The Emperor and ministers of the Jing Kingdom had firmly rejected the proposal of the envoy from the Qi Kingdom. There was no hesitation, which meant that there was no room for negotiation.
The Eldest Princess was not only the Eldest Princess. She also knew many secrets of the Jing Kingdom, including Tianfa, which could not be known to outsiders. These secrets could never be leaked to the Qi Kingdom.
Not to mention that the current situation in the court depended on the Princess. Without the Eldest Princess, the construction of the Academy would come to a standstill. The implementation of the marriage policy would also encounter huge obstacles.
The envoy from the Qi Kingdom did not propose any more peace talks. The morning court session ended on bad terms. After returning to the Office of the Grand Herald, he was not in a hurry to leave, as if he still had a glimmer of hope.
As the current leader of the Cui Family, Cui Qingming's face darkened the moment he stepped out of the palace.
"The envoy from the Qi Kingdom is seeking peace with the intention of marrying the Eldest Princess. This is an opportunity that we cannot miss. We cannot let it go like this!"
After hearing the news, a man from the Cui Family walked out anxiously and said hurriedly.
"Li Yi, this kid, has already grown up."
Cui Qingming pressed his palm heavily on the table and murmured, "You didn't see the scene in the court today. Just relying on the remaining power of our Cui family in the court is no longer enough to contend against him."
"But we …"
As soon as the man spoke, someone hurried in and said, "There is news from the palace. Her Ladyship sent a message."
Cui Qingming stood up and looked at the lady official who walked into the room with everyone else.
The lady official glanced at Cui Qingming and the others. There was no expression on her face. She said calmly, "Her Ladyship asked me to ask you, Lord Cui, what are you waiting for?"
Cui Qingming clenched his fists. After a while, he nodded and said, "Tell Her Ladyship that I know what to do."
…
The six-month-old Li Duan was already restless. Although he could not walk, he could already turn over on his own. He could even walk when supported by an adult. Li Yi planned to build a carriage for the child to learn how to walk. It should be ready in two months at most.
"MIngzhu Li is going to be married off to the Qi Kingdom?"
When he was sketching in the room, Miss.Liu suddenly walked in and asked out of the blue.
Li Yi raised his head to look at her, then lowered his head and asked casually, "Who told you that?"
Miss.Liu walked over and took a look. She stood aside and said, "It's just a rumor."
Li Yi shook his head and said, "Don't worry, she won't marry anyone who marries to the Qi Kingdom. Even if she wants to, she can't. No one in the imperial court will agree to it."
Miss.Liu crossed her arms and murmured, "A nineteen-year-old princess should have married long ago."
Li Yi raised his head and looked at her in surprise. "If I remember correctly, you seem to be a few days older than her, right?"
Miss.Liu turned to look at him and nodded. "You're right … So, what are you trying to say?"
"I told you, my memory can't be wrong …" Li Yi lowered his head and continued to draw the blueprint. He murmured, "It's good that she's older, it's good that she's older …"
After drawing the blueprint, the next thing to do was to make and polish it. The finished product still needed to be tested and adjusted, but these could be left to the craftsmen.
If it wasn't for Miss.Liu's reminder, Li Yi wouldn't have realized that she was already nineteen years old. Even Xiao Huan had crossed the threshold of seventeen years old. She was much more sensible and was about to become a young lady.
Only the Tsundere Lolita was still the same as when they first met. It seemed that she hadn't changed at all. She was still as playful as before. She could even play with the six-month-old Li Duan. This also saved her and Ruyi a lot of trouble.
Li Yi walked into the room and saw the little fellow lying on his back on the bed. The Tsundere Lolita was lying by the bed, blinking her big eyes and looking curiously at the even smaller thing in the little fellow's split pants. Finally, at a certain moment, she couldn't help but reach out and pull it …
…
County Magistrate Liu supported his chin with one hand. There was a thick file in front of him, but his mind wasn't on it. His eyes were blurred. His upper and lower eyelids touched each other and quickly opened again …
In the past month, more than ten cases of missing women had attracted the attention of the higher-ups. They had strictly ordered him to solve the cases within a time limit. However, a few days had passed, and there was no news of those thieves. He hadn't slept for a day and a night since last night.
"Your Excellency, good news, good news!"
Seeing a yamen runner running in from outside with a face full of surprise, County Magistrate Liu quivered. He immediately stood up and asked, "Is there any progress in the case?"
The yamen runner shook his head and said, "It's the young master's appointment. The young master has been hired by the Ministry of Revenue …"
County Magistrate Liu waved his hand weakly. The officials of the Ministry of Revenue had already discussed this matter with him. After that good-for-nothing boy entered the Mathematics College, he was enlightened and graduated with excellent grades. He didn't lose face for County Magistrate Liu. This time, he went to the Ministry of Revenue to temper himself, so he didn't need to worry about his future anymore.
He waved his hand and said, "I see. You can go now."
He was so sleepy that he lay on the table and planned to rest for a while. Not long after he closed his eyes, a thunderous voice rang in his ears again.
"Your Excellency, good news …"
County Magistrate Liu patted the table and didn't even bother to open his eyes. He said, "Okay, I see. You can go now. I'll sleep for a while …"
After lying on the table and closing his eyes for a while, he felt a little refreshed. He picked up the file and was about to read it. Seeing that the yamen runner was still standing below, he asked, "Anything else?"
"Your Excellency, what should we do next?"
County Magistrate Liu frowned and said, "What next?"
"Detective Zhao has found some clues about the missing woman. He came back to ask you for your opinion …"
"When did you find it?" County Magistrate Liu suddenly stood up from his seat and asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier!"
The yamen runner was stunned and said, "Didn't you say that you already knew …"
County Magistrate Liu had been worried about this matter these days. There was progress in the case, but they didn't tell him immediately. What if, what if, during this period of time, something happened …
He glared at the yamen runner and said, gritting his teeth, "Say it!"
The yamen runner trembled and immediately said, "Thanks to your guidance, we followed your method and narrowed the scope of the secret investigation. As expected, we found some problems in a place outside the city …"
…
"Great Scholar Sun has studied scriptures all his life. Although he isn't as good as Qin Wen, he still has unique insights in some aspects. He is far away from the downtown area and lives in a hut outside the city. It took you a lot of effort to find him. Go now …"
Chu Ping bowed respectfully and said, "I'll take my leave."
"Ping 'er's leg …" Watching Chu Ping limp away, the middle-aged man stood beside Grand Tutor Chu and sighed.
"That's a human life, a living human life." Grand Tutor Chu watched Chu Ping leave and shook his head. "And he only injured one of his legs from kneeling. I only hope that he can remember this lesson and not repeat the same mistake …"
The middle-aged man nodded and said, "He has been studying wholeheartedly these days. He has always been aware of his mistakes and has the intention to change …"
As soon as he finished speaking, a servant from the Chu family came to report that Cui Qingming from the Cui family had come to visit.
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