Read Novel Full Chapter 55
55: The Real Deal
The Secretary of Supervision muttered to himself for a moment then stepped forward: “Your Majesty, after much contemplation, the only solution now is to choose another noble girl to marry instead.”
Commander-in-Chief Pei rolled up his sleeves and his hands clenched into fists: “This method has already been tried! Princess Fukang recklessly became engaged while the Yelu tribe made trouble and did not let up! How many noble girls have been substituted, but not a single one could enter their eyes as they insisted on marrying Princess Fukang!”
The Secretary of Supervision calmly said: “It just so happens that in today’s palace banquet, the capital’s marriageable noble girls and the imperial family’s daughters are all present. Why not choose one of them? With so many girls in the prime of youth, perhaps the Yelu tribe can see one or two. At worst, send more dowry and beauties as trousseau.”
At those words, everyone’s expression changed.
The female guests talking and laughing on the second floor were none other than the wives and children of these civil and military officials! It was their sisters, daughters, and granddaughters!
Who could bear to let the pearl in their palms marry to the grasslands?
Everyone inwardly cursed the Secretary of Supervision for babbling nonsense, but Li De showed a deep thoughtful look, seeming to be considering the Secretary’s suggestion.
Several ministers whose daughters were at the right age sweated profusely but did not dare utter a word in this atmosphere.
Li De lifted his head and said, “It seems that this is the only way.”
The ministers were so dejected that beads of sweat rolled down from their temples.
The inner attendant ran out of the inner hall in one step and headed for the second floor. Not a moment later, cries of fear and sobbing were heard from the second floor.
It was when the ministers were at their wit’s end and under pressure that the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
“Your Majesty, the Seventh Princess requests an audience.”
The ministers were stunned.
Li De said, “Let her in.”
Yaoying answered and entered the hall. Faced with the astonished gazes of the ministers, she approached Li De, leisurely bowed, and lifted her head: “Your Majesty, this child heard that Princess Fukang absconded, the Yelu tribe is furious, all the Hu are alarmed and restless, everything in a state of mutual hostility. This child cannot bear to see your noble daughters in fear and anxiety, and cannot bear to see the court raise their swords again because of this matter. So, I am willing to replace Princess Fukang and marry to placate the barbarians. “
The inner hall was quiet for a long time, so silent that a pin drop could be heard.
Commander-in-Chief Pei whispered: “Seventh Princess, you are my Pei family’s daughter-in-law….”
Yaoying looked at Commander-in-Chief Pei.
“I am a princess of the Li family, a child of the Wei empire, a daughter of His Majesty, and a vassal of the emperor…”
She paused for a moment, her voice resounding: “Although this child is a woman, I also have the ambition to serve the country, willing to serve the country with this body without hesitation!”
The young lady’s voice was delicate and soft, but the words were loud and clear, echoing in the empty inner hall, and in the hearts of every minister.
Everyone’s heartstrings were shaken, and they could not say anything for a while.
After half a day, it was Commander-in-Chief Pei who spoke first: “Your Highness, the Yelu tribe lives by following the water and grass. If you placate them and marry, you will have to suffer in the future.”
Yaoying’s back straightened: “This child has no fear and no regrets.”
She knelt in the hall, her gaze clear and gentle.
“The soldiers never return after departing, heading to the distant paths of the plains. Carrying a longsword and a powerful bow, fighting in the battlefield, the head and body are separated, lofty ambition eternally unyielding; the truly brave and tenacious and heroic, always firm and resolute, unable to be insulted. Although people die, the spirits are not extinguished, the spirit strong, resolute to be a hero among ghosts1!
“When alive, this child’s uncle taught this child and elder brother that if you want to benefit your country, you should not seek wealth and honor. Guard home and defend the country without paying attention to the road ahead.
“My uncle’s whole family, to protect the people, became martyrs, forging the peace and stability of the country with their flesh and blood. Although I am a woman, I also bear the Xie family’s teachings, and I am willing to be like my uncle to be loyal to the country, even if the result is my death.”
The people in the room silently exchanged shocked looks, wordless for a long time.
The Seventh Princess’s words, they could also say, and could say more impassionately than the Seventh Princess.
But who could say it more sincerely than the Seventh Princess?
—Xie Wuliang, who taught the Seventh Princess and Qin wang these principles, and despite his weak constitution, spent his life running about for the pacification of the war and did his utmost until his dying breath.
The Xie family, none of which survived, had its bloodline completely cut off. As the generations continued, every generation of Xie family’s children held fast to morality and righteousness, guarding their region, and sacrificing their lives to protect the people without a second thought.
They were loyal to the emperor, loyal to the court, and even more loyal to the people.
See the ministers’ integrity in times of turbulence, know their loyalty in a chaotic world2.
The noble families eagerly helped out for their own interests; only the Xie family’s character was this awe-inspiring.
So firm.
So diligent.
And so admirable.
So when the Seventh Princess said such words, the ministers did not doubt her resolve and heart in the least.
Li De sighed and looked at Yaoying, seemingly very reluctant.
The ministers were apprehensive, sweating puddles.
After a long time, Li De waved his hand: “Good, very good. Qiniang is worthy of being of zhen’s flesh and blood, not degrading the name of the Xie family.”
He instructed the Ministry of Rites’ official to go out and deliver the message.
The Ministry of Rites’ official was dumbstruck for a moment, then reacted and left with stumbling steps.
Not long after, there were boisterous shouts of joy from outside the hall, and the official re-entered the inner hall.
“Your Majesty, Tribal Chief Yelu is ecstatic. He says he will be going back to gather troops to lead the Wei army’s attack on Liangzhou!”
The crowd slowly came back to their senses, and the stone dropped quietly from their hearts.
This was also fine. After going in circles, Tribal Chief Yelu got what he wanted, the court could seize Liangzhou, Princess Fukang could stay in Chang’an and did not have to marry far, and their families had also escaped a disaster.
The crowd had a false alarm, but they were still on tenterhooks, not daring to say a thing.
The Secretary of Supervision suddenly crossed through the crowd, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply towards Yaoying: “Your Highness is righteous! This official is ashamed to say that I am not your equal!”
He raised his head, his eyes red, and swept a look around.
“Princess is worthy of being Great Wei’s princess, worthy of being the Li clan’s daughter! Princess Fukang was originally an old remnant of the previous dynasty. His Majesty took pity on her for she was lonely and had no one to depend on. His Majesty adopted her at his knees, spoiling and pampering her dutifully. Princess Fukang did not know gratitude, disregarded righteousness, and repeatedly attempted to assassinate His Majesty. His Majesty could not bear to be harsh and made an exception to confer her as Princess Fukang, loving her as dearly as before.
“Yet, Princess Fukang still did not know how to repent: colluding with foreign evils, bringing turmoil to the court! Not only did she have private dealings with the Southern Chu, but also intended to collude with the Turkic Grand Princess Yiqing married far away to invade Guanzhong!”
Hearing this, everyone turned pale in horror.
“Is this matter true?”
The Secretary of Supervision sneered: “The evidence of Princess Fukang’s treason is conclusive. His Majesty took pity on her pitiful past and covered it up for her, but she bit the hand that fed her and walked away, ignoring the court and ignoring the people’s livelihood!”
He abruptly raised his voice.
“The Zhu clan’s daughter is heartless and ruthless, but my Li family’s princess is willing to give her life to marry for the country’s rivers and mountains!
“Your Majesty has been extremely benevolent and attentive to Princess Fukang! The last emperor of the former dynasty’s Zhu clan was muddle-headed. Wreaking havoc on the country, causing suffering to the people, preying on the commoners; the people of the empire wanted to drink his blood, eat his flesh, and skin him! If not for his actions that went against the tide and his murdering of loyalists, how could the world be in chaos? How could the fertile fields of Guanzhong have fallen under the iron hooves of the Hu? The Li family has been honorable for generations, doing their duty to be loyal, but His Majesty’s father and brothers were brutally slaughtered by the Zhu clan. His Majesty was forced to rise up and take leadership in times of danger to protect the people of Wei County, to lead the righteous to regain the mountains, to recover the rivers and mountains, and to return peace and happiness to the people. His Majesty does not owe the Zhu clan! We do not owe the Zhu clan! The world especially owes nothing to the Zhu clan!”
Numerous ministers’ heartstrings trembled violently. With cold sweat trickling, all kneeled down.
The official who had spoken for Zhu Luyun many times before even touched his head to the ground, shaking all over.
Yaoying smiled mockingly.
Everything happening at the banquet today was a play that she and Li De had devised in advance.
Li De hid Zhu Luyun and distracted Li Xuanzhen. Zhu Luyun had taken the initiative to ask for marriage, and the Secretary of Supervision deliberately fanned the flames and disturbed people’s hearts when she reneged. Finally, when she (LYY) asked to marry instead, the Secretary of Supervision reprimanded Zhu Luyun in public, uncovering the scars in people’s hearts.
The Li family and the court officials were both former officials of the previous dynasty. When the last emperor sent a messenger to ask for help, the Li family stood by with folded arms, so the officials’ hands were also tied.
This was the knot between the Li family and the officials.
Li De adopted Zhu Luyun, patiently tolerated her, indulged her, simply to use her to slowly wear out the guilt and reminiscence the ministers had toward the former dynasty.
Today completely pierced everyone’s carefully concealed appearance of tranquility, baring the bloody facts in front of everyone.
The monarch’s anger, even if subtle, could make ministers scared that their stomachs dropped.
From today onwards, no one would dare to say a word for Zhu Luyun.
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1 Known as “Nine Songs” by Qu Yuan, these are lines of poetry about the heroic spirits that are appreciated for their sacrifices in the war. I… really hated translating this because I have very elementary Mandarin skills so this pretty much killed me.
2 I worded this strangely but I wanted to do my best to retain the poeticness of the idiom. Basically, you know someone’s true character in troubled times.
I’d also like to mention that when the text says that their bloodline is cut off despite Yaoying, her brother, and her mother being alive, it has something to do with Chinese traditions. The two siblings aren’t classified as part of their bloodline because they don’t carry the Xie surname and a married daughter is not considered part of the family since she is essentially added to her husband’s.