The demands of Great Yan were clear.
First, Prince Ping must pay with his life to appease the spirit of Princess Muling in the afterlife.
Of course, Prince Ping was already dead, so this point had been fulfilled.
Second, territorial concessions and reparations were required to placate the outrage of Great Yan's people.
Princess Muling was the daughter of Great Yan's late empress, who had been kind and benevolent, deeply beloved by the people. The princess herself was innocent and pure-hearted, making her tragic fate unbearable for the citizens of Great Yan.
Third, the emperor must personally draft an edict of self-reproach and proclaim it to the world.
Prince Ping was, after all, the emperor's cousin. By allowing a royal relative to commit such atrocities, the emperor needed to reflect on his own failings and publicly declare his remorse to his subjects.
This, too, was non-negotiable.
With the recent unrest following Prince Ping's rebellion and now the conflict with Great Yan, public morale was unstable. A timely acknowledgment of imperial responsibility would help maintain national stability.
The emperor could accept all three of these demands.
But the fourth demand—he flatly refused.
The envoy from Great Yan did not press the issue, merely stating, "Our sovereign has said that if Your Majesty is unwilling, we will not force the matter. However, the terms of territorial concessions and reparations will then need to be adjusted."
When the emperor saw the revised terms, the ceded lands had increased from three border cities to ten, and the reparations had multiplied tenfold.
His expression darkened instantly.
The envoy remained composed. "Your Majesty must not blame our nation for being merciless. It was your kingdom of Tianqi that provoked this matter. If possible, we would much rather have Princess Muling alive than a single coin from Tianqi!"
The emperor fell silent.
Before leaving, the envoy delivered a final warning: "If Your Majesty cannot accept these terms, this humble envoy will have no choice but to escort the princess's coffin back to our homeland. Should it come to war, it would surely not be to Your Majesty's liking."
...
"Your Majesty... Consort Xue has arrived." The eunuch's reminder snapped the emperor out of his thoughts.
He sighed heavily and waved his hand. The eunuch withdrew, and moments later, Consort Xue entered, carrying a food box.
"Your Majesty..." It had been a while since Consort Xue had last seen the emperor, and she immediately noticed the exhaustion etched into his features.
Pausing, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "How long has it been since Your Majesty last rested?"
"My love..." The emperor pulled her into an embrace, his voice hoarse.
Consort Xue frowned as well. "It seems the matter with Great Yan has weighed heavily on Your Majesty."
The emperor remained silent.
She sighed inwardly.
She never would have imagined Qi Xiuyuan capable of such cruelty.
Thinking of Xue'er... No wonder the child, usually so quiet and well-behaved in her presence, became visibly agitated whenever Qi Xiuyuan was near.
A child so young remembered little—yet the image of her mother's brutal death was seared into her memory.
Consort Xue gently held the emperor and ventured, "Are Great Yan's demands truly so unreasonable?"
Still, the emperor said nothing.
Though Tianqi's national strength had been growing, it still lagged behind Great Yan's. Coupled with the recent turmoil caused by Prince Ping, the country had yet to fully stabilize. At such a time, a direct confrontation with Great Yan would be unwise.
No matter how harsh Great Yan's terms were, Tianqi had no choice but to endure them.
Consort Xue suggested softly, "Why not consult the Regent, Your Majesty? Though he claims to have withdrawn from governance, his heart remains with Tianqi. You must not let misunderstandings grow between you..."
The emperor closed his eyes and let out a bitter laugh.
Precisely because he knew Sima Qing cared deeply for Tianqi, he dared not involve him in these discussions...
"I need to be alone for now, my love. You may go." He released her.
Consort Xue hesitated. Before leaving, she glanced at the solitary figure in imperial yellow standing by the window. For the first time, she saw an uncharacteristic vulnerability in the emperor—like a young beast on the verge of losing its protector.
...
Several days later, the emperor finally summoned Sima Qing.
Sima Qing appeared to be in good spirits. Studying the emperor's haggard face, he couldn't resist asking, "Did Great Yan demand you produce a prince to send as a hostage?"
The emperor: "..."
His lips twitched. "Uncle, be serious."
"I am being serious," Sima Qing countered. "Or did they demand reparations so steep they'd bankrupt us?"
The emperor's expression remained grave, his exhaustion making him look almost fearsome.
Sima Qing's amusement faded. "Just how much did they ask for? Is it truly so dire?"
"Uncle..."
"Speak plainly."
After a moment of hesitation, the emperor steeled himself and relayed Great Yan's demands.
Sima Qing burst into incredulous laughter. "Ten border cities and an annual tribute of three hundred thousand taels of gold? This is practically a declaration of war!"
The emperor's brow remained furrowed. "I've considered sending General Xiao and Lu Qi to lead our forces, but our military strength... I should summon them all to discuss this further..."
Sima Qing, however, studied him thoughtfully.
"Your Majesty," he said slowly.
The emperor tensed but kept his voice steady. "Uncle, don't even think about it. Your health isn't what it used to be—you can't lead troops."
Sima Qing's expression turned solemn. "The Emperor of Great Yan has always favored peace. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed so readily to the marriage alliance with the grasslands..."
"I understand his grief over losing his beloved daughter, but I refuse to believe a ruler who has reigned for over two decades would act so recklessly, rushing into war between our nations."
His dark eyes locked onto the emperor's.
"Great Yan's demands couldn't have been this extreme from the start."
The emperor's heart clenched.
Sima Qing rested his chin on his hand, speculating, "At most, five cities and an annual tribute of a hundred thousand taels of gold?"
The emperor stayed silent.
"That would be Tianqi's absolute limit..." Sima Qing made to rise. "If Your Majesty won't speak, then I'll have to find out for myself."
"Wait." The emperor closed his eyes briefly before repeating Great Yan's original terms.
"Three cities and thirty thousand taels of gold?" Sima Qing sat back down, unimpressed. "That's manageable."
With the recent confiscations from corrupt officials, they could easily compile a list and seize assets from one each year—covering most of the reparations.
He eyed the emperor curiously. "Your Majesty lost sleep over this? And you wouldn't even tell me the truth... Tianqi can afford this, can't it?"
The emperor looked at him with a complicated gaze before forcing out the words, "There's a fourth demand."
Sima Qing stilled as the emperor continued, "The Emperor of Great Yan specifically requested... your hand in marriage to the Crown Princess of Great Yan."
Sima Qing: "...Marry the Crown Princess?"
The emperor said despairingly, "Yes."
Sima Qing: "..."
So, the one to be sent as a hostage... was himself.
