Chapter 465

"No matter what, we absolutely cannot have a falling out with the Turks!"

Civil officials such as Gao Shilian, Xiao Yu, and Li Chunfeng expressed their opposition one after another.

The facts they laid out were truly impossible to refute.

Li Er had personally led an army of 300,000 and returned in a crushing defeat; what other options could there possibly be?

"Your Majesty, this old subject has a plan that can repel the million-strong Turkic army!"

Just as the civil and military officials were arguing without reaching a conclusion, an elderly man with white hair and beard suddenly stood up.

Everyone stopped arguing and looked toward the old man.

He was no ordinary old man; he was the former Chancellor of the Great Tang, Pei Ji!

Pei Ji was a trusted confidant of the Retired Emperor, Li Yuan.

Ever since Li Er launched the Xuanwu Sect incident, Pei Ji's status in the imperial court had plummeted, and he now held only a nominal position.

"Oh? Physician Pei, what plan do you have?"

Li Er asked with a displeased tone.

He had never liked Pei Ji's character.

Furthermore.

The death of Liu Wenjing back then was inextricably linked to this old thing.

Liu Wenjing was also one of the founding heroes of the Great Tang, having made great contributions and being full of wisdom and strategy.

More importantly, he had been on good terms with Li Er.

But Pei Ji could not tolerate Liu Wenjing, so he incited Li Yuan to have the man killed.

Li Er had pleaded for mercy in every way possible, yet he still failed to save his close friend.

If not for the concern for his own reputation, Li Er would have wanted to tear Pei Ji into ten thousand pieces after the Xuanwu Sect incident.

"Your Majesty, the only plan for now is to offer a marriage alliance, pay tribute, and submit as a vassal, only then can the Turkic fury be quelled."

"Princess Changle is over sixteen, exactly in the prime of her youth. If Your Majesty can send the Princess to the northern border, and add more gold, silver, and jewelry, as well as cede a few cities, it will surely eliminate the future trouble invisibly."

Whoosh!

As soon as these words were spoken, the great hall was in an uproar.

"Yes, yes, yes, that makes sense! I heard the Turks love Great Tang women, especially their Khan. If we send them a princess, they will surely be overjoyed; perhaps once their mood improves, they will stop wreaking havoc on our Great Tang."

"Well said! If we can use one person to trade for the millions of people in the northern border, that would be a good deal!"

"Chancellor Pei is indeed deep in strategy!"

"Great, the war is finally coming to an end!"

The vast majority of the civil and military officials nodded in agreement.

Marriage alliances have always existed.

Ever since the time of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, marriage alliances have always been the most important diplomatic tool of the Central Plains dynasties!

It is cost-effective and efficient!

Precisely because of this.

Every dynasty has flocked to marriage alliances.

To put it bluntly!

It is actually just sending away women!

Barbarian invasion? Send a woman!

Nations paying homage? Send a woman!

Forming an alliance? Still send a woman!

In any case, everything can be solved by sending a woman!

Just send them and it's over!

These high-and-mighty rulers never cared about the women sent for marriage alliances.

How cruel the blow to their fate would be.

Whether it be the Turks or the Tibetans, they are all bloodthirsty beasts!

What are the customs of these barbarians?

If the father dies, marry the son!

If the son dies, marry the grandson!

Throughout history, countless women from Central Plains dynasties sent to neighboring countries for marriage alliances were forced to marry generation after generation of men.

Unless they died, they could never escape the fate of being humiliated!

For those women, it would be an endless living hell.