Capítulo 718: Chapter 699 Bu Cuoyang’s Suggestion

“Is Sang Ya still well?”

Sang Ya was also a pain in the heart of the Empress Dowager.

That year when she lay ill in bed, she could have issued an order to send people to search for Sang Ya, but she stubbornly remained silent for three days to facilitate the absorption of the Immortal Pill.

This caused Sang Ya to miss out on the best opportunity to be found.

However, Bu Cuoyang was unwilling to tell the Empress Dowager the truth and thus vaguely said,

“It was Lin Yi who saved her, and she is now living a good life. We should not disturb her. As for Lin Yi’s request, he is my benefactor as well as yours.”

The Empress Dowager fell silent; Lin Yi had indeed pulled her back from the brink of death twice.

Little did she know that the very reason for the Empress Dowager’s visit was Lin Yi.

Currently, the Empress Dowager could clearly feel that Lin Yi was no ordinary person; his arrival had changed many things in Nan Zhao Country that had never been changed before.

“This visit is for Lin Yi, and I would like to ask for your opinion on how to repay him?”

“Heh heh.”

Bu Cuoyang let out a cold laugh, continuing to fiddle with his Buddha Beads.

“You are the true power-holder of our Nan Zhao Country; you can repay him in any way you wish.”

The Empress Dowager showed an awkward expression. In the entire Nan Zhao Country, only Bu Cuoyang dared to speak to her with such a tone. And yet, she dare not take any harsh action against him.

“You are unaware, even if I were to offer half of Nan Zhao Country to Lin Yi, he would not accept it.”

Upon hearing this, Bu Cuoyang smiled again; it seemed his sister was indeed willing to make a big sacrifice.

How could half of Nan Zhao Country be offered? To give cities and citizens to Lin Yi, a mere commoner—would he then set himself up as a king?

“Empress Dowager, Lin Yi is an extraordinary talent sent by You Country. You offering him half of your realm doesn’t move him; but if you offer him the entire realm, perhaps he might agree.”

“Presumptuous!”

“Our ancestral land, won by our forefathers, cannot be handed over so easily!”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned iron blue, firmly unwilling to give away the entire Nan Zhao Country.

Little did she know, Bu Cuoyang retorted mockingly, “Your realm, if not for Lin Yi’s secret assistance, the Emperor of Nan Zhao Country would now bear the surname Wei, and you would probably be lying in a coffin.”

“You!”

The Empress Dowager was so angered that her nose was almost crooked, but she dared not lash out at her only brother.

Bu Cuoyang was right; without Lin Yi, the realm would have changed hands long ago.

But to give away the entire realm, the Empress Dowager was also unwilling to give up the control she had held for decades.

Power is addictive, and the Empress Dowager could only find joy in issuing orders from behind a curtain; nowhere else could have made her happy.

She could never live a life accompanied by nothing but a lamp and Buddha, like Bu Cuoyang.

Seeing the Empress Dowager’s dilemma, Bu Cuoyang reminded her,

“The jade of Nan Zhao Country is inexhaustible, but only Lin Yi can dig it out; no one else can.”

“If you want more jade to replenish the National Treasury, then give Lin Yi reassurance, letting him know that all the jade of Nan Zhao Country can be dispatched by him.”

“He doesn’t want your politics, your citizens, just the jade. Therefore, if you promise him eighty percent of the jade of the whole Nan Zhao Country, wouldn’t he help you mine it properly?”

The Empress Dowager thoughtfully nodded; two mines could produce two hundred thousand taels of jade, so thousands of mines could produce millions of taels of jade.

Twenty percent of several million taels of jade would suffice to fill Nan Zhao Country’s National Treasury tenfold or more.

This transaction seemed quite worthwhile, no matter how it was considered.

But another thought struck her; over half of Nan Zhao Country’s mountain ranges contained mines, and if she gave eighty percent of those mines to Lin Yi,

Lin Yi would control eighty percent of Nan Zhao Country’s economic power, and own nearly half of its territory.

“Hehe, has Nan Zhao Country become a vassal state of You Country?” the Empress Dowager said mockingly.

“My Nan Zhao Country and You Country do not interfere with each other, we do not disturb one another. To proactively submit to You Country and become its vassal state, that would be too humiliating.”

Bu Cuoyang sneered, “Even as a vassal state, if you can sell jade to neighboring countries and fill the National Treasury, isn’t that better than the current state of public grievance?”

“Empress Dowager, even as a vassal, you remain the Empress Dowager of Nan Zhao Country. You Country’s heartland is far from Nan Zhao Country, they certainly won’t send people to oversee things.”

“And throughout Nan Zhao Country, your power remains the strongest. You only need to dutifully tribute the jade.”

“One should not be too greedy, I take my leave.”

After Bu Cuoyang’s departure, the Empress Dowager was left alone in the All Living Beings Hall.

It was not until the next morning that the Empress Dowager slowly rose to her feet.

“Summon someone, bring that girl Ouyang Qian from Ouyang Fu’s family to the Imperial Palace.”

The time agreed upon by the Empress Dowager and Lin Yi was during the Shen hour, therefore by the Shen hour, she must have all these countermeasures prepared.

In the Imperial Palace, Ouyang Qian waited anxiously for the Empress Dowager’s arrival.

But after a long wait, what she received was not the Empress Dowager, but Palace Maids preparing a bright red wedding dress and an exquisite phoenix crown for her.

“What, what is this about? I do not wish to marry.”

“Help! Somebody, help!”

Ouyang Qian was held by the arms by several Palace Maids. She wanted to resist, but quickly realised she was outnumbered and stood no chance against the Palace Matrons.

“Let me go, or I’ll get serious.” Ouyang Qian was firmly restrained by her limbs, unable to use her Kung Fu, so she could only issue verbal threats.

The Palace Maids did not let go, instead, they said enviously.

“Your Highness the Princess, please stop making it difficult for us. Put on this wedding dress obediently, and you can marry in splendor today.”

“What princess, marry?”

Ouyang Qian, confused, continued to inquire, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else, I am not any princess you speak of, I do not wish to marry.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than an old Eunuch arrived with a golden decree in haste.

“The Empress Dowager’s decree, Ouyang Qian, receive the order.”

Before Ouyang Qian could react, her knees were kicked hard from behind by an older matron, grumbling,

“Aren’t you going to kneel quickly, do you dare to defy the Empress Dowager’s decree?”

“I will comply, Ouyang Qian, your servant, is present.”

Seeing this, the old Eunuch called out in a shrill voice.

“Her Majesty’s decree, Ouyang Fu’s daughter Ouyang Qian is conferred the title of Nan Zhao Country’s nineteenth Princess, named Sang Ya, and is to marry Lin Yi of You Country.”

What? Princess? Lin Yi? A marriage alliance?

It all happened too suddenly, and Ouyang Qian fainted before she could react.

The Eunuch, tasked with delivering the message, was in a pickle; the decree was not yet received, and the person concerned had already passed out.

“Ah, how am I to report back like this?”

The anxious old Eunuch could do nothing but wait on the side with a stool, hoping that Ouyang Qian would regain consciousness.

After a full quarter of an hour, Ouyang Qian groggily woke up.

“Princess Sang Ya, you have finally come to. Please, receive the decree.”

Ouyang Qian pinched her thigh hard, in disbelief, “I’m not dreaming, am I? This happiness has come too suddenly.”

The old Eunuch was now truly stamping his feet in urgency.

“My goodness, my Princess Sang Ya, you are not dreaming. Please, quickly accept the decree, this old servant still needs to go back and report.”

…End of Chapter…