Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 478 If there is no princess, the daughter of a king or nobleman will do!
When will this great beam ever be finished?
Just moments ago they were all barking up and trying to intimidate Dasheng, but now they've lowered their stance and are asking for a marriage alliance.

What are they really up to?

As Lin Zhiqing pondered, the hall fell silent.

The Liang envoy looked up at the throne, his tone becoming increasingly earnest: "Our Liang is willing to offer five border cities as a dowry in exchange for the handover of the daughter of Dasheng."

"From then on, the Liang and Sheng became related by marriage. Weapons were stored away, horses were released to graze freely, and the people on the border no longer suffered the pain of displacement."

"I know this matter is of great importance, but for the sake of peace and stability for the next century, I humbly request Your Highness to grant my request."

As his words fell, the hall fell silent for a moment, with only the strings of the musician's fingertips still vibrating slightly.

Lu Huai and Lin Shi'an exchanged a glance, both of them seeing a hint of doubt in each other's eyes.

During their previous audience with the emperor, the Liang envoys did not raise the issue of a marriage alliance.

Moreover, the attitude of the Liang envoy just now was arrogant and condescending, which is completely opposite to his current attitude.

This clearly indicates some issues.

Lu Huai was very perceptive; he immediately looked at Lin Zhiqing.

When he looked up, he realized that Lin Zhiqing had been watching him for a long time.

Both of them had a bad feeling.

The emperor's offspring were few and far between; even including the crown prince, there were only five imperial heirs.

Among them were three princes and two princesses.

The eldest princess had already gone to the Western Regions, west of the Great Sheng, for a marriage alliance.

The other princess was born to a palace maid. She was frail and sickly, and not favored by the emperor. She married into the Cui family of Qinghe in her early years, but died of illness not long after.

Currently, there are no princesses of marriageable age in Dasheng who can marry into Daliang.

According to the rules, counting down from there would be the sons of kings and nobles.

The first to be affected was the only princess in the capital—Princess Pingning.

Most people realized this and turned their attention to Consort Rong and Marquis Anping.

The two men, one the elder sister of Princess Pingning and the other the father of a commoner princess, froze instantly.

The Great Sheng and the Great Liang have been locked in a protracted struggle for hundreds of years, and it is no exaggeration to call them mortal enemies.

There was no precedent for a marriage alliance between the two countries, but both sides loathed their natural enemies.

Moreover, the people of Daliang are open-minded, and it is common for them to exchange wives and concubines.

The Great Liang Dynasty was known for its strict etiquette; which girl could accept such barbaric people from the Great Liang?

For the women of Dasheng, Daliang must be a den of iniquity.

Thinking of this, most of the women lowered their heads, afraid of attracting the attention of the Liang envoy.

Consort Rong's face turned pale.

However, at times like this, no one dared to speak.

Because only the one sitting at the top has the final say on this matter.

The crown prince remained calm, as if nothing could stir his emotions.

But the Duke of Pei and other military generals were not calm.

The conditions just offered by the Liang envoy were five border cities!

It should be noted that during the most powerful period of the Great Sheng border, Marquis Wangshu only managed to capture five cities from the Great Liang.

Expanding territory is the pursuit of every military general, and a means for those in power to gain glory and leave their mark on history.

It could be said that exchanging a woman for five cities was an extremely worthwhile deal in the eyes of military generals.

How many soldiers' lives could this action save!
Inside the main hall, people held differing opinions.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Crown Prince finally spoke: "If the Great Liang is so sincere, I'm sure Father Emperor would be happy to see it happen, but my Great Sheng has no princess to marry into the Great Liang."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly.

She understood the Crown Prince's meaning; the allure of the five cities was simply too great, and the Crown Prince likely had no intention of objecting to the marriage alliance.

The question is, can peace achieved through marriage alliances with women really last?

Moreover, whoever went to marry into the family was treated as a commodity.

The fact that Daliang is now so eager to befriend Dasheng, even at the cost of giving up five cities, must mean that there is a problem within Daliang's borders.

Lin Zhiqing didn't believe the Crown Prince hadn't thought of this, but... those were five cities!
Such a strong temptation is still irresistible.

Moreover, although the Liang envoy was sincere, his words were all about the core issue of "stability between the two countries".

This actually contains a hidden threat, implying that if you disagree, I will never let you off the hook.

At a time like this, Dasheng should not back down!

If we must fight, why can't we fight?
Can a woman's flesh and soul be exchanged for five cities, yet one cannot charge into battle and seize those five cities with the sword in hand?

Lin Zhiqing already disliked the Dasheng's disregard for women's rights, and upon hearing this, her displeasure reached its peak.

But she didn't show it rashly.

The Crown Prince just said that Da Sheng has no princesses to marry into the state.

The Liang envoy seemed to have expected this, and simply smiled: "I've heard there's an old saying in Dasheng: 'Marry a virtuous wife.' What difference does it make if she's a princess?"

"Oh?" The Crown Prince's eyes deepened. "What does the envoy mean?"

"This palace banquet has truly shown me the elegance and grace of the women of Dasheng," the Liang envoy said unhurriedly.

"Since there is no princess, the daughter of a king or nobleman will also be acceptable."

"Boom!"

The crown prince tapped the table lightly with his hand, making a sound that was neither too loud nor too soft, as if he could randomly decide someone's fate at any moment.

Lin Zhiqing lowered her head. She felt that what had happened today was very strange and did not want to be noticed.

The Crown Prince glanced around at everyone in the hall and said, "This matter is of great importance. I will report to my father before making a decision."

"Your Highness, please wait." The Liang envoy curled the corner of his mouth.

"This is a major event in the relations between our two countries. All of Da Sheng's most trusted ministers are here. If we can finalize this matter with all of you as witnesses, I will be able to give an explanation to the King."

So impatient?
People around started talking about it.

"Without a princess, wouldn't Princess Pingning be...? Those people in Daliang are all barbarians. A commoner princess is delicate and frail; how could she possibly endure it!"

"The Great Sheng Dynasty hasn't had a marriage alliance for so many years, what are we going to do now!"

"That's five cities! Expanding our Great Sheng territory is a great thing!"

"Pah! What good news!" Lin Yangyang said in a low voice, not entirely agreeing:

"If this good fortune were to fall on them, they would know the pain. The King of Liang is already in his fifties; who would want to marry an old man?"

Lu Nanyue couldn't help but frown: "Does it really have to be a woman who is sacrificed?"

Lin Zhiqing took a deep breath; she couldn't answer the question either.

She herself certainly disagrees.

But in the current Great Sheng Dynasty, the emperor and the crown prince are in charge.

The crown prince is willing to arrange a marriage alliance, but what is the emperor's attitude?
What if the emperor disagrees?

Thinking of this, Lin Zhiqing looked up at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was still pondering the words of the Liang envoy when he nodded slightly.
"The envoy's words are reasonable, Your Excellency."

He simply called out "Eunuch Wang," and Eunuch Wang understood, walking out, presumably to inquire about the Emperor's opinion.