"You're placing too much importance on the people involved," Yao Chun countered.
"If it were the ruler's eldest or second legitimate son, your view would certainly be correct. But Zhao Jingya is only King Zhao's seventh daughter, and Wang Quande is merely Wang Ge's illegitimate son, whose identity he hasn't yet revealed. Their union won't produce any of the effects you mentioned. The ministers under them vehemently oppose this meaningless marriage alliance. They even regard it as a disgrace in private."
"So that's how it is." Zeng Mu looked as though he had learned something, then raised his cup and took a few more sips of tea.
"So, to sum it up, King Zhao is willing to marry his daughter to Wang Quande, a man with neither accomplishments nor reputation, not because of the King of Wei, nor his ministers' persuasion, and certainly not because he wants an alliance. He simply wants his precious daughter to be happy, as any good father would. Someone in his position can see much farther down the road than an ordinary person. He must have secretly obtained information about Wang Quande and learned that Green City in Wei State harbors such an outstanding man, one who hasn't even stepped into the public eye. A truly hidden talent."
"His three sons were all assassinated before, which dealt him a tremendous blow. With that in mind, you should understand why he would do this."
"People only learn to cherish things after losing them. What's lost can't be recovered, and what remains becomes all the more precious," he replied.
"Mm." With that, Yao Chun fell silent and savored the remaining walnut pastries. Over the next ten minutes, neither spoke another word. They simply drank tea and admired the scenery, as light and carefree as the breeze beyond