Harem Daily Life

Chapter 881: Yan State Wants a Marriage

Ever since Prince Ning had hit a wall with He Xuan, his once-confident plans had become increasingly difficult, and his face was so gloomy it looked as if ink could drip out of it. Seeing this, the Xia Kingdom delegation offered suggestions, but they were all rejected by Prince Ning.

Kang Mowan advised him to give up. After all, the words of the Emperor of the Great Zhou were golden and it was impossible for him to change his original intention. But Prince Ning was not willing to give up. If he could not marry the Princess of the Great Zhou, he would not be valued by his father. The Princess of the Great Zhou was his bargaining chip for future advancement.

Kang Mowan said helplessly, "We simply don't have the capital to negotiate with the Great Zhou. We have to rely on the Great Zhou for trade, and we can't defeat them militarily. We are at a disadvantage. What can we use to negotiate with them? Nephew, it's better to give up early and save face."

Prince Ning paced back and forth in frustration, not listening to a word his uncle said.

Suddenly, a confidant came to report that the neighboring country Yan had sent a secret envoy, requesting a meeting.

Prince Ning and Kang Mowan looked at each other and saw shock in each other's eyes.

"Uncle, the State of Yan sent a secret envoy at this time. What do you think it is about?" Prince Ning asked doubtfully.

Kang Mowan frowned: "No matter what the reason is, they chose to meet us in Da Zhou, it is definitely not a good thing."

"Then, uncle, do you think you should meet him?" Prince Ning was young after all, and although he was a prince, he was not good at handling these matters.

Kang Mowan frowned even more tightly. "Knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. Let's first listen to their intentions. But no matter what happens, we must not easily agree to anything and leave any handles. After all, we have a good relationship with the Great Zhou, unlike the Yan State, which has fought against the Great Zhou several times."

King Ning also agreed with this. The two men disguised themselves and went to the time and place agreed with the Yan State envoy. The two sides agreed to meet on the cruise ship.

The secret envoy from the State of Yan was also disguised, looking like an ordinary businessman, and his accent of the Great Zhou Dynasty was so convincing that it could be mistaken for the real thing.

The singing girls on the cruise ship were invited to another cabin. Kang Mowan and King Ning faced the two secret envoys from the State of Yan with serious expressions and no smile on their faces.

"The reason we invited the two princes here today is actually because of the marriage between Xia and Great Zhou." As soon as the Yan envoy said this, Kang Mowan snorted coldly, "Yan is truly well-informed. You've already heard about something that hasn't even been decided yet."

The Yan State envoy smiled and said, "A royal merchant group is traveling to the Great Zhou, bringing with them a prince of marriageable age. It's easy to guess the purpose of your trip. But don't worry, Your Highness. We won't interfere. We simply want to offer an alternative. Why don't you calmly listen to our thoughts first?"

Prince Ning and Kang Mowan exchanged a glance, and Kang Mowan asked, "What choice?"

The Yan envoy glanced at Prince Ning and said, "Your Highness Prince Ning is a man of extraordinary talent and valor. The King of Yan intends to marry the princess to His Highness Prince Ning to forge a close relationship between our two countries."

Prince Ning's eyes lit up. It was truly a case of "when things get dark in one direction, they get bright in the other!" The Great Zhou refused to give in and allow the princess to marry, yet Yan State unexpectedly offered to take the initiative! For him, marrying a princess from the Great Zhou was undoubtedly the best option, but the princess of the Great Zhou refused to marry. Now that he had the princess of Yan as his partner, it would also increase his power. Prince Ning nudged Kang Mowan lightly with his foot under the table, his intentions clear.

Kang Mowan pondered for a moment before saying, "Since you know we're here to ask for the hand of the Princess of Da Zhou, why are you trying to snatch this marriage away?"

The Yan envoy raised an eyebrow and said, "Hasn't the marriage between Xia and Zhou been negotiated yet? As long as it's not set in stone, it's not considered robbery by Yan. At most, it's just negotiation."

After he finished speaking, he took out the King of Yan's handwritten letter and handed it to Kang Mowan. "Your Highness, please read this. This is a personal letter from the King of Yan. It states that if the marriage is concluded, Yan will open a city for trade between the two countries. Your Highness, for these years, your Xia Kingdom and our Yan Kingdom have been constrained by the Great Zhou. This situation of two weak and one strong should be broken. Don't you agree?"

He looked at Prince Ning and said, "If our two countries work together, I believe that in a few years, we will surpass the Great Zhou in national strength. Is Your Highness willing to be forever inferior to the Great Zhou, with trade taxes, types, and quantities all at his mercy? We in Yan have mineral resources that the Great Zhou does not have. Iron ore is in great demand!"

Not to mention Prince Ning who had been eager to try, even the conservative Kang Mowan was somewhat tempted at this moment.

But this matter was of grave importance, and Kang Mowan dared not make a rash decision. He said calmly, "We are aware of your proposal. Let's go back and think about it. We also need to send a pigeon to my King of Xia, so we can't give you an answer so quickly."

The Yan envoy nodded and said, "That's all right. The two princes can go back and discuss this properly. Yan's sincerity is absolute. We just wait for good news from Xia."

After the matter was discussed, the secret envoy of Yan State asked the cruise ship to dock. After getting off the boat, the two hurriedly got off and quickly disappeared in the crowd.

The people Kang Mowan sent to follow lost the track after only two streets and had to come back to report.

"Uncle, I think the identity of the Yan State envoy cannot be false. The handwritten letter from the King of Yan is genuine."

Kang Mowan nodded. "My identity is true. I just wanted to see where they live so we don't get too passive. Well, since we've lost them, let it go. The only thing we need to do now is to discuss countermeasures. Do you think we should agree to the Yan State?"

Prince Ning said, "I think that since the Great Zhou is unwilling to give in, the hope of a marriage alliance is slim. It would be better to agree to the Kingdom of Yan. After all, we are both princesses, so I am willing to accept it."

Kang Mowan hesitated. "However, the king's goal is to establish peace with the Great Zhou, not with the State of Yan. The Great Zhou is still the stronger state in the world. If we change our alliance to a marriage with the State of Yan, I'm afraid it will cause resentment and fear in the Great Zhou."

Kang Mowan patted Prince Ning on the shoulder and said, "We still need to consult the monarch on this matter. We must write a letter back to Xia Kingdom as soon as possible and ask the monarch for his decision."

Prince Ning felt annoyed, but he didn't dare to openly oppose his uncle's opinion, so he agreed, "That's as it should be. I'll just go out for a while and not attend any flower-viewing banquets. I'll ask for the Princess of Da Zhou's hand in marriage. We'll make a decision after my father's letter arrives."

Kang Mowan also thought so. There was no point in thinking about the Great Zhou. The emperor and empress were unwilling to marry their daughters far away, and the Xia Kingdom could not force them.

"Then you should keep a low profile. After all, you angered the Grand Princess that day, and also offended Princess Jing and the Changyong Marquis's Mansion. Even if we can't become relatives, we shouldn't make too many enemies. Come here peacefully and return peacefully. If the monarch agrees, your marriage will be set for the second half of the year."