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

The inner courtyard of the Governor's Mansion is now completely decorated in the style of a Chu state government office, signifying that Jiang Mengxuan is determined to bring this place under her control.

At this moment, Jiang Mengxuan was copying a landscape painting of Haizhou in the courtyard, and the person grinding ink and serving her was not her personal maid Qingwen, but Queen Tian Ying of Qi.

After Tian Ying and Jiang Mengxuan met, Tian Ying visited the governor's mansion every day, even going so far as to offer them tea and water.

Despite Jiang Mengxuan's repeated requests that there was no need for such attentiveness, Tian Ying insisted on serving her personally.

Over time, Jiang Mengxuan just let her be, which made Qingwen very dissatisfied, feeling like she was about to lose her job.

"Your Majesty, you are truly a man of many talents. The people and scenes in this painting are so lifelike that it's as if you were actually there."

Tian Ying's compliments stemmed partly from her admiration for Jiang Mengxuan and partly from her heart.

Jiang Mengxuan's paintings are truly a feast for the eyes.

After spending this time together closely, Tian Ying's admiration for the Empress grew even stronger.

Whether it's official or personal matters, she handles everything in an orderly manner. Especially when she defeated Wu Zhao's army last time, she sat in the rear with a confident look on her face, something she herself could never do.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan smiled gracefully, finished the last stroke of the painting, and gently placed the imperial brush on the inkstone: "Painting is merely a compulsory course for the royal family and nobility of our Chu Kingdom. Not only the emperor, but even kings and dukes know a little bit about it."

Tian Ying looked on with longing: "The State of Chu is truly a celestial empire, which fills me with admiration. I wonder when I will have the opportunity to visit His Majesty's country in person, so that I can finally fulfill my longing."

Jiang Mengxuan: "What's so difficult about that? Once the officials who surveyed your country's mineral resources return and we confirm the contents of the agreement, Your Highness is welcome to visit our country at any time."

"What if the inspection fails?" Tian Ying asked anxiously. "Will His Majesty then not welcome me?"

The Empress smiled slightly: "Your Highness, what are you saying? The Kingdom of Chu has always been hospitable and welcomes all friendly nations to visit."

Even if the business deal falls through, based on our personal relationship over the past few months, I would still welcome you to visit the State of Chu.

Upon hearing this, Tian Ying's eyes gleamed with hope.

Just as he was about to say something more flattering, Qingwen brought the tea into the inner courtyard.

Tian Ying reacted quickly, stepping forward and taking the tea tray directly from Qingwen's hands before she could react.

"Miss Qingwen, leave these small matters to me."

"Oh, you..."

Just as Qingwen was about to stop her, she saw Tian Ying carrying a tea tray to the Empress's side and personally offering the teacup to her.

"No matter what, she is the ruler of a country, but she... well... even His Majesty hasn't said anything, so what can I say?"

Qingwen composed herself, walked up to Jiang Mengxuan, and bowed, replying, "Your Majesty, Staff Officer Ban is waiting outside the door."

"Oh? Please let him in."

"Yes."

After Qingwen left, Tianying asked, "Your Majesty, shall I also excuse myself?"

"Yes, let's have dinner together tonight."

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ying immediately bowed and left the inner courtyard with a joyful expression.

When Ban Dingyuan met the Empress, he recounted in detail his conversation with He Yong.

After listening, Jiang Mengxuan thought for a moment and then said to Ban Dingyuan, "Go back and tell He Yong that the compensation could be reduced."

However, Haizhou and the surrounding area within a hundred li must be under the jurisdiction of my Chu Kingdom. This is the bottom line, and we will absolutely not give up on it.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go back and discuss it with He Yong." After bowing, Ban Dingyuan added, "He Yong also requested to speak with Your Majesty in person. What do you think..."

Jiang Mengxuan: "I only speak with those who can make decisions. Does Yong have the power to represent the entire Wuzhao Kingdom?"

Ban Dingyuan: "Your subject understands."

……

Inside the post station, Ban Dingyuan relayed the Empress's entire message to He Yong.

He Yong's face turned ashen after hearing this: "Is there really no room for maneuver at all?"

Ban Dingyuan advised, "Lord He, you should hurry back to the capital and consult your king. His Majesty will not waste his time on you."

He Yong: "Envoy Ban, if I told you that I came here on the Emperor's orders to specifically allocate the territory of Haizhou to your country, would you believe me?"

"What did you say?" Ban Dingyuan was taken aback. "If that's the case, why didn't you say so earlier?"

He Yong smiled bitterly: "How can you expect me to say it? How dare I say it?"

He took the document out of the package: "Envoy Ban, this document clearly states that my Wu Zhao Kingdom is willing to cede Haizhou, but... take a look for yourself..."

Ban Dingyuan took the document, opened it, and glanced at it.

At just one glance, Ban Dingyuan was completely dumbfounded.

He even doubted that he had read it correctly, so he looked at it carefully again. After confirming that there was no problem, he asked in a trembling voice, "Was your emperor drinking when he drafted this document?"

“You must not be disrespectful to the Emperor,” He Yong said in a low voice. “The Emperor knows very well what he is doing. Envoy Ban, you cannot slander the monarch of a country like this. What kind of behavior is this!”

"Then explain what this document means? It actually proposes that His Majesty become Li Hong's concubine. How dare he even think of such a thing?"

"Envoy Ban, calm down, there's nothing we can do about it!" He Yong said, suppressing his emotions. "His Majesty has never made a mistake in his life; he cares about his reputation."

If he were to directly offer Haizhou to your Chu state, he would lose face immensely. However, if he were to bestow it upon your esteemed state as a betrothal gift, he would save face.

This is merely a formality, not a real matter. If your Emperor agrees, Haizhou will be yours.

Your Empress doesn't actually need to go to the palace to become a concubine; she can still do what she normally does!

Ban Dingyuan: "You are insulting His Majesty and the State of Chu. Do you know that His Majesty already has a husband?"

He Yong: "It won't affect them. In the end, it's my Wu Zhao Kingdom that's lost out. Your Majesty only needs to verbally agree to get the territory of Haizhou. Why not?"

"It won't affect anything, haha..."

Ban Dingyuan smiled.

"Lord Kazu, I think you've misunderstood something."

He Yong was taken aback: "What is it?"

Ban Dingyuan weighed the document in his hand and said, word by word, "I cannot guarantee how this document will fare when it is handed to His Majesty, but if the Emperor sees it, I think the situation in your country will be completely out of control."

"What do you mean?"

"Our Chu Kingdom owes its current state to Your Majesty's diligent governance, but it was Your Majesty who truly changed this situation and put it into practice."

"Do you know who the Emperor is? He personally led all of Chu's foreign wars, territorial expansion, and industrial development."

Your country's current predicament in Southern Zhili is also caused by the Emperor. Moreover, Your Majesty and the Emperor have supported each other through thick and thin for many years, and have a deep mutual trust and affection.

The two have supported each other to this day, and their bond is deep and unparalleled. Yet now, your king is humiliating His Majesty for the sake of his own face.

What do you think the Emperor will do? If he gets angry, he really will lead his troops directly to Shengjing, do you understand?