Realistic governance games for both male and female audiences

Chapter 31 The Dangers of a Prince's Marriage!

"boom--"

When Gu Xiaoxiao announced in court that Prince Su would be sent to marry the princess of the Northern Xiongnu, every court official felt as if a huge rock had hit them on the head, leaving them all somewhat dazed!

Time... seemed to freeze completely at that moment!

Just moments ago, the Su King's supporters were indignantly opposing the military action, but now they looked like ducks with their necks being choked, their faces turning a deep purplish-red, their eyes almost bulging out of their sockets!

What did they just hear?

Should Prince Su be arranged to marry a foreign ruler?

Are you sure... they're not just hallucinating?

As expected, their previous guesses were correct; His Majesty's goal from beginning to end was to get Prince Su out of the capital!

But... even if you want to get Prince Su out of the capital, do you have to go to such lengths?

Sending Prince Su to the Northern Xiongnu for a marriage alliance?

Isn't this handing over the legitimacy of their Great Liang to the Northern Xiongnu?

At this moment, all the ministers in the court raised their heads and looked at the emperor on the dragon throne in great shock. At this moment, they had to think about a question in their hearts: was the emperor sitting on the dragon throne insane?

At the same time, Prince Su, Gu Suyue, who was standing at the front of the Golden Palace, could no longer remain calm.

He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Gu Xiaoxiao, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger.

Prince Su, Gu Suyue, knew that Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao wanted to expel him from the capital, but he never expected that in order to do so, Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao would come up with such an idea that was extremely insulting to him, Prince Su!

At the same time, Gu Xiaoxiao looked at the stunned ministers below and the ashen-faced Prince Su, and the smile on her lips grew even wider.

Sure enough, her idea was beyond what most people could imagine!

Historically, it has always been women who have been sent to marry foreign rulers; there has never been a precedent of men being sent to marry foreign rulers. Now, she is doing the opposite, and these ministers, who have become dependent on the path of "women being sent to marry foreign rulers," are indeed all thrown into disarray!

And this... is exactly what she wanted!

She wanted to disrupt the rhythm of these male officials; she wanted to make them understand that in the court of the Great Liang Dynasty, she, Gu Xiaoxiao, was the unpredictable and sole ruler!

"What? Do my beloved ministers find this inappropriate?" Gu Xiaoxiao's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of mockery. "Prince Su is my own brother, whose literary and military talents are unparalleled in the world. The princess of the Northern Xiongnu has long admired the splendor of our Great Liang. If she could marry Prince Su, I believe the entire Northern Xiongnu would be overjoyed and forever befriend our Great Liang."

After a slight pause, Gu Xiaoxiao looked directly at Prince Su, Gu Suyue: "Prince Su, what do you think?"

What do I think?

I thought you were a piece of shit!

Sending his own brother, the current emperor's own brother, to a marriage alliance?

Is this something a human could come up with?

Have you not considered at all the political risks and dangers of sending a prince to a marriage alliance?

Although he, Prince Su, is only Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao's younger brother, he is usually slightly lower in the order of succession to the throne than princes, especially now that the system of primogeniture is mature, but... you don't have a prince yet, do you?

Since the emperor had no sons, his younger brother, Prince Su, was the first in line to the throne of the Great Liang Dynasty!

If Gu Suyue were to fall into the hands of the Northern Xiongnu, it would directly shake the legitimacy of the Liang regime, because the steppes could easily claim to be "escorting the true emperor back to the throne" or launch a war under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials"!

Moreover, even if the Northern Xiongnu did not do this, they could still support their own brother, the emperor who was being married off, as a puppet and intervene in the affairs of the Great Liang in the name of "upholding the legitimate dynasty"!

According to Gu Suyue, nomadic regimes like the Northern Xiongnu were extremely sensitive to the bloodline of their marriage partners.

Therefore, under such circumstances, the purity of his bloodline as the emperor's younger brother was enough for the steppe regime to portray itself as the "legitimate spokesperson for the Great Liang," greatly enhancing the persuasiveness of its military actions.

If the Northern Xiongnu had controlled themselves, they could have spread rumors such as "the emperor imprisoned his own brothers" and "the usurper persecuted his relatives" to divide the ruling group of Daliang.

In short, it has many disadvantages!

As a result... his own brother, the current emperor, completely ignored it!

Gu Suyue simply couldn't imagine what his own brother was thinking at this moment.

"I know..."

While the court officials and Prince Su, Gu Suyue, were still in a daze, suddenly, at that moment, Gu Xiaoxiao's voice rang out again.

"I know that many of you do not understand why I would send my own brother to marry the Northern Xiongnu!"

Upon hearing this, a commotion instantly broke out in the previously deathly silent hall—to be honest, they were genuinely curious about His Majesty's thoughts on this matter!

Admittedly, they fully understood the emperor's eagerness to expel Prince Su from the capital as soon as possible, but... sending Prince Su to marry the Northern Xiongnu was no different from drinking poison to quench thirst.

Gu Xiaoxiao seemed oblivious to the reactions of the assembled officials, placing her hands on the dragon throne and leaning slightly forward, her piercing gaze sweeping over the assembled ministers before her:

"Actually, I'm not surprised at all that you don't understand my decision to have Prince Su marry the Northern Xiongnu!"

"After all, for you who are used to sending women to marry into foreign lands, sending a prince to marry into a foreign land, especially one that is my own brother, is something you have never seen before!"

"But... a precedent becomes a precedent because it's a constraint that no one dared to break before... and now someone has broken it!"

Someone was the first to "eat the crab"!

"Thus, a precedent was set!"

…………

At this point, Gu Xiaoxiao slammed her hand on the dragon table, her voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Now, I intend to send Prince Su to marry the Northern Xiongnu. Once this is accomplished, it will set a precedent, and it can become a custom to have men marry foreign rulers... Of course, it may be a bit early to tell you this now, because judging from your expressions, many of you probably do not agree with this!"

"But...whether you agree or not, I have already made my decision!"

"Since I have made my decision, you have no choice but to accept it!"

…………

At this moment, Gu Xiaoxiao, her eyes filled with an almost fanatical stubbornness, continued speaking after surveying the entire hall:

"I wonder if you have considered this... In the past, women were married off to secure decades of peace on the borders. Today, if Your Highness were to marry into a foreign land, it might very well become a celebrated story in the future!"

"Is my brother any less capable than those princesses?"

"Or is it that in your eyes, Prince Su's importance is less than that of a woman?"

…………