Southern Zhao Kingdom
"Your Majesty, the Jin Kingdom has rejected our request, saying they have no suitable princess."
The chancellor looked somewhat disappointed as he spoke.
Qi Yunheng took the secret letter and read it, his lashes lowering slightly.
Then,
he said quietly, "You should not have acted on your own behind my back and sent the request without first consulting This King."
The chancellor stiffened slightly at his words and hastily said, "...It was my fault."
Hadn't he only grown anxious because his king had yet to make a move?
He had thought he could surprise his king after settling the matter.
He hadn't expected the Jin emperor to reject it outright without so much as asking a question.
He was ashamed.
"It certainly was your fault."
Qi Yunheng raised his eyes slightly and looked at him, a hint of reproach in his voice. "Your mistake was failing to specify exactly whom This King wanted."
"Luckily, they rejected it. If they really had agreed to send a princess...how would This King explain that to Qi'an?"
"I merely wished to sound them out first, to see whether they were willing to form a marriage alliance, then negotiate from there."
A trace of grievance crept into the chancellor's voice.
Who could have expected the Jin emperor to be so petty that he wouldn't even give him a chance to negotiate?
Qi Yunheng set down the secret letter, rose, and walked to the window, gazing at the two flourishing persimmon trees outside.
His eyes shifted slightly.
He had planted the persimmon Qi'an had given him all those years ago and grown it into a tree. With his careful watering, it had now become a towering tree.
Even covered in thick snow, they nestled closely together.
A hint of comfort and longing passed