Firefly Journey

Chapter 282 Trying to Scoop the Moon from the Mud (7)

The question was very direct and unexpected, making it difficult for Lin Yuanran to answer.

But when Henry I asked, he had no choice but to answer.

Lin Yuanran's understanding of the relationship between the State of Chu and the Duchy was limited to what he had seen and heard at St. Louis College.

The gap between countries is greater than the gap between a person and a dog.

Take the two people Lin Yuanran knows best as an example. As a princess of a country, Claudia's status and position can be said to be very noble, but she dares not run rampant in the duchy and is careful in every word and deed.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince of Chu has acted recklessly since childhood, and the duchy has turned a blind eye to it. The fundamental reason for this is that Chu is stronger than the Kingdom of Tilo.

If the things Lü Jianming did had happened to Claudia, she would have been dead countless times over.

The relationship between the two countries can be gleaned from the attitude of the duchy towards the hostage from Chu.

Lin Yuanran quickly organized his thoughts and said, "The State of Chu and the State of the Duchy have been allies for ten years and have had many trade dealings with each other. This is something that everyone can see, so why does Your Majesty need to ask any more questions?"

It's a formulaic answer that offers no real substance, but it's still a good answer nonetheless.

Henry I then asked, "The ambassador is a citizen of the duchy, yet he serves as an official in Chu. Does this mean that the two countries have an extremely close relationship, to the point that officials are exchanged?"

Lin Yuanran remained outwardly calm, but inwardly cursed Henry I's ancestors for eighteen generations. Why do you ask so many questions? Are you deliberately making things difficult for me? Are you implying that I'm a product of the two countries' shared destiny?

Lin Yuanran carefully considered his words and said, "You are joking. The State of Chu and the State of Duchy are friends. The State of Chu will always maintain goodwill towards its friends, and it will be the same with you in the future."

Henry I laughed heartily.

"Of course. Whether it's us, the Chu Kingdom, or the Duchy, we are all part of the Pan-Ancient Continent. Since we live under the same sky, we should help each other and coexist."

Anyone can say polite words, but whether anyone believes them is another matter entirely.

Lin Yuanran instinctively felt disgusted by the empire's actions.

He had personally witnessed the empire's vicious nature.

Strangely enough, Henry always knew his origins, yet he never mentioned anything about what happened in the North. Lin Yuanran believed that the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Army had not reported it.

After all, for Mond, the commander of the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Army, it would be a laughing stock to let a prize slip through one's fingers, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better, so as not to damage one's prestige.

"Your Majesty, our country's intentions are all in the previous documents. Regarding the alliance, I would like to know what your country's thoughts are." Lin Yuanran was too lazy to listen to his nonsense. He was here to do business, so he got straight to the point, wanted to finish his business quickly, and leave as soon as possible.

"The alliance is undoubtedly a great thing for both countries. I have discussed it with everyone these days, and there are no objections."

However, this matter involves too many aspects, and the terms of the alliance need to be detailed. Drafting them will take time, so you will need to stay in Radiant City for a while longer.

Lin Yuanran said, "Of course, I have no problem with that."

"Well, it seems that the initial cooperation between the two countries is going well. The State of Chu can raise any conditions it has, and we can discuss them."

This was a polite remark by Henry I.

The conditions that the State of Chu wanted were basically all written in writing, and the State of Chu adopted an extremely humble attitude. Otherwise, the Empire would not have agreed to the alliance so easily.

However, little did he expect that Lin Yuanran would seize the opportunity and act unpredictably.

"Haha, there is indeed one small condition." Lin Yuanran laughed it off.

This smile drew the attention of all the officials in the State of Chu.

They had never seen such a shameless person.

I was just being polite with you, and you actually started making demands?

However, the words did indeed come from Henry I's mouth, and there was no going back on them—that would be too embarrassing. Let's hear what he has to say.

“Go ahead,” Henry I said with a smile.

"Actually, it's not a big deal." Lin Yuanran chuckled awkwardly. "Although our two countries have reached an alliance, it's the first time, so the relationship is bound to be unstable. It would be great if we could become even closer together."

"Oh, you mean?"

“In my state of Chu, there is a crown prince, who is in the prime of his life and still unmarried at the age of twenty. His Majesty is very worried about this, so before I left, he instructed me to help him find a wife if the opportunity arose.”

"I believe that, in order to solidify the friendship between our two sides, we could establish a marriage agreement. What does Your Majesty think?"

Henry I breathed a sigh of relief.

He had thought this guy was going to come up with some earth-shattering conditions, but it turned out he was afraid the alliance wasn't solid and wanted to pull a marriage ploy.

For the empire, marriage alliances were commonplace.

“Your suggestion is excellent,” said Henry I. “However, there is a problem. The Crown Prince of Chu is handsome and dashing, but I have no daughter of marriageable age. I am afraid I will disappoint your country.”

Henry I was nearly sixty years old and had countless children, including at least two or three of his direct descendants who met the requirements for marriage alliances. However, he chose to decline, in order to avoid giving face to the State of Chu.

The nobles understood his words and smiled knowingly.

Henry I's idea was that although you are the crown prince of Chu, you are not worthy to marry my daughter. A marriage alliance is fine, but let's form one with other nobles.

The Chu royal family could only marry noblewomen of the empire, which inadvertently elevated the status of the imperial family.

Lin Yuanran hadn't thought of this, because he was secretly delighted.

I was worried you'd force a princess on me and I wouldn't be able to refuse, but now it seems you've saved me a lot of trouble.

Lin Yuanran quickly replied, "Okay, okay."

He seemed quite happy.

Then it was the imperial officials' turn to be puzzled. No, didn't you feel insulted? Normally, you should be red-faced with anger and loudly refuting them, so why do you look so happy? Is there some kind of conspiracy involved?

Henry I was clearly taken aback by the fact that the other party had so readily agreed to his humiliating act, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

In the end, he felt he couldn't push his luck too far. If the royal family wouldn't grant him a marriage alliance, then he could choose any of the other noblewomen he wanted. In any case, he had already achieved his goal of humiliating the Chu Kingdom.

"Here's what we'll do," Henry I said. "My dukes and marquises can choose whatever your crown prince likes, as long as it's in their homes. That's my word."

That's great! Lin Yuanran was just wondering how to steer the conversation toward Feney, and now Henry I has such a perfect teammate!

So Lin Yuanran suppressed his excitement and said, "To be honest, when my son and I were studying in St. Louis, we met a noble girl from your country."

If that person is still unmarried, perhaps they could serve as a link between the two countries.

The last sentence was deliberately emphasized by Lin Yuanran.

By elevating the role of the Philippines to the national level and binding it to the central authority, it's likely that once this high praise is given, there will be fewer dissenting voices.

"Who is that girl?"

“Phine Robert”.

Henry I turned to a nobleman in the meeting room and said, "Grand Duke Robert, you heard what the Chu envoy said. What are your thoughts?"