Chapter 198 She was indeed very farsighted.

"That's your own grandfather! We're getting married in a few days and we're going to bring them to Liaodong to be our witnesses and give them our blessings. How can you tie them up with ropes like that?"

Liu Fu knew that Xiao Ying'er wasn't particularly fond of the Xiao family. In fact, the Xiao family mostly used Ying'er, and showed very little affection for her.

But this girl has always been a kind-hearted person, how could she be so heartless now, especially when it comes to her own family? Liu Fu knew that Xiao Ying'er had always been quite sensible, so he was still unsure of her thoughts on this choice.

But it was clear that Liu Fu knew Xiao Ying'er had her reasons for doing this, but it certainly wasn't a rash act.

As expected, Liu Fu understood Xiao Ying'er's temperament quite well. He knelt on the ground and immediately stated:

“I am not yet married to Your Majesty, yet my family already relies on Your Majesty’s power so much. Do you think this is a good thing?”

This was certainly not a good thing. Liu Fu could have answered this question immediately, but instead of directly stating his opinion to Xiao Ying'er, he asked her:

"Explain your reasoning in detail."

Xiao Ying'er said frankly:

"My grandfather and my father are blinded by greed. Now, relying on your power, they have pushed their desires to the extreme. They are like incurable gamblers. One more step forward and they will fall into an abyss, but they are unaware of it. At this time, we must pour cold water on them and tie them with a rope to make them pull back from the brink. Only then can the Xiao family survive in the future."

Xiao Ying'er then said seriously:

“The prosperity and decline of a family never depend on a woman, especially a woman who has married out of the family. The reason they dare to be arrogant and domineering now because I am about to marry the king and become his queen, and even the queen in the future.”

“But Ying’er is not omnipotent. Your Majesty may indulge or favor the Xiao family for a time out of consideration for your relationship with Ying’er, but Your Majesty’s trust and affection for the Xiao family and Ying’er are never unlimited. Feelings need to be carefully maintained. If they are not maintained over time and are instead consumed, then soon even the deepest feelings will fade and eventually disappear. If that day ever comes, the Xiao family will lose power.”

"Now that the Xiao family has lost power, how should they coexist with His Majesty the Emperor of Liao? Please tell me, Your Majesty."

Xiao Ying'er's words were indeed true. Even though Liu Fu didn't want to admit it, that's just human nature.

Xiao Ying'er sees through this very clearly. It was originally a very simple problem that could be seen at a glance, but why can't the Xiao family see through it now?

In fact, Xun Yu and Zhuge Liang could both think of this, since Liu Fu didn't care who from the Wanyan family became emperor when he was in the Later Jin.

For Liu Fu, all the Later Jin needed was a puppet emperor who obeyed him. As for who this puppet emperor was, whether he was male or female, it didn't matter. The only thing he had to do was obey Liu Fu's orders.

The Xiao family naturally understood this as well. They realized that the emperor of the Liao Dynasty did not necessarily have to be a member of the Yelü family, nor did he necessarily have to be the current Liao emperor. Members of their Xiao family or other families could take his place, as long as they listened to Liu Fu. Nothing else mattered.

The Xiao family members were driven by greed, but they were by no means acting blindly. They actually knew what Liu Fu needed. To put it bluntly, Grand Tutor Xiao wanted to change the dynasty in the Liao Kingdom and replace the Liao Emperor. That was the idea they had. The reason why Grand Tutor Xiao was so high-profile in front of the Liao Emperor was to show Liu Fu that.

To put it bluntly, this is an open conspiracy.

If Liu Fu truly loved his granddaughter Xiao Ying'er, he would definitely turn a blind eye, and might even help the Xiao family eliminate the Liao emperor.

In fact, this was indeed the case for Liu Fu. It didn't matter who became the emperor of Liao, as long as he listened to Liu Fu and the Later Han, paid tribute to the Later Han, and then destroyed Liao in a few years.

If Xiao Ying'er truly made such a request to her family, then Liu Fu would grant her request, because in the face of Liu Fu's army of giant beasts and ferocious beasts, everything is just a bubble, everything is just a paper tiger. As long as the army goes there, it will be devastating and everything will crumble.

However, Xiao Ying'er did not ask Liu Fu for help in seizing the throne of Liao because of the Xiao family's affairs. Instead, she came to ask Liu Fu to pour cold water on the entire Xiao family.

Liu Fu found it quite rare to see such a clear-headed woman.

At this moment, Xun Yu also chimed in:

"I wonder what Your Highness is truly afraid of? If the Xiao family were to wield immense power, wouldn't that be exactly what you desire? Why then do you need the King to help you suppress the Xiao family?"

Xun Yu then asked the question in a more specific way.

Xiao Ying'er said:

"Everything is about righteousness and reason. If you do something in a reasonable way, you will be supported and the matter can be accomplished. But if you do something unreasonable, you will accumulate resentment. This resentment will not disappear for no reason. The more hatred you accumulate now, the more it will be repaid to you in the future."

“If my Xiao family seizes the throne of Liao in accordance with the will of Heaven, then I have nothing to say. But if the Xiao family seizes the throne without reason, then the Xiao family and the Yelü family will become enemies in the future. And then this hatred will never end. The Xiao family will eventually run out of fuel. When a tiger takes a nap, that is when it is most vulnerable. Everyone has their own weakness. Once the weakness is discovered, one’s life will be in danger.”

"If the Xiao family is to be wiped out in the future because of our plot to seize the throne today, then I would rather our Xiao family give up this unreasonable throne and just continue to exist."

Upon hearing Xiao Ying'er's words, both Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu gave her a thumbs up, a rare compliment.

"Your Highness the Princess possesses such magnanimity and foresight; we believe this is a great fortune for the King, a great fortune for Liaodong, and a great fortune for the Later Han Dynasty!"

At this point, Liu Fu nodded, also moved.

There's a saying that big breasts mean no brains, and that beautiful women are often considered femme fatales because most of them lack intelligence.

Empress Wu, the concubine of the Liao emperor, was a complete idiot with no brains, but Xiao Ying'er was clearly not like that. Not only was she beautiful and kind-hearted, but she was also intelligent.

"Alright, I agree, but isn't it a bit too much to tie up your own grandfather with ropes and send him to Liaodong in the Later Han Dynasty?"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Xiao Ying'er knelt down and pleaded:

"This servant requests that on the day of Your Majesty's wedding, I shall have full authority to handle all matters concerning the Xiao family. Your Majesty may grant me some authority, allowing me to observe but not interfere. How about we discuss this matter in advance in court, in front of Mr. Zhuge and Mr. Xun Yu, and make a gentleman's agreement?"

"Returning to the gentleman's promise," Liu Fu thought to himself, "this girl is so clever, she must be plotting something to mess with the Xiao family again!"