After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 77

After the West Jin delegation entered the Northern Pass, news quickly reached the capital—

The person who had come to Da Yue for a marriage alliance was none other than the Second Princess of West Jin, Ajirui.

With the Third Prince having ascended the throne, Ajirui, as his elder sister, had rightfully become Her Highness the Eldest Princess of West Jin.

However, the fact that the Third Prince, newly enthroned, would send the Eldest Princess out for a marriage alliance inevitably led to more speculation.

“What’s so strange about that? I heard this Second Princess, oh, now she should be called the Eldest Princess of West Jin, although she had no real power and her birth was criticized, she seemed to have always sided with the Eldest Prince before. Now that the Eldest Prince failed in his bid for the throne and the Third Prince has ascended, it’s natural that this Eldest Princess couldn’t be kept around. It’s understandable that she would be sent out for a marriage alliance.”

“That’s the strange part… Since she was a partisan of the Eldest Prince… why wasn’t she simply eliminated?” Don’t tell me the Third Prince of West Jin was thinking of sibling affection. If he truly cared about affection, the Eldest Prince wouldn’t be dead.

West Jin has been in turmoil and bloodshed for the past two years.

“Wasn’t she sent for a marriage alliance? The new Emperor of West Jin’s foundation is unstable, and he doesn’t want to start a war, so he had no choice but to resort to this roundabout strategy.”

As for the marriage alliance…

“Is West Jin planning to marry that Eldest Princess to our Emperor?” The official who spoke had a strange look on his face.

Could it be that the fact that their Da Yue Emperor liked women had spread and become common knowledge within just two years?

“It’s not impossible. The Emperor’s harem has been empty for two years…”

“I heard that Eldest Princess is very beautiful.”

“Even if the Emperor likes women, besides Lady Consort Wan, no new consorts have been brought into the harem in the past two years…”

Someone with good eyesight spotted the person approaching from outside the hall from afar and quickly coughed twice: “The Prime Minister is here!”

The hushed discussions quietly faded away, and everyone bowed in greeting.

Xie Yunyu nodded and walked closer, standing at the front of the officials.

The court two years later had undergone a great transformation.

Under the Emperor’s new policies, many corrupt officials were removed, and many incompetent officials and nobles had ‘retired to their hometowns’ in the past two years. As the saying goes, a new emperor brings new officials. The Da Yue court now had many young and vibrant faces.

Xie Wan selected the virtuous and capable. The people chosen in the past two years were all outstanding talents in various fields.

They were either male or female, but without exception, they were all young and energetic.

Soon, the sound of ‘The Emperor arrives’ was heard, and everyone stood straight, lowering their heads, waiting for that person to arrive.

“Greetings, Your Majesty—”

“Dispense with the formalities.”

The officials stood straight in the Golden Hall. Some secretly glanced at the Emperor on the dragon throne. The Emperor still had that calm and composed expression, seemingly unaware of the West Jin marriage alliance matter.

As a major affair between two nations, it naturally took the first place in court matters.

Someone reported, “Your Majesty, the West Jin delegation has entered the pass and will arrive in the capital in a few days. News from the north reports that the person coming for the marriage alliance this time is the Eldest Princess of West Jin, Ajirui.”

“Mm, the Ministry of Rites should pay attention. The Eldest Princess of West Jin has come a long way. Arrange the welcoming banquet properly.”

The Minister of Rites had been replaced by a new person and stepped forward, bowing in response.

“As for other matters…” She deliberately drew out the end of her sentence, causing the officials to prick up their ears, “…we’ll discuss them when she arrives.”

Officials: “…”

Is the Emperor going to marry this Eldest Princess who came for a marriage alliance or not?

What about Lady Consort Wan? Has she not heard about this? Or is she not reacting?

The Emperor and Lady Consort Wan have been affectionate for two or three years. In the past, there were rumors that the Emperor deliberately kept Lady Consort Wan in the palace to control the Xie family, but now that two years have passed, the rumors have long since been disproven.

There were also wild guesses in folk storybooks, saying that the Emperor disbanded the harem just for Lady Consort Wan.

Such rumors of affection, on the contrary, made the people’s hearts even more supportive.

Naturally, whether it was true or false, perhaps only the Emperor and the Xie family knew.

In short, the young officials were not worried about what kind of trouble this Eldest Princess of West Jin would cause; instead, they were more interested in watching the show.

One couldn’t blame them for being so carefree. It was simply that Da Yue was currently flourishing. The army was getting stronger, the horses were getting sturdier, and the people of Da Yue were living in peace and prosperity, becoming richer year by year.

Above, a wise ruler governed; below, capable generals guarded the passes and virtuous officials assisted.

Compared to West Jin, which had just ended its turmoil and welcomed a new emperor, Da Yue was not just a little bit stronger.

West Jin dared not fight, so they hastily sent a princess for a marriage alliance before the truce agreement expired.

So, in the end, was this marriage alliance really about marrying someone to the Emperor?

The officials dared not ask, and the Emperor also seemed to have no intention of discussing with her ministers whether she would take another consort. This matter was mentioned briefly in court and then no one brought it up again.

Meanwhile, Ajirui had already entered the northern territory.

She traveled south, heading towards the capital.

After entering Da Yue, she was escorted by the Northern Border Army all the way.

In less than half a month, she had already reached Da Yue’s Fenghe Commandery.

Ajirui lifted the carriage curtain, and the first thing she saw was the surrounding mountains. The peaks soared into the clouds, and the steep cliffs were breathtaking, but amidst these mountains, there was a flat and wide road, winding through the mountains like a majestic dragon, paving the safest path for travelers. That road connected the north and south, leading forward to the prosperity of the capital and backward to the northern border.

Even at the flatter foothills, there were villagers setting up small stalls, selling some tea and wine.

“I heard this place used to be overrun by mountain bandits,” a West Jin envoy accompanying her sighed.

Ajirui did not reply, but she was equally shocked by what she had seen and heard along the way.

She had been to Da Yue two years ago, although only to Jinghe City in the northern border, but what she heard more about was the country’s weaknesses.

At that time, Da Yue was vast and rich in resources. But that was all it had. It was like a wealthy young master with immense family fortune, clearly rich enough to rival a nation, yet only knew how to squander it. It wouldn’t take many years to lose the family fortune.

But now, Da Yue seemed to be slowly shedding that wasteful and profligate nature. It was inwardly strong, with a promising future.

And West Jin…

Thinking of her homeland, Ajirui’s eyes darkened.

She couldn’t go back.

A marriage alliance meant being abandoned.

“Considering that you helped me kill Eldest Brother, I will spare your life. But I cannot trust you… After all, Second Sister, you were once on Eldest Brother’s side. So go for the marriage alliance, and earn one last merit for West Jin.”

The new Emperor’s words still echoed in her ears.

Her subordinates and partisans were purged by the new Emperor after his ascension. Her ambitions from back then had all come to naught.

She had originally been on Eldest Brother’s side, quietly lying in wait, planning to silently seize the throne after Eldest Brother had eliminated everyone else.

She was supposed to be the biggest winner.

Everything should have been so logical, but two years ago, Eldest Brother suddenly discovered the hidden lines she had buried in the shadows and began to deal with her.

The struggle between Eldest Brother and Third Brother also dragged her in, leaving her attacked from both sides and suffering immensely.

Helplessly, for self-preservation, she could only choose to help Third Brother Ajili ascend.

But at the very end, Ajili broke his promise and killed all those close to her.

After ascending the throne, he couldn’t wait to eliminate her forces and even sent her as an abandoned piece for a marriage alliance with Da Yue.

Ajirui lowered the carriage curtain and sat silently inside the carriage.

She thought, Ajili, you will regret this.

Those people under her command would not have died in vain.

This was the vow she made in her heart.

As for Da Yue…

Ajirui remembered that on the night Eldest Brother died, she had asked him.

Why he had suddenly turned against her, and how he had discovered her forces.

Eldest Brother didn’t say, but she later found out some things. The time Eldest Brother learned of her forces was vaguely around the time of the truce agreement.

A face flashed through Ajirui’s mind. That person’s complexion always had a sickly paleness, but the depths hidden within those peach blossom eyes… were unforgettable.

That person was the imperial envoy sent by Da Yue to sign the truce agreement. Just looking into that person’s eyes made her feel uneasy.

Ajirui couldn’t be certain that Da Yue was behind it. Compared to Da Yue, East Ming should have been more aware of West Jin’s situation, and it would have been easier to plant people.

But no matter what, the exposure of her forces was inseparable from these two countries, East Ming and West Jin.

And because of this variable, she was caught off guard, which also led to her ultimately losing the throne.

Later, when something happened in Da Yue, she also found the opportunity to provide the Danyu to that Prime Minister. Unfortunately, it didn’t manage to poison the Da Yue Emperor, nor did it succeed in stirring up trouble in Da Yue.

In the end, the Da Yue Emperor was luckier than her.

So, now the winner was the Da Yue Emperor, and she was the one who had lost completely.

But Ajirui always believed one thing.

There are no eternal friends, and no eternal enemies.