Chapter 575: The Reckless Princess Demon's Daily Life Chapter 668 Shao Ning

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

An Wang explained: "These conditions are merely laid out openly; there is another private condition that does not take the form of an agreement, but requires us to discuss it privately." The Crown Prince asked curiously: "Then what is this private condition?"

An Wang fell silent for a moment, finally speaking: "The Sixth Prince demands that we purchase a three-courtyard residence for their family in Kyoto. And no one must be told."

After a moment of silence, the Crown Prince suddenly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile, and said softly: "Imperial Uncle, do you think Shangguan Peilin and his family want to come to Dachang Kingdom to accompany Si'er's daughter-in-law? That is why they actively proposed surrender, but worried they would become sinners through the ages, so they proposed negotiations, hoping to secure some benefits for their people."

The Crown Prince's tone originally carried some teasing and banter, but when his gaze fell upon An Wang, he discovered An Wang was looking at him with an approving expression, as if saying: "You kid, you're pretty smart!"

Seeing this, the Crown Prince couldn't help but feel moved, and hurriedly asked: "Imperial Uncle, could it be that this palace guessed correctly?"

An Wang smiled faintly and said slowly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is naturally exceptionally wise."

Hearing An Wang's words, the Crown Prince's heart surged with emotion.

He realized that Shangguan Peilin's insistence on surrender and negotiation was largely out of love and concern for his daughter. This deep paternal love made the Crown Prince feel more favorably toward Shangguan Peilin's family, and at the same time, willing to come to negotiations to maximize benefits for his own people, was also a responsible ruler.

Thus, the Crown Prince said solemnly: "This palace agrees to this condition. If Father Emperor does not agree, this palace is willing to fund it personally. As for the other conditions, as long as they are not too excessive, agree if possible."

"This palace feels this Shangguan Peilin family is quite interesting, and they are willing to consider the people, which is rare. The few conditions Imperial Uncle mentioned just now, this palace feels there is no problem with them. As for the other conditions, if there is not too much controversy, this matter should be settled."

An Wang nodded slightly, indicating agreement with the Crown Prince's view. The stone in the Crown Prince's heart finally fell to the ground, and he said with a full smile: "If we can incorporate Dongying into our territory without losing a single soldier, that would be perfect!" An Wang also echoed: "Yes, then the world can truly be at peace."

As the two conversed, the carriage slowly arrived at the relay station. The Crown Prince, pleased upon learning the circumstances, found Shangguan Xingyan and the others waiting before the carriage even more pleasing to the eye.

As soon as the Crown Prince got out of the carriage, he quickly stepped forward and warmly greeted Shangguan Xingyan: "Elder Brother Shangguan, did you rest well last night?"

An Wang lagged slightly behind, got out of the carriage, and stood behind the Crown Prince together with the other adults.

Seeing this, Shangguan Xingyan hurriedly bowed and saluted, smiling as he replied: "Thank you for Your Highness's concern, I slept very well last night." After all, the other party was the noble Crown Prince, so Shangguan Xingyan naturally did not dare to address him as casually as he would others, but instead addressed him as "Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince did not mind this at all; he waved his hand and said with concern: "Then that's good. The weather is cold today, please get on the carriage quickly, adults, let us go to Honglu Temple together."

After speaking, he turned and boarded the carriage, and everyone followed closely behind. Both parties boarded their respective carriages, with the Crown Prince's and An Wang's carriages leading the way, while Shangguan Xingyan's carriage followed closely behind.

The wheels rolled, the carriage moved forward slowly, and before long they arrived at the entrance of Honglu Temple. The Crown Prince got out of the carriage first, then stood in place, patiently waiting for Shangguan Xingyan and the others to alight. After everyone had disembarked, the two groups walked into Honglu Temple together.

The Honglu Temple Minister had already learned yesterday that there would be negotiations today, so he had someone tidy up the hall of Honglu Temple early on.

Not only that, he also specially had it cleaned spotlessly and replaced with fresh greenery, making the entire hall look especially neat and comfortable. As soon as the others entered, the first thing that met their eyes was this scene, which inevitably made one feel pleased.

In the exact center of the hall stood a long, large table, with six chairs placed on each side.

The Crown Prince, without yielding to anyone, walked first to a chair at the upper right and sat down elegantly. He smiled at Shangguan Xingyan and said: "Elder Brother Shangguan, sit here." As he spoke, he gestured for Shangguan Xingyan to sit opposite.

Seeing this, Shangguan Xingyan did not decline, smiling and replying: "Very well." Immediately after, he walked to the chair opposite the Crown Prince and sat down steadily.

At this moment, An Wang sat to the Crown Prince's left, followed in turn by the Honglu Temple Minister, the Minister of Revenue, and the Minister of Rites.

After everyone was seated, the entire scene seemed somewhat solemn. The Crown Prince broke the silence first, smiling and saying in a calm tone to Shangguan Xingyan: "Elder Brother Shangguan, since everyone is here, we might as well get straight to the point."

"This time you represent Dongying Kingdom in coming to negotiate; presumably you have important matters to discuss with us. I wonder if Elder Brother Shangguan can reveal the purpose of your trip?"

Shangguan Xingyan nodded slightly, indicating agreement with the Crown Prince's proposal. His gaze then turned to Shao Ning, the Honglu Temple Minister of Dongying Kingdom sitting opposite, and he said softly: "Adult Shao, as the representative of Dongying Kingdom, please explain the details yourself."

Shao Ning wore a solemn official robe, his expression serious and calm. However, only he himself knew that at this moment his heart was already in turmoil like surging waves.

He silently cursed in his heart; just now on the road, he had racked his brains for a long time before finally coming up with a set of arguments he thought perfect, and he absolutely could not make a mistake at this critical moment! He took a deep breath, tried to calm his emotions, and then said: "Very well, Sixth Prince."

Shao Ning's voice was somewhat low, but it revealed a steadiness and confidence. He continued: "Today, our Dongying Kingdom envoys have indeed come to discuss an important matter with your esteemed nation. After careful consideration, our Dongying Kingdom is willing to surrender Dongying Kingdom in exchange for the unification of the world and a prosperous, peaceful era."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Crown Prince and An Wang and others all simultaneously revealed expressions of surprise.

Shao Ning had a stern face, without any hesitation, and continued: "Now that the unification of the world has become an irreversible trend. However, I presume everyone also understands that if our Dongying Kingdom fights to the death, Dachang Kingdom will inevitably suffer certain losses."

"In that case, war would rage everywhere, the common people would suffer, and the people's lives would be unbearable. The Emperor of Dachang Kingdom has always been known for diligent governance and love for the people; surely he would not wish to see such a tragic state."

"Likewise, our Emperor of Dongying Kingdom is the same; he cares for the safety and well-being of the people, so today he specially ordered us to come and discuss the matter of surrendering the city with you all. Of course, we are not without requests, but have some conditions."