Changsun Yanheng: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Changsun Yanheng wore a deep blue robe, with no other accessories besides his hair ornament and jade pendant.
His demeanor was respectful, yet his tone and emotions remained completely flat.
Despite being a prince of a nation, he gave the impression of being aloof and indifferent, with no desires or ambitions.
In comparison,
Shang Changge glanced at herself; her entire attire, from head to toe, screamed worldly desires.
This is a stark contrast to the second prince of Southern Liang, a striking difference.
Was Shang Changge ashamed? No!
She picked up the delicate little wine glass from the table, brought it to her lips, and glanced at the ruby ring on her index finger.
Under the light of the main hall, the lights shimmered like a galaxy, making me realize how wonderful the mundane world truly is.
Emperor Mingde: "Second Prince, what explanation does your country's ruler have for the matter of Wei Chu?"
Emperor Mingde seemed to have forgotten to invite the entourage to sit down, and instead questioned them from his elevated position.
His deep voice told you he was likely to live a long life; no wonder he was wary of his overly talented son, the crown prince.
Shang Changge twirled the wine cup engraved with intricate patterns. While inwardly cursing the old emperor, he also found the old emperor's question quite interesting.
Whatever his purpose, the Southern Liang general remained secretly hidden in the capital city.
These are all acts of treachery. The old emperor could have directly questioned them, so why give Southern Liang a chance to explain and make excuses?
Changsun Yanheng seemed somewhat surprised, but since the emperor had given him a way out, there was no reason for him not to accept.
He slowly recounted one of the two explanations his father and elder brother had given him before he brought it out:
"Your Majesty, Wei Chu secretly entered your capital without my father's knowledge."
"If it weren't for receiving your letter, my father would still be kept in the dark by the person wearing a human skin mask who was impersonating Wei Chu..."
There were many intelligent people present.
Shang Changge wasn't the only one who found Emperor Mingde's question interesting.
Shang Changze, seated in the Crown Prince's seat, possessed a facade of gentlemanly refinement...
His face was as handsome as jade, but his eyebrows and eyes were covered with a layer of cold frost.
Murong Yu sat upright in the prime minister's seat, his shrewd old eyes smiling.
But beneath that smiling face lies a belly full of evil schemes.
Changsun Yanheng continued, "However, this is indeed our country's fault. To express our apology, our princess is willing to stay and marry him."
Furthermore, the annual tribute has doubled, and this time dozens of boxes of gold, silver, and jade artifacts have been brought as a token of our apology and sincerity.
Of course, the above is the best course of action.
If Qingyan doesn't accept this and keeps pressing the issue, they'll have no choice but to surrender another city on the border.
However, neither the best nor the worst option was his decision; he was merely a messenger and had no decision-making power.
Emperor Mingde's expression softened somewhat, and seeing this, Changsun Yanheng continued:
"As for Wei Chu."
His words made Wei Lianyi, Wei Chu's younger sister who had been following behind the Southern Liang princess with her head down, look up.
He mustered his courage to glance at Emperor Mingde on his high throne, then quickly lowered his head, his heart aching for his brother.
Hopefully,
This great emperor was magnanimous and agreed to their conditions to release his brother.
Changsun Yanheng: "Wei Chu acted on his own initiative and left the capital without authorization. His actions nearly damaged the friendly relations between the two countries."
Each of these crimes is unforgivable. However, the Wei family has been invaluable loyal ministers and generals of Southern Liang for generations.
Wei Chu also had meritorious service, and his father, the Emperor, could not bear to see him die far from home. Therefore, he boldly pleaded with the Emperor to allow Wei Chu to return to Southern Liang.
Upon returning to Nanliang, Guard Chu will no longer serve as a general, and his other crimes will be punished according to the laws of Nanliang.
Changsun Yanheng spoke earnestly, but few in the audience were convinced.
Especially for military generals who fight on the battlefield, as the saying goes, it's easy to raise a thousand soldiers but hard to find a good general.
The matter of Wei Chu,
This clearly demonstrates the wolfish ambitions of the Southern Liang. Releasing Wei Chu back today could mean the two nations clashing on the battlefield any day now.
They think they can just exchange a princess and some gold, silver and jade for her? They're dreaming!
State affairs are matters to be discussed and decided by the emperor and his ministers. Before the arrival of the Southern Liang, the matter of returning Wei Chu had already been discussed and decided in the court.
Tonight is merely a performance of the agreed-upon results for the Southern Liang Dynasty; Emperor Mingde has begun his performance.
Emperor Mingde looked down and asked, "What do you, my esteemed ministers, think of what the second prince of Southern Liang has said?"
As the son and the crown prince, Shang Changze was the first to accept the role, and he stated succinctly and directly: "Your subject disagrees."
Murong Yu, as the prime minister, was the second to take the role. The old man stroked his beard and shook his head in a very professional manner.
"Your Majesty, this old minister also disagrees."
"However, I am a civil official and know very little about military matters. I should listen to what the General has to say about this matter."
When Xiao Ji was called out, everyone's attention naturally turned to him, and when they were united against a common enemy,
Xiao Ji, this god of death, sat there without saying a word; in the eyes of the emperor and his officials, he was a reassuring figure.
In the eyes of people from other countries
Xiao Ji was someone they feared and hated immensely; they wished they could drink his blood and eat his flesh.
Changsun Yanheng and his entourage visited Xiao Ji.
Xiao Ji glanced at Changsun Yanheng and his group, giving them a completely ordinary look.
The mountain of corpses and sea of blood on his back seemed to transform into a malevolent aura, directly threatening the Southern Liang group led by Changsun Yanheng:
"In my opinion, a marriage alliance is meaningless."
Upon hearing this, others might not show any change in expression, but the eldest princess of Southern Liang felt a sense of relief.
She knew that marrying into a foreign land for the sake of the country was her duty as a princess, but if it weren't for unavoidable circumstances...
Who would willingly leave their familiar homeland to marry a complete stranger from another country?
While the others remained oblivious to the Princess of Nanliang's relaxed brows, Shang Changge noticed.
It wasn't that they harbored any hostility towards the other party or were paying attention to their every move, but rather because of the marriage alliance.
If it really is a marriage alliance
She didn't think the old emperor would allow this marriage to fall into the hands of the handsome young man's brother. And if it didn't fall into his hands...
It would be best if this so-called marriage alliance didn't happen, otherwise the struggle for the throne would only become more chaotic and difficult to manage.
so……
Shang Changge smiled and looked at Xiao Ji, thinking that General Xiao really knew how to handle people.
Shang Changge thought Xiao Ji was good at dealing with people, but what Xiao Ji said next sounded like utter inhuman to the group from Nanliang.
Xiao Ji's words resounded throughout the hall, calm yet arrogant, ruthless and insidious:
"If your country is truly sincere, then cede a border city to our dynasty."
This will not only fully demonstrate your country's sincerity, but also promote friendly exchanges between the two countries with different customs and habits.
Our dynasty has always been tolerant and benevolent towards His Majesty, and will treat your people equally and without any mistreatment.
The main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
A smile appeared in Shang Changge's beautiful eyes. She picked up her small wine glass, took a sip, and inwardly gave Xiao Ji a thumbs up and exclaimed "6!"
This was the first time she had directly experienced Xiao Ji's charm as the Grand General of Qingyan; he was truly captivating.
Shang Changge was like this, as were the emperor, empress, and officials.
Each of them felt proud, and their already upright posture became even more sturdy.
But they didn't show it; their faces always displayed humility and kindness.
Emperor Mingde generously laughed and said, "Ceding cities is no small matter. The Second Prince can consider it for a few days before making a decision."
Tonight's banquet is mainly to welcome and entertain all of you who have traveled from afar. Please take your seats first, and we can discuss the important matters later.
The villain made Xiao Ji play the good guy, while Emperor Mingde himself played the role. After Changsun Yanheng bowed and thanked him,
Emperor Mingde, with a flourish of his dragon robe adorned with a five-clawed golden dragon, exuded a powerful and resonant voice:
"Let the feast begin!"
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