Chu Feiyan’s retinue of guards was being closely watched by Da Zhou’s own soldiers; the government hall was surrounded, inside and out, by guards on every side.

And in plain view of everyone, Jun Beiyue sat on the stone steps as though no one else existed. Even seated so low, the man’s posture remained utterly commanding, the aura radiating off him enough to keep every nearby guard from daring to speak.

His eyes lowered, he idly traced characters into the ground with the tip of his sword — no one could tell what he was writing. Half an hour had already passed, and there was no telling how the woman’s negotiation was going.

He liked her — that much was undeniable. He simply didn’t know to what extent, or how deep it ran. He only knew he wanted her by his side.

Yingzi hurried over, low-voiced. “My lord, another urgent message from the Emperor. The King of Nanzhao has specifically requested your presence at their Water-Splashing Festival.”

“Accepted,” Jun Beiyue said flatly. He’d been planning a personal trip to Nanzhao anyway.

Meixiang was essentially a bomb lodged inside Han Ziqing’s body — if it ever went off, he genuinely had no idea what he’d do.

Even as thoroughly smitten as he was with that woman, he would absolutely never use this matter to threaten her in any way. That wasn’t the conduct of a real man.

Meanwhile, inside the sprawling government hall, the negotiation had only just begun.

Chu Feiyan sat slumped in her chair, staring fixedly at the ring Ziqing had deliberately put on display, her eyes brimming with nothing but resentment.

By this point, Ziqing’s provocations had pushed her to the very brink of losing all reason — she was in no state whatsoever to negotiate properly.

Ziqing observed her reaction and spoke first. “Princess Imperial, might I ask how your nation intends to sue for peace?”

“Ha. Straight to the point, aren’t you. I wonder if your Da Zhou can even stomach the terms my Western Chu intends to propose,” Chu Feiyan scoffed coldly, her attention still entirely fixed on the ring on Ziqing’s hand.

She hadn’t even registered that this was supposed to be the question she asked Ziqing — that she was supposed to be the one proposing terms of reconciliation first!

This was the single most critical moment in any negotiation — whoever spoke first revealed their true position first, exposed their bottom line first, and thereby became the loser.

Seeing Chu Feiyan’s arrogance, Ziqing couldn’t have been more pleased. Provoking Chu Feiyan into losing her composure was the first step of her strategy — and more than half the battle already won.

“If the demands are too steep, Da Zhou genuinely may not be able to accept them,” Ziqing said with feigned humility, as though it were Da Zhou that had come begging for peace.

At this, Chu Feiyan scoffed disdainfully at once. “Ha, good that you know your place.”

A person consumed by jealousy and fury is, at their core, the most insecure of all — and in such a state, what they need most is simply an opening to inflate their own sense of superiority.

And that self-inflation was, without question, the same thing as the total loss of reason.

“Then, Princess Imperial, what exactly would it take for Western Chu to agree to reconciliation?” Ziqing asked again, fingertips lightly tracing the lifelike scorpion set into the ring, as though genuinely soothing the creature perched on her finger. The sight sent jealousy and rage blazing in Chu Feiyan’s eyes, and without even thinking, she blurted out her entire bottom line at once, furious. “Han Ziqing, enough with the pleasantries — I’ll tell you plainly. Western Chu demands that your Da Zhou cease all friendly relations with Eastern Qin, and pledge not to take up arms against Western Chu for five years! Otherwise, don’t even think about reconciliation!”

At those words, a cold glint finally surfaced in Ziqing’s eyes. Sharp as she was, she grasped Western Chu’s intent immediately — the Western Chu emperor was planning to abandon the idea of using Da Zhou’s territory to attack Eastern Qin, and instead planned to shift the front northward, routing through the Xiongnu territory at the far north.

Eastern Qin and Western Chu were separated to the south by the impassable Wuxie Ravine, and to the north by the Xiongnu — an untamed, barbaric people, the most savage stretch of territory on the entire continent of Longyuan.

Was this Western Chu’s real strategy after all? This was their fallback plan!

Given the current situation, Chu Feiyan could actually have secured far more favorable terms — but unfortunately, she’d revealed the one thing she wanted most, right up front.

Ziqing lightly traced the scorpion on her finger, mulling over this condition. Jun Beiyue might well accept it — if he agreed, Da Zhou’s northern border would be guaranteed peace for five years, and the conflict between Eastern Qin and Western Chu would shift entirely northward, toward the border with the Xiongnu.

Eastern Qin, Western Chu, the Xiongnu — over five years, what outcome would emerge from the struggle among these three, and how much would that outcome ultimately affect Jun Beiyue?

Ziqing turned the thought over repeatedly, glancing up at Chu Feiyan several times without quite meaning to. Her attention remained fixed entirely on the scorpion ring, those phoenix eyes practically ready to swallow it whole.

“Princess Imperial, that would prove rather difficult for Da Zhou…”

Before Ziqing could finish, Chu Feiyan scoffed coldly. “Think it over carefully. If you don’t agree, don’t even think about peace!”

Ziqing very nearly laughed aloud. Was this woman really this thoroughly dazzled by a single ring?

“Princess Imperial, if Western Chu can agree to a few requests from Da Zhou, Da Zhou might consider agreeing to Western Chu’s terms,” Ziqing said flatly.

“Go ahead, name them!” Chu Feiyan scoffed.

Yet Ziqing hesitated, stammering as though unable to get the words out. “Da Zhou hopes… hopes… this is genuinely difficult to bring up…”

“Ha, name whatever you like — my Western Chu can afford it!” Chu Feiyan scoffed, her gaze still glued to Ziqing’s ring, unmoved since the moment it had first appeared.

“Then I’ll speak plainly. Princess Imperial, Da Zhou has only three requests. First, we retain the three western cities, along with First and Second River City. Second, compensation for Da Zhou’s war losses — twenty thousand fine warhorses. Third, we ask that Western Chu’s ruler issue a public proclamation, apologizing to the people of both nations for the war.”

Ziqing said this flatly. The second and third conditions were mostly padding, meant to be haggled over — the first was the one she truly wanted.

In this negotiation, she absolutely had to secure Da Zhou’s control over those five cities — otherwise this entire war would have accomplished nothing of substance. Jun Beiyue, the entire court, and every citizen of Da Zhou would brand her a failure.

Hearing this, Chu Feiyan was struck with shock, her gaze finally snapping back to Ziqing’s face, and she cried out furiously, “Han Ziqing, you actually dare say that!”

This woman — so falsely humble a moment ago, and now demanding something this outrageous. What a performance!

“How about this — we each take a step back?” Ziqing suggested with a harmless smile.

At those words, Chu Feiyan froze, her phoenix eyes going wide as realization dawned — she’d walked straight into a trap without even noticing.

Each take a step back?

The terms she’d just proposed were Western Chu’s absolute bottom line — while Han Ziqing’s demands were clearly padded, meant purely for negotiation!

If they each retreated a step now, Han Ziqing could easily concede plenty and still come out ahead — but how exactly was she supposed to retreat?

“You—!” Chu Feiyan choked with fury.

“Princess Imperial, though it was your nation that came to sue for peace, my Da Zhou has never been one to bully through advantage. Since we’ve each laid out our terms, and we’re both straightforward people, let’s settle this one way or another — either we go with what’s on the table, or we each step back once. What do you say?” Ziqing asked flatly.

Negotiation was complicated business, especially this particular one. She’d thought it through carefully, and had reduced the whole affair to one simple principle: find a way to make the other side reveal their bottom line first, and let the contest play out from there — that was how she’d come out ahead.

Watching Chu Feiyan’s chest heave violently, unable to find words, Ziqing couldn’t help but lightly stroke the scorpion ring again. This little trinket really had been an enormous help today.

Beyond its legendary status as a military tally and Jun Beiyue’s personal symbol, did this ring carry some other, greater significance — enough to strip Chu Feiyan of all reason like this?

It had nearly been an hour now. Was Jun Beiyue truly still waiting outside?