High-class Spring Joy

Rulers at the top of power are particularly sensitive to matters of power transfer and exchange.

Especially when it's possible to gain greater benefits for oneself at a very small cost, just like a bee searching for nectar, it can easily capture everything without human guidance, relying solely on instinct.

Just like the Emperor of Song Kingdom at this moment, his gaze calmly fell on Qinghe's face before him, a hint of a smile in his eyes, a look that seemed somewhat affectionate: "That's right. This young girl before me looks slender and delicate, yet she has accomplished such a feat, achieved such a great thing, and made such a contribution. She has added a rich and indispensable chapter to the peace talks between our two countries. If it weren't for Qinghe, today's scene would certainly not be like this. Your Majesty of Northern Frontier Kingdom, I wonder what you think? This young girl is quite beautiful, with a good temperament, and her age is just right. What's most rare is that she has a courage that others don't possess. This is extremely rare and not easily found. I have seen so many women, but I have only encountered a few with such courage and ability. She truly makes one look at her with new eyes."

As the saying goes, men understand men best. With just a glance, they can tell what the other person is thinking. What's more, the two people looking at each other are emperors who rule two great countries. Naturally, the intentions and emotions contained in their gazes will be even more obvious and significant.

Upon hearing the Emperor of Song's words, the envoys from the Northern Frontier Kingdom and the Song Kingdom around him probably had some guesses about how Qinghe would be dealt with.

This caused a great stir not only among the people present, but also in the heart of the Third Young Master.

Upon hearing the Emperor of Song's words, Chu Jingxian gripped the small pliers in his hand tightly. These pliers were originally meant for Qinghe to peel walnuts.

These small pliers are exquisite. They are not big, but they can help people easily peel the kernels out of walnuts. Even when he couldn't see, Chu Jingxian practiced for a long time before he could use the pliers skillfully. At least when he couldn't see, he could peel the kernels out of walnuts like a normal person.

At this moment, Qinghe was summoned by the two emperors, and what they said was very sensitive, which could very well contain the future direction and fate of a woman, and could also contain the future direction of Chu Jingxian and Qinghe.

No one is eating these walnut kernels anymore; at least, those who wanted to eat them don't have the time or opportunity now, so the people peeling the walnuts are also currently idle.

Chu Jingxian clenched the small pliers in his hand, remaining silent. A pure white ribbon tied around his head obscured his exceptionally beautiful peach blossom eyes. But no matter how beautiful his peach blossom eyes were, they were completely invisible at this moment.

Chu Jingxian suddenly felt a pang of resentment towards himself.

He resented his eyes for being injured and blind at the age of six, for having to live as a blind man for so many years, and for not having a healthy body and perfect eyes. If his eyes hadn't been injured, if his body had been healthy, he would definitely not be in this situation now.

When it was absolutely impossible to be forced into a desperate situation again, he had no choice but to turn to business.

If he hadn't gone into business, he might have entered officialdom faster and more easily. With his talent, even if he didn't achieve any official rank, a smoother path would have allowed him to make decisions more quickly, wield more power, and have a wider scope of influence.

Chu Jingxian had long since grown accustomed to his blindness, his physical disability, and the darkness and difficulties that lay ahead. None of that mattered.

Perhaps it is true that the saying goes, "When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it will first test their will, strain their muscles and bones, and starve their body."

Chu Jingxian had long accepted his fate and that everyone has their own different path and their own different luck. Chu Jingxian originally thought that meeting Qinghe was already using up the little luck he had left, but now it seems that he has probably used up all the luck he has left in his life.

Chu Jingxian originally thought that since Qinghe was unwilling to talk about it, and since Qinghe was unwilling to have anything happen between them, he could wait.

Chu Jingxian didn't want to force Qinghe to admit it, nor did he want to force her to marry him because of that incident, or to have any entanglement with him. Chu Jingxian didn't want to go against Qinghe's wishes, nor did he want to force her to do something she didn't want to do.

He would never allow Qinghe to do anything against his will.

So Chu Jingxian originally thought he would just wait and see, until Qinghe would be willing to speak up one day, until Qinghe would make her own decision and pronounce her fate.

That process is destined to be long and cannot be accomplished overnight. Based on Chu Jingxian's understanding of Qinghe, since Qinghe has risked her life to escape from the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion, she will not easily go back in for someone else.

Chu Jingxian thought that if he slowly carved out a way for himself, he might be able to change the current situation of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion.

In the meantime, he can wait patiently for Qinghe. Both things can be done slowly. In short, he will do his best to stay by Qinghe's side and prevent anything from happening to her.

But Chu Jingxian probably already guessed that after this incident, Qinghe's brilliance would shine in front of everyone and attract more attention.

Yes, Chu Jingxian already knew. In Chu Jingxian's heart, a girl as radiant and capable as Qinghe would sooner or later attract more attention and win more recognition.

Qinghe is no worse than anyone else, and is even hundreds of times better than many people.

Chu Jingxian never expected that this matter would happen so quickly, so complicatedly, and that his entire fate would be decided by a single word from the two emperors in front of him.

Chu Jingxian, being a man and a master of political maneuvering, would never believe that the Northern Frontier Emperor brought up this matter rashly simply to praise Qinghe. Nor would he believe that the Chinese Emperor's agreement with the Northern Frontier Emperor was merely to echo his words, but rather that each had their own agenda.

Regardless of whose scheme it was, it seems that no one considered the little girl standing in front of them.

Chu Jingxian began to hate his eyes, his body, and his future. Why was there such a long road ahead? Why were there so many difficulties? Why was his path to officialdom so slow? Why was his power insufficient? Why was his status not high enough? Why was his influence not great enough?

If he had enough power and a high enough position, perhaps right now, there would be one more person in the world who genuinely cares about Qinghe.

His Highness the Crown Prince's first reaction was to look at Chu Jingxian beside him.

His Highness the Crown Prince and the Emperor of Song Kingdom probably both knew that Qinghe held a somewhat different place in Chu Jingxian's heart.

His Highness the Crown Prince knows more, while the Emperor of Song knows less. But with the Emperor's shrewdness and cunning, how could he not know that the relationship between Qinghe and Chu Jingxian is definitely not as simple as it seems?

But in the eyes of the Chinese emperor, it was not important. A mere woman was not that important. Moreover, in the eyes of the Chinese emperor, if Qinghe could really enter the harem of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, it would be a perfect marriage that Qinghe could only dream of.

If the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom truly desires the girl before him, then the emperor of the Song Kingdom can take advantage of the situation and bestow upon Qinghe the title of princess, allowing her to marry peacefully into the Northern Frontier Kingdom's palace. This would be considered a marriage alliance, and it would also be seen as abandoning a girl of humble origins to forge a stronger bond for the alliance between the two countries.

In fact, this decision, in general, was not necessarily a deliberate disregard for Qinghe, nor was it necessarily something she felt would be detrimental to her. On the contrary, in the eyes of the Chinese emperor, an ordinary commoner, a girl without birth or power, was able to win the title of princess of one country, marry into another country for political reasons, and enter the harem of another nation. Moreover, given the favor that the emperor and the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom showed to Qinghe, her rank and treatment would likely be quite good.

In the minds of Chinese emperors, such a future was already extremely good.

Therefore, the Chinese emperors may not have intentionally wanted to abandon Qinghe; they simply felt that it would kill three birds with one stone.

It not only strengthened his conspiracy with the Northern Frontier Kingdom, but also gave him a pawn in the Northern Frontier Kingdom's palace at the lowest cost, and allowed Qinghe to achieve the best outcome he desired. It was a triple win, a truly blessed stroke of luck.

This is the cruelest part: those in high positions of power bestow what they believe to be the best rewards upon people from their superior position, without ever considering what people actually want.

After all, in their minds, since it was a reward, and since it was bestowed by someone in a high position of power, then ordinary people like Qinghe could only be happy about it.

Because sometimes, being born into a privileged background or lacking power may mean freedom, and it may also mean being free from any cost.

But it comes without any cost, which is always a double-edged sword.

One's own life and death, one's own choices, are indeed without any cost. After all, one is alone and cannot involve others. There is no need to consider others, and there is no cost. It is indeed free and easy.

But if someone wants to take advantage of it, there's no cost to them.

The two emperors on the other side were still talking. At this moment, everyone had different thoughts, their own calculations, and their own plans. The Chinese emperor was the first to be concerned.

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom simply stared at Qinghe without speaking, seemingly deep in thought or making a decision. The Emperor of the Song Kingdom, standing beside him, took in the Northern Frontier Emperor's expression and already had his own plan in mind.

At this moment, Qinghe was like a naked piece of pork, surrounded by wolves. Some wanted to use her, some wanted to step on her to get what they wanted, and some wanted to use Qinghe to exchange for what they wanted.

It seems that no one can lend a helping hand to him, nor can anyone lend a helping hand to her.

His Highness the Crown Prince stared intently at Chu Jingxian beside him. Unlike the Emperor of Song, His Highness the Crown Prince was more aware of Qinghe's importance to Chu Jingxian and understood him better.

If Qinghe were to actually settle things here today and go to the harem of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, it would probably cause a huge uproar, perhaps no less than the peace talks between the two countries.

His Highness the Crown Prince quickly summoned the eunuch beside him and sent a message to the Third Prince.

But at this point, some words are useless and pointless to say, and Chu Jingxian had already made his own decision.

Chu Jingxian summoned Chen Sha, who was standing nearby, and whispered, "Send a message back to Bianjing City by carrier pigeon. Order Zheji to lead men to settle accounts for all the troops sent to the palace and the disaster relief funds over the past ten years. I need everything, and I must have the results within one day. Send a message by carrier pigeon within three days to give me the exact amounts and accounts."

Chen Sha was not as clever as Zhe Ji, but the thing Chen Sha did most was to follow Chu Jingxian's orders.

Chen Sha does whatever Chu Jingxian says, which is one of the advantages.

Just then, a trusted eunuch sent by His Highness the Crown Prince arrived, grabbed Chen Sha who was about to leave, and hurriedly persuaded Chu Jingxian, "Third Young Master, this servant is here on His Highness's orders to deliver a few words. His Highness knows how important Qinghe is to you, and he also knows that you will make your own choice and plan. Although His Highness cannot explain the specifics of the plan, after knowing you for so many years, he understands it to some extent. What His Highness wants to do is not to stop you, but to persuade you, Young Master, please calm down. The situation is not yet clear, and the circumstances are not yet understood. It is only because of the two..." "It's just a few words from the Emperor. Perhaps his words truly carry immense weight. But hasn't this been a final ultimatum? Moreover, the Northern Frontier Emperor's intentions are still unclear. Third Young Master, you are always the most composed; you must remain calm and wait for the Northern Frontier Emperor to speak before making any plans. Even if it's truly the case that Miss Qinghe has no choice but to go to the Northern Frontier's harem, our Crown Prince will absolutely do his utmost to help you and protect Miss Qinghe. Please, for the sake of our Crown Prince, remain calm and refrain from rash actions. Otherwise, you might harm Miss Qinghe and yourself, making the current situation even more difficult to resolve and more complicated."

Chu Jingxian didn't speak, but he did take in what the little eunuch next to the Crown Prince said. After a moment of silence, he called out to Chen Sha, who was standing to the side:

"Then I will wait for the result. If the result is not what I wish for, please tell His Highness the Crown Prince that I will spare no effort to make the result the way I want it to be."

After hearing this, the young eunuch immediately ran back to report to His Highness the Crown Prince.

At this moment, the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom looked at Qinghe in front of him, and the smile on his face grew deeper and deeper, no longer like the cold and bloodthirsty look he had at the beginning.

At this moment, the Emperor of Song Kingdom merely gave a glance, and a minister from Song Kingdom spoke up: "I have heard that the Emperor of Beijiang Kingdom suffers from nightmares and insomnia for many years. He has summoned countless famous doctors from all over the country, but still could not alleviate the problem. Coincidentally, I have heard that the world's number one divine physician, the divine physician Sai Huatuo, is also in this Devil City. Why don't we invite the divine physician Sai to examine Your Majesty of Beijiang Kingdom? Perhaps there will be a turning point. Not to mention a complete cure, perhaps it can at least bring some improvement."

At this moment, another minister appeared, acting like a comedian: "I wonder if His Majesty the Emperor of Beijing has recently experienced any relief from his nightmares in my Devil City? Or has his condition worsened? What changes have you noticed in his symptoms? Perhaps we should invite the legendary physician Hua Tuo to take a look."

As they were talking, the legendary physician Sai Huatuo was brought up. Clearly, this was not a decision that had just been made, nor was it the intention of these two ministers.

Upon arriving, Sai Huatuo immediately took the pulse of the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom. His conclusion was: "Your Majesty's symptoms seemed slightly milder last night, and your sleep appeared to be better than before. However, I cannot say for sure the specifics, as I did not treat Your Majesty's health in the past, so I cannot make a clear comparison. I can only give a general indication. Perhaps it would be better to have those attending Your Majesty think about what Your Majesty has done, eaten, or drunk that is different from before; perhaps that will provide some clues."

The emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom did not speak early, because he knew for certain that his nightmares from yesterday had improved significantly; he used to only be able to sleep for two hours a day.

But I slept for more than three hours last night.

Moreover, although the nightmares still occur, they are not as severe as before.

This is the reason why the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom is silent at this moment.

Indeed, this young girl in front of him did make him look at her differently. It wouldn't be to say that they developed any romantic feelings after only meeting once or twice, but at least this young girl was special.

Even if you bring it back to the Northern Frontier Kingdom and keep it there as a sleep aid, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

However, the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom had other plans in mind.

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom remained silent, but the Emperor of the Song Kingdom spoke first, asking Sai Huatuo, "Sai Huatuo, are you sure? Are you truly certain that the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom slept better last night?"

Sai Huatuo was just a doctor, so naturally he didn't have much skill. He had learned medical skills, not the art of scheming and intrigue. His duty was to speak the truth and treat the sick: "Your Majesty, although my medical skills are not particularly outstanding, I have at least decades of experience treating the people. Although I cannot cure the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom's illness in a short time, I am confident in my ability to diagnose his illness."

After Sai Huatuo finished speaking, he turned to the attendants of the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom and asked, "Please think carefully about what the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom did yesterday that he has never done before?"

Upon hearing Sai Huatuo's question, the palace maids and eunuchs who served him exchanged glances. Most of them were unaware of the difference and looked at each other with confusion and extreme fear.

In such a situation, if they couldn't say anything, wouldn't it make them seem like they were neglecting their duties?

Although they were supposed to be personal attendants, only one or two of them could actually serve the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom up close. So naturally, they couldn't all notice that the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom was somewhat different.

Only the unfamiliar-looking eunuch beside him tremblingly remembered that last night was the night he was ordered to invite Qinghe, and this morning when he helped the emperor get up, he found an extremely unfamiliar sachet on the emperor's pillow.

The reason it looked unfamiliar was indeed because I had never seen the young eunuch before, and his style was vastly different from the ones I had seen in the Imperial Palace in Beijing. The embroidery was exquisitely crafted, clearly not the work of an ordinary embroiderer.

The young eunuch indeed had no way of determining whose sachet it was based on the embroidery, but the sachet had an extremely unique fragrance, one that he had never smelled before. Just smelling it was very soothing, and it seemed to have a faint herbal scent mixed in.

But the little eunuch was standing not far from Qinghe at that moment, and could smell the same fragrance on Qinghe.

Perhaps that little eunuch was one of the very few people present who knew the reason, but since the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom had not spoken, how could a mere eunuch serving him dare to say it casually?

At this moment, the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom also walked over from his seat, bowed to the emperors of the Northern Frontier Kingdom and Song Kingdom, and then approached the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom:

"Father."

Only then did the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom react slightly, waving his hand at the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom: "Come here."

Fei Sheng walked over and whispered in the ear of the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, "Father, she doesn't want to."

At this moment, everyone's attention was still focused on the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom and Qinghe.

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom remained silent for a moment before speaking: "My offspring are few, and the late Emperor had even fewer children, so I place great importance on having offspring. This time, Miss Qinghe saved my Feisheng, which is undoubtedly a great favor. There is no precedent in the Northern Frontier Kingdom for not repaying a favor, so such a great favor will certainly be repaid with care. Miss Qinghe is destined to be with Feisheng, and even more so with me, which shows that she is also destined to be with the royal family of the Northern Frontier Kingdom."

At this point, almost everyone present held their breath.

The emperor and his ministers of Song Kingdom had their own plans, and the reason they were on edge was because their calculations were about to come true.

The Crown Prince was suspended in mid-air, naturally because he feared that Chu Jingxian, in a moment of irrationality, might do something that would rather die than bend.

Given Chu Jingxian's personality, if Qinghe were unwilling, he would probably risk his life to keep her here.

Qinghe's heart was in her throat, naturally because her fate was in the hands of others, and it was just a matter of a few words.

This feeling is unpleasant, very uncomfortable, and frustrating, but when faced with the situation, Qinghe can only remain unchanged and deal with it as it comes.

At this moment, the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom took a jade pendant from the hand of the young prince beside him. "Since you are destined to be with the Northern Frontier royal family, this jade pendant will be given to Miss Qinghe. There was originally a pair of these pendants. One was bestowed upon the Empress Dowager by the late Emperor when I was born, and the Empress Dowager bestowed it upon Feisheng when he was born. I originally had a younger sister, seven years my junior, but she died young, only a few months after birth. This jade pendant was originally given to my sister. Now, seeing that you are destined to be with Feisheng and with me, I will give this jade pendant to you. From this day forward, you will be my sworn sister, Feisheng's aunt, and Princess Mingrong of my Northern Frontier Kingdom!"