knife

Chapter 579 Marriage Letter
Li Dachui's face immediately turned awkward when he saw the scroll of documents that He Jiong pushed towards him.

It was a marriage certificate.

He Jiong said solemnly, "Governor Li, let's not beat around the bush. Right now, we are indeed facing a life-or-death crisis. The plan you proposed is truly a godsend for us. We have no other choice but to cooperate with you to get through this crisis."

Li Dachui coughed and said, "Since Prefect He knows all this, why bother with all this trouble?"

“This is not superfluous!” He Jiong said seriously, “Brother Han once told you that once we get through this crisis, we will have truly gained a foothold and at least be able to survive. At that time, our choices will no longer be the only ones!”

"Going back on your word is not a good quality!" Li Dachui said.

He Jiong smiled and patted the marriage certificate: "That's why we took it! It's the most important cornerstone for strengthening our cooperation and trust. Before this, we basically didn't know each other. Unifying the world is a long process. How could we maintain a close and trusting cooperation?"

Han Zheng chimed in, "We believe there is no stronger guarantee than a marriage contract between the leaders of both sides. If there could be a successor to carry on the legacy, that would be even better!"

Looking at the two guys in front of him, Li Dachui felt a chill run down his spine.

"Both of you are visionary individuals; surely you can see who has a better chance of winning the world in the upcoming battle?"

“Li Duhu has a better chance, but it is only a hope, not a certainty!” He Jiong said, “Li Duhu needs more powerful forces to join him so that this hope can gradually become a reality.”

"I've already discussed this issue with Jiang Jiang!"

"The Empress Dowager is, after all, a woman, and she's easily embarrassed. She agreed when the Protector said we'd discuss it later, but that won't do for us!" He Jiong said. "Without a definite guarantee, we can't explain ourselves to our subordinates. Protector Li should understand the crux of the matter: if the mind is uneasy, there will be instability; if it's instability, there will be chaos; and once chaos ensues, everything will be over!"

Han Zheng continued, "This is not only our opinion, but also the consensus of Kang Zhen, Wang Dao, and others. Protector Li, our days here are not going to be easy. Even if we capture Feng Kuan and take Xiangfan, we are still surrounded by powerful enemies. He Zudao will inevitably join forces with Xiang Ying for survival, and Linghu Ye will not tolerate having a Northern Court knife behind them. In such a difficult environment, you must show us a bright future and the strongest guarantee."

Li Dachui tapped his fingers lightly on the table. What the other person said made sense. In anyone's eyes, gaining a woman like Jiang Qian, who was both talented and beautiful and could be of great help to his career, was a huge bargain for Li Dachui.

A classic example of gaining both people and money.

Deep down, however, he strongly rejected this marriage alliance, which was full of utilitarian motives.

He still prefers the kind of mutual affection that develops naturally over time.

Just like him and Xiao Changche.

When the atmosphere, mood, and environment are all right, everything seems so natural.

Does he hate Jiang Qian?

of course not.

This woman was indeed formidable, not only highly skilled in martial arts but also ruthless in her methods. However, these were not problems for Li Dachui. He recalled that in his past world, powerful women were everywhere; the real issue was whether he could handle such a woman.

Men who lack self-confidence are afraid of more than just women; they are afraid of anyone stronger than themselves.

Can I handle Jiang Qian?

No problem, he has that much confidence.

Even though they were together, Li Dachui always felt a little uncomfortable.

Because it seemed like it was forced on him, and he couldn't refuse it.

Or perhaps, deep down, what she rejects is not the marriage with Jiang Qian, but the current situation where she doesn't have complete control over the marriage.

There is a hidden displeasure deep inside, so it manifests outwardly as unhappiness.

But reason told him that the other person was right. They were indeed facing difficulties, but he wasn't the only option, just the best one.

However, in this world, sometimes the best choice is not the final choice.

"The engagement is not a problem!" Li Dachui looked up at the two of them, and while their faces lit up with joy, Li Dachui's voice rose: "But I don't like the way you're proposing it. It seems that if I don't agree, you'll do something that harms others without benefiting yourself, right?"

“Governor Li has misunderstood!” He Jiong shook his head repeatedly: “We are like rootless duckweed right now, desperately wanting to find a big tree to cling to. I think you can understand our feelings! We don’t want you to sign the marriage certificate today, but we just need a formal promise from you.”

Han Zheng nodded and said, "Protector Li is a hero of the world, and his word is as good as gold. Once he agrees, we will naturally believe him!"

“I accept the marriage certificate!” Li Dachui took the marriage certificate and said, “But this matter is of great importance. As you all know, many things in Beiting are not something I can decide on my own. Moreover, since this matter concerns the vital interests of both parties, we need to consider it from multiple perspectives.”

“Of course!” He Jiong nodded with a smile: “The Northern Protectorate is full of talented people and far-sighted individuals. They can naturally see that this matter is entirely beneficial to the Protectorate’s great cause and would certainly be happy to see it succeed.”

Since Li Dachui had accepted the marriage proposal, He and Han had achieved their goal and happily took their leave.

Inside the room, Li Dachui was somewhat speechless.

The original intention of this trip south was just to explore the headquarters of the Demonic Sect in Yunwu Mountain. Unexpectedly, it ended up causing chaos in the Chu Kingdom and also taking over the two counties of Ruyin and Yong'an. If everything goes smoothly, Xiangfan will be a sure thing. If we have some luck, we might even be able to covet the eight towns of Jiangnan.

However, an additional problem with this matter was that it also resulted in the acquisition of the Queen Dowager of Chu.

It seems like I'll have a hard time explaining this to Xiao Changche!

She went through so much hardship to get pregnant and give birth to your baby in the Northeast, and you just came out and brought back another woman. If word gets out, you'll probably be labeled a scumbag!

Most importantly, this woman is no ordinary person!

Before anything is even settled, they're already clamoring to compete with Xiao Changche for the position.

The two were like oil and water, one a needle's point, the other a wheat's awn; when they clashed, it was an absolute clash of titans.

Will my life be any better from now on?

Li Dachui felt an unbearable headache.

In comparison, he still felt that the matter of vying for supremacy was easier to handle.

Han Tan's head popped out of the window again. "Li Bao, I stole another jar of wine. Want some more?"

"Drink, of course I'll drink!" Li Dachui said through gritted teeth.

Deep inside the He residence, Jiang Qian looked at Han and He, "He accepted the marriage certificate?"

“I’ve accepted it! But they said they still need to discuss this matter with the Northern Protectorate!” He Jiong said.

Jiang Qian smiled slightly and said, "Send someone to the border to prepare a generous gift in my name to meet with the important officials of the Beiting Protectorate outside the border, such as Zhou Zhi, Fu Qingzhu, Mao Daxian, and of course, most importantly, to meet with Xiao Changche."

“Uh, Your Majesty, isn’t this a bit too aggressive?” He Jiong said.

Jiang Qian said calmly, "I am Jiang Qian, and I have always been aggressive. If you really swallow your pride and humble yourselves, how can you hold your heads high in the future? This is not just my business, but concerns the future of all those who follow me. Naturally, I have to fight for it. Xiao Changche helped him take over the Guanwai and the Northern Yuan, so I will help him take over the Southern Chu."

"That's only right!" Han Zheng's temperament was in sync with Jiang Qian's, and he nodded repeatedly.

(End of this chapter)