If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

The Empress Dowager's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned, and she said with a smile:

"My Yu'er is getting more and more powerful. She has repelled the Wolf Kingdom's attacks three times in a row, and this time she has defeated them without even losing a drop of blood."

She raised her glass and said enthusiastically:

"Come, let us raise a toast to His Majesty and celebrate our Great Liang's victory over the Wolf Kingdom's invasion."

The people inside the hall immediately responded, raising their wine cups one after another, and for a moment, flattery filled the air.

"Your Majesty is a man of extraordinary talent and martial prowess, a great blessing to our Great Liang."

"Indeed, with His Majesty here, how can the Wolf Kingdom not be defeated?"

Zhao Yu chuckled and raised his glass in a gesture of greeting.

He didn't take their compliments to heart, but to avoid revealing his true feelings, he still took a small sip.

As for poisoning the drinks, he's protected by the nation's fortune, so no poison would work.

After downing a glass of wine, Zhao Yu immediately got straight to the point, turning to ask:

"Mother, is there any news from Uncle?"

The hall fell silent instantly.

The Empress Dowager's smile deepened, and she nodded gently.

"We have news. Your uncle is leading an elite force, rushing to the capital without stopping. Judging by the time, he should arrive in the next day or the day after."

Zhao Yu's heart sank slightly, and a sense of urgency arose spontaneously.

Prince Zhennan, this is a real test.

I knew from the information I gathered last time that the Prince of Zhennan and Zhao Yu had a good relationship. If Zhao Yu told the Prince of Zhennan about the substitution, then this visit was probably not only to resolve the military troubles, but also to get rid of this fake emperor.

Even worse, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion can only spy once a day.

To see it again, you have to risk the life of an old man from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

He didn't want to do something so short-sighted as to drain the pond to catch all the fish unless absolutely necessary.

"Did your uncle give any other instructions?" Zhao Yu asked again.

"Your uncle said that we must defend the capital."

The Empress Dowager paused, lowering her voice slightly. "He also said that in the event the city falls, I must take you away through the secret passage immediately; your life is of utmost importance."

Zhao Yu nodded.

This uncle truly cared about his nephew's life.

But the more he does this, the higher the risk he exposes.

Just then, a huge sound suddenly came from outside the palace, echoing throughout the entire imperial city.

"Is the Emperor of Great Liang here? I am Lang Xiaoyue Jin Quan, the second son of the Wolf Kingdom. I wish to speak with you at the city gate to discuss the matter of ending the war."

This wasn't the first time the sound had appeared, and instead of being surprised, the crowd became excited.

They were spoiled brats who were used to idling around. Now, due to the war in the Wolf Kingdom, they had been trapped here for a long time and were already fed up with it.

Now that they hear there is a chance to negotiate and end the siege, they are naturally overjoyed.

Two members of the Qian family immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Your Majesty, since the Wolf Kingdom is willing to negotiate, this is a golden opportunity. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

"I also strongly advocate for peace talks with the Wolf Kingdom. As long as their conditions aren't too bad, we should negotiate first, and then avenge this humiliation once we've accumulated enough strength!"

Peace talks my ass.

Zhao Yu sneered inwardly.

Anyone from the 20th century would know that this is a desperate attempt by the Wolf Kingdom to set up a trap.

Others may not know, but doesn't he? In the current Wolf Kingdom army, the one in charge is none other than Xiaoyue Jinquan; he has long been taken over by the Wolf Lord Xiaoyue Kuangtian!

The Wolf Lord is at the Celestial Realm. If I were to step out of the city gate, wouldn't I be walking into a trap?

If the Wolf Lord suddenly appears and ties him up, he will become the second "overseas student" emperor.

But Zhao Yu did not refuse directly; instead, he spoke calmly.

"Talks are certainly possible. However, I currently hold the advantage on the battlefield, and it would be beneath my dignity to personally intervene."

Upon hearing that they could talk, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Someone immediately chimed in, "Then let's send Commander Meng Qianshan; that would be enough to demonstrate the might of our Great Liang army."

Zhao Yu shook his head.

"Commander Meng is quite capable, but the enemy is the royal family of the Wolf Kingdom."

He glanced around at everyone in the hall.

"To demonstrate the grandeur of our Great Liang, it is only natural that the imperial relatives should step forward to show equality."

The joy on everyone's faces froze.

They looked at each other, not understanding Zhao Yu's meaning for a moment.

"What I mean is to select a member of the imperial clan to go on a trip."

Relatives?!

Aren't those them?

Everyone immediately realized what was happening, and their faces turned deathly pale.

"Your Majesty, the people of the Wolf Kingdom are ruthless by nature. Sending us there would be suicide!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we are powerless, how can we negotiate with tigers and wolves?"

Those who were just advocating for peace talks changed their tune in an instant.

Zhao Yu looked at the crowd, having already anticipated this, and wasn't annoyed. He chuckled and said:

"Since none of you are willing to share the burden of the country, then let's drop this matter and refuse to negotiate."

The hall fell silent once again.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"His Majesty."

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound, and there stood Wangye Qianmiao!

Qian Miao stepped out from the crowd and bowed deeply to Zhao Yu.

"I am a prince of the Great Liang Dynasty, and it is most appropriate for me to negotiate peace with the Wolf Kingdom."

Zhao Yu was somewhat surprised; how could he have forgotten about this guy?

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

"Granted."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qian Miao bowed and withdrew.

Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that someone had finally taken on this hot potato, and the atmosphere became relaxed again.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"With such a wise ruler, what has Great Liang to worry about but joy!"

..........

Once again, everyone showered him with unrestrained flattery.

The Empress Dowager smiled and smoothed things over.

"Alright, the business is done, let's continue the banquet."

The singing and dancing resumed, accompanied by pleasant music.

Before the others could raise their glasses and continue to flatter him, Qian Miao walked up to Zhao Yu again.

"Your Majesty, my household has recently acquired a batch of fine wines, their flavor exquisite. Would Your Majesty be so kind as to join me in appreciating them?"

Zhao Yu glanced at him, knew what the other person was thinking, and agreed.

"it is good."

He rose and took his leave from the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager's expression stiffened again, but she eventually nodded.

"Go."

Zhao Yu and Qian Miao left the banquet hall one after the other.

……

The prince's mansion was quiet and deserted.

After dismissing his attendants, Zhao Yu sat down in a pavilion.

"What is it? You can tell me now."

Qian Miao did not take a seat, but knelt down directly and gave Zhao Yu a deep bow.

"Your Majesty, since you are unwilling to help me, I can only avenge my mother myself."

During these peace talks, I will inform the Wolf Kingdom that those new weapons were all developed by the five great families.

If the Wolf Kingdom wants to obtain it, it must slaughter all the members of the five major families in the cities it conquers.

In this way, we can use the wolf kingdom's sword to remove the malignant tumor from our Great Liang.

Zhao Yu shook his head.

He had long suspected that Qian Miaohui would resort to any means necessary.

The reason I agreed to go to the peace talks was precisely for this moment.

It's time to truly sheath this sword.

"Do you think the Wolf Kingdom is so obedient? Even if they really make a move, do you think the five great families will just sit there and wait to be slaughtered?"

Zhao Yu's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Qian Miao's heart.

"At that time, there will only be chaos, war everywhere, widespread suffering, and unbearable misery for the people. Is this the kind of revenge you want?"

Qian Miao was stunned; he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"You want a chance for revenge? I can give you that."

Zhao Yu looked at him and slowly spoke.

"Once the Wolf Kingdom withdraws its troops, I will take action against the Five Great Families. At that time, you will not be required to do anything else."

"You only need to do one thing."

"Stand up at the most critical moment, turn the tide, preserve the foundation of the Qian family, and help the Qian family regain its footing in Daliang."

"Then accept my promotion and become the new head of the Qian family."

"As for the rest, I will grant your wish."

Upon hearing this, Qian Miao hesitated for a long time, but in the end he still kowtowed heavily.

"Your Majesty, I obey. I only hope that Your Majesty will not break your promise."

Zhao Yu chuckled and said, "What I say is as good as gold."

Qian Miao got up to take his leave.

"Then I will back down. As for the peace talks, I will discuss them with the Empress Dowager."

"Wait, who said I don't intend to talk to the Wolf Kingdom?"

Qian Miao was stunned again, and asked in confusion, "Does His Majesty really intend to negotiate?"

Zhao Yu's lips curled up in a smile.

"Peace talks? Of course not, but I'll make the Wolf Kingdom my puppet!"

Zhao Yu looked at Qian Miao and said, "When you go to negotiate this time, do two things for me. First, tell the Wolf Kingdom that I know they want to bring in powerful weapons to deal with me. The Wolf Kingdom will definitely ask you how you know, but you don't need to say that."

Qian Miao was taken aback. Although he didn't understand why the emperor knew these things, he quickly analyzed the key points.

"Does Your Majesty intend to mislead the Wolf Kingdom into believing that there are spies within its ranks?"

Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow, surprised that Qian Miao was so clever, immediately seeing through his intentions.