High-class Spring Joy

The atmosphere at this moment was far beyond what could be described as tense or hostile.

No one present spoke, and the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom still held the spear to the Crown Prince's neck, showing no sign of moving it. Having said all that, the Emperor of the Song Kingdom could not say anything more.

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom pressed the spear even tighter, against the Crown Prince's neck, skin to skin: "Since Your Highness speaks frankly, you are indeed a man of principle. If it weren't for the fact that it was my son Fei Sheng who was involved in this incident, I would have some admiration for Your Highness. However, it was my son Fei Sheng who was involved! You naturally cannot understand my thoughts and feelings, and I don't need you to know. But since my son Fei Sheng is in trouble, and he is my only son, and since my Northern Frontier Kingdom has no successor, it is only right that your country should also bear the corresponding responsibility and experience the corresponding consequences."

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom spoke, his gaze falling on the Crown Prince's face before him: "Since Your Highness has spoken so decisively, I respect Your Highness for having some sense of responsibility. Then let's resolve everything here in front of everyone. It will ease my anxiety and worry these past few days, and there's no need to involve the two countries."

Seeing that the spear, with its sharp blade, was about to pierce the Crown Prince's neck, the Emperor of Song Kingdom finally spoke:

"Wait! This matter... the execution of the Crown Prince concerns the very fate of our Song Kingdom. How can we so easily sever ties? Why not give us some more time? Perhaps we can find the young prince soon, who knows?!"

The King of Song looked at the Crown Prince before him with a mixture of reluctance and worry in his eyes.

The king of Song Kingdom has spoken, and the king of Beijiang Kingdom is no longer able to be as assertive as he was at the beginning.

The King of Northern Frontier turned to the side and questioned, "Your crown prince may not necessarily die. If I don't strike him with this spear, the crown prince won't die, your son won't die, your most outstanding son is alive and well, but what about me? What about my son? Who has ever cared about the life or death of my son?! He is not only my most outstanding son, but also my only son!! Today, of course, I can spare your son, but if I spare him, who can spare my Fei Sheng? Who can guarantee Fei Sheng's safety? Who can guarantee whether Fei Sheng lives or dies?!"

The Emperor of Song Kingdom was rendered speechless by the repeated questioning from the Emperor of Beijiang Kingdom. No matter how worried he was, the more reluctant he was to part with his son, the less he could refute the King of Beijiang Kingdom in front of him.

Everyone present wore solemn expressions, and no one dared to speak. Only the Crown Prince, standing before the King of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, had a paler face, but his expression was unwavering.

"My mind is made up. This whole affair is my fault from beginning to end. It was my oversight and negligence in execution that led to this completely unforgivable mistake, especially since it has caused irreparable damage. I am willing to bear all the blame, no matter what the King desires. If it means paying with one's life, then so be it. Father, I know you are worried about me, but under these circumstances, if we do not wish to affect the diplomatic relations between our two countries, the best course of action is for me to bear all the consequences. Even if this is what I should do, I implore you, Father, for the sake of the nation, the people, and the common folk, absolutely not to let my mistake affect the diplomatic relations between our two countries at such a critical juncture. Otherwise, even if I survive, I will be a sinner for all time, unable to face our ancestors, and unable to enter the ancestral temple again!"

Although His Highness the Crown Prince's voice wasn't particularly exaggerated, it was still resounding, like a heavy hammer, each word striking the hearts of everyone present.

The princes present also had completely different expressions. The third prince had a more obvious smile on his face, which looked more exaggerated and provocative. He was clearly no longer going to pretend and was convinced that the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom would take the life of the crown prince in front of him. So he did not restrain himself or hide anything.

The fourth and fifth princes, standing nearby, frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. They exchanged a glance, and when they looked at the Crown Prince again, their gazes held a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to decipher.

It seemed to express a certain degree of admiration, but Chu Jingxian still couldn't see it at this time. He couldn't see it during the day, but even without seeing it, Chu Jingxian could roughly guess what the whole scene was like.

Chu Jingxian bowed and stepped forward, echoing the Crown Prince's words: "Your Majesty, in the end, this matter is not the Crown Prince's fault, but my fault. Although the scheme was proposed by the Crown Prince, it was mostly arranged according to my wishes. It was I who insisted on using this plan to lure the rebels out and eliminate them. Therefore, if we are to assign responsibility, it should naturally be mine. Even if the Crown Prince is guilty, it is only for oversight, and there is absolutely no need for him to pay with his life!"

"Even if someone has to die, it should be a commoner like me!"

Chu Jingxian's words were so decisive that Chen Sha, who was standing next to him, felt a pang of anxiety.

How could Chen Sha tolerate Chu Jingxian saying such things?

As soon as Chu Jingxian finished speaking, Chen Sha was about to rush out and die with his young master.

At this moment, His Highness the Crown Prince's furious voice rang out: "Chu Jingxian!! I have always respected your talent and treated you as an honored guest. It's only because you have taught me a thing or two in certain matters, and you can see things I cannot, that I have come to understand. My father once said that we should always be grateful and learn, and never be complacent. You have been both my teacher and friend to me all these years, and I have treated you very well. Although I have never called you 'teacher,' I have never been lacking in manners and etiquette. Yet, who would have thought that my impeccable manners would nurture such arrogance and spoiled behavior in you? Under such circumstances, I..." "Without uttering a word, you, a mere merchant, dare to speak recklessly before the two monarchs? It's utterly audacious! Moreover, according to your logic, I am utterly incompetent. Do I need you to finalize any plan, decision, or strategy? Do you expect me to act only after you've made the decision? Don't I have any independent thoughts of my own?! How dare you publicly belittle me in front of the two monarchs, yet still claim credit and steal the limelight! It seems I've treated you too well in the past! Guards, take Chu Jingxian away and give him twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others."

After speaking, His Highness the Crown Prince immediately looked at the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, fearing that Chu Jingxian's words had persuaded or convinced the Emperor, and hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, it was indeed all my fault, and it was all my idea. Please take my life!"

His Highness the Crown Prince's words caused the expressions of everyone present to become even more complex, with undercurrents swirling and an indescribable sense of eeriness and oppression.

The third prince raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of schadenfreude.

As expected, his second elder brother had had many advisors around him since childhood, and the one who had stayed with him the longest was this former heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion.

Who would have thought that this heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion, just like his second elder brother, was utterly hopeless. He had fallen into the ranks of merchants at a young age and become a businessman, thus losing any chance of inheriting the title.

These two good-for-nothings somehow managed to get together and their actions repeatedly contradicted his plans, preventing them from being carried out smoothly and completely.

Now look what's happened! The two of them are arguing over there. Seeing them fighting amongst themselves, the Third Prince couldn't be happier.

The fourth and fifth princes remained silent, but after hearing the conversation between the Crown Prince and Chu Jingxian, they raised their eyebrows in surprise, not expecting that their second brother was so sincere towards the strategist beside him.

Even at this point, she still wanted to take full responsibility for all the sins and didn't want to extend those sins to Chu Jingxian.

They underestimated the strategist's standing in the eyes of their second elder brother.

Perhaps only the Third Prince was so naive as to think that Chu Jingxian and His Highness the Crown Prince were fighting amongst themselves.

Just then, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside: "This humble woman, Qinghe, has something to ask of the two kings. Please come in and announce my arrival."

That clear and melodious voice seemed to cleave through the suppressed yet surging undercurrents of these people.

It immediately attracted the attention of almost everyone. Apart from the two kings whose eyes were still on the Crown Prince, even Chu Jingxian's gaze was drawn to that clear and beautiful female voice.

Just from that one sentence, Chu Jingxian instantly recognized who the voice belonged to.

Qinghe!!

Why did she come to a place like this?

In this place, in this situation, danger lurks everywhere. A single wrong word or phrase could lead to your death!

Chu Jingxian reacted instantly and was about to ask Chen Sha, who was standing next to him, to protect Qing He outside the door and bring her back inside.

Before Chen Sha could react, others had already noticed the doorway. After all, in this situation, a woman suddenly appeared and asked to see him with such a contrasting voice. The Emperor of Song was probably hoping for a savior to appear now. Although he wasn't sure if this woman could be considered a savior or if she could change the situation, he was glad he could buy them some time.

"Who is outside? Why do they request an audience?"

The Emperor of Song spoke, trying to draw everyone's attention to Qinghe and protect his son for a while.

Chu Jingxian immediately explained, "Your Majesty, the people outside are my family members. They must have been found with great difficulty, and were worried about me, which is why they inadvertently entered this place. I hope Your Majesty will not be angry, and please forgive me!"

After saying that, Chu Jingxian immediately turned to Chen Sha beside him and said, "Hurry up and take him away. In this situation, she has no right to speak!"

His tone sounded anxious and irritable, as if Chu Jingxian would have gone down and taken the person back himself if it weren't for this occasion.

Even without looking at Chu Jingxian's expression, His Highness the Crown Prince could tell from Chu Jingxian's tone that the woman asking the question outside the door was who he knew. After all, in all the time he had known Chu Jingxian, there had only ever been one person who could make Chu Jingxian show such anxiety.

Upon hearing this, the King of Song snorted coldly and quickly stopped Chu Jingxian: "Since he said he requests to see both kings, that is, to see me and the King of Beijiang, he must not simply be worried about your health. Since he requests to see me, I am very interested to hear what he wants to say that he has to barge in at this time!"

After saying this, the King of Song appeared fierce on the outside but was actually relieved on the inside.

With this woman involved, it's not certain that this matter can be resolved, but at least... his son won't die in front of him in the next second. He can stall for as long as possible.

Since the emperor had spoken in this way, he then turned to the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom beside him: "What is the emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom's opinion?"

"What that woman demands? I don't care. Who she wants to find, I don't care either. I only care about my Fei Sheng, and I only care about how to get justice for my Fei Sheng."

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom spoke with great force, indicating that the situation had reached a point of no return.

This left the emperor of Songguo speechless for a moment.

Originally intending to stall for time, they were easily pulled back by the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom with just a few words.

Just then, the clear and sweet female voice outside the door was replaced by another cold and fiery voice—

"What are you trying to stop me for? You dare to stop me, this princess? Don't you value your lives? Either let go yourselves, or I'll chop you all down with one sword!!"

Not long after he finished speaking, Princess Jing'an was seen pulling a woman in.

Princess Jing'an was not intimidated at all. When she stood before the kings of the Northern Frontier Kingdom and the Song Kingdom, she showed no sign of being timid.

Therefore, he decisively and cheerfully bowed to the two monarchs: "Jing'an greets Father Emperor and the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom. This woman is of no status, but she is Jing'an's close friend. She said she had something to discuss with the two monarchs and begged Jing'an for a long time, so Jing'an could not refuse any longer and brought her to see the two emperors. I beg the two emperors not to be angry with her. If she is guilty, you may punish her alone."

"Hahahaha..."

In this eerie atmosphere, the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom laughed heartily, looking at the King of Song Kingdom: "I truly envy you, my friend. Your son is a responsible, resourceful, and loyal man. No wonder you're so reluctant to part with him. If my Fei Sheng had lived to this age, he certainly wouldn't have been any less capable. I never expected your daughter to be so remarkable as well. What a pity, what a pity, my Fei Sheng..."

At this point, Qinghe knew it was a critical moment, and she went straight to the point: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty need not feel sorry, Your Majesty's little prince is alive and well!"