It was now confirmed that the two highest-ranking envoys from Bei Xiang this time were the Second Prince and Princess Baza.
And from the tone of Imperial Father's words, it was clear that Princess Baza was not the proposed candidate for marriage.
Which meant…
"Wait a moment, allow Your Daughter to sort this out."
Yun Shu was stunned.
"If the Second Prince of Bei Xiang seeks to form a marriage alliance with us, then we would need to offer a princess from our side.
But Your Daughter has no sisters. Moreover, the matter of Your Daughter being appointed Crown Princess has already been announced to the world. Bei Xiang must surely be aware of this.
So what they mean is… they want to send the Second Prince into our royal house as a consort?"
She had been involved in political affairs alongside Emperor Xuanwu lately and had learned a fair bit about Bei Xiang's internal situation.
If she recalled correctly, the fight for succession among Bei Xiang's many princes had been fierce.
And while the Second Prince wasn't necessarily the strongest contender, he was certainly among the top three.
Had something drastic happened recently that caused the Second Prince to fall so far from favor that he was now being sent away to marry in?
"It is not the Second Prince."
The astonishment on Yun Shu's face was utterly unfiltered.
Emperor Xuanwu could easily guess the ridiculous chain of thoughts running through her mind.
He gave a helpless twitch of his mouth and clarified, "It is the Ninth Prince, Huyan Mingchuan."
"Bei Xiang played a small trick in the official document. It merely stated that the delegation was led by their Second Prince and Princess Baza. As for the Ninth Prince, he was mentioned as the 'beauty' to be married into our kingdom.
This only came to light when We dispatched the Dragon Shadow Guard to investigate upon learning that the delegation was less than two days from the capital."
Yun Shu fell silent.
Well, that confirmed it. This move was indeed aimed directly at her.
Huyan Mingchuan, the Ninth Prince of Bei Xiang. His mother was said to have once been a songstress from Tian Sheng, renowned for her beauty. She was abducted in her youth and taken to Bei Xiang, where she was later gifted to the King of Bei Xiang. Not long after giving birth to Huyan Mingchuan, she died.
Though he was the king's son, Bei Xiang lacked neither princes nor heirs. And with his lowborn mother and Tian Sheng bloodline, Huyan Mingchuan was naturally unwelcome in the royal household.
From the time he was a child, he had been treated as little more than a human punching bag by his siblings.
When they were in a foul mood, he was beaten to vent anger.
When they were in good spirits, he was beaten for sport.
Sometimes, simply passing by would earn him a kick.
In short, he was a walking tragedy.
But as he grew older, the beauty he inherited from his mother began to blossom. The Ninth Prince became a strikingly handsome young man who easily evoked sympathy.
Gradually, some princesses and noble daughters began to offer him protection.
It helped… a little. Enough to avoid the worst of the beatings.
Still, in the eyes of the King of Bei Xiang, he remained a transparent, dispensable presence.
He had never been part of the succession struggle.
To send someone like him as a marriage pawn made perfect sense.
Even if he were ruined, no one in Bei Xiang would shed a tear.
"So Bei Xiang has changed its strategy," Yun Shu murmured in realization.
"Instead of probing us this year, they've resorted to using a beautiful man."
"You sound rather pleased."
Emperor Xuanwu had intended to inform her in advance so she would be mentally prepared and could deal with whatever scheme they might spring.
But now, seeing her reaction…
A muscle twitched at his temple.
"We shall remind you that We will not permit you to marry Huyan Mingchuan!"
"Father Emperor, what are you even thinking!" Yun Shu was half-laughing, half-exasperated at his absurd remark. "Your Daughter is merely surprised that Bei Xiang would even consider using a beauty scheme on me. I just found it… novel.
A pretty face is fine to look at, but that's all it is.
A wise ruler does not fall in love. A lonely king must struggle on alone.
Your Daughter has no interest in marriage!"
Emperor Xuanwu blinked.
He had only meant to forbid the marriage with Huyan Mingchuan, but now he found himself faced with a bigger issue.
He had been worried that his daughter might be tempted into marrying a handsome envoy. Now he was worried she might never wish to marry at all.
He stared at Yun Shu for a long moment, then cautiously tested the waters.
"You're saying this because you have yet to meet someone you wish to marry."
"You are mistaken," Yun Shu replied with a snort.
"Your Daughter simply fears pain, fears death, and fears lingering complications."
"Complications?" Emperor Xuanwu frowned.
"Childbirth!"
Yun Shu shrugged casually, her tone utterly matter-of-fact.
"What use are husbands? They cannot bear children.
If Your Daughter were to marry, it would still be me who must bear the child.
They say giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell. With Tian Sheng's current medical capabilities, if I make a single misstep and do not return, it would be a tragic loss!
Even if I survive, it would be painful and harmful to the body. Your Daughter intends to live comfortably for many more decades."
Emperor Xuanwu was speechless.
This little scoundrel… was there anything she wouldn't say?
She was still a young lady!
His instinct was to scold her, but then he remembered that Noble Lady Lan had died giving birth to her. Perhaps it was because of that memory, this child had grown up with such thoughts.
More importantly, once he calmed down and truly considered it, what she said was not without merit. Producing heirs was important, but was it more important than her life?
From a personal standpoint, a hypothetical grandchild could never outweigh the daughter who stood breathing and vibrant before him.
From the perspective of the empire, would it be wise to gamble the life of the future Emperor of Tian Sheng — the one destined to unite the realm and usher in a golden age — for a potential heir of unknown merit?
That would be madness.
Unless the Simulation Life Selection System could guarantee that Xiao Wu would safely give birth in the future, he dared not let her take that risk.
She was too important to this world.
Emperor Xuanwu took a deep breath and stared into the empty space before him.
But the glowing screen did not appear.
So be it.
Since he had already seen glimpses of the future — seen that this child would bring forth an era remembered through the ages, earn the reverence of history, and be honored by generations to come —
Then whether she bore children or not was irrelevant.
The ancestors spoke of carrying on the family line and passing down the blood.
But she would no longer need to worry about such things. For the tens of millions of people in the future would not forget her.
As long as the bloodline of Huaxia endured, so too would her legacy.