Chapter 422: Chapter 243: Marriage Alliance_3
The Fourth Prince heard Zhao Yao ask this and mistakenly thought he wanted to win the Emperor’s favor.
"I’ll help you prepare."
"Sure... uh..." Zhao Yao thought of the Emperor’s sinister threats and could only painfully reject the Fourth Prince’s help, "Fourth Brother, I’d better prepare it myself." If that obnoxious imperial father knew the birthday gift he sent was prepared by the Fourth Brother, he’d surely find fault with him.
"You can also paint a longevity painting."
Zhao Yao shook his head and said, "Fourth Brother, my drawing isn’t good."
"Father won’t mind."
"I’ll think about it." Zhao Yao inwardly complained about the Emperor, thinking that the obnoxious imperial father was really too troublesome.
Downstairs in the dining hall, people were discussing envoys from Annan and Johor and other countries. A month ago, envoys from Anran and countries like Johor arrived in the capital one after another. At that time, their arrival in the capital was quite a spectacle, and since they looked different from people of Great Zhou, they caused quite a stir.
This time, among the foreign envoys coming to congratulate the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was a princess. The princess was the Princess of Annan, and her goal was very clear, intending to marry into Great Zhou.
Several years ago, the Annan Kingdom attacked the Southern Border of Great Zhou, occupying many areas. Upon learning this, the Emperor immediately dispatched Yan Huarong to the Southern Border.
When Yan Huarong arrived in the Southern Border, he recaptured many areas with lightning speed. In less than a year, Yan Huarong reclaimed the territories occupied by the Annan Kingdom. Afterward, Yan Huarong led his army to attack the Annan Kingdom.
The warriors of the Annan Kingdom were no match for Yan Huarong, and soon the Annan Kingdom lost many territories. Realizing they were no match for Great Zhou, the King of Annan immediately sought peace with Great Zhou, but the Emperor did not agree.
The Emperor directly ordered Yan Huarong to conquer Annan. Yan Huarong spent three years to conquer the entire Annan Kingdom. Now the Annan Kingdom is a vassal state of Great Zhou.
The King of Annan had always wanted to send people to Great Zhou, but the Emperor had been unwilling to see them.
Over the past two years, the Annan Kingdom has paid considerable tribute to Great Zhou, finally earning the opportunity to visit Great Zhou to offer congratulations.
To mend relations with Great Zhou, the King of Annan specially sent the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Princess to Great Zhou.
It is said that the Third Princess of Annan Kingdom is the most beautiful woman in the Annan Kingdom and the apple of the King’s eye. To form a friendship with Great Zhou, the King of Annan not only spared no expense in sending numerous gifts but also sent his most beloved daughter to Great Zhou for a diplomatic marriage.
After the envoys from the Annan Kingdom arrived in the capital, Zhao Yao curiously went to see the Princess of Annan Kingdom, and although she is said to be Annan Kingdom’s greatest beauty, she pales in comparison to Noble Princess Consort Rong.
The ministers are all discussing whether the Princess of Annan will enter the palace as a consort or become a Princess Consort.
The Crown Prince is unlikely to marry the Princess of Annan.
As for Prince Dai, he might take her as a consort.
The Third Prince could also possibly marry her as a concubine. Of course, the Fourth Prince might as well. Although the Fourth Prince will reach adulthood in two years, he is only a year younger than the Annan Princess.
The ministers are speculating who the Emperor will have marry the Annan Princess, if he has the princes marry her.
"Fourth Brother, who do you think Father will marry the Annan Princess to?" The Fourth Brother is certainly unwilling to marry her. The Third Brother probably wants to marry the Annan Princess, and the Second Brother might as well.
"I don’t know." The Fourth Prince firmly believes the Emperor will not have him marry the Annan Princess, so he is not worried about this at all, nor does he care who marries the Annan Princess.
The Fourth Prince does not want to marry the Annan Princess, but Prince Dai and the Third Prince very much want to marry her. Of course, they want to marry her not because she is Annan’s greatest beauty, but because they value the Annan Kingdom behind her.
Although Annan is now a vassal state of Great Zhou, it is still a country and not a small one at that. Most importantly, Annan is wealthy.
With the support of Annan, Prince Dai thinks his chances of defeating the Crown Prince have increased significantly. Of course, the Third Prince and the Wang Family think the same.
Prince Dai and Marquis Xuanping agreed that when the longevity festival comes, he would proactively propose to the Emperor to marry the Annan Princess as a concubine.
Due to the issue with Minister Kong’s youngest daughter, Prince Dai has yet to marry a consort. He believes that if he proposes to the Emperor to marry the Annan Princess as a consort, the Emperor will certainly agree.
The Crown Prince and Duke Zhen definitely do not want Prince Dai to marry the Annan Princess as a consort. As for the Third Prince, they do not take him seriously because he doesn’t stand a chance.
The Third Prince knows clearly that if he proactively proposes to the Emperor to marry the Annan Princess as a consort, the Emperor will certainly not agree, so he plans to use extreme measures to compel the Annan Princess to have no choice but to become his concubine.
"That Annan Princess is quite arrogant, I don’t like her." It is said in the hostel that the Annan Princess puts on great airs, demanding this and that upon arrival. "Clearly the princess of a defeated country, I don’t know what she has to be arrogant about."
The Fourth Prince said in a bland tone, "People from a mere speck of a place lack manners."
"Fourth Sister went to the hostel some time ago and personally taught the Annan Princess a lesson. It is said that during this period, the Annan Princess has become much more obedient." Fourth Sister is the most domineering princess in Great Zhou, she can’t allow a little Annan Princess to rampage in Great Zhou.
The Fourth Prince frowned slightly and said, "To fuss with a princess from a mere speck of a place is beneath one’s dignity."
In Xingde Palace, the Eighth Prince and Yu Hai were also discussing the Annan Princess.
The Eighth Prince said with a sly smile, "Since Third Brother wants to marry the Annan Princess as a concubine, let’s help him out."
"Your Highness, what are you planning to do?" Yu Hai thought of the condescending way the Third Prince viewed the Eighth Prince and spoke with full indignation, "Your Highness, we must make the Third Prince look bad this time."
The Eighth Prince’s tone was icy, "Naturally."