Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 477 A Marriage Alliance!?
It should be noted that even if Lin Zhiqing had chosen the last piece of white jade, one prisoner was still destined to die.

So who should we give up on?
This will become a major problem later on, and no matter how the Lin family handles it, they will be unable to maintain a fair balance.

Therefore, saving all three at once is the best option for Lin Zhiqing.

Inside the main hall, many people finally understood what Lin Zhiqing had done.

"Who says Miss Lin can't get things done? She's handled this matter cleanly and beautifully!"

"It neither damages the reputation of our Great Sheng nor the reputation of Great Liang. Miss Lin has done a very good job in balancing things."

"The Marquis of Changning is truly blessed to have such a clever and bright granddaughter!"

The previous insults had completely disappeared, replaced by words of praise such as "smart" and "sensible."

"Guards, since Miss Lin just mentioned paintings, let's bestow upon her the 'Ladies Fishing and Playing Chess at the Lotus Pavilion' that I acquired a few days ago!" His Highness the Crown Prince was generous, beckoning to Eunuch Wang.

Lin Zhiqing kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

The Crown Prince's reward sparked considerable discussion among the crowd.

"The Crown Prince has never bestowed any gifts upon his daughter before; this is the first time!"

"What incredible luck Lin Zhiqing had! If I'd known that going up there to guess randomly would have earned me a reward from His Highness the Crown Prince, I would have gone too!"

"You didn't go when I asked you to, so don't embarrass yourself when you go up there."

"Lin Zhiqing has gained the Crown Prince's favor because he is capable. It's no use being jealous!"

The discussion continued for a long time, and some even made wild speculations, saying that the Lin family wanted to send Lin Zhiqing to the Eastern Palace.

Since the Crown Prince already has a principal wife, people always refer to Lin Zhiqing as a concubine or maidservant.

Especially Madam Qu, who lowered her voice and said seemingly casually, "No wonder Miss Lin doesn't like my son."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yangyang stood up abruptly, her eyes wide with anger as she stared intently at Madam Qu's face.

Madam Qu felt guilty, but when she thought that everyone had not explicitly named anyone, she straightened her posture.

Lu Nanyue pulled Lin Yangyang back and said, "Yangyang, don't bother arguing with people who are just sour grapes."

"Some people are only capable of this much, yet they always criticize others when they themselves are incompetent."

Lu Nanyue's words were sarcastic and ironic. Even though Madam Qu knew she was being referred to, she could only grit her teeth and bear it.

She was so angry that she didn't notice Lu Huai staring at her with a look that seemed to say, "Look at me like I'm dead."

At this moment, Lin Zhiqing received the reward, said a few nice words, and then returned to his seat.

She didn't feel at ease until she was seated.

Fortunately, she did a good job.

"Qing-mei, you're amazing!" Lin Yangyang couldn't help but exclaim. "I really thought one of those three was going to die!"

“That’s right, Xiao Qing’er, that Liang envoy was so arrogant at first, how come he suddenly agreed to make peace?” Lu Nanyue was also very curious.

Lin Zhiqing smiled gently: "Let's talk about it when we get back."

In fact, he had been putting psychological pressure on the Liang envoys.

Her final words of peace offer both gave the envoy a way out to "consider the bigger picture" and implied that "if you insist on a life-or-death struggle, you will damage diplomatic relations."

In order to return home and report back, envoys would inevitably choose to "end in a dignified manner" and give up certain things that would harm their country's interests.

The timing was extremely important.

In summary, Lin Zhiqing had planned four steps to deal with this life-or-death struggle from the very beginning.

First, emphasize the rules and use "betting" to deter envoys from easily harming people.

The core rules of the game need to be anchored in advance, so that the envoys realize that harming Dasheng is equivalent to the envoys harming themselves, thereby weakening the envoys' motivation to harm from the root.

This would make them hesitant and timid. Secondly, by initially showing weakness, they would stir up the emotions of the Liang envoy, causing him to develop a sense of contempt and arrogance.

Third, use "selection manipulation" to lock down the envoy's path to harm.

The key to the rule is that "the other party designates the right to choose in the next round." Lin Zhiqing needs to make the envoy realize through the choices in the first few rounds that if he wants to harm Dasheng, he must first let his own people take the risk.

Fourth, provide the envoy with a "decent way out" to justify abandoning the harm.

The envoy's core demand was to "save face" rather than to "truly harm people."

As long as Lin Zhiqing applies enough pressure and gives him an excuse to "end the matter without hurting anyone," the envoy will definitely stop for his own benefit.

The matter reached its final stage, which involved the cockfighting game, a game theory concept that Lin Zhiqing was familiar with.

Win-win!

The prisoners were exchanged for spies, and there were no losses whatsoever.

This is certainly the best option.

However, the Liang envoy, for the sake of saving face and to make things difficult for the Lin family, insisted on creating a life-or-death game.

Fortunately, the matter came to a perfect end, and Lin Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at Lin Qingshan and saw him waving his wine glass at her from a distance.

This gesture represents gratitude.

Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly, raised his wine glass, and took a sip.

Rescuing Qin Hu and the others is something the Lin family must do.

I wonder... Lin Zhiqing looked at Qin Hu and the other two, wondering how the Crown Prince would arrange for them?

Lin Zhiqing must have thought about it more.

In fact, Qin Hu and his two companions are now in a somewhat awkward situation.

Having survived as prisoners of war in an enemy country for so long, it's inevitable that some people would doubt their loyalty.

Lin Zhiqing also had doubts.

The people of Daliang are ruthless. If they capture prisoners, they will stop at nothing to extract confidential information about Dasheng from them.

The situation is somewhat complicated, but very few will survive.

Therefore, the people of Dasheng must suspect that Qin Hu and the other two betrayed Dasheng, which is why they have survived until now.

Lin Zhiqing's father, Lin Congrong, is a living example.

After he escaped from Daliang and returned to Shengjing, he was also subjected to much skepticism.

That's why Jiang Yunhe was able to succeed so easily in scheming against the Lin family using such underhanded methods.

Thinking of all this, Lin Zhiqing sighed softly.

Will Qin Hu and his two companions be able to accept the malice and suspicion that will overwhelm them after returning home?
Lin Zhiqing was deep in thought when, unaware that the Liang envoy opposite her, after relaxing for a moment, glanced at her with a wary look.

Once the incident subsided, the sound of the zither returned to the main hall, as if nothing had ever happened.

The Liang envoy drank several cups of strong liquor to suppress his fear and tension.

He took out a jade box, his eyes darted around, and he walked steadily to the center of the main hall.

"Your Highness!" His voice was loud and clear.
"I have come from afar on the orders of my king, firstly to congratulate the prosperous and peaceful nation."

"Secondly, it also carries the sincere intention of the Great Liang to seek a dignified, generous, and intelligent woman for my king."

"Our Great Liang is willing to forge an eternal alliance with the Great Sheng!"

A marriage alliance?!
Lin Zhiqing's pupils contracted, and her hand gripping the wine glass tightened rapidly.