I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Zheng Xuan finally panicked. If this got out, she would not be able to bear the charge of disrupting the peace talks.

When Lu Mingqin saw that her fourth sister had a conflict with the daughter of Marquis Beian, she hurried over.

The first person she looked at was Yang Xier.

"Fourth sister, women have always married according to their parents' orders. If you are lucky enough to be married by His Majesty, you should be grateful for the emperor's grace. How can we women make such irresponsible remarks? If it gets out, wouldn't it make people laugh?"

As he spoke, Lu Mingqin bowed to Zheng Xuan.

"Please don't blame me, Princess Anhe. My fourth sister grew up in the countryside and has never been taught by her father, brothers, or sisters, nor by my sister-in-law, the younger sister of the Imperial Concubine. It's inevitable that she's been rude. If I've offended you, I apologize to you on my behalf."

Under normal circumstances, Zheng Xuan would have burst out laughing and used this as an excuse to humiliate Lu Mingyang. But at this moment, these words seemed to confirm Lu Mingyang's words, and her face turned pale with frustration.

"No matter where she grew up, the blood flowing in her body is the blood of my Weiguo Mansion. It is not comparable to a concubine's daughter born to a maid like you."

A loud voice was heard, and an old lady with gray hair strode over, holding a dragon-headed cane.

Lu Mingqin turned pale with fear and hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Greetings, Grandmother."

Yang Xier wanted to get up, and a weathered yet warm hand reached out to her. Yang Xier nervously placed her hand in her palm and let her pull her up.

"you are?"

"Silly child, I'm your grandmother!" Madam Yu from the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion took out a handkerchief and lovingly wiped the grease from the corners of Yang Xier's mouth and hands, tears in her eyes: "You look so much like Yuan'er."

Is Yuan'er your mother's maiden name?

While Yang Xier was stunned, Madam Yu's dragon-headed cane trembled and she looked at Zheng Xuan: "Should I kneel down and thank your father for bringing back the bodies of my son-in-law and grandson?"

"I dare not, I dare not!" Zheng Xuan waved her hands in fear.

"Child, let's go!" Old Madam Yu pulled Yang Xier away.

"Second sister!" Yang Nian'er was worried about her sister's safety and had pestered her to follow her as her personal maid. Seeing someone dragging her sister away, she hurriedly chased after them, only to bump into a man who was just as reckless as she was.

The man said "Excuse me" and hurriedly chased after him.

The woman next to Zheng Xuan had never seen her so frightened before, and asked curiously, "Who is she? Why is she so domineering?"

Zheng Xuan glanced at her sideways and said disdainfully, "Did you see the dragon-headed cane in her hand? It was given to her by Emperor Taizong himself!"

"Who did you say is here?" Concubine Song, who arrived late, approached the two of them.

Zheng Xuan hurriedly bowed and saluted, "Old Madam Yu from the Duke of Wei's Mansion."

"Oh no, why is she here!" Concubine Song hurried to the main banquet.

On the stage of the Imperial Garden, people were drinking and singing and dancing.

Madam Yu led Yang Xier up the stone steps, one step at a time, and the dragon-headed cane in her hand slammed onto the ground, making a clanging sound. The emperor saw who was coming and almost choked on the wine in his mouth.

"Madam Yu, we have distinguished guests here today. If you have anything to say, wait until I return to the palace. Someone, take Madam Yu to my Xingqing Palace to rest."

"This matter is extremely urgent. I cannot wait." Madam Yu shook the dragon head in her hand and said loudly, "Seventeen years ago, I celebrated the late emperor's birthday. It happened to be the birth of my grandson. The late emperor promised that from now on, any girl I chose could be my grandson's wife. May I ask, Your Majesty, if you still remember this?"

"Of course I remember..." The emperor looked at the eunuchs standing on either side, not daring to step forward, and thought to himself that it was useless. He was about to speak when he saw Concubine Song quickly step forward, holding her lotus skirt.

Concubine Song went to Fuyu Old Madam with a smile, "I have prepared tea in the Lake Heart Garden so that I can talk to you about the selection of the Crown Prince's Concubine."

"No need! Wei Luo, tell His Majesty who you want to marry."

Wei Luo had just stopped Yang Nian'er from going forward when he was suddenly called by his grandmother. He climbed up the platform with a wronged look on his face and knelt down to pay his respects.

"Your Majesty, I wish to marry my cousin Lu Mingyang."

If he agreed to this, he would be unable to explain himself to the Xiongnu; if he refused, it would be unfilial. The emperor's face turned extremely grim, and he said sternly, "I understand. We will discuss this matter later. Madam Yu has been traveling so long, please go down and rest."

A scornful laugh echoed throughout the silent banquet.

"Why do you want to discuss it later? Has the emperor forgotten that he promised Lu Mingyang to me, the Xiongnu?"

Jin Yiluo looked the old woman up and down in front of him and said sarcastically, "The emperor can't even handle an old woman, how can we, the Xiongnu, believe the emperor's promise?"

Madam Yu looked at Jin Yiluo and spat, "You little brat, you should go ask your father who beat him so hard that he vomited blood and ran away. Once you understand clearly, come and talk to me."

Jin Yiluo was furious and sneered coldly: "A corrupt man on his deathbed can only reminisce about the glory of the past."

This statement refers not only to people, but also to Sheng Dynasty.

"Don't forget, it is you, Sheng Chao, who are asking for peace with us now."

Old Lady Yu shook the dragon-headed cane in her hand again. "Your Majesty is kind and compassionate, and cannot bear to see the suffering of the people. As for you, you came here when you were told to, but it seems you prefer to eat sand and sleep in tattered tents on the grasslands. Attacking Yanmen Pass is just a joke for you."

Although Madam Yu usually behaves very tough, she always protects the face of the emperor and the Sheng Dynasty in major events.

For so many days, the ministers in charge of the peace talks had agreed to all the Xiongnu's demands. The emperor had been simmering with anger for a long time, but hearing this, he felt relieved.

Yes, the three dangerous passes of Yanmen Pass, Ningwu Pass and Pingjing Pass are all in his hands, and there should be a tough person to teach the Huns a lesson, so that they won’t be too presumptuous.

Jin Yiluo's veins bulged. Although he had killed Chengyang Marquis Lu Shao, only one tenth of the elite cavalry battalion he had spent ten years personally building remained. If not for this, he wouldn't have listened to his father, the Khan, and come to negotiate what he considered a profound humiliation.

"Old thing!"

Wu Weixie drew the scimitar from his waist and stabbed at Old Lady Yu.

With a clang, Yang Xier didn't expect that the nearly seventy-year-old old lady Yu could knock the Xiongnu warrior's weapon to the ground with one move.

Wu Weixie rolled on the ground and tried to move forward. Wei Luo quickly stood up and protected his grandmother.

During the banquet, apart from the Emperor's Imperial Guards, only Wu Weixie was armed. The Imperial Guards drew their swords, but without His Majesty's order, they dared not arrest anyone rashly.

There was dead silence on the Imperial Garden Terrace.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A weak cough pierced the air as a figure in white slowly ascended the Imperial Garden Terrace. Their steps were unsteady, as if they would stumble down the white marble steps in the next second.

Looking closer, the pale face against the white jade crown was even more bloodless, like a mannequin carved out of wax, beautiful and fragile.

"Your son pays homage to His Majesty!" Ningyuan King Chu Mingzheng supported his lower back and knelt down to salute.

"Stop kneeling!" The emperor was really worried that he would faint on the stage, so he gave him a seat directly.