Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

After settling Princess Shuhe in, Gu Hua returned to her room feeling somewhat depressed.

Zhou Zhilan noticed something was wrong with her and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Gu Hua pulled Zhou Zhilan aside and whispered, "Sister, do you think Princess Shuhe was willing to marry into the royal family or was she forced into it? I remember that Princess Shuhe, Zhao Luoxuan, is the Empress's second daughter, the most noble legitimate princess. Even if it were a marriage alliance, why would they let the legitimate princess marry into the royal family? She is only fifteen years old this year, just turned fifteen. I think she is quite pitiful."

Mr. Min explained to Gu Hua in detail the relationships between the princes and princesses of the royal family and their mothers.

Although the current Empress is not favored, her family is a powerful and influential clan, so her position as Empress is relatively secure, and she can also retain the position of Crown Prince.

The eldest princess's husband's father was a Left and Right Advisor in the Censorate, an upright and incorruptible official who was respected by the emperor and held a high position in the court.

Princess Shuhe was the sixth among the princesses. She was born to the emperor and empress in their middle age. She was young, smart and cute, and was loved by both the emperor and empress.

Zhou Zhilan nodded: "Who can argue with that? The reason why our lord insists on war is because these small countries are greedy and have been eyeing us for decades, constantly harassing our southern border. How can such a wolfish country be solved by marrying off a princess?"

"Why must they insist on making peace? Even if they wanted to, they should be beaten down before any peace talks can take place. Why are they trying to make peace now, taking advantage of Ziyuan's death and temporary setback? They have ulterior motives."

Gu Hua's face darkened.

The Jiang family's motives are to facilitate the smooth resale of state-owned mines, and they may have other intentions as well.

In short, Jiang Shi did not want to fight and wanted to please the other party.

There might be an even bigger conspiracy; otherwise, Mu Junyan wouldn't have needed to fake his death to deal with it.

“Madam,” Donghua walked in and said in a low voice, “I heard Princess Shuhe crying, and she didn’t eat much of the food prepared by the imperial chefs in the kitchen.”

"Cry?" Gu Hua asked in surprise. "Now?"

"Yes. She was crying very quietly, but I heard her. Also, the princess is coughing, and although they brought the imperial physician, they didn't see any medicine being prepared, so it probably isn't a serious problem."

Gu Hua thought for a moment and said, "Donghua, go find Mr. Min. I have something to ask him."

……

Mu Junyan's study.

After listening to Mr. Min's detailed analysis of the power struggles within the imperial harem, a bold idea suddenly came to Gu Hua's mind.

"Since you say that Consort Jiang has ambitions to seize the throne, then there must be discord between the Empress, Consort Jiang, and the Empress Dowager. They chose Princess Shuhe for a marriage alliance, which will surely break the Empress's heart. However, the imperial decree is hard to disobey, and Princess Shuhe has no choice but to come for the marriage alliance. But if Princess Shuhe knows that the marriage alliance is completely unnecessary and that she will only face death if she goes through with it, she will definitely resist."

Mr. Min nodded: "Madam's analysis is correct. Duke Yong."

“I have an idea, sir, please take a look and see if it’s feasible.” Gu Hua’s eyes lit up.

"Ma'am, please speak."

“We persuaded Zhao Luoxuan not to marry into the royal family. As long as the princess is unwilling, Jiang Duo has no way to negotiate peace.”

Mr. Min was very pleased. The little girl was very smart. Just a few days ago she was still confused, but now she understands everything immediately.

"Madam, you can give it a try."

Gu Hua was very happy that her idea was approved.

He carefully noted down the few words Min Dongsheng had taught him: "Then I'll make some pastries and send them over to test the princess."

……

Gu Hua led Zhou Zhilan, carrying a food box, to the guest courtyard. As they approached, they could faintly hear the little girl sobbing.

Two eunuchs and two princesses stood guard outside the door.

Seeing them coming, he quickly stepped forward to stop them.

A palace attendant said expressionlessly, "The princess has already retired for the night."

Gu Hua smiled and said, "I heard the princess crying."

"How dare you! Eavesdropping!" The eunuch's face darkened.

Zhou Zhilan raised an eyebrow: "Do we need to eavesdrop? We can hear it just by standing here."

The eunuch was furious: "How dare you! How dare a servant speak to me like that!"

Zhou Zhilan was speechless. She really wanted to beat up this arrogant bastard.

The crying inside had stopped, and the lights were off.

Zhao Luoxuan probably didn't want anyone to know she was crying.

Gu Hua patted Zhou Zhilan, noticing that he was dressed as a high-ranking eunuch, and said politely, "Your Excellency, I have also come all the way from Bianjing to Juzhou, and I know how hard it must have been. Princess, you must be having a long journey and your appetite must be poor. I have personally made some easy-to-digest snacks for you to try."

The eunuch's expression improved somewhat.

He kept a straight face: "The princess does not eat things of unknown origin."

Zhou Zhilan couldn't help but scoff.

Gu Hua smiled and said, "These are appetizing and soothing snacks. It's hard for the princess to fall asleep on an empty stomach. You must be very worried about her health, right?"

The eunuch paused for a moment, then glanced back at the room where the lights had been turned off.

Gu Hua patiently said, "The princess is young, and this is her first time leaving the palace and the empress. She must miss the empress very much. In addition, she is tired and hungry. What if she falls ill? How can she participate in the peace negotiations?"

While the eunuch was still hesitating, the candles in the room were lit.

Gu Hua was secretly delighted.

The door opened, and a female official came out: "Aunt Gu, please."

Gu Hua curtsied and followed the lady-in-waiting into the inner room.

Zhao Luoxuan, her eyes red, her hair loose, sat upright in a padded jacket.

Gu Hua stepped forward and bowed: "Gu Hua greets the Sixth Princess."

"Rise." Zhao Luoxuan raised her hand, putting on a mature demeanor despite her young age.

Zhou Zhilan opened the food box and took out two plates of pastries shaped like lifelike flowers, but the ingredients were simple.

"This is yam and osmanthus cake. Yam can warm the stomach and intestines, and osmanthus can soothe stomach cold and also has the effect of treating phlegm and relieving cough. This dish is hawthorn and jujube paste cake, which can help the princess to have an appetite."

Zhao Luoxuan straightened her face, but her phoenix eyes glanced at the snacks.

Seeing her gaze, the female official gestured to the palace maids who were tasting the food to check it out, and then gave Zhao Luoxuan a piece of each dish.

Zhao Luoxuan took a small bite, her eyes lit up, and she ate the rest, feeling much better in her stomach.

The girl's expression softened a bit, and her voice was clear and crisp: "Not bad, you actually know pharmacology?"

"I also came all the way from Bianjing. Like the princess, I lost my appetite and felt nauseous as soon as I arrived. So I did some calming things down and it took several days to recover."

Zhao Luoxuan glanced at her: "Hmm, not bad."

Gu Hua glanced at the female official: "Your Highness, there is something I don't understand and would like to ask you."

Zhao Luoxuan ate another hawthorn and jujube paste cake and nodded: "Go ahead."

Gu Hua lowered her voice: "The war situation is unclear right now. If the princess were to marry now, the risks would be enormous. Isn't the princess afraid?"

"How dare you!" The female official's expression changed. "How can a mere woman like you presume to discuss matters of state?"

Zhao Luoxuan remained silent.

"I do not mean to criticize the state, but as a woman, I simply feel affection for the princess. I once fought alongside the Duke of Yong against the enemy army in Shicheng County of Dali Kingdom, and I witnessed firsthand their bloodthirsty and ruthless nature. The princess is so young..."

Gu Hua choked up as she spoke.

Zhao Luoxuan's eyes reddened.

The female official's face turned cold: "The princess is going to rest now. You may all leave."

Gu Hua looked at Zhao Luoxuan sincerely: "Princess, you don't need to be married off for political reasons at all. May I explain the current situation to you?"

"presumptuous!"

The female official was furious and waved to the palace maid, "Someone, show the guest out!"

Two palace maids came up and chased the person away.

Zhou Zhilan pushed the person away, and Gu Hua stepped forward and knelt down in front of Zhao Luoxuan.

"This concerns the princess's safety and lifelong happiness. Please, princess, heed my words."

The female official, seeing that Zhou Zhilan was skilled in martial arts, looked displeased and was about to call for help outside.

Zhao Luoxuan hurriedly called out, "Aunt Mo, don't shout. I want to hear what she has to say."

The female official, known as Aunt Mo, strode over, bent down, and whispered, "Princess, peace negotiations are a major matter of the court, and women are not allowed to interfere in politics. Whatever she says will be in vain."

"But what I'm saying concerns the princess's happiness. Are you just going to stand by and watch the princess jump into a fire pit?"

"you!"

Aunt Mo was so angry that her face turned ashen. Afraid that people outside would hear, she scolded Gu Hua in a low voice: "What do you know? You dare to shake the princess's heart for the marriage and ruin the peace talks. This is a capital offense."