Chapter 625

“Prince An, now that you are divorced, would it not be perfect for you to marry our princess? Besides, the four cities you want will be part of our princess’s dowry.”

Yan Zhaohe had clearly misunderstood and thought Shangguan Yun genuinely wanted to marry Xu Heming.

He hurriedly continued, “After all, our princess is not only beautiful, but also comes with four cities as her dowry. What is there for Prince An to hesitate over?”

Yan Zhaohe thought that only a fool would reject a beauty like their princess in favor of the daughter of a minor official.

“Your Majesty, I already have a princess consort. I suspect my wife has misunderstood something, which is why she is throwing a fit and asking for a divorce. I never agreed to it. Besides, before today’s contest, we agreed that they would wager four cities, while we would wager Jing Border Pass. How can they change their story now that they have lost?”

Xu Heming glared at Yan Zhaohe, his eyes full of warning. If Yan Zhaohe dared to say another word, he would show him no mercy.

Yan Zhaohe wanted to speak, but he did not know where to begin. Technically speaking, they had indeed been the ones to misspeak first.

However, when he thought about how they had come to the Kingdom of Lannuo and might not only fail to sign the hundred-year agreement but also lose four cities, he knew the consequences would be more than he could bear.

Moreover, judging from the Third Prince’s attitude just now, it seemed that he intended to place all the blame on Yan Zhaohe.

Yan Zhaohe closed his eyes. He was a man of the First Prince.

Even if he refused to agree today, the Third Prince could not do much to him, at least for now. As for returning to the Kingdom of Qinling, he had the First Prince’s protection.

After thinking it through, Yan Zhaohe said nothing more. These matters were not for him to decide.

Shangguan Mu was deeply displeased. Why would the damned Yan Zhaohe refuse to acknowledge the agreement?

Faced with Xu Heming’s aggressive questioning, Shangguan Mu wanted to deny everything. But they were still on the territory of the Kingdom of Lannuo.

All he could do was grit his teeth and sign the treaty ceding the cities. In his heart, however, he secretly swore that once he returned to the Kingdom of Qinling, he would flatten the Kingdom of Lannuo and wash away the humiliation he had suffered today.

“Please affix your seal, Your Excellency,” the eunuch said.

After Shangguan Mu signed his name, the eunuch presented the treaty ceding the cities to Yan Zhaohe.

As Yan Zhaohe read that Jinsha Valley, Sky Dragon Gorge, Nine Dragons Mountain, and Luyi River would henceforth forever fall under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Lannuo, he felt his heart tremble.

“Lord Yan, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and affix your jade seal!” Shangguan Mu said from the side.

Seeing the fear on Yan Zhaohe’s face suddenly made Shangguan Mu feel somewhat better.

How could he possibly bear such a major matter alone?

With Yan Zhaohe sharing the burden, Shangguan Mu felt that even the air around him had become more pleasant.

Yan Zhaohe shut his eyes and took out his jade seal, pressing it onto the scroll.

He knew that once the seal was affixed, he would either die or suffer terribly when he returned home.

When the little eunuch saw that Yan Zhaohe’s jade seal had been stamped, he hurriedly presented the scroll to Zhu Jingchen.

Looking at the treaty ceding the cities, Zhu Jingchen wore a smile that never left his lips.

He thought that this counted as expanding the territory of the Kingdom of Lannuo. After he died one day, he would at least have the face to meet his ancestors.

This would be the most glorious page in the historical record of his reign.

No one at the contest raised the suggestion of making Xu Heming divorce his wife and marry the Princess of Qinling again.

When Xu Heming tried to find Li Tianyou and ask him about the reason, he discovered that Li Tianyou had already left.

“Your Majesty, I urgently need to return and deal with some family matters, so I will not stay to help Your Majesty handle the aftermath.”

After saying this, Xu Heming did not even wait for Zhu Jingchen to respond before hurriedly leaving.

“Looks like that boy must have done something to anger his wife,” Zhu Jingchen said from the side, enjoying the spectacle.

“Your Majesty, are you not worried?” Zhang Yanchu thought. How could His Majesty still have the leisure to laugh at Prince An?

He should consider that the Kingdom of Qinling had suffered a defeat in the Kingdom of Lannuo today. Once they returned home, they might immediately send troops against the Kingdom of Lannuo.

“What is there to worry about? We won, did we not?” Zhu Jingchen said cheerfully, pointing at the scroll nearby.

“Your Majesty, are you not worried that the Kingdom of Qinling will send troops to attack our Kingdom of Lannuo?” Zhang Yanchu asked, looking at Zhu Jingchen strangely.

At that moment, Zhang Yanchu did not even have the presence of mind to observe the distinction between ruler and subject. This matter was too serious to be dismissed with careless words.

“Is that not what you should be worrying about? After all, you are a general. I cannot fight wars. General Wen, I will be counting on you,” Zhu Jingchen said solemnly as he patted Zhang Yanchu on the shoulder.

Zhang Yanchu was speechless. Had all his words just now fallen on deaf ears?

Even if he was a general and knew how to fight, he alone could not stand against the millions of soldiers in the Kingdom of Qinling.

“Your Majesty, I am afraid I cannot do it!” Zhang Yanchu said with an embarrassed expression.

“Why can you not do it? Have the soldiers stopped obeying you? Is it because you lack provisions, or because the military pay is insufficient? Do not worry. Go to the Ministry of War later. I will make sure they send everything to you immediately,” Zhu Jingchen said.

He figured that the national treasury was no longer short of silver. Besides, Lady Yao had promised to donate a large shipment of provisions. The imperial court was fully prepared for a war against the Kingdom of Qinling.

“Your Majesty, we are also short of weapons! Fine weapons!” Zhang Yanchu blurted out. The moment he finished speaking, he regretted it. He should have been trying to persuade His Majesty not to fight, should he not?

By saying that, was he not making His Majesty think he had agreed to lead the army?

He had not even married yet!

“Go to Prince An. General Wen, do not worry. Prince An has already prepared everything,” Zhu Jingchen said at once.

“Your Majesty...” Zhang Yanchu looked at Zhu Jingchen with a troubled expression.

He wanted to say that he had not married yet, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not bring himself to say it.

“Does General Wen need anything else? Ask for whatever you want. I will certainly have Prince An provide it for you,” Zhu Jingchen said without the slightest hesitation.

“Your Majesty, I am afraid Prince An cannot provide me with what I need.” Zhang Yanchu sighed.

What could he say?

That he had not married yet?

But the Cheng family certainly would not so readily agree to let him marry their daughter.

Forget it. Although this emperor was his fiancée’s brother-in-law, who would dare call him brother-in-law to his face?

Still, perhaps he could bring up his younger sister’s marriage.

If he went to war, his life or death would be uncertain. But if his younger sister married, the Li family would naturally take care of her for the rest of her life.

Given the Li family’s character, Zhang Yanchu trusted them.

As for Cheng Qingli...

Zhang Yanchu thought it would be better to wait until he returned safely before getting married. Blades and arrows had no eyes on the battlefield. If he died, would she not be forced to live as a widow?

It was better to forget it.

“General Wen, you should hurry back. His Majesty has already left,” Eunuch Liu reminded him carefully when he saw Zhang Yanchu still standing there blankly. Then he quickly followed Zhu Jingchen and left.

Watching Zhu Jingchen’s retreating figure, Zhang Yanchu could not help wondering if it was only his imagination, or if His Majesty really was avoiding him.