Ye Liangyu hurriedly caught the letter that Song Shixue had thrown away. "Keep your voice down. No one else knows about this yet."
Song Shixue clenched her jaw, her heart filled with repulsion and disgust at the thought of a marriage alliance.
"I am going to tell my sister. She absolutely cannot be sent off for a marriage alliance."
In Song Shixue's eyes, no one in the world was worthy of Song Jinzhao, let alone marrying into the Shuobei Kingdom to be a concubine.
If she really married over there, the moment the two countries went to war, her sister would be the first to die.
Watching Song Shixue run out, Ye Liangyu read the letter from beginning to end once more.
"You all head back first. Do not spread a word of this before the imperial court makes an official announcement."
The soldier cupped his hands and took his leave. "Rest assured, My Lord. General Qin specifically instructed us on this before we even left the border."
Ye Liangyu looked toward Yunhe. "Take him back, and make sure no one sees you."
Yunhe gave a slight nod. "This humble servant understands. We came in through the back door when we arrived."
Ye Liangyu nodded in satisfaction.
Song Shixue ran all the way to the study. Pushing open the door, she found Qingshuang and Lanxi both inside.
Seeing her burst in so suddenly, Song Jinzhao asked in confusion, "What is wrong?"
Song Shixue took a deep breath and slowed her steps, her heart heavy.
She walked toward Song Jinzhao with a worried expression.
"Sister, Lord Ye just received a letter sent by General Qin from the border. The Emperor of Shuobei wants to ask for your hand in marriage to make you his imperial consort. The marriage envoy is already on the way."
Lanxi's pupils shrank, and she cried out in shock as if struck by lightning.
"He Mingyuan wants to marry the County Princess? How is that possible! Even if it is a marriage alliance, it should be a royal princess."
Song Shixue nodded vigorously. "That is exactly what the letter says. The memorial has already been delivered to the Ministry of War, so the Emperor definitely knows by now. What if he makes my sister go for the marriage alliance?"
The eyes of all three instantly focused on Song Jinzhao, only to see her staring silently at the tabletop.
A moment later, Song Jinzhao stood up and walked out.
Upon arriving at the apothecary room, Ye Liangyu silently handed her the letter.
"County Princess, your martial arts are formidable and your medical skills are exquisite. Neither the Emperor nor the civil and military officials would want to send you to the Shuobei Kingdom. This matter is highly unlikely to succeed, so you need not worry too much."
With a talent like Song Jinzhao, even though she was a woman, the Emperor would never be willing to give her to an enemy nation and freely hand them such an advantage.
After reading the letter, Song Jinzhao held it over a candle and burned it to ashes.
"I am not worried. I just feel that having someone holding me by the throat is a very unpleasant feeling."
"Qiming has been in the Hanlin Academy for two years now. Does My Lord have any way to have him transferred to a provincial post?"
Ye Liangyu looked at Song Jinzhao with an astonished expression.
Was she trying to avoid the conflicts of the capital?
"Where does the County Princess want him to go?"
Song Jinzhao turned her head, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
"The Southwest."
Ye Liangyu gasped, his mind buzzing.
"County Princess, the Southwest is not a good place. The Yang clan of Panzhou, the Mu clan of Ningzhou, and the various foreign tribes—none of them are to be trifled with."
"If you truly wish to avoid the court's conflicts, he could go to Jiangnan for a few years. The Southwest is far too dangerous."
Song Jinzhao replied, "Wealth and honor are sought amidst danger. How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? Qiming is currently a sixth-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Without a few exceptionally great merits, rapid promotion in a short time is absolutely impossible."
"I heard that the Administration Commissioner of the Southwest, Gu Zhongxun, will retire in four years. I want Qiming to fight for that position."
The Southwest was far from the capital and had the foreign tribes to act as a shield.
As long as one could control the military and political affairs of a region, certain things would become much easier to accomplish.
Ye Liangyu swallowed hard in shock.
Having Qiming become the Administration Commissioner of the Southwest in four years—was that not a bit too fast?
