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

"Ji Yun, draft a letter for me."

Upon returning to the palace, Li Hong immediately instructed Ji Yun to write a letter.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will prepare the pen immediately."

Ji Yun nodded and bowed, immediately sat down at the side table, and picked up a pen: "What would Your Majesty like me to write?"

Li Hong thought for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and waved: "Never mind, go and summon Zhang Gui to me first."

"Yes, I will retire."

Ji Yun felt a pang of disappointment, but after performing the rites of a subject to a ruler, she withdrew from the Qingliang Palace.

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhang Gui and Ji Yun returned to Qingliang Palace, covered in sweat.

"Your Majesty, have you summoned this servant?"

Li Hong gestured for Zhang Gui to sit down next to him and instructed Feng Chun to fetch some chilled fruit to cool him down.

After he was seated, Li Hong sighed and said, "Zhang Gui, you have seen the situation of the capital garrison. Can I expect them to fight against the Chu Kingdom?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun immediately interjected, "Your Majesty, what did you just say? Go to war with the State of Chu? Wasn't the State of Chu already defeated?"

Li Hong completely ignored Ji Yun and continued speaking to Zhang Gui: "Zhang Gui, what do you think we should do now?"

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, let's negotiate. In the past six months, the foundation of my Wu Zhao Kingdom has been shaken because of the Chu people. If we continue to fight, even if we defeat the Chu people, the vitality of Wu Zhao Kingdom will probably be exhausted."

Li Hong laughed: "Are you complaining about me?"

Zhang Gui bowed his head and replied, "This servant dares not."

Li Hong: "Actually, if I had listened to you back then and agreed to negotiate peace with Chu when you sent the letter from Chu, perhaps things would have turned out differently."

Zhang Gui remained silent, maintaining her silence throughout.

Li Hong sighed: "I was wrong. I have been on the throne for forty-eight years, and the country has prospered. I often boasted that I was the greatest emperor of all time. I never thought that this was just wishful thinking on my part."

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, this is not your fault. Since you ascended the throne, you have governed Wu Zhao Kingdom in an orderly manner and are already a model of a sage ruler. After all, no one could have predicted the unexpected variable of Chu Kingdom."

Ji Yun, who was standing to the side, was completely confused and still didn't understand what had happened.

But judging from Li Hong and Zhang Gui's expressions, it was clearly not a good thing.

Li Hong sighed, then said seriously, "You have had contact with Shen Lang before, so this time you will go and talk to him on my behalf."

Tell Shen Lang that my decision to bestow the title of Empress upon her as a concubine was a last resort. If the Chu Kingdom hadn't invaded our territory and insisted on seizing our Wu Zhao land, I wouldn't have resorted to this method.

If there's anything that has caused Shen Lang to misunderstand, please forgive him.

Regarding the contents of the agreement, I am willing to cede Haizhou, Huizhou, Quanzhou, and other places to the State of Chu.

As for the measures concerning the opening of treaty ports, tariffs, and the stationing of troops, they are not in line with the national conditions of my Wu Zhao state, and I cannot agree to them.

Furthermore, Southern Zhili is a crucial tax revenue center for the Wu Zhao Kingdom, and I cannot agree to cede it to the Chu Kingdom. However, I can grant permission for Chu officials and merchants to visit my Wu Zhao Kingdom.

As for the reparations of eight hundred million taels of silver, my Wu Zhao Kingdom currently cannot afford that much. I hope the Chu Kingdom can reduce or waive a portion of it.

My bottom line is 400 million taels of silver, but on the condition that the Chu army completely withdraws from the territory of my Wu Zhao Kingdom.

As for apologizing to the State of Chu, I will present a letter of apology to the Empress.

After a pause, Li Hong seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, I am willing to have private dealings with the Chu court, but not with the common people. If Chu has any goods to buy or sell, they can discuss it with the local government of this dynasty."

Ji Yun realized that Wu Zhaoguo had suffered a defeat and was preparing to negotiate peace with Chu, contrary to the propaganda that they had won.

For a moment, he couldn't accept such a huge reversal and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty? Are you going to grovel before the State of Chu?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui shouted sternly, "Lord Ji, what nonsense are you spouting?"

But Ji Yun ignored him, her eyes bloodshot as she stared intently at Li Hong, asking each word clearly, "Your Majesty, give me an answer! Are you going to sue for peace with the foreign barbarians?"

"Ji Yun, how dare you!"

Zhang Gui stood up and shouted.

"How dare you speak to His Majesty like that?"

The next second, Ji Yun knelt down with a "plop" and cried out, "Your Majesty? You are the Emperor of Wu Zhao Kingdom! How can you seek peace with a group of foreign barbarians?"

"I truly do not understand. My Wu Zhao Kingdom has two million soldiers and six hundred million people under its rule. The Chu Kingdom is nothing but a tiny state that can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. How can it be compared to my Wu Zhao Kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, I beg you not to negotiate with the Chu people, and do not be afraid of them. If the Chu people want to fight, then we will fight them to the bitter end!"

"We can't surrender! If we surrender, the Wu Zhao Kingdom will be ridiculed by the whole world!"

Ji Yun cried her heart out, looking utterly devastated, which was quite moving.

Li Hong silently watched his performance of unwavering loyalty. When it was almost over, he stood up and said, "Then tell me, what should I do?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun immediately looked up and said, "Your Majesty, we should summon the elite troops of the land and fight the Chu people to the death. With the strength of our Wu Zhao Kingdom, are we really unable to defeat these uncivilized barbarians?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hong asked in a cold voice, "Well said. We should gather the elite forces of the world and fight the barbarians to the death. You've really struck a chord with me."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun was overjoyed and was about to continue persuading him when Li Hong asked, "Then let me ask you, how much money and food will it take to mobilize the elite troops of the world? How much time and effort will it take? And how long will it take to drive the Chu people out?"

"This……"

Ji Yun was speechless for a moment, and after a long while, she numbly shook her head.

He was immersed in the Four Books and Five Classics every day, so how could he care about these things?

"Do you know how much silver is left in the national treasury right now?"

"Your Majesty, I do not know."

Do you know how much better the Chu army's equipment is than my Wu Zhao army?

"Your Majesty, I do not know."

"Do you know where the Chu army is now, and how many there are?"

"Your Majesty, I do not know."

She knew nothing when asked, and Ji Yun's forehead was covered in sweat.

Li Hong sneered: "You know nothing, yet you dare to talk to me about mobilizing the troops of the whole country?"

Do you think I don't know? If it were as easy as you say, would I have gone to this point with the Chu people?

You scholars, besides studying the eight-legged essay and the classics every day, or holding a few ancient books, think you know everything and understand the general trend of the world?

I'm telling you, all of this stuff you've learned, I already knew by heart when I was eighteen and still a prince!

Not only am I skilled in these things, but I am also knowledgeable in astronomy, geography, and mathematics—things you would never even glance at.

If you bunch of people who only know how to talk were to govern the country, it would be an injustice if the Wu Zhao Kingdom didn't perish!

Ji Yun, you're no different from Guan Mao and Wang Shanshui. Don't think that just because you can sing praises and say a few sentimental words, I'll look up to you.

In my eyes, you are nothing but a bunch of spineless lackeys, lackeys who don't even recognize their own ancestors!

Ji Yun collapsed to the ground instantly, the deafening rebuke from Li Hong still echoing in her ears.