Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

When the King of Beili, far away in Beili, received news from his country's envoy that the Great Zhao Dynasty wanted to exchange sixteen beauties for sixteen cities.

The anger in my heart was instantly ignited, like a volcano about to erupt.

His face was as dark as an impending storm.

He then slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne, the loud sound echoing through the empty palace, as if it were his angry roar: "The Great Zhao has gone too far!"

His voice was deep and filled with anger, each word seemingly brimming with boundless fury.

His eyes were wide open, bloodshot, and his angry gaze seemed to want to burn everything in front of him to ashes.

He stood up and paced back and forth in front of the throne, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force.

His breathing became rapid and heavy, his chest heaving violently, like an angry lion.

His face was contorted with rage, his once handsome features now appearing somewhat ferocious.

The palace was filled with the wrath of the Northern King, as if the air itself had become scorching and oppressive.

The ministers stood aside, not daring to utter a sound, for fear of angering the enraged King Li of the North.

At this moment, King Bei Li stood in the palace. Although he was filled with raging anger, he knew deep down that he had no choice but to agree to this condition.

Therefore, he clenched his teeth, his cheeks bulging from the effort, his heart filled with resentment and helplessness.

"Da Zhao..."

He squeezed out those two words through clenched teeth, his voice filled with boundless hatred and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

He knew the power of the Great Zhao; it was a colossal entity.

In the previous two wars, the Northern Li had suffered heavy losses, its troops were drastically reduced, and its food and supplies were almost exhausted.

Every battle on the battlefield has cost the soldiers of Beili their lives, leaving the country devastated.

The people were living in dire straits, morale was low, and the people were filled with anxiety.

The Northern Li army suffered repeated defeats under the powerful offensive of the Great Zhao, and each engagement was like throwing an egg against a rock.

He knew perfectly well that, given the current state of Bei Li, it was utterly powerless to contend with Da Zhao even in the slightest.

If we do not agree to Da Zhao’s seemingly absurd request, the consequences will be unimaginable.

The threat of national annihilation hangs like a sword of Damocles overhead, ready to fall at any moment and reduce everything in Bei Li to ashes.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but tremble with a deep worry and fear about the fate of the country.

He then slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still burning with anger, but now tinged with helplessness and resolve.

Then, gritting his teeth, he said, "Issue my decree to reply to the Emperor of Da Zhao, saying that I am willing to exchange eight cities for sixteen beauties. I hope the Emperor of Da Zhao can understand. This is the biggest concession that Bei Li can make at present. I only hope that the Emperor of Da Zhao can accept it."

If Emperor Jingzhao does not accept, he may really fight them to the death.

In fact, both he and Emperor Jingzhao knew that these beauties were just an excuse.

The real purpose, of course, was still to conquer these cities.

So even if it weren't this excuse, there would be other excuses; it just happens to be this one right now.

This is the difference between a strong country and a weak country.

If a powerful nation wants you to hand over its cities, no matter how outrageous the reason, you cannot resist.

Of course, they were powerless to resist and could only passively accept it.

Because the rules of this world are set by the strong.

However, neither he nor Emperor Jingzhao had to use these beauties as a pretext to put it in the open, which was just for appearances or to sound good to outsiders.

It wasn't actually an act of robbery.

How shameless!

This is utterly shameless!

…………

Emperor Jingzhao was overjoyed when he received the reply from the King of Beili.

Unexpectedly, we gained eight cities for free!

This is such a great deal!

At this moment, Emperor Jingzhao sat on the dragon throne, a radiant smile spreading across his face.

That smile was like sunlight piercing through the clouds, illuminating the entire palace.

His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh. His laughter echoed throughout the palace, filled with joy and pride.

The civil and military officials in the imperial court were also overjoyed.

The ministers all wore expressions of delight, whispering among themselves, their excitement palpable.

Some ministers were so excited that their faces turned red, and they kept bowing to Emperor Jingzhao to congratulate him: "Your Majesty is wise! This is a blessing for our Great Zhao. Your Majesty's power has deterred all sides, which is why the Northern Li have submitted obediently and achieved such a great victory!"

Some ministers, with tears in their eyes, exclaimed with deep emotion: "Having endured the ravages of war, to achieve such results today is truly a blessing for our Great Zhao and for its people! Your Majesty is wise and mighty, leading our Great Zhao to glory!"

Everyone knows that all of this was due to the Crown Princess's ingenious plan.

Emperor Jingzhao then turned his gaze to Lingyan, his eyes full of praise, and said, "Crown Princess, you are truly the lucky star of our Great Zhao! Your plan not only allowed our Great Zhao to acquire eight cities without losing a single soldier, but also greatly increased our Great Zhao's prestige among the nations. Your intelligence and strategy are truly a model for women of the world. I am very pleased!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yan bowed slightly, a humble smile on her face: "Your Majesty flatters me. I have only done my bit of effort."

Emperor Jingzhao shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, your contribution is indelible. If it weren't for your ingenious idea, how could we have achieved today's victory?"

Upon hearing this, Lingyan stopped being modest and generously accepted his praise.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the imperial court was exceptionally lively.

The ministers echoed Emperor Jingzhao's praise for Lingyan, lavishing praise on her wisdom and contributions.

"The Crown Princess is exceptionally intelligent; this plan is truly ingenious and a great blessing to our Great Zhao!"

"With such a virtuous and capable person as the Crown Princess assisting the Crown Prince, our Great Zhao will surely become even more prosperous and flourishing in the future!"

Various praises were heard one after another.

The entire court was immersed in joy and celebration.

Ling Yan undoubtedly became the focus of everyone's attention.

Throughout the entire process, she remained humble, polite, and composed, without the slightest hint of arrogance or pride.

Such a humble and composed demeanor earned her even greater respect from the officials.

…………

Now that the reply from the Northern King had been delivered, Emperor Jingzhao immediately sent people to take over the eight cities.

They then released the beauties from the palace and handed them over to the envoys of the Northern Li, who would then take good care of them and send them back.

The beauties happened to pass by the Crown Prince's residence on their way from the palace to the post station.

So they all got out of the carriage, knelt down in front of the Crown Prince's residence, and kowtowed three times with deep gratitude.

He then got into a carriage and left.

Lingyan was very pleased when she learned of this.

They are so grateful, and she hopes they can all live peaceful and happy lives in the future.