"That girl is out of the question. If we send her to their home, I suspect she’d just have someone beat Prime Minister Gao all over again." The Beili Emperor thought of Ye Qianning’s fierce expression, her little face screwed up in determination. ’She’s cut from the exact same cloth as Xiang Minghou.’

That was Xiang Minghou to a tee. You could barely force him to admit it when he was wrong. But if he was right and you tried to make him apologize, he would tear the other person to shreds.

Mr. Li looked troubled upon hearing this. If Miss Xiang didn’t go and apologize, Prime Minister Gao’s anger would likely continue to rage.

"I recall that Prime Minister Gao has a son. He should be about ten years old by now."

Mr. Li was somewhat taken aback, but he gave a slight nod. "He is."

"If the two families were to be joined by marriage, this conflict could be resolved," the Beili Emperor mused.

"Your Majesty, considering she beat them so badly, if they were to be joined in marriage, wouldn’t that..." ’She beat up the entire family like that at only six years old. It would be a disaster if she married into their household when she’s older.’

"They are all astute people. A marriage alliance between a civil family and a military one would benefit both sides. Once a woman is married, she naturally aligns herself with her husband’s family."

"You speak the truth, Your Majesty. However, General Xiang’s child is still very young. I’m afraid General Xiang would not agree if this were brought up," Mr. Li said, discreetly observing the Beili Emperor’s expression.

’If this marriage were to be arranged, both the General’s Manor and the Prime Minister’s Manor would be thrown into chaos.’

’I have no idea why the Emperor would even think of a marriage alliance.’

"I will decree the engagement first. They can wed when they are older. This way, it will also give the two families some time to get accustomed to each other." The Beili Emperor had already formed a plan.

Mr. Li simply nodded in agreement, not daring to speak further.

"And Prime Minister Gao’s son, how is he doing in his studies?" the Beili Emperor asked again.

"Young Master Gao also studies at Lou Mountain Academy. He’s in the same class as the Eighth Prince and is considered one of the most outstanding students of his age," Mr. Li reported.

The Beili Emperor seemed quite pleased. Then, a thought occurred to him. "How is the Eighth Prince doing with his coursework?"

"The Eighth Prince is second to none at the academy. Both the headmaster and the instructors are extremely fond of him," Mr. Li said in praise.

The Beili Emperor, however, frowned. "And the Crown Prince?"

"The Crown Prince is still young. He only just enrolled in the academy this year and hasn’t yet had his monthly exams..." Mr. Li sensed something was amiss and quickly added, "The Crown Prince has been clever since birth, able to write compositions at the age of three. Once he is a bit older, he is certain to become the most outstanding of all the princes."

"Yes, the Crown Prince is indeed clever. The next time you visit the academy, remember to remind the instructors to give him extra tutoring. There must not be the slightest neglect. As for the Eighth Prince... though his intellect is extraordinary, he is colorblind." The Beili Emperor left it at that.

Mr. Li understood perfectly. ’If not for the Eighth Prince’s eyes, his intellect would have surely earned him a prominent place among the princes. What a shame...’

* * *

「General’s Manor」

Several days passed, and life in the General’s Manor finally returned to normal. Xiang Mingli had been escorted to the mines, with spies from the manor secretly keeping an eye on him.

Ye Qianning had also shown Xiang Minghou the letter from Qian Fanji. Upon learning that Mr. Xie was not dead, Xiang Minghou secretly vowed to capture the man and avenge his family.

The only problem was that the man was in Xi Yan. If the General’s Manor sent its own people and they were discovered, the matter would escalate from a personal issue to an international incident.

Therefore, whoever was sent to Xi Yan could not be official guards. They had to travel along the trade routes.

And when it came to trade, the Gu family was impossible to ignore.

Xiang Minghou had spent the entire previous afternoon negotiating with Old Master Gu. No one knew how the discussion went, but at some point, the talks broke down.

Old Master Gu had been so angry that after leaving Yuehua Small Building, he had stormed directly out of the manor. He hadn’t been seen since, but he did have a servant boy deliver a letter to Ye Qianning.

Ye Qianning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she read the letter. She had assumed the old man had stormed off in a huff. Who knew he had actually gone back to his own estate to hold a family meeting and announce his decision to adopt a god-granddaughter.