Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

The Zhulong Pavilion in the southwest of Jiumai Mountain stands on the edge of a cliff, offering a panoramic view of the beautiful mountain scenery.

Inside the pavilion, a pot of green plums simmered in hot soup, emitting wisps of steam.

Beside the Candle Dragon Pavilion, a young man stood quietly, gazing at the spectacular scenery of the Nine Veins Mountain.

He was dressed in a pure white fox fur coat, as if he had blended into the surrounding snowy landscape.

A brocade-colored jade pendant hung from her waist, swaying gently in the breeze and shimmering with a warm light.

But what's most eye-catching is the white jade thumb ring he wears on his thumb.

He would occasionally extend his slender fingers and gently stroke the thumb ring, the movement seemingly casual, yet revealing an indescribable elegance.

Looking at the young man's face, he was exceptionally handsome, a rare find in the world.

His skin was as white as porcelain, so delicate that it was almost impossible to see a single flaw.

His sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards into his temples, as thick and glossy as ink.

Her eyes were bright as stars, deep and captivating; one glance was enough to draw you in and make you unable to look away.

His nose was straight and high, and his lips were thin and red. When they were slightly upturned, they made him look even more dashing.

With such handsome looks, he could easily stand out in a sea of ​​people and be unforgettable.

This young man was the pride of the Great Yan Kingdom, the man with the greatest hope of succeeding as the Khan of Northern Yan.

The second prince, Murong Ke.

A gust of north wind blew by, and Murong Ke stopped stroking the jade thumb ring, revealing a gentle smile, and said to the person behind him:

"I never imagined that the Empress of Great Chu would be so courageous, daring to break through the situation and infiltrate the Northern Territory alone. She truly makes me look at her with new eyes."

Jiang Mengxuan, with her hands behind her back, stepped into the Zhulong Pavilion through the snow.

"If it weren't for the Second Prince's meddling, would I have risked my life and traveled thousands of miles to Qingzhou?"

As soon as he finished speaking, snowflakes flew and clashed.

"what……"

Murong Ke chuckled softly, then turned to look at Jiang Mengxuan.

"I have long heard that the Empress of Great Chu is as beautiful as an immortal, aloof and elegant. Seeing her today, she is even more stunning than the rumors suggest."

After he finished speaking, he gestured for Jiang Mengxuan to sit down and talk.

Jiang Mengxuan did not hesitate and sat down directly in front of Murong Ke.

"Second Prince, what brings you here to me?"

Murong Ke smiled slightly, then personally poured Jiang Mengxuan a glass of wine.

"Your Majesty, please do not doubt that I have invited you here today with no ill intentions, but rather to sign a new agreement with you."

"Oh? Didn't the State of Yan already sign a peace treaty with the State of Chu? Why go through this unnecessary trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Ke maintained his smile, showing no embarrassment whatsoever at Jiang Mengxuan's question.

"As the Empress is probably aware, there have been some unpleasant incidents between Great Yan and your country recently, and I intend to mend this relationship."

Jiang Mengxuan did not answer, but just looked at Murong Ke quietly, wanting to see what he had to say.

Murong Ke poured himself a cup of wine and then said, "Then I'll get straight to the point. Actually, when I heard that Murong Wei had died in Blackwater City..."

"I had already foreseen that the situation in the northern part of Great Chu was spiraling out of control. Upon reflection, only the Empress's personal presence could achieve such an effect."

Jiang Mengxuan asked expressionlessly, "Does the Second Prince intend for me to give your Yan Kingdom an explanation for Murong Wei's death?"

Murong Ke shook his head: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. You helped me eliminate a rival for the throne. I am grateful to you, so why would I need any explanation?"

Besides, he was just a self-important good-for-nothing; his death is not enough to warrant the attention of the Murong clan.

Jiang Mengxuan: "A prince has died, and the Murong clan hasn't reacted at all? Second Prince, if I remember correctly..."

"You are not yet the Khan of Yan, you cannot afford to ignore such a crucial matter."

Murong Ke's hand holding the wine cup paused slightly, then he smiled and nodded: "Now I understand why the Great Chu, under the Empress's rule for only a few short years, has shown signs of revival."

"Alright, I won't hide it from the Empress. Actually, when news of Murong Wei's death reached Yanjing, my father intended to launch a full-scale offensive against the northern border of Great Chu."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan remained expressionless as she looked at Murong Ke, quietly waiting for him to continue.

"But the reason we gave up later wasn't because of any agreement with the Great Chu, but rather..."

He slammed his glass down on the table, spilling the wine instantly, which cooled in the air in the blink of an eye.

"The barbarians from the Kingdom of Sirius have invaded."

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Mengxuan finally received a perfect answer to her question.

She knew the customs of the people of Northern Yan; they would certainly not let the death of a prince go unpunished.

Unless, something a hundred times more serious than avenging the prince happens.

The Kingdom of Tianlang is the biggest problem that Northern Yan faces in its survival.

This tribe is savage by nature, like uncivilized anthropomorphic creatures, with only killing and reproduction in their eyes.

Since the founding of the Yan Kingdom, it has been constantly harassed by the Tianlang clan. Every time the Tianlang cavalry sweeps through, all that is left is a desolate wasteland, which is extremely distressing.

In fact, it wasn't just the Yan Kingdom; all the countries and ethnic groups surrounding the Tianlang Kingdom had suffered invasions from the Tianlang clan. Even the Wuzhao Kingdom was harassed by the Tianlang Kingdom for a period of time.

It wasn't until Li Hong, the current ruler of Wu Zhao Kingdom, ascended the throne that he decided to resolve this troublesome situation in the east once and for all.

Thus, in the second year of Li Hong's reign, he mobilized almost one-third of the nation's resources to assemble an elite expeditionary force of 150,000 men (actually 40,000) and, after thirteen years of continuous attacks, finally forced the Tianlang Kingdom to submit.

As a result, the Kingdom of Tianlang became a vassal state of Wuzhao.

Since the Kingdom of Sirius was an uncivilized and primitive barbaric nation, it was impossible to restrain them with ethics and morality.

After Li Hong subdued them, in order to prevent them from rebelling, he dispatched armored men to deploy defenses in the Far East while using a large amount of money and food to stabilize the Sirius people.

At the same time, they also turned their attention to Northern Yan, a country unwilling to become a vassal state of Wu Zhao, and instigated Tianlang Kingdom to go to war with Northern Yan.

From then on, the attacks of the Tianlang Kingdom against the Northern Yan became more and more frequent each year. However, after signing a peace agreement with the Great Chu, the Tianlang Kingdom had not invaded again for four or five years.

But this time, almost without any warning, the 80,000 wolf riders of the Tianlang Kingdom suddenly advanced towards the border of Northern Yan.

In just a few days, the heads of soldiers and civilians on the border of Northern Yan were brutally murdered and made into mounds of skulls, dozens of tribes and towns were burned to the ground, and the entire eastern grassland was almost covered by the swords and hooves of the Tianlang tribe.

Murong Ke continued, "This time, the Heavenly Wolf Kingdom came with great force. After plundering the border, their 80,000 wolf riders did not leave."

Instead, they continued their probing attacks into the border region. Furthermore, I have discovered that this time the wolf cavalry also carried a considerable amount of siege equipment.

Therefore, in order to focus on dealing with the Tianlang barbarians, the Great Yan had to abandon its revenge for Murong Wei. My father, fearing misunderstanding from your country, specifically ordered me to explain to the Empress.

Jiang Mengxuan: "Then what do you need me to do?"

Murong Ke: "Empress, I hope you understand that the Tianlang Kingdom is even more barbaric than the Jin Kingdom, and is not bound by any etiquette or morality."

The Yan Kingdom's defense against the Tianlang barbarians is tantamount to indirectly protecting your country's safety.

We only hope that your country will not stab us in the back. If possible, we hope to provide some additional support.

Jiang Mengxuan chuckled lightly: "Do you think I can't distinguish between what's important and what's not? When has my Great Chu ever betrayed a friendly nation when your country defended against the invasion of the Tianlang Kingdom?"

Murong Ke laughed: "In the past, I would have naturally believed that the Chu Kingdom understood the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' and the Empress, being meticulous, would naturally have understood the implications as well."

But……"

He paused, then continued, "The emperor beside the empress is an uncertain factor."

"Even I cannot fathom his ways, which is why I personally met with the Empress, hoping she could restrain your Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan glanced at him and smiled.

next moment……

"If the Second Prince has something to say, he might as well speak to me directly."

Shen Lang's figure suddenly appeared in front of the Candle Dragon Hall.

The moment their eyes met, the snow around the pavilion seemed to fall even heavier.