Chapter 382: Emperor Xingyuan’s Worries

Chapter 382: Emperor Xingyuan's Troubles

The young woman snapped harshly, showing no mercy.

The Minister of Rites turned beet-red, looking ready to pass out on the spot.

"Princes have their responsibilities—how can this be lumped together?"

Xin You shot back with a sardonic smile, "And what are the responsibilities of princes? Can they be swapped with those of princesses? Let the princess inherit the throne and send the princes off to marry."

Her words dropped like a bombshell among the ministers.

"Your Majesty, Lady Xin’s words are truly blasphemous and unacceptable!" the Minister of Rites loudly protested.

How could such sacrilegious talk be allowed—princes being sent off for political marriages!

The Minister of Revenue thought to himself skeptically: Sending a prince away wouldn’t just fail to bring back five thousand warhorses—we'd probably have to pay dowry on top of it.

Xie Chengan discreetly observed Emperor Xingyuan’s expression, his eyes filled with concern: Xin You is the Emperor’s daughter. Such words might provoke His Majesty's wrath.

But Emperor Xingyuan was not angered—only weary.

After all, when Xin You had first acknowledged she was actually female, she had once asked him whether a princess could become crown princess. Those words had been even more outrageous, and he had tolerated them then.

Precisely because he knew her wishes could never be fulfilled, he was more forgiving now.

"I've already declared that today, all may speak freely."

The Minister of Rites looked like he'd been slapped.

Speaking freely didn’t mean anything could be said! If he were to oppose the new policies, even call for their overthrow, would that be permitted too?

Noticing the ice in the Emperor's stare, the Minister of Rites flinched and quickly checked himself: Only Xin You was truly allowed to speak freely.

Realizing this harsh truth, the Minister of Rites fell silent.

Emperor Xingyuan swept his commanding eyes over the assembly and said calmly, "I have heard your thoughts. Now, I shall share mine."

The ministers immediately snapped to attention.

Xin You was also curious about Emperor Xingyuan’s choice: In his heart, which weighed more—his daughter or the kingdom's advantage?

"Your Majesty, I will not agree to the King of Xiling’s marriage proposal."

His first words left everyone stunned.

The envoys from Xiling had been in the capital for several days, yet the Emperor had kept them guessing. They had assumed he was hesitating, but his tone now was resolute.

If so, why had he not made his stance clear earlier?

"Five thousand warhorses are indeed tempting, but to trade a princess for them—I would be utterly shamed."

Sacrificing a princess for immediate gains might not spark outrage from the people now, but what of a hundred years later?

His reputation mattered to him.

The ministers exchanged uneasy glances.

Had it been their own daughters, they would have agreed without hesitation for such benefits. But since the Emperor refused to trade his daughter, as ministers, they couldn't very well argue.

Then again, if the Emperor was unwilling, why hadn't he said so earlier? They had to take Lady Xin's scolding for no reason.

"My lords, you may wonder why I have remained silent until now," Emperor Xingyuan said, as if reading their thoughts, with a troubled expression. "Because these past few days, I have been pondering one thing."

At this, he paused and looked at them expectantly. "My lords, figure out a way—how can we both avoid marrying off a princess and still obtain Xiling's five thousand warhorses?"

The officials were silent: "..." Perhaps they could try dreaming.

Xin You also suppressed a smirk.

So this was why he had been stalling the Xiling envoys all along.

Emperor Xingyuan knew this was a bit greedy. But now that he knew Xiling could offer five thousand warhorses, the thought of losing them kept him up at night!

Surely they couldn’t just pick some noble girl from among the nobles, give her the title of princess, and swindle Xiling out of their horses?

Leaving aside the fact that the King of Xiling, who had unified his country, was no fool, he found repugnant the idea of trading wives and children for profit.

He had never imagined becoming emperor in the first place. Only when the world fell into chaos did he take up the sword to protect his family and secure a better life. For the poor, selling wives and daughters was a desperate act of survival—but for an emperor to trade his daughter for gain? That was just insane.

This had nothing to do with whether he doted on his daughter. He simply could not accept such a thing.

"This matter is indeed difficult. My lords, return and think it over carefully. If you can devise a solution, you will relieve me of my worries."

The officials exchanged uneasy looks, thinking to themselves—*Your Majesty, what's there to worry about? If you refuse to marry off a princess, then those five thousand warhorses were never ours to begin with. What does it have to do with us?*

"My plans must not be revealed," Emperor Xingyuan warned before dismissing the officials, keeping only Xin You back.

"Ayou, was there something you needed in the palace?"

"Nothing anymore." Xin You shook her head, pleased.

This was an outcome she hadn’t expected, and it made her realize that the emperor could sometimes be dependable.

Emperor Xingyuan gave her a long look before smiling. "Did you come to speak on behalf of Consort Li?"

"I was merely curious about Your Majesty’s intentions."

"And now you know?" Emperor Xingyuan chuckled before sighing. "Ayou, put your mind to it for me—is there a good solution?"

"Understood."

After leaving the palace, Xin You returned to the Hanlin Academy. She hadn't gone far after leaving at the end of the day when she spotted Prince Baori standing by the roadside.

Noticing her, Prince Baori hurried over. "Lady Xin!"

His voice was loud, immediately drawing curious glances from the officials leaving work.

Prince Baori quickly approached Xin You and bowed. "Yesterday, this prince inquired with Minister Ji and learned that not only does Lady Xin run such a large bookstore, but she also serves as an official in the Hanlin Academy. This prince is in awe."

Xin You frowned.

Yesterday, he asked for her name. Today, he ambushed her outside the office. What exactly was he plotting?

"Does the envoy have business with me?"

"This prince wishes to invite Lady Xin to dine. Might she do me the honor?"

The eavesdropping officials were all ears, exchanging looks.

What's going on? Why is the Xiling diplomatic envoy here to see Lady Xin?

"I'm busy with other things, I'm afraid it's not convenient."

"Alright then." Prince Baori looked disappointed. "Let's talk when you're free."

To win over the woman he loved, he couldn't be too pushy and risk annoying her.

Seeing Prince Baori leave so decisively, Xin You shook her head and stopped dwelling on it, walked away ignoring the staring eyes.

Whatever he was up to, she thought, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

As the two left one after another, the officials who witnessed the scene started digging for details. Soon, word spread about Xin You's harsh criticism of the Minister of Rites and others in the palace earlier that day.

The mystery was solved—Lady Xin opposed a Great Xia princess marrying into Xiling, and Prince Baori must have been scheming to set up a trap at a banquet for Lady Xin!

Then came the shock of Xin You's words: she had called the senior ministers' arguments in favor of the marriage complete bullshit, questioned whether the responsibilities of princes and princesses could be swapped—with princesses inheriting the throne and princes being sent off for political marriages.

Lady Xin truly dared to speak her mind—didn't the Emperor get angry?

Meanwhile, in Fangning Palace, Consort Li was stunned upon hearing the news, hugging Princess Xuan as she wept uncontrollably.

Princess Xuan stood there stunned, still reeling from Xin You's words.

She had convinced herself countless times with duty, forcing herself to accept it. Was it really not an inevitable destiny for princesses to be sacrificed?

Elsewhere in the palace, Consort Hui held her two daughters' hands and murmured, "Thank heavens we have a princess like her."

Shouted the Minister of Rites, hopping mad: "Who leaked this? Who on earth leaked it?"