“Miss Chu is too modest.” Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly and turned to look at the Emperor: “Father, there are very few women in Qingyan who are proficient in military strategy. It seems inappropriate for a woman with such special talent to marry me.”
The emperor raised an eyebrow at Dongfang Zhan: "You are Prince Qingyan Zhan. Whether it is a woman proficient in martial arts, military strategy, or the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she would be very suitable to marry you." The royal palace and the royal residence recruit women who are proficient in various talents.
“Father, I have lived in the capital for a long time and have never led troops. It would be a waste of talent to marry a concubine who is well-versed in military strategy and keep her in the backyard of the palace. It would be better to let Miss Chu marry someone who can lead troops on the frontier, so that she can make use of her talents and serve the country.”
Dongfang Zhan's lips curled slightly, a gentle smile, yet it held a sinister intent.
The emperor's gaze sharpened: "What does Zhan'er mean?"
Dongfang Heng paused slightly, then resumed his normal actions, continuing to pour and drink the wine!
Shen Lixue was startled; Dongfang Zhan was thinking...
“Prince An has long been on the battlefield and commands hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If he could marry Miss Chu as his concubine, they could work together to protect the country and make it a beautiful story.”
Dongfang Zhan's casual words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving the person stunned for a long time. The chopsticks in their hand fell to the ground with a clatter. To marry Zhan Wang's concubine, Chu Youran, to An Jun Wang was simply unbelievable.
“Your Highness Zhan is truly forgetful. Prince An is already married, how can he possibly marry again?” Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Zhan, her clear, cold eyes flashing with a dark, icy light, as if to say, “You despicable scoundrel who breaks his word.”
Dongfang Zhan met Shen Lixue's gaze and smiled gently, as if to say, "I promised not to let Chu Youran become my concubine, and I have done so. Apart from that, I have not promised anything else."
Seeing the anger flashing in Shen Lixue's dark eyes, Dongfang Zhan felt inexplicably good, and his tone was much gentler than before: "As a prince of the royal family, Prince An will marry a concubine in addition to his principal wife. Princess An is pregnant and has many inconveniences, so she should find a concubine to take care of Prince An's life. Princess An and Miss Chu are good friends, so it would be a good story for them to share a husband."
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Qianmei is done playing! La la la, just wondering, are there any reward tickets?
Chapter 199: Defeating Prince Zhan
"May I ask, Prince Zhan, how did Prince An acquire the title of War God Qingyan?" Shen Lixue smiled radiantly, like a hundred flowers blooming, captivating all who beheld her.
Dongfang Zhan didn't understand why Shen Lixue would ask this question, so he answered truthfully: "On the battlefield, he was invincible in attacking and fighting, and made outstanding contributions. The people and soldiers respectfully called him the God of War of Azure Flame."
"Since the Azure Flame War God is a master strategist who has long since mastered military tactics and achieved great feats through his own strength, does he still need the assistance of a weak woman?" Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her clear and cold eyes as cold as ice.
Dongfang Zhan smiled gently. Shen Lixue was even smarter than he had imagined, finding a breakthrough so quickly. Unfortunately, he would not do as she wished: "The battlefield is extremely dangerous, and there are bound to be things that cannot be taken into account. Women are meticulous and can always help take care of things from the sidelines."
"When two armies clash, what is tested is their character and ability. The generals leading the armies are all exceptionally capable, able to think things through and make three decisions in a short time. Prince An has guarded the border for three years, has he ever made a mistake? And what about the generals of Xiliang and Nanjiang? Have they ever been oversights?" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Zhan calmly, her words sharp.
Dongfang Zhan remained calm and politely smiled, "I'm merely offering a suggestion as a precaution!"
"The battlefield is a man's place. The environment is harsh and the conditions are difficult. It is the best place to test and temper the men of Qingyan. Miss Chu is just a weak woman who never leaves her home. Why is she going to the border to join in the fun?"
Shen Lixue said calmly, her voice icy: "Besides, has Prince Zhan ever seen a general take his wife to the border to fight?"
The ministers exchanged glances. The strong and well-equipped border troops relied on the powerful abilities of the young men. Women, on the other hand, were weak and powerless. They couldn't fight on the frontier and would need others to take care of them. It was indeed unreasonable.
Dongfang Zhan smiled and said, "Miss Chu is well-versed in military strategy. If Prince An were to teach her carefully and hone her skills, she might become a great female strategist, which would greatly enhance the prestige of our Qingyan Army."
"The God of War, Qingyan, went to the border to protect the country. He must have a lot of things to do in the army. How could he have time to teach Miss Chu?" Shen Lixue sneered. The God of War, who is protecting the country, did not go to lead troops to fight but stayed in the rear to teach women military strategy. Did he want to make the enemy laugh their heads off?
“Miss Chu is very clever. She has read so many military treatises. If she studies military formations and tactics more, she will soon be able to serve the country.” Dongfang Zhan replied with a smile, but a small wave of emotion stirred in his heart. No matter what he said, Shen Lixue could always find a reason to refute him.
“Miss Chu has never been to the border. No matter how well she knows military strategy, she has never put it into practice. It’s all just theoretical. She is physically weak and cannot fight on the battlefield. How long or how many years will it take for her to combine what she has learned with reality, just by observing from the rear? Three years? Five years? Ten years? Or twenty years?”
Shen Lixue continued to refute without holding back: "Instead of waiting, it would be better to select a few capable soldiers from the army, train and cultivate them, and perhaps they can become generals of a country in the future."
Dongfang Zhan looked at Shen Lixue with a gentle smile, his eyes deep and focused. She had left him speechless; she was truly clever. However, he was not one to admit defeat easily. He feigned ignorance and frowned slightly: "Aren't Princess An and Miss Chu good friends? Why are you picking on her at every turn?"
Dongfang Zhan is trying to sow discord between her and Chu Youran! He's really going to any lengths to make things difficult for her.
“I’m not trying to find fault with You Ran. She is seriously ill and has not yet recovered. She needs a quiet environment to recuperate. If she goes to the border, the environment is harsh and she will not receive good care. Her body simply cannot handle it.”
Shen Lixue had met Chu Youran many times and understood her personality. She was a typical young lady from a prominent family. Like many other daughters of noble families, she thought about getting married, being a good wife and mother. Reading military strategy books was just a way to pass the time when she was bored. She never thought about going to the battlefield to fight.
Military strategy must be applied flexibly. When facing the enemy, every second is different. Those who use military strategy must command or personally implement it on the battlefield in order to maximize its effectiveness.
Chu Youran's military strategies are all from books; he has never actually fought in battle and has no real combat experience. Even if he deploys troops, there will be many shortcomings, and he will need a lot of time to improve them.
In addition, she is physically weak and does not know martial arts. If she goes to the battlefield, she will need some soldiers to protect her, which will reduce her ability to use military tactics. It would be better to select a capable young man and train him, so that he can both kill enemies and deploy troops.
"Fighting the enemy on the battlefield is not child's play. When the God of War, Qingyan, discusses military matters with many soldiers who have fought bloody battles, a weak woman who has never experienced war gives advice from the side. Will the other countries laugh at my God of War, Qingyan, for lacking military prestige and needing a weak woman to assist me? Or will the soldiers laugh at You Ran for overestimating her abilities and giving reckless commands?"
“Prince Zhan is devoted to the country and wants to cultivate You Ran into someone useful to Qingyan. You Ran admires him. However, what Princess Consort An said is very true. You Ran is just a woman with a weak body and no great ambitions. She only wants to be a good wife and mother in the inner courtyard and fight on the battlefield. If it is the heroic deeds of my border soldiers, I will be happy to hear about them. But if I were to personally witness such a scene, I would definitely not have the courage.”
Chu Youran's gentle voice made the ministers nod repeatedly. Women are supposed to stay at home, be good wives and mothers, manage the inner courtyard, take care of their husbands, lead troops, fight on the battlefield, and kill and shed blood. They really can't do those things.
Looking at Dongfang Zhan, she became more thoughtful. On the battlefield, soldiers fight with their lives, shedding blood and sacrificing their heads. Perfect military strategy is learned from actual combat, not from books. A weak woman appearing there would not be of much help and might even disrupt morale. It was not a wise move. Prince Zhan has always been wise. Why would he suggest such a foolish method?
Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "The battlefield is indeed not suitable for weak women. It was my oversight. Princess An is pregnant and needs to rest. Taking a concubine into the manor will allow her to serve Prince An and take care of Princess An. It's a win-win situation."
Shen Lixue looked coldly at Dongfang Zhan. He knew that she and Dongfang Heng had a good relationship, yet he still let her good friend Chu Youran interfere between them. This not only ruined their marital relationship but also made her feel resentful for letting a wolf into the house. It was because she and Dongfang Zhan made a deal to remove Chu Youran's name so that he could take the opportunity to push Chu Youran to Dongfang Heng.
In other words, Dongfang Zhan was mocking her for creating her own trap, helping her so-called friend and harming herself in the process.
Heh, Dongfang Zhan might try to scheme against her, but it won't be that easy. He has his clever plans, and she has her own ways of dealing with things:
“Your Highness, Miss Chu is the concubine chosen for you by the Empress, and the Emperor has already approved of her. You have repeatedly turned her away. Are you dissatisfied with her?”
The Empress's expression darkened slightly as she looked up at Dongfang Zhan: "Zhan'er, yesterday I had someone bring you the list of concubines to choose from. Why didn't you say you were dissatisfied?" Chu Youran was personally chosen by her for Dongfang Zhan, and he remained silent at the time. Now, in front of the Emperor and the ministers, he was deliberately trying to embarrass her.
"Your Majesty, I was in a hurry at the time and only glanced at the list briefly. I only realized that Miss Chu Youran was on it when I heard the eunuch reading the list. It is not that I am dissatisfied with Your Majesty's choice, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Dongfang Zhan comforted the Empress, then looked at Shen Lixue. Didn't she want him to cross out Chu Youran's name? Why did she push Chu Youran to him again? Was she preparing to sacrifice her friend for her own benefit? Chu Youran must have harbored resentment towards Shen Lixue after being abandoned. If he married Chu Youran, he could use her to deal with Shen Lixue.
"Fine, as for Zhan'er's principal and secondary consorts, it's best if you like them yourself. If you don't want to marry Miss Chu, I'll change your name to a secondary consort." The Empress's voice was kind, but a smart person could still hear the displeasure in her words. After working hard for more than ten days, the secondary consort she had carefully selected was rejected on the spot. Anyone would be unhappy in this situation.
"The concubine personally chosen by Her Majesty the Empress is naturally excellent. I was not thinking things through earlier, which is why I suggested that she marry Prince An. Now that I know that the Qingyan border does not need women to interfere, I should naturally marry Miss Chu as my concubine." Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly, praising the Empress without leaving a trace.