The Moon is Full in the Traveling House

Chapter 127 Emperor Chu’s temptation

"Are you saying that Lord Yang let you retreat without doing anything?" In the study of Yang's house, Su Lun looked at Gu Bei with a puzzled look and asked.

"That's right. There were not many cruise ships on Qianling Lake at that time. Besides us, it seemed that there were other people also eyeing Lord Yang's ship." Gu Bei took a deep breath and said slowly.

"That's not surprising. To be safe, we should be careful during this period. Just keep an eye on the posthouse secretly and don't show up easily, so as not to bring unnecessary trouble to Lord Yang." Su Lun frowned and said in a serious tone.

"Yeah, that's what I think. We are in the dark now, so let's wait and see what happens." Gu Bei nodded in agreement. His eyes flickered, and he was obviously full of worry and uncertainty about the next move.

After a moment of silence, Gu Bei took out two sugar figures and a jade pendant from his arms and handed them to Su Lun, saying softly, "Brother Su, these two sugar figures are for little Su Xi. Please help me pass them to him. After all, that kid calls me brother, and I haven't even given him a gift yet."

Su Lun was slightly startled, then he took the jade pendant and the sugar man, and said with gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Gu! However, this jade pendant is so precious, and Su Xi is still young, I am afraid..."

However, before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Gu Bei. Gu Bei smiled slightly, a trace of sincerity flashed in his eyes, and slowly said: "Brother Su, you are being too polite. Since you have already acknowledged Xiao Xi as your brother, then he is our common brother. This jade pendant is just a token of your appreciation. Don't refuse it, just accept it."

Hearing this, Su Lun was moved and bowed to Gu Bei to thank him: "Brother Gu, I would like to thank you for your kindness on behalf of Xiaoxi."

Gu Bei waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's getting late. I'm going back first. I'll contact you if you have anything. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Brother Gu, be careful on your way."

At this time, in the palace of Chu, the King of Chu sat on the dragon throne, with a dignified look on his face, and he was intimidating without even getting angry. Below him, on both sides, sat the Prince of Qin and the other princes. They were discussing the alliance with Shun State.

Suddenly, a guard came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the second prince has returned to the palace." Emperor Chu nodded slightly to show that he understood.

A moment later, the second prince hurried to the imperial study and bowed to the Emperor Chu, saying, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you, Father!" The Emperor Chu smiled and nodded, then asked gently, "Ziyuan is back? Did you have a good time today?"

The Second Prince bowed and replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Emperor, I, Qianying and I went to Qianling Lake with Master Chenxuan today. Master Chenxuan and Qianying had a good chat, but we did not notice any strange behavior. In addition, according to our spies' reports, we did not find anything unusual."

The King of Chu nodded with satisfaction, and then signaled the eunuch beside him to hand the booklet on the table to the Second Prince, saying: "This is the alliance plan submitted by Lord Yang today. Take a look."

The second prince took the booklet, opened it and read it carefully. As he read deeper, his face became more and more solemn, and he was secretly amazed. The content of this alliance plan was so surprising that it shocked people.

Emperor Chu noticed the change in the Second Prince's expression and asked softly, "How is it? What do you think?" His voice was calm and steady, and no emotion could be heard.

The second prince hesitated for a moment and said, "Father, it says here that Shun State is willing to form a friendly relationship with Great Chu and sell a batch of grain to alleviate the worries of drought. In addition, it will increase the number of trading ports and intensify trade. These all seem to be beneficial to Great Chu. I don't quite understand the intention of Shun State doing this."

Emperor Chu nodded, a hint of disappointment flashed across his face. Among all the princes, he was most optimistic about the Second Prince, but now it seems that he is still a little bit lacking. Emperor Chu turned his gaze to Prince Qin and said, "Hong Zhen, why don't you come and solve their doubts."

Prince Qin silently put down the teacup in his hand, looked at the princes, and said, "Do you think Shunguo would give us such a great gift for no reason?"

Several princes shook their heads and said in unison: "Of course not."

Prince Qin patiently persuaded them, "Shun has enjoyed good weather and good harvests in recent years, and its people live and work in peace and contentment. It is much richer than Great Chu and Tianqi. However, its military strength is the weakest among the three countries. Great Chu suffered a severe drought this year, resulting in starvation everywhere. Although we have not heard any unusual news about Tianqi, as foreigners, they have always been arrogant and ambitious. In comparison, Tianqi is their biggest worry. If they can form an alliance with Great Chu, then they don't have to worry about the Chu-Shun border, and they can deal with the threat of Tianqi wholeheartedly. In addition, this document clearly states 'price to be negotiated', and it is not a free gift."

The second prince frowned and said, "But if it is really as they said, even if the price is a little higher, we should be able to accept it, right? After all, this is food! I have never heard of anyone selling food to other countries for disaster relief."

"This is where they are smart. Think about it, given our current situation, if the number of refugees continues to increase and exceeds what we can bear, what action will we most likely take? Without a doubt, that is to rob! So, where will we rob? Shun State, of course! However, if the two countries can successfully form an alliance, then war can be avoided! In this way, they can not only turn grain into cash, but also promote the development of commerce and travel after the two countries form an alliance. After all, Shun State is more prosperous than us, so they will naturally earn more. To put it another way, even if the alliance fails, it will not be a big loss for them." Prince Qin explained slowly.

After hearing this, the second prince immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to Prince Qin: "Thank you, uncle, for clearing up my doubts. I am grateful for your guidance." A look of gratitude appeared on his face, and it was obvious that he respected Prince Qin's guidance.

Prince Qin waved his hand slightly and smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay, you are still young, and you will naturally understand these principles with more experience. However, you mentioned just now that Qianying and that Young Master Chenxuan had a very pleasant conversation. Brother Emperor, are you really willing to let her go?" He suddenly turned the topic to Princess Qianying, his eyes fell on Emperor Chu, with a hint of unknown emotion flashing in his eyes.

The Emperor Chu's face became a little dull, and he sighed softly before slowly saying, "What can I do if I can't bear to let her go? That girl has never asked me for anything since she was a child, how can I bear to let her down? Besides, Master Chenxuan is the best master in the world after all, and he is barely worthy of my Princess Qianying!" His voice revealed a kind of helplessness, but also a firmness. It seemed that he was ready to accept Princess Qianying's choice.

"Since my royal brother has made the decision, I have no objection. I will not participate in tomorrow's meeting. I will take my leave." Prince Qin said calmly.

After saying this, Prince Qin bowed to the King of Chu and stood up to leave.

The King of Chu looked at the back of Prince Qin as he left, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Over the years, Prince Qin had always been so selfless, which made him wonder if his brother would one day become an immortal and transcend the world.

The King of Chu turned his gaze and looked at his sons. They lowered their heads, not daring to look at him, as if they were afraid of being discovered. Seeing this scene, the King of Chu suddenly felt powerless.

He waved his hand helplessly and said to everyone: "Everyone, please leave..." There was a hint of fatigue and helplessness in his voice.