After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

After coaxing the baby away, Xu Qingqing hugged Xiao Yuheng for a while, blushing until He Anran and Wang Dahu came to say it was time to leave, and then the two sticky people separated.

While the emperor and the imperial teacher were constantly forcibly conscripting young and middle-aged men into the army, Xu Qingqing had already successfully taken over all the towns around the northern border with the help of the officials who had been deliberately demoted.

Even under a series of measures taken by the emperor, the city gates were constantly opened and people came to welcome them.

Do you want to ask the officials in the city?

Some were of one mind with the people and led them to open the gates to welcome them, while others who opposed were tied up like maggots by the people and thrown to the ground, unable to move.

What? Are you asking these officials' guards again?

Don’t these guards have families? Think about those guards who were beaten by their parents with brooms. There are still slap marks on their faces!

The more successful Xu Qingqing's side was, the more upset the emperor and the imperial teacher would be, and the more upset they were, the more bad things they would do.

Look, the imperial teacher and court officials were constantly spreading rumors among the people that Xu Qingqing's rebel army had framed the current emperor unjustly and maliciously fabricated false charges.

Before Xu Qingqing could produce solid evidence to prove the dog emperor dead, Zhou Shijie built a lid for his own coffin and nailed it in.

Zhou Shijie sat on the magnificent dragon throne, his brows furrowed, his eyes flashing with complex emotions. He looked at the vast sky outside the palace, but his heart was filled with gloom.

Xu Qingqing's rebel army was at its peak and unstoppable. Every victory seemed to ring a wake-up call in the heart of the emperor, making him unable to sleep at night and lose his appetite.

In order to consolidate his throne, the emperor began to think carefully and look for a way out of the impasse.

His eyes fell on the secret of his body that was well known to everyone but was still confusing because Xu Qingqing had not yet produced evidence - the Northern Barbarian bloodline. This secret was like a double-edged sword, which could become his weakness or a sharp weapon in his hand.

Zhou Shijie came up with a plan. He decided to use this secret to weave a legitimate reason for himself and establish a closer connection with the Northern Barbarians.

He thought of his younger sister, the gentle, virtuous, talented and beautiful Zhou Shilian, Princess Lianqing. In the emperor's heart, she was not only a close relative, but also a crucial chess piece in this chess game.

Zhou Shijie sat on the dragon throne, holding the armrests tightly with both hands. He sighed softly and whispered to the chief eunuch Li Gonggong beside him: "Eunuch Li, do you think I can still sit on the throne safely?"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li knelt down immediately, and said cautiously, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune, so you can sit firmly on the throne. However... this rebel army is indeed worrying."

Zhou Shijie nodded slightly, with a look of determination in his eyes: "I have thought of a plan that can not only stabilize my throne, but also solve this major problem."

"Oh? What good idea does Your Majesty have?" Eunuch Li looked up, curiosity glittering in his eyes.

Zhou Shijie pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I want to use my sister Zhou Shilian as a bond to form an alliance with the Northern Barbarians. Although there is a rift between the Northern Barbarians and our dynasty, if we can take this opportunity to mend the relationship, we can not only gain their support, but also use their military strength to deal with Xu Qingqing."

Eunuch Li was surprised when he heard this, but he immediately regained his composure: "Your Majesty, this is a brilliant plan, but... the princess..."

Zhou Shijie sighed softly: "I know Shilian is wronged, but as a member of the royal family, she must bear this responsibility. I will personally talk to her in detail, and I hope she can understand my painstaking efforts."

Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, Eunuch Li lowered his head and returned to his seat without saying a word.

Therefore, the emperor secretly summoned important officials in the court and the envoys responsible for negotiating with the northern barbarians to begin planning this marriage.

In order for this plan to be implemented smoothly, it must be flawless, so that the Northern Barbarians can see the sincerity and benefits of the marriage, while avoiding causing criticism and suspicion from all walks of life.

A few days later, the emperor summoned Princess Lianqing, and the atmosphere in the palace was solemn.

Zhou Shilian was wearing gorgeous palace clothes, her face was calm, but her eyes could not hide her worry. She didn't know what her brother was doing today, and for some reason she always had a bad feeling.

This feeling became even more obvious after entering the imperial study.

"See the Emperor."

"There's no need to be so polite, Imperial sister." Zhou Shijie immediately smiled and greeted her when he saw her come in.

"I wonder why my brother called me today?"

"Imperial sister, I have something to discuss with you." Zhou Shijie's tone was gentle, but revealed his unquestionable majesty.

Zhou Shilian bowed slightly: "My Royal Highness, please speak."

"I want to marry you to a prince of the Northern Barbarians in the name of marriage to strengthen the ties with the Northern Barbarians." Zhou Shijie said bluntly.

After hearing the emperor's proposal, Zhou Shilian's face turned pale instantly. She bit her lower lip tightly, and her eyes flashed with determination and unwillingness.

She immediately knelt down, her voice soft but firm: "Brother, Shi Lian appreciates your love and consideration for me, but this kind of marriage is not what Shi Lian wants."

Zhou Shijie's face turned gloomy the moment Zhou Shilian refused the marriage proposal. A hint of anger flashed in his eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was trying hard to control his emotions.

He didn't expect that his usually gentle and virtuous imperial sister would reject his arrangement so directly and resolutely, without giving him any face at all.

"Shi Lian!" Zhou Shijie's voice was deep and powerful, with unquestionable majesty, "Do you know how serious this is? As a member of the royal family, you should consider the interests of the country. How can you be so willful and reckless?"

Zhou Shilian raised her head and looked directly at Zhou Shijie, without any sign of retreat in her eyes: "Brother, Shilian understands your painstaking efforts and knows that the country is in danger. But Shilian believes that marriage is not a solution. Instead, it may cause more disputes and unrest. More importantly, Shilian does not want to become a victim of politics, and does not want her marriage to be exchanged for national interests."

Zhou Shijie became even angrier when he heard this. He strode up to Zhou Shilian and looked down at her condescendingly.

He glared at Zhou Shilian, his voice filled with disdain and disappointment: "Shilian, you know that as a woman, you should obey the arrangements of your family and sacrifice your personal happiness for the benefit of the country. How dare you so boldly reject my will? It's ridiculous!"

He paused, and his tone became more severe: "Since ancient times, women have regarded gentleness as a virtue and their husbands as heaven. As a princess of the royal family, you should take this as a role model. I thought you could understand the overall situation and take the overall situation into consideration, but I didn't expect you to be so short-sighted, only seeing your own selfish desires, and completely disregarding the safety and interests of the country!"

Zhou Shilian knelt on the ground. Although she felt pain in her heart when she heard the emperor belittle her like that, she still maintained her dignity and composure.