binnovel Chapter 349: A Marriage Alliance – Winning the Jackpot
Chapter 349: A Marriage Alliance – Winning the Jackpot
Seeing that Li Cunxu had taken the initiative to inquire, Shulu Minglie cleared his throat and solemnly said:
"The second matter is the proposal of a marriage alliance. My father Khan knows that if our two clans can form a marriage alliance, it can solidify the alliance and eliminate the barriers between us."
Therefore, Princess Yelü Zhigu and Princess Shulü Mingyao were specially ordered to come and marry into the Jinyang royal family.
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.
Qiu Ziyue frowned slightly, thinking to herself:
The Khitans were indeed after a marriage alliance.
Li Cunxu put down his wine cup, remained silent for a moment, and then a slight smile appeared on his lips:
"A marriage alliance? What kind of marriage alliance is this!"
Shulu Minglie bowed with his hands clasped, his voice steady and clear:
"My father has always regretted breaking the agreement with the former Prince of Jin."
"I have come here with sincere intentions, to allow my two younger sisters—my two princesses of the Khitan—to personally choose their husbands to facilitate this marriage alliance."
"I should ask the ministers for their opinions on this."
Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Li Cunxu's eyes, and he slowly spoke:
"My allies and my beloved ministers, may I grant your request?"
The prince, generals, and ministers discussed the matter, and after a moment, they all agreed to leave everything to the Prince of Jin.
Qi Yuxuan thought to himself that he and Qiu Ziyue had already tied the knot, so he could just watch the show.
When Li Cunxu heard that everyone had given their tactful agreement, he said, "Khitan prince, tell me about it."
Shulu Minglie paused, his tone revealing a hint of frankness:
"Father Khan's intention is to allow the two princesses to ascend the main hall and freely choose their spouses. If they take a liking to any of the young men..."
If both parties agree, they can become husband and wife for life.
In this way, it will surely help the alliance leader unify the world one day. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
After hearing this, Li Cunxu pondered to himself:
The Khitan people were indeed bold and open in their actions, even allowing the princess to publicly arrange a blind date in the main hall.
But it's fine, let's go with the flow and see what tricks they're up to.
He smiled slightly and said in a casual tone:
"In that case, please let the two princesses look around the main hall and see if there is anyone they like."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Ziyue, standing to the side with a faint smile on her lips, whispered a reminder:
"Cunxu, it's best to be careful and not let the other party lead you by the nose."
Li Cunxu nodded to indicate that he understood, but his gaze had already turned to the entrance of the main hall, where Yelü Zhigu and Shulü Mingyao were slowly walking in.
The two men stood tall and exuded distinctly different auras.
Yelü Zhigu looked around, her cold and beautiful gaze sweeping over the crowd, seemingly showing little interest in these men from the Central Plains.
Shulu Mingyao, however, was different; she gently waved a folding fan in her hand.
He occasionally flashed a faint smile, as if he were searching for someone special.
The hall fell silent for a moment, all eyes drawn to the two Khitan princesses, creating a subtle and tense atmosphere.
Li Cunxu sat upright at the head of the table, his eyes piercing, but his mind had already made its plans:
Whatever your plans are, it all comes down to whether I'm willing to take them on.
After looking around the main hall, the two Khitan princesses whispered a few words to the Khitan prince.
The Khitan prince said to Prince Li Cunxu of Jin, "My sister has just chosen her beloved." Li Cunxu said, "Tell me about it."
Shulu Minglie said, "My Shulu Mingyao has taken a liking to that young master."
Shulu Minglie pointed lightly with his hand, and everyone looked in the direction he was pointing, and it turned out to be Qi Yuxuan.
The audience gasped in astonishment, filled with envy.
Qi Yuxuan's expression changed in surprise, and he immediately said:
"Well, I already have a wife and children and will not participate in the marriage alliance. Please ask the Khitan princess to find another suitable match."
Qiu Ziyue's heart tightened even more, and she immediately said:
"No, General Qi... that won't do."
The entire hall fell silent upon hearing Qiu Ziyue's words.
Qiu Ziyue thought to herself, "This Khitan princess is really not blind."
The once-renowned handsome man in Yangzhou is still as dazzling and flamboyant as ever. Damn it, Qi Yuxuan's charm is as strong as ever!
Seeing this, Li Cunxu did not immediately refute.
He thought to himself that it would be good for Qi Yuxuan to find a Khitan princess, so that Qiu Ziyue could grow old with him.
So he said, “We’ll discuss that later. I wonder who the other gentleman the princess has taken a fancy to is?”
Shulu Minglie cupped his hands and said:
"Please forgive our boldness, but the young master whom my sister Yelü Zhigu has chosen is none other than Prince Jin."
"What"?
Li Cunxu was greatly alarmed.
The others in the main hall were also nearly speechless with astonishment.
Leng Feng was initially surprised, but then a smile appeared on his lips.
Qiu Ziyue chuckled softly upon hearing this.
Then, she leaned close to Li Cunxu's ear and whispered:
"Cunxu, you've won the lottery! Congratulations!"
Li Cunxu looked embarrassed and said:
"That won't do. As you can see, I already have the Princess Consort of Jin by my side. Please, Khitan prince, find another suitable match."
Upon hearing this, Yelü Zhigu leaned close to Shulü Minglie's ear and whispered a few words. Although his voice was soft, it carried a hint of determination and resolve.
Shulu Minglie was slightly taken aback, then revealed a meaningful smile, as if he had already understood his sister's intention.
He cleared his throat, looked directly at Li Cunxu, and spoke in a sincere and solemn tone:
“Prince Jin, my two sisters have come here with the utmost sincerity.”
Whether it's to resolve the feud between the two tribes or to jointly defend against external enemies, we are willing to do everything in our power to make this happen.
He paused, a hint of earnestness in his voice:
"If the Prince of Jin has any concerns, fearing that this action might be inappropriate, or is bound by the late king's dying wish..."
He paused again, his gaze shifting to Yelü Zhigu and Shulü Mingyao.
"Then, even if it is the position of a concubine, we will have no complaints. We only ask that the Prince of Jin can put aside his past wishes and restore the old friendship between our two families."
The lobby fell silent; everyone was stunned by these words.
Qiu Ziyue frowned slightly, seemingly pondering the deeper meaning behind it;
Li Cunxu slowly put down his wine glass, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Heh," Li Cunxu chuckled lightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Your words have surprised me somewhat. You Khitans have always considered yourselves to be the strongest."
Now you willingly bow your head, is it truly as you say, to oppose Zhu Wen? Or is there another hidden reason?
Shulu Minglie was not angered by Li Cunxu's questioning; instead, he smiled calmly.
"Prince Jin is overthinking it. While we Khitans are brave and martial, we are not inflexible. The situation in the Central Plains is currently chaotic, and Zhu Wen is ambitious..."
If we continue to fight each other, we will only allow them to benefit. Instead, we should join hands and work together to address the bigger picture for the future.
Yelü Zhigu also spoke at this moment, her voice clear yet powerful:
"King Jin, we Khitans keep our word. If the alliance is reached today, we will never have any second thoughts in the future."
As for the marriage alliance, we are willing to accept either a wife or a concubine, simply to demonstrate our sincerity.
Shulu Mingyao nodded gently, her face still bearing a gentle smile, but her eyes revealed a firm determination.
"Prince Jin, my sister and I are of noble blood; one is the Khan's biological daughter, and the other is the Khan's brother's daughter."
What do mere status and titles matter if they can bring the two races back to peace?
Li Cunxu remained silent for a moment, then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips:
"The Khitan's sincerity is indeed touching. However, there is still one thing I don't understand—why did they choose this time to propose a marriage alliance?"
Shulu Minglie remained calm and answered with composure:
"The Prince of Jin is indeed wise. To be honest, recently, many generals have become dissatisfied with the Khan's rule."
Zhu Wen harbors ambitions to annihilate the Khitan people. If we do not take action to stabilize the situation, the consequences could be dire.
Hearing this, Qiu Ziyue nodded inwardly.
She knew that these words might not be entirely true, but they were by no means entirely false either.
Regardless of whether the Khitans were genuinely trying to curry favor, this marriage alliance would become an important bargaining chip to control both sides.
Li Cunxu picked up his wine cup, his gaze sweeping over the three men before finally settling on Yelü Zhigu:
"But I only wish to be with the one I love wholeheartedly, and I have no other thoughts. I urge the Khitan princess to find another suitable match."
At this point, Qi Yuxuan also said:
"Thank you for the Khitan prince and princess's sincerity."
I, Qi, have promised my wife that we will be together for life, so I ask the Khitan princess to find another suitable partner.”
These words created an awkward atmosphere in the hall.
To be continued in the next chapter!