Transmigrated into a vicious female supporting role, reborn as a hostage to the paranoid male protag

"Just like today, even though Prince Chu had cut his sleeve, he didn't return to the palace to change clothes. Instead, upon hearing that you had woken up, he hurried back from the parade ground outside the palace and came directly to see you. It's obvious, Your Highness, that Prince Chu still cares about you..."

Qiu Shuang smiled gently and said, she carefully sat beside Su Yingxue and helped her to do her makeup and hair. After all, His Highness had just recovered from a serious illness. Based on Qiu Shuang's understanding of His Majesty, no matter how busy he was today, he would definitely finish his government affairs and come to visit His Highness.

"Qiu Shuang, please comb Her Highness's hair into a simple bun today, and pin on the magnolia hairpin His Majesty gave her last year!"

"I heard it's Qintian white jade, a tribute from the Qin family. White jade hairpins are rare even among aristocratic families these days. The one Your Majesty sent is flawless white jade, and its quality is superb. When Her Highness the Princess wears it, she looks simple yet elegant. What do you think?"

Qiu Shuang took out the white jade hairpin from the dressing table and pinned it on Su Yingxue, then took out the bronze mirror for her to look at.

Su Yingxue took a look and found that, indeed, with Qiu Shuang's skillful hands taking care of her, her complexion was indeed better. She no longer had the paleness and dark circles under her eyes that came from a serious illness. This kind of dress, plain and simple, was very suitable for her.

"Qiushuang, you are so thoughtful." Su Yingxue was very grateful.

"Your Highness, you've forgotten again. How can a member of the royal family speak to a servant like this?" Qiu Shuang sighed and gently reminded him, "His Majesty has always doted on your youngest sister, Your Highness. Therefore, you must dress properly before your meeting with the Emperor. Your Highness must remember the proper etiquette and manners!"

This is not only the etiquette and manners that the eldest princess needs to follow when she is in the presence of the emperor, but also a way for a youngest sister to protect the deep love and care that she has for her brother, His Majesty.

His Majesty, Su Qinhuai, is truly the only brother in the entire Dasheng Palace who truly loves and cares for the despised Princess. It's no exaggeration to say he's the best brother in the Dasheng Kingdom.

Qiu Shuang's words reminded Su Yingxue that the original novel also wrote this way. When Zhang Susu was reading the book, she felt that Su Yingxue was so lucky to have a brother who doted on her so much.

It was written in the original book that after Chu Xingchen ascended the throne, he took into consideration the situation of Da Qi at that time. Although under his governance, the national strength had increased, the politics was clear, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

Although Chu Xingchen had an ambition to rule Qi Sheng at that time, he was shrewd and good at scheming. He knew very well that at this moment, Da Qi had just begun to settle down after several years of struggles among princes for the throne and civil strife. The people's livelihood had not yet had enough time to recuperate.

Even though the people of Great Qi were strong and their vast grasslands were home to the fastest horses, the sharpest scimitars, and the most courageous and skilled soldiers, the time was not yet right for an attack. Therefore, Chu Xingchen had originally decided to postpone the battle against Sheng for ten years.

However, when Chu Xingchen first ascended the throne, the defeated remnants jumped out like clowns, claiming that he had been held hostage in Da Qi and had suffered humiliation and bullying at the hands of a mere princess of Da Sheng.

Those people used Chu Xingchen's self-sacrifice of giving up his dignity and self, and suffering humiliation for them, the court officials and people, the entire Da Qi Dynasty, the entire Da Qi Palace, and the entire Da Qi world, in exchange for the stability of the entire Da Qi.

Now, it is being used as a sword to chop him by these foolish, honest and pedantic officials who fail to understand the situation.

Both publicly and privately, holding the prince hostage in Dasheng is a debt of gratitude owed by the entire Daqi to Chu Xingchen for his righteous act.

But now, in the eyes of these pedantic, incompetent, and self-righteous censors and old ministers, it is a manifestation of incompetence and shame. He, Chu Xingchen, was humiliated by Sheng Ren as a hostage, which is a shame for the entire Da Qi.

These people felt that it was a sorrow and shame for the Great Qi that such a prince who had once been a hostage ascended to the throne of the Great Qi.

Chu Xingchen didn't know that those people were only staring at the people he used to point fingers at, but didn't see that he was in power, with the military, political and palace powers in his hands. He was no longer the powerless Chu Xingchen who was driven out of the Great Qi Dynasty like a dog by those court officials and old subordinates.

Therefore, as the new emperor of Da Qi, Chu Xingchen urgently needs something that can minimize the impact of his hostage status, in order to appease the hearts of those old officials and ministers who are pedantic, honest, and self-righteous.

Therefore, Chu Xingchen first wrote a letter with the etiquette of an emperor, expressing his hope for friendship between the two countries.

What Chu Xingchen said was pertinent. As the Emperor of Qi, he offered millions of cattle and horses and several boxes of gold and silk to Emperor Sheng, asking him to hand over the culprit of the humiliation, Princess Su Yingxue, and several leading palace maids, to the Palace of the Great Qi State for disposal in order to establish peace between the two countries and to resolve the conflict between the people of the two countries.

Chu Xingchen knew he needed a reasonable time to maneuver his sword, establish his authority with Qi's courtiers, and temporarily avoid conflict with Dasheng. Handing over a mere princess in exchange for a ten-year truce between the two countries was something any wise ruler would agree to.

Chu Xingchen knew that Shengguo was still powerful at the time. For a hundred years, Shengguo had been recognized by its neighbors as a great nation and a country of etiquette.

In just a hundred years, how many changes have taken place in the world? What's more, it is a great country, where the aristocratic families have been rampant step by step, and the poor have no hope of serving the country.

The common people suffered from the tyranny of the aristocratic families, and the emperor suffered from the fact that the aristocratic families owned vast expanses of fertile land and beautiful mansions. The noble and prosperous clans spread throughout the court and the country, and the aristocratic families were rich and exempt from paying taxes. The national treasury gradually became empty, and the emperor's power was eroded and hollowed out by the aristocratic families.

Once a great nation, its rise and fall were due to its aristocratic families. But even a centipede, even after death, remains. Furthermore, the Great Sheng Kingdom has long been a model for other nations to learn from in etiquette and literature.

Even though it is now quietly declining, its power and influence cannot be underestimated.

The Great Qi was now on the rise. Chu Xingchen knew that Qi had a vast territory and its soldiers were brave and skilled in battle. They were a nation on horseback, and their combat power was not to be underestimated.

Across the continent, and looking beyond the rest of the world, the only state that could rival Sheng in terms of territory and population was the Great Qi. Consequently, since ancient times, the two countries had often been at odds, fighting and reconciling. However, neither had ever had a wise ruler capable of unifying the world.

If we wait another ten years, this battle will be won more easily. We can send troops now and fight, but it will only take a few more years.

But Su Qinhuai refused.

Su Qinhuai refused righteously.

Su Qinhuai faced the entire court of civil and military officials standing in the council hall, and indignantly threw the document that Chu Xingchen had shown him to the ground.

Inside the gilded palace, Su Qinhuai, clad in a dragon robe, sat upright on a carved golden throne. He angrily addressed a group of courtiers, berated, "I am the monarch of the dignified Great Sheng capital. The Great Sheng capital is a powerful nation, a great nation that will endure for generations. He is a mere ruler of a barbarian nation on the frontier who has only recently ascended the throne. How can he possibly understand etiquette? How can he possibly govern a country?"