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

Dead silence.

Inside the prison, a deathly silence fell.

Li Boyong stood frozen in place, not daring to move an inch.

He could clearly feel the sword pressed against his throat move forward a little further.

The cold blade had already pierced his flesh, bringing waves of sharp pain.

What terrified him even more was the hand holding the sword, which was as steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor.

And those cold, indifferent eyes so close to my face.

What eyes they were!

There was no anger, no hesitation, only indifference.

It was as if, in his eyes, he, the patriarch of the Li family of Longxi who had ruled for decades and whose word could decide the life and death of thousands, was no different from a chicken waiting to be slaughtered.

He really will kill himself!

This thought, like ice water, poured from the top of Li Boyong's head to the soles of his feet.

The pride and dignity cultivated over hundreds of years were utterly shattered at this moment by the fear of death.

He didn't want to die yet.

He had not yet seen the Li family rise to the pinnacle of power.

He hadn't even seen Qin Feng, that brat, kneeling before him, wagging his tail and begging for mercy.

"I...I..."

Li Boyong's lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through his teeth.

"I choose... the first one..."

The moment he uttered those words, he felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slumped down completely.

He knew that from this moment on, he had lost.

A crushing defeat.

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng's smile remained unchanged.

With a flick of his wrist, the longsword returned to its sheath with a clang.

It was as if the thrilling life-or-death confrontation had never happened.

He didn't look at Li Boyong again, but turned his gaze to the other six family heads, who were already pale with fright.

"And you?"

"I...we'll choose the first one too!"

"We are willing to cooperate with the new policy!"

Cui Jingshan, Zheng Yuanli, and others rushed to express their opinions, fearing that if they were too slow, the deadly sword would be placed against their necks.

"very good."

Qin Feng nodded, as if he had done something insignificant.

"I will let you out."

"Remember, you only have one chance."

After saying that, he didn't even give them a chance to speak. He turned around and walked away slowly amidst the complicated and resentful gazes of the family heads.

The unhurried footsteps, each one felt like they were pounding on their hearts.

……

Half an hour later.

The "Five Surnames Guild Hall," which had been closed for several days, suddenly opened its doors with a bang.

The seven family heads, including Li Boyong, stepped down from the carriage with grim expressions.

The Li family members who were waiting inside the mansion were overjoyed at the sight and hurriedly came forward to greet them.

"Master! You're back!"

"That's great! I knew Qin Feng wouldn't dare do anything to you!"

However, what awaited them was a resounding slap from Li Boyong!

"Snapped!"

The Li family member was slapped to the ground, covering his face, looking bewildered and aggrieved.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Li Boyong looked at the assembled clansmen and let out an angry roar. His old face was twisted and deformed by extreme humiliation and anger.

"Bang!"

He kicked over the table beside him, and the valuable porcelain on it shattered and clattered all over the floor.

"A humiliating disgrace! A truly humiliating disgrace!"

He acted like a madman, smashing everything in sight in the lobby.

The other six family heads also had ashen faces and remained silent.

But their clenched fists, white with age, and their violently heaving chests revealed the turmoil in their hearts.

After a long while, Li Boyong finally vented his anger, slumped into a chair, panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot.

The lobby was in a mess.

"Gentlemen!"

Zheng Yuanli, the head of the Zheng family of Xingyang, was the first to break the silence. His voice was hoarse and cold: "It seems we all underestimated this Qin Feng."

"He's not like any previous emperors of the Xia family; he's a complete madman, a reckless brute who doesn't play by the rules!"

"Talking to him about rules and checks and balances is useless! He only knows how to use the knife in his hand to solve problems!"

Cui Jingshan, the head of the Boling Cui clan, also looked terrified and resentful.

"That's right! This person is impervious to both soft and hard tactics, and ruthless! Our conventional methods are no longer effective against him!"

"So what should we do now?"

Lu Zhaolin, the head of the Lu family of Fanyang, asked somewhat bewilderedly, "Are we really going to bow down to him and cooperate with his ridiculous new policies?"

"Lower your head?"

Li Boyong suddenly raised his head, and a venomous glint flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

"Absolutely impossible!"

"The humiliation he inflicted on me today, I, Li Boyong, will make him pay with the entire empire of the Great Xia!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, his mind racing.

If conventional methods don't work, then we have to resort to unconventional methods!

Since we can't shake him from within, let's find a force from the outside that he can fear and even crush!

A crazy and audacious plan quickly took shape in his mind.

"Gentlemen!"

Li Boyong's voice became incredibly sinister.

"Qin Feng's greatest reliance is nothing more than his military power and his fearless, crazy spirit."

"But what if we also have an army behind us that is capable of confronting him, or even stronger?"

"What if his opponent is no longer us, but another equally powerful nation?"

Upon hearing this, the other six family heads were all startled, and their eyes revealed thoughtful expressions.

Zheng Yuanli's eyes suddenly lit up: "Brother Li, you mean..."

"Northern Yan!"

Li Boyong spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The Northern Yan Empire has always coveted our Great Xia. Its Crown Prince, Murong Yan, is a man of great talent and ambition, and has long harbored the desire to march south."

"We can make a deal with him!"

"What kind of deal?"

"A marriage alliance!"

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Li Boyong's mouth.

"Our seven families have selected the most outstanding noblewomen of our direct lineage to be betrothed to Prince Murong Yan of Northern Yan, either as principal wife or concubine!"

"Once this marriage is arranged, our seven great families will become in-laws of Northern Yan! The Northern Yan Empire will become our strongest backer!"

"When that time comes, if Qin Feng wants to do anything to us again, he'll have to think twice before he does. Wouldn't that be openly declaring war on Northern Yan?"