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Beside him, Han Xiao pulled Gao Yuchen's hand and said, "General Gao, it seems that I am the envoy here."
Gao Yuchen, feeling disgruntled after being pulled by Han Xiao, sat down in his seat. Han Xiao smiled slightly and added, "Your Majesty, General Gao was a bit rude just now. I apologize on his behalf."
Upon hearing Han Xiao's words, Sun Liang nodded. "I understand that General Gao has deep feelings for his mentor; I will not hold it against him."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Minister Han, you may now explain the purpose of your visit."
"Your Majesty, I have come here today on the orders of my lord regarding what General Gao mentioned earlier. Our country's Divine Envoy was severely injured in your nation. How should we resolve this matter?"
"I would like to hear what Minister Han and Hua Xing have to say about this."
"Our demands are quite simple: First, hand over the perpetrator; second, send the former king Sun Yong to our country; third, compensate for the medical expenses of the Divine Envoy with one hundred thousand gold coins; fourth, Your Majesty must personally apologize to the Divine Envoy for the assault; fifth, increase the annual tribute by thirty percent compared to when Sun Yong was in power. All five points are non-negotiable; otherwise, our king will mobilize the entire army to seek justice for Xiahou Shenfeng."
"To be honest, your demands are quite high. However, although I am the ruler of a nation, I still need to consult with my court ministers regarding such matters. Therefore, I kindly ask that you rest at the Post House for a while. I will give you a response in three days."
"Very well, I will wait for Your Majesty's response for three days. I also hope that our two nations do not meet on the battlefield; that would be detrimental for everyone." After saying this, Han Xiao helped Gao Yuchen up and bowed to Sun Liang, while Gao Yuchen merely clasped his fists in farewell.
Once Han Xiao and Gao Yuchen left, Liu Guanlei asked Sun Liang, "Your Majesty, since their conditions are so harsh, why do you still want them to wait for three days? Do you truly intend to agree to their requests?"
"General Liu, rest assured. Their first demand alone is something I absolutely cannot agree to—handing over Liu Jianyan? That's absurd. Even if it meant giving up my throne, I would never hand Liu Jianyan over to them. With that alone, this negotiation has already collapsed."
"Your Majesty, why do you still want them to wait for three days?"
"There are several reasons. First, I have just ascended the throne and have been living outside for many years, so I do not know our country's ministers well. This is the best opportunity to test how many of them will consider my interests. Second, I want to buy some time to prepare for our defense. After all, their soldiers from Hua Xing outnumber us significantly, and I fear we cannot gather enough troops to confront them in a short period."
"I understand, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, I will promptly urge the other three cities to send their troops here as quickly as possible."
"General Liu, you must also quickly send someone to the Post House to keep watch and find out who they have been in contact with during these days and what has been discussed."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will arrange for someone from One-Pin Hall to supervise this matter."
"During Tomorrow's Morning Court, you two only need to help me observe the performance of those officials during discussions."
"I obey your command!"
Cui Jinchong and Liu Guanlei left the palace, with Liu Guanlei heading straight to the military base outside the city. Upon arrival, Liu Guanfeng immediately arranged for a Messenger to expedite troop mobilization.
That night, Old Chancellor Cui Jinchong and General Liu Guanlei became the busiest people in the entire Starfall Kingdom. Ministers frequently visited them; most officials sought out Cui Jinchong, while nearly all military generals came to Liu Guanlei's home.
Their purpose was simply to inquire about the discussions from the previous day. However, they were disappointed as neither of the two provided any information. Some began to turn their attention towards Han Xiao and his group, quietly seeking out the Post House to learn some insider information.
The next morning, all officials from Cui Wenwu gathered in the main hall. Many were still discussing the arrival of the Imperial Envoy yesterday and speculating on his purpose for coming here. In fact, Sun Liang had already arrived but had not entered yet because he had previously discussed matters with Cui Jinchong and Liu Guanlei. At this moment, while the emperor was absent, their discussions were most genuine. Cui Jinchong stood in his official position with closed eyes, genuinely listening to others' thoughts, while Liu Guanlei was wide-eyed, eager to observe everyone's expressions.
When Sun Liang felt it was time, he walked into the hall. After greeting everyone, he took his seat on the dragon throne: "My loyal ministers, yesterday the envoys from Huaxing Kingdom arrived in our country. Many of you already know their purpose; as Liu Jianyan mentioned last time, they are here to seek justice. The last time they sent someone to raid Execution Ground was their Divine Envoy, who was injured by us. They are here to demand an explanation. They have presented us with five conditions."
Then a eunuch beside him recited these five conditions for all officials of Cui Wenwu. Upon hearing these conditions, everyone gasped; these were not conditions at all but outright extortion—demanding not only one hundred thousand gold coins for medical expenses but also an increase in annual tribute.
The eunuch had just finished reading the conditions when Vigorous stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, they from Huaxing Kingdom are clearly forcing us. You must not agree to such terms."
Sun Liang looked at Vigorous and replied, "Cang Aiqing, you must understand that if we do not agree, they will mobilize their entire army against us. Reports indicate that approximately two hundred thousand troops are already stationed in their border city, Shining Star City."
Sun Liang was truly relentless today, bombarding all the officials with one shocking revelation after another.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in his forties stepped out from the ranks of officials. He was the head of the Ministry of Commerce, responsible for national trade taxes and foreign trade procurement.
The man approached Vigorous and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, it would be better to negotiate with them further."
"Li Ai-qing, what do you suggest for the negotiations?"
"Your Majesty, I believe we can agree to their first two conditions." After he spoke, Liu Guanlei's attention immediately focused on him because the first two conditions involved releasing Sun Yong and capturing Liu Guanfeng.
The man did not notice Liu Guanlei's gaze and continued to elaborate on his viewpoint: "Your Majesty, it is only right that a life is repaid with a life and debts are settled with payment. The assailant should be handed over. Sun Yong is already a prisoner; he has nothing left. What harm is there in releasing him? If we satisfy their first two demands, the remaining three conditions will be easier to negotiate. We can also discuss reducing the financial demands and tribute to an acceptable level. As for Your Majesty's apology, we can insist on its removal. This way, we can quell a war with just one murderer and one useless person; wouldn’t that be a good thing? If we truly let matters escalate with them, Hua Xing is strong and well-equipped; our Starfall Kingdom might..." He trailed off without finishing his thought.
This man was named Li Yu. He had originally been related by marriage to Ma Weiwu; his youngest daughter was betrothed to Ma Sanbao, and in a month they would officially become in-laws. However, Liu Guanfeng's appearance not only shattered this marriage but also turned his daughter into a widow before she even entered her new home. Thus, Li Yu harbored deep resentment towards Liu Guanfeng.
Li Yu's remarks stirred up quite a reaction, gaining approval from some people—specifically those who were former loyalists of Sun Yong. These individuals were largely sycophants who had managed to secure their positions during Sun Yong's reign by flattering him.
They had also benefited greatly from this arrangement. However, since Sun Liang ascended the throne, their good days had come to an end; they could no longer brazenly accept bribes as before, and their status had begun to waver. They all harbored intense hatred towards Liu Guanfeng and others like him. While it might not yet reach the level of familial enmity, they would still be pleased to see him removed.
At this moment, Sun Liang listened to the discussions below without speaking, maintaining a smile on his face. Seeing Sun Liang merely smile without responding made Li Yu feel even more justified in his arguments; perhaps Sun Liang was beginning to waver.
Thus, he continued: "Your Majesty, I have always believed that princes should be punished equally under the law as commoners. No matter how great their contributions may be, if they commit crimes, they must be severely punished. Furthermore, if we allow one person to bring suffering from war upon the entire nation, it would be far too costly."
"Vigorous" rebutted, "Your Majesty, if anyone has broken the law, it was Xiahou Zhongtian of Huaxing Kingdom who did so first. Liu Jianyan only fought back to defend our nation's dignity. If he was injured by the sword, he can only blame his own lack of skill. Should we really tolerate this just because the other party is a Divine Envoy from the upper sect? What about the face of our Starfall Kingdom?"
Li Yu coldly stared at Vigorous, "Vigorous, why are you protecting a criminal so fervently? Have you received benefits from the Liu Family?"
Li Yu's words made Liu Guanlei unable to listen any longer; now he was attacking his own family. Liu Guanlei's thunderous voice rang out, "Li Yu, when did you see us bribing Vigorous? If you have evidence, present it; otherwise, don't blame me for being rude. Don't think that just because you are the head of the Ministry of Commerce, I can't do anything to you."
Li Yu was startled. He knew that although Liu Guanlei appeared amiable, he still vividly remembered their encounter in the palace against the Advanced Knight: "General Liu, I misspoke earlier; I apologize for my words."
At this moment, only Li Yu and Vigorous were speaking in the court; others were following suit. However, half of the officials supported Li Yu and demanded a renegotiation of the first two points. Meanwhile, some military generals firmly opposed this and declared their intention to go to war.
After more than half an hour had passed and everyone had said what they needed to say, the voices in the court quieted down significantly. At this point, Sun Liang lightly cleared his throat, and the entire court fell silent.
"My dear ministers," Sun Liang began, "I can see that many of you still regard our nation's reputation, honor, and credibility very seriously. The cause of today's discussion stems from Liu Jianyan severely injuring Xiahou Zhongtian, the Divine Envoy from Huaxing Kingdom. However, I would like to ask all of you: why did Liu Jianyan engage in combat with Xiahou Zhongtian?"
"Your Majesty," Vigorous replied calmly, "Xiahou Zhongtian was unjustly attempting to seize the Execution Ground; Liu Jianyan acted to stop him."
"Minister Cang is correct," Sun Liang continued. "If Liu Jianyan had not intervened at that time, Xiahou Zhongtian would have taken over the Execution Ground and subsequently could have brought Sun Yong to kill me. If I were dead, then the throne would fall into Sun Yong's hands. The common people would continue to live in dire straits. If that were to happen, how would it be any different from losing our nation?" After saying this, Sun Liang slapped the armrest of his dragon throne and stood up. His action caused all officials below him to kneel and repeatedly plead, "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."
"How can any of you call someone who saved my life and rescued the lives of our people a criminal? Can anyone suggest a way that does not involve crime? Li Yu, let me ask you: when Liu Jianyan committed this supposed crime, where were you? Where were you when Ma Weiwu's entire family rebelled? Your families are originally connected through marriage; do you think there is no merit on your part in this matter?"
"Your Majesty sees clearly; I merely expressed my thoughts based on consideration for our people and did not intend to attack Liu Jianyan. The Ma Family's rebellion has nothing to do with me; please see clearly into this matter," Li Yu said as he repeatedly bowed his head in apology.
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