After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Yongshou Palace is located on the west side of the Imperial Palace and is one of the Six Western Palaces of the Imperial Palace.

The Empress Dowager, well past sixty, sat at the head of the palace, a string of prayer beads in her hand. Looking at the young Empress bowing to her below, she spoke gently:

"Your Majesty is too polite. Your Majesty is very busy with state affairs. Please excuse the usual morning and evening greetings to me. You only need to go and see your brother."

Wearing a narrow-sleeved dragon robe, Zhu Cuiwei said solemnly:

"Grandmother, you flatter me. Grandmother is of advanced age and virtuous character, and is blessed with a long and happy life. Cuiwei is fulfilling her filial duties on behalf of her father and brothers. Paying respects to Grandmother is of utmost importance. If Cuiwei were to neglect this important ceremony under the pretext of trivial matters, that would be the greatest act of filial impiety."

The Empress Dowager smiled kindly and said:

"When Your Majesty was young, you were very stubborn. You were a child who didn't like to talk to people. You liked to sit alone in one place and stare blankly. Your father would get very anxious whenever he saw you like this and would often talk to me about it."

"On the one hand, I asked that good-for-nothing child in the house to be your playmate, and on the other hand, I often prayed to Buddha, hoping that Buddha would protect my faith... Alas... If your father is watching from heaven, seeing your heroic appearance today, he must be very pleased."

Even though she had only met the old woman at the head of the table a few times since childhood, Zhu Cuiwei's eyes still welled up with tears when she heard the woman mention her father, the Emperor, and she said, "Cuiwei thanks the Empress Dowager for her care."

The Empress Dowager, twirling her prayer beads, smiled and said, "I have been out of the public eye for a long time. When the Emperor Emeritus was about to abdicate, at his request, I took some things from my maternal family's purse and gave them to some of the old ministers I had promoted back then. I chatted with them about family matters and asked them to take care of my poor granddaughter."

"These men were incredibly arrogant in their youth, each one conceding on their talent. They should have become more docile in their old age… Have they ever given His Majesty a hard time?"

Zhu Cuiwei narrowed her bright eyes slightly and smiled:

"Thanks to the care of my grandmother, and the great assistance of all the senior officials, they are all pillars of the Liang Dynasty."

"That's good, that's good." The Empress Dowager repeated twice with a smile.

After waiting for three breaths without the other party speaking, Zhu Cui smiled and took her leave, saying that she dared not disturb the Empress Dowager's rest.

The Empress Dowager sent people to see him off, but she did not mention the name of the Prince of Wu at all.

After the other person's figure disappeared from Yongshou Palace.

Her expression gradually darkened.

Yongshou Palace was quiet and peaceful.

Two palace maids stood on her left and right.

The revered Empress Dowager of the Great Liang Dynasty closed her eyes and waited for a moment.

Not long after.

Then an old eunuch came to report that "Zhao Silang and Cui Xianghai from the Ministry of Rites, as well as Da Chun, the ambassador of the Northern Dynasty, are requesting an audience to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her birthday."

The Empress Dowager opened her eyes and smiled, "My birthday is still more than a month away, they've really thought of that."

"Let's announce it," she said calmly, raising her hand.

Immediately, under the close watch of several eunuchs.

Two figures dressed in scarlet robes entered Yongshou Palace one after the other with leisurely ease.

Behind the two.

A figure dressed in the official robes of the Northern Dynasties, with a powerful stride and a full beard, stepped into Yongshou Palace.

The three men bowed to her in unison, and the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Gentlemen, you may rise."

Zhao Silang was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Cui Xianghai was the Director of the Ministry of Rites. The two of them were mainly accompanying Dachun on this trip.

Da Chun had a rugged appearance, but a gentle and delicate voice. He smiled and said, "Your subject Da Chun congratulates the Empress Dowager on her birthday." Da Chun handed the list of birthday gifts to an old eunuch.

The Empress Dowager did not look at the gift list, but simply smiled and said that Ambassador Dachun was too kind.

Da Chun smiled and shook his head, saying that it was Da Chun's good fortune to be able to see the Empress Dowager's golden face.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the Empress Dowager asked the other party with a smile what their purpose was.

Da Chun glanced at the two officials from the Ministry of Rites, then chuckled and said:

"Dachun came here not only to offer birthday greetings, but also to thank the Empress Dowager for her grace in allowing our Prince Yi, a prince with an iron cap, to take the imperial examination in the Southern Dynasty."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said calmly:

"It is impossible for your prince to marry my granddaughter, but it is fine if she merely participates in the imperial examination and enters officialdom in our dynasty."

"When Emperor Longchang was still alive, he opened the door to convenience, just as Qin welcomed talents from the six states in the past. Our dynasty is also open to all rivers."

"Your Highness admires Han culture and would be willing to directly request His Majesty's permission to take the imperial examinations; there is no need to send a note through me."

Da Chun smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager is absolutely right. This is exactly how relations between our two dynasties are. Your country's Emperor Longchang is a man of great talent and ambition, with extraordinary achievements in both civil and military affairs. Our Emperor has long admired him and often takes his words and deeds as a model. He has said that he regrets all his life that he cannot meet the Emperor who will restore the Great Liang Dynasty..."

When the Empress Dowager saw him praising Emperor Longchang, she felt both sorrow and joy. The Northern Dynasty still remembered her husband, but she wondered if the current emperor still remembered him. If he did remember... Both Prince Wu and Prince Qi were sons of Emperor Longchang... She sighed inwardly and looked at Dachun with even more gentle eyes.

Da Chun stroked his beard, smiled, and said, "As for whether our dynasty's Iron-Cap Princes (Beile) can marry your dynasty's Emperor, Da Chun believes that the Empress Dowager need not rush to make a judgment..."

"after all……"

He abruptly changed the subject, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and said leisurely:

"If our dynasty were to bestow upon your dynasty a betrothal gift...and if it were generous enough?"

The Empress Dowager paused, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she said calmly:

"What is your intention, Your Excellency?"

……

……

"What did they say?"

We left the palace and boarded an ordinary carriage that swayed and rattled along Datong Street.

The woman, now dressed in a bright green outfit, leaned wearily against the carriage and addressed Qin Yuanyao, who was sitting on the side of the carriage.

Qin Yuanyao bowed her head and replied, "Your Majesty, what Dachun and the Empress Dowager discussed was all about that Northern Dynasty prince. They only mentioned that the prince admired Han culture and, he also..." She stammered a few words, "...and also expressed his intention to form a marriage alliance with our dynasty to jointly resist the Rakshasa..."

Zhu Cui narrowed her eyes, a bad feeling creeping into her heart, and said:

"What has Da Chun been up to lately?"

Qin Yuanyao said, "He made friends with officials everywhere and talked at length about his fallacies."

"More details."

Qin Yuanyao pursed her lips, glanced at the Empress's expression, and then spoke:

"Da Chun...and several other great Han Chinese scholars from the north, they held and participated in literary gatherings in various parts of the capital. They, at various gatherings, said...that it was not Wei that destroyed Eastern Wu in the past, but Jin..."

"The one who destroyed the Eastern Jin Dynasty was not the Former Qin, but the Liu Song Dynasty..."

"The one who destroyed Northern Zhao was not Liao, but Jin..."

"The one who destroyed Southern Zhao was not the Jin, but the Mongol Yuan..."

Zhu Cuiwei snorted and interrupted, "Are they trying to say that if our Great Liang were to fall, it wouldn't be to the Northern Dynasty, but rather to either internal strife or the Rakshasa?"

Qin Yuanyao pursed her lips and replied with a "yes".

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. That is what they are using to persuade us, saying that the North and South have been locked in a stalemate for sixty years, and neither side can do anything to the other. The greatest enemy of the Han Dynasty should be the Rakshasa... They, they are trying to persuade the North and South to form an alliance."

Zhu Cuiwei hesitated for a moment and asked if anyone had handed her a folding book.

Qin Yuanyao said, "Yes. Cui Xianghai from the Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial two days ago, but the cabinet disagrees and it has been withheld from publication."

Qin Yuanyao composed herself and said that Cui Xianghai wrote in his commissar that Dachun had spoken with him privately, hoping that our dynasty could send a high-ranking imperial relative to the Northern Dynasty to discuss the alliance in detail... Dachun said that if the Southern Dynasty provided assistance with provisions, weapons, and even soldiers... if we helped them eliminate the Rakshasa... Qin Yuanyao paused.

Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions; she really didn't dare to report the matter of the Northern Dynasty's betrothal gifts to His Majesty... Let Commander Yan report this matter instead.

Zhu Cuiwei frowned and asked, "How is it?"

Qin Yuanyao let out a breath, and even with her resolute nature, her voice trembled slightly: "They are willing to give them the land south of the Huai River..."

The car suddenly fell silent.

The woman in the emerald green dress felt a sudden tightness in her chest and looked astonished.

After a long while, she slowly exhaled.

"South of the Huai River..."