Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

As the head of all officials, Han Cao should be the first to express his opinion on this matter.

His face was ashen, but in his heart he had already cursed the young emperor on the dragon throne eight hundred times.

You refused to move south, saying things like "The emperor guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the state."

Now, the Northern Barbarians have a knife to his neck.

Five thousand vanguard soldiers are stationed thirty miles away, blocking the gate!

You can't leave even if you want to!

That little bastard, he's really got people killed.

But Han Cao is Han Cao after all.

He suppressed his anger and his mature and composed expression returned to his face.

He took a step forward and cupped his hands in greeting to Helian Xiong.

"General Helian has come from afar; you must have had a long and arduous journey."

"I understand both paths the general just mentioned."

"However, the world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain."

"There's nothing in this world that can't be discussed."

"Why did the Northern Barbarians march south? For money!"

"These things can be discussed calmly and patiently. Why resort to violence? War will only bring death and destruction, and it will benefit no one."

"Although our Great Yan has just suffered a defeat, it is not without the power to fight back."

"The Northern Barbarians are indeed brave, but the capital is a high-walled city with deep moats and tens of thousands of garrison troops. If we really attack head-on, the Northern Barbarians may not come out on top."

"Rather than a lose-lose situation, it would be better for both sides to compromise. I can act on His Majesty's behalf to open more border markets and pay annual tribute to Northern Mang. What do you think, General?"

Chen Shao clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "Good heavens!"

He can even make treason sound so logically sound and refreshingly unconventional.

They also have to use their own name.

One word: Absolutely brilliant! Four words: Fuck you!

Han Cao's speech reflected the thoughts of most people.

Paying money for peace of mind.

Let's get through this immediate hurdle first, and then make a long-term plan.

Although paying tribute is humiliating, compared to the destruction of a country and the extermination of a people, if it can be accomplished, it is already a great bargain.

But Helian Xiong didn't buy it.

He was a belligerent, rough man who despised the cowardly yet stubborn manner of scholars.

If you want to talk, act like a grandson to me, don't act like I'm your boss.

If you don't want to talk, then come at me head-on.

The Roaring Empire's court, driven by vanity, had long since forgotten the Empress's instructions.

What makes them want to come here for peace talks? What a load of rubbish.

His eyes made no attempt to hide his contempt.

"tribute? Trade?"

"That's just how you Southerners are. When there's no knife to your throat, you all look down on yourselves and think you're the best in the world."

"The moment the knife was brought before him, his face immediately changed. He started talking about tribute and marriage alliances, and he practically wanted to kneel down and call me 'father.'"

"But that's not what my Empress wants. This time, she's serious!"

"Either we divide the country along the river, or the Great Firestorm is extinguished; there's no other choice!"

Han Cao's smile froze.

How could anyone swallow such an insult to the prime minister of a country, who was so humiliated by a mere barbarian?

He can.

But there's a premise: if everyone is humiliated, it's the same as not humiliating anyone.

Therefore, Han Cao's gaze fell upon Yuwen Huagu.

"General, you are the head of the military, and it is inconvenient for me to make decisions on such important military and national matters alone. What is your opinion?"

I'll show you my head!

Yuwen Huagu cursed inwardly: "Old fox, you really know how to pass the buck."

Given their attitude, saying anything now would only humiliate us.

Of course he didn't want to fight.

War means death, and death costs money.

Moreover, even an army of 500,000 couldn't defeat them.

This battle is unfair.

But he couldn't afford to lose face.

Yuwen Huagu's eyes darted around, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck him.

laughed:

"General Helian, this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided in just a few words."

"General, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Why don't you rest at the inn for a while and have a drink to relieve your fatigue?"

"This general will immediately discuss this with His Majesty and the ministers. A satisfactory answer will be given to you shortly. What do you say?"

If you pass it on to me, I'll pass it on to the emperor.

Tuoba Xiong was even more arrogant, "I'll give you one hour. You should know that Her Majesty the Empress doesn't have much patience."

Humiliation! Utter humiliation!

Those who are able to attend the court assembly are all pillars of the Great Yan Dynasty. Have they ever experienced such a scene where someone is riding on their neck and defecating on them?

But no one dared to speak, and the hall was deathly silent.

Chen Shao finally realized that something was wrong.

What about people?

What about Yu Qi'an and his fellow pro-war faction members?

He looked around, but couldn't see them at all.

"???"

Chen Shao was startled, but quickly came to his senses.

OK!

These two old scoundrels have actually reached such an extraordinary level of cunning.

This must have been done by keeping those people in the dark, or by using other methods to prevent them from attending court.

You bastard!

This is because they fear that Yu Qi'an and his men might impulsively kill the Northern Mang envoy.

What will shatter their dreams of peace talks?

This matter must be decided in the imperial court.

We absolutely cannot delay.

Otherwise, after the court session, they would forge an imperial edict in their own name.

It's either reparations or territorial concessions; in any case, they'll sign the agreement themselves.

Damn it, I'm not going to take this insult.

Then, as the court officials remained silent, a powerful and furious shout rang out.

"Bullshit!"

Chen Shao suddenly stood up, pointed at Helian Xiong's nose, and cursed:

"These mere barbarians dare to spout such nonsense in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!"

"What are these Northern Barbarians? They're nothing but a bunch of uncivilized savages who live by following the water and grass, yet they dare to come to the capital to show off their power?"

"Do they really think the Great Yan Dynasty is devoid of talent?"

Everyone looked up at the same time, staring at the young emperor standing before his desk.

I even thought I was seeing things.

Is he... that brave?

Han Cao frowned. What does His Majesty mean by this?

Does he even have a say in such matters of national importance?

The key question is why they acted so impulsively.

He does not have the appearance of a ruler.

Yuwen Huagu also looked at Chen Shao with a shocked expression.

Little brother, there's really no one left in the Great Yan Dynasty right now, what are you trying to do!

Suddenly, another flash of inspiration struck him:

Could it be that Chen Shao wants to die and drags them all down with him?

The Empress Dowager was equally stunned, shook her head, and murmured softly:

"What a stupid kid."

When it comes to cursing, Chen Shao is a top expert in the field.

"The whole country surrendered? A million-strong army?"

"Who are you trying to scare! Do you Northern Mang people think cavalrymen can spring out of their mothers' wombs? Do you think your mothers gave birth to eight at once? You're trying to fool your father!"

"It's like tattooing a hen on an egg, what the hell are you showing off?"

"What do you mean..." Helian Xiong's mind went blank for a moment after being bombarded with his barrage of insults.

He shook his head vigorously before he came to his senses.

Only then did he take a closer look at the little devil in front of him.

Ha, that's not even enough to fill his teeth.

Helian Xiong sneered, "Heh, Your Majesty, you certainly know how to talk."

"This general understands now. So His Majesty intends to wage war?"

"Has Your Majesty considered the consequences? What will happen to you if the city falls?"

Chen Shao responded with a cold laugh.

"I do not know my own fate, but I know yours, Helian Xiong. Have you forgotten where you are right now?"

"With just one command from me, I can chop you into mincemeat!"

Helian Xiong had seen this kind of scene many times before.

The Empress taught him that the more fearless you are when you go on a diplomatic mission, the more your enemies will fear you.

On the contrary, the more timid and hesitant you are, the more your enemy will take advantage of you!

So he looked up at the sky and laughed.

The laughter was rough and unrestrained.

His aura surged dramatically.

The cultivation level of the number one expert in Northern Wilderness was fully revealed.

"I, the general, stand right here! Who dares to kill me? Who can kill me? Hahaha!"

Logically speaking, under normal circumstances, his approach was correct.

The messenger must be placed in a life-or-death situation before he can survive.

If you unleash the wrath of an emperor, awe-inspiring force capable of causing millions to die and blood to flow for miles, the opponent will likely be wary of the uncontrollable consequences.

Or perhaps they treat them kindly out of respect for their integrity.

Moreover, the entire court of the Great Yan Dynasty was terrified of him to the core.

Who dares to make a move?

No one dared to make a move, which emboldened Helian Xiong even more.

He gave Chen Shao a subtle, cold smile.

"Your Majesty, are you determined to test the sharpness of my Northern Barbarian sword?"

...Are you trying to play the role of Dong Zhuo with me?

"My cup is not necessarily at a disadvantage!"

Chen Shao casually picked up a teacup from the imperial desk.

Imperial kiln blue and white porcelain, with its thin body and lustrous glaze, was a tribute item specially made for the emperor.

He threw it at Helian Xiong.

He threw the object relatively quickly, but against a top expert like Helian Xiong from the Northern Barbarian Kingdom, it was no match.

All I can say is that it's too slow.

In Helian Xiong's eyes, it was like a slow-motion video.

You can even see the trajectory of the tea that flew out.

He panicked.

Helian Xiong chuckled inwardly.

Of course, this was also his time to display his great power.

Let me show you the might of the Great Yan people.

My iron bones are impervious to swords and spears, what can a mere cup do to me?

He neither dodged nor flinched, letting the cup smash into his forehead.

"Hehe, His Majesty is quite adorable..."

boom!

The cup was right in front of his forehead.

Helian Xiong's voice abruptly stopped.

His expression froze on his face.

A look of utter absurdity and disbelief appeared in his large, bell-shaped eyes.

Then my head suddenly jolted and I felt dizzy, as if I had been hit on the forehead by a battering ram.

He was sent flying backwards.

Then everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

Is this a cup?

......