Chapter 1533: Chapter 1540: Don’t Harass the Juhua Idea (2)
Nangong Yu, after listening to her mother’s words, bit her lip and cried silently for a while. Then she lifted her head, her tear-soaked eyes gazing forward, and said, “Mother, the matter I ask of you is not to marry Brother Zi Qi, but rather to agree to the Xianbei King’s proposal. I want to trouble you to inform Brother Zi Qi and ask him to escort to Xianbei for the wedding…”
“Absolutely not!”
Empress Dowager Mo refused her outright without a second thought, saying, “Yu’er, why put yourself through this pain? Even if you marry soone else, he will never turn back and regret it. To stake your entire life on such a gamble—is it worth it?”
Nangong Yu replied, “Mother, I am not doing this for Brother Zi Qi. Think about it—here in Great Jin, everyone knows that Princess Zhao Yue is the sa Princess Zhao Yang who was defiled by Saknu. What prestigious family’s son would marry a woman like , who has brought disgrace to her household? Even if Brother forced soone to marry using his power, once in the son-in-law’s mansion, I would still face discrimination and endure humiliation. If that’s the case, I might as well marry Helan Qi—in a place where people don’t know my true identity. There, not only can I preserve my reputation, model myself on all under Heaven, but I can also contribute to peace between Great Jin and Xianbei. Such a plan fulfills two goals at once. No matter how much I think, it feels like marrying there is my best choice.”
Empress Dowager Mo said, “Foolish child, even if your identity could be concealed from the Xianbei people, how could it be hidden from Helan Qi? If he knows you have such a flaw yet still offers a generous dowry to marry you, it would only signify he has ulterior motives. He wouldn’t truly care for you. Why insist on jumping into that pit of fire?”
Nangong Yu let out a bitter laugh, saying, “Whether Helan Qi would truly care for or not, the fact that I am the legitimate princess of Great Jin ensures he wouldn’t dare treat with neglect. For this reason, Mother, my life in Xianbei would undoubtedly be better than here in Great Jin. Precisely because of this, I am begging you to grant this opportunity—to let marry into Xianbei.”
Empress Dowager Mo, who had spent many years navigating palace intrigues and cultivating deep wisdom, could see through Nangong Yu’s little sches. She said, “Yu’er, if your plan is to make Zi Qi regret his choices and bla himself, leading you to recklessly marry soone else, then you are gravely mistaken. Right now, he has just married and is currently basking in the blissful days of honeyed affection with his new bride. How could he possibly care whether you marry or not?”
“Or perhaps you’re hoping to use the journey for the wedding escort as an excuse to spend ti alone with him, hoping to reignite his feelings for you. In this, too, you are gravely mistaken. Zi Qi’s nature is cold and detached. Even if he escorts you, he certainly wouldn’t interact with you, and even less likely would he develop any renewed affection for you. So, I urge you to let go of this notion altogether.”
Nangong Yu pressed her lips together and said, “Mother, I’ve already stated clearly that my agreent to Helan Qi’s proposal has nothing to do with Brother Zi Qi. Marrying into Xianbei not only facilitates peace between the two nations but also elevates to the rank of Empress, granting honor and prestige that staying here in Great Jin could never offer.”
“But Helan Qi is already over forty years old—half an old man at this point. How could he possibly be worthy of you?”
Empress Dowager Mo staunchly opposed Zhao Yue marrying into Xianbei. She tried to dissuade her with painstaking persuasion, saying, “In Great Jin, no matter who your son-in-law may be, whether or not he truly cares for you, with both your elder brother and myself supporting you, he wouldn’t dare neglect you in the slightest. But if you marry into Xianbei, and face mistreatnt there, with the imnse distance separating Xianbei from Great Jin, how could I or your brother co to your aid? Not only would coming to your aid be impossible, but news of any offense against you might not even reach this side. You would be left all alone there to endure the humiliation. You’re not the type of woman adept at cunning sches; marrying far away would only lead to suffering…”
Empress Dowager Mo spoke at length, listing many examples of princesses who suffered after marrying far from ho, trying in vain to extinguish her determination. Yet no matter how much the Empress Dowager pleaded, Zhao Yue remained resolute in her decision to marry into Xianbei. Her stance was unwavering: if Empress Dowager Mo refused to approve her marriage alliance with the Xianbei Empire, she would cut her hair and beco a nun rather than waste away idly inside the palace.
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