Chapter 163 Marriage Alliance

Chapter 163: Marriage Alliance

Cheng Ge, while shouting in mock seriousness, "Shameful! Shameful! Do not look at what is improper! Do not look at what is improper!"

His voice, his tone, his movements—he mimicked it all perfectly.

At first listen, his cries were even louder than those of the elderly official beside him.

As if he were the most proper and the strictest observer of propriety in the entire hall.

Yet, under the cover of his wide official robe sleeves, his fingers secretly parted a tiny gap.

His dark, lively eyes darted around, and his gaze precisely targeted the slit.

Princess Wuya's alluring figure, swaying waist, and the bells with an exotic allure...

Through that slit, he took in every detail without missing a beat.

Princess Wuya walked with a composed step, a hint of a teasing smile at the corner of her mouth.

Her gaze swept casually across the hall, with a slightly condescending air, but unexpectedly met those eyes peeking through the sleeve gap.

Cheng Ge, as if aware he had been caught, widened his eyes even further in an instant.

She found it utterly amusing. Instead of looking away,

she deliberately, in Cheng Ge's direction, quickly winked her right eye, her glance full of allure.

Cheng Ge: "!!!"

Cheng Ge abruptly dropped his sleeves, completely dropping the act, gathered his sleeves and sat up straight.

His expression had become utterly frank, as if the person who had been hiding his face and shouting 'shameful' moments ago wasn't him at all.

Researchers have found through experiments that men who frequently admire beautiful women

tend to have lower blood pressure, slower pulse rates, fewer heart diseases, and can extend their average lifespan by four to five years.

He had less than three years to live. To prolong his life, taking a few more looks was totally understandable, you know?...

It had absolutely nothing to do with being lecherous, oh.

Princess Wuya almost laughed out loud by his cheeky quick change of expression, finding this young gentleman truly quite a character.

She was about to withdraw her gaze and continue towards the imperial throne to pay her respects, when an icy chill suddenly shot up her spine.

Instinctively, she turned her head and saw Yun Xunyu sitting upright in his seat, toying with a white jade wine cup in his hand.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered on his face, but his eyes held a cold murderous intent.

The smile on Wuya's face froze instantly, then turned into an almost imperceptible expression of speechless exasperation.

She pouted slightly, almost unnoticeably, and quickly withdrew her gaze.

The golden bells on her bare feet once again emitted clear, rhythmic sounds with each step forward.

"Wuya of the Southern Kingdom, pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou. May Your Majesty's blessings be everlasting, and may the bonds between our two kingdoms be eternal."

Her voice carried a slight foreign accent, yet it was crisp, pleasant, and completely composed.

The gazes of the entire hall focused on her. The elder ministers averted their eyes in disapproval, while the younger officials held their breath, their expressions complex.

Cheng Ge, seated at the far end, unconsciously propped his chin, picked up a piece of freshly added pastry from his table, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The elderly official beside him, upon hearing the crisp chewing sound, twitched his beard in anger.

Zhou Mingqi, perched high on the imperial throne, cast a calm glance over Wuya.

His face revealed neither joy nor anger. He merely nodded slightly: "The Princess has come from afar; there is no need for excessive ceremony. Rise, and be seated."

Princess Wuya thanked him and rose, following the court attendant to the seat arranged for her.

Halfway through the banquet, amid the clinking of cups and laughter, the atmosphere seemed harmonious, yet undercurrents surged.

The court music and dances had changed several times, the music of strings and winds never ceased.

At that moment, a square-jawed minister in a purple robe slowly rose.

Bowing to the imperial throne, his voice was resonant but carried a deliberate tone:

"Your Majesty, Princess Wuya has traveled a great distance to offer birthday congratulations to our Great Zhou. Her journey must have been arduous.

Our Great Zhou is a land of propriety, and should make appropriate arrangements to demonstrate the sincerity of a great power in hosting guests, and also to show the goodwill between our two nations."

He paused, his gaze seeming to sweep over Princess Wuya with feigned concern, his tone turning somewhat grave.

"Now that the northern border is unsettled, with outbreaks of war from time to time, in these turbulent times, maintaining neighborly relations and securing peace is indeed of utmost importance.

The Princess, with her illustrious status, will have her treatment in our Great Zhou closely watched by the Southern Kingdom and even the surrounding states.

If we can make a friendly nation feel at home and appreciate our sincerity, then peace on all four borders will be further secured."

These words seemed to express concern for the Princess, but in truth, every sentence pointed towards diplomatic relations.

Though he did not state it explicitly, the implication was crystal clear.

The most direct and stable way for two nations to maintain relations is through a marriage alliance.

Both princes were still young, and moreover, the position of the Crown Prince's consort could not possibly go to a foreign princess.

Thus, the only possible candidate for such a marriage alliance seemed to be the emperor himself on the dragon throne.

Zheng Huairen was testing the waters, and also urging, hoping that Zhou Mingqi would grant Princess Wuya a formal status right there at the banquet.

At these words, the hall fell silent for a moment. Many officials exchanged glances, their thoughts running in different directions.

Meanwhile, within the Southern Kingdom's delegation, the atmosphere also tensed subtly for an instant.

Everyone's gaze focused on the imperial throne.

Zhou Mingqi sat imperially on the dragon throne, his face still revealing neither joy nor anger.

He fingered a nine-dragon jade cup in his hand. After hearing Zheng Huairen's words, he did not respond immediately,

but instead cast a calm glance over Princess Wuya, finally settling his gaze back on Zheng Huairen.

"What Minister Zheng says is very true." Zhou Mingqi's voice was not loud, but held an undeniable authority.

"The Princess has come from afar as a guest; I will instruct the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial to properly accommodate her, ensuring she feels at home. I already have arrangements for this matter. Minister Zheng need not worry."

These words casually deflected Zheng Huairen's insinuation.

Without picking up on the topic of marriage alliance, he merely emphasized proper arrangements, as if the other had only spoken of the most routine reception matters.

A stiff expression froze on Zheng Huairen's face; clearly, he had not anticipated the emperor would blow him off so bluntly.

His lips moved: "Your Majesty, I believe that these arrangements affect the strength of our diplomatic relations. Perhaps we should..."

But he did not continue.

From the imperial throne, Zhou Mingqi's gaze had already lifted—calmly, even indifferently—and settled on his face.

That look was not sharp or intimidating, yet it was like an unfathomably deep winter pool, carrying an invisible pressure that reached straight into one's heart.

a chill shot up Zheng Huairen's spine, and he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

"Yes... yes, Your Majesty is wise." With that, he stiffly sat back down, lifting his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The air in the hall seemed to tighten instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

The officials kept their eyes down and their faces blank, all in a state of bewilderment.

What did His Majesty mean? Refusing the marriage alliance? Why refuse?

This was clearly an excellent option for both countries, a chance to ease pressure on the northern border!

Could His Majesty still hold a grudge against the Southern Kingdom? Or... was there a deeper meaning?

For a moment, various speculations swirled through everyone's minds. The emperor's mind was truly impossible to read.

Cheng Ge, seated at the far end, also sharply felt the sudden shift in the room.

He looked left and right, then poked a young official with a friendly face on his right.

"Hey, sir, what's... what's going on with His Majesty?"

Zhao Ming was also totally lost. He shook his head secretly, lowering his voice even further.

"How would I know, Lord Cheng? This... the imperial will is hard to fathom! Clearly a marriage alliance is a good thing, but His Majesty..." He didn't dare to guess further.

Cheng Ge stuffed a pastry in his mouth, also unable to figure it out.

He sneaked a glance up and quickly snuck a look at Zhou Mingqi on the throne.

The other man stayed calm, lifting his wine cup for a small sip.

Maybe the emperor was just getting too old to perform?

But judging by his appearance, that didn't seem to be the case. Didn't everyone say a man at thirty is a tiger, young till the end?

Surely he was still quite vigorous then...

Or... could it be that this emperor didn't like the sexy type? With that in mind, he casually glanced at Consort Chen.

Rumor in the harem had it that this consort held the highest rank and was the most favored.

Consort Chen looked noble and voluptuous, and every move oozed mature charm.

Cheng Ge only needed one look to have an immediate epiphany.

Tsk... So this Dog Emperor likes mature beauties?

Well, he supposed he could understand—after all, Lord Mengde had a thing for other men's wives...