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

"this……"

The family heads present all gasped in shock.

Lead the wolf into the room!

This is practically letting a wolf into the house!

Colluding with foreign powers is a grave crime of treason in any dynasty!

But then they realized that Qin Feng had already driven them to the brink of despair.

If we take another step back, we will fall into an abyss, and the family's thousand-year-old foundation will be destroyed in an instant.

Rather than sit and wait for death, it's better to take a gamble!

"good!"

Zheng Yuanli was the first to slam his fist on the table and stand up.

"That's it! This is a calculated move! A calculated move where Qin Feng knows it's a trap, but he has no choice but to jump into it!"

"As long as we form a marriage alliance with Northern Yan, Qin Feng will be in a dilemma."

"If we agree, we'll have a powerful backer, and he'll no longer be able to hinder us. If we disagree, he'll be a criminal who disrupts the peace between our two countries, giving Northern Yan the perfect excuse to invade southward!"

"No matter what he chooses, we are invincible!"

The others were also fired up by the words, and the fear in their eyes was replaced by greed and madness.

"Let's do it!"

"Immediately dispatch someone with lavish gifts, secretly leaving the pass for Northern Yan! This must be accomplished as quickly as possible!"

……

Seven days later.

Just as prices in the capital were gradually stabilizing under the impact of the new business alliance, and the people's resentment was gradually subsiding.

A large convoy, amidst fluttering banners, appeared in a grand procession outside the north gate of the capital.

Those fluttering in the wind are not the flags of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Instead, it was a flag embroidered with a black eagle—the flag of the King of Northern Yan!

……

The Northern Yan delegation has arrived uninvited!

The news swept through the entire capital like a whirlwind.

Inside the palace, the civil and military officials who had just finished the morning court session were urgently summoned back to the Hall of Supreme Harmony before they could even disperse.

A sense of solemnity and unease lingered on everyone's faces.

Northern Yan, this powerful empire entrenched in the north, was like a hungry wolf constantly eyeing Great Xia.

The two countries have been clashing along their border for over a century, engaging in dozens of battles, large and small.

Unlike the scattered tribes of the northern grasslands, who fought their own battles, they were not like the tribes of the northern barbarian grasslands.

Northern Yan was a united and unified empire.

The Northern Yan delegation's sudden arrival without prior notice speaks volumes about their intentions.

The atmosphere inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony was oppressive.

Empress Fuyao sat upright on the dragon throne, her delicate brows furrowed, her hands resting on her knees unconsciously clenched into fists.

Qin Feng stood beside her, his hand on the hilt of his sword, expressionless, though a faint, almost imperceptible glint occasionally flashed in his deep eyes.

He knew that the seven great families were about to retaliate.

And it came faster and more ruthlessly than he had imagined.

"Summon the envoy from Northern Yan to the palace!"

With a loud announcement from a eunuch, a tall, arrogant nobleman from Northern Yan, dressed in a black sable coat, strode into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Behind him followed a dozen or so equally menacing Northern Yan warriors.

"Batu, the envoy from Northern Yan, greets His Majesty the Emperor of Great Xia and His Highness the Regent."

The envoy named Batu merely bowed slightly, not even bothering to bend his waist. His arrogant demeanor drew sidelong glances and dissatisfaction from many of the Great Xia officials present.

Fuyao remained silent, her face cold.

Qin Feng stepped forward and asked in a calm voice, "Envoy Batu, you have come from afar. May I ask what brings you here?"

Batu raised his head, scrutinized Qin Feng with an almost scrutinizing gaze, and then said loudly:

"By order of His Highness the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, I have come to Great Xia to request a marriage alliance, so as to forge friendly relations between our two nations and secure lasting peace on our borders!"

A marriage proposal?

These words sparked a low murmur of discussion within the hall.

Many officials showed a hint of joy on their faces.

If a marriage alliance could bring decades of peace, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon to the Great Xia, which was beset by internal and external troubles.

Fuyao's expression softened slightly.

However, Qin Feng's brows furrowed even more deeply.

Things are never that simple.

Sure enough, Batu's next words froze everyone's smiles on their faces.

He took out a prepared letter of state from his bosom and held it high.

"I, the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, have heard that the Great Xia is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, especially the five noble families and seven prominent clans, where noble ladies are born in great numbers, possessing both talent and beauty. I yearn for it."

"Therefore, His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to marry Miss Li Yaoqin, the legitimate daughter of the Li family of Longxi, with the position of his principal wife!"

"Furthermore, I wish to marry the other six noble ladies as a concubine! The betrothal gifts will be 100,000 taels of gold and 3,000 warhorses!"

boom!

The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was in complete uproar!

All the officials looked at Li Boyong and the others standing at the front of the line with disbelief.

The seven family heads, however, remained calm, even with a hint of smugness on their lips.

At this point, who doesn't understand?

This is not a marriage alliance between two countries at all!

This is a case of five clans and seven powerful families colluding with external forces to openly pressure the Regent and the entire Great Xia Dynasty to abdicate!

They used their own family's daughter as a political bargaining chip, pushing Qin Feng and the Great Xia Dynasty into a desperate situation where they had no way out!

"you……"

Minister of War Li Jing was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at Li Boyong and the others, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

This is no longer a simple partisan struggle!

This is treason! This is betrayal of the country!

Fuyao's face turned deathly pale instantly.

She bit her lip hard, looking down at the seven smug faces below, a huge wave of humiliation and anger welling up inside her.

She finally understood why her father had been driven to the brink of despair by these people.

Their methods were too insidious and ruthless!

All eyes instinctively turned to Qin Feng.

How can this problem be solved?

agree?

That would be tantamount to acknowledging the transcendent status of the seven great families, acknowledging that they could rise above imperial power and even collude with foreign enemies!

From now on, with the powerful backing of Northern Yan, the seven great families will become even more unscrupulous, and all of Qin Feng's previous efforts will be in vain!

disagree?

That would be to openly reject the "goodwill" of Northern Yan and undermine the peace between the two countries.

Given the personality of Murong Yan, the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, he would definitely use this as an excuse to brazenly march south!

At that time, the Great Xia will once again be engulfed in war, and the blame for starting the war will be pinned on Qin Feng!

This is a perfectly calculated, open scheme!

A trap that forces you to drink wine even though you know it's poisoned!

Looking at Qin Feng's gloomy face, Li Boyong felt a surge of vengeful pleasure.

Qin Feng, aren't you arrogant? Aren't you domineering?

Didn't you dare point a sword at my throat?

Now, I have brought the entire Northern Yan Empire before you!

I'll see how arrogant you can be now!

Faced with this deadly situation that would give any emperor a major headache, Qin Feng showed no sign of panic.

He simply looked at Batu and Li Boyong in silence for a long time.

Just when everyone thought he was going to be forced to compromise.

He suddenly laughed.

"Hehe, interesting."

Qin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Since this is a marriage proposal, shouldn't I at least see for myself just how stunningly beautiful this renowned noblewoman of the Li family truly is?"