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墨書 Inktalez
In the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Civil and Military Officials were taken aback. Minister of Justice Luo Yuhua and others stared at Prime Minister Mu with astonishment, as if they were looking at a deity.
"Are you suggesting that our princess should become a concubine for your Frontline General? This Frontline General, Wen Hong, or is he just another man of your Princess of Xia? You truly do not regard our Great Zhou Dynasty princess as a person!"
Such absurd words were nothing short of an insult to them. Did they expect their princess to share a husband with your Ninth Princess?
"Prime Minister Mu, your words are outrageous!" Luo Yuhua could no longer contain his anger and stepped forward to rebuke him.
Prime Minister Mu snorted disdainfully, sizing up Luo Yuhua with contempt. "What is a Minister of Justice from a lowly dynasty? What are you even worth? A despicable being like you has no right to speak here! I am here to negotiate with your emperor; you, a mere lapdog, should keep your mouth shut!"
"You! Prime Minister Mu, I am the Minister of Rites of the Great Zhou Dynasty! By rank, I am only one position lower than you!" Luo Yuhua was furious. He had never expected this Chancellor from the Xia Kingdom to be so overbearing.
Prime Minister Mu continued to wear that dismissive expression. "A minister from a lower nation is no different from pigs or dogs!"
"You dare to humiliate me like this?" Luo Yuhua was incensed and even contemplated confronting Prime Minister Mu directly.
"Enough!"
"Prime Minister Mu, this is our Great Zhou Dynasty. I ask you to think carefully about your actions!"
Su Qianxue could not allow her officials to be humiliated by Prime Minister Mu. She scrutinized him coldly and said directly, "If you wish to negotiate peace, then let’s discuss your terms! There is nothing our dynasty can agree to! If you are unwilling to accept these conditions, then we shall fight to the death! Let’s see whether your 400,000 troops for peace negotiations are stronger or my nation's army!"
Upon hearing these words, Prime Minister Mu reined in some of his arrogance. He carefully examined Su Qianxue and recalled what the Ninth Princess had said. Once upon a time, Su Qianxue had been merely a puppet, but that had changed because she had met Jiang Han.
Jiang Han had provided an immense amount of resources, and now not only had he gained control over half of the Civil and Military Officials, but he also wielded power that overshadowed even the Langya Prince, who was forced to retreat into the royal palace to recuperate.
Once a mere Puppet Empress, she had now found her courage, bolstered by newfound confidence—confidence brought by Jiang Han.
With this in mind, there was another target for this visit: Jiang Han himself.
Just as Mu Prime Minister was about to speak, Minister of Justice Luo Yuhua interjected directly, "Don’t think we’re unaware of your plans to march north against the Wolf Court. Your army's presence here is merely a show of force; even if you engage in battle, it can only be on a small scale!"
"Go on, continue," Mu Prime Minister observed coldly, scrutinizing Luo Yuhua.
Luo Yuhua pressed on, "Your Four Hundred Thousand Troops can muster at most ten Wan Dajun for combat! If we were to mobilize our entire nation’s forces for war, while we might not completely annihilate you, we could inflict severe losses!"
"You seek to destroy our Great Zhou Dynasty? You’ll need at least ten thousand troops for that. But your Xia Kingdom has a total military strength of only forty thousand. If you divert a quarter of your forces to fight us, aren’t you afraid of the Northern Wolf Court advancing southward to invade your Xia Kingdom?"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Mu Prime Minister applauded openly. "Such words are indeed wise; you’ve accurately assessed our cards and our limits!"
However, Da Zhou Emperor, you must understand one thing: if you truly provoke Ben Xiang into anger, it’s entirely possible for him to first annihilate you before turning northward against the Wolf Court!
Mu Prime Minister spoke leisurely, adopting an air of confidence. "Our Xia Kingdom has strategic objectives. But these objectives are not set in stone. You in the Great Zhou know our bottom line; so what?"
Ben Xiang stands above all others and can easily persuade His Majesty to shift the strategic focus. First eliminate your Great Zhou, instill fear across the realm, and then deal with the Northern Wolf Court.
Indeed, such a strategy would incur greater losses in battle, but our Xia Kingdom can bear that burden!
Upon hearing this, Su Qianxue's expression darkened slightly. She knew well that Mu Prime Minister spoke the truth; her nation’s strength was inferior. Faced with such statements, she could only remain silent.
Even with Jiang Han's resources, our Great Zhou Dynasty could only muster so much military power. If a full-scale war erupted with the Xia Kingdom, even if victory were possible, the costs would be devastating!
Luo Yuhua was still prepared to stand firm against them.
Su Qianxue sighed and said, "Mu Prime Minister, let’s discuss this. Your three conditions are not negotiable!"
"This is not a matter of compromise; it’s a question of principle. I cannot agree to your demands, especially regarding military compensation and territorial concessions. There will be no negotiations on these points!"
She spoke with confidence, bolstered by the support she received from Jiang Han. In the past, without a strong military or sufficient resources, she would have had to comply with whatever Mu Prime Minister demanded. If she had refused, her entire family could have faced annihilation.
As for the third condition, that was out of the question! She could never allow her sister to marry the Frontline General. Moreover, this general was already involved with the Ninth Princess, making such a union even more impossible. Su Qianxue firmly rejected the proposal once again.
Seeing this, Mu Prime Minister pressed on, "Not only that, but there are two more conditions! First, you must unconditionally release my son, Mu Jinkun. Capture that shameless merchant Jiang Han who has been demanding the Jade Sword from Ben Xiang!"
"Secondly, individuals like Jiang Han must be apprehended and handed over to Ben Xiang for questioning!"
Su Qianxue shook her head once more; she could not agree to these latter two conditions either. If Mu Prime Minister insisted on such terms, then war was inevitable.
"Enough of this wasted time; let’s go to war!"
Mu Prime Minister displayed a cunning demeanor and replied, "If Ben Xiang desires something and you refuse to agree, then neither you nor Ben Xiang can have it. We will each send our troops into battle. If you win, Ben Xiang will forgo these demands! But if you lose, you must accept all five conditions—none can be omitted!"
If nothing could be gained at the negotiation table, then they would turn to their armies for resolution.
Su Qianxue stood firm; she would not concede to any of the five conditions. The Great Zhou Dynasty had already assessed Mu Prime Minister's bottom line and determined that a full-scale war was not feasible—only a limited conflict was possible.
Mu Prime Minister aimed to strike and eliminate Su Qianxue's elite forces. This would not only intimidate other nations but also coerce Su Qianxue into accepting his five demands.
Upon hearing this, Su Qianxue let out a cold snort and displayed a hint of imperial grace. "If that is the case, then let us fight!"
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