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

The following day at dawn, the Shengjing delegation arrived at the Chu army camp just before the Chu army was about to launch its offensive and met with Shen Lang.

He Yong stepped forward first: "He Yong, Minister of the Grand Council, greets the Duke of Zhenguo of Great Chu on behalf of the Emperor."

Shen Lang sat in the military tent, sipping the freshly brewed tea.

Without even looking up at He Yong's words, he asked directly, "Where is your emperor? Is he still unwilling to talk to me?"

Upon hearing this, He Yong and Zhang Gui couldn't help but glance at the armored imperial guards behind them.

This guard was none other than Li Hong in disguise.

Although he had agreed to negotiate with Shen Lang, his status as an emperor still prevented him from losing face, so he disguised himself as an imperial bodyguard.

Li Hong, who has never been petty in his life, has become petty this time.

At this moment, Li Hong carefully examined Shen Lang and couldn't help but admire him: "He is calm and composed, and his breathing is even without any excess. Shen Lang's cultivation is probably not weak at all. Just based on this demeanor, he far surpasses the generals of our dynasty."

He Yong bowed again: "His Majesty was frightened yesterday and is probably unable to come in person to discuss peace with the Duke of Zhenguo. However, His Majesty has entrusted me with the task of discussing the ceasefire with your country."

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang couldn't help but laugh.

"It seems you haven't taken my words seriously. In that case, I'll just have to increase the intensity for you."

After saying that, he glared at He Yong and Zhang Gui, and snorted softly.

"I have never liked gambling, but since your emperor still wants to gamble, then I might as well have a proper gamble with you."

"Let's bet on whether my Chu army can reach the Forbidden City before nightfall tonight. What do you say, are you in?"

Zhang Gui quickly spoke up: "Duke Zhenguo, why bother? His Majesty has already given instructions to accept all the conditions you have proposed, but His Majesty's face must not be lost."

Shen Lang sneered: "You mean, in your emperor's eyes, is the country and its people less important than face?"

Zhang Gui and He Yong were speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Shen Lang slowly stood up, walked to the two men, and whispered in their ears, "Since that's the case, then let him go with his old face. From now on, the conditions have changed."

The rest of the agreement remains unchanged, but the amount of reparations will be doubled, and the people and soldiers of Chu must have extraterritorial rights in your country. Can you agree to this?

He Yong felt an overwhelming pressure coming from Shen Lang, making him unsure how to respond.

"enough!"

At that moment, Li Hong, unable to bear it any longer, angrily rebuked Shen Lang.

"Shen Lang, don't be so aggressive. Do you really think that my Wu Zhao Kingdom has no power to fight?"

Zhang Gui and He Yong immediately knelt before Li Hong.

Shen Lang curled his lip and said to Li Hong, "This must be Li Hong, the ruler of Wu Zhao Kingdom, right? I've been waiting for you to come."

Li Hong stopped pretending and walked directly up to Shen Lang, saying, "You wanted to see me, and now that I'm here, just tell me what you want to say."

Shen Lang: "Alright, then I'll ask you a question first. Have you ever harassed my wife? That is, the Empress of Great Chu!"

Upon hearing this, Li Hong raised an eyebrow.

Harassment?

That's ridiculous. How can this be called harassment?

If all the beautiful women in the world knew that they had been made concubines, it would be a great honor for their ancestors.

How did it come to the point that Shen Lang described himself as the emperor, the supreme ruler, as a scoundrel who harassed married women?

In an instant, Li Hong's face turned deathly pale. He slowly explained, "That's not harassment. It was a reward I bestowed upon the Empress because I admired her talent!"

"Then I really have to thank you for your favor." Shen Lang said with a forced smile. "You knew that the Empress was my wife, yet you still made her a concubine. Is that what you call a favor?"

"If I weren't standing here today, would you really have intended to announce to the world that you and Empress Void have formed a marriage alliance?"

Li Hong immediately understood the implication in Shen Lang's words: he was indirectly criticizing Li Hong for being a toad trying to eat swan meat.

Normally, if someone showed even this much interest, Li Hong would be furious and probably want to punish them severely.

But now...

It's beyond our control.

So he softened his tone: "Indeed, I did not consider this matter properly. I hereby rescind my order."

But Shen Lang persisted: "A ruler's word is law. Since the words have been spoken, they must be carried out to the end."

Li Hong's eyes widened: "Duke Zhenguo, I have already conceded a step, why are you still holding on?"

Shen Lang sneered: "If taking a step back could solve the problem of making a mistake, would there still be so many wars and disputes in this world? I really can't believe that these words would come from the mouth of a monarch of a great nation."

Li Hong also laughed: "I thought the Duke of Zhenguo of Great Chu had some extraordinary qualities, but I didn't expect him to be such a petty person. It really disappoints me."

Shen Lang retorted sarcastically: "Since you are so magnanimous, why do you punish those concubines in the harem who have affairs with you with extreme cruelty?"

In comparison, I have already been very magnanimous, supporting your decision to bestow the title of Consort upon my wife and even personally attending the investiture ceremony to celebrate. What more could you possibly want?

Upon hearing this, Li Hong's face turned even paler.

"Duke Zhenguo, what exactly do you want from me?"

"Haven't I already stated my demands? Apologize to my wife in writing. This is the premise for your peace talks."

"If I were to write this letter of state, what would become of the imperial family's dignity? What would become of my own dignity?"

"Now you care about your reputation? When you wrote that letter of investiture, did you ever imagine that one day I would humiliate you like this?"

Shen Lang glanced at him dismissively and continued speaking.

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I know exactly what you're planning."

"Isn't it simply because Shengjing and Haizhou are far apart, and my Chu army can't possibly reach your capital?"

"What you rely on is nothing more than distance, a journey of tens of thousands of miles. Even if my Chu army were to launch a northern expedition and reach the gates of Shengjing,..."

The required supplies are astronomical. You're betting that my Chu army can't afford such a price, which is why you dare to so brazenly harass my wife.

"But you've overlooked one thing: if my Great Chu can reach your Wu Zhao territory from across the ocean, why can't we reach your Shengjing from Haizhou?"

"As long as the sea is not covered, the fleet of my Chu Kingdom will be able to sail invincible."

Li Hong was speechless. From a tactical perspective, Shen Lang accurately stated his own plan.

Shen Lang snorted: "Now, if your country wants to negotiate peace, there is only one way to go, and that is for you to personally write a self-criticism for harassing the Empress. Otherwise, I will personally seek justice for my wife!"

Li Hong gritted his teeth: "Do you really want me to lose face?"

Shen Lang: "Once we drive your royal family out of the pass and return to your ancestral homeland, which is still a wasteland, you can use your dignity to cultivate the land and support yourself."

Li Hong was so angry that he couldn't speak.

For the first time, he realized how vicious the mouth of this son-in-law of the Great Chu could be.