The court was thrown into consternation!
Refusing to enter the palace, even at the cost of her life?
Even Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing wore solemn expressions. They had not expected a princess to be so resolute.
There had never been a precedent of a princess offered for marriage resisting, for such princesses carried the hopes of their nations!
"It seems the Kingdom of Qiuci is not truly submitting. Your Majesty, we need not harbor any illusions about the Western Regions and should abandon these minor states!" He Wanli sneered.
Just as Xiao Qing was about to reply, another eunuch rushed in with news: "Reporting to Your Majesty! Bu Ti, the envoy from Qiuci, has managed to persuade the princess. They are on their way to meet you..."
A collective sigh of relief swept through the assembly.
A quarter of an hour later, two figures entered the hall as ordered.
At first glance, everyone was stunned by their beauty, and even Xiao Qing was surprised!
Bu Ti, the white-haired envoy of Qiuci, looked much older than before.
Standing before Bu Ti was an elegant, tall, foreign woman with golden hair and blue eyes, adorned in exquisite Western Region attire. She was breathtakingly beautiful!
Her waist-length hair cascaded down, her skin was impossibly fair, and her usually serene, beautiful face was now icy, with faint traces of tears.
Among the entire court, only Liang Xiao frowned, his mind alert.
Could there be a race similar to the Aryans in this world? The Great Qian must be wary!
Bu Ti's deep-set eyes and high nose were typical of the people of Qiuci; this princess was clearly different.
She looked more like a half-breed!
"Princess Christa of Qiuci, pays her respects to the Son of Heaven of Great Qian, oh no, pays her respects to Your Majesty!!"
Under the astonished gazes of all, the young woman's voice was stiff as she slowly knelt before Xiao Qing, her eyes fixed on Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao.
She had observed everyone's reactions.
Even the Son of Heaven of Great Qian on his throne looked astonished.
Only the person seated next to the Son of Heaven looked bewildered, frowning. What was that reaction?
It didn't seem like the reaction of a gentleman!
Seeing that Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing were seated close together, Christa, who was unfamiliar with the official attire of Great Qian, suddenly realized and thought to herself, "He must be a eunuch vice-commander."
At this moment, Liang Xiao couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, thinking, "I haven't even pacified the barbarians, how can I aim so high and think of opening up the West!"
This fellow was actually laughing at her!
Christa, having been granted permission to rise, noticed Liang Xiao suddenly smile.
Now it was Christa's turn to frown.
It seemed the Great Qian was not such a formidable nation after all!
Bu Ti quickly bowed to Xiao Qing and explained, "Your Majesty, our princess is merely overcome with homesickness and was momentarily agitated. We beg your understanding!"
Seeing Bu Ti's proper demeanor and refined speech, Xiao Qing nodded and praised, "It is evident that Ambassador Bu Ti has a profound understanding of Great Qian culture. You need not worry, I do not mind such minor matters."
The Kingdom of Qiuci itself bowed to her and recognized her as their Son of Heaven; she had to show ample courtesy and magnanimity!
Bu Ti finally relaxed and praised, "The Great Qian, situated at the heart of the world, is truly the Central Kingdom, the universally recognized heartland. We have longed for it and naturally wish to diligently study your nation's culture."
Before Xiao Qing could respond, Christa suddenly spoke, "Your Majesty, I actually understand Great Qian culture very well!"
"Oh?" Xiao Qing's eyes lit up.
Christa said proudly, "My father wants me to accept this marriage alliance, doesn't he? I have thought of a solution that would satisfy both parties."
"Speak freely," Xiao Qing said generously.
Christa surveyed the hall and spoke earnestly.
"These are Your Majesty's court officials, are they not? These individuals must be the most elite talents of Great Qian. I have been studying your Great Qian culture and have coincidentally devised a question, which I hope Your Majesty and the assembled officials can answer!"
"Granted!"
Xiao Qing nodded, glanced at Liang Xiao, his gaze seeming to say: "Brother, take the lead!"
"If no one can answer it, then it means the wisdom of the entire Great Qian nation is merely this! I hope Your Majesty will allow me to return to the Kingdom of Qiuci, and that you will not hold my kingdom accountable for this. If someone can answer, I will willingly serve Your Majesty without any complaint!"
As soon as her words fell, the entire court was enraged: "Utterly disrespectful!"
In the face of Great Qian, the Kingdom of Qiuci was but a petty state, and yet a princess dared to show such disrespect to the Son of Heaven!
Dugu Qun exchanged glances with He Wanli, Ouyang Ji, and others, then turned to look at the officials behind them with smiles.
Half of the officials understood, having decided internally to go through the motions and not exert themselves.
Xiao Qing was displeased. After a moment's thought, he sighed, "Christa, you may pose your question, but it must be a reasonable one. If anyone present can answer it, there will be a generous reward!"
Christa looked at Xiao Qing in surprise, unable to believe that the Son of Heaven of Great Qian had agreed to her unreasonable request.
She had entered the palace prepared to face death.
If it hadn't been for Bu Ti persuading her to prioritize her country and her own lingering hope, she would have already dashed herself to death outside the palace gates!
Under everyone's gaze, Christa recovered her composure and her proud demeanor, saying, "It is merely a couplet. Let's see if anyone in Great Qian can provide a matching one!"
"Three lights, sun, moon, and stars!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Wang Canghai and others' expressions changed drastically: "Three lights, sun, moon, and stars?"
The officials immediately began whispering amongst themselves, their faces flushing with anxiety.
Dugu Qun and the others also fell silent. They genuinely could not answer; this was not just going through the motions...
"Princess Christa is indeed well-prepared. This is an absolute, a completely unsolvable couplet!" He Wanli sneered.
The upper line used the character "three." The lower line could not repeat it. Furthermore, after "three lights" there were only three characters. Regardless of which numeral was used to match, the following characters would either be more than three or less than three, making it impossible to match!
Christa replied proudly, "Naturally, I am well-prepared! I want the people of Great Qian to know that even though our Kingdom of Qiuci is small, we have our pride! I will give you one hour to respond. Is that enough?"
The crowd looked troubled. Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng scratched their heads. As martial men, what did they know of such things!
Xiao Qing frowned, unable to think of a lower line for a long time, filled with worry.
Had Great Qian, which could humiliate the barbarians, now unable to deal with a small country?
Right! Humiliating the barbarians...
Xiao Qing's eyes lit up, and he remembered Liang Xiao. Just then, a clear voice echoed through the hall.
"Four poems: 'Feng Ya Song'."
The casual response, like a stone stirring a thousand ripples, stunned everyone present!
Christa's face turned ashen, and she looked at Liang Xiao, who was seated in front of the dragon throne, with terror.
"Liang Xiao! 'Feng Ya Song', why is that four poems? Don't force it and make a fool of yourself!"
Dugu Qun and others glared at Liang Xiao with displeasure. They appeared to be disappointed but were actually relishing his potential humiliation.
Liang Xiao cast a cold glance at Dugu Qun and said loudly, "In the 'Book of Songs,' the 'Ya' is divided into 'Greater Ya' and 'Lesser Ya.' Minister Dugu, how did you manage to attain the position of Minister with such meager knowledge? Perhaps you should return and reflect daily."
Everyone suddenly understood, exclaiming in awe: "Truly a timeless absolute!"
Four matched three! 'Feng Ya Song' matched 'sun, moon, and stars'!
An absolute!
Xiao Qing was both surprised and delighted, banging the armrest of his throne: "Minister Dugu, the sage said: 'When you see a worthy person, strive to emulate them.' From now on, you should all learn from my beloved minister Liang. Live and learn!"
The officials looked ashamed and bowed to apologize.
Christa felt as though the world was spinning. She looked at Liang Xiao in despair.
"Princess Christa, if you are unwilling to accept the marriage alliance, you can sit down and negotiate with His Majesty. But you should never have attempted to humiliate Great Qian. This has forced Great Qian to respond."
Listening to Liang Xiao's calm words, Christa's spirit was broken. She collapsed to the floor, covering her face and weeping.
"I lost..."