He shook the letter in his hand and smiled at his wife, "Look, how can a country not even choose a successor for the throne?"
Zhao Jiaqi merely glanced at the letter, turned her head away without reading it, and replied indifferently, "You've already done what you needed to do to repay the late emperor. Leave the rest to the Huangfu brothers to resolve."
If they got involved further, who knew if the Yun Kingdom would become another Inner City. Their ambition as a couple wasn't great; they didn't want to create more trouble for themselves.
With the Inner City already a handful, their son didn't want it, and their daughter didn't want it. Adding the Yun Kingdom on top of that would truly be more than they could handle.
"What does my wife mean..." Fan Zehao asked, uncertain.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't beat around the bush. "Prince Xian and Prince Xiaoyao are both here. Hand this matter over to them. I believe once these two step in, those people in the capital won't dare to say a single word."
Both Huangfu Xian and Huangfu Xu were sons of the late emperor. Regardless of their birth mothers' status, their imperial bloodline was enough to suppress anyone aspiring to the throne.
As for why some were hesitant to act, it was also due to fear of the Inner City's influence.
Perhaps many vassal states were eyeing this massive prize. Their inaction was entirely due to observing the Inner City's movements. Once a signal was given to back down, it was believed that the Yun Kingdom would soon be torn apart.
Fan Zehao held the letter, pondered for a moment, and then sent for Prince Xian and Prince Xiaoyao, informing them of the situation.
"Huangfu Xisheng has ascended. Now the Yun Kingdom is without a leader."
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xian was the first to react. He distanced himself three feet from Fan Zehao and declared, "I am a prince now. Why are you telling me this? I'm not listening, not listening to a monk's chanting."
With that, he covered his ears, sat down, closed his eyes, and began to mumble incoherently.
Huangfu Xu was even more direct. "Huangfu Xi is gone, but he has sons. Let his son inherit the throne, why should we get involved?"
Their words were direct and candid, but the ministers had already considered these options. If it were that simple, they wouldn't have sent this plea for help.
Fan Zehao placed the letter on the table, no longer beating around the bush. "The late emperor once showed me great kindness, and I've put in considerable effort to ensure the safety of the Yun Kingdom. Now that the Yun Kingdom is in trouble again, you are the late emperor's sons. Handle it yourselves. I am powerless in this matter."
"I have repaid the late emperor's kindness. However, if the Yun Kingdom is in danger, I will still help without hesitation, but that is all. As sons of the late emperor, you have the obligation to protect your country. You decide."
With that, he left the letter and departed for his next appointment, which was a conversation with Helian Zhicheng.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jiaqi was chatting and laughing with the couple. She would not mention anything before her husband arrived.
As the three were on their second cup of tea, a relaxed Fan Zehao entered. Seeing them chatting happily, the gloom that had weighed on his heart lifted.
He sat down beside his wife with a smile and looked at Helian Zhicheng, noticing that his cheekbones had become much more prominent.
"Brother looks thin. You must have been extremely busy these past few days."
Helian Zhicheng waved his hand dismissively, a look of relief and joy on his face. "I only have this one son. He's finally gotten married, so of course, I'm happy. I have inexhaustible energy. If I don't handle things myself, I feel like something might be overlooked, and I wouldn't be at ease."
Duan Yao nodded repeatedly. "That's true. Even though people are helping, it still feels more sincere to do it yourself."
What they said was not untrue. Zhao Jiaqi believed that this couple sincerely wished to marry their daughter.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't want to beat around the bush. It was better to speak openly and honestly than to be circuitous.
She stated directly, "Brother, Sister-in-law, only our two families, four people, are in this courtyard today. There are some things I need to discuss before the children get married, and I'd like to hear your opinions."
Helian Zhicheng and Duan Yao, seeing their sister-in-law so serious, felt a pang of anxiety in their hearts, unsure of what was happening.
They also wondered if they had done something wrong and displeased their in-laws, or if they were no longer planning to marry Yumeng to their son.
All sorts of possibilities arose in the couple's minds.
Helian Zhicheng's expression immediately soured. Feeling a little uneasy, he forced himself to remain calm and asked, "Brother, Sister-in-law, please speak your minds. If we have made any mistakes, we will correct them. However, the children's marriage is already set, and we don't want to miss this auspicious date."
Seeing how tense they were, Zhao Jiaqi smiled and said, "The matter is not related to the children. Their wedding is set for the sixteenth of August, and it will still be on that day. What we want to discuss concerns the relationship between our two countries."
Upon hearing this, the couple's faces instantly broke into smiles, no longer as tense as before.
Helian Zhicheng readily said, "Whatever you wish to ask or say, please do. We've known each other for so long, you know our temperaments quite well. Moreover, it was Sister-in-law who helped us successfully cultivate seawater rice in our country. Even setting aside the marriage alliance, for that kindness alone, we are deeply grateful."
Fan Zehao listened to his brother's frank words and didn't mince his own. "Brother, we were just sworn brothers before. Compared to being in-laws, there was still a gap. Now our relationship is closer, and it's best to be clear about things. As the saying goes, even close brothers need to settle accounts."
While Helian Zhicheng spoke, his mind was also working, naturally anticipating what he was about to say.
"You are right. Please explain it clearly, Brother, so that I, Big Brother, can guess less." He smiled and added, "Mainly, my brain isn't as sharp as yours. If I misunderstand something, it won't be good for either of us."
These words were spoken with sincerity, which Fan Zehao appreciated, as it eliminated unnecessary pleasantries between them.
Fan Zehao continued, "It's like this: the children's marriage is a matter of their affection for each other, not a political alliance between two countries. This is the fundamental difference. Therefore, the affairs between our two countries will not involve them. Do you, Brother and Sister-in-law, agree to this?"
Helian Zhicheng and Duan Yao agreed without a second thought, "Of course, we agree. Their relationship is genuine, with no other factors involved."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Jiaqi immediately followed up, "That's exactly what we mean. Therefore, before the children get married, this matter must be clarified."
"Yes, yes, yes, that's right."
Seeing that Helian Zhicheng and his wife were in agreement with them, the rest of the matters became much easier to discuss.