After the tribal lord left, the prince spoke up, "Father, they didn't get the food, so they seized the marriage."
The emperor sarcastically said, "The marriage also depends on my permission."
He would only accept princesses who were sent to him, and would never marry a princess or the daughter of an important official far away. He believed that long-term peace depended on force, not on using women, and he spoke it out loud as he thought.
The prince met his father's sharp eyes and couldn't help swallowing his saliva, "Son will remember it."
The emperor then withdrew his gaze. There had been princesses who were married off for alliances in every dynasty, but with different customs and unfamiliar living environments, how many princesses had a good ending after marrying off? He would never use women for alliances, and his future generations would not allow it.
At the same time as the spring examination began, the grassland tribes made up their minds to form an alliance, and their actions were much more aggressive than before. These people did not say anything when they were rejected before, so few people in the court knew about the news. Now they intend to spread the news, and now all the ministers in the court know about it.
During these years of peace and stability, some court officials felt that marriage was a good thing if it could ensure long-term stability, while some officials were opposed to it, believing that it would only bring trouble.
Zhou Shuren had a cold face. These tribes couldn't get food and grass for free. This was a free-for-all. Thinking of the memorial he saw today, Zhou Shuren's face turned very dark.
Qiu Yan was furious at Zhou Shuren's cold face when he came in. "Are you angry about the marriage?"
Zhou Shuren, "You've heard the news, too. They don't want to marry a princess or a royal daughter, they just want a court lady of decent birth."
Qiu Yan heard more. Some ministers thought that the girl from the Zhou family was suitable, regardless of her age or family background. "The emperor would not agree."
Zhou Shuren's expression softened, "You see clearly."
Qiu Yan sat down and said, "If I don't understand, I wouldn't have come all the way here."
After a pause, he continued, "Your Excellency has gained the trust of the royal family along the way, and this trust is also enviable. Your Excellency has no need to be angry about anything he hears."
Zhou Shuren naturally knew that he had already made his attitude clear. The grassland tribe would not mention the Zhou family girl this time. The grassland tribe's marriage was intended to paralyze the court temporarily, not to cause trouble, and they were also afraid that he would interfere.
But there were too many people in the court who disliked him, so it would be more appropriate to directly mention the daughter of the Zhou family in the memorial.
Qiu Yan continued, "I think the emperor has no plans for marriage, so you can rest assured."
Zhou Shuren pressed his forehead and said, "It's because I'm too talented that I'm hated. I'll take whatever measures they use."
Qiu Yan, "... "
He regretted speaking!
In the palace, the emperor was looking through the memorials. "Some ministers have become accustomed to comfort and have lost their sharpness. Look at what is written above. Don't they understand that these tribes have rested and recuperated? Don't they know that these tribes are wolves that can never be fed?"
The emperor drank tea and listened to his son's angry words. He said slowly, "The country has developed rapidly in recent years, and envoys from various countries have been coming. The ministers have felt the wealth. The war has had a huge impact. Some people want to protect their own interests, and some people may have been bought."
Just as his son continued to bribe people from the grassland tribes, the ministers in the court were not a monolithic group.
The emperor threw down the memorial and said, "There are still people trying to take advantage of the situation. Several memorials have mentioned the daughter of the Zhou family."
The Emperor, "Knowing that Zhou Shuren has offended various tribes, if he grants their wishes, it will mean that there will be a rift between the royal family and the Zhou family. It's a good plan."
There are several people in the capital who want to marry their daughters off for alliances. The grassland tribes were originally the defeated party. With the rapid development of the country in recent years, they have felt what the Celestial Empire is. Even though the ministers are kind to the tribal princes, only they themselves know what they are thinking.
The emperor sneered, "Before I could test them, they couldn't help but jump out one after another. That's great."
The emperor remained calm. His son was ambitious, and those who could not keep up with his ideas would be marginalized. He pointed at the memorials and said, "If you come forward yourself, you won't have to test them one by one."
What the emperor was more concerned about was, "The queen is pregnant again. This time, the Wen family is highly favored in the spring examination. I heard that they are strong contenders for the top prize."
The emperor nodded. In recent years, he has valued the Zhou family more. The Zhou family is a force that he and his father have built up step by step. The Zhou family is bound to touch the interests of other families. After he ascended the throne, he alienated the Wen family and let the prince get close to the Zhou family. The Wen family was also very dissatisfied with the Zhou family.
The Wen family made a lot of changes to the memorial that was submitted.
The Spring Examination has not yet ended, and all attention is focused on the marriage between grassland tribes.
The Gu family that Yu Shuang married into was a simple one. Her uncle Gu Zhuomin already had an idle position and would not interfere too much. Instead, Gu Zhuomin told his wife not to say too much, so Yu Shuang didn't hear any news and stayed at home taking care of her son Gu Zhaoyuan.
But Yu Lu is different. The Wang family is well-informed, and some people deliberately spread the news, so it is hard for the Wang family not to know.
Facing the questions from her two younger sisters, Yu Lu showed no worry at all. "Rumors cannot be trusted. Everything depends on the will of the Heavenly Family. Do you think what my sister-in-law said is right?"
Wang Hua did not miss any changes in his sister-in-law's expression, but unfortunately he did not notice anything. "Sister-in-law is right, but I heard that the most popular candidate is Miss Zhou. Sister-in-law, are you really not worried?"
Yu Lu was impatient, but she said without showing it, "There are many candidates in the capital, and the rumors don't single out the Zhou family. The Wen family, the Rong family, etc. have also been mentioned, but why does my sister say that the Zhou family is the only one who is chosen? My sister-in-law just said that it depends on the royal family's opinion. Is this marriage just one-sided or are they both interested? We just need to wait for the result."
Wang Hua's face looked unnatural. Why did she keep biting Miss Zhou? Because she was jealous. Before her sister-in-law got married, she was jealous of Miss Zhou. After her sister-in-law got married, she knew more about how good the Zhou family was to their daughter. If only she could stop being jealous.
Wang Yun disliked the elder sister from the second house very much. As the legitimate granddaughter of the second house, she should be generous, but she pretended to be so generous with a heart as small as a needle eye.
Wang Yun changed the subject, "Big brother's spring exam will be over tomorrow, and I don't know what rank he will get."
Wang Hua's mind moved, and his face unconsciously blushed. "I heard that the fourth son of the Wen family has the highest chance of passing the imperial examination. I wonder if the fourth son of the Wen family will pass the imperial examination first."
Wang Yun was stunned. After all these years of being sisters, she finally realized how thoughtful this sister was. She had very high standards. However, "Sister, we are talking about my brother again. It's not good for you to care about other men at this time."
Wang Hua realized that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly explained, "It is precisely because I am worried about my elder brother that I want to know the news about the fourth master Wen. He is my elder brother's rival."
Yu Lu curled her lips inwardly. She really didn't expect that Wang Hua fell in love with Wen Rong. Thinking of what her husband had told her, that it would be good if she could make it into the top ten this time, Yu Lu was worried that her husband was under too much pressure, and she became more and more impatient with Wang Hua.