roccoschili Chapter 323 The Imperial City is in an uproar! His Majesty has actually married Empress Li Yang!
Chapter 323 The Imperial City is in an uproar! His Majesty has actually married Empress Li Yang!
The news spread like wildfire.
Within just a few days, the news that Emperor Qin Mu of the Great Qin Dynasty was going to marry Empress Zhao Qingxue of Liyang had become common knowledge.
Streets and alleys, restaurants and teahouses, official roads and post stations, fields and villages.
Everyone's talking about it.
……
The Imperial City, East Market.
This is the most prosperous area of the imperial city, where people from all walks of life gather.
The morning sun shines on the bluestone road, evaporating the rainwater left over from last night into a thin mist.
Shops along both sides of the street gradually opened their doors.
Steam rose from the breakfast stalls, fried dough sticks sizzled in the pan, and the aroma of soy milk mingled with the morning mist, permeating the entire street.
Farmers selling vegetables carried their loads on shoulder poles, shouting their wares at the top of their lungs, their voices rising and falling in waves.
The old shopkeeper selling cloth stood at the door, directing his assistants to bring out bolts of silk, which were then spread out in the morning light, their vibrant colors attracting passersby.
The most bustling place is the "Yuelai Teahouse" at the street corner.
The three-story wooden building features flying eaves, bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters, and a golden plaque hanging above the door, said to be the work of a great calligrapher from a previous dynasty.
The teahouse is always doing good business, but today it's exceptionally good.
Both upstairs and downstairs, every seat was taken.
People were even sitting on the steps by the door, holding teacups, cracking melon seeds, and discussing the important matter with great enthusiasm.
"Have you heard? His Majesty is going to marry Empress Li Yang as his empress!"
A burly man dressed in shorts and with his shirt open slapped his thigh and spoke in a voice so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire street.
His name was Zhao Dazhuang. He made a living by slaughtering pigs in the East Market and was known in the area for his loud voice.
"Who hasn't heard about this? It's all over town!" A scholar in a blue robe across from him waved his folding fan, rolled his eyes, and spoke with a hint of disdain.
His surname was Zhou. He taught at a nearby private school, considered himself a scholar, and looked down on loud, boorish people like Zhao Dazhuang.
"Zhou Xiucai, tell me, what kind of person is this Empress Liyang?" Zhao Dazhuang asked casually as he stepped forward.
Scholar Zhou closed his folding fan, cleared his throat, and adopted a haughty demeanor.
"Empress Zhao Qingxue of Liyang lost her mother at the age of eight, began to participate in politics at the age of fifteen, and ascended the throne at the age of twenty. At the beginning of her reign, there was much dissatisfaction in the court. She suppressed three princes who intended to rebel with swift and decisive measures, and won over civil and military officials with a policy of appeasement, thus securing her throne."
He paused, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"In the past five years, the strength of Liyang has not declined but increased. Under the Empress's command are the three pillars of Liyang: General Gu Jiantang, Prime Minister Zhang Julu, and martial arts master Li Chunfeng. All three pillars are experts in the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, especially the Sword God Li Chunfeng, who reached the peak of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm thirty years ago and is said to be trying to break through to the Land Immortal Realm."
"Such a person is actually going to marry our Emperor?"
Zhao Dazhuang's eyes widened and his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
"What's so strange about that?"
In the corner, an elderly man with white hair put down his teacup and slowly began to speak.
He was dressed in a faded gray cloth long gown, with a lean face and three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest, clearly a man who had seen the world.
"Who is our Emperor? He is the Son of Heaven!"
He stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"On the day of his ascension to the throne, a purple aura stretched three thousand miles eastward, and nine dragons coiled above the imperial city—such extraordinary phenomena have never been seen before. Although Empress Li Yang was powerful, she was ultimately just a mortal emperor. Our Emperor, however, came from the heavens!"
"That's right!"
Zhao Dazhuang slapped his thigh so hard that the teacups on the table jumped.
"I knew it! How could His Majesty be a tyrant? Those who say His Majesty is dissolute and neglects state affairs are just jealous! Have you ever seen a tyrant who could marry Empress Liyang?"
"you do not say!"
A middle-aged woman at the next table chimed in. She was dressed in silk and looked like the wife of a wealthy merchant.
"My husband travels to Jiangnan for business year-round. He says that everyone there speaks highly of His Majesty. This year, taxes have been reduced, corrupt officials have been eliminated, and the dikes have been repaired solidly, with no problems whatsoever during the rainy season. Could this be the work of a tyrannical ruler?"
"Exactly!"
A young man squeezed in, beaming with excitement.
"Did you know? We've won another victory in the west! General Lü Bu has utterly routed the Xiliang people. I heard that Liu Meng even lost his armor and banner!"
"General Lü Bu is indeed brave, but without Your Majesty's strategic planning, how could the war in the western border have gone so smoothly?"
Zhou Xiucai opened the folding fan again, shaking his head.
"Think about it. When the Western Liang invaded the border, His Majesty immediately mobilized troops, drawing 50,000 elite soldiers from the northern frontier to provide reinforcements, and also allocated three million taels of silver from the imperial treasury as military pay. Every single one of these actions demonstrates the wisdom of a wise ruler."
The discussions in the teahouse grew increasingly heated and excited.
Everyone's face was filled with a sense of pride and honor.
That's the pride that only the people of Qin feel when they learn that their country is becoming stronger and stronger.
"So, His Majesty was feigning unconsciousness all along?"
Zhao Dazhuang scratched his head, a rare thoughtful expression appearing on his rugged face.
"Of course!"
Zhou Xiucai was resolute.
"Your Majesty is fishing! Fishing for those with ulterior motives! Think about it, if Your Majesty appears wise and powerful, would those with ill intentions dare to step forward? Only when they think Your Majesty is a foolish ruler, and that they have an opportunity to take advantage, will they reveal their true colors. Once they do, Your Majesty can wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Zhao Dazhuang gave a thumbs up, his eyes filled with admiration.
"We roughnecks could never understand His Majesty's mind in eight lifetimes!"
"So, following His Majesty is the right thing to do!"
The white-haired old man spoke again, his voice not loud, but with a convincing calmness.
"With Empress Liyang marrying Your Majesty, the two nations are now united, and there will be no more war. The people on both sides of the Lancang River can live in peace and prosperity, no longer fearing the ravages of war. This is a truly great thing!"
"you do not say!"
The middle-aged woman nodded repeatedly, her eyes even reddening slightly.
"My maternal home is right on the banks of the Lancang River. When I was a child, there were floods and wars every year. People in the village either died or fled, and only a few households were left. Later, Da Qin and Li Yang made peace and divided the country along the river, and life became a little better. Now that the two countries are united and there is no more war, my relatives over there can finally live in peace."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and sighs and exclamations rose and fell.
Amidst the heated discussion, a different voice rang out from a corner.
"Have you ever considered that Empress Li Yang's marriage to our Emperor might have ulterior motives?"
The teahouse suddenly fell silent.
All eyes turned to that corner.
The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing a blue cloth robe, with an ordinary face who could easily be mistaken for someone in a crowd.
He felt a little nervous under the watchful eyes of everyone. He swallowed hard, but still forced himself to continue speaking.
"I mean, Empress Li Yang is, after all, the ruler of a nation, commanding a million-strong army and awe-inspiring throughout the Eastern Continent. How could someone like that willingly marry our Emperor? Could it be... that she has some ulterior motive?"
The teahouse fell silent for a moment.
Then--
"Plot? What plot could she possibly have?"
Zhao Dazhuang was the first to jump up, his voice booming like thunder.
"She married our Emperor and became the Empress of our Great Qin. An Empress plotting against her own country? Isn't that insane?"
"that is!"
The young man also stood up, filled with righteous indignation.
"No matter how powerful Empress Li Yang is, she's still just a person. She married into our Great Qin, so she's now one of us. She can't possibly empty her own family's coffers, can she?"
Scholar Zhou opened his folding fan again and spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
"My friend, you are overthinking it. If Empress Li Yang truly had ulterior motives, she wouldn't have publicly announced her marriage to Qin. She could have secretly allied with Qin and plotted her move slowly. Now that she has announced to the world that the two countries are united, this is a foregone conclusion, not a trivial matter."
"Even if we assume she truly has ulterior motives, what kind of person is our Emperor?"
The white-haired old man stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming.
"If Your Majesty could make her willingly marry into the family, you must have a way to make her willingly become Empress. Think about it, Your Majesty could even conquer the Empress of Liyang, so what in this world can't Your Majesty do?"
These words were spoken with such confidence that a chorus of applause immediately erupted in the teahouse.
"Well said!"
"that is!"
"Your Majesty is wise and mighty, your glory will last for ten thousand generations!"
Cheers, applause, and whistles filled the air.
The man in the blue robe who had raised the objection was overwhelmed by the crowd's enthusiasm. He awkwardly shut his mouth, picked up his teacup, lowered his head, and said no more.
The discussions in the teahouse grew even more heated.
"From this day forward, Liyang will be a vassal state of our Great Qin!"
"No, it's the merger of the Li Yang Dynasty and the Great Qin Dynasty!"
"Will the concept of 'leaving the sun' still exist?"
"Of course! Li Yang is still Li Yang, but from this day forward, the emperor of Li Yang is our Emperor!"
"What about Empress Li Yang?"
"Empress Liyang is both His Majesty's empress and the emperor of Liyang. To put it simply, she's one person ruling two countries!"
"Will there be more wars in the future?"
"Why fight? We're all family now, why fight?"
"What about the North? Xu Longxiang there has always been dissatisfied with our Emperor, hasn't he?"
"What's the use of him submitting or not? Li Yang has already merged with us. His northern border is isolated and helpless. What waves can he possibly make?"
"Exactly! If he knows what's good for him, he'll obediently hand over his military power and return to the capital to live a leisurely life as a prince. If he doesn't, well, His Majesty can wipe him out with a flick of his finger!"
"Yes, yes, yes! His Majesty can even marry Empress Li Yang, why would he be afraid of a mere prince from the Northern Border?"
The more they talked, the more excited and passionate they became.
It was as if the Qin Dynasty had already unified the world, bringing peace and prosperity to all corners of the land, and all nations paying tribute.
The atmosphere in the teahouse was as lively as during the Chinese New Year.
Everyone had a smile on their face and their eyes were shining.
That was a light of pride, a light of arrogance, a light full of hope for the future.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, no one noticed a customer sitting in a corner by the window on the second floor of the teahouse.
He was dressed in a dark gray cloth robe and wore a straw hat that was pulled low, almost covering half of his face.
On the table was a pot of tea, a bowl of peanuts, and a dish of melon seeds.
The tea has gone cold.
Not a single peanut was touched.
I didn't crack a single sunflower seed.
He sat there, motionless, like a silent statue.
In the shadow of his straw hat, only his chin could be seen.
His features were hard and cold, his jaw was taut, and his lips were pressed tightly together, forming a thin line.
That's Xu Longxiang.
The heir of the Prince of Zhenbei, the master of 300,000 iron cavalry in the northern border.
At this moment, he sat in this noisy teahouse, listening to things he didn't want to hear.
Every word was like a knife, cutting into his heart piece by piece.