My elder sister is so noble, this time it's my turn to strike back

As Wan Rongyue finished speaking, two pairs of eyes fell on her.

There were shocks and surprises.

There was a hint of complexity in Qiu Ning's eyes.

She knew that Wan Rongyue was doing this to protect herself.

If I really did as the emperor said and entered the Pepper Palace to serve, given the frequency with which the emperor went in and out of the Pepper Palace, there was a high probability that the emperor would keep an eye on me.

She did not miss the fleeting glint of surprise in the emperor's eyes just now.

She had no intention of becoming a part of the emperor's harem, but it would be different if she became the Sixth Prince's teacher. Not only would she be able to enter and leave the palace, but given the Sixth Prince's future status, no one in the palace would dare to offend her.

So, the moment he looked up, Qiu Ning's eyes showed just the right amount of emotion and gratitude.

"Your Majesty, how could Qiu Ning deserve such cultivation from Your Majesty?" His voice seemed to be choked with sobs.

Seeing this, the emperor no longer had any romantic thoughts in his mind.

Given how much the Imperial Concubine cares for Qiu Ning, if she really had that kind of thought, not only would the Imperial Concubine be heartbroken, but even the Sixth Prince would become alienated from her.

Especially since Qiu Ning was still a criminal slave, even though she was somewhat pretty, it was not enough for the emperor to alienate the imperial concubine and the sixth prince in order to get her.

He is not a foolish ruler, so he will naturally make some considerations at this time.

So after a little consideration, he agreed to Wan Rongyue's suggestion.

"Well, since you have such a heart, how can I not fulfill your sisterly love? Tomorrow I will issue an edict to promote her to be the Sixth Prince's female tutor, and temporarily make her a ninth-rank imperial concubine, how about that?"

Although the rank of a ninth-rank palace maid was not high, her status was much higher than that of an ordinary palace maid. Qiu Ning naturally had no objection.

He immediately kowtowed to the emperor to express his gratitude.

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace. May Your Majesty be in good health and live forever!"

"Haha, good! May the dragon live long and healthy. The imperial concubine just said that you are well-read and a talented woman. I didn't believe it, but now it seems that you are indeed a little different.

Why don't you tell me how you predicted that the Crown Prince of Chu would cause trouble at the banquet?"

Seeing that the emperor intended to test him, Qiu Ning no longer hid his thoughts and immediately expressed his opinion.

"Your Majesty, in this era of seven nations coexisting and complex situations, the Chu State's dispatch of envoys to Daxia to discuss trade cooperation is a crucial move for its own development. The Chu State delegation's proposal to challenge Daxia at the banquet has profound implications.

I have the audacity to summarize four reasons."

Hearing Qiu Ning say this, the emperor's eyes lit up and he actually became interested.

"Oh? Then why don't you tell me about it?"

Hearing this, Qiu Ning straightened his back, walked a few steps in the yard, and then said:

"First, to demonstrate their strength and confidence, the Chu delegation intended to use the competition to showcase their superior cultural, technical, and military abilities. They simply wanted to convince Daxia that Chu was a nation to be reckoned with, thereby securing a dominant position in trade negotiations. If they could excel in the competition, Daxia would undoubtedly take a new look at Chu and realize that cooperation with Chu would bring enormous benefits, rather than simply a unilateral demand from Chu."

As Qiu Ning finished speaking, a complex light flashed in Emperor Shengjing's eyes, and he nodded involuntarily. He asked:

"Oh? What about the second one?"

"Second." Qiu Ning took a deep breath and continued to answer:

"Naturally, it's to test Daxia's attitude and bottom line. By proposing a competition challenge, we can observe Daxia's reaction. If Daxia responds positively, it means Daxia is confident in its own strength and is not afraid of competition. Chu can use this to infer how tough Daxia will be in trade negotiations. If Daxia is cautious or hesitant, Chu can understand that Daxia may have certain concerns. This will allow Chu to better grasp Daxia's bottom line in subsequent negotiations and strive for more favorable cooperation terms."

hum!

As Qiu Ning finished speaking, the emperor was so shocked that no words could describe it.

He sat up straight, his face showing a serious expression.

"Your analysis is correct. What about the third one?"

Seeing that the emperor was very sympathetic to his words, Qiu Ning was no longer as nervous as he had been at the beginning, and continued:

"Third, of course, is to enhance mutual understanding. In this non-war situation, we can quickly understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. For Chu, the competition process can help us gain insights into Daxia's strengths, so that we can target trade cooperation more effectively. For example, if Chu discovers that Daxia has certain advantages in mathematics or weapons smelting, then it will inevitably consider introducing relevant technology or talents.

At the same time, we can also understand Daxia's weaknesses and cleverly exploit them in negotiations, so that the cooperation will develop in a direction more beneficial to Chu."

This time, Emperor Shengjing spent a little longer thinking than before, trying to figure out the meaning of Qiu Ning's words.

If Qiu Ning's analysis is true, then the State of Chu will definitely poach talents from Daxia, especially the Sixth Prince who shined at the banquet.

Of course, the Chu people couldn't dig out the Sixth Prince, but what about the others? For example, Zhou Wu, Qin Jizhou, and...

And Qiu Ning!

That’s right, at this moment, the emperor suddenly realized the intention of Qiu Ning’s words.

But he suppressed the shock in his heart for the time being and continued to ask, "Go on with the last one."

Qiu Ning remained expressionless and continued:

"Fourth, it aims to create public opinion. The competition at the banquet is a public event, and there will undoubtedly be spies and informants from various nations nearby. If Chu performs well in the competition, news will quickly spread among the seven nations, undoubtedly enhancing Chu's reputation and prestige. This will not only make Daxia more willing to cooperate with Chu, but will also attract other nations to engage in trade and other forms of interaction with Chu, further strengthening Chu's national strength."

……

As Qiu Ning uttered the last word, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Even Emperor Shengjing, who believed that he was diligent in governing the country and knew all about various countries, had to admit that Qiu Ning's analysis was thorough and accurate.

Isn't this the reason why the Chu people arranged a guard general to take the stage, and then the crown prince Chu Shaochen, because of this idea?

At this moment, the emperor looked at Qiu Ning differently.

If the previous one was stunning, it was the hunter's determination to get the prey when he saw it.

At this moment, I had an even greater appreciation for Qiu Ning.

"Hahaha, great! As expected of the scholarly and well-mannered daughter of the Qiu family, based on what you said above, I can rest assured that you can be the Sixth Prince's female tutor!"

He then turned to Wan Rongyue and sighed, "My beloved, you are truly blessed by heaven. To have such a talented person like you, it seems like this is all God's will!"