Zhou Ping wanted to say more, but suddenly, there was a commotion outside the Imperial Garden, with many people running towards them. Zhou Ping heard the urgent voice of the director through her earpiece and quickly said to Jiang Yan, “Your Highness, someone’s coming. We need to leave!”

Jiang Yan also heard the noisy voices of the approaching crowd and hurriedly followed Zhou Ping to the Imperial Hospital.

[Jiang Yan, don’t agree! This is clearly a trap!]

[Oh. no. My brain is already overwhelmed.]

[Something is happening in the hall! Quickly, let’s go see!]

Back to the moment when Jiang Yan and Zhou Ping began their conversation.

On the other side, inside the hall, everything remained peaceful and lively. Ruan Qiu, sipping the tea handed to her by Xue Wu, swallowed the last piece of pastry in her mouth.

The musicians sequentially stowed away their qins, and the dancers gradually ceased their spins. As the last lingering notes faded away, the performance came to a complete close. Like flowing water, the performers exited the hall, and the doors were closed once again.

The foreign envoy couldn’t contain his impatience and stood up, once again asking Xue Wu, “Your Majesty, we are willing to negotiate peace. We ask for your sincerity in return.”

Lord Yuan furrowed his brow and, before Xue Wu could speak, recited his lines, “Envoys of the foreign realm, what do you desire?”

The foreign envoy lifted his chin arrogantly and declared, “You want a hundred years of peace, for us to cease our attacks on the borders, which is easy enough. Just hand over the ten border cities to us!”

“You must be dreaming!” Lord Yuan slammed his hand on the table, glaring fiercely at the foreign envoy. “How dare you!”

The atmosphere suddenly tensed up, and everyone present involuntarily held their breath.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow. For her, the most pressing matter at the moment was seizing the throne and becoming the Empress legitimately. She didn’t want to go to war with the foreign realm at this time, as it would disrupt her plans. Moreover, those old heads would hinder her, and she needed to consider Xue Wu’s overall situation.

Following the script provided by the director, she spoke to ease the tension, “Asking for all ten cities is a bit too much. Envoys of the foreign realm, let’s discuss another condition.”

The foreign envoy sat down and whispered with those around him for a moment before turning to the Empress Dowager. “We need a Princess from Great Zhou to marry our leader, along with ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand fine horses…”

On the other side, Lord Yuan got angry again and stood up, ready to come forward and hit him, but he was restrained by those around him.

Hearing such impudent demands, Qin Shuangyu remained composed and continued according to the script, “The Great Zhou doesn’t have a Princess, only a County Princess, who is Princess Xingyu. We can fulfill your conditions, but can you guarantee not to invade the Great Zhou for a hundred years?”

The foreign envoy glanced at Ye Xingyu and reluctantly said, “We can.”

Ye Xingyu almost spat out the tea in his mouth.

He turned his head, looked at Qin Shuangyu in shock, pointed at himself, and disregarding etiquette, whispered, “Are you sure? You want me to go?”

Even though he was a County Princess, he was a man! Would anyone remember his true gender?!

[Hit them! These people are practically slapping you on the face, can you still endure it?]

[These foreign folks don’t seem formidable, why not fight? Give it to them!]

[Is Ye Xingyu really going to be married off? Hahaha, sorry, I can’t help laughing.]

[To put it plainly, Ye Xingyu is completely under the control of the Empress Dowager. Whatever she wants, she gets.]

[We can’t retreat! If we retreat once, these people will push even further, forcing you to retreat again and again until, in the end, the country falls!]

Amidst the furious condemnation in the live comments, Xue Wu spoke.

“I disagree,” Xue Wu disregarded the Empress Dowager’s sudden gaze on him and addressed the foreign envoy. “The Great Zhou will not agree to any of the conditions you’ve proposed.”

“Since you’re here for peace talks and claim to be sincere, you must also be willing to cede your ten tribes to the Great Zhou,” Xue Wu coldly scrutinized the people before him. “The Great Zhou has always been hospitable. How about you foreign envoys spend a few more days in the palace? When you’ve thought it through and come up with satisfactory sincerity, then you can return home. How about that?”

It was a blatant threat!

The foreign envoy’s face alternated between pale and flushed. They hadn’t expected the Great Zhou, usually weak, to suddenly become so assertive and even intend to confine them in the palace. Rumor had it that the new Emperor of the Great Zhou had a volatile temper, and it seemed the rumors were true. Who knew if this Emperor would take a dislike to them and draw his sword to kill them?

The foreign envoy sat down in silence, not daring to clash with Xue Wu.

The people in the hall had varied expressions. The Empress Dowager, Qin Shuangyu, looked at Xue Wu with apprehension, reaffirming her determination to get rid of him. Meanwhile, Lord Yuan looked at Xue Wu with satisfaction, thinking that the Emperor hadn’t been entirely spoiled. As for Qi Yingying, she inwardly applauded Xue Wu’s performance, thinking he truly deserved the title of “Emperor of Acting” with such skill!

Ruan Qiu looked at Xue Wu with bright eyes and secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

For the moment, the foreign threat was suppressed, reducing the death toll by one. Hooray!

[Who’s enjoying this? I am!]

[Wahhh, Emperor Xue is so domineering! Long live the Great Zhou! This is how you slap them in the face!]

[The Empress Dowager’s gaze at Xue Wu is so terrifying. Is she going to take action?]

[Ruan Qiu’s fangirl gaze is so cute, hahaha.]

The peace talks had collapsed, and there was no need to continue the banquet. Xue Wu stood up and left first. Ruan Qiu quickly placed her chopsticks on the table, faced with Lord Yuan’s gaze, and followed Xue Wu out.

The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples in frustration. She was about to say something to Qi Yingying, who was quietly eating pastries nearby, when suddenly, a scream rang out in the hall, drawing everyone’s attention in that direction.

As Xue Wu and Ruan Qiu passed by the ministers, a palace maid who was serving wine suddenly dropped the jug and pulled out a dagger from her sleeve, lunging at Xue Wu.