When Yelü Qiqi saw that she had been refuted, she pushed the wine that Si Xinian had poured back to her.
Facing the two glasses of wine on the table, Si Xinian continued awkwardly, “Little princess, it was eight years ago when Brother Yelü followed the ancient general Baima Quyi and built an elite army. At that time, Brother Yelü was only fifteen years old but he was full of ambition and took action. No one believed in him, only your mother supported him.”
"Later... when Yelü was sent as an envoy to Tianjing, he inquired about the glorious deeds of one of our ancestors. Our father gave Yelü a piece of advice."
"Even renowned generals and commanders should not be complacent, for thousands of troops will avoid those in white robes."
A legendary battlefield story of three thousand white-robed warriors ambushing fifty thousand soldiers.
Yelü Lili's eyes darkened as he recalled His Majesty the Emperor eight years ago. Back then, he was young and ambitious, believing that he needed to achieve great things before he was qualified to marry the woman he loved. Therefore, he politely declined the Emperor's request for a marriage alliance.
Now, he has achieved great success, and she belongs to someone else. She is still a woman.
Yelü Lili suddenly picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, his mood souring.
Si Xinian was somewhat surprised: "Brother Yelü."
Yelü Lili raised his hand to stop him: "It's alright. What the Marshal said is indeed reasonable. We should all put the country first. How can we have a greater country if we don't even consider our own families? There is a saying in the Central Plains that I have always admired: 'Turn swords into plowshares and stop fighting.'"
"If one day I can meet my enemy and smile calmly, then I will have nothing to fear in this vast world." He looked at Xie Lanzhi.
He rose again and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xie Lanzhi: "Marshal sincerely wishes to establish trade relations with the Northern Region, but I must disappoint your sincere intentions."
Xie Lanzhi said, "It's alright, don't rush to refuse. Being too hasty in refusing will not only cause you to miss a good opportunity, but you may also miss the most important person in your life."
Upon hearing this, Yelü Lili's face turned ashen. His pupils contracted as if a sore spot had been touched, and he took a step back, nearly bumping into the palace maid serving wine.
"Brother Yelü is not feeling well?" Si Xinian quickly went to help him.
Xie Lanzhi looked at Yelü Lili with a puzzled expression. "With such a big build, he can't be all bark and no bite, can he?"
Si Xitong was also slightly puzzled. Ever since Lanzhi spoke, Li Jun had been glancing at her intentionally or unintentionally, and then his face turned pale, as if he had suffered a great blow.
Could it be about the arranged marriage? Probably not. She spoke with Mr. Li at the mansion, and Mr. Li had clearly accepted the current situation and had no regrets.
She glanced at the person next to her; chopsticks were already reaching into her bowl. Si Xitong raised an eyebrow and brushed away the restless hand with one hand.
Xie Lanzhi was stopped, and she turned her head and scoffed, "Stingy."
"You're picky about food again." Si Xitong's lips twitched.
She glanced at the braised pork in her bowl, then at the plate in front of her, which had been gone without her noticing.
I wasn't paying attention tonight, and she ate so much meat.
She'll definitely have an upset stomach again tomorrow, saying she can't hold it in.
Yelü Lili sat back down, composed himself, and said to Si Xinian, "It's alright. It's my sister who has put you in a difficult position."
"Brother, I'm just telling the truth! I'm worried about you too!" Yelü Qiqi's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at him, saying, "Second brother suppresses you, and Father Khan doesn't believe you. You've been caught in the middle and it's been very hard for you. What's wrong with me feeling sorry for you, brother?!"
Upon hearing this, Si Xinian's eyes dimmed: "I'm sorry."
His apology, on the contrary, made Xie Lanzhi start to pay attention to Yelü Qiqi. What kind of person could make a troublemaker bow down to her?
She glanced at the little princess of the Northern Region. She couldn't see her face clearly, but her eyes were big and bright, so she must be quite pretty.
Then look at Si Xinian, he looks like a boyfriend who has done something wrong.
Her eyes darted around, then she covered her mouth and chuckled mischievously, "You little rascal, you've grown up."
Si Xitong said, "They've known each other since they were little."
"Little Phoenix, do you think I should stand up for them?" Xie Lanzhi nudged her quietly with her elbow.
Si Xitong said calmly, "When did the Marshal ever have the idea of starting anew?"
"Starting from scratch?"
"To become a matchmaker."
Xie Lanzhi: "..."
The little girl's tone made it clear that she would stay out of it.
Zheng Yi suddenly stood up and brought the topic back to the main point: "Reporting to the Marshal, reporting to Your Highness, regarding the alliance between Jiu Jin and the Northern Region..."
Xie Lanzhi said, "I almost forgot, this matter should be decided by Madam."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi and other officials couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As long as the marshal didn't interfere, the alliance was already a done deal.
Si Xitong then began to discuss with everyone, speaking her mind without any reservations, and most of the Xie family members did not notice anything amiss.
"The alliance between Jiu Jin and the Northern Region is the will of both sides. As the ruler of Jiu Jin, I should naturally support the alliance of powerful nations. However, Jiu Jin has already pledged allegiance to Commander Xie and cannot serve two masters. Nevertheless, Jiu Jin is willing to be a friendly nation to the Northern Region and sign a ten-year peace treaty. Furthermore, Jiu Jin will pay tribute to the Northern Region every year."
The other eight states did the same. There was nothing wrong with Si Xitong's actions.
Xie Lanzhi did not intend to stop it, but Jiu Jin was too poor. What could they possibly offer as tribute? Could it be that they would offer sweet potatoes produced in the Northern Region every year?
She secretly harbored some doubts, and Si Xitong's pretty face suddenly darkened. She had seen it all—it was Lan Zhi's questioning look. She was now wealthy and powerful, so she looked down on her humble Jiu Jin.
"What does the Marshal think?" Si Xitong suddenly stared at her intently. "My home in Jiujin is a poor and remote place, so naturally, we have poor reproductive capabilities and no other advantages. I don't know what to do."
Xie Lanzhi was shocked. She could clearly handle this herself, so why was it suddenly thrown onto her?
The girl's eyes also held a hint of hostility. If her answer didn't satisfy her, then tonight... she might not even be able to get into the bed?
She needs to think about it carefully.
Xie Lanzhi was silent for a moment, then said, "People."
Si Xitong said, "Oh."
My emotions were neutral, neither dissatisfied nor satisfied.
Xie Lanzhi was immediately indecisive. Was she dissatisfied? Although Jiu Jin was poor now, it was only temporarily impoverished. If we consider Jiu Jin now, its advantage was probably that down-on-their-luck scholars and literati would move in.
The young girl was very tolerant of scholars; she valued anyone who had read books, could write articles, and formulate policies for the people's livelihood. Those impoverished scholars, however, valued lineage. Si Xitong, being both a member of the royal family and a legitimate wife, was seen by many as wielding the authority of an imperial princess.
Si Xitong did not make things difficult for her anymore.
Instead, she turned to Yelü Lili and asked, "Lord Li, are you feeling unwell? Should I summon an imperial physician to check your pulse?"
Xie Lanzhi pursed her lips immediately.
Yelü Lili felt a warmth in his heart. He stared at her and finally nodded: "I am indeed feeling unwell. Please ask the princess to find me a reliable doctor."
Si Xitong immediately stood up and walked towards him. She heard a crunching sound behind her, like a mouse being fed. She couldn't help but turn around and saw Xie Lanzhi poking and grinding the braised pork in her dish. Her eyes were like knives, almost piercing Yelü Lili.
Si Xitong: "......"
"Lord Li, I am also feeling unwell. Why don't you return to the manor first? I will immediately have the imperial physician bring the best medicine."
"Thank you for your trouble, Princess." Yelü Lili nodded. He knew her difficulties and that he couldn't contact her because of Marshal Xie.
At this moment, there were some probing glances on the scene, and even Xie Guang noticed something.
Xie Guang moved closer to Xie Lanzhi and whispered, "Marshal, he's trying to steal your woman."
Xie Lanzhi glared at her, with an expression that said, "I'm not blind!" "How can you, a grown man, be so gossipy?!"
Xie Guang felt immediately aggrieved; he had wanted to remind her. Why was she like this!
After Yelü Lili took his leave, the guest masters Si Qinian and Yelü Qiqi remained. Si Qinian seemed particularly active in assisting Jiu Jin and the Northern Region to forge an alliance.
Yelü Qiqi replaced Li Li, and she had a good discussion with Si Xinian, Zheng Yi, and others.
Si Xitong would occasionally supplement the treaty to avoid blurring the boundaries and being detrimental to Jiu Jin.
Seeing that the young girl had finished dealing with the matter, Xie Lanzhi decided not to stay any longer and got up.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Si Xinian quickly stood up and said, "Marshal, besides the matter of the alliance, there is another matter that requires your... decision tonight."
The words "take charge" suddenly weakened when they came out of the troublemaker's mouth, and Xie Lanzhi sensed something was amiss.
Si Xitong also put aside her work, seemingly guessing what he was going to say. She stared at him, and then at Yelü Qiqi.
Yelü Qiqi seemed unaware of this.
She suddenly sighed, "It's about time I reached that age."
Xie Lanzhi looked Yelü Qiqi up and down, then looked Si Xinian up and down. The two were about the same height and had known each other since childhood, so they could be considered childhood sweethearts.
Her eyes lit up; her brother-in-law was asking for permission to propose marriage!
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:21:46 and 18:46:30 on December 5, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 cat lover;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 词. 2 bottles; 51838864 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 48 Arranged Marriage Rejected
Xie Lanzhi sat upright, instantly exuding the authority of a head of household: "Qi Nian is almost fifteen; it's time to arrange a marriage."
This remark caused an uproar among the guests at the banquet.
The Northern Region, the Xie Clan, and the civil officials all seemed to agree with this assessment. The alliance between the Nine Jin and the Northern Region wouldn't be so simple; even the marriage alliance was merely icing on the cake.
Si Xitong remained accepting of the status quo; as long as her younger brother was happy, she had no objections.
Ke Qinian... does not have romantic feelings for Yelü Qiqi.
While a marriage alliance would be beneficial to Jiu Jin, it wouldn't degenerate into relying on her brother's marriage to win over the Northern Region. These were not within her considerations for the time being.
“Princess Yelü, as an elder of Qi Nian, I can do for you…” She didn’t finish her sentence.
Yelü Qiqi suddenly stood up, and the Northern Guards, along with the village's rooster guarding the village, rushed forward to block Yelü Qiqi's way.
Pushed aside by Yelü Qiqi, she walked to the center of the hall and said openly to Xie Lanzhi, "Please, Your Majesty, rescind your decree. This princess does not need a weak and spineless man as her husband."
Soft? Is the person she's talking about really Qi Nian?
Xie Lanzhi was slightly taken aback. Si Xitong suddenly felt a headache.
Is this kid blind? Does a troublemaker become spineless and limp?
Si Xinian originally thought the marriage would go smoothly and that he could take care of Yelü Qiqi like a man, but... he was disliked instead?
His face darkened; he wanted to hear how much the princess disliked him.