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

The moment the leather tent was opened, bursts of laughter and cheerful chatter erupted.

Inside the large tent, a group of burly Jin generals were gnawing on lamb legs and drinking wine, occasionally letting out mocking whistles.

The moment the tent flap was lifted, everyone fell silent.

Shen Lang stood with his hands behind his back, his face expressionless as he scanned the room before fixing his gaze on the person in the center.

Seated at the head of the table was a radiant old man in his sixties, holding a golden goblet in his hand, looking with a half-smile at a group of trembling Song royal family members kneeling in the center of the tent.

Wanyan Wo said, "Duke Zhenguo, that is my father, Wanyan Lie. Please wait a moment."

Then he shouted loudly, "The Duke of Zhenguo of Great Chu has arrived!"

The previously quiet atmosphere inside the tent became so quiet that even breathing ceased, and everyone's gaze was fixed on the handsome and dashing young man at the tent entrance.

Wanyan Lie also focused his attention on Shen Lang, and frowned the moment he saw Shen Lang's expression.

After a brief silence, Wanyan Lie put down his wine cup, stood up, spread his arms, and shouted: "Welcome to the Great Chu Emperor and Duke of Zhenguo to visit my Jin camp!"

The next moment, all the Jin soldiers and generals stood up and bowed in Shen Lang's direction.

Wanyan Wo smiled and whispered in Shen Lang's ear, "Duke Zhenguo, my father has always admired heroes. Someone like you, who has achieved fame at a young age and aspires to be a hero, has always dreamed of meeting you."

Shen Lang: "Your father's behavior makes me feel quite embarrassed."

With that, he smiled and calmly walked towards Wanyan Lie.

"Duke Zhenguo, please take a seat!"

Wanyan Lie raised his hand, pointed to the seat next to him, and shouted loudly to Shen Lang.

"I am truly flattered that the Duke of Zhenguo is willing to visit my Jin camp."

"King Wanyan has an extraordinary bearing, and it is clear at a glance that he is a veteran general who has been through many battles. I, Shen, have long admired you, and meeting you today has put my mind at ease."

As Shen Lang spoke, he walked toward the table, showing no sign of anxiety or unease despite being in an away game.

Seeing Shen Lang's calm demeanor, Wanyan Lie couldn't help but sigh inwardly: As expected of the Emperor of Great Chu, so neither humble nor arrogant, no wonder he was able to slaughter Xia and destroy Wu, bringing about a revival of Chu.

After Shen Lang calmly took his seat, a Jin Kingdom maidservant immediately poured most of a pot of mare's milk wine into his bowl.

Wanyan Lie raised his wine cup and smiled at Shen Lang, saying, "Our Jin people live in a harsh and cold region, unlike the vast and resource-rich Chu Kingdom."

"This is the only simple wine we can offer to our distinguished guest. We hope that the Duke of Zhenguo will not find it offensive and will drink it to his heart's content."

Without saying a word, Shen Lang picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

This action was swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, which made the general in the tent admire his boldness.

After Shen Lang finished his bowl of wine, he pointed to the empty bowl and said, "Fill it up."

The foreign maidservant beside him was stunned. Holding the wine pot, she didn't know what to do for a moment and looked to Wanyan Lie for help.

"Hahaha!"

Wanyan Lie immediately smiled, put down his wine cup, and gave Shen Lang a thumbs up.

"The Duke of Zhenguo is indeed generous. I thought this mare's milk wine was spicy and had a strong smell, and I was worried that the Duke of Zhenguo would not be used to it. I did not expect that the Duke of Zhenguo would like this wine so much."

Shen Lang tapped his finger lightly on the table and calmly said, "Your Majesty Wanyan is joking. I come from a military background; I don't have such formalities. This fine wine is delicious..."

I can drink any kind of cheap wine; the key is how I drink it, it all depends on my mood. Today I'm in a good mood, so naturally I'll drink cheap wine like it's nectar.

Moreover, this mare's milk wine is fragrant and delicious, without the slightest trace of the muttony smell the king described.

After saying that, he turned to look at the maid carrying the wine: "What, are you afraid I'll drink all your wine? That's why you're so reluctant to refill my glass?"

"Hahaha!"

Wanyan Lie felt that Shen Lang's personality suited his taste very well, and immediately said to the maid, "He's getting more and more unruly."

"If a guest orders wine, you should pour it for them. Aren't you afraid that such neglect will make people say that we Jurchens have no manners?"

"Yes!"

The maid immediately filled Shen Lang's cup with wine, then gave him an apologetic look.

Wanyan Lie: "Duke Zhenguo, we Jin people aren't as particular about etiquette as you Chu, the land of etiquette. Once you're here, just make yourself at home."

Do whatever you want, follow your own heart, and don't have too many worries.

Shen Lang smiled and said, "With Your Majesty's words, I won't stand on ceremony. Actually, I just think that eating should be done properly. Being coy and hesitant makes it less enjoyable."

Without any hesitation, he grabbed a piece of roasted mutton from the plate on the table and began to gnaw on it.

Upon tasting the mutton, Shen Lang was taken aback: "The Jurchens' cooking skills are impressive. This mutton has absolutely no gamey smell. Not bad."

Seeing Shen Lang so uninhibited, Wanyan Lie nodded in satisfaction.

The other generals in the tent were also temporarily relieved.

After eating a piece of mutton, Shen Lang looked at the group of Song officials kneeling in the tent and asked, "What's going on with these people?"

Wanyan Lie then realized what was happening and explained to Shen Lang, "I almost forgot to tell the Duke of Zhenguo that these are all relatives of the Zhao family of Song, a bunch of cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong, and who have no integrity."

Now that they're in my hands, I'm discussing what punishment to give them.

As he said this, he kept a close eye on the changes in Shen Lang's facial expression.

Wanyan Lie naturally knew that the Song and Chu states were friendly states, and he wanted to test Chu's current attitude through Shen Lang.

"Oh."

Shen Lang, however, did not care at all. After having the maid fill another cup with mare's milk wine, he grabbed a piece of lamb's hoof, dipped it in the dish of ginger and garlic, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

Then he said vaguely, "Then you can continue. I also want to see how the Great Jin punishes prisoners of war from enemy countries."

After saying that, he picked up another piece of beef, dipped it in the sauce dish, and swallowed it in one gulp with mare's milk wine.

Wanyan Lie wasn't hungry at first, but seeing Shen Lang eating so heartily, he couldn't help but lick his lips as a strong sense of hunger surged into his mind.

"Very well, since the Duke of Zhenguo has honored you with his presence, then please enjoy the show with him."

After Wanyan Lie finished speaking, his expression immediately changed as he looked at the group of men and women kneeling on the ground.

"Zhao Zhen, as a prince of the Song Dynasty, why do you repeatedly go back on your word? Since you agreed to the conditions of my Great Jin, why do you not fulfill them? Do you think my Great Jin is easy to bully?"

Zhao Zhen trembled with fear and kept kowtowing to Wanyan Lie: "Your Majesty, I really know I was wrong. As long as Your Majesty is willing to let me and my family go back, I will definitely send Your Majesty enough military supplies to reward you."

Wanyan Lie snorted coldly: "Do you think I would still believe your nonsense?"

Your Song royal family's words are like farts; they always go back on their word.

I've given you several chances, but you didn't cherish them.

This time, I, the king, will absolutely not let you go again.

After saying that, he clapped his hands and shouted loudly outside the tent, "Guards! Strip Zhao Zhen and his family of their clothes."

Soon, a group of Jin warriors stormed into the tent and, amidst the laughter of the generals inside, roughly tore the outer garments of Zhao Zhen and his family to shreds.

Only the women, out of consideration for Shen Lang, did not strip naked, but instead wore a bellyband and underwear to cover their private parts.

Even so, the women were still blushing with embarrassment.

Hearing the mocking whistles of the Jurchens around them, many women wept, feeling ashamed and indignant, and wanted to die immediately.

"Guards, perform the sheep-leading ceremony!"

Wanyan Lie shouted, and immediately a group of warriors appeared outside the tent, each holding a bloody sheepskin that looked freshly peeled.

The next moment, these sheepskins were placed directly on the backs of Zhao Zhen and the others.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Instantly, bursts of laughter erupted from inside the tent.

Zhao Zhen and the others had tears of humiliation streaming down their faces.