In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials stood solemnly, not uttering a single word.
On the dragon throne, Yu Xiyan looked down upon all living beings, her imperial aura instantly permeating the entire palace.
Below the imperial steps, Yan Shang prostrated himself, his entire body forming a perfect bow shape.
"Yan Shang, the Envoy of the Nine Netherworlds, has come to pay homage to Her Majesty the Empress on the orders of the Realm Lord. May Your Majesty's grace endure forever! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"
The scene felt so unreal, not only to the surrounding officials but even to Yu Xiyan herself.
The Nine Nether Clan, who have plagued the Nine Realms for over ten thousand years, are actually prostrating themselves in the Imperial Palace, shouting "Long live the Empress!" to their own empress.
After a brief moment of shock, Yu Xiyan slightly raised her right arm: "The envoy has come from afar, weary from his journey."
"I was preoccupied with other matters and was unable to greet you from afar. I hope the envoy will forgive my absence. Please rise and speak; there is no need for further formalities. Guards, please offer the envoy a seat."
However, Yan Shang showed no intention of getting up.
He looked up directly, his anxiety making no attempt to hide it.
"Your Majesty, I dare not take a seat!"
Yu Xiyan raised a brow: "What does the envoy mean by this? Is he blaming me for my poor hospitality?"
The address of "Your Majesty" convinced her that Jiuyou's current situation was indeed very dire, and she couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
"Your Majesty misunderstands. Your humble servant was merely thinking of my people of Jiuyou suffering from the ravages of war."
How can I sit in peace when I live in constant fear? Your Majesty, Your Majesty…
At this point, he burst into tears on the spot.
However, the crying sounded like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, and it did not resonate with anyone present.
Yu Xiyan rested her head on one hand, her exquisite face revealing no expression.
Seeing that Yan Shang seemed to be crying so hard that he was about to suffer kidney failure, she said calmly, "Please state your purpose for coming to the court of my Great Yin Dynasty."
Yan Shang immediately stopped crying and, choking back tears, kowtowed several more times to Yu Xiyan.
Hearing the thuds of heads hitting the wall inside the hall, the officials finally realized one thing.
This guy is really kowtowing!
Only when a pool of pale green blood appeared on the floor did Yan Shang raise his head again and plead with Yu Xiyan:
"Your Majesty, I beg you to save my people of the Nine Netherworlds! Only you can stop the Iron Flame Army from slaughtering our people! I beg you!"
Hearing Yan Shang's tearful account, it's basically confirmed that Shen Zhao did indeed go berserk in the Nine Netherworlds.
Besides, who has ever seen someone from the Nine Netherworlds in such a sorry state?
What do you want me to do?
Yu Xiyan asked a question.
Yan Shang immediately took out the contract he had prepared before his departure and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is my sincerity in surrendering to Your Majesty. Please take a look."
Yu Xiyan ordered Shangguan Qiuyue to take the contract from Yan Shang's hand and examine it carefully.
Even though Yu Xiyan was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but gasp when she turned the last page.
These conditions, if expressed in today's terms, would absolutely be considered a donation to the country—either a sale or a donation.
Compared to Yuan Shikai's Twenty-One Demands, his actions were of noble character and integrity.
The customs, clothing styles, and daily routines of the entire Nine Netherworld region were all modeled after the Great Yin Dynasty.
All minerals, spiritual herbs, cultivation techniques, and resources from the Nine Netherworlds will be prioritized for supply to the Great Yin Dynasty.
They even allowed officials of the Great Yin Dynasty to take up posts in the Nine Netherworlds and establish government offices there;
All officials of the Great Yin Dynasty held the same status as the head of the same sect in the Nine Netherworld and enjoyed extraterritorial rights.
In addition, Jiuyou will set up a spirit statue for Empress Yu Xiyan, which will be enshrined in the Netherworld Temple forever and worshipped by all her clansmen.
These are just the tip of the iceberg; there are as many as thirty-three similar major regulations, and the details are countless.
Every single provision and every single example is advantageous to the Yintian Dynasty, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.
In the short time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Yu Xiyan had already made her final decision: "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Your Majesty, please send an envoy to the Sea of Reincarnation immediately, ordering Shen Zhao and the Iron Flame Army to withdraw from the Nine Netherworlds?"
"The Sea of Reincarnation?" Yu Xiyan was taken aback. "Isn't it the Gate of the Underworld?"
Clearly, Yu Xiyan hadn't paid any attention to the progress of the situation in the Nine Netherworlds over the past few years, assuming that Shen Zhao's Iron Flame Army had only caused huge casualties to the Nine Netherworlds at the Yellow Springs Gate, and that was all.
"Your Majesty! I beg you, if only you could get the Iron Flame Army to withdraw from the Nine Netherworlds..."
"The Nine Netherworlds will forever submit to the Great Yin Dynasty. We beg Your Majesty's mercy to send someone to the Sea of Reincarnation immediately."
Yan Shang thought Yu Xiyan was deliberately teasing him, so he trembled and kept clasping his hands in front of Yu Xiyan, pleading like a dog.
"The people of Jiuyou can no longer endure General Shen's torment."
"If we delay even a day, tens of thousands of our people will be slaughtered. Your Majesty, please save your people!"
The phrase "your people" completely dispelled Yu Xiyan's last remaining doubts.
If Jiuyou submits, what kind of prestige will it bring to the Yintian Dynasty?
Yu Xiyan could already foresee a future day when all races of humans, demons, and monsters would come to pay tribute.
Such temptation is simply irresistible to any emperor!
She couldn't wait to see this moment arrive.
"Issue the imperial decree, ordering the Divine Travel Division to proceed immediately to the Nine Netherworld Reincarnation Sea to summon Shen Zhao back to the capital."
"Furthermore, take these twelve imperial edicts for the withdrawal of troops and personally deliver them to Shen Zhao."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With the Empress's words and the twelve golden tablets, at least the roots of the Nine Netherworlds were preserved.
This very sentence caused her already precarious relationship with Shen Zhao to plummet to its lowest point.
...
"So why did you agree to these enemies' conditions?"
After witnessing this scene, Su Yunying simply couldn't understand what Yu Xiyan was doing.
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