He abruptly changed the subject, and the entire court, both men and women, paled. Their earlier admiration for the handsome man vanished instantly.
Before the nation, there are no handsome men; the crowd stared coldly at Tulev.
Tulev met Emperor Mingde's gaze with arrogance. Emperor Mingde was not angry. Having been emperor for so many years, how could he not know that the other party was provoking him? To entrust the fate of the nation to a man was simply absurd. If he were angry, he would lose the prestige of a great nation.
The other ministers thought the same way. Xie Yun was the first to laugh, but he didn't laugh too much. It was so funny that he couldn't help but laugh, but he shouldn't have laughed. He almost suffered internal injuries from holding it in.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Xie Yun stood up and bowed, saying, "The barbarians on the border are ignorant of etiquette and treat the country, the people, and the common people as a joke. This is childish behavior. Your Majesty, please forgive Prince Tulev's ignorance."
"Your Majesty, please forgive Prince Tulev's ignorance!" Everyone stood up and shouted.
Tulev was furious, his face turning ashen. "Emperor Dayong, you look down on my Xiongnu!"
Emperor Mingde smiled at Tulev and waved his hand, "I am the Son of Heaven, and I will not look down on anyone. The prince has misunderstood."
Zhao Shu almost burst out laughing; Emperor Mingde could be quite sarcastic at times.
Tulev was even more displeased. He shouted, "Emperor Dayong, if you cannot find a man more handsome than Dorita, you must abdicate. If you do not abdicate, I, the prince, will immediately return to the grasslands and send my mighty army to trample your territory!"
Such arrogance and disrespect would be a disgrace to the nation if treated as a joke. Emperor Mingde's face hardened. "My Dayong is a vast and expansive territory. The people of Dayong are humble and courteous, and they treat foreign subjects with kindness and care. However, since the prince wishes to compete, how can I refuse? But matters of state are not to be taken lightly. If I find a man more handsome than this one, the Xiongnu's annual tribute will increase tenfold starting this year. What do you say?"
The Xiongnu paid tribute to Dayong every year and became vassals every year, but most of the time they sent envoys, and members of the royal family rarely came to pay tribute.
Tulev was very confident in the handsome men under his command and readily nodded, "Alright, if the Emperor of Dayong cannot find him, then my Xiongnu will no longer be a vassal state of Dayong!"
"Very well." Emperor Mingde displayed the demeanor of a great nation, leaving no room for criticism.
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