The morning court of the Jing Kingdom had long been reduced to a mere formality. There were three provinces and six ministries to maintain the operation of the imperial court. In fact, there was no need for an emperor. Some important decisions could not be decided by the subordinates, and the Eldest Princess would be the judge. If even the Eldest Princess could not make a decision, she would have to ask the old emperor for his opinion.
On the first day of every month, the ceremonial morning court would be held. If there was nothing very important, the old emperor would only show up for a short while.
Her Highness the Princess, who assisted the government, sat on the lower left side of the old emperor to distinguish her status. But now, the position where Li Yi stood in the court could no longer be leaned against the pillar.
His position was only behind the two prime ministers, and was equal to the ministers of the six ministries.
Listening to the reports of the officials in the court, Lin Mengya felt a little sleepy. Suddenly, he heard the sharp and thin voice of a eunuch.
"Summon the envoy of the Qi Kingdom for an audience!"
These days, the envoy of the Qi Kingdom had been very well-behaved in the capital city. He was so well-behaved that he did not seem to be the envoy of the Qi Kingdom. But according to the rumors they revealed, this time they came to seek peace. It was normal for them to be well-behaved.
The envoy of the Qi Kingdom stepped into the main hall. After standing still, he bowed and said in a loud voice, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The envoy of the Qi Kingdom had a proper attitude and a humble expression, which made the officials of the Jing Kingdom feel refreshed.
Because of the great power of the Qi Kingdom, even when the envoy was sent in the past, his attitude was extremely arrogant in the presence of the emperor and ministers of the Jing Kingdom. Compared with his attitude now, it was like the difference between cloud and mud.
And the reason for all these changes was very clear in their hearts.
The Qi Kingdom and the Zhao Kingdom had repeatedly invaded the border. Each time, they were beaten back by the generals and soldiers of the Jing Kingdom. After losing several cities, the Zhao Kingdom finally calmed down and quietly retreated. The envoy who was sent to discuss the redemption of those cities was still hanging in the office of the Office of the Chamberlain of Dependencies.
The envoys of the Qi Kingdom got straight to the point. After a few ceremonial words, they went straight to the point.
The gist of it was that the Jing Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom were neighbors. How many people would die and how much money would be wasted if they were to fight each other all the time? How much money would be wasted? How about the two kingdoms shake hands and make peace from now on? They would respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, not invade each other's territory, and not interfere with each other's internal affairs? They would be equal and mutually beneficial, and they would coexist peacefully …
As soon as he said this, not only did Emperor Jing stand up from his throne, but the court was also in an uproar.
The biggest foreign threat of the Jing Kingdom was the Qi Kingdom. The two kingdoms had been fighting for decades, and the Jing Kingdom was the weaker one. Over the past decades, the Qi Kingdom had asked for peace several times, paying a heavy price for it. This time, it was the Qi Kingdom's turn to ask for peace?
This was the first time. As the subjects of the Jing Kingdom, their hearts were filled with a sense of belonging and pride. Had the Jing Kingdom of today grown to the point that even the Qi Kingdom dared not underestimate it?
Without waiting for the subjects of the Jing Kingdom to say anything, the leader of the envoys bowed and stepped forward. He said in a loud voice, "To show our sincerity, on behalf of the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom, we ask His Majesty the Emperor to marry the Eldest Princess of your kingdom. We also promise that after the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, we will immediately confer the title of Imperial Concubine to Her Highness …"
As soon as he said this, the court, which had been a little noisy, immediately quieted down.
Someone was startled for a moment, then frowned.
Some people were stunned at first, and then their faces showed a look of wild joy.
Li Yi looked at the envoy who was holding the letter of credence from the Qi Kingdom, then raised his head to look up. The old Emperor frowned. Her Highness the Princess was expressionless. She retracted her gaze, and there was not much change in her expression.
Someone immediately stepped forward and said bluntly, "Your Majesty, we can negotiate for peace, but the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom must never marry the Eldest Princess!"
"I second the motion!"
"I second the motion!"
…
As soon as Prime Minister Qin said this, many people in the court stepped forward.
The Qi Kingdom taking the initiative to negotiate for peace was, of course, a very honorable thing to do. If word of this got out, it would raise the prestige of the kingdom. But for the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom to marry the Eldest Princess, it would be a fool's dream.
The importance of Her Highness the Princess to the Jing Kingdom was self-evident. It could even be said that although she was a princess, she played the role of a monarch. Moreover, she was a wise monarch that was rarely seen in decades.
Without Her Highness the Princess, what would become of the imperial court of the Jing Kingdom? Normal people would not do such a thing to give such a wise monarch to the Qi Kingdom for nothing.
As for negotiating for peace, the Qi Kingdom did not want to discuss it. After all, they could not defeat the soldiers of the Jing Kingdom who had Celestial Punishment. In short, peace could not be discussed, but marrying the Princess was out of the question!
Cui Qingming looked at the old man who stepped forward. His expression was calm, but his fists were tightly clenched in his sleeves.
He tilted his head to look, and an official stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if the two countries go to war, how many people will be plunged into misery and suffering? How many brave soldiers of the Jing Kingdom will be sacrificed? Now that the Qi Kingdom has proposed to negotiate for peace, it is a blessing for the people. I hope that Your Majesty will reconsider!"
After this official spoke, many people stepped forward to agree. Both sides stuck to their own views and argued endlessly.
Emperor Jing put down the letter of credence and pressed his hand down. The imperial court immediately returned to silence.
"We can negotiate for peace, but don't mention the marriage proposal again," he said plainly, showing his most obvious attitude.
The envoy of the Qi Kingdom raised his head and said, "Negotiating for peace is a matter that benefits both countries. The Qi Kingdom has shown enough sincerity. Your country should also show some sincerity, right?"
As soon as he said this, all the officials in the imperial court looked at the envoy of the Qi Kingdom with unfriendly gazes.
The envoy of the Qi Kingdom was implying that if the Jing Kingdom did not marry the Eldest Princess to the Jing Kingdom and did not show enough sincerity, then there was no need to discuss the peace …
"Your Majesty, this matter is beneficial to the people. Please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, don't let the people be plunged into misery and suffering again!"
"Your Majesty, please think of the people of the Jing Kingdom and the soldiers at the frontline!"
…
When a few more people stepped forward, Emperor Jing frowned and looked at a certain place below.
Li Yi stepped forward at the right time and looked at those people. He asked, "Accepting the Qi Kingdom's negotiation for peace and marrying the Eldest Princess to the Jing Kingdom is to save millions of people and prevent the people from being plunged into misery and suffering?"
The leader of the group scoffed coldly and said, "If it can prevent the war between the two countries, why not?"
"Then, in the end, can it be avoided?" Li Yi looked at him and then at the people around him. He asked again, "The Jing Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom have negotiated for peace so many times. Did they really achieve what this lord said?"
"This …"
The official was speechless. If negotiating for peace was really useful, it would have been enough to negotiate for peace once. The envoy of the Qi Kingdom would not have appeared in the hall now.
Li Yi looked at the courtiers in the hall and said, "Everyone knows that the Qi Kingdom has the heart of a tiger and a wolf. They have abandoned the treaty more than once. What credibility do they have? Moreover, Your Majesty is ill and the Eldest Princess is assisting you in ruling the country. This is a critical time. How can you marry the Qi Kingdom? Moreover, the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom has lost the support of the people and may not even be able to sit on the throne. What right do you have to make such a promise?"
"Haha, you're right, you're right!" Old General Xue laughed and walked out. He said, "Sincerity? What sincerity do you want? Do you want Tianfa?"
Another old general walked out and laughed. He said, "The Qi Kingdom is the invader. What's there to talk about negotiating for peace? If you want to retreat, do it quickly. If you want to fight, the soldiers of the Jing Kingdom will not be afraid of you."
Prime Minister Shen stood out and nodded. He said, "Your Majesty, I think Doctor Li is right."
The Minister of War, Yan Bing, stepped forward and said, "I agree."
The Minister of Revenue, Qin Huan, stood beside him. "I agree …"
The Minister of Left Minister, Dong Wenyun …
Those who stepped forward were all important courtiers in the imperial court. The two Prime Ministers had the same opinion. The Shen Family and the Wang Family were also standing behind Jin Zi Guanglu. The opinions of others were actually insignificant.
Cui Qingming looked at the row of people standing in front of him. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms. Soon, he loosened his fists helplessly.
Regarding the negotiation for peace with the envoy of the Qi Kingdom, the opinions of the big shots in the imperial court were unanimous. Peace could be negotiated, but marrying the Eldest Princess was out of the question. If it worked, they could negotiate. If it didn't work, they could get out. The Qi Kingdom was still the Qi Kingdom of the past. But the Jing Kingdom was no longer the weak Jing Kingdom of the past.
…
Li Yi ate a mouthful of egg fried rice. He looked at the Eldest Princess and said, "You are right. The negotiation for peace with the envoy of the Qi Kingdom is fake. They want to use this opportunity to get the help of the Jing Kingdom to help the Eldest Prince ascend the throne."
MIngzhu held the wine cup, but she didn't eat. She didn't seem to be in a good mood. She looked at him and asked, "What do you think about the peace marriage?"
Li Yi thought for a while and said, "Peace marriage … Discord is moral integrity. Peace is also a diplomatic method. As for how I think about it, it can't be generalized."
"This is what you usually use to fool Father." MIngzhu swirled the wine cup and said, "I want to listen to your heart."
"Heart …" Li Yi raised his wine cup and clinked it with her. He said without hesitation, "I don't care if it's the Qi Kingdom or the Zhao Kingdom. Of course, I won't let you marry them …"
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