After finishing lunch and a short break, the diplomatic negotiations between the two great empires resumed in the living room.
Perhaps the delicious meal had brought a sense of harmony to both sides.
Surprisingly, at the very beginning, both parties appeared quite courteous.
Dai Mubai was the first to speak. With a calm expression and his hands resting on the table, he said:
"I don't believe the relationship between our two nations has deteriorated to this extent."
"The matter of the assassination attempt can be dealt with gradually. However, the borders between our countries should be reopened as soon as possible. This was something my father, the Emperor, specifically instructed before I departed."
The reopening of the borders was crucial for trade.
It was worth noting that nearly twenty percent of the Star Luo Empire's tax revenue came from tariffs.
Losing this source of income would undoubtedly be a massive blow to the Star Luo Empire.
Beyond that, the reopening of the borders also concerned the pride and reputation of both nations.
Before the assassination attempt, the two empires had a common potential enemy—the Spirit Hall—which had kept their relationship in a honeymoon phase.
It was precisely this ambiguous alliance that had prevented the Spirit Hall from acting recklessly.
If this alliance were to dissolve, there was no doubt that the Spirit Hall would start scheming behind the scenes.
At these words, Prince Xue Xing raised his head slightly and said indifferently:
"Second Prince, you have the special instructions of the Star Luo Emperor."
"But I, too, have the explicit orders of my elder brother, the Emperor."
"The demands of the Heaven Dou Empire are very simple: first, hand over the culprit, Yu Tianheng; second, offer compensation and an apology."
"Once these two conditions are met, everything else can be discussed."
"If the Second Prince intends to shield the culprit, then I see no need for us to waste any more words."
Seeing Prince Xue Xing's continued arrogance, Dai Mubai clenched his fists secretly.
He had already lowered his stance considerably, yet the other side still looked down on him.
It seemed they truly didn't regard the Star Luo Empire as a major power.
Although the Star Luo Empire's territory was less than two-thirds the size of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire had many vassal kingdoms on its borders that were not under the direct control of the imperial family.
Overall, the military strength of the two empires was roughly equal.
So where did the Heaven Dou Empire get the confidence to act so arrogantly?
Thinking this, Dai Mubai turned his gaze to Yu Yuanzhen, who had remained silent all this time.
After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Uncle Yuanzhen, regarding the assassination attempt, please share your thoughts as well."
Clearly, this was pressure being applied to Yu Yuanzhen.
After all, it was almost certain that Yu Tianheng was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt and had colluded with evil spirit masters.
There was no way Yu Yuanzhen could extricate himself from this situation.
"I stand by what I said earlier. I know my grandson, and he would never do something so absurd," Yu Yuanzhen said, his eyes closed.
Regardless of whether Yu Tianheng was involved or not, he had to protect his exceptionally talented grandson.
The most suitable approach was to deny everything outright.
"Haha, are the two of you treating this Crown Prince as a fool?" Qian Renxue sneered, glaring at Dai Mubai.
Now was the perfect time to stir the pot.
Prince Xue Xing also chimed in:
"Of course, I am willing to believe that Yu Tianheng could not have been involved in this incident."
"However, Patriarch Yu, if you don't even bring your precious grandson here, how can we believe you?"
Yu Yuanzhen remained silent. He knew that the more he explained, the more it would sound like an excuse.
Beside Qian Renxue, Ning Fengzhi wanted to interject to ease the tension.
But considering his daughter's awkward position, he ultimately opened his mouth but said nothing.
The living room once again fell into an eerie silence.
The only sound was the crunching of biscuits.
It was Xiao Bai, secretly snacking.
When she noticed the sudden silence in the room, she quickly closed her mouth.
Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the negotiations.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath and said:
"The Star Luo Empire is willing to compensate Crown Prince Xue Qinghe by offering a national treasure."
He looked sincere as he continued, "I hope we can put this assassination incident behind us."
"It is detrimental to both of our nations."
Dai Mubai knew that even if Yu Tianheng was responsible for the assassination, Yu Yuanzhen would never admit it.
Mutual suspicion would only drive a wedge between the two empires, giving the Spirit Hall an opportunity to exploit the situation.
The only solution was to quickly resolve the matter and move on.
He hoped that Xue Qinghe would learn from this incident and assign more experts to his security detail to prevent such events from happening again.
"A national treasure?"
Prince Xue Xing's expression shifted slightly, and he gently rubbed the armrest of his chair.
The Star Luo Empire's sincerity in resolving the matter was quite remarkable.
They were even willing to part with a national treasure.
Before coming here, Emperor Xue Ye had instructed him.
The assassination incident didn't necessarily have to escalate into a full-blown conflict.
The important thing was to assert the Heaven Dou Empire's dominance and demonstrate its strength.
This would ensure that, in any future alliance, the Heaven Dou Empire would hold the upper hand.
As for Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's injury, it was merely a bargaining chip.
As long as he wasn't dead, it was fine.
Now that the Star Luo Empire had shown such sincerity, even offering a national treasure, Prince Xue Xing, as the Emperor's plenipotentiary envoy, couldn't afford to appear too arrogant.
Prince Xue Xing smiled and said:
"The friendship between our two nations has been built over centuries."
"Perhaps the incident involving Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's assassination was truly a misunderstanding."
"The Heaven Dou Empire is also very willing to let this misunderstanding fade away."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai let out a long sigh of relief. The diplomatic crisis had finally been resolved.
However, offering a national treasure had been his own idea, not something his father, the Emperor, had instructed.
But Dai Mubai felt it was within acceptable limits.
He had been careful to mention only a "national treasure" without specifying what it was.
As long as the Star Luo royal family agreed, even a tree or a cat could be considered a national treasure.
Of course, since it was a gift to the Heaven Dou royal family, it couldn't be too perfunctory.
After returning, he would carefully select a valuable item to present to the Heaven Dou royal family.
Thinking this, Dai Mubai glanced at Yu Yuanzhen.
The cost of this treasure would have to be borne by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"I am Yu Tianheng! Let me in!"
Just as the atmosphere in the living room had turned harmonious, a commotion broke out at the villa's entrance.
"Tianheng! That's Tianheng's voice!"
Yu Yuanzhen shot to his feet. He hadn't seen his beloved grandson for months.
Especially in recent days, it seemed as though Yu Tianheng had vanished into thin air.
No matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find him.
As soon as Yu Tianheng's voice was heard, all eyes in the living room turned toward the entrance.
A Heaven Dou military officer blocked Yu Tianheng's path, saying:
"Diplomatic negotiations are underway inside. You must have permission to enter."
Yu Tianheng, disheveled and unkempt, angrily retorted, "If I don't go in, nothing will be resolved! If something goes wrong, can you take responsibility?"
"Sorry! My duty is to ensure the safety of the meeting!" the officer coldly refused.
"This is my grandson. Let him in!"
At this moment, Yu Yuanzhen walked to the entrance and sternly addressed the officer.
Faced with the pressure of a Title Douluo, the officer immediately backed down, stepping aside without another word.
Seeing Yu Tianheng in such a disheveled state, Yu Yuanzhen's heart ached.
"My grandson, why have you fallen into such a state?"
(End of Chapter)
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