Realistic governance games for both male and female audiences

Chapter 32 Prince Su Wants to Rebel

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

Faced with Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao's outrageous pronouncements, a courtier in a purple robe finally couldn't hold back any longer. He immediately stepped forward, trembling, and knelt down, crying out in anguish, "..."

"Your Majesty! Since ancient times, marriage alliances have always involved our princesses marrying far away to barbarian tribes to forge a strong bond between the two nations. But now... now you want to send the prince... this... this is utterly disgraceful!"

"You must understand, His Majesty currently has no sons. Logically speaking, Prince Su is the first in line to succeed to the throne of our Great Liang Dynasty at this stage... Even in poor families, it is rare throughout history for anyone to send their eldest son to marry into another family, let alone a prince like Prince Su who has the right to claim the throne of Great Liang!"

"If Prince Su falls into the hands of the Northern Xiongnu, it will directly shake the legitimacy of the Liang regime. Furthermore, the Northern Xiongnu might launch a war against Liang under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials'!"

…………

After someone started it, court officials immediately stood up to support it, saying:

"Yes, Your Majesty! Sending Prince Su to marry the Northern Xiongnu is absolutely unacceptable, Your Majesty!"

"Prince Su is a pillar of our dynasty; how can he submit to the Northern Xiongnu?"

"To force Prince Su to marry the Northern Xiongnu... this move will surely be ridiculed by the world. From then on, what face will the Great Liang... and all the former emperors of the Great Liang have left?"

…………

At this moment, the courtiers were like a powder keg that had been lit, and they instantly erupted into chaos.

To be honest, even now, they still can't understand, let alone accept, Gu Xiaoxiao's absurd decision that defies common sense!

Amidst the uproar, Gu Xiaoxiao remained unusually calm.

She even chuckled a few times, the laughter sounding particularly jarring in the noisy court.

Seeing Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao's attitude, the ministers' anger intensified!

Immediately, they prepared to continue bombarding the emperor!

However, to the dismay of the officials, Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao seemed not to care much about their opinions.

Under the watchful eyes of the court officials, Gu Xiaoxiao's gaze fell openly... or rather, very conspicuously, on a certain figure at the front of the hall!

And the owner of this figure is none other than Prince Su, Gu Suyue!

"Brother, what do you think of... my idea?"

"As far as I know, the daughter of the Northern Xiongnu is quite beautiful, and more importantly, she has praised your bravery in public. I imagine that after you marry into the Northern Xiongnu, you will surely be able to have a deep and loving relationship with her!"

"To be honest, I'm actually a little envious of you!"

…………

At this moment, Gu Xiaoxiao's face was full of feigned insincerity.

Upon hearing this, all the ministers turned their gazes to Prince Su, their eyes filled with anticipation.

They all knew that Prince Su, a military general, had a volatile temper, and therefore, they were eager to see him defy Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao's outrageous demands!

However, what happened next surprised everyone.

After taking a deep breath, Gu Suyue slowly... knelt down on the ground!

"Your Majesty... obeys the decree! Your Majesty... is willing to make peace with the Northern Xiongnu for the sake of the Great Liang!"

Gu Suyue's voice was deep and hoarse, yet it clearly resonated throughout the entire hall.

The entire room fell silent!

No one knew what Prince Su, Gu Suyue, was really thinking!

Even Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao, who had proposed the idea of ​​"letting Prince Su make peace with the Northern Xiongnu," was visibly taken aback by Prince Su's compliance.

Clearly, even Gu Xiaoxiao herself did not expect that such an unruly person as Prince Su, Gu Suyue, would agree so readily!

"So... he actually had feelings for that Northern Xiongnu princess too?"

"Was he afraid to express his love to the Northern Xiongnu princess simply because of their opposing allies?"

"Now, by forcing him to marry into the Northern Xiongnu, in a way, I'm actually doing him a favor?"

"So that's why he agreed to the marriage alliance without any hesitation?"

…………

Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao, who believed she had understood Prince Su's thoughts, felt deeply grateful for the favor of fate!

She never imagined that she could so easily and smoothly send Prince Su, Gu Suyue, this dangerous individual, out of the capital, and even to the Northern Xiongnu, far away from the capital and even far away from Daliang!

However, what no one present knew was that the reason why Prince Su, Gu Suyue, agreed to the marriage alliance with the Northern Xiongnu so readily was simply because he was worried that if he objected, the next moment, Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao would use his "disobedience" as an excuse to summon a group of axemen, archers, and the like from the inner palace behind him!

Although Prince Su, Gu Suyue, was a seasoned warrior with an extremely keen sense of killing intent, he did not detect anything unusual from the inner palace behind Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao. However... this matter could not be ignored!

What if Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao, or some of his capable subordinates, had some means to deceive his senses?

Prince Su, Gu Suyue, believed that if he were to confront Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao head-on in the Golden Palace, it would be tantamount to courting death. Therefore, he decided to tolerate Gu Xiaoxiao's actions for the time being.

Once he leaves this hellish place and returns to his palace... he doesn't even need to return to the palace; he can simply leave the palace... or even the Golden Palace, and he can quickly gather his three thousand elite cavalry and come back to overthrow this hypocritical emperor!

"Good! Good! Good!"

At this moment, Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao, who was still unaware of what Prince Su, Gu Suyue, was planning, said "good" three times in a row after hearing Prince Su's reply agreeing to the marriage alliance!

At this moment, Gu Xiaoxiao's face was full of a bright smile:

"As expected of my own brother, he is truly wise and righteous!"

"Guards, draft the imperial edict!"

"We hereby confer upon Prince Su, Gu Suyue, the title of 'Prince of Peace,' and select an auspicious day for his departure to the Northern Xiongnu for a marriage alliance, thus forging a lasting friendship between our Great Liang and the Northern Xiongnu!"

"Your Majesty! No, Your Majesty!"

Even then, some ministers, unwilling to give up, were still kneeling and crying, their foreheads hitting the ground with loud thuds.

But Gu Xiaoxiao had already turned around and strode away from the court, leaving only her back view for the assembled officials...

……

……

Meanwhile, Prince Su, Gu Suyue, who was still standing in the Golden Palace, had his head lowered, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.

The courtiers around him looked at him with a complex mix of emotions: regret, incomprehension, and disdain.

After a long while, Gu Suyue slowly raised his head, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.

He ignored the stares around him, straightened his robes, and strode out of the Golden Palace.

The sunlight was blinding, shining on his resolute face, but it couldn't penetrate his unfathomable eyes...

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