If I send you to join the army and marry a woman, will you conquer the Empress?

Qin Feng stood with his back to them by the window, saying nothing.

He simply gazed quietly into the distance at the "Five Surnames Guild Hall," a colossal structure that had already taken shape, like a poisonous thorn embedded deep in the heart of the capital.

"General!"

"General, please say something!"

Li Xuanba and Yue Shan were both extremely anxious.

After a long while, Qin Feng slowly turned around.

His face showed no anger, no murderous intent, only a calm as deep as an abyss.

"Let them build it."

Qin Feng's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Send someone to tell them that if they don't have enough craftsmen, I can transfer some from the Ministry of Works. If they don't have enough materials, I can open the national treasury and let them use them as they please."

"In short, provide them with manpower and money. Make sure they build this venue beautifully before the wedding banquet."

"What?!"

Li Xuanba and Yue Shan were completely dumbfounded.

They wondered if there was something wrong with their ears.

"General, what do you mean by this?"

Qin Feng looked at them, a cold smile curving his lips.

"A magnificent tomb should at least be built with some dignity, shouldn't it?"

He walked to the table and picked up an invitation.

"Send word to invite the heads of the five surnames and seven noble families to the palace as guests."

"It will be held in... the Imperial Palace, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!"

"I will use the Emperor's Palace to host a banquet for these seven 'kings,' who are even more majestic than the Emperor himself!"

……

The Imperial Palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

This palace, symbolizing the highest power of the Great Xia Dynasty, was brightly lit, as bright as day.

Inside and outside the palace, imperial guards stood in rows, with a sentry every three steps and a patrol every five steps, making the security extremely tight.

Inside the hall, hundreds of banquet tables had already been set up.

The civil and military officials, according to their rank, sat on both sides. They all sat upright, looking tense, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted toward the seven tables at the very front of the hall, made of golden nanmu wood and noticeably taller than the others.

Sitting there were the seven heads of the five surnames and seven prominent families.

The seven of them seemed to be the true hosts of the banquet.

Ignoring the tense and solemn atmosphere around them, they chatted and laughed as if no one else was around, appreciating the fine wine and delicacies on the table, their attitude extremely arrogant.

In particular, Li Boyong, the head of the Longxi Li clan, even brought two beautiful maids to massage his back and shoulders. His demeanor was even more luxurious than that of an emperor.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

Three chimes resounded throughout the palace.

"The Regent has arrived! His Majesty has arrived!"

With a loud announcement from the eunuch, all the officials, including the seven heads of the family, lazily stood up.

Qin Feng, holding Fuyao's hand, walked step by step up the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

He didn't look at the trembling officials; his gaze fell directly on Li Boyong and the other seven, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Esteemed family heads, you have come from afar. Your Majesty and I have failed to greet you properly. We hope you will forgive us."

Qin Feng's voice echoed in the empty hall.

Li Boyong gave a forced smile and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Highness is too kind. The wedding of Your Highness and His Majesty is a grand event for the nation, and we, as citizens of the Great Xia, should naturally come to offer our congratulations."

He offered his congratulations, but his tone betrayed no respect whatsoever.

Qin Feng didn't mind and, accompanied by Empress Fuyao, sat down on the dragon throne at the highest point.

"Let the feast begin!"

As Qin Feng gave the order, melodious court music began to play, and one exquisite dish after another was served in a continuous stream.

The atmosphere at the banquet, however, remained terribly oppressive.

The officials had no appetite and mechanically drank one cup of wine after another in silence.

Only the seven family heads continued to eat and drink as if they were in their own backyard.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Just as the atmosphere in the hall eased slightly.

Li Boyong suddenly stood up from his seat.

He held his wine glass, but instead of walking towards Qin Feng, he stood still and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, Regent, thank you for the invitation. I shouldn't have said anything that would spoil the mood."

"But national affairs are of utmost importance, and it's time to settle some old scores."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.

coming!

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

They knew that the real show was finally about to begin.

Fuyao sat down next to Qin Feng, her hands on her knees clenched unconsciously, her palms sweating profusely.

How similar this scene is.

Back then, her father, the emperor, was forced to retreat step by step by these powerful families at banquets, ultimately losing his dignity and power.

Qin Feng remained calm, even showing interest, as he poured himself a glass of wine and said casually, "Oh? I wonder which old grudge Mr. Li is referring to?"

Li Boyong sneered, took out a yellowed scroll from his pocket, and held it high.

"Your Highness, please look!"

A servant of the Li family immediately stepped forward and unrolled the scroll.

Above, written in vermilion ink, were shocking numbers.

Behind each stroke was the imperial seal of the Great Xia Dynasty.

"During the reign of Emperor Xia, in order to deal with the war in the north and pacify the southeast, he borrowed a total of 30 million taels of silver from our seven great families on seventy-three separate occasions!"

Li Boyong's voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the hall.

"It's all in black and white, the imperial seal is the proof!"

"Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and the regent is in power, it's time to pay this debt!"

"We, the seven families, have discussed this and will not pressure the imperial court."

"As long as the Regent and His Majesty sign their names and affix their seals to this new repayment agreement, promising to repay the principal and interest, totaling 38 million taels, within one year, everything will be fine!"

As he spoke, he took out a brand new contract.

The terms and conditions are already filled with even more stringent ones.

With a principal of 30 million, the interest ballooned to 8 million taels within a year!

This is hardly a loan.

This is clearly robbery!

All the officials gasped in shock.

Fuyao's face turned deathly pale instantly. Looking at Li Boyong's aggressive face, which was filled with greed and arrogance, she trembled with anger.

Swish!Swish!Swish!

All eyes were focused on Qin Feng.

They were all waiting, waiting to see how this regent, known for his toughness, would deal with this death knell that was enough to crush the entire Great Xia Dynasty.

Is it to compromise in a humiliating way, like the late emperor?

still is……

Qin Feng looked at the contract and at Li Boyong's confident face, but his expression remained completely calm.

He showed no anger, no shock.

He simply put down his wine glass and smiled.

Qin Feng reached out, but instead of taking the prepared vermilion pen, he directly picked up the brand-new contract that contained the huge debt of thirty-eight million taels of silver.

"The interest alone would be eight million taels a year?"

Qin Feng's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"You guys really know how to do business."