in2ebook Chapter 355 A Difficult Marriage
Chapter 355 A Difficult Marriage
Yingyang pursed his lips nervously and spoke cautiously, his expression as serious and solemn as could be.
"A thousand fine horses can be considered as the dowry from our clan..."
"what?!"
Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua were completely lost in Ying Yang's train of thought. They both thought there was something wrong with their ears and that they hadn't heard clearly. They looked at Ying Yang with blank expressions.
Say it again! Quickly rephrase your words and say it again!
"After discussing it with everyone last night, I decided to give myself the dowry money for getting married."
Yingyang then explained in more detail.
"What are you going to do with the dowry money your family gave you for getting married? Are you kidding me?"
"Yeah, what business is it of ours if you get married?"
The couple were even more confused.
Yingyang tugged at his little braid hanging by his ear, twirling it around his fingers, and then awkwardly shifted his bottom forward on the chair, getting closer to the couple.
The voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet very clear, each word reaching the ears of the two people.
"I want the Xia Emperor to grant me a marriage, so I can marry a princess from the Xia Kingdom!"
Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan were both stunned.
"One thousand bolts, and five hundred every year thereafter! This one thousand bolts is the bride price, or you can consider it the tribute for the first year! You can decide on the other terms, and I will absolutely agree! From now on, we will be related by marriage, and our relationship will only get better!"
Ying Yang spoke with a seductive tone, emphasizing the numbers "one thousand" and "five hundred".
Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan exchanged glances, both noticing a hint of interest in each other's eyes.
Marrying off a princess brings so many benefits, and it's clear that Yingyang is genuinely seeking the marriage; otherwise, he wouldn't have offered such a high price.
In the end, it was Gu Zhanghua who spoke up and tried to discuss it with Ying Yang, as he was really struggling with this matter.
"King Rongdi, we can agree to your conditions, but the problem is that we only have three brothers and two sisters. Our fourth sister is already married, and our sixth sister is not yet of marriageable age. Where do you expect me to find a princess of suitable age for you?"
Ying Yang was momentarily stunned. How could he have forgotten about this?
But in an instant, Ying Yang looked at Zhao Xuan and his eyes lit up.
"It doesn't have to be a princess, as long as she is as resolute and courageous as the Princess Consort, exceptionally intelligent, cheerful and generous, with both good character and appearance, beautiful inside and out, and preferably also good at making delicious pastries..."
The more Gu Zhanghua listened, the more sour he felt, and he couldn't help but slam his hand on the table.
The honorific "you" was immediately replaced with "you" when addressing Yingyang!
"Stop! King Rongdi, do you think that there are many girls like my queen in our Xia Kingdom? My queen is one of a kind, you couldn't find one even with a lantern!"
If it weren't for my good fortune in growing up with her since childhood, being childhood sweethearts, we wouldn't have been able to finally be together...
"Hahaha!"
Zhao Xuan, who was listening nearby, suddenly burst into laughter.
Gu Zhanghua and Rongdi King both looked at Zhao Xuan with puzzlement, each lost in their own thoughts.
Did I say something wrong? What did I say wrong? Is it really that funny?
Zhao Xuan tried her best to suppress her laughter, tossing her high ponytail, the two blushes on her cheeks revealing her inner joy.
"I'm so happy that you two are praising me so much! But I'm really not as good as King Rongdi says. I have a lot of bad habits. If it weren't for my lord's tolerance, I might not have been able to get married!"
As she spoke, Zhao Xuan adopted a very serious expression, looked at Ying Yang, and spoke earnestly.
"King Rongdi, you really can't marry someone like me, otherwise there will be chaos every day, a small argument every three days and a big argument every five days, and you might even end up fighting, and even climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!"
Hearing Zhao Xuan say this, Gu Zhanghua felt extremely pleased and couldn't help but smile.
I was so good to Sister Xuan! I have a good temper, a generous heart, I know how to be tolerant, and I can give you whatever you want. I am the perfect husband candidate!
In stark contrast to Gu Zhanghua, Ying Yang wore a bitter expression, looking as if his house was about to collapse.
"Since the Princess says so, then this matter..."
How could I let the duck fly away once I'd already bitten it?!
Zhao Xuan immediately pictured a thousand fine horses galloping past, kicking up clouds of yellow sand that blotted out the sun—a truly magnificent sight.
Then the scene flashed, and a thousand fine horses each carried a Xia soldier, holding weapons and full of vigor.
He shouted loudly, "Giddy up! Giddy up!"
Leading the charge was Qin Shao, who led his cavalry as they roared past, once again stirring up clouds of yellow sand.
Zhao Xuan felt like she was almost choked by the sand and dust.
It feels so real!
But what a beautiful sight it was, and there would be a thousand fine horses every year thereafter.
Moreover, Yingyang's requirements were not high; he just wanted to marry a girl from the Xia Kingdom, so that the Rongdi tribe would be bound to the Xia Kingdom.
It will greatly contribute to peace in the North!
Moreover, there have been such examples before. For instance, Emperor Song's younger sister married Emperor Xia.
Yes, that's right, it's Consort Shu, Xiao Aiyue!
Zhao Xuan's thoughts raced, and in the blink of an eye, she was practically drooling over the fine steed of the Rongdi tribe.
Realizing she had lost her composure, Zhao Xuan quickly swallowed back her saliva.
To prevent Yingyang from backing out and reducing the number of tribute horses and replacement horses, Zhao Xuan patted her chest and gave a guarantee.
"Don't worry, leave it to me! There are plenty of good girls in Xia Kingdom! If you trust my husband and me, we'll help you find a daughter of an official to be your good wife, and we'll even bestow upon her the title of princess. She'll definitely be able to help you!"
The reversal came too quickly, and now it was Yingyang's turn to be dumbfounded.
But his face soon lit up with joy, and he hurriedly cupped his hands to Zhao Xuan, his eyes glistening with captivating tears of excitement.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness! You're such a kind person!"
Zhao Xuan waved her hand dismissively, clearly disapproving of Ying Yang's desperate desire to get married.
"King Rongdi, you flatter me!"
The subsequent negotiations went very smoothly. Both sides agreed on all the details based on the principle of mutual benefit, and finally solemnly included the marriage alliance between the Rongdi tribe and the Xia state in the treaty.
Sign! Stamp! Press your fingerprint!
Two copies are made, with each party holding one copy.
In Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua's view, Ying Yang has really suffered a huge loss this time, and his health bar is now barely a sliver left.
But Ying Yang, whom they saw as the sucker, was clutching the treaty tightly, grinning from ear to ear.
He looked like he had just married a new wife, or even had a son.
He looked completely content, with his wife, kids, and a warm bed.
Zhao Xuan secretly vowed to find a smart wife for this big, simple-minded guy, and to make sure he wasn't tricked into counting money for someone else.
After the alliance was signed, Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan handed it to Qin Shao. Qin Shao was all smiles when he first saw it, but he was stunned when he saw the marriage proposal.
Then he looked at the two of them with a serious expression.
"Do you already have someone in mind for a marriage alliance? Which family's daughter would you choose?"
Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan looked at each other blankly. They didn't have anyone in mind yet. Why were they in such a hurry? Couldn't they go back and look for someone else?
Qin Shao seemed to see through their thoughts, and frowned deeply.
"To alleviate the suffering of the people in the northern border from years of plunder, His Majesty truly desires peaceful coexistence with the Rong and Di tribes. Therefore, the selection of this so-called princess is of paramount importance! This is no joke!"
Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan looked at each other again.
During the peace talks, both of them were so excited by Ying Yang's generous dowry that they lost their composure. It was only after Qin Shao asked them that they calmed down.
Zhao Xuan quickly shifted the blame to Gu Zhanghua, though of course, she didn't mean it.
"You gentlemen know the affairs of your households better than I do. Which young lady is the most suitable?"
Gu Zhanghua broke out in a cold sweat.
"No...it doesn't seem like anyone would be suitable..."
"Nothing suitable?" Zhao Xuan exclaimed in surprise. "I patted my chest and guaranteed it to the Rongdi King, what are we going to do now?"