Chapter 323: Chapter 285: Make Ruxue a Consort and Princess Qingyang the Empress?

Inside Lingxin Hall, Empress Dowager Yan sat on a chair, her right hand clenched tightly. She frowned, her expression filled with impatience.

"Alright, alright, just stop pacing back and forth in front of me."

Empress Dowager Yan spoke irritably to her younger brother.

"Sister, tell me, what are we supposed to do now..."

Yan Shanao stopped pacing and sighed. He smacked the back of his hand, his voice full of dismay.

"What are we supposed to do? How should I know? Who knew the Sovereign of Qin would stir up this kind of trouble?" Empress Dowager Yan’s voice was also fraught with frustration and anger.

A short while ago, Yan Shanao had come to Lingxin Palace to find his sister and tell her about the matter concerning the Sovereign of Qin.

Only then did Empress Dowager Yan learn that the Sovereign of Qin had sent Princess Qingyang, the Eldest Princess of the Qin Kingdom, as an envoy to the Zhou Kingdom to attend the Sovereign of Zhou’s wedding ceremony.

If it were only that, it would have been fine. Empress Dowager Yan would have had no objections; on the contrary, she would have been very happy.

Because at the very least, it would have shown that the current Sovereign of Qin still remembered their old ties.

For the Zhou Kingdom, this would have been a tremendous blessing.

But that was not how it turned out.

The Sovereign of Qin actually intended to marry the Eldest Princess to Xiao Mo!

And to do it right when His Majesty was about to marry Ruxue.

’What on earth is the meaning of this?’

’Is the Sovereign of Qin trying to sabotage things?’

"Does His Majesty know about this?" Empress Dowager Yan asked her brother.

"He knows." Yan Shanao nodded and sighed. "That old coot Wei Xun told me a little while ago that he had already informed His Majesty."

"Then what was His Majesty’s reaction?" Empress Dowager Yan asked.

Yan Shanao stroked his chin, his brow furrowed. "Wei Xun said that after His Majesty learned of the matter, he didn’t have much of a reaction. He even had Wei Xun come ask for our opinion."

"Heh..." Empress Dowager Yan gave a dry laugh. "His Majesty is certainly magnanimous. It’s his own wedding, yet he acts as if it has nothing to do with him, completely washing his hands of the matter."

"His Majesty is currently absorbed in his cultivation and naturally doesn’t care for such matters. But that’s for the best; it makes him easier for us to control."

Yan Shanao, for once, spoke up for Xiao Mo.

"Sigh... His detachment would be a good thing, if not for the Qin Kingdom’s interference. My fear is that His Majesty will collude with the Eldest Princess of Qin."

Empress Dowager Yan sighed again. Her emotions gradually calmed, and she began to face reality.

"In any case, the current situation is not favorable. The Qin Kingdom has produced a wise ruler who has annexed ten kingdoms. It can now be considered a major power.

For him to marry the Eldest Princess into our Great Zhou now... besides that Sovereign acting on some sentiment from a past generation, I can’t think of any other reason.

If we were to refuse directly, it would be a huge slap in the face to the Qin Kingdom.

The Qin Kingdom is a martial power. If the Sovereign of Qin were to attack our Zhou Kingdom in a fit of rage, it would be a huge problem. And that’s not to mention that Elder Huang of the Wanjian Sect isn’t on our side at the moment."

"Don’t tell me we have to make Ruxue a consort and Princess Qingyang the Empress?" Yan Shanao muttered to himself, stroking his chin.

"Absolutely not!"

Empress Dowager Yan slammed the table with a SLAM and shot to her feet, her expression fierce.

"So what if that Princess Qingyang is the Eldest Princess of the Qin Kingdom? Is our Yan Clan’s brilliant daughter any less than her? Not to mention, Ruxue was supposed to marry Xiao Mo first!

I already feel incredibly guilty for letting Ruxue enter the imperial harem. Now you want her to give up the position of Empress? How could that ever happen!

In short! I will never agree to letting that Princess Qingyang be Empress while Ruxue is made a mere consort!"

"..."

Yan Shanao had only been thinking aloud; he had no real intention of letting his own clan’s prodigy be demoted from Empress to consort.

’But the problem is, how do I solve this dilemma?’

Just as Yan Shanao was racking his brains, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Sister, I have an idea that could satisfy both sides!"

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager’s eyes brightened. "Let’s hear it..."

...

「Minister of Rites’ Mansion.」

Dressed in a white gown, Yan Ruxue sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, her slender, jade-like fingers gently holding an invitation card.

Beneath her long lashes, her eyes—black as ink and as clear as agate—blinked softly, shimmering like a clear lake in spring.

Ming Yue gazed at the woman before her, lost in a daze before she knew it.

She had long heard that Yan Ruxue of the Yan Clan was the foremost prodigy of the Zhou Kingdom, and that her looks were so exceptional that she was known as the kingdom’s number one beauty.

But in her heart, Ming Yue had never taken such a woman seriously, feeling that compared to her own princess, she was nothing more than a firefly trying to rival the splendor of the bright moon.

But the moment Ming Yue laid eyes on Yan Ruxue, she couldn’t help but marvel at how such a beautiful woman could exist.

In terms of looks alone, she was in no way inferior to her princess, and her figure was perfect beyond compare.

In Yan Ruxue’s presence, Ming Yue couldn’t even muster a shred of jealousy; all she felt was pure admiration.

Moreover, this woman named Yan Ruxue possessed an even more extraordinary bearing.

Her every move revealed a dignified grace, and her every expression was poised and elegant.

Even just sitting there, she exuded an air of scholarly grace.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yan Ruxue slowly put down the envelope in her hand and looked up at Ming Yue.

Ming Yue’s eyes met Yan Ruxue’s, and her heart couldn’t help but beat faster.

Her eyes were clearly so gentle, yet for some reason, Ming Yue could feel a sense of emperor-like majesty from them.

Ming Yue quickly lowered her head, avoiding Yan Ruxue’s gaze, not daring to look her directly in the eye.

"Since it is an invitation from Princess Qingyang, Ruxue will naturally attend."

Yan Ruxue said with a smile.

"Please, Miss Ming Yue, convey to Her Highness the Princess that Ruxue will arrive at the Drunken Immortal Tower on time this evening."

"Y-yes..."

Ming Yue curtsied, took one last look at the stunning face of the woman before her, and then slowly withdrew.

After Ming Yue left, Chunyan asked nervously, "Miss... are you really going to the meeting?"

"Of course." A smile played on Yan Ruxue’s lips. "What, do you think she’s going to eat me alive?"

"N-no, that’s not it... It’s just... this servant heard a rumor. It seems the Sovereign of Qin sent Princess Qingyang to our Great Zhou with the intention of marrying the Eldest Princess to His Majesty, to form an alliance between our two kingdoms..."

Chunyan’s voice was tinged with apprehension.

For some unknown reason, the matter concerning Princess Qingyang and their Emperor had already spread throughout the Imperial City. Now, the common folk of the Imperial City were all discussing it.

For Princess Qingyang to invite her Miss at a time like this... she was probably trying to put her Miss in her place.

"Oh, there’s such a rumor? This is the first I’m hearing of it..."

Yan Ruxue smiled faintly and tapped Chunyan’s forehead, looking completely at ease and not the least bit nervous.

"Have the carriage prepared. This Princess Qingyang... I am indeed very curious to meet her."