Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 852 - 850_1

Chapter 852: Chapter 850_1

The atmosphere in the great hall suddenly grew tense as the grandfather clock on the floor resoundingly chimed twice, startling the eunuch standing next to the Emperor.

The Emperor was enraged...

However, Xiao’er wasn’t frightened at all. She responded with a smile, "Of course, we will return the person to Your Imperial Majesty. As long as Your Majesty agrees to cede land and provide compensation, we would release your person. Proceeds and goods would be handed over concurrently!"

"How dare you!" Nangong Emperor stared furiously at the two before him, his gaze piercing as if it could rip them apart.

This was the palace of Nangong Country, his own territory. And they were threatening his son? Who gave these two the audacity to behave so brazenly? Do they believe that living comfortably for a few years makes them on par with his empire? Such ambition was beyond their reach!

The air in the room grew colder; the aura emanating from the man on the dragon throne, heavy and potent like a great net, blanketed every corner of the hall.

The eunuchs standing behind him, the soldiers outside the hall, dared not so much as breathe.

Gong Zixuan glanced at Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er, his eyes filled with worry. He was well aware of how much his father loved his younger half-brother!

Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er parading around a captive to be returned not only touched his father’s sore point, but also insulted the face of the whole Nangong Country!

Did they really expect to persuade the Emperor into seeing things their way in this confrontational manner?

It had to be said, this couple was exceptionally daring!

"Just now, I already asked you, and you personally spoke. Surely the Emperor has not forgotten what was said? If necessary, I can remind you. You said: ’This matter cannot be easily resolved, we must either go to war or concede land and compensate, the ceded territory cannot be less than a province, nor the compensation less than 100,000 taels of gold,’" Shangguan Xuanyi recited, meeting the Nangong Emperor’s gaze fearlessly as he repeated what he had stated earlier!

At this moment, he refrained from calling the Emperor even by the respectful title of ’elder,’ let alone anything else!

Granted, he was the monarch of a country. But he too was the son of another monarch, representing Minze Country right now! His status was just as noble!

Nangong Emperor suddenly felt like he had shot himself in the foot. However, his earlier statement was meant for others, surely it did not apply to his own son!

He had thought the Princess of Minze had been kidnapped by the Eastern Jin Dynasty, hence his remarks. He had hoped the two countries would go to war, leaving Nangong Country to swoop in unscathed.

Could the Eastern Jin Dynasty really hold a candle to Nangong Country? Do they actually think he would cede territory and money to them? Could Minze Country digest the fatty meat of Nangong Country if they took a bite?

The Nangong Emperor glared at the two, remaining silent while he attempted to suppress them using the majesty of his imperial aura.

A stupid kid who hadn’t even grown a full set of whiskers dared to challenge him openly? He had eaten more than this insolent youth had ever tread on!

But Shangguan Xuanyi had grown up with such imperial might, how could he be afraid?

As for Xiao’er, the only thing that could make her flinch was a snake. She was fearless in every other aspect.

The pair appeared to be indifferent, drawing a new measure of respect from the Nangong Emperor.

It made sense for Shangguan Xuanyi, as he was the son of a sovereign. But even Xiao’er, a farmer’s daughter, remained unfazed... After musing over it, the Nangong Emperor reached a conclusion: Those with exceptional talent indeed possessed great courage!

Given her radiant beauty, she bested all three thousand courtesans in his harem! How would it feel to have such a clever and stunning woman beneath him?

The way Nangong Emperor looked at Xiao’er changed visibly.

Xiao’er felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze.

A flicker of darkness passed in Shangguan Xuanyi’s eyes as he interjected, interrupting the Emperor’s visual assessment of Xiao’er: "Has Your Imperial Majesty come to a decision?"

Nangong Emperor withdrew his gaze, resting it lightly on Shangguan Xuanyi: "I can provide the silver, but ceding land is out of the question."

In any era, the land and sovereignty of a country are inviolable.

"Then we cannot accept this compensation, for we are not in need of silver. We are excusing ourselves," Shangguan Xuanyi stated, feeling no need to waste further words.

Then they would go to war! They would seize as many cities and towns as they could, each won territory being its own compensation.

Shangguan Xuanyi took Xiao’er’s hand, ready to leave.

Nangong Emperor shot to his feet in rage, "Are you not afraid that you will not be able to leave this palace?"

"We shall see! Remember, the second prince is still in our custody! If we do not return in two hours, his life will be forfeit!"

Nangong Emperor squinted his eyes. In his decades-long reign, when had he ever been threatened like this?!

Shangguan Xuanyi led Xiao’er to the exit.

The guards outside the hall crossed their spears in their path.

Shangguan Xuanyi raised his hand.

"Wait!" Nangong Emperor raised his voice in a timely manner.

When countries imingle, ambassadors should not be killed. There were other emissaries visiting recently, and killing these two in front of the other emissaries would be seen as bad manners, discouraging further tributes.

Besides, he didn’t want to go to war. Nangong Country had suffered a series of earthquakes and tsunamis in recent years. Opening their granaries to aid the victims of the natural disasters depleted a substantial portion of their food storage. Hearing that Minze citizens had an excess of grains to the point they could even feed their chickens with it was infuriating!

The situation drove him to envy so strong it was like suffering from jaundice!

He had pinned hopes on a locust plague, expecting it would destroy the crops throughout the country. Yet, against all odds, only a few counties were devasted. Prompt action from the couple before him eradicated the rest of the locusts, eliminating the threat completely!

It was absolutely infuriating!

If possible, Nangong Emperor wished to kill these two troublemakers on the spot!

The presence of two such formidable individuals in Minze Country could overshadow Nangong Country sooner or later. Would there be any place left for them then?

Wait, if Minze Country became stronger, leaving no room for Nangong Country, would there be any space left for Eastern Jin Dynasty? Or let alone Japan...

As the saying goes, the tallest tree in the forest catches much wind.

Minze Country was expanding too quickly; the threat was not only to Nangong Country alone!

Perhaps he could...

Nangong Emperor looked at the duo, a daring thought crossing his mind but he kept it hidden for now.

Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er stopped in their tracks and turned to face him again.

Nangong Emperor then turned to his eldest son, "And what does the Crown Prince have to say?"

Upon hearing his father’s question, Gong Zixuan bowed respectfully and said, "Since we are all family, we should avoid animosity at all costs. Why don’t we each take a step back and meet in the middle? This situation arose due to the Second Prince’s wrongdoing. He has already been punished by Shangguan. How about we have him apologize to Princess Rui and offering additional silver in compensation?"

Gong Zixuan’s words served as a reminder to Nangong Emperor that this issue arose from Gong Qinghua’s actions and not all blame should be attributed to the tension between the two nations.

As the future heir of Nangong Country, Gong Zixuan certainly did not wish to cede territory as compensation. Nangong Country was smaller than Minze Country and further ceding a province would leave hardly anything remaining.

Gong Qinghua had been duly punished and it would be best suited if the Emperor deferred all responsibility to him as the one who instigated this situation. Why should they step in to fix his mess? Who caused the trouble should be the one responsible!

Despite harbouring these thoughts, Gong Zixuan did not dare to voice them out at the risk of displeasing his father. Hence, he masked his internal conflict with outward support for Gong Qinghua.

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