MM Racing Chapter 287 Threat
Chapter 287 Threat
The emperor and empress sat down side by side.
After the guests were seated, the Wolf King of Beisha presented the gifts.
A beautiful young woman, dressed up meticulously, just reaching the age of marriage, was truly charming and alluring, with fair skin and delicate features. No man with eyes that weren't blind could resist such a woman.
She was born to the Wolf King of Beisha and a woman from the Great Zhou Dynasty, and in Beisha, she was considered to have the title of princess.
Li Yuanke glanced at the woman, swirling the wine cup in his hand, and said rather rudely, "What does the Wolf King mean by this? Is he looking down on my Empress, or on me?"
The Wolf King of Beisha was caught off guard. He had expected that the Emperor of Da Zhou would not refuse such a generous gift. Although his daughter was not of noble birth, she was known as the "Pearl of Beisha" on the grasslands. He would not comment on her abilities, but in terms of beauty, she was definitely no less than Shen Shixi.
Shen Shixi is almost twenty years old.
In a few years, she'll be old and faded.
The Wolf King laughed heartily, "Your Majesty the Emperor is indeed different now that you've taken a wife. However, Your Majesty, I don't believe Empress Chenyuan Zhao is a jealous woman. What are you afraid of?"
He glanced provocatively at Empress Chen Yuanzhao.
Shen Shixi smiled calmly and remained silent.
Shen Xianzhang was enraged and stepped forward, saying, "I have long heard that barbarian lands lack manners, and today I have seen it for myself. Even if one is not born in a land of etiquette, one should know that sending a beautiful maidservant, Miao Ji, on one's wedding day is disrespectful to the newlyweds. How can the Empress of my Great Zhou tolerate such humiliation!"
Nie Yunshen stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I request permission to lead the expedition and fight against Beisha!"
The wolf king of the North Sands looked displeased.
"I really don't understand. Doesn't His Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou have more than one beauty in his harem? I also remember that Empress Chen Yuanzhao said something similar that day. Two more or two less won't make a difference. I sincerely presented this gift on such a joyous day. I don't know what you, the emperor and his ministers, are upset about."
Just now, Lord Shen said that I, the Khan, am ignorant of etiquette, sending a beautiful woman on my wedding day. This is proper etiquette in my Northern Desert!
Conversely, it means that Shen Xianzhang did not understand the etiquette of Beisha.
Shen Xianzhang, not wanting to swear in this setting, could only say, "Does the Wolf King of Beisha know that our Great Zhou has a saying, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'?"
"I, the Khan, have been invited to congratulate His Majesty the Emperor on his wedding. Can this be considered 'entering the homeland'?" the Wolf King of the Northern Sands asked with a smile.
This is just being unreasonable.
Shen Shixi ignored him and asked the girl, "What are your skills?"
The girl gave Li Yuanke a shy wink and said, "I can play musical instruments, dance the Great Zhou Dynasty, sing songs, and I am somewhat proficient in the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
Shen Shixi said, "Oh, you're a common talent. Everyone in the Emperor's harem knows what you're good at. What else do you know that's different?"
The Wolf King of the Northern Sands chimed in, "What does Empress Chen Yuanzhao mean by this? A young lady only needs to know how to serve others; is that not enough?"
Shen Shixi said, "Our Great Zhou does not support useless people. Even if she said she could spin and weave, I would still decide to keep her. But she can't do anything. If we're talking about serving people, aren't the palace maids in the harem better than her?"
"Look at her hands, Wolf King. Have they ever done any hard labor?"
The Wolf King of the Northern Sands said, "Young ladies are naturally raised with great care to serve noblemen. How could His Majesty the Emperor's women do rough work? Your Majesty the Empress is joking!"
Shen Shixi said, "Whether it's a joke or not, it's up to me! Is the Wolf King choosing a woman for His Majesty the Emperor of my Great Zhou? Then let me make the decision today. The Grand Consort has been gone for two years, and the Wolf King has completed his mourning period. You may take this girl as your Grand Consort!"
The wolf king and the girl immediately changed their expressions. The wolf king was so angry that he almost overturned the table. "Chen Yuan, don't go too far! This is my daughter, the princess of my Northern Sands. How dare you humiliate her like this?"
Shen Shixi slammed her hand on the table. "Today is my wedding day with the Emperor. What is the meaning of this humiliation by the Wolf King? If you want to start a war, this time, I, the Emperor of Great Zhou, will not need to personally lead the army. You may choose any of the men in this hall to fight against!"
All the military officers stood up, each one glaring menacingly!
"I am willing to go to war for Her Majesty the Empress, I am willing to go to war for my Great Zhou!"
The force of the thunder almost blew off the roof of the Taiji Hall!
At this moment, Crown Prince Yelü Buge of Xiling stepped forward, smiling as he smoothed things over, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This is a misunderstanding! It is true that Beisha has a custom of sending beautiful maids to the groom on the wedding day. The Wolf King was unaware of this and sent the wrong gift. Your Majesty, please be magnanimous and do not take it to heart!"
The two countries have finally made peace, and this tranquility is hard-won. Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress truly wishes to reignite war? This would be detrimental to the people of both nations. Her Majesty has always loved her people like her own children; she surely wouldn't want to see such widespread suffering!
Shen Shixi sized up Yelü Buge, who was in his twenties and a relatively old crown prince. However, the emperor of Xiling was said to be able to sleep with several women every night and was in good spirits and health. It was just a matter of whether Yelü Buge could outlive the old emperor.
"Your Highness is mistaken. If Xiling and Beisha were to join forces again and reignite the war, the battlefield would certainly not be in our Great Zhou. Although the people of Xiling and Beisha are utterly innocent, I am merely the Empress of Great Zhou, powerless to intervene or offer any assistance, and can only watch helplessly!"
This is a blatant threat!
Furthermore, when the Wolf King of Beisha offered his daughter, the Emperor of Great Zhou didn't care at all and immediately lost face. What else is there to be confused about? Great Zhou is not what it used to be. After winning this battle, the Emperor no longer takes Xiling and Beisha seriously.
The Crown Prince of Xiling gave an awkward smile. "The Empress's words may not be true; we should consider the circumstances at the time!"
Shen Shixi laughed and said, "The 100,000-strong army of Xiling was buried in the Wuding River. General Yelü died in battle. Is there any general who can lead an army of 100,000 now? Although your country still has a few generals with some reputation, their ability to command troops is at most 30,000 to 50,000."
"This small force, can it possibly cause a conflict with my Great Zhou? Leaving aside General Ling at Tianfei Pass, Huo Feiyuan alone is enough to contend with you; Crown Prince, what is your purpose in coming here this time? I don't need to spell it out. You can all see the state of my Great Zhou with your own eyes! Therefore, it's best not to provoke me!"
The crown prince took his seat and said no more.
With the atmosphere at ease, Li Yuanke raised his glass to thank all the guests before joining them in a toast.
Shen Shixi had been hungry all day, and even sitting on the Empress's throne, nothing could stop her from eating a few bites; she ate with particular relish.
Li Yuanke frequently served her food and took care of her meals. Everyone could see which was an act and which was genuine affection; the emperor's actions were mostly habitual.
After the banquet, the emperor and empress returned to their sleeping quarters in the Qian Yuan Palace.
Everywhere you look, there are festive colors. The flames of dragon and phoenix wedding candles, as thick as a child's arm, leap and dance. The character for "happiness" is pasted on the window, and a bright red curtain with a hundred sons hangs on the wall. The bed is covered with a red satin quilt embroidered with gold dragon and phoenixes, and adorable children are playing various games.
Upon seeing the Emperor and Empress enter, everyone left.
The hall was quiet, with only the soft crackling of the wedding candles. Li Yuanke cupped Shen Shixi's face and kissed her.