When Gongyang Jiezhen heard this, she felt a strong shock in her heart.

She sighed inwardly, "This Laifeng Kingdom is truly full of hidden talents! Even a mere nine-year-old child is already capable of taking on the responsibility of being the head of a wealthy and aristocratic family!"

Before this, before setting foot on the territory of Laifeng, under the influence of Gongyang Yingyi, Gongyang Jiezhen was no different from her half-brothers - ambitious, determined to annex Laifeng Kingdom, take all the country's rich resources for herself, and then incorporate it into the territory of Lengyue Kingdom.

However, when Gongyang Jiezhen personally set foot on the land of Laifeng Kingdom and witnessed the vast territory, rich resources, and the beautiful scene of people living and working in peace and prosperity, she suddenly realized that her previous vision was so narrow.

Although Laifeng is also a land where women are respected, its people are far more open-minded and tolerant than Lengyue. Whether walking the streets or engaging in commerce, it's not uncommon to find many men. They live and work freely in this land, seemingly unconstrained.

In comparison, the restrictions imposed on men by Lengyue Country seemed too harsh. Even if these men possessed extraordinary talents, they would ultimately be buried in the small and enclosed backyard, unable to realize their ambitions.

Perhaps, only a place like Laifeng Country, with its abundant natural resources and talents, could produce such talented and brilliant men as Meng Lishi and Feng Lingyan...

Furthermore, the Laifeng Kingdom possessed a powerful military force and immense national strength. This was especially true of the Feng family, a military family that had produced many valiant and skilled generals.

Among them, the most famous are the great general Feng Jingyun, whose husband, the deputy general Mulanjin, led the army as a man, and the current great general Feng Cailan. Even their next generation successor, the nine-year-old Feng Qiyan, is so outstanding and extraordinary.

Because of this, the rumor that "the Feng family holds up half of the Laifeng Kingdom" has been circulating in the outside world. Obviously, this rumor is not groundless.

It seems her mother, the empress, who aspires to unify the empire, will face a difficult task. Even facing the Laifeng Kingdom alone is a formidable challenge. Success requires either sowing dissension between the Feng family and the emperor, creating mutual suspicion between them; or perhaps annexing some weaker neighboring states first, strengthening her own power, and then attacking the Laifeng Kingdom...

It has to be said that Gongyang Jiezhen does have extraordinary qualities. Her wisdom is comparable to that of Gongyang Jieying, the princess of Lengyue Kingdom. As the powerful King of Luo, she has conceived a complete and meticulous plan in her mind in a blink of an eye.

Gongyang Jiezhen gazed at Feng Qiyan with admiration in her eyes. At this moment, she no longer regarded Feng Qiyan as a young and ignorant nine-year-old child, but as a formidable rival who could be compared with herself.

Gongyang Jiezhen spoke calmly, her tone even more modest than before: "Master Feng, my mother, the Queen, has a sincere heart for the Second Young Master Feng and desires nothing more than a marriage alliance with your nation. I'm wondering if you're dissatisfied with the betrothal gift we've offered, or if you have any other concerns or opinions?"

While speaking, Gongyang Jiezhen's eyes were always on Feng Qiyan, as if she wanted to see through her young face to see her true inner thoughts.

Hua Qingcheng, seated on the main seat on the east side, also turned her gaze towards Feng Qiyan, who was seated at the Grand General's Mansion. She was also curious about how her clever cousin would handle the situation.

If things didn't go as planned, she, as the princess, would naturally not stand idly by. After all, with advanced firepower in her hands, she could even reduce the entire Lengyue Kingdom to ruins. So, how could she watch Feng Lingyan being forced to marry far away? No matter what, she would definitely not let such a thing happen...

However, Feng Qiyan, who became the focus of everyone at that moment, was like an elegant lotus, standing tall and graceful in the eyes of everyone, looking calm and composed.

But she first saluted Gongyang Jiezhen with a fist, then opened her red lips slightly, like a yellow oriole out of a valley, and said in a voice that was still childish, "Third Prince, the men in my General's Mansion are all strong and unyielding. It is not our family tradition to be concubines for others. As the saying goes, 'If you are engaged, you are a husband; if you are married, you are a servant.' According to you, your country's emperor wants to marry the second son of my Feng Mansion, but does he want him to become the emperor of Lengyue Kingdom? To make him the legitimate husband who rules Lengyue Kingdom?"

Gongyang Jiezhen was struck by lightning when she heard this, and her throat choked. She had never expected this Miss Feng to be so pedantic, and she was unable to refute it. This was because she had indeed said "ask for marriage", not "accept".

Originally, referring to the term "marrying" a concubine was simply a way of saving face, and everyone tacitly accepted it, not delving into it. But she happened to meet someone who was so picky, like a hedgehog, leaving her with nowhere to start.

However, this was far from over. Feng Qiyan suddenly changed the subject and spoke calmly, "Don't worry about your Third Prince laughing at you. My Majesty is also interested in marrying my uncle, and...she wants to marry him as the Crown Prince. As for the betrothal gift...it would naturally be the vast expanse of the Laifeng Kingdom. I wonder if your monarch is so sincere as to be willing to give up half of his kingdom as a betrothal gift, even half of his territory to my great Laifeng Kingdom, just to marry Ling Qian of the Feng family?"

As Feng Qiyan finished her words, everyone in Baohua Hall gasped. The Lengyue Nation's envoys, in particular, had expressions that instantly darkened like a gathering cloud. One envoy, seething with rage, rebuked, "This is sheer utter utter travesty! Feng Lingqian is nothing more than a bastard, barely worthy of a noble birthplace..."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!