The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 760 You think I'll just let this go?
Zhu Xiong Ying's face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm. He suddenly stood up, causing the dragon throne to tremble. "Where is Miao Yun?" he asked, squeezing out each word through clenched teeth, his voice low and terrifying.

A hint of smugness flashed in Arutai's eyes. He took a leisurely sip of wine before saying, "Brother Xiong Ying, don't be in such a hurry. A beauty like this should naturally be treated well. Someone, bring the Empress up."

Before long, Xu Miaoyun was roughly pushed in by two Oirat soldiers. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was loose, and there was a clear handprint on her face, yet she still looked directly at Zhu Xiong Ying with neither servility nor arrogance. Seeing her like this, Zhu Xiong Ying's anger could no longer be suppressed and blazed fiercely.

"You bunch of beasts!" Zhu Xiong Ying roared, grabbing a wine glass from the table and smashing it to the ground. Shards flew everywhere, just like his shattered emotions.

Arutai calmly clapped his hands, signaling the soldiers to retreat. Then, he smiled at Zhu Xiong Ying and said, "Brother Xiong Ying, please calm down. Her Majesty the Empress is delicate, and my brothers were ignorant of etiquette and offended her. I hope Brother Xiong Ying will forgive us."

"Have any leniency?" Zhu Xiong Ying sneered. "Do you think I'll just let this go?"

"Brother Xiong Ying, we are allies now, why ruin our relationship over a woman?" Arutai still smiled, as if everything was under his control. "Besides, the Empress is now in my hands, Brother Xiong Ying, what can you do about it?"

Zhu Xiong Ying took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger. He knew now was not the time to break off relations. He had to stay calm and find a way to rescue Miao Yun.

"Brother Arutai, what do you want?" Zhu Xiong Ying forced himself to calm down and asked in an icy tone.

Arutai laughed heartily and said, "Brother Xiong Ying, you're so generous! Actually, I don't mean anything by it. I just want to cooperate well with you and create a great empire together. As for the Empress..." He paused and gave Xu Miaoyun a meaningful look, "As long as you agree to a few conditions, I will naturally take good care of the Empress and will never let her suffer the slightest grievance."

Zhu Xiong Ying clenched his fists so tightly his nails almost pierced his palms. He knew that Arutai was forcing him, humiliating him. But he had no choice; for Miao Yun's sake, he could only endure it.

"Tell me, what are your conditions?"

Arughtai held up one finger and said, "First, cede all the land in the north of the Ming Dynasty to our Oirat."

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes. He knew that Arughtai was making outrageous demands, wanting to annex the entire northern part of the Ming Dynasty.

“Secondly,” Arughtai held up another finger, “they pay tribute to our Oirat region every year: 10,000 taels of gold, 100,000 taels of silver, 1,000 bolts of silk, and 1 million shi of grain.”

Zhu Xiong Ying's face grew even more grim. This was tantamount to treating his Ming Dynasty as a vassal state of the Oirat Mongols.

“Third,” Arutai extended a third finger, a lewd glint in his eyes, “send the Empress to me, to be my woman.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying could no longer contain his anger and slammed his fist on the table, shattering it into pieces.

"Arughtai, you've gone too far!"

Xu Miaoyun's face turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with despair. She never expected that Arutai would make such a shameless request.

Arutai, however, showed no fear and instead burst into laughter. "Brother Xiong Ying, don't be angry. You can choose not to agree to this third condition. However..." he drawled, his tone full of threat, "the Empress's life will be in danger."

Zhu Xiong Ying stared intently at Arutai, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He wished he could tear this shameless scoundrel to pieces immediately. But he knew he couldn't act impulsively. He had to endure, he had to find a way to rescue Miao Yun.

The atmosphere inside the yurt was incredibly tense; you could hear a pin drop. Zhu Xiong Ying and Aru Tai faced each other, neither speaking. Suddenly, Zhu Xiong Ying smiled.

"Okay, I promise you."

Arutai was taken aback, clearly not expecting Zhu Xiong Ying to agree so readily. He asked suspiciously, "Brother Xiong Ying, you really agreed?"

“Of course,” Zhu Xiong Ying’s smile was full of coldness, “but I have one more condition.”

"Oh? What are the conditions?" Arutai asked with great interest.

"I challenge you to a duel," Zhu Xiong Ying said, enunciating each word clearly. "If you win, I will give you Miao Yun and grant you all your terms. But if you lose..."

Zhu Xiong Ying's tone suddenly turned icy cold, "I want your entire Oirat tribe to be buried with you!"

Arutai's smile froze.

Arughtai's smile froze, and the Oirat warriors behind him also paled. They hadn't expected Zhu Xiong Ying to make such a request. In their eyes, although Zhu Xiong Ying was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he was ultimately a pampered young master, no match for their steppe warriors.
Arutai narrowed his eyes, sizing up Zhu Xiong Ying as he pondered. He could tell that Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't bluffing. The cold glint in the boy's eyes made him uneasy.

"What? Brother Arughtai doesn't dare?" Zhu Xiong Ying's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Could it be that the mighty Khan of the Oirat is a coward who fears death?"

These words struck a nerve with Arughtai. As the king of the grasslands, he valued his reputation and dignity above all else. If he refused Zhu Xiong Ying's challenge, how could he ever face the grasslands again?
"Fine!" Arutai gritted his teeth and slammed his hand on the table. "I agree! But we need to agree on the rules first."

"Speak," Zhu Xiong Ying said calmly.

"Life or death is irrelevant!" Arughtai said viciously. "If I win, I will take your Ming Dynasty and your Empress!"

“If you lose,” Zhu Xiong Ying’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, “I will leave no one, not even a chicken or a dog, in your Oirat tribe!”

The two men locked eyes, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder. The atmosphere inside the yurt was incredibly tense, as if a massive battle could erupt at any moment.

Xu Miaoyun gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her heart filled with worry. Although she knew Zhu Xiong Ying was highly skilled in martial arts, Aru Tai was also a renowned warrior on the grasslands, and the outcome was uncertain.

"Let's begin!" Arughtai was eager to eliminate Zhu Xiong Ying and seize the Ming Dynasty's territory and Xu Miao Yun.

The two walked to the center of the yurt, maintaining a certain distance from each other. Arutai was tall and muscular, wielding a sharp curved sword; he was clearly a seasoned and valiant general. Zhu Xiong Ying, on the other hand, appeared somewhat thin, but the domineering aura he exuded was not to be underestimated.

Arutai launched the first attack, brandishing his scimitar and charging towards Zhu Xiong Ying like a tiger descending a mountain. The blade flashed, its chilling aura palpable, as if it intended to tear Zhu Xiong Ying to shreds.

(End of this chapter)