pdf-ebookys Chapter 1590 Seeking Marriage to the Princess of Great Zhou (Bonus Chapter for 240 Million Reward Po
Chapter 1590 Seeking Marriage to the Princess of Great Zhou (Bonus Chapter for 240 Million Reward Po
"Your Excellency, the Left Wise King, have come a long way and must rest for two days. The relevant ministers will discuss the specifics with your esteemed envoy."
This clearly indicates a refusal to discuss the matter at the banquet, and a decision to leave the Xiongnu envoy out of the public eye.
Isn't this a kind of intimidation tactic?
The Xiongnu envoy's face stiffened, and he wanted to say something more.
Luan Di Yi Tu had already raised his wine cup and calmly said, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right."
With fine wine and delicious food before us, and singing and dancing all around, it would be a shame to talk about such mundane matters.
"I toast Your Majesty, to express my gratitude for the Great Zhou's gracious hospitality!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass, his demeanor composed, as if he had just come to attend an ordinary banquet.
The anxious envoy had no choice but to sit down awkwardly, and no matter how dissatisfied he was, he dared not disobey the Left Wise King's wishes.
A glint of light flashed in Nangong Xuanyu's eyes.
This Luan Di Yi Tu was even more composed than he had expected.
It seems that the Xiongnu's bottom line and urgency regarding these peace talks may still need further exploration.
Insincere laughter and conversation filled the room once again.
Luan Di Yi Tu smiled faintly as he responded to the conversations around him, but his gaze occasionally drifted toward the throne.
The Imperial Noble Consort of the Great Zhou Dynasty was leaning slightly forward, whispering something to the Emperor. Her profile appeared exceptionally gentle under the palace lanterns. A faint smile played on her lips, and her eyes sparkled with captivating charm.
It's beautiful, but...
Luan Di Yi Tu withdrew his gaze, still unconvinced.
Women, especially favored concubines who use their beauty to please men, ultimately have limited knowledge and experience.
The gentle embrace of the Zhou Dynasty's harem could corrupt even the most valiant hero. But to the wolves of the grasslands, it was nothing more than fleeting scenery.
After several rounds of drinks, the banquet reached its climax.
Luan Di Yi Tu's gaze swept over the seats of the clan members, seemingly casually.
The royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty was sitting there.
His gaze lingered briefly on several women in elaborate attire before slowly shifting away.
Intelligence reports indicate that the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty had no sisters born of the same mother.
Of the princesses born to the late Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, apart from Princess Jing Le, who had already been married off to a distant land, only Princess Yun An and Princess Wen Shu remained.
Princess Wenshu's wedding date is said to have been set.
Therefore, the woman in the red palace dress, adorned with luxurious accessories, and with a somewhat arrogant expression, must be the unmarried Princess Yun'an, whose reputation is quite "renowned".
Luan Di Yi Tu rose to face the throne, placed his right hand on his chest, and performed a standard Xiongnu salute.
Everyone looked over.
"Your Majesty, the Great Zhou Emperor."
Luan Di Yi Tu said politely, "Today's grand banquet, with its fine wines and delicacies, and the singing and dancing, has made me deeply appreciate the abundance and prosperity of the Great Zhou, a land of etiquette and propriety!"
"Although the Xiongnu live on the grasslands, they also yearn for stability and prosperity. In addition to discussing border markets and annual tributes to facilitate trade and strengthen diplomatic relations, I have another matter to ask of Your Majesty!"
Nangong Xuanyu asked in a calm voice, "What does the Left Wise King mean?"
Luan Di Yi Tu met Nangong Xuan Yu's deep eyes and said, word by word, "The Xiongnu are willing to offer the most solemn ceremony and the most precious betrothal gifts to marry the noble princess of the Great Zhou, to establish a marriage alliance, so that the two countries may forever be friendly neighbors and never fight again!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was in an uproar!
Some looked at the throne, some gazed at Luan Di Yi Tu, and some fixed their eyes on Princess Yun An.
It is not unprecedented for a defeated nation to ask a princess of a victorious nation for her hand in marriage, but the implications are quite different.
If the Great Zhou were to marry its princess to the Xiongnu, it would not be a humiliating peace treaty, but rather a bestowal of a marriage. It would be a sign of favor and appeasement from a superior power to a smaller nation, demonstrating the grandeur and majesty of the Celestial Empire.
The princess will become a bond, a symbol, tightly binding the Xiongnu and the Zhou Dynasty together.
At least nominally so.
However, everyone knows that behind the favors and rewards lies an exchange of interests and political maneuvering.
The princess is merely a very minor pawn in this grand game.
At the clan gathering, Princess Yun'an's face drained of all color in an instant.
The spoon she was holding clattered into the bowl of sweet soup in front of her, splashing a few drops of soup onto her elegant sleeves, but she didn't even notice.
That's it!
Why didn't the emperor order her to die back then?
Why was her confinement suddenly lifted?
Why did they choose to let her appear tonight, on such an occasion as receiving foreign envoys...?
She had been foolishly moved and felt guilty, thinking that her brother had ultimately considered their sibling relationship.
All doubts and anxieties have now been answered.
Princess Yun'an felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
She was to marry a barbarian from the Xiongnu, a man who ate raw meat and smelled of mutton. She would live in a tent, drink mare's milk, and never return to the bustling capital, never see the familiar palace walls again?
Do not! ! !
She doesn't want to!!!
Princess Yun'an was filled with fear!
But her remaining rationality prevented her from standing up to object on the spot.
Princess Yun'an bit her lower lip hard, tasting a slightly metallic sweetness. Her hands clenched into fists under the table, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
Nangong Xuanyu's face remained largely calm as he looked at Luan Di Yi Tu and said, "The words of the Left Wise King have surprised me somewhat."
"The Great Zhou and the Xiongnu do indeed intend to cease hostilities, but the world knows who will win and who will lose in this war on the northern frontier."
"A defeated nation seeks to marry a princess from the Great Zhou... Left Wise King, what right do the Xiongnu have?"
The emperor's question was direct, even sharp.
But the clever person understood immediately.
His Majesty's lack of a strong refusal means that the matter is open to discussion.
The key question is how much sincerity the Xiongnu can demonstrate.
This is the sentence used by Luan Di Yi Tu and others.
Faced with Nangong Xuanyu's blunt question, he was not embarrassed or annoyed. Instead, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty of Great Zhou is wise."
"Although the Xiongnu suffered setbacks in the northern frontier, the bravery and fighting spirit of the steppe warriors have not diminished, and their archers still number in the hundreds of thousands. This time, their request to marry the princess of the Great Zhou is not to beg for mercy, but to admire the splendor of the Celestial Empire and to yearn for lasting peace."
At this point, Luan Di Yi Tu paused before continuing, "Although the Xiongnu are not as rich in resources as the Central Plains, they have countless fine horses, swift as the wind and with extraordinary endurance. Such warhorses must be urgently needed by the Great Zhou cavalry."
"If the princess of the Great Zhou marries into us and we form an eternal alliance, the Xiongnu are willing to provide an additional three thousand top-quality warhorses every year as a continuation of the betrothal gifts to support the military of the Great Zhou."
"In addition, matters such as the proportion of border markets and the annual tribute period can be further discussed."
Three thousand top-quality warhorses!
Or every year!
Many military officers in the hall, including the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and Zhou Yuxi, suddenly brightened up.
It is a well-known fact that the Great Zhou Dynasty lacks horses, especially high-quality warhorses capable of carrying heavy loads for long distances and being adapted to battlefield charges.
Cavalry are the courage of the army, and obtaining a stable supply of high-quality Xiongnu warhorses would be of great significance!
Nangong Xuanyu's eyes flickered slightly.
He certainly knew the value of the Xiongnu warhorses, and he understood the weight of the condition that Luan Di Yi Tu had put forward.