Disease rights policy

Before noon the next day, the eunuch reported that the envoys from both countries had arrived and that the Emperor would be hosting a banquet later that evening. As the Empress, she was bound to attend. Qiao Ran and her party quickly helped the Empress get ready, and it was already two hours later when they were all dressed and ready.

Yinghong came out carrying a basin of water and saw Qiao Ran standing outside the tent. She nudged her and said, "What are you thinking about? Tonight we're hosting a banquet for the envoys, and tomorrow the spring hunt will begin. It'll be a spectacular sight."

Qiao Ran grinned, took the basin from her hands, and asked, "Sister Yinghong, do you know who the envoys from the two countries are?"

Yinghong felt a sweet warmth in her heart when Qiao Ran called her that, but she shook her head slightly and said, "How would I know? You saw me at the banquet."

Qiao Ran said "Oh" and helped Yinghong pour out the water.

The banquet began at 7:00 PM. At 5:15 PM, the emperor's eunuch came to invite the empress over. In the past, the empress would have Yinghong and Yingzi accompany her on such occasions. Tonight, she had Yingzi wait outside while Yinghong brought Qiao Ran to the table.

Qiao Ran was slightly surprised, but seeing Ying Zi's usual compliant expression, she quietly agreed.

The reception tent was decorated very grandly. Although it was in the western suburban camp, it was no less grand than the palace. Moreover, the envoys were all received by people arranged by Yao Yuze. Even though this was only the outer perimeter of the camp, they had no idea where they came from. Once inside the camp, there would be a large number of people and a lot of noise, and they would not be able to get any information.

Outside the main tent, many attendants from both countries were waiting. Qiao Ran had never been to Pingjing, but she could distinguish between the two countries by their attire. The people of Jin and Chu were generally more carefree, and their clothing was simpler. As for Pingjing, even the attendants' clothes were impeccable, and their posture was solemn.

An eunuch announced from outside, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

Qiao Ran lowered her head and followed her inside. The previously lively voices inside now rang out in unison, "Long live the Empress!"

Among the various voices, Qiao Ran heard a familiar voice. She looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw Qin Huai. Her eyes widened instantly.

Pingjing has come; Qin Huai has truly arrived!

He's far too audacious. After all that commotion in Sichuan, there's no guarantee that some officials in the capital haven't seen his arrest warrant!

Qin Huai also saw Qiao Ran, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes before he revealed a smile of reunion after a long separation.

After the Empress took her seat, Qiao Ran, who was serving at her side, finally looked up and saw the people from the two countries clearly. The young master sitting next to Qin Huai... oh Helian Huai looked to be either rich or noble, and even the beautiful woman next to him was quite extraordinary.

Helian Huai whispered something to the young master beside him, who stood up before Jin Chu and bowed, saying, "Baili Mingzhe has come to visit on the orders of my emperor, bringing gifts, wishing that Pingjing and Daliang will forge an everlasting friendship and establish a bond between our two nations."

"Good." Li Hezhang laughed. "The Second Prince's personal visit shows Pingjing's sincerity. Forging a friendship between the two countries is naturally what the people want and what I want. Second Prince, please."

Li Hezhang picked up his wine and drank it all in one gulp. Baili Mingzhe was not to be outdone. He was in his thirties, calm and reserved, and was the strongest contender for the throne of Emperor Pingjing.

Emperor Pingjing sent him this time, accompanied by Helian's grandson, which inevitably made people speculate about Emperor Pingjing's intentions. He deliberately used the trip to Daliang to train Baili Mingzhe. If he returned with merit, there was an 80-90% chance that he would get the position of crown prince.

Baili Mingzhe laughed heartily and generously introduced her to Li Hezhang, "Your Majesty, this is my younger sister, Baili Jiayue. Jiayue is mischievous. When she heard that I was coming to Daliang, she admired the local customs and insisted on coming. Your Majesty, may she stay in the capital for a few more days?"

Baili Jiayue stood up with her eyes crinkling, looking completely harmless. The silver ring around her neck jingled. Compared to Baili Mingzhe's sternness, she was more like a pampered and carefree little princess. Every smile and frown was adorable, making people unable to help but feel affection for her.

"Jiayue greets Your Majesty. This is my first time in Daliang. The scenery along the way is magnificent, the delicacies are tempting, and even the people I've met are kind and friendly. Jiayue really doesn't want to leave." Baili Jiayue, beautiful and sweet-voiced, smiled at Li Hezhang. "Jiayue just loves Daliang. As you said, if Your Majesty is not comfortable, Jiayue will not stay any longer. You can come again next time."

Li Hezhang said in a gentle tone, "Since Princess Jiayue likes it, what's wrong with staying a few more days? I will send people to protect you and act as your guideposts."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Baili Jiayue's face lit up with joy as she sat down happily.

As a result, Li Hezhang paid more attention to Baili Mingzhe and his group.

After the commotion subsided, Jin Chu slowly stood up, the leader's face clearly stiffening.

"Tian Ziche greets Your Majesty. Your Majesty has specially dispatched your subject with gifts to visit you and wish Your Majesty a long and prosperous reign, and that the Great Liang Dynasty will be forever prosperous and strong. The gift list from Jin and Chu has been presented, which shows Your Majesty's friendly intentions."

Qiao Ran had never heard of Tian Ziche, but judging from Li Hezhang's attitude and Tian Ziche's attire, he should be a nobleman from Jin and Chu like Helian Huai, who was highly valued by the Jin and Chu emperors.

Li Hezhang greeted him with a smile, saying, "I am overjoyed that General Tian has come in person. The gifts from Jin and Chu are very valuable, and I am grateful for General Tian's hard work on the journey."

Li Hezhang was not as polite to Baili Mingzhe as he had been to Tian Ziche, whose face remained slightly stiff. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Hezhang suddenly said, "However, I do have a question, and I wonder if General Tian can answer it for me?"

Tian Ziche waved his hand and said politely, "Your Majesty, please ask."

Li Hezhang smiled and said, "Before Tian Zhuguo came, when Your Majesty and I discussed the visit, the official letter stated that Your Majesty's Third Prince would come with Zhuguo. Why is it that only Zhuguo has come now?"

Si Ziyu?

Qiao Ran silently poured tea for the Empress, glancing at Tian Ziche, the Grand Pillar of State, and thought to herself, "Luckily, that jerk Si Ziyu didn't come."

However, Li Hezhang's question put Tian Dazhuguo in an awkward position. After all, the Third Prince, who had promised to come, had failed to show up, which would damage the reputation of both countries. Li Hezhang wanted to uphold national prestige, so he couldn't just let the matter pass by so easily.

Tian Ziche paused for a moment, then quickly explained, "The Third Prince suddenly fell ill before his departure. His Majesty had no choice but to send me ahead. The Third Prince's absence this time was truly due to the suddenness of the matter, and we have not yet had time to inform His Majesty. Please do not be offended, Your Majesty."

Li Hezhang naturally didn't believe it, but he asked aloud, "Is the Third Prince's illness serious?"

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. The Third Prince has simply been working day and night and has caught a cold. He has developed rashes and sores on his body," Tian Ziche said. "He should be able to rest for a while and his life should not be in danger."

Li Hezhang frowned. "That's good then. It was indeed a sudden event, how could I blame him?"

"Your Majesty is magnanimous." Tian Ziche sat down awkwardly, and as he lowered his head to drink, the expression on his face changed unpredictably. However, he was not good at hiding it, and many people secretly saw it.

Before long, the banquet was filled with singing and dancing. The officials of the three kingdoms took turns toasting each other, exchanging polite words. Qiao Ran and Helian Huai exchanged a few glances. Helian Huai seemed to have something to say to Qiao Ran, but in this kind of occasion, the two naturally could not get close.

As the banquet was about to end, everyone was somewhat tipsy. Qiao Ran's legs were numb from standing. Suddenly, Baili Jiayue offered to dance for everyone, and Li Hezhang smiled and agreed.

Accompanied by the sound of strings, Baili Jiayue danced gracefully, her lively smile attracting attention. After the dance, everyone applauded.

Baili Jiayue said happily, "I've been learning this dance for a long time. At home, my brothers and the others all said I didn't dance well, but today everyone clapped. I said my brother lied to me."

Baili Mingzhe chuckled helplessly, rubbing his forehead. "Alright, alright, I lied to you. Come back and sit down, or people will laugh at you."

Li Hezhang smiled and praised, "Princess Jiayue danced very well. I will reward you. If the princess likes anything, just tell me and I will arrange for someone to send it to you."

Baili Jiayue was overjoyed and almost jumped up. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty treats Jiayue better than my father and brothers. Jiayue is so touched."

Her antics enlivened the atmosphere in the tent considerably, and Li Hezhang rewarded Baili Jiayue with many things. Baili Jiayue was overjoyed and kept pulling Baili Mingzhe along, talking to him. Baili Mingzhe was so annoyed by her nagging that he could only beg for mercy.

The banquet should have ended there, but Tian Ziche stood up again while everyone was quiet and suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has asked me to inquire whether Your Majesty has made a decision regarding the marriage alliance discussed in the previous letter to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials present raised their heads, clearly unaware of the matter. Even the Empress beside Qiao Ran was stunned for a moment.

As everyone knows, Li Hezhang had very few princesses to begin with, and now there isn't a single one of them of marriageable age. If a marriage alliance were to be formed, one would inevitably have to be chosen from among the daughters of members of the imperial clan or close confidants.

Alternatively, we could have a princess from Jin or Chu marry into the family.

Tian Ziche still looked serious and somewhat impatient. Li Hezhang's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly, "I also want to know what the Emperor of Jin Chu is planning to do by bringing this up, and which princess he intends to marry into our dynasty?"

The ministers present all breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, their emperor's tone was firm, and he immediately made it clear that it was a princess from Jin and Chu who was being married off. She was just a princess, and she wouldn't cause any trouble.

To everyone's surprise, Tian Ziche paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Your Majesty, the one whom my Emperor wishes to marry is the Third Prince, Si Ziyu, so naturally he is asking your dynasty for the princess."

Li Hezhang's expression finally changed. "Tian Zhuguo, are you joking? Do you think I would marry my seven-year-old princess to your third prince?"

Tian Ziche quickly apologized, "That's not what I meant. It's just that His Majesty said that there is no precedent in our dynasty for marrying off two princesses, so it would be inappropriate. Since it is a good match to form a marriage alliance, it would be more appropriate to sincerely seek to marry a princess from Daliang."

The ministers in the tent were startled again. The prime minister composed himself and asked first, "I am puzzled. Does Tian Zhuguo mean that the Emperor of Jin Chu has already married his princess to another country for a political alliance? But which country is it to, and which princess is she? Why are we completely unaware of such an important matter?"

Qiao Ran silently gave Chen Jiu's father a thumbs up. In the open and covert struggles, our Prime Minister Chen's momentum is not inferior.

Tian Ziche: "Prime Minister Chen, don't be in such a hurry, I haven't finished yet."

"Please speak, Pillar of State."

"How could such a major event as a marriage alliance between two countries be kept completely secret? It's because our princess hasn't been married yet. We've only exchanged betrothal gifts with His Highness Mingzhe and set a date."

Chen Xiang immediately glanced at Baili Mingzhe, who was smiling across from him, and said, "I see. The Second Prince didn't say anything just now."

Baili Mingzhe stood up. "Marriage is a major event, and parents should give their blessing. I didn't say anything earlier because it wasn't completely settled yet. Please don't take offense, Prime Minister."

Chen Xiang remained calm and composed. He bowed to Li Hezhang, turned to the crowd, and said, "I think I understand now. The Second Prince wants to marry the Princess of Jin and Chu to establish a friendship between the two countries. Jin and Chu are now asking my Great Liang for a princess. If this continues, won't the friendship between the three countries be in jeopardy if my Great Liang doesn't ask for Princess Pingjing in return?"