#480 - provocative

"If possible, this humble subject would really like to see how capable Your Majesty is."

When Wei Xianzhi said this with a smile, this extremely short negotiation undoubtedly declared its failure.

From any perspective, this sentence was arrogant enough, its taunt value no less than the classic line from his previous life, "Why does Your Majesty rebel?"

It not only bluntly stated the Wei family's confidence but also expressed the Wei family's attitude with utmost toughness.

I want the twelve southern prefectures, and I want Da Ning to withdraw its troops from Da Feng.

If you can't satisfy these two points, then let's not waste any words and just start fighting.

Of course, Wei Xianzhi's proposal of such a condition was not entirely his own idea but had been discussed with Wei Changtian long ago.

Wei Changtian guessed that Ning Yongnian might "seek peace through ceding territory," so he had communicated with Wei Xianzhi before the war in Shu Prefecture began, thus setting a bottom line of "governing separately, north and south."

However, he had always believed that such a negotiation would occur after the imperial army suffered a "major defeat at Niutou Mountain."

But who would have thought it would happen today?

Why would Ning Yongnian suddenly want to negotiate peace with the Wei family when the war situation was so favorable on both the Da Feng and Shu Prefecture sides?

Perhaps the god-like strike of "one sword slaying three thousand soldiers" made him feel that the Shu Prefecture war was not a sure thing.

Perhaps the still turbulent grain market and the depleted national treasury could no longer support a full-scale conflict between the imperial court and the Wei family.

Or perhaps Wei Xianzhi's actions tonight caught him off guard, forcing him to start negotiations early.

In fact, if this "peace talk" had really happened after the imperial army suffered a "defeat at Niutou Mountain" and the Shu Prefecture war was largely lost, Ning Yongnian might have seriously considered the conditions Wei family proposed today.

But now that the imperial army had just "captured" Guanghan City, Ning Yongnian believed he had the upper hand, so of course, he would feel that Wei Xianzhi was asking for too much.

Then, the failure of the peace talks would be easily understood.

"."

"Hahahaha!"

"Minister Wei, I never expected you to be so arrogant!"

The angry laughter echoed in the night sky. Ning Yongnian looked at Wei Xianzhi, who remained composed, and his dragon robe billowed with murderous intent.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?!"

"Your Majesty, I know exactly how Lord Xu died, so naturally, I understand that you dare."

Wei Xianzhi shook his head, his tone calm: "However, 'dare' does not mean 'can'."

"Is that so..."

Narrowing his eyes, Ning Yongnian slowly took a step forward, the Son of Heaven's sword at his waist already half-drawn.

He actually knew in his heart that he couldn't kill Wei Xianzhi.

Although the latter was only a third-rank official, the fact that he dared to come meant that he must have a way to protect himself.

However, the sarcasm in Wei Xianzhi's words almost made him recklessly swing his sword at the latter.

But at the last moment, Ning Yongnian ultimately did not make that move.

He was not Wei Changtian, who dared to kill the prime minister for a maidservant, nor was he Wei Xianzhi, who dared to surround the palace with troops despite being condemned by history.

As the emperor of a nation, a monarch extremely skilled in playing politics, Ning Yongnian knew that acting impulsively would most likely not lead to good results.

Moreover, he had to consider the overall situation.

"."

"Good, very good..."

Forcing out a few words from his throat, the Son of Heaven's sword returned to its sheath.

Ning Yongnian took a deep breath, staring intently at Wei Xianzhi.

"Da Ning has thirty-six prefectures. I'll see how many your Wei family can take!"

"Thank you for Your Majesty's generosity..."

His sleeves fluttering, Wei Xianzhi returned the gaze, replying sharply.

"You will see."

"Hmph! I'll be waiting!"

"Well, this humble subject takes his leave."

"Swish!"

With the last words spoken, Wei Xianzhi turned around without hesitation and jumped off the city tower, standing once again on the long street filled with Xuanjing Division officers.

"Master!"

Wang Er immediately approached, lowering his voice and asking, "What do we do next?"

Without answering immediately, Wei Xianzhi glanced back at the figure still standing on the city wall, then uttered a single word.

"Return."

"."

Coming with aggressive momentum, and leaving just like that.

Although the negotiations broke down, the expected chaos did not occur, inevitably giving people a feeling of anticlimactic.

But in fact, from the very beginning, whether it was Wei Xianzhi or Ning Yongnian, they both knew that a head-on conflict was unlikely to actually happen tonight.

Because both sides felt that the time was not yet most advantageous to them, and they also knew that they could not really do anything to the other.

Could Wei Xianzhi kill Ning Yongnian?

Undoubtedly, no.

And could Ning Yongnian kill Wei Xianzhi?

Of course, he couldn't either.

Since that was the case, then such a brawl would not be of much significance, but more of a means for both sides to display their strength.

Like the "military exercises" of his previous life.

Spending so much money and effort, training the army was secondary, the more important thing was to let potential enemies know your strength.

The principle was somewhat similar to "weak countries have no diplomacy."

If Wei Xianzhi hadn't brought so many people tonight, then he probably wouldn't even have had the chance to face Ning Yongnian.

"Swish!"

Like a black tide receding, only a few dozen breaths later, most of the Xuanjing Division officers had disappeared before the Meridian Gate, and it was estimated that they would all be withdrawn in no more than a hundred breaths.

Wang Er then led over a black horse with a white head, bowing and handing the reins to Wei Xianzhi, while whispering something.

The latter's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he took the reins, mounted the horse, and swaggered past the Meridian Gate.

The horse's mane swayed, and the moonlight reflected the fine bow hanging on one side of the saddle.

Wei Xianzhi narrowed his eyes, suddenly reached out and took off the longbow, then drew the bow and nocked an arrow, the arrowhead pointing directly at the figure still standing in front of the hall on the city tower.

"Whoosh!!"

Like a flash of lightning, the next second the arrow shot out, flying towards Ning Yongnian in the horrified gazes of countless people.

This arrow was too fast, so fast that everyone had not even had time to react before it had flown nine-tenths of the way.

However, Ning Yongnian did not move at all, but only watched as the arrow flew past half a zhang above his head, then "thudded" and was nailed firmly into a golden pillar behind him.

"Buzz!!"

The arrow penetrated several inches into the stone, and the white fletching trembled wildly.

But Ning Yongnian did not even look back, but only stared intently at Wei Xianzhi's departing back, his body trembling non-stop.

"Roar!!"

In the night sky, a yellow dragon dozens of zhang long suddenly appeared, roaring wildly towards the sky.

The roar, audible only to one person, was full of anger and unwillingness, suppression and mania.

Then, Ning Yongnian suddenly turned around, looked at Li Huaizhong, who was standing behind him with a nervous expression, suppressed the monstrous anger in his heart, and slowly said, word by word:

"Convey the order to Han Zhao."

"Let him take Shu Prefecture City within half a month at all costs."

"After the city is broken, there will be ten days of unrestricted killing."