Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 36: Totally Defeated

　　"Later, the city ran out of food and was really unable to resist the Chu army.

　　"The Xie family was full of martyrs."

　　Duke Pei's voice was powerful and resonating: "Before the city fell, Xie Wuliang, in order to save the people still in the city, had his own soldiers cut off his head to offer to the Chu army to calm their anger. That was why the Southern Chu's Zhao clan did not massacre the city."

　　As he narrated, the sound of the wind became exceedingly mournful.

　　The ministers looked grave and did not say a word.

　　Duke Pei's eyes raised, his cloudy old eyes bursting with light: "Your Majesty, for the sake of the country, the Xie family disregarded their family's best interest, sacrificing their lives in times of trouble. They brought no shame to their ancestors, no shame to the people, and no shame to Your Majesty! The people of Jingnan will not forget the Xie family's benevolence! Noble Consort Xie is Xie Wuliang's sister and has only one son and one daughter at her knees. Noble Consort has long been sick, and the seventh princess is sincerely filial, serving soup and medicine, never leaving her side. How can you have the heart to have the Seventh Princess marry instead?!"

　　His tone was cold and biting.

　　"Your Majesty, the Seventh Princess's name was given by Xie Wuliang. If Xie Wuliang were still alive, would you let the Seventh Princess marry far away?"

　　Li De's face was icy cold.

　　The ministers knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a word, but their faces all showed their sorrow and shame.

　　As Duke Pei said, they were all relieved when they learned that Chief Yelu had begged to marry the Seventh Princess-Zhu Luyun did not have to marry.

　　They went to great lengths to preserve the last bit of Zhu clan's bloodline, completely disregarding the life and death of the Seventh Princess. They were ashamed to face the Xie clan!

　　Li De took in the courtiers' emotional expressions.

　　Duke Pei first mentioned the promise from that year, then questioned the courtiers whether they were still loyal to Zhu clan, and then mentioned the Xie family. The courtiers, even if they were more partial to Zhu Luyun, could not openly approve of having Li Yaoying be the replacement in the marriage.

　　If he insisted on letting Yaoying be married off instead, not only would it chill the hearts of the Pei family, but also the of the powerful clans and noble families that followed him because of the Xie family. It would also make the old courtiers of the former dynasty fearful, while Governor Pei and others would be indignant.

　　When the new dynasty was established, he took great pains to balance the old courtiers, the noble families, the powerful clan, the poor families, and the military generals, so that no one side would be dominant, but the noble families still gradually took control of the court.

He could not let the faithful subjects chill at this time.

　　The undercurrents in the imperial court were far more important than the 10,000 iron horsemen of the Yelu tribe.

　　Li De weighed his options and quickly made a decision.

　　"The Yelu tribe seeked to marry Princess Fukang."

　　The words fell, and the ministers raised no objection.

　　The wind whistled in front of the palace courtyard.

　　Yaoying stood beside Duke Pei, her clothes drenched, heart beating like a drum, and slowly closed her eyes.

　　A few years ago, she happened to save the life of Pei Yu, Duke Pei's great-grandson. Duke Pei promised that he would do something for her, something that had to be unrelated to Li Zhongqian and Noble Consort Xie.