After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Zhang Sheng coughed and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, we're not finished talking yet."

Zhu Houzhao pouted and muttered, "Hurry up, I still need to go back and start the fire!"

After saying that, he continued to lie on the table, and soon began to snore.

Tulu was furious. Pointing at Zhu Houzhao, he gritted his teeth and said, "Is this how you treat guests in your Great Ming Dynasty?"

Zhang Sheng looked somewhat embarrassed and could only say, "Our dynasty's agreement to open the trade route is already a great concession. As for the quantity of goods, as long as the border towns are stable, it can be increased as appropriate. Please consider this carefully. Let's end the discussion here today. The Court of State Ceremonial has prepared a meal. Please help yourselves."

After speaking, he stood up and looked at Zhu Houzhao: "Your Highness, please!"

Zhu Houzhao, however, was fast asleep and did not react at all.

Liu Jin had no choice but to step forward and quietly reach out and pinch Zhu Houzhao's arm.

"Huh? You're done talking?"

Zhu Houzhao raised his head blankly and wiped the drool from his mouth.

Liu Jin whispered, "We're done talking!"

"oh!"

Zhu Houzhao jumped down from the grand chair and beckoned to Yang Shen: "Yang Shen, come back to the palace with me!"

He failed to notice that this action had thoroughly enraged Turu.

Even if the deal falls through, shouldn't we at least say goodbye politely when we leave?

As the Crown Prince of the Great Yuan Dynasty, when have I ever suffered such humiliation!

...Except for that excrement incident a few days ago!

"Your Highness, Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, you sit here representing the Emperor. Are you only here to listen to your ministers' petty squabbles? Is the peace between the grasslands and the Ming Dynasty worth only a few pounds of salt and a few bolts of cloth?"

Zhu Houzhao was about to leave when he heard this, so he stopped and turned around.

He was shorter than Turu, so he tilted his head back and said, "You just want pig iron, right? Trade it to me with your warhorses, as much as you want!"

Turu's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously said, "Warhorses are military supplies, how could that be?"

Zhu Houzhao laughed: "So you know about military supplies too!"

Having said that, he didn't linger and was about to leave.

Turu grew anxious and shouted, "Does your country intend to start a war? Are you just going to stand by and watch the people of the border towns suffer?"

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but say, "If you dare to come, I will personally lead the army and ensure you never return!"

Seeing that the other party was unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, Tulu was speechless for a moment.

He thought the other person was just a child, and that he could easily scare him with threats.

The current situation is that no matter what I say, people don't take it to heart at all.

It's like cutting cotton with a knife; all your strength has nowhere to go.

Seeing Turu's predicament, Akunda finally spoke slowly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince may be young, but your words are quite sharp. However, things in this world are not all up to human will; sometimes, fate is more important."

These words were completely cryptic, and Zhu Houzhao, looking utterly bewildered, said, "What are you babbling about? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving!"

Akunda continued in his chanting tone, "According to rumors, strange phenomena have been occurring frequently in the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace lately, with latrines exploding inexplicably and overflowing with filth. Is this true?"

These words immediately caused a stir among the Ming Dynasty officials.

Zhang Sheng's face darkened, and he said, "Where did the Imperial Advisor hear such rumors? How can matters of the palace be discussed so casually by an outsider!"

A strange smile suddenly appeared on Akunda's gaunt face, and he said, "Rumors? Whether they are rumors or not, I'm sure everyone here knows the answer! I am a great shaman of the world, able to communicate with the gods of heaven and earth. The Eternal Heaven told me that this is because someone in the Great Ming Dynasty committed blasphemy and angered the gods, so this punishment has been sent down as a warning!"

Zhang Sheng angrily retorted, "Imperial Preceptor, stop talking nonsense! We Han people act with integrity and uprightness; how could we commit such a blasphemous act?"

"What, you're afraid to admit it?"

Tulu, unable to contain himself any longer, chimed in: "You Han people are treacherous! You replaced my sauce with excrement, intending to humiliate my father Khan and the entire grassland! What is this if not blasphemy? The Eternal Heaven has intervened and blown up your latrine—this is divine punishment!"

"What kind of sauce is that made of feces?"

Zhang Sheng didn't understand and turned to look at the others.

The officials present all looked at each other, completely bewildered.

Zhu Houzhao became interested and was about to speak when Yang Shen stopped him.

Yang Shen said in a low voice, "Your Highness, please be careful what you say! You were out of the palace that day to catch smugglers and relieve the emperor's burdens; you know nothing else!"

Zhu Houzhao swallowed his words, but nodded helplessly.

Seeing that the Ming officials were silent, Tulu assumed they were in the wrong and became even more aggressive.

"What? You dare to do it but not admit it? You have angered the Eternal Heaven, which is why your palace is no longer peaceful! Unless you agree to our conditions, what follows will be far more than just a latrine explosion!"

These words are a blatant threat.

Zhang Sheng's face turned pale, but he didn't know how to refute it.

The fact that cesspools keep exploding is indeed quite mysterious.

Could it be true, as the other party claims, that the Eternal Heaven has manifested its power?

But why would the Eternal Heaven on the grasslands concern itself with the Ming Dynasty's latrines?

This is completely nonsensical!

An awkward silence fell over the lobby.

Turu became even more smug, as if he had found the other party's sore spot.

At that moment, a voice rang out: "May I ask, sir, what does the explosion of the cesspool have to do with the Eternal Heaven?"

Tulu turned his head and saw that the person speaking was about his age and dressed like a scholar.

"The Eternal Heaven, even the highest gods, can govern everything!"

"Are you sure you're going to regulate even latrines?"

"Nature can manage it!"

Yang Shen nodded, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "It seems your Eternal Heaven isn't all that great. You just said that there's a shortage of supplies on the grasslands, and the herders are starving. Instead of trying to get some supplies, your Eternal Heaven is meddling in the latrines. They're practically disregarding you."

Tulu's face turned pale instantly, and he reached for his waist, only to find nothing.

Akunda asked, "Who are you? Today's matter is a negotiation between two countries. You don't even have an official robe. What right do you have to interrupt?"

Zhu Houzhao immediately stepped forward and said, "He is my study companion, and I allow him to speak! Study companion Yang is right, how come your Eternal Heaven interferes in everything, even other people's outhouses?"

These words were quite vulgar, and Zhang Sheng and other officials couldn't help but twitch their lips.

Tulu pointed a finger at Zhu Houzhao, his hand trembling slightly, and roared, "Insolence! How dare you defy the Eternal Heaven!"

Yang Shen stepped forward, blocking Zhu Houzhao's path, and said, "Your Highness is young and impulsive, please forgive him. I simply don't understand. According to the Imperial Preceptor, the Eternal Heaven sent down divine punishment because someone desecrated the grasslands with excrement. Then may I ask, don't you grassland people defecate?"

Akunda was immediately choked up and didn't know how to respond.

Yang Shen continued, "Even if you're right, then please tell me, why doesn't the Eternal Heaven punish those who did it, but instead blows up...that...that innocent latrine? What did the latrine do wrong?"

He paused, then spoke with even greater sincerity, "Or perhaps your tribe's Eternal Heaven is simply short-tempered, and this action is perhaps a case of taking out one's anger on others?"