"Who else could it be but the manager of Chenghua Restaurant? That despicable scoundrel dared to cheat me! Two days ago, I took some men to talk to him about the shop. Sun Ming from the Sun family was also there. We all wanted Chenghua Restaurant, so we argued. Later, after the manager mediated, we decided that the highest bidder would win. In the end, I asked for 300,000 taels of silver. But only two days have passed, and today when I went to Chenghua Restaurant to collect the shop, there was nothing inside. It was just an empty house. This manager is clearly deliberately cheating and deceiving me!" Lin Changqi shouted angrily.
An Huai-ren frowned upon hearing this: "Such a thing has happened in the capital. If this person is caught, I will not let him off the hook. But before that, I hope that Young Master Lin will produce the contract from that time, and that the clerk will also produce the copy kept by the yamen for comparison."
"Yes, sir."
The two contracts were indeed from the same contract made on the same day of the same year. However, when An Huai Ren picked them up to examine them closely, he frowned and looked at Lin Chang Qi, saying, "Second Young Master Lin, I'm afraid I can't do this."
"Can't do it? What? Lord An Huai-ren has always been known for his justice, integrity, and adherence to the law. Aren't these two contracts in my hands enough to prove that I bought Chenghua Restaurant for a huge sum of 300,000 taels of silver, but now that Chenghua Restaurant is deserted, it's a breach of contract. Shouldn't they be brought back and the restaurant reopened? Could it be that Lord An is just a name without substance?" Lin Changqi's lips curled into a cold, sarcastic smile.
An Huai-ren's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened noticeably, and he said with a hint of mockery, "Young Master Lin, didn't you read the contract you signed with the manager of Chenghua Restaurant carefully? It only stated that you would take over the Chenghua Restaurant for 300,000 taels of silver. Did it say that everything in the Chenghua Restaurant was included?" Lin Changqi was stunned. An Huai-ren continued, "Since it wasn't written there, if the manager of Chenghua Restaurant wanted to empty the place, that was his prerogative. After all, it wasn't in the contract."
"This! This is the rule for registering shops in the capital. How can it be written down or not!" Lin Changqi was speechless for a moment, but still managed to argue.
An Huai-ren, however, split the contract in two, giving one to his advisor and pushing the other to Lin Changqi: "Young Master Lin, I'm afraid I can't take this case. Please leave."
"Could it be that you're taking revenge on me just because my words were a bit offensive, Lord An?" Lin Changqi looked at An Huai Ren with a face full of annoyance.
An Huai-ren sneered and stood up: "Young Master Lin can think whatever he wants. If you are not satisfied, you are welcome to file a complaint with the Emperor. I have a clear conscience. Young Master Lin, please." After saying that, An Huai-ren nodded slightly and got up to enter the inner hall. His apparent unwillingness to entertain Lin Changqi made Lin Changqi even more furious.
"Damn it, damn it, so damn it! This hateful guy, once I catch him, I'll make sure he suffers a terrible death!" Lin Changqi gripped the contract tightly in his hand, and it soon became a crumpled ball.
Lin Changqi understood An Huai Ren's reasoning perfectly well. However, in the capital, the inclusion of free goods in sales contracts was already a tacit understanding. Some contracts would include a clause about this, while others would tactfully leave it out. Lin Changqi represented the Lin family, after all. Who would have thought that the manager of Chenghua Restaurant would be so audacious as to cheat them? Of course, he hadn't read the contract carefully at the time. He never expected that at this point, it would be ruined by this piece of paper. Lin Changqi wanted to sue the manager of Chenghua Restaurant, but he had nowhere to sue. Now, the only way to make up for the loss and appease his hatred was to have Lin Changqi arrested, force him to return the 300,000 taels of silver, and then kill him without anyone knowing.
Lin Changqi, however, sensed something was amiss. His attendant whispered, "Second Young Master, something seems rather strange about this."
Strange, Lin Changqi thought so too, and said in a deep voice, "What did you see?"
Sui Chang pondered for a moment and said, "Second Young Master, we came to compete for Chenghua Restaurant because we heard that the Sun family wanted to take it over. We knew that the Sun family had been encroaching on the Fu family's shops, and we didn't know what they were doing. They made a lot of money from each shop they took over. Even if we couldn't thwart the Sun family's plans, it would be good to make more money. That's why we competed for Chenghua Restaurant in the first place. Now it's clear that Chenghua Restaurant deliberately set a trap for you, Second Young Master. So the news that the Sun family spread before was false? Could it be... that the Sun family intentionally tricked the Lin family? Is all of this part of the Sun family's plan? Is the Sun family doing this on purpose?"
Lin Changqi's expression changed drastically, but his face turned sinister the next moment: "You're right, there's a 90% chance that the Sun family did this. What a Sun family, what a Sun Ming! They set up such a trick to deceive me, making me lose face in the capital. This time, I will definitely not let Sun Ming off the hook!"
Inside the Prince Chen's residence, Ouyang Yue was sipping her sweet soup with her eyes half-closed, while Baili Chen beside her was drinking strong tea, glancing at Ouyang Yue every now and then. Leng Sha stood there and said, "Lin Changqi has now come out of the Jingzhao Prefecture. The Jingzhao Prefecture did not accept the case. Lin Changqi's face was extremely ugly when he came out. Later, I don't know what his attendants said to him, but the two of them left in a hurry."
Ouyang Yue replied without any surprise, "What else could it be? It's time to settle accounts with the Sun family." When Ouyang Yue used the Sun family to spread this message, it wasn't just to sell Chenghua Restaurant at a high price; another reason was to escalate the conflict between the Lin and Sun families, hoping to turn them into pigs with their heads beaten to a pulp.
Leng Sha nodded and said, "What the princess said is very likely. The people I sent out have not reported back yet, but they will be sent out as soon as there is news."
Ouyang Yue smiled at Baili Chen and said, "Three hundred thousand taels of silver, that covers all the expenses from my pregnancy to childbirth."
Upon hearing this, Baili Chen's expression darkened slightly, and he said somewhat dejectedly, "Does my wife think that I, the dignified Prince Chen, cannot afford the food, drink, and clothing you need for childbirth?" This was an accusation, a blatant accusation. The fact that his wife had to prepare money for childbirth made Baili Chen feel utterly incompetent.
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "That's not what I meant at all. It's just that I'm happy to spend money that's been handed to me for free. As a wife, shouldn't I always think about my husband and my man? I just wanted you to save more money. Don't misunderstand me."
Baili Chen's complexion improved: "My wife, you can rest assured, even if you give birth to a hundred or eighty, I can afford to raise them."
Ouyang Yue's face twitched: "A hundred or eighty? Wouldn't it take until you're seventy or eighty to finish? What do you take me for, a pig?"
Baili Chen chuckled, "Look at what my wife is saying. Are there any pretty and cute pigs in this world? I'd rather raise my wife to be plump and healthy, so she can stay at home all day and never go out, and only let me see her." Ouyang Yue rolled her eyes at him, "What a pipe dream."
Baili Chen reached out and pulled her close. Ouyang Yue turned her head and saw that Leng Sha had already left. Speechless, she thought to herself, "Look at the servants around me. They must have developed an indestructible body or something. They've almost become in sync. They always leave immediately after reporting something. They must know that Baili Chen is going too far."
Look at this moment, Baili Chen directly pulled her onto his lap, his warm breath brushing against her snow-white neck, and he kept muttering, "Tsk tsk tsk, my wife, why do I feel that your skin is getting smoother and smoother, even smoother than a peeled egg?" As he spoke, he naturally kissed her with his mouth and touched her ambiguously with his hand.
Before Ouyang Yue could speak, Baili Chen chuckled and said, "Wife, I think your skin is so beautiful because I must have kissed you. Because I touch it so often, it's become even smoother and more supple."
Ouyang Yue was speechless. She turned to look at Baili Chen, who was grinning from ear to ear, and directly reached out to block his face as he pressed down on hers: "You can still touch it smooth? This is truly the number one joke in thousands of years."
Baili Chen wasn't angry. He just blinked and smiled, "Wife, how about we try it? I'll show you how I make this place even smoother and more moist." Ouyang Yue's heart tightened, and her face flushed. "No need, no, I don't need it. You don't need to prove it."
Baili Chen said seriously, "That won't do. As my wife's husband, I absolutely cannot lie to her. Otherwise, this lie will slowly create a rift between us and affect our relationship. So we must prove that everything I said is true."
Ouyang Yue tilted her head back and said, "I don't want to hear it. I believe you. No one needs to prove it."
Baili Chen's hand slowly encircled Ouyang Yue's waist, his head forcefully pushing against her resisting hand. His hot breath brushed against her body, sending shivers down Ouyang Yue's spine. Baili Chen gently stroked her back, his voice low and husky as he said, "I secretly consulted many imperial physicians before, and they said it would be fine in three months. But I wasn't reassured. Now it's almost four months, so there shouldn't be any problems. Although I wanted to be patient, having my wife by my side every day is truly agonizing. Today, I want it!"
Previously, for Ouyang Yue's safety, Baili Chen had refused her requests to help him with her hands or mouth. Although Baili Chen had been holding Ouyang Yue every day and had taken advantage of her, it had only caused him more pain. He had endured this for nearly four months, and Baili Chen's patience was already quite good. He wouldn't have acted like this today if he hadn't reached his limit.
Hearing this, Ouyang Yue felt her heart tremble, and her face involuntarily flushed red. Baili Chen, however, immediately pulled Ouyang Yue onto his lap, sitting face to face with her. His deep eyes possessed a kind of magic, making Ouyang Yue's heart burn with desire at just one glance, leaving her unable to control herself. Ouyang Yue had to admit that, nearly four months pregnant, her body was actually more sensitive. Before, every touch from Baili Chen had made her heart itch, but for the sake of the child in her womb, she had always endured it. She didn't want any problems to arise, but she also knew that they were both enduring it.
Ouyang Yue's body gradually softened as she was held in Baili Chen's arms: "Wife..."
Ouyang Yue slowly raised her eyes to look at him. "Sure." As she spoke, she gently stroked Baili Chen's cheek. Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind: not long ago, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and Baili Chen's eyes had turned bloodshot with fear. She couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. Since then, Baili Chen had been even more considerate towards her, as if afraid she would disappear. From that moment on, she had been intensely restraining herself. She knew that Baili Chen's affection for her was something he would never have made such a request unless he truly couldn't bear it any longer, and at a time like this, she was afraid that another woman might take advantage of her vulnerability.
“Husband, as long as we are careful, there will be no problem.” Ouyang Yue said slowly, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness. Baili Chen’s arm suddenly stiffened, his body straightened up, but he didn’t react for a long time. Ouyang Yue looked at him in confusion. Baili Chen said, “Then I will be very, very careful. If you feel unwell, you must tell me.”
Ouyang Yue smiled, cradling the man who looked at her expectantly yet cautiously, a sweet feeling welling up in her heart: "Husband, I love you."
Baili Chen was startled and almost cried out, but he had already stood up while holding Ouyang Yue in his arms and gently placed her on the bed: "Wife, your husband loves you too, very much."
The two lay on their sides on the bed, kissing gently. It wasn't passionate, but the kiss was tender and lingering. Ouyang Yue loved this sweet and tender lovemaking, feeling every part of Baili Chen's body throb passionately for her. A sweet feeling welled up in her heart. She kept softly calling Baili Chen's name, her voice filled with tenderness and dependence. Baili Chen's exquisite features seemed even more vivid and three-dimensional in Ouyang Yue's eyes, captivating her completely. In the throes of their passion, they lost track of time. Only their soft murmurs and the intertwined breaths of their bodies echoed in the room, like a beautiful love poem, stirring boundless emotions within them…
The matter was over, and it was already dinnertime. However, both Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen were lazily lying in bed, embracing each other, too lazy to even stretch their toes.
Ouyang Yue was half-asleep, leaning against Baili Chen's outstretched arm, her face pressed against his strong chest, listening to his heartbeat like a lullaby, sure to lull her into a good sleep. Baili Chen's eyes kept tracing Ouyang Yue's features, her drooping, curled eyelashes gently covering her eyelids, making one fantasize about the beauty of her eyes, a feeling of being half-concealed, the unseen only making one want to see more. However, Baili Chen did not wake Ouyang Yue, but simply savored the focused look in her beautiful eyes each time her reflection was seen, and felt quite satisfied.
Baili Chen kept gently kissing Ouyang Yue's lips. Ouyang Yue, her eyes half-closed in a daze, looked at Baili Chen, but she pulled his hand up and bit it. Unfortunately, she couldn't bear to really bite him, which made Baili Chen feel extremely itchy, but he didn't dare to do anything rash. He said softly, "My wife, if you're tired, go to sleep."
"Okay, you stay with me." Ouyang Yue's voice was a little hoarse and she said groggily. In her heart, she was telling herself not to be so sleepy, but unfortunately, she was pregnant and couldn't control herself. Now she felt her eyelids drooping and she was really too tired.
Baili Chen smiled, covered his stomach, hugged Ouyang Yue, and said softly, "Okay, I'll stay here with you. If you're tired, go and rest."
Ouyang Yue, still half asleep, reached out and touched Baili Chen's face. With her eyes closed, she kissed Baili Chen's lips at that distance, let out a soft hum, and soon began to breathe heavily, clearly having fallen asleep.
Baili Chen's tenderness melted away unconsciously. He gently stroked Ouyang Yue's face, staring at her for a full hour without looking away. Finally, he closed his eyes to rest, but before falling asleep, he couldn't help but think of the gold hairpin Ouyang Yue had made with musk. A cold smile appeared on his lips.
Meanwhile, Lin Changqi, after a conversation with his attendants, became increasingly convinced that this was a trap set by Sun Ming, deliberately orchestrated by the Sun family to lure him in. Otherwise, why would the news have reached the Lin family so quickly? Why would Sun Ming have kept bidding up the price, even doubling it, until Lin Changqi finally agreed to pay 300,000 taels? Afterwards, to be on the safe side, Sun Ming had him sign a contract with the manager of Chenghua Restaurant in front of the onlookers. Every single detail of this affair bore Sun Ming's mark. If someone claimed Sun Ming was entirely innocent, and that this wasn't a trap set by him, no one would believe it!
Lin Changqi, who had always been a prodigy and had never been tricked before, was now burning with rage and determined to get justice from Sun Ming.
As luck would have it, Sun Ming happened to have nothing to do today, so he took two attendants to listen to music. The Lin and Sun families were both famous in the capital, so Sun Ming naturally attracted a lot of attention. Lin Changqi found Sun Ming without much effort, and as soon as they met, Lin Changqi questioned him: "Sun Ming, you have such a wicked heart, you actually set a trap for me!"
When Sun Ming saw Lin Changqi rush in, he felt confused. Moreover, Lin Changqi's long and sour face directly affected his mood for listening to the music, so he also frowned and said, "I don't know what you're talking about, and I have no intention of arguing with you. Go away and leave me alone."
Seeing Sun Ming's attitude, Lin Changqi became even angrier: "Sun Ming, you dare to ruin my reputation, let's see if I let you off today."
Sun Ming was also furious. Lin Changqi had just snatched Chenghua Restaurant from him, and he still felt ashamed. But Lin Changqi had taken advantage of him and was now acting innocent, coming to bully him. Did he think Sun Ming was easy to bully? He stood up and slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "Lin Changqi, if you know what's good for you, get out of here right now, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
"Fine, how much more impolite do you want? What can you possibly do?" Lin Changqi said with a mocking smile. Sun Quan was the best martial artist of the Sun family generation. If Lin Changqi fought him to the death, he might not be a match for him, but Sun Quan would also suffer serious injuries. However, Sun Ming was no match for him.
Upon hearing this, Sun Ming's face darkened: "Lin Changqi, you've gone too far! Ah! Take this!" As he spoke, Sun Ming suddenly slammed his hand on the table and threw it at Lin Changqi.
Lin Changqi staggered back three steps, his heart pounding and his arm shattering. As he retreated, Sun Ming indeed struck him with a palm. Lin Changqi swept his long leg, directly attacking Sun Ming's groin. Sun Ming was shocked; Lin Changqi was ruthless, actually targeting his vital parts. He retaliated with a series of palm strikes, clashing with Lin Changqi's long leg, making his hands numb. However, this also neutralized Lin Changqi's flying kick. Both of them instantly retreated two steps, their faces filled with murderous intent.
"Sun Ming, you tricked me into making a fool of myself. If I don't get justice today, I won't live with you!"
"Lin Changqi, stop making baseless accusations. How dare you insult me like this without distinguishing right from wrong? If I don't get my revenge, I'll change my surname to yours."
"ah!"
"Bang!"
The two began to fight fiercely, but soon after, a series of screams erupted from the theater.
"Quickly, quickly carry Young Master Sun back."
"No, quickly fetch a doctor! Quickly fetch a doctor!"
Lin Changqi looked at Sun Ming lying in a pool of blood and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood himself. However, he still looked horrified, and his fist trembled slightly, revealing a trace of panic in his heart.
In the Chengxiang Hall of the Imperial Palace, the Empress Dowager was sitting on a soft couch covered with bright yellow brocade, eating grapes that were carefully peeled by palace maids and were as tender and juicy as jade. Suddenly, a commotion came from outside. The Empress Dowager opened her half-closed eyes slightly and said, "Let's see what's going on."
A moment later, a palace servant came to report: "Your Majesty, the Empress requests an audience."
The Empress Dowager responded faintly. A moment later, the Empress, dressed in a phoenix robe, entered according to etiquette, but the tension flashing on her face ruined her composure: "This concubine greets the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and the palace maid who was peeling grapes immediately and neatly packed up and left. The Empress Dowager sat up and looked at the Empress indifferently: "Do you still have the demeanor of a mother of the country? Why are you in such a hurry? It's simply unbecoming."
Hearing the Empress Dowager's reprimand, the Empress lowered her head and dared not refute, mumbling her response and apologizing. The Empress Dowager glanced at her, her cloudy eyes gleaming with sharp light, showing no sign of laziness: "What exactly happened? Why are you so flustered?"
The Empress then raised her head and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Previously, the Lin family and the Sun family were fighting over a shop. However, the Sun family deliberately set a trap to lure Changqi into it. As soon as Changqi realized he had been tricked, he led his men to Sun Ming to demand an explanation. But when they failed to get an explanation, a fight broke out. Changqi's martial arts are indeed better, and... well, he seriously injured Sun Ming. Now Sun Ming has been carried to the Sun residence, but Sun Bocheng has arrested Changqi for intentionally injuring someone."
"What!" The Empress Dowager was stunned, and immediately scolded, "What are you doing as their aunt? How can you let this happen? If Sun Ming dies like this, do you think Chang Qi can escape?"
The Empress said with some grievance, "I did know about the shop incident before, but when Changqi went to collect the shop today, he found it completely empty. He was so angry that he went to see the Prefect of Jingzhao, An Huai Ren, but he was despicable and refused to take his case. Changqi has never suffered such humiliation since he was a child, so he acted impulsively. The Lin family only found out about this matter recently."
The Empress Dowager's face was grim. The two most outstanding grandsons of the Lin family in this generation are Lin Changjian and Lin Changqi. Lin Changjian is basically the de facto candidate for clan leader, and Lin Changqi has already begun his career in government. This was all planned. If Lin Changqi is implicated because of this, the Lin family will also suffer losses.
The Empress Dowager sneered: "The Sun family has gone too far. Go and tell them that I heard Sun Ming was injured. Out of compassion, I have summoned all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat Sun Ming's injury. If they cannot cure him, they are not to return to the palace to see me."
The Empress was taken aback, but immediately understood the reason. When she found the imperial physician, she would definitely ask the Lin family to explain the conflict with the Sun family in detail. The more detailed the cause and effect, the better. It was the Sun family who started this whole thing. Lin Changqi was just acting on impulse. If Sun Ming could not be cured, these imperial physicians would also be implicated, and that would be the fault of the Sun family.
"Yes, I will take care of it right away." The Empress then hurriedly left.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened, her lips pressed tightly together. Suddenly, her brows furrowed again: "It seems that Consort Sun has been having too good a time in the palace lately. Does the Sun family really think that by attaching themselves to Baili Mao, they can rest easy and establish another contender for the throne? How laughable!"
However, after saying these words, the Empress Dowager returned to her original gentle and amiable demeanor, sitting on the couch with her eyes half-closed and a faint smile on her lips.
The conflict between the Lin and Sun families was not as easily resolved as expected. Sun Ming had two ribs broken by Lin Changqi, and even if he recovered, it would be impossible for him to wield a sword like before. It would also be difficult for him to do heavy work in the future. Sun Ming's martial arts skills could not be used. For a military family like the Sun family, being forced to pursue only a literary career was a great humiliation. How could the Sun family let it go? They held onto Lin Changqi and refused to let go, allowing the Lin family and others to apologize and threaten them. The relationship had dropped to zero, and they even wanted to execute Lin Changqi.
However, Lin Changqi and Sun Mingdu had just begun to assume their positions in the imperial court. Although these were only low-ranking, nominal posts, the matter still needed to be reported. Because it involved the Lin and Sun families, officials dared not offend them lightly. This process escalated up the ranks, eventually reaching Emperor Mingxian's desk, and the impact grew increasingly significant. Finally, Emperor Mingxian had no choice but to entrust the matter to An Huai-ren, the Prefect of Jingzhao, since as the Prefect, he had the authority to handle all public order and criminal cases in the capital.
However, the government's investigation is not something that can be done in a day or two. They need to understand the situation first and collect evidence. Although the Lin and Sun families kept clamoring for justice, the case could only be handled for the time being. However, the Lin and Sun families were making a lot of noise and often argued loudly in the court over political issues, arguing until their faces turned red and their necks were thick. Other officials were very embarrassed to watch.
Before the conflict between the Lin and Sun families had even subsided, another major event occurred in the court. The Da Gan Dynasty would soon send envoys to the Da Zhou Dynasty, and Emperor Mingxian ordered the Ministry of Rites to make preparations for their reception. The court was abuzz with discussion about the Da Gan Dynasty's sudden arrival.
Five days later, the Crown Prince and more than ten other high-ranking officials welcomed the envoys from the Da Gan Dynasty at the south gate of the capital. This time, Da Gan showed its sincerity by sending its eldest prince, Jiang Qi, who was the most likely to contend for the throne, and Princess Jiang Xuan, who was known as the most beautiful woman in Da Gan. On the first day, the Emperor hosted a simple banquet for the Da Gan people and then arranged for them to stay at the Da Gan post station. A formal welcome banquet would be held two days later, which was exactly what Jiang Xuan had suggested.
Two days later, the Great Zhou Imperial Palace held a welcoming banquet. Not only were the eldest prince Jiang Qi and princess Jiang Xuan invited, but the Miao Holy King who had stayed in the Great Ming for sightseeing was also invited to attend. All the civil and military officials of the Great Zhou, as well as the imperial relatives, were required to attend. This etiquette had to be followed.
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were no exception. Due to the distinction between male and female guests, Baili Chen was taken away as soon as they entered the palace, while Ouyang Yue stayed in the women's area. Some noble ladies naturally came up to chat with her, and Ouyang Yue responded gracefully to all of them. No one was particularly enthusiastic or cold towards her. Of course, Ouyang Yue pretended not to know what they were thinking.
"Princess Consort Chen, Consort Fen said she has a few things to discuss with you regarding her pregnancy. I wonder if it would be convenient for you, Princess Consort Chen?" Just then, a palace maid came to report. Ouyang Yue was annoyed by these people's endless approaching, so she nodded and followed.
Because Fenyan was pregnant, the banquet had not officially started yet, so Fenyan did not need to arrive so early. Therefore, Ouyang Yue came to Liuyun Palace and would go to the banquet hall with Fenyan in a while.
Today, Fenyan was dressed in a pink butterfly outfit, her hair tied up in a high bun. She didn't have many ornaments on her head, but because of her natural beauty, she looked elegant and refined. Fenyan was pregnant longer than Ouyang Yue and was now nearly six months pregnant. Her belly was bigger, but she sat there with a smile, which added a touch of mature sexiness. Ouyang Yue gave a slight bow and said, "Greetings, Consort Fenyan."
"Get up quickly, why are you being so polite with me? You all go and prepare the tea and snacks I prepared earlier." Fenyan immediately ordered the maids to help Ouyang Yue up.
For a moment, only Ouyang Yue, Fen Yan, and their confidantes, a total of six people, remained in the hall. Ouyang Yue said, "Fen Fei sent them away, is there something you want to say?" The banquet was about to begin anyway, and there was no need for Ouyang Yue to keep things mysterious with Fen Yan.
Fen Yan looked at Ouyang Yue with a serious expression and asked, "Princess Consort Chen, do you know the purpose of this grand mission?"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yue felt a slight pang in her heart, then shook her head: "The big operation happened very quickly, and they have only just arrived in the capital. I haven't had any contact with them yet, so naturally I don't know their true purpose. It seems that Consort Fen already knows. May I ask if you can tell me?"
Fenyan paused for a moment: "I overheard this from the Emperor's conversation. The relationship between Daqian and Dazhou has always been tense. Their overall national strength is about equal. Neither country has ever been willing to submit to the other. In order to maintain temporary peace, there have been many marriage alliances over the years. This is exactly what Princess Jiang Xuan's purpose is."
Ouyang Yue straightened her expression. As a princess of a nation, Jiang Xuan would naturally not marry down. The only ones in the Great Zhou Dynasty who could match her status were the princes under Emperor Mingxian, now the Fifth Prince.
Fen Yan sighed, "I'm sure you've figured it out. That's right, Princess Jiang Xuan's arranged marriage partner this time is none other than the Seventh Prince, Prince Chen!"
Ouyang Yue suddenly raised her head, looked at Fen Yan, and then laughed coldly, which made Fen Yan shudder! She felt as if she were being stared at by a chilling demon!