"Where did that divine bird go in the end?" Jiang Yuye asked again.

Night Wind shook his head and said, "After that divine bird killed the Crimson-Tailed Beast, it flew away. As for where it eventually went, I don't know."

"What a pity," Jiang Yuye said.

Pity?

This young Northern King seems to care more about the divine bird Vermilion Bird.

Ye Feng glanced at Jiang Yuye, but didn't say anything more.

After all, this occasion is so formal and serious that there's no need to say anything unimportant.

The Second Prince, Zhu Yunfeng, tapped the table and said, "Your Excellency, the intelligence you brought is very important to us, and I thank you for it. However, it is not feasible for the whole country to go on a state of war to deal with the possible attack of the Crimson-Tailed Beasts."

"The impact of the nationwide preparations for war is too severe, and such a heavy price cannot be easily borne, so I can only say I'm sorry."

"Most importantly, our neighbor, the Divine Sword Empire, has been eyeing our Hongtian Empire covetously for the past hundred years. This is a huge threat that we cannot afford to ignore."

Zhu Yunfeng stopped there.

But Ye Feng understood what he meant.

Night Wind nodded and said, "I have conveyed what I needed to. How you decide is your business. I will not interfere."

"Thank you for your understanding," Zhu Yunfeng said.

Ye Feng smiled and then said, "Now that we've finished discussing the Crimson-Tailed Beast, let's talk about my own affairs."

The main event is here!

Everyone present sat up straight, each one more nervous than the last.

It's as if the appearance of the Red-tailed Beast isn't as important as what Ye Feng said about his own affairs!

"Seven hundred years ago, I was the King of Nanling, a vassal king of the Southern Territory, with vast territory. I never imagined that after seven hundred years of seclusion and cultivation, I would emerge to find that my territory and title were gone. It's truly lamentable!" Ye Feng said with a half-smile.

Ouyang Ming, the Prince of Xichen, said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Excellency, the Prince of Nanling, the turmoil a hundred years ago..."

“I already know about the turmoil a hundred years ago, you don’t need to repeat it to me, and I have no intention of whitewashing my unworthy descendant. But what I want to say is that I am still alive now, and no matter how you look at it, this title should not fall on his head. Shouldn’t your punishment of him also not involve me?”

"As for territory and such, I really don't care."

Ye Feng's words brought a long sigh of relief to everyone present.

As long as Ye Feng doesn't insist on territory, titles and such are entirely negotiable.

Moreover, Zhu Chongguang seemed to have already considered this matter. He immediately said, "I hereby announce the restoration of the title and rank of the Prince of Nanling. However, due to some historical reasons, the title and rank of the Prince of Nanling are not hereditary."

"I agree."

I agree.

"That's how it should be."

"I have no objection."

The two princes, the three regional kings, and more than ten high-ranking officials all nodded in agreement; not a single one objected.

Zhu Chongguang asked with a smile, "Your Highness, are you satisfied with my arrangements?"

“That’s good, but I have one more request,” Night Wind said.

Zhu Chongguang's expression changed slightly.

Night Breeze waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, this request won't put you in a difficult position. You might even find it great."

"What are the requirements?" Zhu Chongguang asked.

"I want permanent development rights," Ye Feng said, enunciating each word clearly.

Upon hearing the words "permanent development rights," Zhu Chongguang was immediately stunned.

Because this is a word that has been buried in the long river of history.

Seven hundred years ago, Emperor Hongfeng and four vassal kings resisted the attack of the Crimson-tailed Beast and established a new empire, which is now the Hongtian Empire.

In order to expand the empire's territory as much as possible, and to give this empire, which was still in the agricultural era, more arable land, Emperor Hongfeng granted four vassal kings permanent rights to expand their territories after the founding of the country.

The four vassal kings could use this perpetual right of expansion to expand into territories that did not yet belong to any country, and this right was valid indefinitely.

But now, of the original four vassal kings, only Ye Feng, the King of Nanling, remains.

Therefore, only Night Wind is qualified to use this power.

"Is this request too much?" Ye Feng said with a smile.

Zhu Chongguang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect Your Highness the Prince of Nanling's request to be so unexpected. But you're right, your request is beneficial to the country, so I naturally cannot refuse. Besides, this is your right in the first place."

"It's good that you agree." Night Breeze nodded and said.

Zhu Chongguang then asked, "I wonder where Your Highness Prince Nanling plans to expand?"

"Bring me the map," Night Wind said.

Zhu Chongguang immediately summoned a palace guard.

Before long, the palace guard brought over a very luxurious map and spread it out on the long table.

Night Breeze glanced at it a few times before pointing to an area at the edge of the map.

“Here!” Night Wind said.

"The Death Mountains?" Zhu Chongguang exclaimed softly.

The others present also wore expressions of disbelief.

The Death Mountains are a very dangerous place because they were one of the main battlefields where the Imperial Army fought against the Red-tailed Beasts seven hundred years ago. As a result, the pollution left by the Red-tailed Beasts after they moved there was very serious.

Over the centuries, there have been frequent cases of people straying into the Death Mountains, getting lost, and dying from the venom of the Red-tailed Beast.

Now, however, Night Wind wants to expand into the Death Mountains and turn them into his own territory.

The difficulty involved is unimaginable!

Therefore, Ye Feng's decision greatly surprised everyone present, and in their view, it was even a very unwise decision.

“I know what you want to say, but you don’t need to say anything. I have my reasons for choosing the Death Mountains, but I don’t need to explain them to you. All you need to know is that this unclaimed land of the Death Mountains will soon become my territory and a part of our Hongtian Empire.”

After Ye Feng finished speaking, he looked at Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Chongguang.

Zhu Chongguang took a deep breath and said, "As you wish."

The talks have finally come to an end.

What followed was a grand palace banquet.

Luo Qing and Zi Jing, the two girls, ate non-stop around the long table laden with delicious food, their gluttonous eating resembling that of starving ghosts reincarnated.

If it were anyone else, they would definitely feel embarrassed by now, but Ye Feng didn't care at all.

"Ancestor, come and have some too. This roast suckling pig is really delicious," Luo Qing said, her mouth full of food.

Zijing added, "This roast goose is also very good!"

"You guys eat, don't worry about me," Ye Feng waved his hand and said.

Just then, King Xichen and King Beihan walked over together.