Chapter 623

After Xu Heming left, Li Zhiwei could no longer hold back her tears and began sobbing.

“Miss, please don’t cry.” Hearing Li Zhiwei’s sobs, Cuiguo hurried inside to comfort her.

Li Zhiwei said nothing and simply continued to cry.

Cuiguo’s heart ached as she stood helplessly at her side, inwardly cursing the prince for being so heartless.

Her own mistress had carried his child for him, yet he had still made her sad.

Xu Heming assumed that Li Zhiwei simply had not come to her senses yet. Besides, with the contest against Qinling Kingdom approaching, he had no time to visit the Li family.

The day of the contest between Lan Nuo Kingdom and Qinling Kingdom arrived.

Clang!

Zhao Jiugao stared in disbelief at the sword that had been cleaved in two.

“You…” Looking at the long spear in Zhang Yanchu’s hands, Zhao Jiugao felt fear for the first time.

If he lost this battle, not only would Qinling Kingdom lose face, but they would also have to surrender four cities—Jinsha Valley, Tianlong Gorge, Jiulong Mountain, and Changyi River—to Lan Nuo Kingdom.

That was an outcome he could never bear.

“Will you concede?” Seeing that his opponent’s sword had been split in two, Zhang Yanchu pointed the spear at his nose and asked.

“Zhao Jiugao, what are you doing?” Shangguan Mu had never expected Zhao Jiugao’s sword to break, and a bad feeling rose in his heart.

Seeing that Zhao Jiugao was clearly at a disadvantage, Shangguan Mu impatiently reminded him of the situation. After all, he had just agreed enthusiastically to Lan Nuo Kingdom’s terms. If they won, Qinling Kingdom would have to hand over four cities.

If his father learned that he had come to Lan Nuo Kingdom, failed to secure the hundred-year pact, and even lost four cities, then let alone the position of Crown Prince—his father might not even let him live.

“Third Prince, if we lose today’s battle, have you considered how you’ll explain this to His Majesty?” Yan Zhaohe watched the scene before him and knew that the outcome was already decided.

He had never expected Lan Nuo Kingdom to possess such a formidable weapon.

The only question was whether this weapon was unique, or whether all of Lan Nuo Kingdom’s weapons had already reached this level.

If Lan Nuo Kingdom truly possessed such powerful weapons, Yan Zhaohe did not dare imagine whether, in the future, they would lose only four cities.

“What nonsense are you talking about? How could we possibly lose?” Shangguan Mu snapped impatiently at Yan Zhaohe.

“Third Prince, I asked you before whether anything unusual had happened in Lan Nuo Kingdom recently, and you said no. But look at them now—when did they acquire such sophisticated weapons? Why didn’t you discover them?” Yan Zhaohe asked, displeased.

If he had known about this beforehand, he would never have agreed to wager four cities.

“There’s nothing unusual about Lan Nuo Kingdom!” Shangguan Mu replied without the slightest hesitation.

“Then do you think the spear in that man’s hands is an ordinary weapon?” Yan Zhaohe asked unhappily.

“Could it be that Lord Yan thinks Lan Nuo Kingdom can intimidate us with a single spear?” Shangguan Mu truly did not take the matter seriously.

After all, Qinling Kingdom possessed countless superb weapons.

Why should they fear a single spear?

“Did you not see how Zhao Jiugao’s sword broke just now? That spear is superior to even the finest weapons in our Qinling Kingdom! Zhao Jiugao’s sword was among the best we could produce!” Yan Zhaohe said, pointing with a trembling hand toward the arena, where Zhao Jiugao was still struggling to hold on.

“Could it be that Lord Yan thinks Lan Nuo Kingdom can produce many weapons like that?” Shangguan Mu had naturally noticed how powerful the spear in Zhang Yanchu’s hands was, but he still did not take it seriously.

“What if they can?” Yan Zhaohe thought to himself that, with the Third Prince’s lack of political savvy, he would never make a suitable future ruler of Qinling Kingdom.

Fortunately, Shangguan Mu himself had agreed to surrender the four cities. If His Majesty punished anyone, Yan Zhaohe could at most be blamed for failing to persuade him.

“Zhao Jiugao, you’ve lost. Hurry up and concede,” Zhang Yanchu said. He could not understand why Zhao Jiugao still refused to admit defeat.

“I will not concede!” Zhao Jiugao knew that today he either had to die in battle or emerge victorious. There was no possibility of defeat.

Otherwise, the Third Prince would never spare him.

“I have no intention of taking your life.” Zhang Yanchu frowned. He had no desire to kill the man.

“Then kill me!” Zhao Jiugao’s eyes were bloodshot, yet he still refused to concede.

“Zhang Yanchu, put more effort into it!” Watching Zhang Yanchu toy with Qinling’s First Warrior as if he were teasing a monkey, Xu Heming called out impatiently.

Zhang Yanchu glanced at Zhao Jiugao. He no longer had the time to play around with him, so he kicked him directly off the platform.

Who said the opponent had to be beaten to death for the match to end?

Being knocked off the platform also counted as a loss.

Zhao Jiugao’s eyes widened. He had never expected Zhang Yanchu to use such a tactic.

Did that mean he had lost anyway?

Lost?

At the thought, Zhao Jiugao looked toward Shangguan Mu in horror.

He could already imagine what fate awaited him.

“His Highness the Third Prince, I’m sorry, but your warrior has lost,” Xu Heming said with a smile. The moment he saw Zhao Jiugao kicked from the platform, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that this matter was settled, he would have time to go back and coax his wife.

Shangguan Mu clenched his fists tightly. He had never imagined that useless Zhao Jiugao would truly lose.

They had lost!

Qinling Kingdom had lost four cities.

Shangguan Mu collapsed into his chair and remained speechless for a long while.

“Your Highness!” Yan Zhaohe frowned and reminded him that he could not remain silent.

Otherwise, everyone would think Qinling Kingdom could not accept defeat.

“Victory and defeat are both common in warfare.” Shangguan Mu took a deep breath before speaking haltingly.

“Of course. However, His Highness the Third Prince won’t be going back on the wager Qinling Kingdom just made, will he?” Xu Heming asked, smiling as he looked at Shangguan Mu.

Shangguan Mu wanted nothing more than to declare the wager invalid, but with so many eyes watching them, Qinling Kingdom could not afford the reputation of breaking its word.

“Of course we acknowledge it,” Shangguan Mu said through clenched teeth.

“Excellent. Then please have His Highness the Third Prince sign this treaty ceding the cities.” Xu Heming took out the document he had had prepared in advance and ordered someone to deliver it to Shangguan Mu and Yan Zhaohe.

“Lord Yan, you are the envoy for this mission. You may sign the treaty on behalf of Qinling Kingdom,” Shangguan Mu said as he looked at the document, turning to Yan Zhaohe.

“Your Highness, you were the one who offered up the cities. Naturally, you should be the one to sign,” Yan Zhaohe replied. He was not a fool. If he signed the treaty, His Majesty would surely place all the blame on him afterward.

Besides, Shangguan Mu had personally agreed to this. Why should Yan Zhaohe sign the treaty in his place?

“Lord Yan, are you suggesting that you intend to disobey my orders?” Shangguan Mu frowned at Yan Zhaohe, who kept contradicting him, already thinking about how to pin the blame on him.