The Xuan Emperor said heavily, "Huai'an, this is a great matter of state. You will not act up here!"

The Ninth Princess bowed. "Father Emperor, your child is not acting up."

"Your child is only marveling at the lords' iron bones and their unswerving loyalty."

"When it was a question of favoring the marriage alliance, every word out of the lords came straight from the heart. But when it comes to their own sons and daughters going with the dowry train, they push it off, one after another."

"Their mouths cry out that they will give their livers and brains to the ground for Father Emperor, and when something actually comes to them they shrink back... Truly a pack of loyal ministers and good generals."

The blood came up into the faces of the peace party's officials. They could have died of shame and rage.

The Xuan Emperor said, "Huai'an, the court is sacred ground. You will not forget yourself!"

"Father Emperor, your child has not forgotten herself! Your child has come to share Father Emperor's cares." The Ninth Princess lifted her sharp, pretty chin and said it one word at a time. "Your child is willing to marry far away into Nanyue, for ten years of peace on the Great Xuan's southern frontier."

Now it was the turn of the peace party's officials, and of Fan Taihe and the rest of them, to be alarmed.

The thing had gone completely out of control!

The moment the Ninth Princess agreed, their own sons and daughters had to go to Nanyue with the dowry train.

Fan Taihe most of all. That one had guessed that Ning Chen would certainly volunteer himself to lead troops against Nanyue, and that all they had to do was make a show of blocking it.

But now the thing had gone very differently from what that one had guessed. Ning Chen had not asked to go to the southern frontier, and the princess had agreed to the marriage alliance of her own accord.

For a moment they had no idea what to do.

Fan Taihe looked…