Chapter 436: Seeking Marriage (4)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The air in the throne room gradually tightened, as if an invisible bowstring had been pulled taut and an arrow was nocked.

Chu Yi smiled gently the entire time. Baili Yin was also smiling coldly.

After a while, Baili Yin finally moved. He slowly turned to look at the Emperor on the throne, and his tone turned cold. “Your Majesty, is this your country’s sincerity?”

“The State of Yue is full of sincerity. Do you think our country is easy to bully?!”

Without waiting for the Emperor to answer, Baili Yin casually cupped his hands and said, “I’ll take my leave.”

After cupping his hands and bowing, Baili Yin flicked his sleeves and left. He strode out of the throne room, leaving behind a determined back view.

The entire court looked at Baili Yin’s departing figure and didn’t speak for a long time.

After Baili Yin walked away, the throne room quickly became noisy.

Xiao Shoufu finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. He took a step forward from the line and looked at Chu Yi disapprovingly.

After bowing, he said in a condemning tone, “Your Highness, you shouldn’t be so impulsive. This concerns the future of the two countries. Your Highness, you really shouldn’t do things because of your personal likes and dislikes. Your Highness only wants to vent your old anger, but you’re disregarding the safety of the country and the people!”

The meaning between the lines was that Chu Yi had suffered grievances when he was a hostage in the State of Yue and had a heart of grievance. That was why he didn’t care about the country’s overall situation and did as he pleased!

As he spoke, Kang Wang and the other officials around him nodded repeatedly.

The Eldest Prince was still too young and impulsive.

“Then how do you think the Grand Secretary should deal with it?” Chu Yi smiled and said, “I’ll listen to the Grand Secretary.”

He looked at Xiao Shoufu with a modest smile, looking like he was all ears.

His words and actions were exceptionally appropriate, and no one could find fault with him.

Xiao Shoufu was speechless.

Xiao Shoufu couldn’t believe his ears for a moment. The Eldest Prince looks gentle, but he’s actually very opinionated. Will he even listen to me?!

Just as he was hesitating, Xiao Shoufu noticed that the Emperor beside him had curled his lips slightly. He calmly picked up the teacup and seemed to be in a good mood.

Wait! Could it be a trick?!

When this thought appeared in his mind, Xiao Shoufu’s frown deepened.

Logically speaking, the benefits of this marriage outweighed the disadvantages for the Eldest Prince.

It was impossible for the Emperor not to understand this.

Xiao Shoufu looked at Chu Yi for a moment and then at the Emperor on the throne. The corners of his eyes twitched.

Could it be…

His Majesty is afraid that they’ll jump out and object, so he’s deliberately retreating in order to advance later?

The more Xiao Shoufu thought about it, the more shocked he became. Cold sweat gradually seeped out from his neck to his back, and his heart turned cold.

Since he didn’t speak, Kang Wang and his followers didn’t speak either.

After a moment of silence in the throne room, Chu Yi’s sighing voice sounded from ahead again. “It seems that even the Grand Secretary doesn’t know what to do.”

His voice was clear, low, and slow, without any aggressiveness, but Xiao Shoufu’s expression darkened, and his heart was in a mess.

Chu Yi retracted the smile on his lips, and his voice turned cold. “As the dignified Grand Secretary, you’re in a high position, and everyone follows you, but you don’t even have an idea. It’s really disappointing.”

“Sigh, the Grand Secretary is indeed old. The Grand Secretary should really listen to my advice and recuperate well.” Chu Yi sighed meaningfully.

Although Chu Yi didn’t say it directly, it was equivalent to asking Xiao Shoufu to retire.

Afraid that the Emperor would follow Chu Yi’s orders, Xiao Shoufu gritted his teeth and didn’t have time to consider his words carefully. He hurriedly said, “I’m thinking that since the Eldest Prince is the Emperor’s only son, he naturally can’t marry the Princess of the State of Yue. Otherwise, the bloodline of the imperial family will be impure.”

He immediately changed the topic. “However, I think that even if there’s something wrong with the marriage, Your Highness shouldn’t reject the Third Prince Baili like this and make the situation tense.”

“The State of Yue didn’t hesitate to let the legitimate princess marry into our State of Jin. It can be seen how sincere they are. The marriage between the two countries is still debatable.”

“Such as?” Chu Yi raised his eyebrows with a faint smile.

When he asked this, the other courtiers also began to consider the candidates for a marriage alliance with the State of Yue. The Emperor only had Chu Yi as his only son. The State of Yue used the legitimate princess as the candidate for a marriage alliance. It was impossible for the State of Jin to use the distant imperial family to patronize them. That would only make the State of Yue feel that the State of Jin was too casual with the State of Yue.

In that case, there weren’t many candidates left in the royal family. The closest descendants were only the sons of the previous Emperor.

The late Emperor had seven sons. Excluding those who died prematurely, among the surviving sons of the current Emperor, there were five princes. And there was only one prince who was unmarried.

“Kang Wang!” Xiao Shoufu blurted it out.

Yes, Kang Wang wasn’t married yet..