"Ah! A cup of hot tea in the morning really wakes one up. Your Majesty, since we've met, let's talk!"
Yan Qingshan smacked his lips, gulping down a cup of hot tea. Then, he put down the teacup, and his entire demeanor seemed to transform, a sharp aura soaring into the sky. His sword-like eyes were impossible to look directly into, and his lion-king-like imposing presence even overshadowed the Emperor's authority.
"This, he..."
Princess Yao Ye's expression changed repeatedly. As a highly cultivated heir of the imperial family, she was certainly no mediocrity. She quickly understood some things: to counter her potential probing, Yan Qingshan had merely used some minor tricks to make her abandon her intentions herself.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh~
Three figures suddenly appeared in the room. The aura of two old men was not weak; both were Dou King experts. One of them occasionally coughed, looking somewhat unwell, while the other middle-aged man's aura was slightly weaker than theirs, but he was in his prime and at the peak of his strength.
Three Dou Kings – this was the imperial family's capital to deal with the situation. When Ya Fei brought the three Dou Kings to the Holy City to negotiate with the imperial family, the scene was even grander than this!
"Ya Fei greets Old General Muchen, Old General Nalan, Your Royal Highness..."
Ya Fei, standing behind Yan Qingshan, rose to pay her respects, casually revealing the identities of the three men behind the Emperor: the empire's old generals Muchen and Nalan Jie, and the other was a Dou King expert of the imperial family, who by age, might be the Emperor's brother.
"Three Dou Kings? With such limited strength, how can the imperial family contend with the Misty Cloud Sect?"
Yan Qingshan glanced at the three Dou Kings behind the Emperor, smiled, put down his teacup, and lightly tapped it on the table. As he spoke with a smile, his imposing aura surged forth.
The expressions of all three Dou Kings changed. Their Dou Qi circulated, making their robes flutter. It was only by joining forces that they barely maintained their footing, but they still each took several steps back, exchanging glances, having an answer in their hearts yet somewhat disbelieving it was true.
"What exactly is his strength...?"
Princess Yao Ye watched as all three Dou Kings were forced back. Her shock was imaginable; only now did she realize she had misjudged him. She had thought he was just an unlearned, useless fop, but never expected him to be a sleeping lion disguised as a cat. Once he awakened, the situation changed dramatically.
Muchen, the family head among the three Dou Kings, sighed, "To achieve the status of a Dou Emperor at such a young age, the three of us are far inferior."
He revealed Yan Qingshan's strength, which caused an even greater stir. Princess Yao Ye stood up in shock, and the Emperor almost spilled the tea in his hand.
A look of surprise flashed across the Emperor's face, but he quickly composed himself.
"Hahaha... Young Master Yan is a powerhouse at such a young age; this is truly a blessing for my Jia Ma Empire!"
Yan Qingshan smiled faintly, "Whether it's a blessing or not is another matter. I presume Your Majesty is clear about why I'm here today."
"The three great gifts Young Master Yan has sent, my imperial family is exceedingly grateful for. Young Master, if you have any requests, please speak plainly. As long as it can be done, the imperial family will spare no national effort to assist."
The Emperor also spoke very solemnly. When Ya Fei entered the Holy City to discuss with the imperial family, she brought three grand gifts: a piece of news, and two priceless treasures that were urgently needed by the imperial family. The imperial family had to accept this favor, and to settle this karmic debt, the price would certainly not be small.
"Don't speak so absolutely. My matters are not simple."
Yan Qingshan played with the teacup in his hand, leisurely speaking, "Jia Ma Empire is currently facing internal strife and external threats; the situation is quite unfavorable!
In the eastern part of the empire, the Snake-People tribe in the Tager Desert has strength even greater than the entire empire. Although they are jointly suppressed by several empires outside the Tager Desert, this hidden danger has always existed!
Outside the Tagor Desert, the empire also borders the Chu Yun, Mu Lan, and Luo Yan Empires. The Mu Lan and Luo Yan Empires are one thing, but there is deep animosity between the Chu Yun Empire and the Jia Ma Empire. In the last powerhouse convention, both sides suffered losses.
And I also heard that Scorpion Bi Yan, the sect master of Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate in the Chu Yun Empire, has already broken through to Dou Ancestor. If there's another powerhouse convention, it will definitely require a Dou Ancestor to contend, and within the Jia Ma Empire, only the old sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, has broken through to Dou Ancestor.
Once Yun Shan successfully presides over the powerhouse convention, his prestige will be even higher, and the Misty Cloud Sect's power will also grow stronger. They could completely use this opportunity to cause trouble. At that time, will the imperial family back down, or are they prepared to resist to the end?!"
"Young Master Yan is joking."
The Emperor's face darkened. Although he was shocked when he learned of Yun Shan's breakthrough to Dou Ancestor, he remained relatively calm. It was normal for the Misty Cloud Sect to have different intentions after Yun Shan's breakthrough, but the imperial family was not to be trifled with either. As long as it remained within the framework of the Jia Ma Empire and they fought without breaking, the imperial family still had some confidence.
But if the Chu Yun Empire also had a Dou Zong expert, things would truly become troublesome. A powerhouse convention was when empires settled disputes over entangled interests that couldn't be resolved otherwise. Previously, it only involved Dou Kings and Dou Emperors.
But if there were a Dou Ancestor battle, as long as Yun Shan didn't suffer a devastating defeat, he would inevitably gain immense prestige, and the Misty Cloud Sect would also rise with him, becoming overwhelmingly powerful. In such a situation, the imperial family would only suffer a complete defeat, conceding many benefits, and might even be unable to raise its head for centuries.
"Whether I'm joking or not, you should be clear in your heart. If I hadn't interfered, within the next hundred years, the Misty Cloud Sect would call the shots in this Jia Ma Empire!"
Yan Qingshan merely smiled faintly, but fine beads of sweat appeared on the Emperor's forehead. Facing the pressure of a Dou Emperor in person was immense, but the hypothetical situation Yan Qingshan described made him even more uneasy.
If the Misty Cloud Sect were to completely suppress the imperial family, it's highly likely that a situation similar to the Luo Yan Empire and the Mu Lan Empire would occur, where the sect wielded power and the imperial family became a puppet.
The Luo Yan Empire had the Golden Geese Sect, and the Mu Lan Empire had the Mu Lan Valley. Even the empire's names were so closely tied to the sect names, which was definitely not a good thing for the imperial family. Would his Jia Ma Empire have to be renamed the Misty Cloud Empire in the future?
"I am a businessman now, and a businessman has his ways. Do you know why I'm investing in your imperial family? Because I want more!"
Yan Qingshan looked at the Emperor before him, a flash of light in his sharp eyes. "Recently, I learned an ancient saying: 'Hoard rare goods for later exploitation.'
It speaks of a time of turmoil among warring states, when a merchant invested in a disgraced royal descendant. Ultimately, this descendant became the ruler, and the merchant rose from a mere peddler to a prime minister who held sway over the court.
An ordinary business yields at most ten or a hundred times the profit. How can that compare to the profit from an entire nation? So, I want to see how much return the Jia Ma Empire can give me."
The Emperor no longer played games, directly laying out his cards. "Young Master Yan, rest assured. Whatever conditions you require, please state them clearly. As long as the imperial family can achieve it, even if it means ceding territory and bestowing titles, it can be done."
Yan Qingshan smiled and glanced at Princess Yao Ye beside him. "Ceding territory and bestowing titles is indeed good. However, I heard that the empire is preparing to cultivate the Eldest Princess. If one were to become the consort of the Eldest Princess, wouldn't one gain even more?"
The Emperor hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "This matter can indeed be deliberated upon, once my father emerges from his secluded cultivation..."
"Alright, that was just a joke, no need to take it seriously. Let's not waste any more time. I do have some conditions, but you are not qualified to discuss them with me yet. Wait until Jia Xingtian emerges from his secluded cultivation, then have him come find me."
Yan Qingshan laughed loudly, "Only when he breaks through to Dou Ancestor will he be qualified to discuss cooperation. Otherwise, the imperial family will remain a mere appendage."
A subtle aura swept past and then quickly vanished. All three Dou Kings staggered, almost collapsing. Nalan Jie was in the worst state; if he hadn't leaned against the wall, he might have already slumped to the ground.
"Let's go!"
Yan Qingshan chuckled again, then called out to Ya Fei. Ya Fei quickly came over and linked arms with him, and the two walked out of the palace.
"Yao Ye , see Young Master Yan out for me."
Although the Emperor had lost face, he showed no signs of anger. He calmly put down his teacup and looked at Princess Yao Ye beside him.
Princess Yao Ye quickly rose and bowed to Yan Qingshan, "Sister Ya Fei, Young Master Yan, allow Yao Ye to see you off."
Yan Qingshan and Ya Fei's figures slowly disappeared from the palace hall. Only then did the Emperor's face completely darken. With a wave of his hand, numerous palace attendants withdrew, while the three Dou Kings came before him.
"Three esteemed ones, please be seated!"
The Emperor was quite courteous to the three Dou Kings. As the empire's top combatants, Dou King experts could still make a name for themselves even in the Central Plains, where powerhouses were as numerous as clouds. Even the Jia Ma Imperial Family dared not slight them.
"Cough, cough... Old man, this old body truly seems to be failing."
Among the three, Nalan Jie, who had the highest cultivation, was in the worst condition. A black aura appeared on his face, and it took him a long time to suppress it by circulating his Dou Qi.
"The Scorching Iron Poison Python's brand poison from that Rank 5 magical beast is indeed tricky. However, Old General Nalan, rest assured, the imperial family will certainly help the old general completely clear out the lingering poison."
A strange light flashed in the Emperor's eyes, but he spoke with extreme solemnity. Nalan Jie was a crucial minister in the imperial military and one of the Jia Ma Empire's top ten powerhouses, a loyal servant to the imperial family.
But then again, his granddaughter was made the young sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, and the complexities of this entanglement could not be explained in a few words.
The Emperor naturally still trusted Nalan Jie at present; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed him to participate in this matter. That Nalan Yanran was merely a Dou Master, and her becoming the Misty Cloud Sect's young sect master was only a recent event, which also caused quite a stir, but it had little impact on the overall situation.
However, emperors are often suspicious, and the Emperor did have some reservations and other thoughts about Nalan Jie, but this did not prevent him from outwardly showing concern for his minister.
Nalan Jie coughed twice, covering his mouth, then muffled his reply, "Thank you for your Majesty's concern. This old man is temporarily fine."
"Your Majesty!"
The imperial prince among the three Dou Kings spoke, and the Emperor naturally turned to him with a serious expression.
"Royal Uncle, please speak."
This prince was actually the Emperor's uncle, but looking at their ages, they weren't far apart, which only goes to show that the imperial family was quite skilled at playing games.
"When Young Master Yan spoke last, there was an unfamiliar aura that gave us a warning. It should be, a Dou Ancestor!!!"
The two words "Dou Ancestor" caused the Emperor to freeze for a long time. Recalling Yan Qingshan's intentional or unintentional hints in his words just now, he felt that this matter was becoming increasingly complex and difficult to control.
He could only sigh in the end. The other party was right; without a Dou Ancestor, the imperial family simply didn't have the qualifications to negotiate!