She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 99 Sweet Date

After clearing up their misunderstanding, Ye Beichen was filled with joy and anticipation. He decided to take the initiative to invite Su Yuning to spend some wonderful time together. So, with a smile, he walked up to Su Yuning and said softly, "Yuning, let's go to the beach together tomorrow. There's a vast blue ocean, white seagulls soaring freely, and all sorts of delicious local snacks. This can also be considered our first official date since our divorce."

Upon hearing Ye Beichen's suggestion, Su Yuning paused slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. She frowned, asking with some worry, "But your childhood friend is still in the city. If you only take me out, won't she have a problem with that?"

Ye Beichen couldn't help but chuckle at Su Yuning's cautious demeanor. He quickly waved his hand, reassuring her, "Don't worry, my dear Yuning. She'll be very busy tomorrow, with important things to do. She definitely won't interfere with our romantic date and enjoyment of the beautiful scenery."

Su Yuning was still uneasy and pressed for details, asking, "What exactly is it? It's so mysterious."

Ye Beichen's lips curled up into a sly smile as he casually replied, "It's just a date."

"A date?" Su Yuning's eyes widened in surprise. "Wasn't she always single? How come she suddenly has a date? And who is he?"

Ye Beichen puffed out his chest smugly and said with a grin, "It's Young Master Gu! I specially arranged for them to get together. What do you think? My judgment is pretty good, isn't it? Hehehe!"

Su Yuning nodded in agreement, “That is indeed the case, but Xuan Yuan Rong’er has a free and unrestrained personality, like a wild horse. Will Young Master Gu fall in love with her?”

Ye Beichen raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a helpless smile, and replied, "I only hope that they can achieve a happy ending."

Su Yuning smiled and nodded slightly. "Alright, I will grant your request. However, you must sew me a new dress. Otherwise, without fine clothes, I will lose the interest in going out for sightseeing."

"No problem, leave this to me!" Ye Beichen patted his chest and made a confident promise.

Just as the turmoil on this side was beginning to subside, the place where Nangong Xue'er and Zhao Shouyi were located became noisy again. It turned out that the cause of this disturbance was the arrival of envoys from the Northern Qiang tribe, who had traveled a long distance to visit. Even more noteworthy was that these envoys not only brought many precious gifts, but also a princess of unparalleled beauty. Their purpose in coming was obvious: they hoped to establish a marriage alliance with the Song Dynasty.

The Empress was furious, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. Her beautiful yet sharp eyes were fixed on Zhao Shouyi, and her jade-like hand mercilessly twisted the Emperor's ear. At the same time, she shouted angrily, "Zhao Shouyi, Zhao Shouyi, have you grown wings now? Do you think you can do whatever you want?"

Zhao Shouyi, wincing in pain from the twisting, could only cry out in agony. He struggled desperately to escape the Empress's clutches, pleading pitifully, "My dear wife, please have mercy and let go! You're about to twist my ears off! It hurts so much!"

However, Nangong Xue'er remained unmoved. Her face remained stern as she continued to press, "Hmph, don't think you can get away with this! Let me ask you, do you like me or not? Have you ever truly loved me? You swore to me that you would only ever love me. So what do you plan to do with this princess you're marrying? Do you really intend to marry her?"

Zhao Shouyi muttered with a wronged expression, "The idea of ​​a marriage alliance was entirely proposed by the visiting envoy. I never said I wanted to marry her!" Seeing Zhao Shouyi's pitiful appearance, Nangong Xue'er's anger subsided slightly. She softened her voice and asked softly, "So what are your plans regarding this matter?"

Zhao Shouyi frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "How about this, we introduce this princess to Prime Minister Qu Moran? After all, he's already in his forties, yet he's still unmarried." Hearing this suggestion, Nangong Xue'er was taken aback at first, then nodded thoughtfully in agreement: "Hmm, what you say makes sense. Lord Qu Moran is renowned for his exceptional talent and vast knowledge! Moreover, he possesses outstanding intelligence and resourcefulness; he's practically a new generation's Zhuge Liang! Plus, he's fair-skinned and handsome; I believe that princess will definitely fall for him."

Seeing that Nangong Xue'er agreed with his idea, Zhao Shouyi nodded repeatedly, a sly glint in his eyes. Then, he slowly leaned forward and gently kissed Nangong Xue'er's rosy cheek like a light butterfly.

Then, he straightened up, gazing at Nangong Xue'er with deep affection and tenderness, and said firmly, "Xue'er, you have sacrificed so much for me. Not only did you give birth to my lovely prince, but now you are six months pregnant and about to give birth to my new baby. I swear that I will never let you down in this lifetime. You are the only one in my heart, and I will always be good to you."

Sure enough, boys who are good at talking are often more popular. At this moment, Nangong Xue'er was as happy as a cheerful little bird, her face beaming with an incredibly bright smile. She quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes, I think so too! If you always stay by my side, I will definitely be with you through thick and thin. I believe that we will definitely be happier and happier in the future!"

Just then, Zhao Shouyi blinked her big, bright eyes and pleaded sweetly, "Oh, darling, I have a small request. I wonder if you could help me?"

Nangong Xue'er nodded without hesitation and readily agreed: "Okay, no problem! Tell me what it is, and I'll do my best to do it as long as it's within my power!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shouyi blushed slightly and said softly, "Actually, I hope you can act as a matchmaker and help bring the Prime Minister and that foreign princess together."

After hearing this, Nangong Xue'er looked quite troubled and hesitated before replying, "Uh... well, to be honest, I'm really not sure. After all, I've never been a matchmaker before, so I don't have much experience in this area. But since you've asked me to do this, I'll give it a try. I can only say I'll do my best!"

Seeing Nangong Xue'er's stance, Zhao Shouyi quickly clapped his hands to encourage her: "Yes, that's great! Darling, you must keep it up! I really believe in you!"

Then, a group of elegantly dressed and graceful palace maids carefully escorted Nangong Xue'er towards the exquisitely crafted sedan chair. The sedan chair was meticulously crafted from precious huanghuali wood, its texture delicate and warm, emitting a faint fragrance that was refreshing and delightful.

From afar, the entire sedan chair was exceptionally eye-catching, its exterior exquisitely carved, and every detail exuding unparalleled luxury and nobility. The curtains were made of a layer of gossamer-thin red gauze, which fluttered gently in the breeze, like a splendid cloud on the horizon. Through this veil, one could vaguely glimpse the luxurious interior, filling one with curiosity and imagination.

After Empress Nangong Xue'er was settled in the sedan chair, the group hurriedly carried the sedan chair to the Prime Minister's residence.

A loud shout rang out: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!" The sound resounded throughout the Prime Minister's residence, causing everyone in the mansion to kneel down and pay their respects.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!" Upon hearing the shouts, the Prime Minister hurriedly led his entire family out of the mansion gate and respectfully bowed in the direction of the sedan chair.

At this moment, a nimble palace maid gently lifted the sedan curtain, revealing the Empress extending a delicate hand and gracefully resting it on the arm of another maid. Then, with the careful assistance of the two maids, the Empress stepped gracefully and slowly from the sedan chair. Her figure was like a fairy descending to earth, beautiful and captivating, exuding elegance and grace.

"Please, no need for formalities," the Empress said softly with a smile. Her voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley, extremely pleasant to hear.

Upon hearing the Empress's instructions, the Prime Minister quickly rose to express his gratitude and said humbly, "This humble subject was unaware of the Empress's arrival today and failed to greet her in advance. I am truly sorry for not welcoming her properly and hope that the Empress will forgive me." After saying this, he bowed deeply to the Empress to express his apology.

The Empress smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency, you flatter me. This was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I did not inform you beforehand. I'm sorry to have startled you." After speaking, she nodded slightly and, at the Prime Minister's warm invitation, gracefully entered the living room, ready to enjoy tea and conversation together.

"What kind of tea is this? It smells so fresh and elegant! Compared with the flower tea, Longjing tea, and the famous Da Hong Pao that I usually drink, its taste is quite different." The Empress gently picked up the exquisite teacup in her hand, brought it close to her nose to smell it, and then looked up at the Prime Minister with a curious expression and asked softly.

Upon seeing this, the Prime Minister quickly stepped forward, respectfully bowed, and replied humbly, "Your Majesty, this is honeysuckle tea. It not only has the effect of clearing heat and reducing internal fire, but also has the wonderful benefits of beautifying the skin. However... this tea should be consumed in moderation by pregnant women. After Your Majesty successfully gives birth to the prince, I will certainly present Your Majesty with another batch of the finest tea to enjoy."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face blossomed into a radiant smile, like spring flowers, and she nodded slightly in response, "Very well then, I'll trouble the Prime Minister to take care of it."

The Prime Minister nodded slightly and said humbly, "It is my honor to serve Your Majesty. But I wonder what brings Your Majesty here today?" After saying that, he raised his head and looked at the Empress with a puzzled expression.

Upon hearing the Prime Minister's question, Nangong Xue'er put away her smile and solemnly recounted the truth: "The matter is like this. Recently, the court received envoys from foreign tribes. They specifically sent a foreign princess to arrange a marriage alliance. However, the Emperor doesn't seem very interested in this and is unwilling to take this bride into the palace. Therefore, the Emperor thought of you. It just so happens that you are still single and unmarried. If this marriage could be arranged, it would be a wonderful thing."

The Prime Minister hurriedly waved his hands in refusal, saying with a look of fear, "No, no, no, this is really inappropriate! First of all, my humble status is too lowly for me to presume upon Your Highness, Princess. Secondly, I once had a deeply unforgettable love affair with my first love, Mengying. Unfortunately, she died young, leaving me without a husband. Since then, I have made a solemn vow never to marry or take concubines in this life, so as not to betray the deep affection I shared with Mengying. Therefore, I hope Your Highness can understand my predicament and rescind your order!"

"Oh? According to what you're saying, Prime Minister, do you intend to openly defy the imperial decree?" Nangong Xue'er asked calmly and slowly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister was struck dumb, trembling violently, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. He stammered, "No, no, no, this humble subject would never dare! But... but this matter is indeed somewhat difficult; please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"

At this moment, Nangong Xue'er smiled slightly, but in the Prime Minister's eyes, that smile seemed to carry endless chill. She spoke slowly in a tone that appeared extremely gentle, yet concealed a threat: "Prime Minister, don't be ungrateful! As the saying goes, 'He who refuses a toast will suffer a forfeit.' In my opinion, you would be better off obediently marrying the princess. This would alleviate the Emperor's worries and put your parents at ease. After all, some people are meant to be cherished in one's heart, while others are better suited to be shared with, to build a life together. What are your thoughts on this, Prime Minister?"