"Please forgive me, miss," Huang Xiao said apologetically. "We are in a foreign land, so I have to be cautious, especially where the Third Prince's safety is concerned."
"I understand that," You Lian'er said. "Actually, you needn't overthink tomorrow's gathering. Sister Yan has no other intentions. She simply wants to meet you."
"Meet us?" Huang Xiao asked in puzzlement.
"More precisely, another sister wants to meet Zhao Yuankan," You Lian'er said.
"Another sister?" Huang Xiao pondered this for a moment, and his expression shifted slightly. "Could she be the one chosen for the marriage alliance?"
"You catch on quickly, my lord." You Lian'er smiled. "That's right. Her name is Yelü Yin. In terms of family seniority, she is the current Khitan emperor's younger sister-a paternal cousin."
"Oh!" Huang Xiao nodded, thinking that it was just as he had expected.
Sure enough, they had chosen a woman from the imperial clan for the marriage alliance. Naturally, Huang Xiao had no idea who this Yelü Yin was. There were so many people in the Khitan Imperial Family, especially descendants of collateral branches. How could he know them all?
"Wouldn't having His Highness meet her now go against propriety?" Huang Xiao asked.
"Propriety? What propriety? Isn't it just a marriage alliance? Don't they just want that nominal bond?" You Lian'er curled her lip. "Who would care about such things? Women truly have bitter lives. Even their destinies are controlled by others."
Huang Xiao could only give a few awkward chuckles without answering.
In truth, You Lian'er was not wrong. A marriage alliance was merely a formality. If the two countries truly had no intention of maintaining friendly relations, war would break out regardless. If both countries wanted friendly relations, then the marriage alliance was really just going through the motions, an explanation offered