I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

While waiting, Zhuge Yu remounted his horse.

He could be whipped by the Empress of Northern Mang, or fall off his horse in a sorry state, landing on the ground covered in mud!

But he wouldn't allow himself to remain in such a sorry state under the watchful eyes of Qin Li and Wang Hu!

He is now the military advisor of the Northern Mang army, and also the national advisor of Northern Mang!

If he is watched and ridiculed by Qin Li and Wang Hu, people of the Great Zhou, then there is no point in him betraying the Great Zhou and his own country by joining the Northern Barbarians.

People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill; he's determined to make a name for himself!

But to his surprise, just as he dismounted, he saw Qin Li dismount opposite him and offer the Empress a suggestion:

"Your Majesty, this round trip will take at least two hours."

"Are we just going to sit there, all stiff and upright, on horseback like this?"

"Your Majesty, being a native of the grasslands, grew up on horseback and can endure it. I, on the other hand, have been pampered since childhood..."

Before Qin Li could finish speaking, the Northern Mang Empress said, "Understood."

After speaking, the Empress waved her hand, and a cavalry unit immediately rode back to the city.

Soon after, they brought out many craftsmen and timber.

They started construction on the spot and quickly built a small pavilion.

The gazebo floor was covered with a soft wool blanket, and there was also a tea table and cushions.

Qin Li smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After saying that, Qin Li strode into the pavilion and sat down cross-legged on one of the futons.

The Empress was about to dismount and enter the pavilion when Zhuge Yu unexpectedly blocked her way with his arm, saying kindly, "Your Majesty, be careful, it might be a trap!"

Fraud?

You're kidding me.

I already said there was a trap, and I'm saying it again now.

The pavilion was built by their own people. Qin Li was alone, and Wang Hu didn't even go inside the pavilion; he just stood guard outside.

What a load of rubbish!

The Empress truly had no idea where the once-wise Zhuge Yu had gone.

"Get out of here!"

With a soft shout, the Northern Mang Empress walked straight towards the pavilion and sat down on the futon opposite Qin Li.

Zhuge Yu, lifting the already muddy hem of his robe, was about to follow the Empress into the pavilion.

To his surprise, Wang Hu stretched out his arm to block him, glaring at him with his tiger-like eyes. "Don't you know the rules? Only one person can go in at a time!"

Blocked outside, Zhuge Yu was anxious but helpless.

We can't just barge in front of Wang Hu, can we?

Wang Hu is a peak eighth-rank expert; he could kill him with a single finger.

Not to mention, Wang Hu was infamous in the Great Zhou Dynasty, known for killing without blinking an eye, and he, a former Great Zhou native, had long heard of him.

Having no other choice, Zhuge Yu could only stand outside the pavilion, holding his feather fan.

He kept his eyes constantly on the situation in the pavilion and listened attentively to the conversations inside, fearing that the Empress might suffer a loss!

Sitting across from each other at a low tea table, Qin Li was able to get a close look at the Northern Mang Empress's face.

The Empress had an oval face, slightly raised eyebrows, a straight nose, and well-defined lips!

Her facial features are more defined than those of an average man, giving her a masculine appearance!

His brows and eyes exuded a commanding presence, and his deep gaze conveyed an aura of dominance and unquestionable authority.

He wore soft armor underneath, embroidered with patterns unique to the grasslands, and a dark cloak with a white, furry collar on top.

A long sword at his waist adds to his domineering and majestic aura!

"Am I handsome?"

The cold voice of the Northern Mang Empress brought Qin Li back to reality.

She was originally blaming Qin Li for being rude and staring at her.

But to everyone's surprise, Qin Li, instead of being embarrassed at all, smiled slightly and said, "It is said that Your Majesty is the most beautiful man in the world. Seeing you today, I can confirm that the reputation is well-deserved!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress did not react like other women who would be overjoyed or secretly delighted when praised for their beauty.

Throughout the entire process, the Empress showed no joy on her face, and her heart remained completely undisturbed.

Because in her eyes, her appearance was her least noteworthy advantage!

If she could, she would rather not have this face!

Having this face will only make men have greedy thoughts.

Otherwise, they'll just sneakily watch from afar.

Those looks made her feel utterly disgusted!

"Let's get down to business!"

The Northern Mang Empress coldly interrupted Qin Li's topic.

"Respect is not as good as obedience."

Qin Li leisurely picked up the tea set on the table and began to brew tea. Just as he lit the small charcoal stove, he looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, please enlighten me, what important matter is this?"

A hint of annoyance flashed across the Empress's brow. "Is the First Prince playing dumb with me?"

Zhuge Yu, standing outside the pavilion, nodded vigorously!

That's it!

At this point, what important matters could possibly be discussed?

Of course, this is a matter between the two armies.

The Great Zhou only has two choices.

First, if the two princes are safely returned, Qin Li will lead his people to surrender, and the Northern Barbarians will spare their lives and offer them high-ranking positions and generous salaries!

Second, if the Great Zhou refused to hand over the people, the Northern Barbarian Iron Pagoda would slaughter their way through, leaving no survivors!

"Your Majesty, I really don't know what you mean by 'important business'. Why don't you just tell me?"

"I don't like guessing!"

As he said this, Qin Li used bamboo tongs to pick up the tea cake and gently roasted it over the charcoal stove.

Surprisingly, the things the Empress had brought over were quite complete, even including bamboo clips.

Although the Empress was a nomad from the grasslands, she was very familiar with the process of brewing tea in the Central Plains!

"To fight or to surrender?"

"The eldest prince can choose for himself."

The Northern Mang Empress spoke each word clearly.

Qin Li nodded, broke the roasted tea cake into small pieces, and slowly ground them in the tea grinder.

As he ground the iron cavalry, Qin Li said, "His Majesty's Iron Cavalry is invincible. They swept across the northern border of our Great Zhou, and even our General Su and General Wei could not defeat them and died on the battlefield."

"Logically speaking, I should have just surrendered!"

"To surrender like this would be a betrayal of His Majesty and the millions of people of my dynasty!"

"You don't need to worry about that!"

The Northern Mang Empress waved her hand and said, "I am not a tyrant. Along this journey, I have not intentionally killed a single citizen of your dynasty. Not before, not now, and certainly not in the future!"

"My ambition lies in the entire world; the people are the foundation of the nation!"

"As for Your Majesty, if he is willing to surrender, I might even spare his life!"

Qin Li slowly sifted the crushed tea leaves through a fine sieve, saying, "That's good. That old man is terrified of death. If he can stay alive, he certainly won't choose a good death."

The Empress of Northern Mang couldn't help but laugh, a smirk playing on her lips. "How can a son speak of his father like that?"

Qin Li placed the sifted tea leaves into a box, scooped a spoonful of water from the bucket, smelled it, and said:

"Hmm, Your Majesty is indeed a connoisseur of tea. This water is actually spring water. In the dead of winter, it is not easy to find spring water."

After saying that, Qin Li scooped water into the kettle and started boiling it.

After setting down the ladle, Qin Li answered the Northern Mang Empress's question, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but I, as a father, would love for my death!"

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent me to fight against His Majesty!"

"He just wants His Majesty to kill me quickly!"

"That way, no one will challenge his throne!"

"Therefore!" The Northern Mang Empress leaned forward slightly, her hands resting on the table in front of her, and tempted Qin Li, "Your Highness, you'd better surrender quickly, and you can save your life!"

"Furthermore, I can assure the Crown Prince that he will be the King of the Great Zhou Prefecture in the future, not your father!"

"He's old; he should have stepped down long ago!"

"Your Majesty has treated me so well, I really don't know how to thank Your Majesty..." Qin Li said excitedly, his words becoming incoherent.

"So, the eldest prince agreed?"

"The Northern Mang Empress asked."

No, not at all!

Upon hearing these words...

Zhuge Yu, standing outside the pavilion, nearly tripped and fell over.

No?

If I hadn't said that, I'm sure I wasn't joking.

Just then, the water started bubbling and boiling, and Qin Li added a spoonful of salt to taste.

Meanwhile, the Northern Mang Empress opposite him had a dark expression on her face and was staring intently at Qin Li.

She realized that Qin Li had no intention of surrendering at all, and that she had wasted all her breath.

Soon, the water with added salt boiled again. Qin Li picked up a spoon and scooped out a spoonful of water. Then, he used bamboo tongs to stir the center of the soup, creating a whirlpool, and dropped the tea foam into the center of the whirlpool.

Continue circulating the water to generate white foam on the surface of the tea soup. Once the water has boiled thoroughly and is foaming, add the spoonful of water that was just scooped out to stop the boiling.

Finally, remove the layer of water film resembling black mica on the tea foam, then scoop out the first bowl of tea and place it in front of the Northern Mang Empress.

The Northern Mang Empress, who had been staring intently at Qin Li, couldn't help but glance down at the teacup when she smelled the aroma of tea...

Qin Li gestured, saying, "Your Majesty, please. This first bowl of tea is called 'Eternal Glory,' and it tastes the best!"

The Northern Mang Empress frowned and asked, "Why aren't you drinking?"

Qin Li replied, "The tea that is scooped out from now on will not taste as good as Junyong, so it's better not to drink it."

The Empress of Northern Mang smiled, surprised. "You gave me the best?"

"If Your Majesty doesn't want it, just give it back to me. Your Majesty can cook it yourself!"

The Northern Mang Empress refused outright, picked up the teacup, and gently sniffed it, first savoring the aroma, then tasting the flavor of the tea. She closed her eyes, slowly relishing the taste...