Empress, please lay down your armor, for I will save the world with a single sword!

"you!!!"

Shangguan Na was so angry that she trembled all over. She pointed at Wu Liang, her fingers shaking, and couldn't utter a second word for a long time.

I'm furious!

She had never been treated like this in her entire life!

I've never been rejected so directly and mercilessly before!

But what Wu Liang just said...

From her father's mindset to the realities of their predicament, and their weaknesses in the northern desert... he hit the nail on the head!

Even if she wanted to argue, she would have nothing to say, and she couldn't even deny it.

The pressure from his father, the predicament of Iron Plow City, the discontent of the Golden Horde...

She knew all of this!

That's why I wanted to take advantage of the internal turmoil in the Great Zhou Dynasty to make a hefty profit, both to solve my immediate crisis and to gain more capital and influence for my father.

But she never expected...

Wu Liang's insight is so sharp, his mind so meticulous, and he's so difficult to deal with during negotiations!

They won't listen to reason or persuasion, and they can even turn the tables on you, finding your Achilles' heel and cornering you!

Tough to deal with!

They're too difficult to deal with!

But Shangguan Na was no pushover either. After a brief outburst of anger and loss of composure, she quickly forced herself to calm down.

Hard doesn't work?

Let's change our approach, change our wording, and throw the pressure back at them!

She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging anger, and put on that cold and arrogant expression again. She glanced at Wu Liang.

"Fine, very well." She said coldly, "Since His Highness Prince Qing is so generous and unwilling to pay any price, then we will not force him."

She strolled back to the table, but instead of sitting down, she stood there, looking down at Wu Liang. "Then we'll... wait and see."

"Wait and see Pei Xiao raise an army and march south, fighting to the death with the local garrisons and regional military governors of the Great Zhou."

"At that time, the Central Plains will inevitably be engulfed in flames of war, with corpses strewn across the land and the people suffering terribly."

A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "When both sides are exhausted and severely weakened... we will then lead the Great Yuan cavalry south."

"By then, Pei Xiao's main force will be bogged down on the Central Plains battlefield, caught in a dilemma, unable to attend to both ends. How could he possibly take care of Bei Yong? Without Pei Xiao's main force, the sixteen prefectures of Bei Yong... wouldn't they be as easy as taking candy from a baby under our iron hooves?"

"Don't you Han people have a story called 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind'?"

She raised her chin, her tone arrogant: "This time, we'll be the oriole, unaware of the danger!"

She grew increasingly excited as she spoke, as if she could already see the scene unfolding before her. Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an overwhelming aura of dominance: "Once we conquer the sixteen prefectures of Beiyong in one fell swoop, establish a firm foothold, and prove to the Great Khan that this route is viable and this profit is attainable... the Great Khan will definitely see its immense strategic value and will surely dispatch a large force and increase investment!"

Her gaze was intense, as if piercing through walls, looking towards the distant south: "At that time, my Great Yuan cavalry will use this as a springboard to surge southward. I ask you, who in the world can stop us?!"

"We want to drink from the Maluo River!"

The Luo River is the mother river that flows outside Luo'an City, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The implication of drinking from the Luo River is crystal clear: not only do they want the sixteen prefectures of Beiyong, but they also want to conquer the capital of the Great Zhou and completely subjugate it!

These words were spoken with great momentum and awe-inspiring power, full of the confidence and ambition of a steppe empire looking down upon the world.

If an ordinary person heard this, they would probably be intimidated by this aura, feel that the northern desert is invincible, and regret not cooperating.

After listening, Wu Liang showed no fear or regret.

On the contrary, he actually... clapped.

"Slap, slap, slap."

The applause was crisp and clear, standing out starkly in the quiet private room.

He nodded with an appreciative smile, "Brilliant! Your Highness's plan is visionary and grand in scale. I admit, what you described is very likely to come true."

He changed the subject, his smile becoming somewhat subtle, "But, Princess..."

He said slowly, "Have you ever thought about this?"

"When the time you mentioned arrives, the Central Plains will be in chaos, Pei Xiao will be tied down, and you will seize the opportunity to march south, take over the sixteen prefectures of Beiyong in one fell swoop, and achieve unparalleled merit..."

"By then, will the commander-in-chief of this southern expedition, who will be the one to orchestrate this daring victory and achieve such great feats... still be your father, Prince Hadan Ulantu of Shuoning?"

He shook his head, his tone resolute: "No, not anymore."

"Because according to your previous plan of inaction, King Shuoning had already been disappointed by the Golden Horde court due to his unsuccessful southern expeditions over the years and his lack of achievements. He was summoned back to the Golden Horde court to enjoy his new life."

"At that time, the one who will sit in Iron Plow City and command the army to reap the fruits of victory will be another prince or general who is more trusted by your Khan or who is better at seizing opportunities."

He looked at Shangguan Na's face, which froze instantly, and smiled, "And your father can only listen to the good news from others in the distant Golden Horde, drink his wine in silence, and reminisce about his time in Iron Plow City... Oh, perhaps he can't even hear the good news in time."

"This merit, this glory, this chance to regain the Khan's favor... has nothing to do with him anymore."

"He remains the same Shuoning King who failed in his southern campaign. In fact, the success of others only serves to highlight his incompetence."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing all of Shangguan Na's newly ignited enthusiasm and fantasies of waiting for the right opportunity.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, wanting to say "No, Father won't be transferred"... but the words just wouldn't come out.

Because what Wu Liang said was a cold reality that was very likely to happen.

The Golden Horde's patience is limited.

My father hasn't achieved any significant victories in several years. If he doesn't make any moves this year, it's almost certain that he'll be transferred before next spring.

Then, others will come and reap the rewards...

Her father couldn't even get hot soup.

Shangguan Na's face darkened completely, becoming so gloomy it could drip water.

Looking at her expression, Wu Liang knew that the time was almost right.

A gentle smile returned to his face, and his tone became calm: "So, Princess, let's be realistic."

"Please recognize that our relationship is truly one of cooperation."

"Isn't it His Highness Prince Qing who begged you to come south and beg for money!"

"On the contrary, it is precisely because of the impending changes on His Highness Prince Qing's side that you have created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference, and even to reverse Prince Shuoning's current predicament!"

"Our relationship is mutually beneficial. You will gain much-needed gains and consolidate your position; His Highness Prince Qing will achieve stability in the domestic situation."

"The premise is that you have to take action and seize this opportunity. Instead of sitting there waiting for a windfall or fantasizing about someone else getting ahead... that windfall or cicada might very well be snatched up by someone else first."

"I think we should leave this matter as it is for now. Princess, you can take your time to consider it; there's no rush."

Speaking of which,

Wu Liang changed the subject, patted the blue cloth needle pouch on the table, and chuckled, "So now, does the Princess still wish to receive acupuncture?"

……