"You dare to cricket in front of the emperor? You may not care about your life, but don't you dare harm our master!"

"We can talk about it when we get back. Don't bring this up in this kind of situation."

Xun'er was also cautious.

With Achan not around, she had to be extra vigilant and make sure her master didn't cause any trouble under her nose.

"Xun'er's consideration is correct." Mi Shan said softly, nodding slightly, and looked at her with satisfaction. "Xun'er, you've grown up too."

She was just curious, but in such a situation, one should indeed be cautious.

"Whatever gossip we have, we'll talk about it when we get back behind closed doors."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Xiaomingzi will obey Your Majesty's orders."

The words were spoken.

Inside the main hall, the Northern Desert Prince had also finished paying homage to the Emperor.

The emperor bestows a seat upon the emperor.

The Northern Desert Prince seemed to be quite familiar with Li Xuanche, as he casually walked over to Li Xuanche's side, sat down next to him, and even bumped fists with him.

"Oh? What's going on here?"

Li Shengyuan raised an eyebrow.

Seeing the emperor's doubt, Li Xuanche stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

“Father, you may not know this, but when I was fighting bandits at the border, Xilong came to help me. We fought side by side on the battlefield, and that's how we forged a bond that transcended life and death.”

“Now, I consider Xilong my good brother.”

"Good, not bad!" The emperor nodded approvingly; he had always encouraged cultivating relationships with these vassal states.

After all, they were brave and skilled in battle.

If we can maintain this stable relationship between ruler and subject with Da Yue, we do need to pay attention to keeping in touch emotionally.

Seeing the added appreciation in Li Shengyuan's gaze as he looked at Li Xuanche, Empress Rouci smiled slightly, her resolve hardening even further.

It seems that Che'er wasn't unprepared.

He has an accomplice.

Gaining the emperor's favor and seizing military power becomes even easier.

Li Xuanche also gave Li Changyu a provocative look, revealing a determined gaze, and whispered a few words to Xilong beside him.

Mi Shan watched their every move nervously; she had already guessed it.

Li Xuanche will definitely target Li Changyu.

Sure enough, after hearing what he said, Xilong immediately revealed a contemptuous smile, raised his hand, and looked at the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I have a treasure that I must present to the Emperor. It is unlike any other treasure in the world; it is lifelike and represents auspiciousness."

"Oh? There's such a treasure? What is it?" Li Shengyuan raised an eyebrow, showing a look of surprise.

Xilong sneered, clapped his hands, and a defiant look flew across his handsome young face.

Several envoys were seen struggling to pull a carriage, on which was a cage covered with a curtain.

Once the curtain is lifted,

"Roar~"

A golden, long-haired lion stood arrogantly, raising its head and roaring angrily. Saliva dripped from its mouth as it glared menacingly at the crowd.

It would occasionally raise its paw and slap the cage.

Its size was several times larger than that of an ordinary lion, and it looked particularly frightening. Many ministers and palace servants present were frightened, trembling and trying their best to remain calm, looking at the emperor's expression.

As expected, Li Shengyuan's expression changed slightly, and then he smiled calmly.

He knew, of course, that the Northern Desert Prince was doing this not only as a gift, but also as a provocation, a test of the Great Yue's strength.

"This lion is indeed magnificent, and its fur is beautiful."

"Your Majesty, this is Dumela, the king of the Northern Desert. We have personally captured it and presented it to you as a sign of our highest respect."

"We have observed that it lives in the desert and is brave and skilled in battle. It originally had four brothers, but they were cruelly killed in a battle with another pride of lions. Dumela was the only one who survived. It lay low for three years, only to seek revenge. It went alone to the enemy pride and defeated all the lions that killed its family members."

After that, it became the new lion king and remained undefeated.

Now that we have captured it, we will hand it over to Your Majesty for your personal disposal. However, this humble subject has a private motive. I have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince followed you in your campaigns in his younger days and is very capable.

I hope to see him defeat this lion, strip it of its fur, and add another layer of cushion to Your Majesty's throne.

"..." After Xilong finished speaking, Mi Shan looked at the lion again and felt a deep sadness.

It was originally thriving in the desert.

However, they were subdued by Xilong and his companions.

Its home was destroyed once again, all to satisfy humanity's ridiculous selfishness.

Why must we destroy their habitat?

Mi Shan frowned, her heart filled with mixed emotions, and at the same time, she cast a worried glance at Li Changyu.

Not only Mi Shan, but almost everyone present was worried for Li Changyu. Zhao Si, who was behind him, disregarded the potential offense and spoke cautiously.

"How can that be? How can we let our Crown Prince deal with this beast alone? What if he gets hurt?"

"Besides, it doesn't look right. It seems to be poisoned, drooling constantly! What if it bites me..."

"Hahaha, if you don't dare, just admit it! Why say so much?" Xilong laughed, his eyes filled with mockery.

Li Changyu, however, remained unhurried, holding his teacup, taking a sip, and maintaining his calm and serene smile.

"Afraid?"

"When did I ever say I was afraid?"

“My subordinates were worried about me and spoke such words out of concern.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shengyuan's previously somewhat embarrassed expression immediately transformed into a satisfied smile, his eyes narrowing into slits: "My Crown Prince is indeed no ordinary person! Are you confident in taking down this lion?"

"Really?" Li Xuanche asked nervously, clenching his fists. "Your Highness, if you're not up to the task, don't be reckless. This lion is not to be trifled with!"

His original intention was simply to get Xilong to bring it out and publicly humiliate the Crown Prince.

Unexpectedly, Li Changyu seemed genuinely inclined to agree.

"If you can't do something, just open your eyes and look carefully. I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win."

After saying that, he calmly put down his cup and slowly said, his voice as clear as a cold spring.

"However, the Lingxiao Palace is crowded and the space is insufficient, making it inconvenient for me to perform my duties. I request Your Majesty's permission to move to the arena."