After leaving the Southern Prince's residence, Li Chengyan rode a fast horse for several hours and met Duan Li on the way. The two returned to the capital of Chu together.
At that time, the entire capital was on high alert, and the streets were filled with Qi soldiers patrolling back and forth.
"Duan Li, go and report back first. I need to find a clothing store and change these disgusting clothes."
Li Chengyan glanced down at the long robe, his face turning ashen. Along the way, he and Duan Lifei had passed through several villages, and the farmers there all thought he was some kind of weirdo who was neither male nor female.
He, Li Chengyan, was wise, brave, and dashing, yet in the end, his reputation was ruined by that scoundrel, the Prince of the South.
Thinking of this, he was already seething with hatred, and he was determined to throw the Prince of the South into the Fragrant Courtyard.
When Duan Li returned to Zuixianlou, Chong Ning and the Prince of Nan were having dinner together. After Duan Li informed Chong Ning that Li Chengyan was safe, Chong Ning's brows relaxed. She knew that the man she had her eye on would not be so easily manipulated.
The Prince of the South, on the other side, did not know why Chongning was laughing so smugly, and could not help but wonder if something had gone wrong on Li Chengyan's side.
He turned to look at the guard behind him, and with a single glance, the guard quietly slipped out of the room.
As soon as the man left, Chongning went straight to the point, "Your Highness, now that the hostages are no longer in your hands, you have even less right to negotiate with me. My demands are simple: thirty cities, plus 500,000 taels of gold. You can then sit securely on the throne of Chu, but you must pay tribute to my dynasty every year. What do you say, Your Highness?"
Chongning never liked to keep things mysterious. All she wanted was this: as long as Chu Xiao agreed, she wouldn't mind giving him face and letting him become a puppet emperor after he ascended the throne.
If Chu Xiao refuses to listen to reason and has to suffer the consequences, she has plenty of ways to make him submit.
Upon hearing this, the gentle smile on the Prince of the South's face vanished instantly. How could he possibly agree to a deal that required slapping someone a dozen times before giving them a single date?
Especially upon hearing that the hostage was no longer in his hands, the Southern King felt as if his heart had been cut by a knife, and he inexplicably couldn't bear to part with that monstrous man, Li Chengyan.
This was the first time in his life he had met a man who made his heart flutter, and the only one he wanted to spend his life with.
The King of the South's face turned gloomy and cold. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered his own spies in Daqi.
He is no match for Chongning now, but he has plenty of ways to dismantle the Great Qi from within.
A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, and he's determined to get Li Chengyan as well.
"What, is Your Highness the Prince of the South dissatisfied with my proposal, or does the Prince of the South not like the throne, but prefer the iron cavalry of my Great Qi?"
These were the harsh words Chu Han uttered in the Great Qi Imperial Palace. Now, Chong Ning used the same words to respond to the Southern King, who was inevitably intimidated by the imposing and cold aura of the other party.
"Hehehe, how could I dare to be dissatisfied? I merely admire the Princess's majestic and domineering presence and am ashamed of my own inferiority."
"Hmph, then sign this document. I am also preparing to return to the capital. Duan Li, present the document."
The King of the South's expression grew even uglier; there was absolutely no room for maneuver left for him.
Chongning is just a woman, seemingly unremarkable, yet she dares to ask for such an exorbitant amount. With so many things to be given away, the Chu Kingdom's treasury will be emptied by more than half. They really think she's a sucker.
Soon, Duan Li presented the documents and writing materials, and the Prince of the South felt a tightness in his chest as he held the writing brush in his hand.
His hands began to tremble slightly, and he felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation and resentment.
After much hesitation, his subordinate finally pushed open the door and whispered something in his ear, causing the Prince of Nan's face to turn completely pale.
He sighed, signed his name, and tried to find an excuse to go back to the palace to retrieve the imperial seal, but Duan Li quickly stepped forward and presented it with both hands.
"I was worried about troubling you, so I decided to send someone to fetch it myself, so you wouldn't have to make an extra trip."
King of the South: "......"
He gritted his teeth, stamped the document, and stood up to respectfully hand it to Chongning. After Chongning reviewed it and confirmed that it was correct, he was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice coming from not far away.
"Hahaha, that really vented my anger! Chu Xiao, you dare to humiliate me? Today I'll show you what it feels like to be humiliated!"
With a loud bang, the door was kicked apart by Li Chengyan.
The Southern King turned around and saw Li Chengyan dressed in a black, tight-fitting outfit with exquisite cloud patterns carved on a black sheepskin waistband. His hair was neatly tied up with a golden hair crown, and he looked majestic and domineering.
If there weren't a shortage of armor in the military camp, he would have found one to change into and properly intimidate Chu Xiao, letting him know that he was not someone a freak like him could lay a finger on.
After Li Chengyan finished speaking, he raised an eyebrow at Chongning and then walked over to put his arm around Chongning's waist.
Are you injured?
Chongning turned to examine Li Chengyan closely, her eyes revealing a hint of emotion.
Seeing the two of them being so affectionate in front of him, the Prince of the South felt even more choked up, wishing he could rush over and snatch them back.
"I'm fine. Don't you know my skills? Let me deal with this bastard first, then I'll keep you company."
After saying that, he pulled out a packet of white powder from his sleeve, poured it into the Prince of Nan's cup, stirred it with his finger, and handed it over with a wicked grin.
"I drank it!"
Li Chengyan gave the order, this was a potent medicine he had just specially bought from Piaoxiang Courtyard.
The Prince of the South frowned deeply as he looked at the murky cup of wine. As a prince of Chu and the future emperor, he had been humiliated in this way by Li Chengyan.
His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the Southern King's eyes were filled with a sinister look.
When he recovers the lost territory and destroys the Great Qi, he will make Li Chengyan know his power and regret his actions.
He wanted to imprison him forever and torment him day and night.
"Drink up, Your Highness."
Chongning spoke coldly, and the Prince of the South had no choice but to close his eyes and drink it all in one gulp.
The next second, the Prince of the South felt a wave of heat wash over him. When he saw Li Chengyan's face, his eyes became somewhat alluring. Just as he was about to pounce on him, he was dragged away by several of Chongning's men.
"Hmph, let him teach me about Li Chengyan's vindictive nature."
After three days of indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery in the Fragrant Courtyard, the King of the South finally came to his senses and returned to the Chu Kingdom's palace. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a strong sense of loss.
He beckoned to the old eunuch beside him, who leaned in and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Everything finally settled down, and Chongning's army began to march towards the border of Daqi.
Meanwhile, Ning Yin's health has been recovering quite well these past few days. She took her pulse and confirmed that the pregnancy was becoming more and more stable, and she was already guessing whether the child was a girl or a boy.
"Jingyuan, do you prefer girls or boys?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
