Chapter 059: Proposal of Marriage Alliance

After the court was dismissed today, the decision to defend the capital to the death spread throughout the city, and the remaining citizens finally breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly, the number of people leaving the city dropped sharply, and quite a few, upon hearing the news, began hurrying back from the surrounding areas.

Xue Rui had come specifically to inform Hu Ying’er of this development.

In recent days, Hu Ying’er had been so busy she could barely keep up. On one hand, she was packing up, ready at any moment to flee the capital with her family. On the other, she was urgently restocking rice and provisions, transferring the Hu family’s holdings and warehouses outside the city, and arranging for the tenants on their estates to come into the city for safety. The combination of these tasks left her feeling overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Xue Rui brought news of the court’s resolution to hold fast, allowing Hu Ying’er to truly relax. In her heart, she was full of admiration for Xue Rui—he seemed to predict the political tides with such accuracy, it was as though he possessed foresight, leaving her doubting her own intelligence. Thankfully, there were still many things she had mastered that Xue Rui had not, so her authority as a teacher remained unchallenged for now.

Because the annual exam had been moved up, Hu Ying’er seized the time to give him extra lessons, their sessions each half an hour longer than before.

At the Hu residence, the meals remained simple and mostly vegetarian, but now Hu Zhong made no complaints, as if he had become accustomed to it. After dinner, Xue Rui quietly inquired about Hu Zhong’s health and learned that over the past half month, the old man’s joint pains had eased considerably, and in recent days, he had not suffered a single attack. It had been years since Hu Zhong had felt so comfortable; he could even joke around with his grandson, Hu Cheng’an, in the house, and so his spirits were high—even if there was no wine or meat at the table, he no longer objected.

Given this, Xue Rui asked Hu Zhong if he felt able to return to his official duties. Just two days prior, they had neglected the ominous planetary signs, which had frightened the Bureau of Astronomy officials considerably. Had the court not been distracted, both Xu Dun and Hu Zhong might have faced censure. Luckily, Xue Rui’s quick thinking provided Cheng Jing with an ingenious solution that helped the court resolve the dilemma of relocating the capital. Otherwise, that upright eunuch might not have let the matter rest so easily.

Moreover, with the current chaos and the loss of over fifty junior officials in the bureau, the shortage of personnel was acute. If Hu Zhong remained unable to perform his duties, the Ministry of Rites might soon seek to replace him. For this reason, Xu Dun had especially instructed Xue Rui to visit the Hu residence after work and do his utmost to persuade Hu Zhong to return to the Bureau of Astronomy.

Hu Zhong, no longer ailing and seeing the court’s resolve, felt it unnecessary to remain in hiding and agreed to resume his official responsibilities.

…

The next morning, each major government office received Prince Cheng Zhu Qiyu’s orders, and the Bureau of Astronomy was no exception. The primary directive was for all departments to operate at maximum efficiency, executing to the fullest all decisions made at the previous day’s court assembly. Every action the court took was now singularly focused on defending the capital and repelling the Oirat invasion.

Furthermore, Prince Cheng called on every office to actively offer advice and strategies. Any suggestions that might assist in the defense of the capital, stabilize the populace, or drive back the invaders—regardless of the proposer’s status, whether civil or military, regardless of rank—could be submitted in writing to the court. Useful proposals would be adopted; useless ones would not be punished.

Inspired by this open call, officials across all departments became more energetic than ever, handling their duties while racking their brains for ways to aid the court. The news that the government was determined to defend the city reassured the people of the capital, who began actively preparing for war—bringing their families into the city and stockpiling supplies for a long siege.

Though the Bureau of Astronomy was an academic institution, its officials were no less patriotic. By the time Xue Rui arrived, the bureau’s astronomers were already sharpening their pens, writing down their suggestions.

“Prince Cheng is even more capable than the God of War—simply by opening the floor for proposals, he’s ignited the enthusiasm of every official in the capital. With such unity, how could we possibly lose the city?” The archives, left unattended, saw the hereditary scholars growing lax; apart from a few who were studying for exams, the rest were debating their suggestions.

Seeing Fan Yan hunched over his desk writing, Xue Rui wandered over to take a look, only to find Fan responding to the court’s call with his own proposals. The paper listed several points, though all were rather formulaic: requesting the court to dispatch troops from various regions to reinforce the capital, strengthen the defenses at passes such as Zijin and Juyong, order border garrisons to close their gates and avoid rash sorties lest they fall into enemy traps.

“I didn’t expect you to be so fond of waging war on paper,” Xue Rui said, smiling after reading the proposals.

“How is this mere armchair strategy? Are any of these suggestions wrong?” Fan Yan rolled his eyes and continued writing: “The court should quickly send an imperial envoy to negotiate peace with the Oirats, offering generous gifts to ransom His Majesty. If the Oirats gain such profit, they’ll have no desire to resume hostilities.”

Upon reading this, Xue Rui was at a loss for words. “How much treasure do you think would satisfy the Oirats?” he asked.

Fan Yan thought for a moment. “This conflict arose because the Oirats sent tribute horses but the court reduced their rewards, angering them into attacking the border towns. If we could buy their retreat with ample gifts, isn’t that better than fighting to the last drop of blood?”

Liu Jin, still grieving his father’s death, slammed the table and shouted, “The Oirat envoys were only two thousand, but they lied and claimed three thousand to get more rewards. The court gave compensation according to the actual number—how is that wrong?”

“Why are you yelling at me? It’s not as if I…” Fan Yan, never one to hold his tongue, was about to retort when Chen Li interjected, “The Oirats’ pretext for invasion wasn’t about rewards. It was that our court had promised a princess in marriage—the tribute horses were a bride price. When the court reneged, showing no intent to marry, the Oirat Grand Preceptor led his troops south. It wasn’t about the rewards at all.”

Lu Wenfu, sharp as ever, asked, “Did His Majesty really promise a marriage alliance? If we were to send a princess now, could we get the emperor back?”

Given the court’s recent defeat, perhaps marrying off a princess could calm the conflict and ransom the emperor.

But Liu Jin angrily replied, “Absolutely not! Emperor Taizong once said: Our dynasty will not follow Han’s marriage alliances, Tang’s pacts, nor Song’s tribute, nor treat enemies as brothers. Our nation is at its height—how could we marry a princess to some Oirat upstart?”

A few days ago, such words might have rung true, but now, after the imperial army’s crushing defeat and the emperor’s capture, they sounded almost laughable.

Fan Yan ignored him and added another line: “If the Oirats refuse peace, the court might as well propose a marriage alliance to make peace, end the war, and bring His Majesty home.”

Seeing this, Liu Jin was indignant and pulled out a sheet of paper to write a rebuttal. After scribbling a few lines, he turned to Xue Rui. “Xue, what was it you said just now?”

“Come closer,” Xue Rui replied, equally opposed to a marriage alliance, and whispered a few words into Liu Jin’s ear.