Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 172 Jiao Kingdom (Part 2)

In the distance, banners gradually became clearer, followed by twelve oxcarts moving slowly. The oxen's heads were all adorned with red tassels, and bronze animal-face shields gleamed coldly in the sunlight on both sides of the carts.

The convoy rolled over the gravel, its crimson tassels shimmering like fire beneath the ox's head. The bamboo curtain of the foremost carriage was lifted, revealing a lean, handsome face.

"Jiao Guo,"

Wu Wenhe, dressed in a black court robe, with the jade pendant at his waist bobbing slightly with the swaying of the carriage, swept his gaze like a hawk over the bronze Taotie pattern on the Jiaocheng Gate Tower, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Then, Wu Wenhe's gaze swept over the ceremonial guard in front of Jiaocheng's city gate, and he said in a low voice, "I hope this trip will be successful and that there will be no unexpected complications."

As dusk settled, the caravan finally came to a stop beneath the Jiaocheng Gate. Twelve oxen bellowed and swung their crimson tassels. Wu Wenhe stepped down from the carriage, the hem of his black court robe brushing against the gold dust-covered sand.

He looked up at the city gate tower and saw that the bronze patterns on it were dark red in the setting sun, like congealed bloodstains. Jiao Bojiang stood with his hands behind his back under the gate, his red and black robes fluttering in the evening wind, and the tassels on his crown swaying gently, like a curtain strung with broken jade.

“Xu Guowu Wenhe greets Jiao Bo,” Wu Wenhe bowed to Jiao Bo Jiang Xia.

Behind him, an attendant carried a gilded wooden box. When it was opened, the cold light of a mutton-fat jade disc shone into everyone's eyes.

Jade is a ritual object. Since the time of the Three Sovereigns, the ancient people of the Great Wilderness have used jade to worship heaven and earth and their ancestors, to communicate with the gods, and to pray for blessings. It can be said to be a major national treasure.

Jiang Xia's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he did not rush to accept the gift. He raised his hand and lightly touched the jade pendant at his waist. With a tinkling sound, he took two steps forward and said, "Minister Wu has come from afar and has worked hard. It is an honor to have you here in Jiao Kingdom."

"Jiao Bo is too kind."

Wu Wenhe said softly, "Our new ruler admires the strength of the Jiao Kingdom and has specially dispatched me to present three bolts of silk and six pieces of jade as gifts to inquire about the marriage of a noble lady from the Jiao Kingdom, so as to restore friendly relations with the Jiao Kingdom."

"Asking about hiring?"

After exchanging glances with Prime Minister Jiang Kai beside him, Jiang Xia said calmly, "I wonder, Prime Minister Wu, and even the State of Xu, which of my daughters have taken a fancy to?"

Unlike Xu Bochu, who had few children and only had one eldest son from a concubine and one youngest son from a legitimate family, Jiang Xia had three sons and four daughters who brought her joy.

This is also an advantage for the descendants of Zhu Rong. Perhaps it is the lingering influence of the Great Dao of Fire, but the descendants of Zhu Rong are generally very fertile.

With its large following and the support of many, the Zhu Rong clan almost replaced the original main branch, the Lieshan clan, among the Jiang clans. When the Xia dynasty ruled the world, the Zhu Rong clan, having accumulated strength, rose to the position of one of the Four Sacred Mountains, second only to the emperor, and became the leader of the Jiang clan lords of the Nine Provinces.

Wu Wenhe strongly advised Lü Shang to marry a noblewoman from Jiao State for the sake of the country. This was not only because he considered that the descendants of Zhu Rong were generally prosperous and could solve the problem of succession in Xu State, but also because he valued the status of Zhu Rong as one of the Four Sacred Mountains.

Wu Wenhe lowered his eyes, his voice clear and deep like the sound of a jade chime, and said, "Reporting to Uncle Jiao, it is your esteemed country's eldest daughter, Meng Jiang."

“Meng Jiang,”

Jiang Xia raised her eyebrows slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over Wu Wenhe's plain crown and sash.

He strolled to the bronze beast-faced shield, facing the ferocious beast eyes on the shield, and said in a low voice, "Meng Jiang is my eldest daughter, whom I have cherished and raised since childhood. I must be extremely cautious in matters of wisdom."

Jiang Xia stroked the protruding beast horn on the shield, the metallic chill spreading from her fingertips, and said, "Moreover, the marriage alliance between our two countries is a matter of great importance, and I must also discuss it with our ancestors and the court officials."

Before he could finish speaking, Prime Minister Jiang Kai stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the marriage of a noblewoman concerns the fate of the nation, and should indeed be approached with caution."

Wu Wenhe remained calm and said, "What Jiao Bo and the Prime Minister said is absolutely right. This humble subject awaits your country's decision."

"it is good,"

Jiang Xia smiled gently and said, "Minister Wu has come from afar, so why don't you go to the guesthouse to rest first? Tonight I will have someone clean the ancestral temple and discuss this matter with our ancestors."

Wu Wenhe bowed deeply and said, "In that case, I await Jiao Bo's good news." ——————

clang!clang!clang!
As night fell, the bronze door knocker of the Jiaocheng Ancestral Temple rang three times. Jiang Xia removed her crown and handed it to a servant, then entered the temple alone. The candle-dragon patterned lamps in the corridor lit up one after another, making the Zhurong clan totem on the stone wall seem to leap as if it were alive.

"Is Your Majesty still considering a marriage alliance with the State of Xu?" The voice of Prime Minister Jiang Kai came from behind a pillar in the palace.

Jiang Kai was not only the prime minister of Jiao State, but also an elder in the Jiao State royal family, holding a pivotal position within the Jiang clan of Jiao State.

"Both Jiao and Xu are states with the surname Jiang and are among the Nine Earls. I must consider the impact on the states of Henan if the two states were to form a marriage alliance."

Jiang Xia's hand traced the flame patterns of the Zhu Rong clan totem on the stone wall. The halo of the candle dragon lamp cast a shadow on the corner of his eye, as if the red dragon on the totem was leaping out of the stone wall, igniting a dark fire in his eyes.

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

Jiang Kai emerged from behind a pillar, the jade pendant at his waist jingling softly, harmonizing with the dripping sound of a water clock emanating from the depths of the ancestral temple.

Jiang Xia murmured, "These are turbulent times; we must be extremely cautious."

Jiang Kai hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, there are advantages and disadvantages to a marriage alliance with Xu, but overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

"This old minister has heard that the King of Xu is young and wise, and has been on the throne for more than three years. He is respected by the people. If a marriage is arranged, he would be a good match for the noble lady of my Jiao Kingdom."

Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow and said, "Prime Minister, do you approve of this marriage?"

Jiang Kai bowed, his robes fluttering, and said, "This old minister dares not make a rash judgment. However, in recent years, the situation in the world has changed every day. This old minister believes that since the Xu Kingdom and my Jiao Kingdom both belong to the Jiang clan, if we can form a marriage alliance, it would be an excellent ally."

"After all, Xu Kingdom was once known as a minor hegemon, so it still has some foundation and should not be underestimated."

"Let me think about it some more," Jiang Xia said softly, standing in front of the Zhu Rong clan totem.

"The state of Xu, whose surname is Jiang, and the state of Jiao, whose surname is Jiang."

He pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, "What you say makes sense; the advantages outweigh the disadvantages!"

The rulers of Jiao State had always maintained the status quo, and for Jiang Xia, stability was paramount.

However, sometimes, Jiang Xia can't just settle things down whenever she wants.

After the third watch bell rang, the candlelight in the ancestral temple suddenly flickered.

As Jiang Xia gazed at the leaping light and shadow on the Zhu Rong clan totem, he suddenly felt a red dragon phantom emerge from the wall. Startled, he looked up and saw a scarlet figure emerge from the shadows—his eldest daughter, Meng Jiang.

“My lord and father,”

Meng Jiang gracefully stepped out of the shadows, as if the red dragon of Zhu Rong had transformed into human form.

Her hair was loosely tied at her temples, and the strings of coral beads hanging down trembled slightly with her movements. Her eyebrows slanted upwards towards her temples, like ink-black cloud marks cut from the Kunlun snow mountain. The corners of her eyes were slightly upturned and dotted with cinnabar. With each opening and closing of her eyes, the phantom of a red dragon seemed to swim deep in her pupils, as if carrying the lingering charm of an ancient divine fire.

A cinnabar mole on the center of her forehead, with the flickering candlelight revealing the patterns of the divine fire of Zhurong, is as if the starlight of the heavens has been plucked and placed between her brows.

She possesses both the elegance and grace of a noblewoman and the imposing majesty of a descendant of the imperial family.

(End of this chapter)