Princess Promotion

In the Yan Palace, the King of Yan sat in front of the desk, staring quietly at the reply letter from Qi on the desk.

The entire palace was filled with an oppressive atmosphere, as if time had stood still.

Yan Yunfan felt a little uneasy. According to common sense, the conditions proposed by Yan State should be very attractive to Qi State and difficult to refuse.

However, the Queen of Qi neither explicitly agreed nor directly refused, which made Yan Yunfan very puzzled.

Yan Yunfan frowned slightly, his eyes revealing deep thought and confusion.

Prince Yan gently put down the letter and slowly shifted his gaze to Yan Yunfan.

Seeing this, Yan Yunfan stepped forward and asked, "Father, what's in the letter?"

King Yan said, "Come and talk!"

Yan Yunfan nodded and took a few steps closer to King Yan. King Yan's expression froze when he saw this.

Prince Yan coughed lightly and said, "There are only four words written in the letter: Come and talk!"

Yan Yunfan then realized that he had misunderstood.

The King of Yan did not ask him to come closer and talk, but the letter from Qi had these four words written on it: "Come over and talk."

Yan Yunfan blushed slightly, and said awkwardly, "The Queen of Qi is really a person who values words like gold!"

Yan Yunfan retreated without leaving a trace, and asked as if nothing had happened, "Father, what are you going to do?"

Prince Yan pointed to the letter and said, "Since she wants to talk, it means the situation is not too bad."

Yan Yunfan nodded. It was impossible for the two countries to decide each other's fate based on a letter.

National affairs must be treated with caution, and face-to-face negotiations are an indispensable step.

Yan Yunfan clasped his hands together, leaned forward slightly, and said in a sincere and resolute tone: "Father, I am willing to go on a diplomatic mission to Qi."

The King of Yan was silent for a moment. After some deep thought, he finally shook his head and said, "This time, I will go there myself."

Yan Yunfan was immediately horrified and tried to dissuade him, "Father, absolutely not! You shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country, how can you take such a risk so easily? Doing so is far too dangerous! Please think twice before you act!"

The King of Yan raised his hand to stop him, saying, "I have made up my mind. There is no need to say more."

After saying this, King Yan turned around and dismissed everyone.

The King of Yan knew very well that the worst outcome now would be to go to war with the State of Qi.

Now that he has surrendered voluntarily, the Empress would not want anything to happen to him, whether for the sake of interests or other considerations.

It can be said that among the people who most want to be alive now, the Empress is definitely one of them.

The King of Yan's decision to go to Qi in person to negotiate was naturally met with unanimous opposition from the court.

But if the King of Yan wanted to go, no one could stop him.

If they could really stop the King of Yan, they would definitely not let Yan surrender and negotiate terms with Qi.

The Yan King's imperial entourage arrived at the border of Qi State in a grand manner.

The Qi army was in neat formation, with Fu Hongxuan standing at the front on a tall horse. The soldiers were wearing armor and holding their swords tightly, as if they would draw their swords and kill the enemy at the command of a single word.

The fact that King Yan decided to go to Qi in person to negotiate naturally caused an uproar in the entire Yan court.

Countless ministers wrote to the king to persuade him not to take risks easily, but the king had made up his mind and no one could stop him.

If someone could have stopped the King of Yan, Yan would not have chosen to surrender to Qi and accept harsh negotiation conditions.

In the end, the King of Yan led a large royal team and marched to the border of Qi.

When they arrived at the border of Qi, they were met with a magnificent sight: the Qi army was arrayed in neat rows, their expressions solemn;

Fu Hongxuan rode on a tall warhorse and stood at the forefront of the army.

The soldiers were wearing strong armor and holding their swords tightly, as if they were just waiting for the order to draw their swords and kill the enemy bravely.

A gust of wind and sand blew by, and the field was filled with murderous intent.

Yan Yunfan, accompanying the King of Yan, arrived at the border of Qi. Seeing this scene, he sarcastically said, "This is how you, Qi, treat your guests."

Li Yinhan, who was riding beside Fu Hongxuan, sneered, his eyes full of arrogance, and said emphatically, "You are not here as guests. You will know whether you are enemies or guests after the negotiations are over."

Yan Yunfan wanted to say something, but was stopped by King Yan's eyes.

Prince Yan looked at Fu Hongxuan and asked, "Can we go in now?"

Fu Hongxuan nodded expressionlessly and said, "Okay, but only you can enter."

Yan Yunfan said anxiously: "No!"

Li Yinhan said impatiently, "Why not? If we wanted to harm you, we would have drawn our swords right now instead of whining at you."

Fu Hongxuan did not speak, but just stared at King Yan.

The meaning is very clear: it’s up to you whether to enter or not.

But now that he had come this far, the King of Yan knew that he had to go in. If he didn't enter Qi today.

Tomorrow, the Qi army will arrive at the border of Yan. The empress is definitely not just talking, she is serious about it.

King Yan turned around, patted Yan Yunfan's shoulder gently, and told him not to worry.

Pull the reins tightly and walk forward steadily.

The man and the horse looked so small in front of the towering city wall. The King of Yan straightened his back, held his head high and chest out, showing the majesty and confidence of a superior.

Even if facing a million-strong army, we can remain fearless.

Even if death might be waiting for him ahead, he could face it calmly and without flinching.

King Yan originally thought that since he was the weaker party, Yao Chuguang would make things difficult for him, or at least deliberately delay time to make him wait, so that he could take this opportunity to suppress him.

The maid brought the Prince of Yan to the door of a tea room and said respectfully, "Your Highness, His Majesty has been waiting inside for a long time. Please come in!"

As the palace maid gently pushed open the door, an exquisite tea table was placed in the room, and a woman in a white silk dress was sitting there.

The woman had cold brows and an oval face, and her expression was as cold as ice. She fiddled with the tea set gracefully and skillfully, as if every detail had been carefully crafted.

Prince Yan couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Is this woman the legendary empress?

Prince Yan calmed himself down and then walked into the tea room.

The woman looked up at King Yan, then lowered her head to wash a teacup and placed it on the tea table. She made an inviting gesture and said, "Please sit down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the side door next to the tea room was pushed open and a woman came in.

The woman had silver hair draped over her shoulders, with only a golden hairpin holding her hair into a bun.

She was wearing a dark robe embroidered with gold threads, without any extra accessories.

The woman walked around the screen and came closer, and King Yan finally saw her appearance clearly.

If the woman making tea in front of me is as quiet and elegant as an orchid in a valley, untainted by dust and brought by the breeze.

The silver-haired woman is... Prince Yan was stuck for a moment. He has seen countless people in his life.

For a moment I didn't know how to express it in words.

Lengyan is both bright and cold, contradictory characteristics, but they are unified in Yao Chuguang.

It seems as if it should be so, like a flower blooming in the dark night, disdainful of being admired.

When King Yan saw Yao Chuguang’s silver hair, he immediately realized that he had recognized the wrong person.

I thought the rumors about the empress being a silver-haired yaksha were fake.

It now seems that the rumors cannot be fully believed, but they cannot be disbelieved either.

Yao Chuguang sat down across from King Yan in a leisurely manner and said, "Just tell me what your conditions are!"

King Yan didn't expect Yao Chuguang to get straight to the point without even a word of courtesy.

Prince Yan picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, glancing at Lin Wan who was sitting beside him.

Yao Chuguang followed King Yan's gaze and said bluntly, "Just pretend she doesn't exist. She's here to prevent you from attacking anyone and to stop me from escaping."

King Yan looked at Yao Chuguang and said sincerely, "Your Excellency is very quick to speak."

Prince Yan looked around again to confirm that they were the only three people in the tea room, and asked, "Just the two of us?"

Yao Chuguang's fingertips traced the rim of the teacup, and she said leisurely, "I like to discuss small matters with everyone, and decide big matters privately."

The King of Yan nodded in agreement. "That's true. I wonder what you think about intermarriage?"

Yao Chuguang shook his head and said, "Not very good! I'm asking what your conditions are."

Prince Yan understood Yao Chuguang's hidden meaning and asked curiously, "How do you know that this condition was not proposed by me?"

When Yan Yunfan made this proposal, only the father and son were present.

After the Prince of Yan agreed, he announced to the outside world that he wanted a marriage between the two countries. Outsiders always thought that it was the Prince of Yan who proposed it.

Parents who love their children will make long-term plans for them. Even if they have to surrender to the State of Qi, they will still plan a future for Yan Yunfan.

Yao Chuguang picked up the teacup, the rising steam softening the sharpness in his eyes as he said, "The method is too naive. It's obvious that it was thought up by someone who has never experienced setbacks."

The King of Yan said seriously, "I think this is a good idea. It will be very beneficial for me if you and I become relatives by marriage."

Yao Chuguang raised a vague smile and said, "Indeed, a marriage would logically bring many benefits to you, but you can't just look at the benefits without considering the risks."

Yao Chuguang frowned, his eyes suddenly sharp as he said, "The person who offered the advice seems to have forgotten how I got to sit on this throne."

"My father is still in the harem, enjoying his retirement. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows that talking about love with someone like me is a joke."

Yao Chuguang lowered his voice a bit, a chill in his voice as he spoke, "The reason I'm so sure this idea wasn't yours is very simple. Anyone who truly sits on the throne knows one thing: there's no such thing as an unbreakable relationship. Only interests are eternal."

Prince Yan raised his hand and patted his forehead, saying, "Sometimes I envy your father for having such an outstanding child like you."

Yao Chuguang put down the teacup and said, "Enough of the small talk, let's get back to your conditions."

The King of Yan said calmly, "How can a loser make any demands? I have some self-awareness."

Yao Chuguang looked at King Yan, his eyes dark and expressionless. Finally, he smiled softly and said, "For your sake, as long as your little prince doesn't cross my bottom line, I can spare his life."

King Yan smiled and said noncommittally, "If you must state a condition, I do have one."

Yao Chuguang raised his hand and said, "Please speak!"

The King of Yan lowered his head, straightened his sleeves, and said in a deep voice, "Faced with the Qi army, my ministers only spoke empty words about preferring death to disgrace, but none of them could come up with a solution."

King Yan paused for a moment, then asked gravely, "If it were you, would you have any way to deal with this?"

Yao Chuguang nodded and said, "Of course there is, but it is extremely difficult. Even for me, it is difficult to do it."

The King of Yan's pupils suddenly shrank, and in the next moment his expression returned to normal as he smiled and said, "Don't tell me I'm asking the gods to come down and move the State of Yan away."

Yao Chuguang said with a half-smile, "Of course. Just because I can't do it doesn't mean no one can."

The King of Yan's eyes were full of inquiry as he said, "I'd like to hear the details."

Yao Chuguang stood up, walked to the bookshelf next to him, picked and chose, and finally took out a sheepskin map.

Yao Chuguang unfolded the map and said, "The first step is to kill you in public as soon as you step out of the border."

Prince Yan's expression instantly became colorful, and he wondered why she was so generous to tell him.

It seems that he has to pave the way with his life from the beginning, so he is so unscrupulous.

Yao Chuguang smoothed the sheepskin map and said, "I'll kill you and then blame Qi for the bad things. That way, I can justify my refusal to surrender and stabilize the people's hearts."

Yao Chuguang pointed to a mountain range on the map and said, "Then divide the army into two. Half will stay in Yan State to defend against the Qi army, and the other half will go through Wushan and the snow-capped mountains, then go around and attack from the rear."

King Yan opened his mouth slightly and muttered to himself, "This is at least tens of thousands of kilometers. How are we going to maintain the supply line for such a long distance?"

Yao Chuguang delivered a fatal blow: "There is no supply line."

The King of Yan was surprised and said, "Willn't he die of starvation on the road?"

Yao Chuguang's eyes flashed and he said, "Someone will always be able to get there."

King Yan sneered, "That's probably only one in a hundred, not one in a thousand. The environment in the mountains is harsh, with little food and clothing. I'm afraid everyone will die before they even reach the destination."

The King of Yan pointed out the problem again, "Even if we eat grass roots and tree bark and get out of the snowy mountains, more than half of our troops will be lost. We will have no reinforcements and no food. How can we fight this war?"

Yao Chuguang stood up and sat back at the tea table. "The problems you mentioned are difficult, but they are not completely unsolvable. Do you know what the real difficulty is?"

An expression of disbelief appeared on King Yan's face. This was not difficult at all. Could it be that Yao Chuguang really had a way to overcome these difficulties?

King Yan pondered for a long time, but couldn't think of anything that Yao Chuguang couldn't do.

Yao Chuguang took a sip of tea, his eyes twinkling as he spoke, "The real difficulty is how to get these tens of thousands of people to follow you willingly."

The King of Yan didn't quite understand and blurted out, "It's very simple. Just give the order. If anyone tries to escape, kill them on the spot. Let the soldiers know that there is no other way to survive except to go up the mountain."

Yao Chuguang's eyes instantly turned cold. She stood up and said to the guest, "I have already answered Lord Yan's question. Regardless of whether you surrender or not, the Qi army will reach the border of Yan in three days."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the side door. After taking two steps, he heard the King of Yan shouting, "My son may not be very smart, but he is very handsome. Are you really not going to consider it?"

Yao Chu, the bald man, didn't reply: "I like broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a perky butt."

The Yan State considered thinness as beauty, especially slender waists, and pursued a graceful and graceful figure like a willow swaying in the wind.

Prince Yan... never dreamed that it was because of this!

In the second year of the reign of the Queen of Qi, the Western Zhou Dynasty perished!

Three years later, the State of Yan also perished!