Who put the yellow robe on me?

Emperor Liang leaned forward slightly on his dragon throne, staring at Yelu Mengmeng with a piercing gaze. "Oh? Third Princess, could you please tell me your topic?"

Yelu Mengmeng took his time, surveying the area calmly. He said, "Your Majesty, we must be clear. What if all three questions are completed? What if they are not?"

Emperor Liang frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests of the dragon throne, his tone carrying a hint of suppressed annoyance: "Third Princess, according to your opinion, what should we do?"

It was obvious that he was quite dissatisfied with Yelu Mengmeng's roundabout way.

Seeing this, Yelu Mengmeng's smile deepened, but his tone remained gentle: "Your Majesty, I think we can make a bet.

If all three of these questions are solved, I, the Northern Qiang, will offer you the Dragon Abyss Sword, a weapon captured during the Battle of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

"Longyuan Sword?" As these four words came out, the entire hall fell into silence.

All the ministers were moved, and some even couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

These four words seemed to instantly awaken the memories and pain of everyone in the court.

The Longyuan Sword is the most precious national weapon of Daliang. It is the black iron sword worn by Emperor Shengzu when he founded Daliang.

Legend has it that this sword, forged from Nine Heavens Black Iron, was so sharp it could cut through hair, symbolizing the power and glory of the Daliang Empire. Passed down from generation to generation, it was carried by every emperor.

But three years ago, the Emperor of Liang personally led the elite troops of Daliang to fight against the Northern Qiang.

At that time, the crown prince had a solid position in the court, but because he was eager to seize power, he secretly instigated the fourth prince to rebel.

At the critical moment when Emperor Liang was fighting against Northern Qiang, turmoil suddenly broke out inside Daliang. Emperor Liang was attacked from all sides on the front line and was forced to retreat in a hurry.

In that battle, not only was Emperor Liang's sword, the Longyuan Sword, taken away by the Northern Qiang, but three important prefectures among the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, namely Wuzhou, Ruzhou and Xinzhou, were also lost.

From that moment on, Daliang began to decline, its power gradually declining. The Dragon Abyss Sword became a deep scar in the heart of the Liang Emperor, and every mention of it was like a needle piercing his heart.

Emperor Liang's expression suddenly darkened, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and it was obvious that anger was surging in his heart.

The Longyuan Sword is not only his personal shame, but also a humiliation for the entire Daliang!

Yelu Mengmeng's proposal to use the Longyuan Sword as a bet was obviously a provocation and a test.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and the ministers held their breath, waiting for Emperor Liang's response.

After a long while, Emperor Liang finally spoke, his voice deep and majestic: "Okay, if you can solve the third princess's puzzle, the Dragon Abyss Sword will be returned to Daliang. But if you can't solve it..."

Yelu Mengmeng's smile remained unchanged, and his voice was light but firm: "If the solution cannot be found, Daliang will need to borrow 300,000 dan of grain to relieve the urgent needs of our soldiers at Shanhaiguan!"

Minister of Revenue Cao Shouku suddenly said, "Third Princess, your attitude towards borrowing grain is not sincere enough!"

Yelu Mengmeng looked at Cao Shouku and said jokingly, "Oh? Lord Shangshu, if you can't answer these three questions, then you can also understand it as taking grain!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a lot of discussion in the court. The Third Princess of Beiqiang was too arrogant!

"Let's compete! There are so many extraordinary people and stories in Daliang. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Princess Beiqiang is too arrogant!"

"A country conquered on horseback really doesn't know how to behave!"

Emperor Liang's gaze shot towards Yelu Mengmeng like a sharp blade, and the anger in his heart almost burst out.

But he knew very well that the current situation did not allow for any impulsiveness, but Yelu Mengmeng's just-right provocation undoubtedly made the competition difficult to back out of.

"I believe the Third Princess's bet is reasonable!" Emperor Liang's voice was low and firm. Though slightly tired, it carried an undeniable authority. A glint of determination flashed in his eyes, as if he had already made up his mind.

Emperor Liang had his own agenda. He knew full well how much the loss of the Dragon Abyss Sword would be a blow to the royal family's reputation. It was not only a sacred object symbolizing the power of the Liang Empire, but also a token passed down through generations of emperors.

However, if he couldn't retrieve the sword, he would forever bear the infamy of having lost a national treasure, and might even be condemned as an eternal sinner in future history books. Even if there was only a one in a thousand chance, he was willing to give it a try.

Even if they lost, 300,000 dan of grain would be a considerable burden for the entire Daliang, but with the power of the Ministry of Households, they could collect more grain and survive for two to three months, or even half a year.

But Emperor Liang obviously did not think carefully about the crisis of national destruction that this bet might bring.

Seeing the Emperor Liang's ready agreement, Yelu Mengmeng's smile grew even wider. She nodded slowly, a hint of joy in her tone, "Okay, Your Majesty, since you've agreed so readily, shall we begin?"

Yelu Mengmeng's eyes gleamed with pride, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He was secretly proud of himself: "National Master Yelu Jiayi is indeed very smart. It seems that Emperor Liang has been bewitched by the Dragon Abyss Sword and easily agreed to this bet."

She gathered her thoughts and then said softly, "Your Majesty, the first question is to make a piece of white paper burn on its own within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, without any contact with any fire source."

As soon as the words fell, the entire court fell into silence. Civil and military officials looked at each other in confusion, and even the ministers who were usually very clever were now lost in thought.

This question seems impossible at first. How can you make paper burn on its own without coming into contact with flames?

"The second question," Yelu Mengmeng continued slowly, "is about transmitting sound without internal energy. Two people, inside or outside a room, with the doors and windows closed, standing ten steps apart, can speak normally and clearly hear each other."

After these words were spoken, the ministers fell silent again. Sound transmission was already a profound martial arts skill, but the second question required sound transmission without internal energy, which was nearly impossible.

Yelu Mengmeng noticed the different expressions on the faces of the people in the court. He smiled with satisfaction and then posed the final question: "The third question is about children lifting a tripod. In our Northern Qiang, two children under the age of twenty can easily lift a huge tripod."

After that, twelve strong warriors from Northern Qiang staggered and carried a huge tripod into the banquet hall.

"Duang!" As the giant tripod fell to the ground with a loud noise, the entire court fell completely silent at this moment, and one could even hear the civil officials' low gasps.

This question was even more absurd! How could a giant tripod, so heavy as it was, be lifted by just two children? And how could it be lifted so easily?

The ministers were at a loss, unable to imagine how to solve these seemingly absurd questions. So someone secretly sent his followers to look through ancient books, hoping to find a clue.

Civil and military officials fell into chaos, many people were talking in low voices, some looked anxious, and some showed despair.

Many ministers talked quietly, and some even sent their followers to look up relevant books in the hope of finding a solution.

Jiang Chen walked out of the banquet hall silently and said something to Dianzhang outside the door. Dianzhang quickly took the order and left.

When Jiang Chen returned to the banquet hall, he saw the Ninth Prince Jiang Yu standing up. He said confidently, "Father, I can solve this first problem."

After hearing this, Emperor Liang's eyes flashed with approval, and he said hopefully, "Well, Lao Jiu is very wise. If you can succeed, there will be a great reward!"

The Ninth Prince confidently took the two wooden sticks from his attendants and walked to the center of the court. He looked calm and composed, his gaze determined as he surveyed the area, as if he had a plan in mind.

Following his actions, all the civil and military officials in the court began to discuss, and many of them showed anticipation in their eyes.