Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 587: A Moneygrubber and a Jealous Spouse

Chapter 587: Chapter 587: A Moneygrubber and a Jealous Spouse

Xie Yuanzhang looked at his colleague Wang Mingzhe, whose face was livid with anger. This person had many disciples and was well-regarded in Eastern Wei, and had never been subjected to such humiliation.

If today’s events were to spread, he would probably feel disgraced beyond measure.

Lu Zhong’s emotions were quite stirred. Though he had been in the officialdom for many years, his youthful lack of experience led him to misjudgments. Yet at this age, he felt ashamed for making such an error in judgment.

Huang Gun is truly a great talent!

He seemed frivolous in daily life, yet at crucial moments never fell behind. This time, he caused the Eastern Wei scholar Wang Mingzhe to rage to the point of illness, which would surely incite significant repercussions.

Zhan Hui looked at Huang Gun with newfound respect. Although Huang Gun was a military general, he did not use force but rather his words to almost infuriate Wang Mingzhe to death. No wonder the enemy offered a bounty for his head higher than for Xiao Chen’s.

Provoked by Huang Gun, he didn’t know how to counterattack and simply wished to silence him by beheading!

No wonder his sister trusted and admired Huang Gun so much; this man is not simple!

Wang Qingchen’s opinion of Huang Gun changed, wanting to make friends with him. Indeed, the people under the Empress were exceptional.

Both sides were on the brink of conflict, yet Dayu’s envoy showed no fear. Xie Yuanzhang was merely putting on a show for Old Man Wang, to prevent Wang Mingzhe from complaining to the Emperor that he wasn’t helping.

He understood Wang Mingzhe; if Dayu’s envoy humiliated him and caused negotiations to fail, Wang Mingzhe would surely blame him!

He would never allow that to happen. The verbal sparring was merely to display the literary finesse of their civil officials, but using real weapons was not an option. In a military confrontation, if defeated, he’d be the first beheaded; if victorious, the responsibility for dead soldiers would fall on him. He feared inciting war and dreaded becoming an eternal sinner.

Thus, this old man would certainly prevent the conflict, sacrificing his personal dignity to ease tensions between the two nations.

Xie Yuanzhang guessed correctly; Wang Mingzhe indeed spoke out to stop it, "Everyone put down your weapons, this is a debate between Mr. Huang and me. I lost. This matter is unrelated to Eastern Wei and Dayu negotiations; let’s calm down and discuss negotiation matters thoroughly."

Xie Yuanzhang lightly raised his hand, and all Eastern Wei guards sheathed their swords and exited the room.

Zhan Hui also waved his hand behind him, and all soldiers sheathed their swords and left the room.

Wang Mingzhe, with a hint of embarrassment, looked at Lu Zhong, "Lord Lu, let’s not discuss the Meng Mountain issue for now; shall we talk about negotiation details?"

Wang Mingzhe’s two disciples exchanged a glance; they had never seen their teacher so humiliated.

Their teacher fell into the hands of Dayu’s Minister of Public Works, Huang Gun, and they were no match for him either, so they simply remained silent, avoiding further humiliation.

Lu Zhong looked at Huang Gun who had closed his eyes again to rest, his lips curving into a meaningful smile. His bright eyes turned to the enduring Wang Mingzhe, "Very well, I am all ears."

Following Huang Gun’s preparations through verbal exchange, both sides engaged in a favorable and candid dialogue, completing the negotiations between the two nations.

Eastern Wei and Dayu each made concessions, withdrawing thirty miles.

Eastern Wei also had to take responsibility for disturbing Dayu’s borders, including punishing those soldiers and compensating Dayu with five million taels of silver.

Eastern Wei’s national strength was formidable, and it never succumbed to any other nation before. This was the greatest sacrifice in Eastern Wei’s negotiation history.

...

Zhan Lan and Mu Yan arrived in Yuzhou together, a scenic and fertile place between the three nations, with unique geographical advantages, easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a contested land among strategists since ancient times.

Back in the day, Zhongzhou lost this pivotal route in Yuzhou, leading to its division among the other three countries.

Standing on this land, Mu Yan thought of his grandfather’s anguish when Yuzhou was lost, feeling his pain deeply.

Zhan Lan had restored her original appearance and watched the scenery of Yuzhou from the carriage. She sincerely praised, "Yuzhou is truly a wonderful place. Even in deep winter, you see lush green, a treasure land and cradle of talents!"

Mu Yan’s eyes warmed, "If Lan’er likes it, I will help you claim it in the future."

Zhan Lan smiled, "I naturally believe in you, but claiming Yuzhou is far harder than taking Western Rong because it’s guarded by King of Yuzhou, Liu Xian. Under him are fifty thousand elite troops, reinforced by defensible terrain equivalent to five hundred thousand troops guarding it; plus, it hosts the world’s largest sect, the Shadow Sect. With over ten thousand disciples, all excel in martial arts, and there are external tribes like the Poisonous Insect Clan in the bordering region. It’s quite a challenge!"

Mu Yan smiled without saying much.

The carriage stopped, and the two got off wearing veils.

The Silver-faced Fox alighted from the carriage behind them, stretching lazily, approaching Zhan Lan and whispering, "You two kings don’t disguise yourselves, why bring me along? To let me admire the view, admire the beauty?"

Zhan Lan gave him a glance, "In case our identities are exposed, we’ll count on you to escape."

The Silver-faced Fox sneered; he didn’t believe they needed him to escape.

Zhan Lan merely paid silver, wanting him there not idle, thus taking him everywhere she went!

The Silver-faced Fox glimpsed a chill from Mu Yan staring at him, so he quickly moved away from Zhan Lan.

The couple, one a miser, the other jealous—a plight for him indeed!

The three entered Yuzhou City, heading to the meeting place with Alchemist Qi.

As they passed a clinic, Zhan Lan saw it full of patients inside, with many more queued outside.

Zhan Lan glanced at the wooden plaque inscribed with three characters, He Sheng Hall.

She faintly saw a man in white clothes diagnosing patients; evidently, his medical skills were extraordinary to attract so many people during such harsh weather.

The carriage traveled on a smooth road for another quarter of an hour to reach the meeting site with Alchemist Qi.

A person from Alchemist Qi waited early at the door. Looking at Zhan Lan, Mu Yan asked, "Do you need me to go with you?"

Zhan Lan nodded, and the two entered the house together.

They entered and shut the door, removing their veils. Seeing Mu Yan and Zhan Lan together, Alchemist Qi was first surprised, then smiled in welcome.

"Lan girl, no, now it’s proper to call you Empress!" Alchemist Qi said quietly.

Zhan Lan smiled, "Alchemist Qi is too kind; I’ve come to ask a favor of you."