As Lu Yan spoke, he made a move to rummage through Chu Wen's clothes, which frightened Chu Wen into retreating repeatedly.
"No need to say anything more!" Lu Yan waved his hand impatiently.
"In short, admit your mistakes! Admit your crimes! Make compensation! As long as you do these three things, I can let Princess Mingyue go back."
Trade between the two sides continues as usual; everyone keeps to themselves and doesn't interfere with each other, just like before!
"But if the Northern Xiang Kingdom continues with this attitude, hmph, the next step will be for the Shannan Army to personally go to your king and demand an explanation!"
"At that point, it won't be a problem that can be solved with just a million taels of silver!"
Lu Yan's words resounded loudly in the room, making Chu Wen and his entourage's ears ring.
The accompanying envoys were all blushing, wishing they could disappear into the ground.
Chu Wen was so angry that his face turned ashen, his fists clenched so tightly that they cracked, and his nails almost dug into his flesh.
His original intention for this trip was to use a strategic retreat to advance, exchanging Princess Mingyue and money for the interests of the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
But he never expected Lu Yan to act so unpredictably and show him no respect whatsoever.
The immense pressure made it hard for Chu Wen to breathe.
He dared not ignore Lu Yan's warning, because he knew that Lu Yan meant what he said and was not joking!
He suppressed his anger and tentatively asked:
"Lord Lu, you...you think you've got Bei Xiang Kingdom cornered?"
"You think you can take me down?" Lu Yan smiled, a cold glint in his eyes.
"How about we give it a try and see if I have the ability?"
Chu Wen took a deep breath; he knew that today's negotiations had completely broken down.
He rose and bowed, saying stiffly:
"In that case, I shall take my leave."
"No need to see me out."
Lu Yan waved his hand, not even glancing at Chu Wen.
Chu Wen and his group left Shannan Prefecture in a disheveled manner, their backs looking extremely embarrassed.
Chu Wen rudely pushed open the gate of the post station.
It let out a piercing squeak, venting his pent-up anger.
His steps were heavy, each one feeling like he was walking on a knife's edge, his chest burning with raging fury.
As soon as he entered, Chu Wen's gaze was fixed on the carved and gilded tea table in the center.
Exquisite tea sets were displayed on it, emitting a faint aroma of tea.
At this moment, the aroma of tea only fueled his anger, further igniting the surging tide of rage within him.
He suddenly raised his right leg and, with the force of a thunderbolt, kicked the innocent coffee table hard.
With a loud bang, the coffee table shattered into pieces, scattering exquisite porcelain fragments all over the floor.
It perfectly reflects Chu Wen's broken heart at this moment.
"Outrageous! Outrageous!"
Chu Wen pointed at the fragments on the ground, his roar echoing through the room.
"This Lu Yan is simply outrageous! Does he really think our Northern Xiang Kingdom is made of clay? How dare he humiliate us like this!"
Chu Wen paced back and forth in the room like a trapped beast, his anger burning ever brighter.
The accompanying envoys were all silent and trembling, not daring to utter a sound.
He was afraid that he might accidentally anger Chu Wen and get himself into trouble.
They kept their heads down, eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everything in the room.
They were also seething with anger because of Lu Yan's arrogant attitude and unreasonable demands.
This made these officials of Beixiang Kingdom lose face.
It felt like being slapped hard across the face, a burning pain.
"My lord, calm down,"
An envoy spoke cautiously, his voice barely audible.
"Lu Yan's actions are clearly a deliberate attempt to humiliate our Northern Xiang Kingdom and test its bottom line. We must never bow down to him! Otherwise, what will become of our Northern Xiang Kingdom's dignity and national prestige?"
Another envoy, mustering his courage, echoed:
"Yes, sir, we cannot swallow this insult! If word gets back to our country, how will our Northern Xiang Kingdom ever have the face to stand in the world? How will we face the clamor of the people?"
Chu Wen stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart.
The envoys are right. Lu Yan's actions are undoubtedly challenging the dignity of Bei Xiang Kingdom and trampling on its bottom line.
However, the Northern Xiang Kingdom is currently weak, and if it were to go to war with Shannan...
The odds of victory are slim, and it will only worsen the situation for the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
He frowned, pacing back and forth in the room, pondering a solution.
After a long silence, he gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes, and gave the order:
"Immediately send this matter back to the imperial court via the fastest courier, saying..."
"Lu Yan is extremely arrogant; he not only detained Princess Mingyue."
"He even made outrageous demands, asking for huge sums of compensation. What's worse, he also demanded that my Northern Xiang Kingdom publicly admit its mistake!"
Such a humiliating disgrace, how could my Northern Xiang Kingdom tolerate it? Let's see how he responds! Let's see how he gets out of this mess!
Chu Wen wrote in the letter:
Your Majesty! This Lu Yan is simply a greedy, arrogant madman.
Not only did they demand exorbitant compensation, but they also demanded that my Northern Xiang Kingdom publicly admit its mistakes.
Is this meant to humiliate me or to test our bottom line?
However, the military strength of Shannan should not be underestimated.
They have a well-trained and well-equipped elite force.
Moreover, it could launch a thunderous attack on my Northern Xiang Kingdom at any time.
Moreover, the army of Shannan Prefecture is large in number and has many generals, possessing the strength to crush any small country.
If we do not agree to Shannan's conditions in time, we may face a catastrophic disaster.
The people will be displaced and the land will be reduced to ashes.
At the end of the letter, Chu Wen subtly revealed his concerns:
If we do not agree to Shannan's conditions, we may face a new war.
The army from Shannan has already assembled at the border, war drums are beating, swords are drawn, and a great battle is about to break out.
Your Majesty must prepare for the worst, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.
The urgent letter was quickly delivered to the King of Beixiang.
The king's trembling fingers gripped Chu Wen's letter tightly, his face gradually turning from initial confusion to ashen.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he slammed the letter onto the dragon desk.
The hall fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.
The king gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, one by one:
"Lu Yan! How dare you!"
"This is outrageous! This is simply outrageous!"
The king roared, grabbed the memorial from the table, and slammed it to the ground.
Scattered papers fell like snowflakes, instantly filling the hall with a tense atmosphere.
"Does he really think I'm made of clay?!"
The king's voice echoed in the empty hall, shaking dust from the rafters.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
An old minister stepped forward shakily and cautiously offered his advice.
"The forces coming from the south are formidable; we must not act rashly!"
"Calm down? How can I calm down?!"
The king pointed at the letter, his anger barely contained.
"Lu Yan has humiliated my Northern Xiang Kingdom so much. If I don't teach him a lesson, how will I ever have the face to stand before the world again?!"
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