Chapter 1457
Debt Shifting, Testing the Waters
Chapter 1457 Debt Shifting, Testing the Waters
While Lin Hao was recounting the events that had transpired in the court to his two wives, the embarrassed and angry second son went to Madam Chuan, hoping that his mother would whisper in his ear.
Believe it or not, one of the nannies by Madam Chuan's side came up with an idea: Song Wu, who was by Lin Hao's side, was more suitable for a marriage alliance than the second son's concubine, regardless of her status, position, or age.
So Lady Chuan whispered in the emperor's ear, telling him about Song Wu's idea of replacing the second son's concubine.
After frowning and thinking it over, Chuan Zhu felt that this method was indeed good. Song Wu was the daughter of a general and had been adopted into the palace at an early age. Sending her to marry a foreign ruler would make sense from all sides.
Although the ruler of Chuan agreed, he still insisted that the second son send a concubine.
He was well aware that more and more court officials were now siding with the second prince, and now it was time to give him a warning to prevent him from having any unnecessary thoughts.
Unaware that she had been betrayed, Song Wu had just received a message from a palace eunuch, instructing her to enter the palace to receive her official title.
On the way to the palace, riding in a swaying palanquin, Song Wu said with a smug expression:
"The Golden Aquarius, personally bestowed by His Majesty, is such an honor unique to our palace, isn't it?"
However, Jin Ping sensed something was amiss and said with a worried expression:
“Miss, the lord has always had reservations about the fact that the Lady He adopted you. Why is he suddenly going to bestow a title upon you? This seems too good to be true. There must be something fishy going on.”
"Jin Ping, do you have to come up with a new trick for getting sold every day? I really want to pack you up and sell you to a slave trader!"
Song Wu said jokingly, then added triumphantly:
"You bestow this title upon me, of course, because I am stunningly beautiful, exceptionally talented, wise, and courageous—a true standout among my peers!"
Unfortunately, good things don't just fall from the sky; when good things happen, she's never the one to benefit.
When Song Wu met the new Lord Chuan and his wife, and heard the reason why they bestowed upon her the title of "Princess Kening," her smile froze, and she stood there stunned.
"My lord, this child is so happy she's practically stunned!" Lady Chuan looked at Song Wu's appearance and assumed she was frozen in place with joy, so she urged her to quickly express her gratitude.
"I'll thank your grandma's legs!" Song Wu cursed under her breath, then quickly knelt down and prostrated herself on the ground, saying:
“My Lord, Song Wu is plain-looking, lacks talent and knowledge, is timid and cowardly, and stands out like a chicken among cranes. She is unworthy of such grace!”
"I beg the Lord and Lady to have mercy and be magnanimous, and to rescind your order!"
The more triumphant she was before, the more desperate she became now. The decree had already been issued; how could she simply turn it back?
"Didn't you say before that you would marry my sixth brother when I grew up? But now, now...!"
The Chuan family, including the Chuan chieftain and his wife, naturally disagreed. The Chuan chieftain shook his head and said:
“We did have that intention before, but now that your sixth brother has a wife, we certainly won’t make you a concubine!”
Song Wu quickly shook her head and said, "No, no! I love Sixth Brother so much, I'd be willing to be his concubine!"
However, no matter what Song Wu said, the Lord of Chuan and his wife did not budge and insisted on bestowing upon her the title of Princess and sending her to Mo Chuan for a marriage alliance. After all, it was not easy to find such a noble lady who was suitable in both appearance and size.
When Song Wu walked out of Xinchuan Palace, the weather seemed to change with her mood.
"Boom! Crack!" Suddenly, the weather changed, and a torrential downpour began in the blink of an eye.
Song Wu was completely unaware of all this; she was still immersed in the painful event of her impending marriage to Mo Chuan.
When Song Wu returned to Jingyuan, Lin Hao saw her looking utterly dejected and soaking wet, and he already knew what had happened.
However, he still pretended not to know and asked what had happened.
Having known each other for so long, none of them had ever seen Song Wu cry so heartbrokenly. Yuan Ying and Li Wei also looked at Song Wu.
"Ah~, this is so unfair, so heartless! Whoever wants to be this kind of unlucky princess can have it! This is too much! Waaaaah~!"
Seeing Song Wu crying, Lin Hao felt no empathy whatsoever; he only found it amusing.
However, since Song Wu always called him "Sixth Brother" and "Zheng Brother" repeatedly, Lin Hao naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch her marry into Mo Chuan.
So he used his medical skills to randomly insert a few needles into her, creating the illusion that she had fallen seriously ill after being caught in the rain, was deficient in both qi and blood, and was about to die.
With Lin Hao personally taking action, the imperial physicians naturally couldn't detect anything, and thus the matter of Song Wu's marriage to another man came to nothing.
But Song Wu, a noblewoman who had married out of the country, was gone, and Madam Chuan was unwilling to let her daughter Shuyu take her place. Shuyu was her own daughter, and how could she bear to let Shuyu go to Mochuan to suffer?
Princess Linlang is too young. If she were older, it would be fine for her to marry into a foreign land for political reasons, but she is only a thirteen-year-old girl who has not yet reached the age of marriage. Naturally, the Chuan ruler is not happy about it.
So they set their sights on the second son's concubines. If all else failed, they would have the second son send a few more. After all, there were quite a few ministers who had pledged allegiance to him, so they could weaken his power.
At this time, Lady Chuan, who had chosen not to marry, suddenly came up with a crooked idea: to send Princess Ping'an, the daughter of Yin Kun, the eldest son of the Mo Chuan family who had been stationed there for many years, to marry into the family.
The Chuan chief did not agree directly, because the eldest brother had been guarding the border of Mochuan for many years. If the eldest brother's daughter married into Mochuan...?
"This matter requires careful consideration!" Chuanzhu frowned, but did not make a decision immediately.
Under the influence of Lady Naihechuan's pillow talk and the persuasion of the second son, a decree was sent to the eldest son, Yin Kun, to test his attitude.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Yin Kun was furious and immediately rushed back on horseback.
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In the imperial court, Yin Kun walked in with a straight face and his head held high.
Lin Hao had expected that he would directly berate the ministers or the new Chuan ruler, questioning why they didn't marry their own daughters to Mo Chuan, but instead married his daughter to him.
He actually bowed deeply and begged for forgiveness, saying, "Your subject has left the Mo Chuan garrison without permission; I am guilty beyond redemption and beg Your Majesty for punishment."
"Understood, we'll discuss your matter later!" Knowing Yin Kun's purpose in returning, and not wanting to cause further trouble, the new Chuanzhu said to the head eunuch Liang Shi beside him:
"Proclaim the imperial decree!"
"Yes!"
Just as Liang Shigang was about to open the imperial edict, the eldest son, Yin Kun, knelt down with a thud and bowed, saying, "If it is to be read aloud the decree of marriage, please, Your Majesty!"
"Young Master."
The new Chuanzhu shouted loudly, directly interrupting what he was about to say.
"Please, Your Majesty, rescind your decree!" Yin Kun knelt on the ground, his head pressed against the earth.
"Yin Kun!" the new Sichuan chief roared. He had expected his boss to object, but he hadn't anticipated such a fierce reaction.
With tears welling in his eyes, Yin Kun said, "As a father, I do not wish for a peaceful marriage into Mo Chuan. Otherwise, it would cost me my life. I am willing to lead troops to attack Mo Chuan rather than let this happen!"
"Father's love is as solid as a mountain!" Lin Hao couldn't help but exclaim. "Hmph, those who send troops to Mochuan and break the alliance are the eternal sinners of Xinchuan, deserving to be executed by slow slicing and torn apart by chariots. Do you think you can say whatever you want just because you are my eldest son?"
"Your son dares not! Your son is merely a father who wants to protect his daughter!"
Seeing this, one can sense that this young master Yin Kun is also a man of strong character, especially since he holds military power.
At that moment, Lin Hao stepped forward and said:
"My lord, please calm down. Marriage with Mo Chuan is an unwritten rule. In the past, when Mo Chuan was powerful, Xin Chuan was wary of it and had no choice but to maintain the relationship in this way!"
"But now that Xinchuan is the head of the Nine Rivers, it's time to abolish this unwritten rule!"
"Besides, the eldest young master has been guarding the border of Mochuan for many years. Is the lord really at ease letting his eldest brother's daughter marry into Mochuan?"
"Your Majesty, I am willing to give it a try. I will dissolve the engagement without affecting the peace between the two Sichuan regions. Please grant me permission to try!"
Upon hearing this, Yin Kun's eyes lit up, and he immediately said:
"Yes, Father, I am stationed at the border of Mochuan. It would be inappropriate for me to marry my daughter there!"
"If Sixth Brother can really break off the engagement, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds!"
The new Chuan master nodded. He was quite satisfied with the result of this test of his eldest brother. It was clear that he had never intended for his eldest brother's daughter to marry into the Mo Chuan family from the beginning.
Then Chuanzhu looked at Lin Hao with satisfaction and said:
"Very well, then I can only give you three days. If things do not improve within three days, I will have no choice but to issue an imperial decree ordering Princess Kening to marry into Mochuan."
"Thank you, my lord!" The new Chuan Lord looked at Yin Kun again and said, "Young Master Yin Kun, who was stationed in Mo Chuan, left without permission. He should be severely punished!"
"However, considering your numerous military achievements and your strong desire to protect your daughter, this matter is understandable. You are hereby ordered to return to Mochuan immediately!"
"Without a summons, you shall not return for five years. Any objections?" the governor of the province shouted sternly.
Yin Kun knelt down and said gratefully, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for the punishment!"
"Heh, this is really surreal. Boss Yin Kun has a lot of troops under his command! In any normal world, the way the Chief of the Sichuan Army uses these methods would have already made the boss resentful, and there would have been a mutiny in the army soon!" Lin Hao sneered inwardly.
With only three days, how could anyone possibly complete it? Even if one wanted to discuss it with Master Mo Chuan, there simply wouldn't be enough time for a round trip.
The new governor's move likely reflects his intention to manipulate him.
However, Lin Hao wasn't flustered, thinking that Madam Mo Chuan and the envoys had already arrived; there was still a chance for things to turn around.
This time, Lin Hao's act of speaking out for justice did not come without reward.
At the very least, there was no doubt that the young master Yin Junkun's eyes were filled with gratitude when he looked at him.
If Lin Hao and Yin Song clash in the future, Yin Kun and his army will definitely side with him.
Back home, Lin Hao told Yuan Ying and Li Wei about what had happened in the court.
"Only three days? The time given by the Lord is far too tight." Li Wei looked at Lin Hao with some worry, fearing that he would be punished if he failed to complete the mission this time.
Lin Hao analyzed the current situation for the two women, saying:
"The people of Mochuan are rough and uneducated. Compared to the written alliance of Jiuchuan, they are more willing to believe in the relationship established through marriage, which guarantees that Xinchuan will lend a helping hand when Mochuan is in trouble!"
Yuan Ying continued his analysis, picking up where Lin Hao left off:
"Therefore, if we can think of other ways to put their minds at ease, then Lord Mo Chuan will not let Princess Xin Chuan marry far away!"
Lin Hao nodded and said, "That's right. The people of Mochuan live a nomadic life and do not engage in agriculture. Over time, they have become less resource-scarce and have gradually fallen behind Xinchuan. We only need to help them solve this problem so that they will no longer need to intermarry."
“But over the years, it’s not that Mo Chuan doesn’t understand the need to develop agriculture and sericulture; it’s just that they’re far more conservative than Xin Chuan. How easy is it to change their old ideas, especially since we only have three days!” Yuan Ying expressed her concerns.
Lin Hao patted her hand to comfort her, "It's alright. Three days is indeed not enough. The envoy coming tomorrow is Madam Mo Chuan, so we can take this opportunity to extend the time."
"As for changing mindsets, there are ways. I heard that there is a herdsman in Mochuan called 'Brother Qiao' who is very respected among the people, and everyone is willing to listen to him."
"And he also has influence with Master Mo Chuan. Once we get him on our side, this incident will be pretty much over!"
"Oh? You also know something about Mo Chuan's affairs?" Yuan Ying looked at Lin Hao strangely.
Lin Hao smiled and countered, "Otherwise, why would I agree to this? Is it merely because I was moved by Yin Kun's fatherly love?"
"Over the years, in that treacherous palace, I have experienced too many life-and-death separations. Apart from those I care about and approve of, I don't really care about the life and death of others!"
"Hmph, no way! You're a good person, I know that!" Li Wei disagreed with Lin Hao's words. In her eyes, Lin Hao was a very kind and compassionate person.
Lin Hao smiled and said:
"Tomorrow you will come with me to the palace to welcome the Mo Chuan envoy. We can do this~, then that~, and finally this~!"
After listening, the two women nodded vigorously.
The next day, Lin Hao led Yuan Ying and Li Wei into the palace.
After sharing a drink with everyone, Lord Xin Chuan laughed heartily and asked, "Envoy and Lady Mo Chuan are new to Xin Chuan. Are you comfortable with the food and lodging?"
The envoy from Xinchuan smiled faintly and said, "Xinchuan is now the head of the nine rivers; everything here is the best!"
After subtly flattering the new lord, the messenger changed the subject:
"No matter how good Xinchuan is, it's not our own home. My wife, Lady Chuan, is here on the orders of Lord Mo Chuan to discuss the marriage."
"Yes, no matter which princess is chosen this year, I, Lady Chuan, will personally welcome her back!"
"Hmm~!" The new Chuanzhu nodded, then looked at Lin Hao, signaling him to hurry up and say something, trying to dissolve the marriage directly or extend the time.
Lin Hao blinked to indicate that he understood, then looked at the envoy from Mo Chuan and said:
"The envoy just said that no matter how good Xinchuan is, it can't compare to our own. Isn't that also true for our Princess Xinchuan?"
"If she marries far away, the princess will abandon her family and friends and go to Mochuan alone. Even if the Lady of Mochuan welcomes her, she will inevitably feel sad!"
The envoy from Mo Chuan and his wife exchanged a glance. The envoy slammed his wine cup down on the table and asked,
"What does this mean? Does it mean you, Chuan, no longer wish to intermarry with my Chuan?"
"(⊙⊙)!" Lin Hao quickly said upon seeing this, "Envoy, please don't be in such a hurry. Let's have some tea and discuss this further!"
Then Lin Hao presented the facts and reasoned with her, and with Yuan Ying and Li Wei taking turns bombarding her with questions, they finally persuaded Madam Mo Chuan.
She promised that if the three of them could persuade Mo Chuanzhu, they would dissolve the marriage agreement.
Having achieved his goal, and remembering that Li Wei's maternal grandfather was in Mochuan, Lin Hao decided to take her with him.
Yuan Ying, upon hearing that Lin Hao was also planning to take her along, visibly cheered.