Wang Qingyao truly admired the Jin Yang Princess. She appeared as delicate as a willow in the wind, yet her words grew bolder with each sentence. Even in modern times, no one would confess their love by saying, "I like you very much, please fulfill my wish and have me."
Of course, the Emperor was not one to accept every proposal.
Having seen countless beauties, each with their own unique charm, and the Jin Yang Princess not being of unparalleled beauty, the Emperor did not directly respond. He merely stated that the matter would be discussed later.
After the banquet, Wang Qingyao was supposed to share a carriage back with Feng Jiangduo. However, Xiao Yun insisted on squeezing in, leaving Feng Jiangduo to take another car.
Seeing Wang Qingyao's displeased expression and her furrowed brow, Xiao Yun explained, "There's nothing between me and Princess Yin Yue. I have no idea why she suddenly declared she wants to marry me. She didn't show any particular interest in me a few days ago!"
Wang Qingyao abruptly turned to look at him.
He quickly raised his finger to swear, "Really, I'm not lying to you. Among so many people, I haven't even spoken to Princess Yin Yue alone."
"You find it strange too, don't you?" Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun seemed to be on different wavelengths. "She clearly doesn't fancy you but insists she does and wants to marry you. If she can't be the main consort, she's willing to be a concubine. This is truly bizarre, so bizarre!"
Wang Qingyao repeated "bizarre" twice, her brow still tightly furrowed.
Only then did Xiao Yun understand that she didn't disbelieve him. Her furrowed brow stemmed from her inability to comprehend the situation.
Xiao Yun's mood soured. He had been eager to distance himself from Princess Yin Yue, but now he puffed out his chest with a hint of pride, saying, "It's not entirely strange. I am, after all, dashing, charming, and handsome. It's normal for young ladies to secretly admire me."
Wang Qingyao chuckled and lightly punched his chest. "Yes, yes, it's not strange that Princess Yin Yue fancies you. What's strange is that she investigated my background and family history so thoroughly. If she can't marry into the Ding'an Prince's manor as the main consort, she's willing to be a concubine. It seems that as long as she can enter the Ding'an Prince's manor, nothing else matters."
Xiao Yun was stunned. He prided himself on not having such charm that a princess of a nation would love him so desperately, disregarding status.
"Furthermore, when she said those things, Princess Jin Yang and the other envoys did not object. The princess is lovesick, but the others should know that a princess of a nation becoming a concubine would be a great disgrace to the Xia Kingdom."
Xiao Yun's brow also began to furrow.
"Did you discover anything else?"
"Also, Princess Jin Yang is determined to marry the Emperor as a concubine. Why are the princesses of the Xia Kingdom so eager to become concubines?"
Although becoming the Emperor's concubine was different, for a dignified princess of a nation to forgo choosing from several young princes and instead select an Emperor in his forties, old enough to be her father, was inherently questionable.
It wasn't as if the Emperor was forcing her to marry him, and he had already refused once. Yet, she pressed on, becoming more determined with each setback.
"There's a conspiracy here," Wang Qingyao concluded.
Xiao Yun jumped in surprise. "What conspiracy?"
Wang Qingyao had read many palace intrigue novels. These stories often involved foreign princes and princesses. What kind of conspiracy could foreigners have? Naturally, it would be an attempt to annex Da Sheng and expand their own national strength.
Xiao Yun scoffed and laughed. "Based on the Xia Kingdom?"
"If they were to openly compete in national strength or military power, they would naturally lose. That's why they resort to underhanded tactics."
"But what does this have to do with me?" Xiao Yun asked, confused.
Wang Qingyao said with a smile, "You have money."
"Having money can destroy our Da Sheng? How naive."
"Not naive," Wang Qingyao explained point by point. "First, Princess Jin Yang will enter the palace as a consort. As a princess of the Xia Kingdom, her rank will surely not be low. Even if the Emperor doesn't particularly favor her, for the sake of bilateral relations, he will undoubtedly sleep with her from time to time. After three to five years, as long as Princess Jin Yang gives birth to a prince, the Xia Kingdom will take action."
"What will Princess Yin Yue be doing then? She'll be in our Ding'an Prince's manor. She'll surely believe she's both smart and beautiful, and that as long as you take her as a concubine, you'll eventually fall in love with her. Even if you don't, it doesn't matter. She's a princess, and she has Princess Jin Yang as her backer. As soon as you die, she'll control this manor, and the Xiao family's wealth will flow into her hands. You have a curse on you, so no one will suspect your death. Even if you don't die from the curse, she'll seize the opportunity to kill you."
Xiao Yun swallowed. "Just this isn't enough."
"Yes, the most crucial element is still military force. Therefore, the Xia Kingdom, using this diplomatic mission to Da Sheng, the two future weddings, and even in the coming years, will secretly infiltrate Da Sheng with their army, breaking it down into smaller units."
"At that time, with money, soldiers, and people, they can easily take over the capital. Of course, they will also have foreign aid, perhaps forming alliances with other countries."
"Naturally, for all of this to succeed, there's a prerequisite: all the people of Da Sheng are fools."
Xiao Yun laughed twice. After thinking carefully, if these actions were carried out secretly, they might indeed succeed.
"I'll go find Fang Zheng." He jumped out of the carriage, then a moment later, he leaned in through the doorway and asked, "Where do you get so many conspiracy theories from?"