Chapter 9: The Marriage Alliance with the Turks (1)

The procession arrived at the Zhuque Gate, where the military officers dismounted their horses. The group entered the imperial city through the Zhuque Gate, crossed a square paved with white jade, and then passed through the Chengtian Gate into the Taiji Palace. The banquet hosted by Empress Chen Zhao was held here, which was also the place where civil and military officials attended court daily.

Chen Zhao had already dressed in her ceremonial robes and sat solemnly on the throne, quietly awaiting the return of her son and the generals.

After Wu Ruian ascended to the hall, he immediately knelt on one knee and saluted with both fists clenched, saying, "Your humble servant Ruian pays respects to Her Majesty. Long live the Empress, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years."

"All subjects pay respects to Your Majesty—"

After the crowd thrice hailed "Long live," Chen Zhao raised her hand and smiled behind the pearl curtain, saying, "Rise, my son, and all officials rise."

"Take your seats—"

At the eunuch's loud announcement, everyone rose and took their seats.

Wu Ruian's seat was closest to Chen Zhao, allowing her to speak softly to him. They were delighted to see each other.

After some casual conversation about family matters, Chen Zhao suddenly smiled warmly and announced to the assembly, "This time, the Turks wish to form a marriage alliance with our Xuanwu Kingdom. A beautiful princess from the Turkic royal family will come to our kingdom to establish a century-long friendship, sparing the people of both nations from the ravages of war and displacement."

At this proclamation, the entire hall erupted in congratulations, except for Wu Ruian, who looked puzzled and frowned, asking, "Why was I not informed of this matter?"

"My son was on the march and naturally unaware of state affairs," Chen Zhao waved the diplomatic letter in her hand and smiled, "This letter was delivered urgently over eight hundred miles directly to the Daming Palace. What do you think?"

Wu Ruian shook his head, "Not much."

"You have been in the military for three years, growing stronger in martial prowess but forgetting many rules," Chen Zhao chided, though her eyes showed no reproach. She continued, "In this great victory against the Turks, you were the commander-in-chief and a prince. Marrying a Turkic princess as a concubine would be most appropriate."

"I refuse to marry!" Wu Ruian blurted out, shocking the surrounding officials.

"More and more unruly," Chen Zhao scolded sternly.

Wu Ruian coughed, took a deep breath, and then said seriously, "They casually send a princess to silence our mighty Xuanwu Kingdom—it's like Sima Zhao's intentions, known to all!"

"Oh? Then tell me, what do you think they're up to?" Chen Zhao smiled gently.

"The Turks attacked first, making them in the wrong. After their defeat, they naturally should cede land and pay reparations. Now they come to negotiate peace—why didn't they do this earlier? Sending a princess now is just to avoid those reparations, trading a woman for ten miles of cities and countless gold. How naïve!"

"An has a point," Chen Zhao nodded in satisfaction.

"And besides..." Wu Ruian hesitated.

"What else?" Chen Zhao asked.

"Besides, this king is handsome and elegant. Women who want to marry me could line up from here to Loulan! What qualifications does this Turkic princess have to marry me?"

Wu Ruian spoke without a hint of embarrassment, causing uproarious laughter throughout the hall. Even Chen Zhao couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably, shaking her head, "This son of mine is truly eloquent, and every word hits the mark, leaving me with no choice but to agree."

Wu Ruian proudly lifted his head, picked up a cup of wine from the table, preparing to toast everyone.

After the laughter subsided, Chen Zhao added, "However, I have already agreed to their peace proposal."

"Why?!" Wu Ruian was startled, and his hand trembled, spilling most of the wine from his cup.

Chen Zhao signaled with a glance, and a eunuch standing nearby handed the diplomatic letter to Wu Ruian. As he read it with a grim face, his heart grew colder with each sentence.

"They are willing to compensate three times the losses?!" Wu Ruian exclaimed in shock.

Chen Zhao nodded, "With such a sincere peace proposal, I have no reason to refuse. The Turkic delegation will arrive in the capital in four days. At that time, Princess Tianxiang of the Turks will reside in the Daming Palace with my children, and you will accompany her daily. No objections can be made."

Chen Zhao spoke each word deliberately, and Wu Ruian felt as if struck by lightning, collapsing onto his chair.

He knew that whatever he said now would be useless because, in the face of national benefits, his marriage amounted to nothing.

Wu Ruian attended the state banquet in a daze and returned to his mansion, only to find it decorated with colorful lanterns, as if he were about to get married immediately.

"Why so many colorful flowers? Do you intend to get married?" Returning to the mansion, Wu Ruian vented his anger by berating anyone he encountered.

The steward, Liu Changqing, didn't know what had happened to provoke such fury from the prince. He stammered, "I am a eunuch; how could I get married? The decorations are to celebrate Your Highness's triumphant return."

"Remove them all! Take them down!" Wu Ruian shouted angrily.

"But, Your Highness... they cannot be removed!" Liu Changqing pleaded urgently, "Officials will soon come to congratulate you. Since you've returned, it's natural to tidy up the mansion somewhat for celebration, isn’t it?"

"What celebration? I’m in no mood for festivities!" Wu Ruian rolled his eyes and went to the inner chambers.

Liu Changqing didn't dare follow and instead sought out the deputy general for information. He learned that the Empress intended to arrange a marriage for Wu Ruian, with the bride being a Turkic princess arriving for the alliance.

Liu Changqing originally wanted to offer congratulations but, seeing his master's explosive demeanor, decided it best not to tempt fate. Instead, he arranged for people to guard the entrance until later when the mansion would host a grand banquet for guests.

Wu Ruian returned to his room, removed his armor, and fell straight onto the bed, staring at the intricately carved dragons and phoenixes on the ceiling, suddenly feeling estranged.

He had grown accustomed to the endless sands of the Xilamuren Desert and the lonely nights in the dim, narrow coffin shop. But now, he felt alienated from the mansion he had lived in for ten years.

This made him feel as if sitting on pins and needles, unable to sleep. If not for the crowd waiting outside, he would have slipped out to visit the Su Medical Hall and drink and chat with Di Jiang and her servant.

Now, he deeply understood the saying: "A day without seeing you feels like three autumns."

He sighed deeply, then resignedly put on the court robes he hadn't worn in three years and went to the front hall to receive guests.

That night, after the banquet ended and Wu Ruian saw off all the guests, he finally relaxed and prepared to retire to his room. However, he noticed a woman in plain clothes still seated in the hall. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be the wife of one of the ministers.

She nervously twisted her handkerchief, looking around anxiously.

"This lady is..." Wu Ruian stood behind the doorpost and asked the steward.

Liu Changqing didn't recognize her either, so he sent someone to inquire. Moments later, someone reported back, "She is Mrs. Liu, the wife of General Long."

"Which General Long?" Wu Ruian questioned.

"General Long Ming, who gained fame three years ago."

"Oh, him," Wu Ruian muttered thoughtfully, "What is she doing sitting here so late? Doesn't she know to avoid suspicion?"

"The maid said Mrs. Long wants to ask His Highness why General Long hasn't returned to court."

Wu Ruian was speechless and laughed bitterly, "I'm not in the same camp as Long Ming. My return to court has nothing to do with him. This Mrs. Liu doesn't even know which camp her husband is in—it's laughable."

"Yes, General Long has no relatives in the capital. If communications from the frontier are poor, it's understandable that Mrs. Long wouldn't receive letters." Liu Changqing sighed. Everyone knew the couple had a strained relationship, making such an awkward situation seem redundant even for ridicule.

"She used to be Jingyi's maid, which is why she looks familiar. Politely send her away without losing decorum."

"Yes."

After Wu Ruian finished speaking, he turned and returned to his room.

That night, sure enough, he suffered another bout of insomnia. Out of habit, he opened the window and discovered a serene lake outside. The moon was bright, the wind gentle, and the scenery was pleasant beyond words.

But no amount of beautiful scenery could mend the sense of loss in his heart.

Wu Ruian gazed at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, recalling the times he had played there with Di Jiang. He was startled and asked himself, "Have I really fallen in love?"

It seemed he had.

Over the next three days, aside from attending morning court, Wu Ruian was invited to lunch by Chief Minister Changsun Wugou in the afternoon and dinner by Chief Minister Gongsun Miao in the evening.

In short, accepting an invitation from one minister meant accepting invitations from all six books and two chief ministers, otherwise, it would be considered offending someone.

Under his mother's nagging, Wu Ruian spent these three days having breakfast at others' homes.

Clearly, these ministers didn't take the Turkic princess seriously. They knew that even if he were to marry, it wouldn't be as the main consort. The position of princess could only come from these noble families.

Therefore, whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, behind the curtains in the ministers' homes, there were always restless sounds—the chatter and exclamations of women.

Without exception, the ministers were eager to promote their daughters. It was called hosting a banquet, but frankly, it was matchmaking. However, Wu Ruian’s heart had no room for anyone else. No matter how beautiful they were, they couldn’t capture his attention.

Instead, after seeing these noblewomen, he found Di Jiang's clear, beautiful eyes even more dazzling.

On the fourth day at noon, the Turkic delegation arrived punctually from the Tonghua Gate to the imperial city. Many onlookers gathered, but far from showing welcome, they all wore expressions of disdain.

"The Turks started the war first, and now they propose a marriage alliance—it’s like a weasel wishing Happy New Year, with ill intentions."

"Isn't that right? Prince Wu was on the frontline, risking his life—it was their fault. In my opinion, they should drag this princess out and execute her!"

"Hey, that’s not right," someone countered. "A woman might just be a political sacrifice. Coming thousands of miles to our Xuanwu, we should treat her with respect to uphold our reputation as a land of etiquette, spreading our influence so that all nations willingly submit to our dynasty." This person spoke with pride—it was Wen Yao, who had been bored at home for a long time.

Her words drew significant attention from the surrounding crowd, who stared at her as if she were a monster.

Wen Yao elbowed Di Jiang, saying, "Boss, didn’t I do well? They’re all admiring me. Although you told me this, remembering it word-for-word is quite impressive, right?"

Di Jiang lowered her head, rubbing her forehead, pretending not to know her.

Some things can be said privately, but putting them on display is unnecessary. People's thoughts and perspectives differ, so their views on matters vary. If you insist on arguing with them, it would be like chickens talking to ducks or playing music to cows—completely ineffective.