The empress disliked my achievements for overshadowing her own, so she turned her attention to the N

Northern Wei Dynasty, Imperial Medical Academy.

Qin Qingmin lay listlessly on the bed in the Imperial Hospital.

"Qin Xueyuan, you have a case of internal heat affecting your heart. You just need to rest and recuperate."

Qin Qingmin was naturally aware of his physical condition.

That was entirely because Chen Nan's words were too sharp.

He was so angry at Chen Nan that he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Since there is nothing else, the academy will take its leave first."

After leaving the Imperial Hospital, Qin Qingmin returned to the imperial court.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, the Empress Dowager of Northern Wei had a solemn expression.

"Gentlemen, the envoy from Western Shu will arrive in Northern Wei in three days."

"What do you all think is the purpose of this mission from Western Shu to Northern Wei?"

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the civil officials stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Western Shu was defeated at Lecheng first."

"The purpose of this mission to Northern Wei is to seek peace, and we have specifically sent envoys to discuss the matter of tribute with Northern Wei."

The person who spoke was named Li Shen. He had a scholarly face, no beard, and wasn't very old.

Although he was young, he was the Minister of Rites of the Northern Wei Dynasty, a high-ranking official of the second rank.

Chen Nan sneered and confronted him: "Isn't Minister Li being a bit presumptuous?"

Chen Nan, who had just finished arguing with Qin Qingmin, is once again standing on the opposite side of the civil officials.

It is worth mentioning that Li Shen, the Minister of Rites, was also a graduate of the Longtu Academy.

Chen Nan was unaware of these matters.

He was merely analyzing the intentions of the Western Shu envoy from the perspective of the Northern Wei Dynasty, based on the facts.

"You two ministers have different opinions?"

"What do you think?"

The Empress Dowager changed the subject, her gaze sweeping over the others.

At that moment, Qin Qingmin, who had just come out of the Imperial Hospital, was standing in the second row of civil officials in the Fengtian Hall.

Faced with Chen Nan's decree, Li Shen frowned and questioned, "Prince Zhennan, Western Shu and my Northern Wei have always been at odds, and Western Shu's tribute is a last resort."

"Did they come here not because they were defeated on the main battlefield and came to negotiate peace with our Northern Wei?"

These words were agreed upon by most of the people present.

The Northern Wei was a powerful military force, while the Western Shu was merely an economic powerhouse.

Militarily, they were not even on the same starting line as the Northern Wei.

This is why people keep spending money to buy peace of mind.

Chen Nan snorted coldly: "Minister Li, you must have forgotten. Although Western Shu is not as strong as Northern Wei, it did participate in the war between our country and Da Qian."

After speaking, Qin Qingmin stepped forward again and shouted loudly, "Prince Zhennan!"

Chen Nan glanced at Qin Qingmin: "What? Has Qin Qingmin been cured?"

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with coldness as he glared at the other person.

That look made Qin Qingmin take a step back.

"Hiss, didn't Chen Nan say his martial arts strength was only at the eighth rank? How come his gaze is so sharp?"

Qin Qingmin then realized that Chen Nan seemed to only need a glance to deal with him.

However, he didn't know that Chen Nan had no intention of suppressing him at all.

I'm just unhappy that he interrupted me.

Qin Qingmin steadied himself. "It seems the Prince of Zhennan has forgotten that Western Shu has already been defeated."

"If they're not here to negotiate peace with our Northern Wei, do they really intend to travel thousands of miles to provoke us and reignite the war between our two countries?"

Chen Nan calmed down and thought it over carefully.

Logically speaking, Liu Banggua has indeed come to seek peace.

What puzzled him was that Liu Banggua's martial arts skills did not decline after he left Western Shu.

This is what Chen Nan is really concerned about.

Moreover, since they were sending envoys to negotiate, they also needed to discuss the matter of paying tribute.

Shouldn't Western Shu send someone with excellent eloquence?

Liu Banggua was nothing more than a martial artist, and an elderly one at that.

Sending him to discuss the matter is not to let the Northern Wei take all the advantages.

Seeing that Chen Nan remained silent for a long time, Qin Qingmin felt that the other party was impressed by his knowledge.

With a smug smile, he said, "Does the Prince of Zhennan also agree with what this academy has said?"

Suddenly, Chen Nan smiled sinisterly: "Qin Academy is so certain that the envoy from Western Shu has come to negotiate peace. Could it be that he received some advance notice?"

Chen Nan's words were like a bombshell.

A look of surprise flashed across Qin Qingmin's face, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Prince Zhennan, you, you, you... don't you dare spout nonsense!"

"I am utterly loyal to the Northern Wei, how could I have received the news in advance?"

Chen Nan pressed further: "Qin Academy seems to have made a mistake. I only said that you received the news in advance, but I didn't say anything else!"

"Could it be that Qin Academy really knows something?"

This statement was like igniting a powder keg.

In the main hall, everyone's eyes were on Qin Qingmin.

The sheer number of gazes made Qin Qingmin somewhat uncomfortable.

He also knew that things had come to this point.

Whether he knew it or not was no longer important; what mattered was to quickly prove himself to the Empress Dowager.

In an instant, Qin Qingmin bent both knees, knelt in the center, and wept bitterly.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has been honest and upright, serving as the dean of Longtu Academy his entire life."

"Now, the Prince of Zhennan is actually doubting the loyalty of his old minister to the Northern Wei."

"Even if this old minister jumps into the river, he can't clear his name!"

As he spoke, Qin Qingmin suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with a death wish as he stared at the pillar on his right.

As if seeking death: "Since the Empress Dowager also believes that this old minister harbors disloyal intentions, then this old minister will smash his head against this pillar and die."

This scene piqued Chen Nan's curiosity.

Do the Qin family members like to bang their heads against pillars all the time?

Before he could reach a conclusion, the Empress Dowager on the dragon throne coldly snorted, "Is Qin Xueyuan threatening suicide?"

"Not to mention that the Prince of Zhennan didn't say anything at all."

"I think Qin Academy is overreacting."

The Empress Dowager's words completely put Qin Qingmin in a precarious position.

Qin Qingmin stood alone in the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Finally, it stopped on the pillar in front of it.

For a moment, he was caught in a dilemma: whether to hit the pillar or not.

Fortunately, Li Shen came to his rescue in this dilemma.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Qin Academy is truly considering the best interests of Northern Wei."

"The Western Shu came to sue for peace and then offered tribute. Isn't this exactly what our Northern Wei needs?"

"In that case, why don't we take a more assertive stance and raise prices when the time comes?"

"To seek greater benefits from Western Shu."

After that, Qin Qingmin chimed in, "Minister Li is right."

"His Western Shu is nothing but a small border country; how can it compare to my powerful Northern Wei?"

"Moreover, that Liu Bangua is an elderly man in his eighties."

As soon as he said that, Chen Nan's sharp eyes were fixed on Qin Qingmin.

He only learned that the envoy from Western Shu was Liu Banggua through his own subordinates.

But Qin Qingmin was just a college dean.

At best, they only had some influence within the Northern Wei Dynasty.

How did he know the specific personnel sent by the other party?

Qin Qingmin didn't notice Chen Nan's reaction and continued talking incessantly.

"Since the Western Shu has sent a mere warrior as an envoy, as long as we argue our case rationally, we will surely make the Western Shu pay an even higher price!"