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

Despite the excruciating pain in her arm, Nguyen Ha Lai sat down at the negotiating table, gritting her teeth.

Shen Lang sat down in the main seat and waved his hand, "Alright, everyone, stop standing and sit down. It's better to get things done sooner so that things can be peaceful again. It's better for everyone, don't you think?"

“The Duke of Zhenguo is right. Things should be done sooner so that things can be settled sooner.”

Ruan Ruowu could wear a smile all over his face, his expression obsequious, as lewd as could be.

After everyone was seated, Shen Lang took out a pre-prepared draft of an agreement and began to speak:

"From this moment forward, negotiations between the State of Chu and the State of Li will officially commence."

"The cause of this conflict between the Chu and Li states is that the Li state has long illegally occupied Sanye Island, which led to a series of conflicts."

So the fault lies entirely with Lebanon. Do you have any objections to this?

After speaking, he glanced around at the people opposite him.

Everyone kept their heads down and remained silent.

"What, did I not explain myself clearly enough, or are you not giving me face?"

The next moment, a group of soldiers pressed their guns directly against their foreheads.

Instantly, a beautiful "melody" filled the room.

"Yes, it's all the fault of the Li Kingdom. The Li Kingdom shamelessly seized it."

"The Duke of Zhenguo is right. Our Li Kingdom is truly worse than pigs and dogs. We have offended the suzerain state and deserve to die a thousand deaths."

“I am guilty, I confess, and I am willing to deeply repent for Lebanon’s ability to make such a foolish decision.”

For a time, ministers led by Nguyen Ngoc Vu Ngum, including Nguyen Ha Lai, tearfully confessed their mistakes.

Unfortunately, the Lebanese navy, which Lebanon was so proud of, was completely wiped out in the battle.

On the ground, let alone the naval assault teams with modern weapons, even the Chu army's cold weapon troops could easily crush them.

National defense is an indispensable part of strength; we must acknowledge our weakness and stand firm even when attacked.

Since we can't beat them, we can only accept it obediently.

Shen Lang snorted disdainfully and whispered to Yue Pengju beside him, "Pengju, you must remember one thing: in this era of great strife, dignity, whether for the nation or for the individual, is earned through fighting."

Yue Pengju nodded and replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Principal. I will remember it."

Shen Lang continued, "Very well, since you know the fault lies with you, then I request that the Kingdom of Li provide reasonable compensation for your illegal occupation of my Great Chu's territorial waters and the harm done to overseas Chinese."

After discussion, it is determined that your country must compensate the State of Chu for the losses suffered over the years, including the military expenses incurred by our Great Chu navy during this overseas voyage, totaling one hundred million taels of gold.

Ruan Xialai immediately became anxious: "Duke Zhenguo, this is really too much! Le Kingdom simply cannot produce that much gold..."

Shen Lang: "You only need to answer whether you are willing or not. Other things are not for you to consider."

Nguyen Ha Lai felt like she was going crazy.

One hundred million taels of gold?

Even if all the countries in Southeast Asia sold their assets, let alone Lebanon, they still wouldn't be able to raise half of that amount.

Moreover, the national treasury has already been squandered by him, and he can't even come up with a million taels of silver.

But when faced with Shen Lang's deep and sharp gaze, Ruan Xialai finally nodded in humiliation: "I am willing to compensate."

Shen Lang remained expressionless and continued, "In order to ensure that the rights and interests of our Great Chu citizens in the South China Sea are effectively protected,

To avoid further unnecessary conflicts in the South China Sea, the Empress of Great Chu proposed reducing the size of the Li Kingdom's navy, limiting its number of three-masted warships to no more than twenty.

The number of two-masted warships shall not exceed sixty, and the naval personnel shall be limited to no more than five thousand. Furthermore, the army shall be disbanded and maintained at a minimum strength of ten thousand. Does your country have any objections to this?

Ruan Xialai felt as disgusted and uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly.

Shen Lang's proposal effectively neutralized the military power of the Li Kingdom.

He really wanted to try and discuss it, but seeing Shen Lang's gloomy face, he finally gave up.

"no disagreement."

Shen Lang continued, looking at the draft agreement: "Then, the next point is that, in order to ensure normal diplomatic relations between the two countries, trade is the best means of communication."

For industries related to minerals, rubber, spices, and pearls within the Li state, Chu merchants had the right to priority in purchasing, mining, and pricing.

In addition, fourteen islands north of the State of Li were ceded to the State of Chu as its exclusive territory, within which all administrative and military operations were to be conducted.

All must adhere to the laws of Chu. The laws of Li are invalid within the exclusive territory. Furthermore, no Chu person has the right to hire local laborers or recruit soldiers within the exclusive territory, and Li shall not interfere.

Do you have any objections to this?

Ruan Xialai clenched her fist, but quickly relaxed it.

"no disagreement."

After saying this, Nguyen Ha Lai seemed completely exhausted and slumped weakly in the negotiating chair.

It's over. The Kingdom of Le is completely finished.

"Next, the State of Chu has the right to freely enter and exit Southeast Asia, and also the right to station troops in various parts of Southeast Asia."

Lebanon must not interfere in this matter for any reason; otherwise, it will be considered a provocation against national prestige. Lebanon is urged to remember this.

Shen Lang informed Ruan Xialai and his ministers of this matter in a notification manner, not in a hypocritical tone of consultation.

What else could the rulers and ministers of Li Kingdom do? They simply gave up and agreed.

Afterwards, Shen Lang made detailed additions to the relevant agreements and divided nearly half of Li Kingdom's territory and control over almost all of its ocean islands before both parties signed the formal contract.

Thus, the Great Chu obtained its own colonies overseas.

The islands of Southeast Asia contain far more resources than one might imagine, and their soil is extremely fertile due to the humid climate.

Starting from this point, once the people of Chu have tasted the benefits of colonial economy, they will surely embark on the path of comprehensive expansion of colonies.

When Shen Lang handed the contract to Jiang Mengxuan.

Jiang Mengxuan, who had expected the meeting to last at least three to five days, was filled with disbelief after reading the proposed content.

"They all agreed? Not a single objection?"

"His Majesty's divine might is overwhelming; how could they dare to disagree?"

From Shen Lang's shifty gaze, Jiang Mengxuan instantly realized that it was all his doing.

"Ah Lang, why don't we just take this place as part of our Great Chu territory?"

"Does Your Majesty want tens of millions more mouths to feed all of us?"

The essence of colonization is to exploit the labor force of other countries to contribute to the economic growth of one's own country.

If they were given the same treatment as the people, would His Majesty still have the heart to watch them suffer so much? In the end, we are nothing more than conquerors.

The national conditions of Li and Chu are completely different, and Chu has no obligation to change them.

Jiang Mengxuan fell silent.

It must be said that she was very cold-blooded when it came to matters of state, almost devoid of any personal emotion, when it came to her gentle and considerate husband.

He did so much for the State of Chu, yet his reputation among the people remained a mixed bag.

Not to mention the powerful families and sects in Jiangnan that he had nearly destroyed, even ordinary people kept cursing him in private.

Jiang Mengxuan tried several times to stop public discussions about Shen Lang, but Shen Lang refused to let her interfere, showing no concern for the damage to his reputation.

Thinking of this, Jiang Mengxuan was deeply moved.

She thought to herself: Maybe next time we make love, I should use his favorite position as compensation. I can't let such a good husband run away.