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

For a time, the main hall was filled with a great deal of noise.

Officials who agreed to abandon the plan cited reasons such as financial difficulties and excessive costs, while others worried that the North Koreans would take advantage of the situation.

Officials who opposed abandoning her kept emphasizing Lingyan's achievements, loyalty, and the serious consequences of abandoning her, such as moral collapse and the demoralization of the army and the people.

Both sides stuck to their own version of events, refusing to back down, and their voices grew louder and louder.

Some even disregarded court etiquette and argued heatedly with each other, their faces flushed and necks red.

Emperor Jingzhao remained silent, but his gaze grew increasingly deep.

Xiao Muyao, He Jingchuan, and Lu Yanqing remained as silent as reefs.

He stood detached, observing the erupting storm with a cold eye, but remained silent throughout.

As the argument grew more heated, an old general stepped forward, his armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

The old general knelt on one knee before Emperor Jingzhao, clasped his hands, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to lead a suicide squad to infiltrate Beili and rescue the Crown Princess. Although this old minister is old, as long as the Crown Princess can be rescued, I will spare no effort, even at the cost of my life. All the soldiers of our Great Zhao are willing to go through fire and water for the Crown Princess and die ten thousand times without hesitation."

"General Gao, do not act rashly."

A civil official hurriedly advised, "The Northern Li is heavily guarded. If you go there, it will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Not only will you fail to rescue the Crown Princess, but you will also needlessly sacrifice the lives of many soldiers."

"So, in your opinion, we should just sit idly by and do nothing?" General Gao glared at the civil official and roared.

The Imperial Study was once again engulfed in a chaotic argument.

Various sounds intertwined, like surging waves crashing against Emperor Jingzhao on his throne.

Emperor Jingzhao sat upright on the dragon throne, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his gaze deep and firm, slowly sweeping over the ministers below.

He coughed lightly when he saw the situation getting out of control.

The next instant, all sounds vanished, the officials stopped arguing, and returned to their original positions to stand solemnly and await orders.

At this moment, Emperor Jingzhao's voice rang out, steady yet carrying an unquestionable majesty: "I have decided to make an exchange with Bei Li and welcome back the Crown Princess."

His Highness and his courtiers were immediately thrown into an uproar.

Several ministers couldn't help but want to speak up and dissuade him, but under Emperor Jingzhao's stern gaze, they swallowed their words.

Emperor Jingzhao's eyes revealed wisdom and decisiveness as he continued, "I am well aware of the concerns of my beloved ministers. The conditions proposed by Bei Li are indeed harsh. However, Crown Princess Lingyan is no ordinary woman. To our Great Zhao, she is like a bright star illuminating the night. She is a gift from heaven."

Then he stood up and walked down the steps, as if lost in memories: "Since she married into the royal family, she resolutely went to Jiangnan to investigate the case of cheating in the imperial examinations. She meticulously investigated and exposed the mastermind behind the scenes, restoring the integrity of the court and winning the hearts of scholars across the country. When Dazhao was at war with Nanjiang and Beili, many people thought that our dynasty was doomed and the destruction of our country was imminent."

"It was she who stepped forward. In the camp, she used brilliant strategies to stabilize the morale of the troops. On the battlefield, she commanded with composure, leading her soldiers in a counterattack, recovering lost territory, defeating the enemy, and making the Great Zhao army flag fly high on the frontier once again, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy."

Emperor Jingzhao's eyes were filled with pride and admiration: "After entering the court, she implemented new tax policies in the Ministry of Revenue, and the national treasury became increasingly full; the Ministry of Personnel reformed the official assessment system, and many talented people emerged in the court; under her ingenious ideas, the Ministry of Works made great strides in construction techniques, and the projects benefited all people. Wherever she went, she brought vitality and prosperity to the Great Zhao. How can the value created by such a person be measured by gold, silver and cities?"

Emperor Jingzhao stopped and turned to look at his ministers: "If she can return, she will surely lead the Great Zhao to unprecedented prosperity. I believe that she can create more wealth than she has lost and expand the territory. Those cities, gold and silver are only temporarily in the hands of the Northern Li. One day, with the help of the Crown Princess, the Great Zhao will make the Northern Li return them obediently."

He walked back to the dragon throne, turned around and sat down, placing his hands on the armrests and leaning forward slightly: "But the terms of this exchange are not non-negotiable. I will not allow Bei Li to make exorbitant demands. Issue my decree to send eloquent and persuasive officials from the Lu Temple to negotiate with Bei Li, ensuring that Bei Li understands the sincerity of Da Zhao, but also makes it clear to them Da Zhao's bottom line."

Seeing that most of the ministers no longer objected, Emperor Jingzhao nodded in satisfaction and continued, "My dear ministers, do not dwell on the gains and losses before you. Crown Princess Lingyan is the hope of Great Zhao and my right-hand woman. I believe that as long as she returns to Great Zhao, all her efforts will be rewarded a thousandfold. The prosperity of Great Zhao is just around the corner."

At this moment, Emperor Jingzhao's determination was like a blazing flame, intense and unwavering.

He believed that his decision was absolutely correct.

Because Lingyan was the key that unlocked the door to a prosperous era.

Upon hearing this, the officials shouted in unison, "Your Majesty is wise; we obey your decree."

The sounds were initially somewhat uneven, but gradually coalesced into a torrent that echoed throughout the hall.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied; some were resolute, others reluctant, but at this moment they were all united in obeying the emperor's decree.

Those ministers who disagreed, though still feeling that it was not worth paying such a price for the Crown Princess.

But seeing Emperor Jingzhao's resolute expression and the enthusiastic response from many ministers, they knew that there was no turning back.

So they all joined in the shout.

Emperor Jingzhao nodded slightly, looking at the assembled officials with satisfaction, his eyes revealing an undeniable authority and determination.

Xiao Muyao, He Jingchuan, and Lu Yanqing were finally relieved.

The three of them were relieved.

They then exchanged a subtle glance before looking away.

Xiao Muyao thought to himself with great relief: Since Father Emperor has agreed, all his previous preparations are no longer needed.

All we need to do now is wait patiently for Yan'er to come back.

...............

The negotiations began the following day.

Li Jin, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, walked steadily into the reception room of the post station, dressed in his official robes.

He was followed by two officials, both of whom looked very solemn.

The envoy from the Northern Li Kingdom was already seated in the highest position in the hall, with several attendants standing on either side, all with arrogant expressions.

Li Jin walked into the hall and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, Envoy of Bei Li." His voice was neither humble nor arrogant.

The Northern Li envoy raised his chin: "Minister Li, please sit down. Let's not beat around the bush and just talk about how your Great Zhao can meet our conditions."

Li Jin slowly sat down and looked calmly at the envoy: "Your Excellency, His Majesty the Great Zhao Emperor attaches great importance to the conditions proposed by your country, but some of the clauses do need to be discussed further."

The envoy frowned. "What is there to discuss? This is a settled matter."

Li Jin smiled gently: "My lord, as you know, although Da Zhao is willing to welcome back the Crown Princess, the amount of gold and silver jewelry is enormous and it is difficult to prepare it all in a short time. Moreover, the city is the foundation of the country, and it may damage the harmony between the two countries if it is easily ceded."

The envoy scoffed, "So, does your Great Zhao Dynasty not want to rescue the Crown Princess?"

Li Jin remained calm and said, "My lord, please do not be hasty. Our Great Zhao is willing to express our sincerity in other ways. For example, our country can open several border trade ports to allow merchants from the Northern Li to come and do business. We can also offer certain tax incentives. This would be beneficial for both countries."

Upon hearing this, the envoy stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.