The emperor asked, "What do you think about this matter, Mr. Pei?"
Pei Zheng bowed and said directly, "Your Majesty, the barbarian soldiers are all brave and good at fighting. General Zhao has been guarding the border for many years and has fought countless battles with them. Although he was able to kill a lot of the enemy every time, our soldiers also suffered heavy losses."
The emperor nodded and said, "Yes, General Zhao, please stand up quickly. I'm afraid we still need to discuss the matter of advancing."
Zhao Litang stood up and stood side by side with Pei Zheng.
"Your Majesty, since Lord Pei disagrees with my proposal, why not let Lord Pei tell us what to do."
Officials of the imperial court should not have interfered in matters of border warfare, but since Pei Zheng had managed to embarrass him in front of everyone, Zhao Litang would naturally not let it go.
Unexpectedly, Pei Zheng actually smiled when he heard this, as if he had already made a plan.
"Your Majesty, I do have a way to end the war with the barbarians."
When these words were spoken, not only the emperor and Zhao Litang were surprised, but all the ministers in the hall began to whisper.
The emperor asked hurriedly, "Oh? Pei Aiqing, what solution do you have? Feel free to tell me."
Pei Zheng turned around, glanced at Zhao Litang and the ministers sitting under him, and replied calmly, "Marriage."
The whispers gradually became louder, and most people shook their heads. The barbarians were rude and brutal, their customs were cruel, and they couldn't speak the same language. If they wanted to marry a princess to them, they would have to choose a suitable princess from the royal family.
Not to mention whether the emperor was reluctant to let his daughter marry far away and suffer, even if he wanted the barbarian leader to accept the marriage and then submit to the court naturally, it would be impossible to do so.
Prime Minister Pei is as shocking as ever, relying on his great favor to do whatever he wants and disrupt the government.
Seeing the ministers' objections coming one after another, the emperor said with some displeasure, "Today's banquet is to welcome General Zhao and the soldiers. We will discuss this matter later."
The ministers then quieted down, and Pei Zheng and Zhao Litang returned to their seats one after another.
Next, the dancers came on stage one after another. The hall was suddenly filled with fluttering clothes, pleasant fragrances, laughter and cheers.
The banquet lasted until late at night. After the emperor left, everyone in the hall also left in twos and threes.
The fourth prince Qi Changfeng and Zhao Litang walked towards the door together. Pei Zheng stared at the two figures disappearing at the door and clenched the wine glass in his hand.
He stood up, straightened his robe, and without looking back at the person behind him, he strode out of the hall.
The entire hall was almost empty, and the eunuchs and palace maids in charge came in and started to clean up the leftovers.
There was a small figure in the corner. Qi Changyi had been kneeling there with his head lowered until the young eunuch Li Yu patted him gently and said, "Your Highness?"
Qi Changyi seemed to have just come back to his senses.
"Your Highness, the banquet is over. I will take you back to the palace."
Qi Changyi glanced at Pei Zheng's empty seat, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes, and agreed obediently.
Li Yu helped him up. Qi Changyi's knee, which had just been hit, began to hurt again. He leaned on Li Yu, limped out of the hall, turned into a long deserted road, and walked towards his own bedroom.
A figure suddenly appeared in the moonlight not far away, which scared Qi Changyi. He exclaimed, and the figure looked over from a distance.
"Long memory."
The familiar voice made Qi Changyi stunned for a moment, and he called out the name directly, "Brother Tang."
Zhao Litang came over and glanced at Li Yu, who then retreated automatically at his perturbation.
General Zhao and his Royal Highness the Prince have an extraordinary friendship. They grew up together. Li Yu knew that it was inappropriate for him to stay here, so he went back to the palace alone.
The whole road became quiet and there was no one in sight. Zhao Litang finally couldn't suppress the longing in his heart and hugged Qi Changyi tightly in his arms.
"Xiao Changyi, I'm back."