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

The next day.

Jiang Duo and his entourage were dressed neatly and waited for Princess Shuhe to come out.

He had already secretly contacted the people of the King of Dali. As long as he could take Princess Shuhe out of Juzhou City and into the Kingdom of Dali today, he would not have to worry about the Emperor going back on his word. At the same time, he could force back the Mu family army, which was still searching for the King of Dali.

After waiting for a while, they unexpectedly saw Gu Hua and Zhao Luoxuan walk out side by side. Zhao Luoxuan's entourage did not carry any luggage, which was not like leaving Daliang for a marriage alliance at all, but rather like sisters going shopping together.

Jiang Duo frowned.

Gu Hua is really annoying; who knows what she might be up to now!

Last night, he saw Yuan Zhongyong and was furious to see how badly he had been beaten and how he had been driven to the government post station.

If it weren't for the important matters of negotiating peace and sending the princess to marry a foreign ruler, he would have dealt with that vile woman, Gu Hua, first.

Jiang Duo led his men forward and bowed to Zhao Luoxuan, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness the Princess."

Zhao Luoxuan waved her hand: "No need for formalities."

"Princess, we are going to the capital of Dali today. Please make sure you have your carriage and belongings ready."

Before Zhao Luoxuan could speak, Jiang Duo's face darkened, and he pointed at Aunt Mo: "Why don't you all hurry up and bring out the princess's things? If you miss the appointed time, none of you will be able to bear the responsibility!"

Aunt Mo looked at Zhao Luoxuan.

Zhao Luoxuan looked surprised: "Going to Meidu City today? Shouldn't we find out the situation first before discussing it?"

A flash of disdain crossed Jiang Duo's face, which quickly disappeared before he resumed his respectful demeanor: "Your Highness, I have made all the arrangements. His Majesty's decree is that you go directly to the Dali Kingdom to address the King of Dali..."

"Offering yourself as my bedmate?" Zhao Luoxuan couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted him.

Jiang Duo stared at her in astonishment.

Zhao Luoxuan's face immediately turned cold: "What a joke! My mighty Liang Dynasty has been fighting the Dali Kingdom for decades, making it hard for them to breathe. Why should I, a princess born of the first wife, lower myself to a tiny country and offer myself as a concubine? Lord Jiang, is this my father's will, or is this your own decision?"

Jiang Duo frowned and gave Gu Hua, who was standing to the side, a cold glance.

It must have been that vile woman who stirred up trouble for the princess.

Even princesses cannot interfere in politics, and Jiang Duo would never care about a woman's opinion.

“Your Highness is mistaken. Matters of state are not to be taken lightly. I naturally follow the decision of the cabinet and only act upon His Majesty’s order. How could I dare to act on my own? Your Highness should not question the court’s decision.”

Zhao Luoxuan sneered: "As a princess representing my father, I have come to the Southern Frontier to negotiate peace, and naturally I must fulfill my duties as a princess. The soldiers and people here are holding the Southern Frontier firmly, and we can enjoy wealth and honor in peace. Now that I have arrived, I must first appease the hearts of the soldiers and civilians before discussing whether to negotiate peace."

Jiang Duo never expected that the young princess would dare to publicly contradict him, a high-ranking official of the second rank.

His face immediately darkened, and he said sternly, "Princess! You have no right to decide on peace negotiations. You must come with me immediately!"

With a wave of his hand, the Tianwu Army that had come with him was about to advance.

"How dare you! Who would dare to offend the princess!" Aunt Mo shouted sternly upon seeing this.

They also brought the princess's guards, who immediately surrounded her, guarding her with their swords.

Akabane and his dozen or so black-armored guards all had grim expressions and were ready to surround them at any moment.

Jiang Duo said coldly, "Princess, are you going to defy the imperial decree?"

Gu Hua suddenly spoke up: "Lord Jiang, as the Associate Privy Councilor in charge of military defense and troop deployment, haven't you received the military report that the King of Dali has abandoned the city and fled? The king is gone, so who does Lord Jiang intend for Princess Shuhe to marry? Does Lord Jiang know where the King of Dali has fled to? Can you even contact him?"

Her eyes lit up: "My lord, we must quickly inform the generals who are pursuing the King of Dali of his whereabouts so that they can capture this fugitive king. That way, we'll have leverage in our negotiations, won't we?"

Jiang Duo, filled with rage, immediately vented his anger on Gu Hua, pointing at her and shouting, "How dare a lowly concubine slander the princess and disrupt important court affairs! Guards, drag her away and lock her up!"

"you dare!"

Zhao Luoxuan was surprised that Jiang Duo dared to arrest someone right in front of her, so she quickly stood in front of Gu Hua to protect her.

Akabane and the others drew their swords in a flash, and the tension between the two sides immediately escalated.

Jiang Duo roared, "I am an imperial envoy acting on the Emperor's orders. Anyone who dares to disobey this decree may be executed on the spot!"

Gu Hua stood behind Zhao Luoxuan, peeking out with her head: "In the past two months, the Mu family army has won one victory after another, even driving the King of Dali out of the capital. It's the perfect time to kick a dog when it's down. Is Lord Jiang going to rescue the dog? Lord Jiang, which side are you on?"

"you!"

Jiang Duo was furious, but he disdained to argue with a woman. The important thing was to arrive at the agreed location on time so that they could see Princess Shuhe, and then the matter would be settled.

He immediately stepped back and shouted, "Guards, bring the princess to the carriage!"

Gu Hua pried Zhao Luoxuan's hand away and stepped forward to protect the princess behind her.

His face darkened, and he shouted, "The Mu family army is protecting Her Highness the Princess! Anyone who dares to harm Her Highness is deceiving the Emperor and will be executed without exception!"

The black-armored guards shouted in unison, "We swear to protect Her Highness the Princess to the death!"

The killing intent honed on the battlefield was far superior to that of the Tianwu Army, and Jiang Duo and his group were taken aback.

Zhao Luoxuan's phoenix eyes widened, and her hand trembled as she pointed at Jiang Duo: "Jiang Duo, you dare to be so disrespectful to this princess while you are still on the territory of Daliang! Are you trying to kidnap this princess and hand her over to thieves? You are the one who is audacious enough to deceive the emperor and commit treason!"

Seeing this, the accompanying official quickly tugged at Jiang Duo and whispered, "Lord Jiang, His Majesty wants the princess to represent the Great Liang in the peace negotiations. If the princess refuses to go, it will be useless for us to go. But you can't force the princess."

Jiang Duo's face darkened.

With the protection of the black-armored guards, Zhao Luoxuan grew bolder: "This princess will immediately write a letter of divorce, explaining the true situation to my father, so that he can see your traitorous face!"

These words struck a nerve with Jiang Duo, who glared at him fiercely: "I'm afraid the princess's letter won't even get out."

Zhao Luoxuan's eyes widened, her little face flushed red, and she couldn't help but feel a little scared.

She quickly looked at Gu Hua, who gave her a reassuring look.

She calmed down.

As a princess born in middle age, Zhao Luoxuan was always pampered by the emperor and empress and had no opportunity to interact with ministers. She never expected that the ministers would dare to disregard her.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, I am late. Please forgive me, Your Highness and Lord Jiang."

The newly appointed prefect suddenly arrived, laughing and saying, "Your Highness, I, the Prefect of Juzhou, greet you."

Zhao Luoxuan quickly straightened her back, trying her best to maintain her princess-like dignity, and slightly raised her hand: "No need for formalities."

The prefect bowed to Jiang Duo again: "I greet you, Lord Jiang. You gentlemen have had a long journey. I should have hosted a banquet to welcome the princess and the ministers, but unfortunately, I have had a hard time in Juzhou these past few months, and it has been difficult to even gather enough chicken, duck, fish and meat."

Zhao Luoxuan asked in surprise, "Ah, then how will ordinary people make a living?"

"Your Highness, I have received Your Highness's summons and have come to escort you to the soup kitchens and orphanages. Your Highness, acting on His Majesty's orders, has pacified the people. Fortunately, Your Majesty's rule is benevolent and people-oriented, and your virtue extends to all. Your Highness's benevolence should be recorded in history and praised for eternity..."

Gu Hua: "..."

How can this prefect be so eloquent?

Jiang Duo was furious and interrupted him sharply: "What exactly do you want to do?"

The prefect bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, I have come to guide you. The people of Juzhou all know that the princess is coming and are waiting to pay their respects to her.

Jiang Duo frowned.

But now that things have come to this, if he insists any further, he'll give others a handle to use against him.

It was still early, and he wanted to see what tricks the little slut could pull.