Empire Conquest
Chapter 277 - 273: The Misfortunate Princess

Chapter 277: Chapter 273: The Misfortunate Princess

Teaching etiquette was a pretext; it was the enlightenment of thought that was the true aim.

"I know you must be blaming Brother Li, and perhaps you’ve already cursed Brother Li’s ancestors for the last eighteen generations several times over in your heart."

"Brother Li..."

When Li Yunxiang began speaking this way, it made Bai Zhizhan feel quite embarrassed.

He had indeed been harboring resentment against Li Yunxiang, but it hadn’t reached the extent of cursing his ancestors.

"Whether or not to blame me, and how to view this matter, wait until I’ve finished speaking before you decide."

It was evident that Li Yunxiang carried a heavy heart.

Bai Zhizhan remained silent; at this point, there was no harm in listening to what Li Yunxiang had to say.

To trace the matter back, it began roughly thirty years ago.

At that time, the Consortium Group, with the Liangxia Empire, the Tiaoman Empire, and the Ter Empire at its core, had already come into existence. To solidify the alliance among the three ancient empires, the Ter Imperial Family was the first to propose a three-way marital alliance. After the Tiaoman Imperial Family responded, the Liangxia Royal Family had no choice but to agree.

After several years of secret negotiations, the three imperial families ultimately reached a secret pact.

A Liangxia princess would marry into the Tiaoman Royal Family, and in turn, welcome a princess from Ter, whereas a Tiaoman princess would marry into the Ter Royal Family.

The reason for this arrangement was simple.

The Liangxia Royal Family, at the time, had only two genuine princesses, who were the current Holy Emperor’s sisters. The Eldest Princess was already married, and the Little Eldest Princess was only six years old. Among the Ter Empire’s princes, the youngest was nearly twenty, and the Crown Prince was a man nearing fifty with over a dozen consorts and scores of children. Moreover, the Ter Empire would not change their Crown Prince just for a Liangxia princess.

The Tiaoman Empire’s Crown Prince was nine years old, making his age more appropriate.

Crucially, the Tiaoman Emperor had a younger sister who was unmarried, and her age matched that of the eldest son of the Ter Crown Prince, the Grand Prince.

In any case, the Liangxia Royal Family promised the Little Eldest Princess to the Tiaoman Crown Prince.

Of course, it was only the engagement that was set.

What followed was hardly a secret.

Not long after the Tiaoman Empire married off the princess, the Ter Empire declared defeat, and soon after, it disintegrated.

Although the Tiaoman Royal Family acted swiftly to rescue the trapped princess, the marital alliance with the Ter Royal Family had lost all meaning.

Consequently, the ongoing arrangements to welcome the Ter princess were called off.

As for the marriage alliance with the Tiaoman Royal Family, it was also annulled at the end of the great war.

That year, the Tiaoman Emperor, Wild II, was forced into exile overseas following the end of the war, and the Crown Prince died of illness during their escape.

The subsequent Emperor, Feditli I, who took the throne, was not a descendant of Wild II but a noble with royal blood.

Although the Tiaoman Royal Family did not fall, it was essentially replaced.

At that time, Wu Xiurui was only twelve years old.

Prior to this, the Imperial Family had placed great importance on the matter, which meant that the reputation of the Little Eldest Princess was inevitably tarnished.

Being engaged but not married was a sign of ill omen!

Because of this, before the end of the war, the then Holy Emperor issued a secret decree, arranging through the well-connected Fang family, which was Fang Suqing’s family, to adopt out the Little Eldest Princess to the Zhang family, bestowing upon her the name Zhang Xiaoqing. It was through this connection that the Zhang family became related to the Imperial Family.

Not long after, the Royal Family announced that the Little Eldest Princess had died of a cold.

According to the original arrangement, it was actually a matter of stepping aside to avoid suspicion.

Once the storm had passed, the Royal Family planned to officially acknowledge the princess’s bloodline and bring her back, bestowing upon her a new name and title, thus restoring the Little Eldest Princess’s status.

Who could have expected that the former Emperor wouldn’t live to see that day?

Before his demise, the former Emperor had held on to the hands of the Holy Emperor, repeatedly entrusting him with this matter, insisting that the Little Eldest Princess be taken back into the Royal Family to ensure her lifetime of glory and wealth.

In truth, even without the former Emperor’s dying wishes, the Holy Emperor would have done the same.

She was the only sister of the Holy Emperor, who had strongly opposed giving her to the Zhang family when he was still the Crown Prince, believing that even if it meant losing face, one must not mistreat their relatives.

Therefore, after the Holy Emperor had ascended to the throne, the Empress Dowager herself stepped forward to formally adopt Zhang Xiaoqing as her goddaughter, granting her the name Wu Xiurui and bestowing upon her the title of Little Eldest Princess.

Because this Imperial Decree was issued by the Empress Dowager, the matter was not publicized.

Those who knew would certainly not gossip, for it concerned the face of the Empire’s Royal Family; causing them to lose face could mean a fate far less forgiving than losing one’s head.

Moreover, upon returning to the Royal Family, the Little Eldest Princess did not abandon her identity within the Zhang family.

It was during those years with the Zhang family that she gained a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the world outside the Imperial Palace, which made her very unlike a princess in many aspects.

Perhaps feeling that they owed her, both the Empress Dowager and the Holy Emperor indulged her.

The Empress Dowager even issued a special Imperial Decree stating that the Little Eldest Princess was to be known as Zhang Xiaoqing outside of the Imperial Palace, and Wu Xiurui only within its walls.

The underlying message was that she need not abide by the rigid rules of the Royal Family; as long as she was happy and blessed, that was enough.

Additionally, the Holy Emperor had promised to find a peerless hero to be her husband.

Although it was a jest made over a decade ago, when the Emperor speaks, his words carry the weight of a decree.

"...That’s pretty much the situation. I, too, was shocked when I heard it. Honestly, the Little Eldest Princess has suffered too much."

"If that’s really the case, it’s likely to disappoint the Holy Emperor."

"What do you mean by that?" Li Yunxiang asked, scrutinizing Bai Zhizhan from head to toe, his gaze noticeably drifting lower.

Bai Zhizhan rolled his eyes. This Li Yunxiang, flip-flopping between jokes and serious talk, was he still discussing serious matters?

"Do you think you’re not a peerless hero? Maybe not now, but what about the future? Besides, who’s born a peerless hero?" Li Yunxiang laughed before continuing, "To be honest, I felt the same as you initially, thinking that a marriage arranged like this, without any emotional foundation, surely couldn’t be happy. But now, do you think my sister-in-law and I are happy or not?"

"Brother Li..."

"When it comes to battle, you’re unmatched. But when it comes to married life, you have no say. If you trust Brother Li, then honestly ask yourself, in what ways is the Little Eldest Princess unworthy of you? There’s no comparison in family background, and if you refuse to marry her, there’ll be men lining up from here to the gates of the Imperial Palace, hoping to be her suitor. Regarding age, you’re ten years her senior—like an old cow eating tender grass. As for looks, do you even have them? In terms of wealth, you’re only a Major General. Even if you become a Marshal in the future, do you think you could ever match a manor adjacent to the Royal Garden? Let’s be real, no matter how you compare, you’re getting the better end of the bargain. Don’t tell me you care about those days long past when you haven’t even held hands!"

"Of course I don’t care about that, it’s just..."

"Then what’s holding you back?"

Bai Zhizhan scratched his head vigorously. With Li Yunxiang putting it like that, he truly didn’t know what to say.

"I mentioned it when I introduced you, I wonder if you’ve forgotten."

"What?"

"The Liu Family has been searching far and wide for a marriage proposal."

Bai Zhizhan was stunned for a moment and looked at Li Yunxiang in disbelief.

"I’m not joking. Just a few days ago, the old man from the Liu Family visited the Holy Emperor under the pretext of New Year’s greetings and brought up the matter again. I heard that it’s the eldest son of Liu Changhe, already thirty-five this year, who has long harbored affection for the Little Eldest Princess and pleaded with the Holy Emperor to bless their union."

Bai Zhizhan didn’t respond. If Li Yunxiang wasn’t speaking out of turn, then the decision was out of his hands.

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