Only after speaking his big words did Xiao Chengjing remember that Song Jinzhao was still kneeling. He smiled and motioned with his chin.
"Rise. Give her a seat."
Zhao Yande, who had finally managed to catch his breath, hastily brought a chair over for Song Jinzhao himself.
After she sat down, the faint smile on Xiao Chengjing's face was withdrawn, replaced by a very calm demeanor.
"I summoned you to the palace not only to inquire about the injuries of Prince Qi and Wang Nie, but also to discuss an important matter with you, regarding your lifelong marriage."
Finally, they were getting to the main point.
Song Jinzhao feigned confusion and raised her eyebrows. "What does Your Majesty mean?"
"After my parents passed away, I swore before my elders that I would not marry until my younger brother started a family. If Your Majesty wishes to bestow a marriage upon me, it can wait a few more years."
These words struck a chord in Xiao Chengjing's heart, and his stern face instantly thawed.
"It is not that I wish to bestow a marriage, but the Emperor of the Shuobei Kingdom wants to marry you as his imperial consort."
"The dozens of carts of gifts brought by Wang Nie are all betrothal gifts for you. I have not agreed yet, thinking I should ask for your opinion first."
Song Jinzhao pretended to be very surprised, then quickly shook her head.
"My home is in the Dongzhao Kingdom, and the Shuobei Kingdom is so far away. I do not want to marry there."
Xiao Chengjing deliberately rubbed his forehead, pretending to be in a difficult position.
"You are a county princess personally titled by me, and I do not want you to go for a political marriage either. However, this matter concerns the peace between our two nations, placing me in a difficult spot. If I refuse, it will inevitably draw criticism and make the people of the world think I am too biased towards you. Therefore, you must refuse this matter yourself."
This was wanting to have his cake and eat it too; he had said all the good and bad things himself.
"What does Your Majesty mean?"
Xiao Chengjing straightened his back. "At tomorrow's morning assembly, I will summon the chief envoy of the diplomatic mission. After the other party explains their intentions, I will immediately summon you."
"Then you will repeat what you just said in front of all the civil and military officials. If the courtiers insist on you going for the marriage alliance and you truly cannot refuse, you can agree to the engagement first, and marry only after Beloved Subject Song starts a family. By dragging it out for four or five years, this matter will just fade away."
Song Jinzhao's mouth twitched, somewhat not knowing how to reply.
Is it really that hard to firmly say no?
Being this cowardly, and he still wants to conquer the Shuobei Kingdom?
It would save more lives if you just knelt down and surrendered.
Even with so much dissatisfaction in her heart, Song Jinzhao could only agree for now.
"Your Majesty is wise. I would never have thought of such a brilliant plan."
Xiao Chengjing nodded in satisfaction.
At the morning assembly the next day, Wang Nie deliberately opened his collar wide, completely revealing the purple finger marks.
The civil and military officials lowered their heads one after another, pretending not to see.
They had already heard about the matter yesterday afternoon, but no one dared to speak.
There was now one more piece of evidence that Prince Qi was the mastermind behind stealing the potatoes, and he had even admitted it voluntarily.
But so what? If the Emperor said he wasn't, there was nothing they could do.
Fei Yanzhang and Ye Liangyu still hadn't attended court. After seeing their fates clearly, who would dare to say another word?
Even the Censorate, which always dared to bluntly remonstrate, had now turned mute.
As for helping Wang Nie denounce Prince Qi for trying to strangle him, that was even more impossible.
"I, the foreign minister Wang Nie, have come on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor of the Shuobei Kingdom to propose marriage to your esteemed country, seeking to marry your esteemed country's County Princess Linghui as an imperial consort, in order to solidify the everlasting diplomatic relations between our two nations."
The courtiers who had been lowering their heads playing dead instantly raised their heads, their rhythm never having been so unified.
They weren't marrying a princess over; they wanted to take County Princess Linghui back!
How could this do? If there were no princesses of marriageable age, there were still daughters of the imperial clan. It would never be the turn of a commoner county princess without royal blood to go for a marriage alliance.
It would be one thing if Song Jinzhao were an ordinary woman, but she simply wasn't.
She could not marry into the Shuobei Kingdom, absolutely not.
The courtiers who had not been informed in advance all focused their gazes on Dongfang Shaoting, Gu Qishan, and the others.
At such a critical moment, someone had to take the lead to stand out and object, and it had to be the highest-ranking officials.
But after waiting for a while, they found that whether it was Dongfang Shaoting or Gu Qishan, they were both very calm, as if they had known all along.
Just as they were hesitating in confusion, Xiao Chengjing, sitting on the dragon throne, spoke.
"County Princess Linghui is not a member of the imperial family. I cannot immediately agree to her lifelong marriage; I must ask for her own opinion."
"Summon County Princess Linghui and Compiler Song to the palace at once. If she agrees, I am naturally willing to play the matchmaker."
