Chapter 218 Na Erlan
"But the noble envoy said that as long as the Song Dynasty is willing, the marriage will be granted. His Highness said that the emperor has agreed to the marriage for the sake of peace between the two countries. When Sister Yunchu goes back this time, it won't be long before she marries into the Song Dynasty." Zhang Guifen said.
"Impossible!" Li Yunchu didn't believe it at all and said, "Don't try to trick me!"
"Maybe I'm wrong." Zhang Guifen shook her head and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's getting late. Let's walk around the garden and then go have dinner."
Li Yunchu followed Zhang Guifen around the garden, but he had no intention of enjoying the scenery. He kept thinking about what Zhang Guifen had said before.
Although she said that Zhang Guifen was lying to her, Zhang Guifen only asked her about some living habits and did not ask about anything else. What was the point of lying to her?
Could it be that what Zhang Guifen said was true?
Li Yunchu thought about it carefully and recalled that her younger brother had told her that she needed to pretend to marry and negotiate with the Song Dynasty.
Let her go to the Song Dynasty to play, and if she falls in love with the Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty, we can really marry her to the Crown Prince.
If you don't like it, forget it.
Li Yunchu did not want to marry a foreign prince. After all, her mother was still in Western Xia. If she married and came to Song Dynasty, it would be difficult for her to see her mother.
But it would be nice to come to the Song Dynasty to have some fun. She had always heard about the prosperity of the Song Dynasty and she longed for it.
But now that I think about it carefully, if it was really a fake marriage, was it necessary for her to come to the Song Dynasty?
"No, my royal brother would 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 dinner," said Zhang Guifen.
"Ah."
Li Yunchu did not refuse. She was a little confused and wanted to go back and ask Su Wenchang.
Zhang Guifen took Li Yunchu back to Chunhe Palace and ordered people to bring him food.
During the meal, Zhang Guifen took the initiative to talk to Li Yunchu, but Li Yunchu was absent-minded and didn't even eat the delicious food.
The banquet ended hastily and Li Yunchu asked to leave.
Zhang Guifen saw her off 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 are speaking so implicitly. She may not understand."
Although she had little contact with Li Yunchu, Zhang Guifen could feel that Li Yunchu was a simple-minded person.
If he had any sympathy at all, he would not have belittled Zhao Xing in front of her.
"It doesn't matter whether she understands it or not, as long as she knows it." Zhao Xing said with a smile.
"If Your Highness does not want to marry into the Western Xia, just refuse directly. Your father may not force Your Highness. I'm afraid doing so will not be very effective." Zhang Guifen said.
Zhao Xing asked her to invite Li Yunchu to the banquet and said these things to Li Yunchu without telling her the real purpose.
She thought that Zhao Xing was unwilling to marry the princess, and wanted Li Yunchu to go back and make a fuss so that Xixia would take the initiative to propose not to marry the princess to the Song Dynasty.
In her opinion, this approach has no effect at all.
Li Yunchu said that the marriage of Xixia women was not as strict as that in the Song Dynasty where parents’ orders were important, but is it possible?
She also knew something about the marriage system of the Western Xia and Liao dynasties. They would often hold activities for unmarried men and women to participate. If they were attracted to each other, they could give the other person a small gift they had made themselves. If the other person returned the gift, it meant that they accepted it.
However, this activity also has class characteristics. For nomadic people, ordinary people are just slaves of the nobles.
The nobles have their own circles, and the common people have their own circles.
Only nobles can participate in blind date activities organized by nobles, and ordinary people cannot participate.
In essence, it is still a marriage, but it is relatively freer.
In fact, it may not be the case. Some elders in the family have already made plans, and going there is just a formality.
Li Yunchu is a princess, so her marriage must be politically motivated. How can she do whatever she wants?
So no matter how she made trouble when she returned, as long as the Xixia emperor was willing to marry her to a foreign prince, the marriage would definitely go ahead.
"Who knows if it's useful or not." Zhao Xing shook his head slightly and was unwilling to say more.
His original intention was to let Li Yunchu go back and make a scene, and it would be best if the scene had no effect.
But plotting against a woman is not a glorious thing.
Zhang Guifen is also a woman, and perhaps she would not think that what Zhao Xing did was wrong, but she might still have some resentment in her heart.
Since Zhang Guifen has misunderstood, let her misunderstand.
…………
Li Yunchu returned to the Honglu Temple and ordered someone to call Su Wenchang over.
"Greetings, Her Royal Highness the Princess!" Su Wenchang bowed.
Li Yunchu waved his hand, looked at Su Wenchang and asked, "Minister Su, tell me, when you went to the palace to meet the Emperor of the Song Dynasty today, have you agreed to marry the Emperor of the Song Dynasty?"
"this…"
Su Wenchang felt a little embarrassed when he heard this. When he came, the emperor had told him not to tell Li Yunchu the truth.
But Li Yunchu already knows it now, how can he hide it?
Su Wenchang also knew that this matter should have been told by the Crown Prince or Crown Princess of Song and Li Yunchu.
He could deceive Li Yunchu and say that others were deceiving her.
But he also understood Li Yunchu's character. With Li Yunchu's character, he would definitely believe it and would even go to the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess of Song to mock them.
He could also persuade Li Yunchu not to go, on the condition that Li Yunchu would not meet the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Song Dynasty in the future. After returning, he would not have to worry about the rest of the matters.
Otherwise, this situation will still happen. Is it possible not to meet the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Song?
It is basically impossible. Before they go back, the Emperor of Song will definitely hold a banquet to entertain them.
Even if we find an excuse to prevent Li Yunchu from going, what if the Crown Prince of Song sees him off when he leaves?
This is also the reason why Su Wenchang is in a dilemma.
Li Yunchu saw Su Wenchang's embarrassed expression and hesitated to speak. His heart sank and he said, "My intentions regarding the marriage are fake. My brother wanted me to marry, right?"
"Your Highness, you have misunderstood. This diplomatic mission was to conduct trade with the Song Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty is unwilling to agree. I have no choice but to resort to this last resort." Su Wenchang said.
"Heh." Li Yunchu sneered and said with a sad look: "You can go down."
Su Wenchang said that he had to resort to this desperate measure because the Song Dynasty did not agree to trade.
But Su Wenchang is just a minister. If his younger brother had not said so before he came, would he dare to act on his own?
She is simple-minded, but that doesn't mean she is stupid.
She was still able to figure this out.
"Royal brother, you have changed. Maybe this is the real you." Li Yunchu murmured to himself.
…………
After some consideration, the government finally agreed to open trade with Western Xia.
The specific matters were discussed by Grand Chancellor Han Zhang and the Western Xia envoys.
After seven or eight days of negotiations, detailed charters were finalized.
The Xixia envoys had achieved their goal and needed to report the rules of the trade to the Xixia emperor, so they proposed to return home.
The emperor did not try to keep him, but instead hosted a banquet and asked Zhao Xing to see him off.
After not seeing him for a few days, Li Yunchu looked thinner.
Unlike before when he saw Zhao Xing, he did not look at him coldly and just got into the carriage directly.
Zhao Xing escorted the envoys to a place ten miles west of the city, where he stopped and watched the Xixia envoys' team go away before turning back to the city.
…………
"Your Highness, I, the humble servant, greet you!" Sheng Wei and his son bowed.
"No need for formality!" Zhao Xing smiled and waved his hand, looking at Sheng Changsong.
Sheng Changsong looks very much like Sheng Wei, and appears to be honest and loyal.
In fact, it's not just Sheng Changsong, Sheng Changwu is the same.
The father and his two sons all look honest and loyal.
"Your father told you everything, right?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Your Highness, my father has already said that although I know I am not capable enough, since Your Highness trusts me, I will do my best and live up to Your Highness' trust." Sheng Changsong said in a deep voice.
"What's the point of having enough ability? It's all about doing business. I heard that your father handed over the family business to you, and you have been managing it very well. I believe you can do it well. Your father will not leave for the time being and will teach you." Zhao Xing waved his hand.
"Yes!" Sheng Changsong replied.
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 come in a few months. By then, the people will be busy with the autumn harvest and there will be fewer people to hire. Before winter, all the northern border cities must be repaired."
"Your Highness, don't worry. The craftsmen sent by the Ministry of Works are already familiar with the use of cement. I have also sent people to the border to recruit civilians and mine stones. With such a magical thing as cement, we will definitely be able to complete it before winter." Sheng Wei said.
During this period of time, he was not idle while waiting for Sheng Changsong to come to Bian Jing.
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 begin repairing the city.
"Well, if there is nothing else, go ahead." Zhao Xing said.
"Your Highness, Li Ge sent someone to deliver a message saying that he will come to Bian Jing to meet Your Highness soon." Sheng Wei said.
"I'm waiting for him." Zhao Xing sneered, "When he comes, bring him directly to the East Palace to see me. If you are not in Bianjing, let Changsong bring him."
"Yes!"
Seeing that Zhao Xing had no other instructions, Sheng Wei and Sheng Changsong bowed and left.
…………
In July, the weather became hotter and Zhao Xing began to stay at home again.
Zhao Xing basically never went to Kaifeng Prefecture, and asked Sheng Hong and others to report directly to the Eastern Palace every day.
After completing the handover, Sheng Wei took a group of craftsmen from the public ministry to the northern border.
Although it was a hot summer day, the government did not levy corvée this time. Instead, it hired people with money and food, which could also be used to offset corvée labor.
Even in the hot summer, there are still many followers.
…………
The three sisters of the Sheng family are of similar age, and the youngest, Minglan, came of age in early July.
Not long after Lin Xiaoniang's death, Molan reached the age of marriage, and Sheng Hong hastily married Molan to his new student Wen Yanjing.
Wen Yanjing was born into a commoner family and took part in the imperial examination at the same time as Sheng Changbai.
However, due to unfamiliarity with the local climate and feeling unwell during the imperial examination, he performed poorly and failed to pass.
However, he got a place in the Imperial College and stayed in Bianliang to study.
Sheng Hong met him by chance and found that he had good talent and had a good chance of passing the imperial examination, so he accepted him as his student and promised his concubine's daughter to him.
In mid-July, Rulan was taken into the Eastern Palace, and Minglan went with her as a dowry.
(End of this chapter)