Ning Chen bowed. "Your Majesty, this is a great good thing for the country and the people. It should be agreed to. It must be agreed to."

The arguing officials fell silent on the spot.

The Xuan Emperor was taken aback for a moment, but he knew Ning Chen far too well. The boy was certainly about to make a production of something.

"You think Nanyue's request for a marriage alliance should be agreed to too?"

Ning Chen nodded. "Your Majesty, when a princess of our Great Xuan is married down, it must be done on a grand scale."

"The princess is marrying far away to Nanyue with no kin at her side. She will certainly be lonely... Your subject proposes that of the lords who favor the marriage alliance, every one who has a daughter over fifteen at home — every single one — should send her as part of the princess's dowry train."

The moment that was out, the faces of the peace party's officials turned green.

How could that be? Those were their daughters, not goods. How could they be sent as dowry, and to a place so far away at that?

Ning Chen looked at Fan Taihe. "Your Majesty, so far as your subject understands, Lord Fan's children are all married already."

Fan Taihe's face filled with satisfaction. His children were indeed all married.

Ning Chen said, "But so far as your subject understands, Lord Fan has a granddaughter of sixteen who is not yet married. She could go with the princess to Nanyue."

Fan Taihe's expression went stiff. He was struck stupid.

"Lord Fan, if your granddaughter goes in the dowry train, and the Fourth Prince of Nanyue happens to drink too much, or to go blind, and favors her and makes her a concubine — I would be delighted for you."

Fan Taihe's face could not have looked worse.

Ning Chen looked at a civil official. "Lord Gou, I remember you still have a daughter not yet gone out of the house. Seventeen. Just right to go with the dowry train."

The man's old…