Chapter 94

"Peace marriage?"

"Peace marriage with his grandmother."

"Why should our great Xia marry into the Xiongnu?"

As the news from the court spread, the people of the capital were instantly in an uproar.

For the common people, a peace marriage was an extremely bad thing. After all, sending a woman of the great Xia to the desolate borderlands was not a good thing.

Not to mention the suffering of their own people, it mainly felt like sending a woman to seek peace.

But for many, a peace marriage was not a bad thing. Some even knew that a peace marriage was a good thing, as it meant an alliance between two countries, mutual trade, and no war, which was a great blessing.

However, the people of the capital were different. Although there were poor people in the capital, at least they were free from hunger and cold, and being close to the emperor, every household had some connections. The topics of daily conversation were often related to the court.

In the capital.

There was a chorus of curses, but it was clear that this was a deliberate act, hoping to incite the great Xia to wage war.

However, no matter how much cursing there was, everyone knew one thing: the court had already made the decision.

The Xiongnu had already apologized and done everything they should. The Ministry of Rites was now negotiating with the Xiongnu. If there were no major issues, the peace marriage was basically a done deal.

Now, many daughters of officials were already on edge.

No one wanted to marry into the Xiongnu.

Don't be fooled by the title of princess, which sounds good, but in reality, what is it? A political sacrifice?

Once you marry, you'll be in a strange land, and do you really expect your status as a princess to be of any use?

To be honest, if you are mistreated, just keep quiet. The emperor is far away, and they can mistreat you as they please. If they really want to kill you, they can just say you died of a cold.

What can you do?

In short, no matter how much the people curse, the daughters of high officials are in a panic, fearing they will be chosen.

The news of the peace marriage also naturally spread to the Great Xia Academy.

In the room.

Gu Jinnian was counting the gold in front of him.

The twelfth prince of the Jin Dynasty didn't send a piece of jade? Gu Jinnian directly gave it to Wang Fugui to sell.

A gift from a prince is certainly not cheap, and Wang Fugui didn't dare to sell it, fearing that if it was discovered, it would cause trouble for Gu Jinnian. So he paid for it himself, as his father also liked such things.

The price was fair, ten thousand taels of gold, but Gu Jinnian wanted silver.

So Wang Fugui ran back and forth three times that day to deliver the ten thousand taels of gold to Gu Jinnian's dormitory.

No one knew why the grandson of the Marquis of Pacifying the Nation loved money so much, but when Gu Jinnian spoke, no one could say anything.

In the academy dormitory.

Gu Jinnian looked at the three large boxes of gold, feeling a bit helpless. He had gathered so much gold just to solve the case as soon as possible.

However, it must be said that the Ancient Tree did not accept banknotes, which was quite frustrating. Ten thousand taels of gold was manageable, but if he really had to calculate something bigger, like a hundred thousand or even a million taels of gold, Gu Jinnian would definitely refuse.

Digesting ten million taels of gold would not only be exhausting but would also cause a currency collapse.

Gold is not a hard currency; it is basically the currency of major money houses and foreign trade. The common people use copper coins and silver pieces, often cut silver, which means cutting a piece of silver with scissors. So in some not particularly wealthy cities, every household has a pair of scissors for cutting silver.

But as the core of the monetary system, money houses must have gold reserves to prevent silver redemption events.

A million taels of gold, a city's money houses couldn't gather that much.

If this happened seven or eight times, the currency of the Great Xia would have a major problem, as no new gold mines have been discovered in recent years.

Scratching his head, just as Gu Jinnian was about to start working.

A voice sounded outside.

"Your Highness."

It was Su Huaiyu's voice.

"Enter."

Hearing it was Su Huaiyu, Gu Jinnian seemed very natural.

At that moment, Su Huaiyu walked into the room.

Stepping into the room, Su Huaiyu's gaze immediately fell on the three large boxes.

The golden ingots made Su Huaiyu frown.

"According to the laws of the Great Xia, if one accepts a bribe of more than two hundred taels of silver, they are beheaded immediately."

"If one accepts a bribe of more than five hundred taels of silver, they are blinded and then beheaded."

"If one accepts a bribe of more than a thousand taels of silver, they are maimed, blinded, and then beheaded."

"Your Highness, your amount, dismemberment is not excessive."

Su Huaiyu subconsciously thought Gu Jinnian had accepted a bribe, after all, these three large boxes of gold, at least ten thousand taels, right?

"This is not a bribe."

Gu Jinnian closed the box lid and replied.

"For a bribe of more than five thousand taels of silver, beheading is immediate, and this amount is enough for dismemberment."

Su Huaiyu said calmly.

"It's not a bribe, I sold some things myself."

"What do you want?"

Gu Jinnian was used to Su Huaiyu's way of speaking, so he directly asked about his purpose.

"Your Highness, you can trust me completely. If it's really a bribe, give me a little, and I can keep it a secret."

Su Huaiyu slowly walked to the three large boxes, speaking very seriously.

"Get to the point."

Gu Jinnian was tired of his rambling. Is this guy's brain stuck on money?

This is my hard-earned money, and you want to freeload? Is this a habit?

"The Great Xia's declaration of war, Your Highness remembers, right?"

Hearing Gu Jinnian's seriousness, Su Huaiyu's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. It seemed he really hoped this was money from a bribe.

"I remember, what about it?"

"Is the war confirmed?"

Gu Jinnian nodded and poured a cup of tea.

To be honest, Gu Jinnian didn't want a war. To be precise, it would be better for the Great Xia to rest and recuperate. A war is unnecessary.

"No."

"The Xiongnu have already apologized, and the village massacre was not done by Xiongnu cavalry, but by impostors."

"However, these are the words of the Xiongnu, and the specifics are unclear."

Su Huaiyu replied.

"Apologizing is enough, not going to war is better, to avoid any trouble."

Gu Jinnian nodded.

This is good news.

"Your Highness is right, but after the Xiongnu apologized, they want to have a peace marriage with the Great Xia."

"To marry a princess to the Xiongnu, hoping for a friendly alliance between the two countries."

Su Huaiyu said calmly, but his gaze was still on the three large boxes.

He seemed to be unwilling to give up.

"Peace marriage?"

"Why would the Xiongnu want a peace marriage with the Great Xia?"

Hearing this, Gu Jinnian was surprised and didn't care about Su Huaiyu's suspicious look.

"I'm not sure, but there must be a plan, perhaps for the state's fortune."

Su Huaiyu was very calm and made a judgment.

"For the state's fortune?"

"How do you know?"

Hearing "state's fortune," Gu Jinnian was sensitive. This was different.

"Guess."

Su Huaiyu turned to look at Gu Jinnian, expressionless.

"..."

Taking a sip of tea, Gu Jinnian was speechless.

"Will marrying a princess bring fortune?"

"Hasn't this never been heard of before?"

"If it's really for the state's fortune, how could the Great Xia marry a princess to the Xiongnu?"

Gu Jinnian put down his teacup, not accepting this reason.

"You're right."

Su Huaiyu nodded.

Ah, this.

"How confident are you?"

Gu Jinnian asked.

Although Su Huaiyu's words are a bit problematic, he is usually very accurate, like cheating.

"Not confident."

"Just a guess."

Su Huaiyu shook his head, as it was indeed just a guess. If you ask him why, he can't explain it, but he just feels it's like that. Believe it if you want, or don't.

"Then go tell Li Ji about this. If it's really for the state's fortune, it's a trap."

Gu Jinnian suggested Su Huaiyu talk to Li Ji.

"Avoid trouble, if he starts questioning me again, it's not good. If I can't explain clearly, he might lock me up for a few years."

Su Huaiyu was very realistic. If the sky falls, it's not his problem. He embodies the art of lying low.

Such a person, if not locked up, would be a waste.

"It should be for trade. With the border relations deteriorating, neither side can live well. If an alliance is formed, there will be a lot of trade, and some unrest, like village massacres, will be reduced."

"Peace marriage is a good thing."

"The only downside is the sacrifice of a woman's happiness."

Gu Jinnian said, his expression serious.

As a screenwriter who relies on history, Gu Jinnian has a certain authority on peace marriages.

Viewing peace marriages from a historical perspective, they represent two meanings.

The dynasty is not strong.

The dynasty needs time.

Any powerful dynasty does not need a peace marriage. Relying on a peace marriage to maintain imperial rule is a shameful thing.

For example, when the First Ancestor was around, who would dare to mention a peace marriage? If you did, he would beat you until you doubted your life, and the First Ancestor would change his surname.

Unfortunately, the Great Xia has been in turmoil for a long time. Jian De overthrew the Great Xia, and the most important thing is that the First Ancestor killed many meritorious officials. After the crown prince died, Jian De took power to stabilize his rule.

He had to target the former meritorious officials, which led to a significant decline in the Great Xia's military power. It was Gu Jinnian's grandfather who stabilized the situation by going to the border early, or else the Gu family would have been purged during the First Ancestor's reign.

Because of this, the Gu family rose to prominence. Being a founding minister is important, but more importantly, the once mighty generals are all dead, their families exterminated.

Because of these reasons, the Great Xia dynasty has declined, though the foundation has not collapsed, but it's not in good shape.

The Xiongnu, a nomadic tribe, often harasses the north, and the west is no better. Although they are not the Xiongnu, they are even more despicable, at least the Xiongnu don't act openly.

If they really do something to break ties, they might just fight.

But the nomadic tribes to the west are truly despicable, robbing merchants, civilians, and committing all sorts of atrocities.

If an alliance can be formed with the Xiongnu, the Great Xia won't need to send its own troops to handle the situation. The Xiongnu can just give a call, and such incidents will be greatly reduced.

Merchants might still be robbed, as the money and profit are too tempting.

The Great Xia is not weak, but it needs time to develop. This development won't take long, ten to twenty years, as long as there are no disasters like the Jiangning Prefecture.

At most, thirty years, and the Great Xia dynasty will regain its former glory.

When that time comes, it will be different.

What? You dare to look at me? You want to declare war? Brothers, the Xiongnu look down on us, calling us dogs. What should we do?

The development will be like this: just because two soldiers glanced at each other, a war starts.

No other excuse is needed, just fight.

How to get through these twenty to thirty years?

Peace marriage.

It's a delaying tactic.

Peace marriage, though shameful, hides wisdom. Once a peace marriage is formed, relations will ease, trade will flourish, and both sides will be happy. My border will be peaceful, and your country will be stable.

Everyone is happy, except for one person.

The woman sent for the peace marriage.

But for the court, one woman is nothing, even ten, a hundred, or a thousand are nothing.

Sacrifice is sacrifice.

Once a war starts, tens of thousands of soldiers will die, and if we lose, it will be a living hell, with millions of civilians dying.

How many people died in the border cities? How many civilians died?

Seven days of massacre, you won't even have time to cry.

So, peace marriage is not a bad thing.

Apart from the instinctive disgust of a modern person and a sense of frustration, from an economic and national perspective, peace marriage is a good thing.

A good thing for the country and the people.

But from a personal perspective, it's disgusting.

Especially with the Xiongnu, who have a custom of a son marrying his stepmother.

It means that if the father dies, all of the father's concubines become the son's women.

One of the Four Beauties met this fate.

It's cruel and sick.

Ordinary people can't accept it, and for the woman who marries, it's extreme pain and torment, a living hell.

If the chosen princess has a lover, it's even more tragic.

Putting aside rationality, Gu Jinnian felt nauseous and annoyed.

But it's something he can't stop.

"The people are already cursing."

"The students in the academy are also cursing."

"This matter is not as simple as it seems."

Su Huaiyu took a sip of tea, feeling that this matter was not simple.

"Cursing is normal."

"Once the princess is married and things settle down, it will be fine."

Gu Jinnian understood. After all, the people of the Great Xia have a sense of pride and arrogance, which is not innate but earned by the First Ancestor.

In simple clothes, he swept through ten countries, establishing a fearsome reputation and the prestige of the Great Xia.

However, cursing is one thing, but it won't change the situation.

After all, marrying one woman to bring peace for twenty years is better than the Great Xia going to war and, if defeated, tens of thousands of soldiers dying and millions of civilians being massacred.

Think about it, who would curse more?

"En."

Su Huaiyu said calmly.

"Why are you always saying 'en'? Can't you say something else?"

Gu Jinnian frowned. Is this guy sick? I said so much, and he just keeps saying 'en.'

Facing Gu Jinnian's displeasure, Su Huaiyu remained calm and continued to drink tea.

"This topic is not good to get involved in."

"Easy to get beaten."

Su Huaiyu said something strange.

Easy to get beaten?

What does that mean?

Before Gu Jinnian could say anything, several figures walked in.

It was Li Ji, Wang Fugui, Yang Hanrou, and others.

Five figures came in.

They directly found seats and sat down.

"Mad, mad, the capital is completely mad, everyone is cursing the court."

"The peace marriage will cause big trouble."

Wang Fugui was sweating, having run back and forth three times and just returned from posting accounts.

So he saw the situation in the capital.

"The court will take action, it won't last long."

Gu Jinnian said calmly.

"This matter has caused public resentment, but it's just a regular peace marriage for friendly relations, it won't cause much trouble."

Yang Hanrou nodded in agreement.

"What kind of friendly relations? In my opinion, we should fight, fight hard. These Xiongnu dogs dare to