Insufficient balance

  Now, even if Liu Youqiu still wants to blame Zhang Wei for being indiscreet, it's pointless. Although Zhang Wei has explained many times that he had never leaked the plot, Liu Youqiu simply doesn't believe him - if not Zhang Wei, who else could have?

  Xiao Heng still hasn't shown up, and Liu You has a bad premonition that Xiao Heng might suddenly appear to testify about bribery, which would lead to a disastrous outcome. In short, when someone's luck turns sour, it can be utterly devastating.

  "Bang!" Liu Youqiu waved his hand, sweeping the several ceramic antiques on the case to the ground, shattering them into pieces. The pretty maid beside him let out a frightened cry and was about to retreat when Liu Youqiu shouted: "Halt!"

  The woman had no choice but to lower her head and stand still with her hands hanging down.

  Liu Youqiu walked over, stretched out a finger to support her chin, and carefully examined that lovely face. "Hmm, when I bought you at first sight, I took a liking to you, you know I really like you."

  The woman said in a low voice: "A Lang's darling, I am deeply moved and cannot express it all."

  Liu You sighed and shook his head, "I'm in big trouble now, I don't know how the emperor will punish me. Even if I can avoid the death penalty, losing my official position is almost certain... Just thinking about you being pressed under someone else's body calling out for help, it makes me very uncomfortable."

  She listened to these words and didn't know how to respond. The tree fell and the monkeys scattered, she originally hadn't planned on doing anything for this old man anyway, was it necessary?

  Just then, Liu Youqiu grabbed her wrist and said, "Why don't you go first?"

  The woman's body trembled, and she raised her head to say in a very frightened tone: "Ah... Ah Lang, what do you want to do?" She wanted to run, but her wrist was grasped tightly by Liu Youqiu.

  Liu You sneered coldly, "I spent money to buy you, you're mine now. I've let you have a good life for so long, don't you want to do something for me?" As he spoke, he pulled her over and found a white silk cord, slowly wrapping it around her neck. "Be obedient, nothing will happen in a moment."

  "No, don't! Ah Lang, don't kill me..." She was so scared that her face turned white, and she hastily reached out to grab the white ribbon around her neck, crying loudly.

  Liu Youqiu angrily said: "You can't stop me!"

  The woman struggled and begged: "Ah Lang, have mercy on me, considering I've been serving you for so long, spare my life, I don't want to die..."

  Liu Youqiu tightened the white silk around her neck, not caring what she said. With a burst of strength in his hands, he tightly strangled her neck. She stared with terrified eyes and opened her mouth to cry out unclearly: "Don't want, don't want!"

  The Emperor ultimately did not kill Liu and Zhang, but instead issued a decree to exile them to the Lingnan Road. Xiao Heng also had no news, but the murderer was caught by the Ministry of Punishment, it was a neighboring merchant who committed the crime after being tempted by beauty. As a result, Chang'an returned to calmness again, and Taiping Princess's party did not let go of Liu and Zhang's affairs, wanting to deal with the Crown Prince, both sides eased up. Whether the Emperor had greater suspicions of Li Longji because of this is unknown, as it is difficult to fathom the imperial mind.

  It's the Dragon Boat Festival, and Chang'an City is even more lively. Local officials from surrounding counties come to watch the "Dragon Boat Racing", people paste calamus and paper cow on their doors to ward off diseases, and a grand banquet is held in the palace, inviting all royal relatives and envoys from various countries, with music and dance performances, it's really lively.

  The court also had a major event, which was to formally declare on the Dragon Boat Festival that Princess Jincheng would be sent to Tibet. After Princess Wencheng married into Tibet, relations between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet developed, but in recent years, wars between the two sides have been frequent, so the Tang court decided as early as the third year of Shenlong to send Princess Jincheng to Tibet for a marriage alliance.

  Jincheng Princess was the granddaughter of Zhang Huai Taizi and had always lived in the palace. Her adoptive father was Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.

  It was originally scheduled to send Princess Jincheng to Tibet last year, but last year the Tang army had a border conflict with Tibet, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, so it was delayed. This year, on the eve of Dragon Boat Festival, the Tibetan envoy in Chang'an petitioned for urgency, and the Emperor summoned officials above the third rank to discuss it, and everyone agreed to make peace.

  This time at the imperial court meeting, there were more participants than usual, and even Xue Chongxun was present. He felt uncomfortable in his heart, sending a Han princess to someone else, no matter how he thought about it, it didn't feel right.

  Looking at the indifferent look of all the officials, Xue Chongxun's face turned iron-green, and he really wanted to shout loudly at the Tubo envoy: "The princess is not here, what about the 3,000 tiger guards?"

  But he still knelt in his seat, speechless... It's useless to make a fuss, at most being gawked at like a monkey. Since the Tang Taizong, the Tang court has always believed that marrying off princesses not only can appease the barbarians but also influence foreign politics through women and promote peace. In short, this is a national policy that cannot be changed by one or two people, let alone Xue Chongxun, who counts as nothing in the imperial court, who would listen to him?

  In Xue Chongxun's memory, later on there was a Ming dynasty, which fought many battles in its later period but never surrendered... The Tang army was quite capable of fighting, yet they still had to send a princess as a tribute, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

  After the morning meeting was dismissed, a large group of people came out of the Hanyuan Hall one after another. Xue Chongxun and other royal relatives could not return home, and immediately went north to attend the palace banquet in Linde Hall.

  At this time a burly man with a wide face and black whiskers caught up to Xue Chongxun, laughing and saying: "Just now in the hall, I saw elder brother's complexion wasn't good, don't know why?"

  This sturdy fellow was Xue Chongxun's younger paternal half-brother, Wu Erlang Wu Chonghang. He was big and tall, even taller than Xue Chongxun by a head; walking alongside him was Wu Chonghang's older brother, Wu Dalang Wu Chongmin.

  The Wu family had only two brothers, but Wu Daliang was not the ugly and short one. He looked very much like his father, tall and slender, with a handsome face and elegant demeanor, truly a refined young master.

  Although not a father, after all, they are brothers. Once he thought that if the mother fell, the two Wu brothers would also be finished together. Xue Chongxun had a feeling of being in the same boat and felt much closer. Xue Chongxun shook his head: "We owe it to the princess, everyone in the court is in high spirits, looking at it makes my heart feel suffocated."

  "Big brother, I'm of the same mind as you. It's really frustrating! Our Great Tang has a million strong archers, and we're not short on men either. If Tibet doesn't submit, we'll just have to use force! Why not marry the princess to me instead? I'll lead the vanguard in battle against Tibet."

  Upon hearing this, Xue Chongxun suddenly felt a deep connection with his second brother, and patted him on the shoulder saying: "One day, we brothers will join forces to snatch their women, to avenge today's humiliation."

  Wu Er Lang burst out laughing. Just then, a loud slapping sound was heard from behind, and Wu Chong Min said calmly, "The princesses have enjoyed wealth and glory for so long, marrying into the royal family is not bad either, they won't lack food or clothes, and can still make some contributions to the country."

  "Alas, big brother, you're really not man enough if you say that. Won't she have food and clothes to spare after marrying in? The princess is our own kin, are you comfortable with those barbarians playing with her?" Wu Erlang looked at his own big brother with great displeasure.

  "Wu Chongmin snorted: 'Women will inevitably get married anyway, what's the difference who they marry?'"

  "We can't talk on the same level, I'm too lazy to bother with you." Wu Erlang threw out a sentence in an unhappy tone and quickly walked several steps ahead, walking shoulder to shoulder with Xue Chongxun.

  Xue Chongxun sighed and said: "This is the national policy, no matter how we look at it, it's useless, unless the national policy changes, otherwise, the marriage will continue."

  At this time, Wu Chongmin said coldly from behind: "Jincheng still thinks she can marry the Tibetan prince, haha, I heard a Tibetan say that Prince Jiang Cela Wannian died in a horse fall last year. It's likely that Jincheng will only be able to marry the old man Chide Zuzan when she arrives in Tibet."

  Xue Chongxun immediately turned around, glaring at Wu Chongmin: "The Tubo envoy deceived us... Since you knew, why didn't you memorialize before the imperial court decided on the marriage alliance?"

  Wu Chongmin sneered, "What's the use of presenting a memorial? In the eyes of His Majesty, what difference does it make whether we marry off a princess to promote border peace or to a prince or a Zanpu?"

  Takejiro said indignantly: "Is this really true? You don't come to me and I have to go!"

  "It's useless." Wu Chongmin fanned himself, gazing ahead as he walked past Wu Erlang. Xue Chongxun was silent, his words unpleasant to hear, but true nonetheless, and he understood that.

  It's a pity that Princess Jincheng was another political sacrifice. Princess Jincheng was the youngest, most beautiful and virtuous princess in the Great Ming Palace, with a reputation that preceded her, or else Wu Zetian would not have been so furious.

  Three brothers came to the front of Linde Hall, "Ruiyan deep place opens three halls, spring rain fine time leads hundreds of officials." The corridor of Linde Hall is majestic and magnificent, with a curved flying bridge that cleverly steals the work of heaven. The entire palace is extremely grand.

  They had just passed the square when they saw a large crowd of people gathered below the steps, all of whom were princes and nobles attending the court banquet, but none of them went up the stairs, instead surrounding the area below, doing something unknown.

  Xue Chongxun walked closer and heard many people in the circle talking, "Sister, you're going to Tibet soon, who knows when we'll meet again..." "Jincheng sister, will you come back to Chang'an to see us?" "Take my embroidered pouch with you, carry it with you, think of your relatives often when you get there..."

  Just then, a soft voice shouted: "Are you going to let your aunt go or not? Get out of the way!"

  "Make way, make way!" A 13 or 14-year-old girl pushed through the crowd and pulled out a slightly older girl from behind. Xue Chongxun took one look at the older girl and was immediately shocked, stunned! Her beautiful face could no longer be described with words, it was as if she was a woman who could topple cities and countries, a rare sight in this world. Her hair was silky smooth, her eyes sparkled, her lips were lightly parted, and her spirit was so captivating that it seemed to gather the essence of heaven and earth, shining brighter than the sun and moon, enough to steal one's soul.

  Her skin was even more beautiful and radiant than jade, with a soft glow that seemed to emanate from within, as if surrounded by an aura of light... She didn't seem human, but rather a celestial being descended from the heavens, untouched by worldly desires.

  Xue Chongxun turned his head to look at Wu Erlang, only to see that he was already staring blankly, as if in a trance, standing there stupidly looking ahead: "My mother ah, being able to keep her is worth dying ten thousand times!"

  She must be Princess Jincheng, Xue Chongxun saw her for the first time. At this moment, only Wu Chongmin was calm and composed, Xue Chongxun couldn't help but admire his composure.

  The girl in front, pulling Jin Cheng, was unknown to him, but he heard her call Jin Cheng "Auntie", and she seemed to be a little princess too. The two of them finally got rid of the entanglement of a large group of princes and nobles, and ran out like they were escaping.

  Xue Chongxun could no longer control his limbs, he walked forward in a daze for two steps, stretched out his hand to hold onto Jincheng, and told her that the Tubo prince was dead, their old man Zanbu wanted to deceive them into marriage... but he couldn't say a word, just staring blankly as Jincheng ran past him.

  Just then, a sudden "whoosh" sound was heard, Xue Chongxun was greatly shocked, and when he looked down, it turned out that he had unknowingly stepped forward and accidentally trodden on Jin Cheng's skirt hem. She ran, and the skirt was torn off in a big piece, revealing her slender legs.

  "Ah!" The crowd suddenly let out a collective gasp, their eyes fixed on Jin Cheng's calf. Meanwhile, the little girl in front glared at Xue Chongxun, her eyes blazing with anger. Jin Cheng hastily pulled up the other side of his long skirt and covered his leg.

  "I... I didn't mean to." Xue Chongxun said innocently.