Chapter 216 Na Erlan
“But your envoy said that as long as the Song Dynasty is willing, there will be a marriage. His Highness said that for the sake of peace between the two countries, the father has agreed to a marriage. Sister Yunchu will go back this time. Soon, she will marry into the Song Dynasty," Zhang Guifen said.
"Impossible!" Li Yunchu didn't believe it at all and said, "Don't try to lie to me!"
"Maybe I was wrong." Zhang Guifen shook his head and said: " Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s getting late. Let’s stroll around the garden and have a meal.”
Li Yunchu followed Zhang Guifen as he strolled around the garden, but he had no intention of enjoying the scenery. He kept thinking about what Zhang Guifen said before.
Although she said Zhang Guifen was lying to her, Zhang Guifen only asked about some of her living habits and nothing else. What was the point of lying to her?
Is what Zhang Guifen said true?
Li Yunchu thought carefully about it. The emperor's younger brother told her that he needed to pretend to have a marriage and negotiate peace with the Song Dynasty.
Ask her to follow him to the Song Dynasty. If she can like the prince of the Song Dynasty, she can actually get married.
If you don’t like it, forget it.
Li Yunchu didn't want to get married. After all, her mother was still in Xixia. If she married to the Song Dynasty, it would be difficult to see her mother.
But it would be nice to come to the Song Dynasty to play with Ye Ye. She had always heard that the Song Dynasty was prosperous and she yearned for it.
But now think about it carefully, if the marriage is true or false, does she need to come to the Song Dynasty?
"No, the emperor will not lie to me." Li Yunchu shook his head.
"Sister Yunchu, are you okay?" Zhang Guifen asked with concern.
"It's okay!" Li Yunchu shook his head and said, "I'm just a little tired."
"Then let's stop shopping and go have a meal." Zhang Guifen said.
"Yes."
Li Yunchu did not refuse. She was a little confused now and wanted to go back and ask Su Wenchang.
Zhang Guifen led Li Yunchu back to Chunhe Palace and ordered people to deliver meals.
During the dinner, Zhang Guifen took the initiative to talk to Li Yunchu. Li Yunchu was so absent-minded that he didn't even eat much delicious food.
The banquet ended hastily, and Li Yunchu said goodbye.
Zhang Guifen walked her to the door, watched her get on the carriage and leave, then turned and entered the East Palace.
“Your Highness!”
As soon as Zhang Guifen entered the door, she saw Zhao Xing waiting there.
"Let's go."
The couple walked side by side to Chunhe Palace. Zhang Guifen asked: "Your Highness, you said it so implicitly, she may not be able to understand it."
Although she and Li Yunchu We didn't have much contact with him, but Zhang Guifen could feel that Li Yunchu was a simple-minded person.
Anyone who is thoughtful would not belittle Zhao Xing in front of her.
"It doesn't matter whether she understands or not, as long as she understands." Zhao Xing smiled.
"If Your Highness doesn't want to marry Xixia, just refuse it directly. My father may not force His Highness. I'm afraid it won't have much effect." Zhang Guifen said.
Zhao Xing asked her to invite Li Yunchu over to the banquet. He told Li Yunchu this but did not tell her the real purpose.
She thought that Zhao Xing was unwilling to get married, and wanted Li Yunchu to go back and cause trouble, so that Xixia would take the initiative not to get married to the Song Dynasty.
This approach has no effect at all in her opinion.
Li Yunchu said that the marriage of Xixia women is not as particular about the orders of their parents as in the Song Dynasty, but is it possible?
She also knew a little about the marriage system of the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms. They often held some activities for unmarried men and women to participate. If they were matched, they could give the other party a small thing made by themselves. If the other party accepted the gift in return, it would mean they had accepted it.
But this kind of activity also has a class. For the nomads, ordinary people are just slaves of the nobles.
Nobles have a circle of nobles, and ordinary people have a circle of ordinary people.
Only nobles can participate in the blind date events held by nobles, and ordinary people cannot participate.
Essentially, it is still a marriage, but it is relatively freer.
In fact, this may not necessarily be the case. Some elders in the family have plans, and going there is just a formality.
Li Yunchu is a princess, and her marriage must have political factors in it. How can it be possible if she wants to do whatever she wants.
So no matter how much trouble she makes when she goes back, as long as the Emperor of Xixia wants to make peace, the marriage will definitely go ahead.
"Who knows if it will be useful." Zhao Xing shook his head slightly and refused to say more.
His original intention was to let Li Yunchu go back and make trouble. It was in line with his wishes if the trouble had no effect.
But plotting against a woman is not a glorious thing.
Zhang Guifen is also a woman. She may not think that what Zhao Xing did is wrong, but she may not have no grudges in her heart.
Since Zhang Guifen misunderstood, let her misunderstand.
…………
Li Yunchu returned to Honglu Temple and directly ordered someone to call Su Wenchang over.
"Greetings to Your Highness the Princess!" Su Wenchang saluted.
Li Yunchu waved his hand, looked at Su Wenchang and asked: "Su Shangshu, tell me, you went to the palace to meet the Emperor of the Song Dynasty today. Have you agreed to make peace with the Song Dynasty?"
"This..."
Su Wenchang was a little embarrassed when he heard this. When he came, the emperor told him not to tell Li Yunchu's true likeness.
But Li Yunchu now knows, how can he hide it?
Su Wenchang also knew that the prince or princess of the Song Dynasty should have told Li Yunchu about this matter.
He could deceive Li Yunchu and say that others were lying to her.
But he also understood Li Yunchu's temperament. With Li Yunchu's temperament, he would definitely believe it and would go to the prince or princess of the Song Dynasty to ridicule him.
He can also persuade Li Yunchu not to go, provided that Li Yunchu will not see the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of the Song Dynasty after this, and when he returns, he will not need to worry about the rest of the things.
Otherwise this situation will still happen. Is it possible not to see the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of the Song Dynasty?
It was basically impossible. The Emperor of the Song Dynasty would definitely host a banquet in their honor before they went back.
Even if the time comes to find excuses not to let Li Yunchu go, what if the Song Dynasty Prince sees him off when he leaves?
This is also the reason why Su Wenchang is in a dilemma.
When Li Yun first saw Su Wenchang's expression of embarrassment, he hesitated to speak, and his heart sank, and he said: "It seems that my intentions regarding the marriage are fake. The emperor's brother originally wanted me to get married, didn't he?"
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"Her Royal Highness the Princess misunderstood. This mission was to trade with the Song Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty was unwilling to agree, so I had no choice but to make this move." Su Wenchang said.
"Ha." Li Yunchu sneered and said with a sad look, "You go down."
Su Wenchang said that the Song Dynasty did not agree to mutual trade, so he made this move.
But Su Wenchang is just a minister. If the emperor's brother didn't say so before coming, would he dare to make his own decision?
She is simple-minded, but that does not mean she is stupid.
She can still figure this out.
"Imperial brother, you have changed. Maybe this is the real you." Li Yunchu murmured to himself.
…………
After some consideration, the officials finally agreed to open a mutual trade with Xixia.
The specific matters were left to the Prime Minister Han Zhang and the Xixia envoys to discuss.
After seven or eight days of discussions, detailed regulations were finalized.
The purpose of the Xixia envoys had been achieved, and they needed to report the regulations on the mutual trade to the Xixia emperor, so they proposed to return home.
The officials did not try to persuade him to stay. After hosting a banquet, they asked Zhao Xing to see him off.
After not seeing each other for a few days, Li Yunchu seemed to have lost some weight.
Unlike before, when he saw Zhao Xing, he frowned coldly and got on the carriage directly.
Zhao Xing arrived ten miles west of the city, stopped, watched the team of Xixia envoys go away, and then turned around and returned to the city.
…………
“I (the common people) pay homage to Your Highness!” Sheng Wei and his son saluted.
"No gifts!" Zhao Xing smiled and waved his hand, looking at Sheng Changsong.
Sheng Changsong looks a lot like Sheng Wei, and looks honest and honest.
In fact, it’s not just Sheng Changsong, but Sheng Changwu as well.
The three of them, father and son, are all kind of honest and honest people.
"Has your father told you?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Back to Your Highness, my father has already said that although the common people know that they are not capable enough, Your Highness trusts that the common people will do their best and live up to His Highness's trust." Sheng Changsong said solemnly.
"What you lack in ability is actually doing business. I heard that your father handed over the family business to you, and you have always taken care of it very well. I believe you can do a good job. Your father will not do it for the time being. I won’t leave, I will teach you.” Zhao Xing waved his hand.
"Yes!" Sheng Changsong responded.
Zhao Xing looked at Sheng Wei and said: "Hand over the matter to Changsong as soon as possible. The repair of the city cannot be delayed. The autumn harvest will be in a few months. By then, the people will be busy with the autumn harvest. People who can be hired will There will be less. Before winter, all the cities on the northern border must be repaired."
"Your Highness, don't worry, the craftsmen sent by the Ministry of Industry are already familiar with the use of cement, and I also sent people to the border to recruit people. Mining stones. With the magic of cement, it can definitely be completed before winter," Sheng Wei said.
During this period of time, he was not idle waiting for Sheng Changsong to come to Bianjing.
Many people have been sent to the northern border to prepare.
Once the handover is completed here, he will rush to the north and officially start repairing the city.
"Well, if there is nothing else, let's go." Zhao Xing said.
"Your Highness, Li Ge sent a message saying that he will come to Bianjing to meet with His Highness soon." Sheng Wei said.
"Gu Zheng is waiting for him." Zhao Xing heard the words and sneered: "When he comes, bring him directly to the East Palace to see Gu. If you are not in Bianjing, let Changsong bring him."
“Yes!”
Seeing that Zhao Xing had no other instructions, Sheng Wei bowed to Sheng Changsong and left.
…………
In July, the weather became increasingly hot, and Zhao Xing began to stay at home again.
Zhao Xing basically stopped going to Kaifeng Mansion and asked Sheng Hong and the others to report directly to the East Palace every day.
After Sheng Wei completed the handover, he led a group of craftsmen from the public ministry to the northern border.
Although it was a hot summer day, the government did not sign for corvee this time. Instead, they hired people with money and grain, which could be deducted from the corvee.
Even in the middle of summer, there are still many followers.
…………
The three sisters of the Sheng family are similar in age. The youngest, Minglan, was born in early July.
Not long after Lin Xiaoniang’s death, Mo Lan got her haircut, and Sheng Hong hurriedly married Mo Lan to his new student Wen Yanjing.
Wen Yanjing was born as a commoner and participated in the imperial examination at the same time as Sheng Changbai.
However, due to acclimatization, he felt unwell during the imperial examination and performed abnormally and failed.
However, he got a place to enter the Imperial College and stayed in Bianjing to study.
Sheng Hong met him accidentally and found out that his talent and learning were good and that he was promising in the imperial examination. He accepted him as his student and betrothed his concubine to him.
In mid-July, Rulan was admitted to the East Palace, and Minglan went to the East Palace with her dowry.
(End of this chapter)