Section 96

"Zhan Doudou of Northern Qi pays respects to Her Majesty, the Empress of Great Xia!"

Zhan Doudou's voice was clear and powerful, carrying an air of heroic spirit.

"Empress of Northern Qi, why are you not staying in Northern Qi, but running to our Great Xia instead?!" a minister shouted sternly, his tone unkind.

Zhan Doudou was not afraid at all; instead, she looked around, a meaningful smile curling at the corners of her lips.

"My lords, please calm down. I did not come here to find fault, but to... present a grand gift to Her Majesty, the Empress of Great Xia."

"A grand gift?" The ministers looked at each other, feeling somewhat confused.

Zhan Doudou waved her hand, and the guards behind her immediately brought up dozens of chests, opening them one by one.

They were glittering with gold and shining with jewels.

It was another pile of gold and silver jewelry!

The officials were shocked once again. Was Northern Qi really this wealthy?!

"These are just appetizers."

Zhan Doudou smiled faintly and said something shocking, "I have come today on behalf of Northern Qi to formally announce that Northern Qi... is willing to acknowledge Great Xia as the Sect Master state, submit forever, and... merge into the territory of Great Xia!"

Boom! As soon as Zhan Doudou said this, it was like a thunderclap on flat ground, shaking the entire Taihe Hall three times.

The court was dead silent. Everyone was stunned, staring at Zhan Doudou in disbelief, doubting if they had heard correctly.

Northern Qi... merging into Great Xia?! This... how is this possible?! One must know that Northern Qi and Great Qing are sworn enemies! How many years have the two countries been at war? How could they suddenly merge?!

"Empress of Northern Qi, what... what did you say?!" a minister asked stuttering, his voice trembling.

Zhan Doudou smiled slightly and repeated, "I said, Northern Qi is willing to merge into the territory of Great Xia. From now on, Northern Qi will be a part of Great Xia!"

"Long live our Emperor, long live, long live!" The Northern Qi delegation shouted in unison, their voices deafening.

The court remained dead silent... Everyone was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events. This... this was simply a fantasy!

But, looking at Zhan Doudou's firm expression and the fanatical appearance of the Northern Qi delegation, they had to believe it was true. Northern Qi was really going to merge into Great Xia!

And all of this was naturally orchestrated by Li Chengping behind the scenes. He had gone to Northern Qi previously, firstly to win over the Yin soldiers, and secondly for this matter.

"Your Majesty, please take a seat." Li Yunrui took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and said in a calm tone.

Grant a seat? This... this is the Empress of Northern Qi! To think that one day she would sit in this court of Great Xia, it was simply a fantasy!

The officials were shocked again, but this time, no one dared to object. Because they knew that all of this was the will of Your Highness Prince Xia.

Zhan Doudou was not polite either; she walked generously to Li Yunrui's side and sat down. The two empresses sat side by side; this scene was destined to be recorded in history.

The unification of the two countries was a foregone conclusion. At the grand ceremony, everyone cheered, sang, and danced to celebrate this historic moment.

"Long live Great Xia! Long live Her Majesty the Empress! Long live Your Highness Prince Xia!" The cheers resounded through the sky again, lasting for a long time.

At night, at the Prince Pings Mansion. Fan Ruoruo saw Li Chengping reeking of alcohol and hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

"Your Highness, you have had too much to drink." Fan Ruoruo said softly, her tone gentle.

"Hahaha... I am happy today, so I had a few more cups." Li Chengping said with a smile, his eyes unfocused.

"The Empress's coronation ceremony must have been very grand, right?" Fan Ruoruo asked curiously.

"Grand, of course it was grand." Li Chengping nodded and recounted the grand occasion of today's ceremony to Fan Ruoruo one by one.

Fan Ruoruo listened with great interest, her eyes full of yearning.

"Your Highness is truly amazing, you even annexed Northern Qi." Fan Ruoruo looked at Li Chengping with admiration, her eyes full of love.

Li Chengping laughed and picked up Fan Ruoruo. The delicate body in his arms was as warm and soft as jade, and a fragrant scent assaulted his nostrils.

"Ruoruo, tonight, I will cherish you well." Li Chengping's voice was low and carried a hint of hoarseness.

Fan Ruoruo's pretty face flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's, "Everything... I will listen to Your Highness."

A night of spring, the hibiscus tent was warm.

"Your Highness Prince Xia!" Cao Zhengchun walked quickly into the mansion's main hall, a rare look of anger on his face.

Li Chengping was sitting at the table reading memorials. Seeing Cao Zhengchun like this, he raised his eyes and asked, "What is the matter that makes you so flustered?"

"A letter has arrived from the Beiliang Princes Mansion!" Cao Zhengchun placed a letter heavily on the table, his tone full of gnashing teeth.

"That old rascal Xu Xiao, how dare he be so bullying!"

Li Chengping picked up the letter and unfolded it to read it carefully. There were only a few words on the letter, but they made Li Chengping's eyes instantly turn cold.

The King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao, wanted his son, Xu Fengnian, to marry the Princess Consort of Prince Xia, Lin Waner.

"Marriage alliance?" A cold smile curled at the corners of Li Chengping's lips, and cold light flickered in his eyes.

"What great audacity!" Cao Zhengchun said angrily from the side.

"Does this old thief Xu Xiao think there is no one in our Great Xia? He actually dares to set his sights on the Princess Consort!"

"It is simply a toad wanting to eat swan meat, not knowing the height of the sky and the depth of the earth!" Bai Wuchang, who was standing in the hall, could not help but speak up.

"Your Highness, this matter cannot be tolerated! The Beiliang Princes Mansion is so arrogant, it is clearly looking down on our Great Xia!"

"In my opinion, why not dispatch troops to North Liang immediately and give them a taste of our power!"

Lin Waner also walked in at this moment. Hearing their conversation, her face turned slightly pale, and she looked at Li Chengping uneasily. "Your Highness..."

Li Chengping put down the letter, walked to Lin Waner's side, gently held her hand, and comforted her softly, "Waner, do not be afraid. The mere Beiliang Princes Mansion cannot turn the world upside down."

He turned around, his cold eyes sweeping over Cao Zhengchun and Bai Wuchang. "Dispatch troops to North Liang? Hmph, the mere North Liang, why use a large army?"

"I alone am enough!"

Cao Zhengchun and Bai Wuchang were stunned, and then a fanatical look appeared in their eyes. "Your Highness is wise!"

Li Chengping's mouth curled up slightly, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "That piece of trash Xu Fengnian dares to covet my woman?"

"It is truly ridiculous!"

"Very well, I was just thinking of visiting the Liyang Dynasty, so I will take this Beiliang Princes Mansion as my first step into Liyang!"

"This time, I will personally go and teach Xu Fengnian what it means to... wish for death!"

A few days later, outside the Great Xia Imperial Palace, the farewell procession was vast. Li Yunrui, in a phoenix robe, personally saw Li Chengping off.

"Chengping, you must be careful on your trip to North Liang." Li Yunrui held Li Chengping's hand, her eyes filled with a hint of worry. "The Beiliang Princes Mansion is not a pushover."

Li Chengping smiled slightly and comforted her, "Aunt, do not worry. I do not take the mere North Liang seriously. When I return triumphantly, I will definitely bring back a grand gift for you."