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

"You called me a beast?"

In his sixty-eight years of life, this was the first time Li Hong had ever been called a beast, especially to his face.

At this moment, his feelings were very complicated. He couldn't say he was angry, nor could he say he was numb; his mind was completely blank.

"Yes, you can even call those people who trust you and seek your help to solve problems 'troublemakers,' what are you if not a beast?"

"You appoint cruel officials and mistreat the people under your rule in every way. What else is this but a beast?"

"You are so ambitious and fond of self-aggrandizement, abusing national power to add to your so-called great achievements, while leaving the people to suffer from hunger and hardship day after day. What else can you be but a beast?"

Shen Lang's words were sharp, showing Li Hong no mercy whatsoever.

Shen Lang only stood up and placed his hands on the table when Li Hong's eyes were bloodshot and veins were bulging on his forehead.

"Therefore, it is only natural for my Chu Kingdom to beat you, you beast. Look at the people of the various cities we've passed through. Are they helping you or helping me?"

"Every dynasty has had its share of incompetent rulers, but only your Wu Zhao Kingdom, when facing foreign enemies..."

"The people under your rule actually help the enemy fight you; only a dynasty established by beasts could be so despicable."

Li Hong felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if a tightness in his chest prevented him from venting his anger. He could only sit back down in his chair in anguish.

Shen Lang smirked: "Alright, put away your self-righteous speech. My attitude is very clear: if you want to negotiate, you must apologize for your foolish behavior. Otherwise, my army will march into Shengjing City."

He paused mid-sentence, then gave Li Hong a disdainful look.

"How about we take a gamble and see whose side the people of Shengjing will take after the city falls?"

"If I were to capture the capital, what would become of the princes and princesses in your palace?"

"Li Hong, are you willing to bet?"

Li Hong, who was always decisive and authoritarian, lost the courage to answer Shen Lang's sharp questioning this time.

At this moment, an image lingered in his mind: rioters storming into the imperial city, wantonly smashing and looting, the concubines and maids in the palace being raped and plundered by the rioters, and finally, the ancestral halls where ancestors were worshipped were completely destroyed in a great fire.

No, no, this absolutely cannot happen!

Li Hong quickly banished the thoughts that had formed in his mind.

When she looked at Shen Lang again, she no longer had the aggressive demeanor she had before, and her tone was much gentler.

"Do you really want me to write this letter of state?"

Shen Lang did not answer; his icy gaze conveyed everything he wanted to say.

Li Hong gave a bitter smile: "I have lived for so long, and this is the first time I have been forced to this point. Fine, I can write a letter of apology and agree to sign an agreement, but I have one condition."

Shen Lang: "The weak have no right to negotiate with the strong. If you agree, Wu Zhao Kingdom can continue to eke out a living. If you don't agree, I will now give the order to march into Shengjing. This is a notification, not a discussion."

Li Hong narrowed his eyes: "I just want to meet the Empress of Great Chu. I want to see clearly what kind of person this woman is who can drive me to such a desperate situation."

Shen Lang laughed: "Then you probably won't have a chance. How could a fool like you dare to lay a finger on my wife? You can't even dream about her, let alone see her."

"Do you really have to be so heartless?"

"What do you say?"

Li Hong remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Very well, I grant all your requests. I will send the treaty and official documents to you upon my return to the palace. However, during this period, you are not allowed to take any further action against Shengjing City."

Shen Lang walked directly to the edge of the military shed and made a gesture: "Lord of Wu Zhao Kingdom, please go back. Our guild is waiting for your good news here."

Li Hong left the military camp in dejection and returned to the capital with He Yong and Zhang Gui.

Once everyone left, Pei Ju approached Shen Lang with a telegram and couldn't help but ask, "Commander, why didn't you take Li Hong hostage? What if he changes his mind..."

Shen Lang shook his head: "For an arrogant person like him, the best approach is to break down his psychological defenses. As for backing out, do you think they have the capital to back out now?"

Pei Ju nodded before handing over the telegram.

"Commander, this is a telegram from Haizhou. With His Majesty's support, the people in Haixi who have suffered from the oppression of the Wuzhao government have joined the White Lotus Society and have begun to storm local government offices. Moreover, His Majesty has already boarded a ship and is heading to Shengjing."

Shen Lang frowned: "Why is she in Shengjing instead of staying in Haizhou?"

But he quickly came to terms with it: "That's right. With His Majesty's abilities, the people of Haizhou have probably already accepted the reality of Chu's actual control."

"It's good that she's here. Let her see just how miserable the people are, and how ridiculous the royal family really is."

Pei Ju: "Here is another telegram, sent from India. It says that General Lin has swept away all the nomads in the north and has begun to build a railway along the western desert frontier."

Shen Lang nodded: "Very good. Once this east-west railway is completed, the living space for nomadic people will be further compressed."

Ultimately, it led to its complete decline. If this succeeds, the State of Chu will no longer be threatened by foreign invasions.

After saying that, he walked out of the military shed and looked towards Shengjing.

"The clarion call of the times has been sounded, and no one can stop it."

……

"Your Majesty, we cannot surrender!"

Inside the Qianqing Palace, upon hearing that Li Hong intended to surrender to the Chu army and sue for peace, a group of scholars and literati, led by Ji Yun, immediately knelt down.

Ji Yun: "Your Majesty, we absolutely cannot negotiate peace! If we surrender, what will become of the dignity of our Wu Zhao Kingdom?"

Annoyed by Ji Yun's crying, Li Hong directly asked He Yong, "He Yong, how much silver is left in the national treasury?"

He Yong: "Your Majesty, this servant has already counted the silver. The Ministry of Revenue's accounts show 14,287,285 taels of silver, but after counting, it is exactly 13,960,000 taels."

Li Hong: "Shen Lang wants 800 million taels of silver, but I don't have that much money to spare. What should I do?"

He Yong: "Your Majesty, the agreement doesn't specify that 800 million taels of silver should be paid in one lump sum. This servant can discuss with Shen Lang the possibility of installment payments. In addition, we can demand the outstanding commercial taxes from those imperial merchants."

"This servant has reviewed the account books. Of the thirty-three imperial merchants designated during the reign of the Holy Ancestor, at least two hundred million taels of silver in commercial taxes have remained unpaid over the past two hundred years. We can force them to make up these arrears."

Li Hong nodded: "I'll leave this matter to you. Now, what about the remaining six hundred million taels?"

"I have compiled the accounts of the southern salt merchants into a book, which can make up for the shortfall of 100 million taels of silver. As for the remaining 500 million taels, I will do my best to persuade Shen Lang to pay in installments. I believe Shen Lang will agree."

Li Hong nodded: "He Yong, I'm entrusting this matter entirely to you. Tomorrow, you will go to the Chu army camp on my behalf to negotiate and try to reach an agreement as soon as possible so that they can leave this place quickly."

"This servant will certainly not fail in his mission!"