Chapter 599
Chapter 599
Zhu Jingchen frowned as he looked at Shangguan Mu, who was acting arrogantly below.
He could not understand where this man got the confidence to think that he would agree to sign a hundred-year pact.
“Third Prince of Qinling, haven’t your envoys even entered the capital yet?” Grand Tutor Wei stepped forward and said.
Although Grand Tutor Wei believed that the hundred-year pact would eventually have to be signed, he did not want them to sign it under such passive circumstances.
They should at least try to negotiate.
After all, sending such a vast amount of silver to Qinling every year was a tremendous burden, even for Grand Tutor Wei.
Still, when he considered that the payment was necessary to protect the people of Lannuo from war and ensure their peace, he felt that the sacrifice was worthwhile.
Grand Preceptor Cheng stood to one side. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he did not dare speak.
“What? Do you intend to wage war against Qinling?” Shangguan Mu asked indifferently.
The moment Shangguan Mu finished speaking, none of the ministers dared make a sound.
After all, everyone knew that Lannuo was in no condition to stand against Qinling.
“Third Prince, since your emperor has already arranged for envoys to come, let us wait until they arrive before discussing this matter,” Zhu Jingchen said coldly.
“You’re sure about that? Once our envoys arrive, this won’t be open for discussion anymore.” Shangguan Mu’s expression darkened as he looked toward Zhu Jingchen on the throne. He felt that Zhu Jingchen was refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.
With that thought, Shangguan Mu rose to his feet and prepared to leave.
“Since you dislike this peaceful approach, I don’t mind changing to another method.” After saying this, Shangguan Mu walked straight out of the court.
Before leaving, however, he did not forget to issue a warning to everyone present.
Watching Shangguan Mu disappear into the distance, the ministers did not know what to do for a while.
“Your Majesty, could Qinling be planning to send troops against us?” one of the ministers asked anxiously.
“Do you think that even if we pay tribute to Qinling, they won’t attack us?” Zhu Jingchen asked with a frown.
The minister immediately fell silent.
“Over the years, Qinling’s appetite has grown larger and larger. Sending tribute according to the original terms is already an enormous burden for us, yet Qinling remains unsatisfied. This time, the list demands twice as much as before.” Grand Tutor Wei sighed.
“Grand Tutor Wei is right. Qinling did not come this time to negotiate peace at all.” Grand Tutor Cheng hurriedly spoke up.
The ministers lowered their heads upon hearing this.
No one dared say anything more about the matter.
“Your Majesty, this subject has something to report!”
At that moment, a minister stepped forward and spoke with a solemn expression.
“Speak.”
Zhu Jingchen was in a poor mood. Xu Heming had gone to negotiate peace, yet there had still been no word from him.
Zhang Yanchu had gone as well.
He did not know when Xu Heming would return.
“Your Majesty, I have heard that Prince An intends to rebel in Heping County. Should we send someone to arrest Prince An and bring him to justice?”
As soon as the man finished speaking, the court erupted in discussion once more. Prince An was one of the emperor’s most trusted officials, yet he had actually rebelled?
Zhu Jingchen fixed the man with a hard stare.
He knew better than anyone why Xu Heming had gone to Heping County.
And the reason he had ordered Xie Jincheng to surround Prince An’s residence was merely to prevent that troublesome boy, Xu Qingshi, from going there and causing trouble.
“As for this matter, I have already sent people to invite Prince An back to the capital,” Xu Heming said coldly as he looked at the man.
Lucheng
Li Zhiwei had still not regained consciousness.
At first, everyone thought she was merely exhausted and would wake after sleeping for a few days.
But by the fifth day, there was still no sign of her waking.
“Master, there’s no point in our staying here. Zhiwei is pregnant, after all. We should hurry back to the capital.” Lady Yao was truly worried about Li Zhiwei’s condition.
She thought that if they returned to the capital, the imperial physicians might be able to find a way to save her.
“With her in this condition, taking her back to the capital may not necessarily be good for her.” Jun Mowen had spent the past few days poring over medical texts.
Li Zhiwei’s inability to awaken pained him as well.
However, given her condition, insisting on taking her back to the capital would be extremely harmful to the child in her womb.
Still, he knew that the others might not believe him.
“Brother Jun, it’s not that we don’t believe you. It’s just that my daughter is in this state, and I…” Li Tianyou stopped there, unable to continue.
Everyone in the room understood what he meant.
“Lord Li, as for Prince An…” Xu Mu began. They still did not know what was happening on Xu Heming’s side. Returning to the capital at a time like this might not be a good decision.
But when he thought of the Princess Consort, who had yet to awaken, Xu Mu did not know what they should do either.
Li Zhiwei watched helplessly as she was burned alive in the rear courtyard of the Ruyan Marquis’s residence.
She could not feel any pain, yet her heart was twisted with anguish.
Before she could even react, however, she saw her parents being pursued by a group of assassins.
“Father! Mother!”
Li Zhiwei tried to warn Li Tianyou, but no matter how loudly she screamed, they could not hear her.
The swords in the attackers’ hands were about to pierce Li Tianyou’s chest.
Clang!
A long sword struck the blade aside.
“Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Ruyan Marquis’s residence?” The man glared viciously at the newcomer.
After all, their heir and Madam had explicitly ordered them not to leave anyone alive.
“What does the Ruyan Marquis’s residence amount to? My master is Prince An!” A servant beside the newcomer stepped forward with an indignant expression.
“This lowly one did not realize that it was Prince An!” Upon hearing that the newcomer was Prince An, the man immediately changed his attitude.
“Prince An, save us!”
Li Tianyou looked at the newcomer with red-rimmed eyes.
He did not know who the man was. But seeing how respectfully the others treated him, a glimmer of hope rose in Li Tianyou’s heart.
Lady Yao stood to one side, her eyes red as she looked pleadingly at Xu Heming.
“Xu Heming, hurry and save my parents!” Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming with tearful eyes and begged him.
At that moment, Li Zhiwei was overwhelmed with anguish.
She watched Xu Heming look coldly at her parents and could not understand how he could treat them that way.
“Prince An, these two are runaway slaves from the Ruyan Marquis’s residence. They stole things from the household.” The servant hurriedly tried to curry favor with him.
“You’re lying! We have nothing to do with the Ruyan Marquis’s residence. I am Li Tianyou from Li County. Half a year ago, the Ruyan Marquis’s residence came to my family to arrange a marriage proposal. We came today simply to visit our daughter!” Li Tianyou pointed at the servant with a trembling hand.
“Father, Mother, leave quickly! The Ruyan Marquis’s residence is full of wicked people! Their marriage proposal was a lie—they only wanted to cheat our family out of its wealth. You must leave!” Li Zhiwei looked at her parents with tear-filled eyes. At that point, she could no longer tell whether this was a dream or reality.
Xu Heming merely looked coldly at the group without saying a word.
His eyes were filled with icy indifference.
“Xu Heming, please save my parents. If you save them, I promise that in my next life, I’ll repay you properly!”