The wine vessel made from General Feng's skull was suddenly revealed to everyone on the tray, causing an uproar among those present.

The envoy never imagined that Wuqi would stage such a grand spectacle in public.

Sweating profusely, he began to think about how to avert this disaster.

Most of the officials present were from the Ministry of Rites, with very few military officers present.

When the news of General Feng's death on the battlefield, with no trace of his remains, reached the new capital, all the military officers in the court were filled with grief and indignation.

Unexpectedly, the Tatars made it into a wine vessel, which is now being served openly at banquets under the guise of a gift.

This is hardly a tribute; it's clearly an attempt to embarrass the Great Jin!

When the emperor saw the skull wine vessel and learned that it was made from the skull of a loyal general, his anger was as fierce as a storm brewing.

General Liang, being a military officer himself, naturally could not tolerate such humiliation from Wu Qi. He slammed down his wine cup, stood up, pointed at Wu Qi, and shouted, "General Feng is a hero of our Great Jin! How dare you barbarians humiliate him like this? Do you not respect our Great Jin?"

This roar echoed throughout every corner of the hall, and resonated deeply with the hearts of all those present who were also citizens of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Although this banquet was intended as a welcoming feast, it was merely a display of the grandeur of a great nation. When the other party made an unpleasant move, it was considered a provocation.

Faced with provocation, the citizens of the Great Jin Dynasty were naturally indignant.

People from the Ministry of Rites also began to chime in with their opinions.

"Tatar envoy, is this your attitude towards marriage alliances?"

"Since there is no intention to seek peace, why travel all the way to the Great Jin? Is it just so that His Majesty can see General Feng's skull being made into a wine vessel for his amusement?"

"Do the Tatars intend to declare war again?"

Faced with a barrage of questions from the Ministry of Rites officials, even if Uliji had eight mouths, he would still find it difficult to explain Uqi's suicidal actions.

But as an envoy, he had to explain properly, otherwise if the two countries went to war again, he would become a criminal subject of the Tatars, and how could he face returning to the grasslands?

And how could his family still have the face to live with the tribe on the grassland?

Thinking of this, Uliji's gaze towards Wuqi became hostile. He not only cursed Wuqi in his heart, but also thoroughly insulted Ajitai.

If it weren't for Ajitai's interference, sending any obedient tribal woman to the Great Jin for a marriage alliance, this troublesome situation wouldn't have occurred.

Uliji couldn't get a word in edgewise amidst the barrage of questions from the Ministry of Rites officials. When he saw the emperor's face growing increasingly grim, his heart sank, and he quickly stepped forward and shouted, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"

This loud shout successfully silenced the people from the Ministry of Rites, who waited quietly for his explanation.

For a moment, the banquet was completely silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Uliji kept his head down, almost looking right through the soles of his feet, but still couldn't come up with a good reason.

It is well known that the Tatar tribes have a custom of using the finger bones, skulls, and even club bones of enemy soldiers captured on the battlefield to make war trophies, in order to boost the morale of the warriors and to highlight their great achievements.

The fact that the Tatars and the Great Jin Dynasty were neighbors, whether they were enemies or engaged in trade, was no secret for a long time.

Thinking about it this way, Uliji was even more at a loss for how to explain it.

Just as he was about to apologize, he heard Wuqi speak again.

"Your Majesty, these are the spoils of war of the Tatar warriors. Everyone knows the customs and rules of the steppe tribes. I believe that the Great Jin Dynasty will not make trouble over the customs of other countries."

This statement undoubtedly puts the emperor's face on the hot seat.

It should be known that General Feng sacrificed his life for the country and was a man of great righteousness in the Great Jin Dynasty. Now that he has died far from home, he has even been made into a wine vessel by the Tatars.

Whether it was publicized or not, the reputation of the Great Jin Dynasty and its emperor was utterly destroyed.

Moreover, General Feng served the country and its people; he should never have ended up like this.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's dark face furrowed.

Before the emperor could speak, Song Yanqing put down his wine cup and said slowly, "Princess Wuqi, the Great Jin will not interfere with your country's customs, but this is the land of the Great Jin, and you cannot be allowed to act so presumptuously here!"

These words immediately vented the anger of the officials and concubines present.

In particular, the emperor's gaze towards Song Yanqing softened considerably.

The Great Jin Dynasty was not without military generals. The Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom was stationed at the border and was able to defeat the Tatars in less than a year, making them beg for mercy. He was a formidable figure in terms of both wisdom and combat prowess.

Wu Qi looked at Song Yanqing, a hint of unreadable emotion in her eyes, and said, "Why must Your Highness speak so harshly? Wu Qi is merely presenting something that belongs to the Great Jin."

Then, she looked at the emperor and said with feigned respect, "Your Majesty, this item is being returned to the Great Jin Dynasty to show the willingness of our two countries to maintain friendly relations."

Looking at Wu Qi's profile, Song Yanqing had to admit that this woman was quite clever.

By changing the subject, even the emperor would find it difficult to point out the mistake.

However, he was not going to indulge them. "Your Excellency, since the Tatars are willing to return the goods, please show the proper etiquette and respect in your words."

If you have no such intention, or if you wish to provoke the Great Jin, you are welcome to give it a try.

When the Jin army's iron hooves strike deep into the heart of the Tatar territory, there will be no longer any chance for peace talks!

Upon hearing this, Wuqi's expression remained unchanged, her eyes fixed on the emperor, as if trying to discern some movement from his expression.

The emperor felt much more at ease after hearing Song Yanqing's spirited words.

His gaze went straight past Wuqi and looked at Wuliji, saying, "Your Excellency, since Princess Wuqi has returned the 'treasure' that belongs to the Great Jin, you must all be drunk after traveling for several days. Go back and rest."

As for the marriage alliance, it will be discussed later.

When Uliji heard that the emperor would not pursue the matter, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, the words "to be discussed again" that followed made him worry again.

Fortunately, the situation was resolved without serious harm, and there will still be opportunities to persuade them again, since the marriage alliance is related to the peace and tranquility of both countries.

Neither side wants to start a war here at this time.

So Uliji took the lead in expressing his gratitude and then led Uchi and Ruixin out of the main hall.

The welcome banquet turned out like this, which is tantamount to ending in discord.

The officials did not linger. Upon hearing the emperor's words that he was free to do as he pleased, they returned to the inner palace with the help of eunuchs and then dispersed.

Even at the banquet tonight, amidst the delicious food, Song Yanqing found everything tasteless due to Wu Qi's provocation.

He was the first official to stand up and leave the main hall. With him taking the lead, the officials who had been sitting on pins and needles also dispersed immediately.

Song Yanqing specially arranged for a carriage to bring things from outside the palace to the Empress Dowager on his way to the palace.

Against the light, he saw a beautiful figure standing not far from his carriage.

Seeing the figure made Song Yanqing have to be on his guard. He walked to the carriage and deliberately avoided the person who came.

Just as he was about to get into the carriage, he heard a cold voice behind him.

"Please, Prince Li Bei, stay a while."