, fourth, and fifth princes were arranged in order, each sitting upright with a different expression.

Zhang Yi sat in the guest seat, a smile on his face.

Jiang Min sat beside him, dressed in formal attire, dignified and elegant.

"Princess, you have come from afar. Here is a cup of wine to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

The Emperor of Chu raised his wine cup.

The princess rose, raised her cup in return, and drank it all in one gulp.

The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

After several rounds of drinks, the Chu Emperor put down his wine cup and looked around the hall.

"Princess, all my princes are here. If you have someone you fancy, please speak up."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at the princess, waiting for her to speak.

The princess stood up and her gaze swept over the second, third, fourth, and fifth princes one by one.

With each one scanned, the prince's heart beat a little faster.

After scanning the area, the princess's gaze returned to the Chu Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the princes of Great Chu are all exceptional individuals!"

"But the one I want to choose is not a prince."

The Chu Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"Oh? So, who does the princess want to choose?"

The princess raised her head, her voice clear and melodious like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"Prince Ning, Xiao Lie".

The hall was deathly silent.

The second prince's wine cup fell to the ground and shattered.

The third, fourth, and fifth princes looked at each other in disbelief.

The Chu Emperor's smile froze on his face, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"Princess, my nephew needs to guard the northern border..."

The princess smiled slightly.

"I know!"

"But I have heard that Prince Ning, with only a city's remaining troops, recovered five prefectures in the northern frontier, and even defeated tens of thousands of iron cavalry head-on with three thousand elite troops, subduing the northern barbarians single-handedly!"

"This is the kind of hero I want as my husband."

The hall was completely silent. The Chu Emperor's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Princess, Prince Ning is my nephew, not my son."

"If it's a marriage alliance, I'm afraid..."

Zhang Yi stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, the King of Jing means that any member of the royal family of Great Chu is acceptable."

"Although Prince Ning is not a prince, he is the eldest son of the late emperor and once served as the Crown Prince, making him extremely noble."

"This marriage alliance is perfectly legitimate!"

The Emperor of Chu was speechless.

He opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

He personally agreed to the princess's choice of husband.

He did not stipulate that princesses could only choose princes, and he never expected that the princess would choose Xiao Lie.

"This matter... I will consider it."

The Emperor of Chu raised his wine cup to hide his embarrassment.

Zhang Yi smiled and nodded, without urging him.

This delay lasted for almost half a month.

After the court session ended that day, the Chu Emperor locked himself in his study and dismissed his servants.

Two secret reports were laid out in front of him.

One document contained intelligence on Xiao Lie in the northern frontier, detailing everything from steel mills and cement plants to border markets, the Trapped Camp, and the Azure Wolf Cavalry.

The other document was a secret report sent back by Xiao Yu from the Northern Frontier. It was a thick stack of documents, densely filled with records of the technologies used in the Northern Frontier.

The Chu Emperor looked at these secret reports, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

He sent people to try it out, and the furnace temperature was indeed much higher when using coke to smelt iron than when using charcoal.

According to the secret recipe, cement can indeed be produced!

This means that, given enough time, the army of the Great Chu will also be able to use steel swords and steel armor!

As for Xiao Lie, he is no longer of any value!

The Chu Emperor raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Someone come here."

The eunuch pushed open the door and came in.

"Issue a decree to tell Zhang Quan that I agree to the princess's request."

"But Prince Ning is far away in the northern frontier. If the princess wishes to see him, she must go there in person."

"As for the marriage, we will discuss it with Prince Ning in person when the princess arrives in the northern frontier."

"Furthermore, tell the princess that if Prince Ning has no objections, I may allow him to marry into the Jing Kingdom and become Princess Minyue's consort!"

The eunuch was taken aback.

"Your Majesty, wouldn't this... force the princess to marry Prince Ning?"

"right."

The Chu Emperor sneered.

"Doesn't Jing Kingdom want to win him over? Then let them win him over to their heart's content!"

The eunuch received the order and left.

The Chu Emperor picked up his brush and wrote something, then clapped his hands.

The next instant, a dark figure appeared out of nowhere and knelt respectfully at the feet of the Chu Emperor.

"Leave it to the eldest prince and let him act according to the circumstances."

"Oh, right, get him a dose of that medicine."

The shadowy figure took the note and disappeared without a sound.

The Chu Emperor let out a long sigh, leaned back on the bench, and looked through the crack in the window at the hazy dawn.

"Brother, wait patiently, Little Lie'er will be here soon..."

"Don't blame me, the Great Chu cannot do without me!"