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In the hall of Feng Tian Dian, dozens of officials knelt in unison, shouting, "We support the minister!" The momentum was overwhelming, like a tidal wave sweeping in.
Su Qianxue's expression was cold as she surveyed the kneeling ministers, a glint of murderous intent flashing in her eyes. They were all treacherous officials and traitors! How dare they unite against her at such a critical moment? This was utterly unacceptable!
"Your Majesty, I firmly oppose this!" Minister of Justice Luo Yuhua stepped forward from the ranks. After bowing to Su Qianxue, he turned to glare at the kneeling Wang Da Ren.
"You dare to conspire with Wu Chaochen to threaten His Majesty? What benefits have you received from the Ninth Princess?" Wang Da Ren and the other officials shouted in unison. "What are your true intentions? Are you colluding with foreign powers to coerce His Majesty, or do you intend to stage a coup?"
At the mention of a coup, chaos erupted among the crowd. The officials loyal to Wu Quncheng began to argue among themselves, debating whether Wang Da Ren and his group were indeed attempting a coup.
Langya Prince and Lingnan Prince Heir remained unmoved, their heads bowed as if they were two steadfast pillars. With Lingnan King absent from court, Lingnan Prince Heir took charge of his faction's ministers.
At this moment, the officials aligned with Lingnan King also joined Luo Yuhua in the fray, their voices rising in constant bickering.
Seeing the uproar among the ministers and noticing the Ninth Princess standing with her hands clasped behind her back, resembling a golden phoenix surveying her surroundings, Su Qianxue slammed her hand on the table. "Enough!"
Her clear voice cut through the noise, and Wu Quncheng finally quieted down.
Su Qianxue frowned at the commotion before Xia Guo Shi's presence. "This is disgraceful for our nation; all of you will be fined one month's salary."
Wu Quncheng lowered his head in silence; no one dared to refute her. After all, no official relied solely on their salary for sustenance; it was merely a formality.
However, Wang Da Ren raised his head defiantly and addressed Su Qianxue. "Your Majesty, we ministers are merely echoing Xia Guo Shi's words. We have not reached the point of staging a coup. Moreover, what is wrong with answering this third question? It is merely a matter of timing."
"Is it so difficult that no one in our Great Zhou Dynasty can answer even one question?"
Su Qianxue found herself momentarily speechless, unable to counter Wang Da Ren's sharp retort that had caught her off guard.
Princess of Xia stepped forward slightly, facing Su Qianxue, and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Da Zhou, I hope you understand this clearly. At this moment, your desire for a ceasefire does not reflect the wishes of the Xia Kingdom. Of course, if you wish to fight, the Xia Kingdom is more than willing to accompany you to the end. We merely hope that you can answer our question before the court session ends!"
The Emperor of Xia demanded a withdrawal of troops, but that was tantamount to revealing their trump card! Yet, with the Ninth Princess and Langya Prince silent, and the three generals of the Xia Kingdom not speaking up, who could possibly know about this matter? Even if they raised a tiger skin as a banner, what could Su Qianxue do?
"Envoy," she continued, "you have yet to disclose what the third question is, yet you demand that we confirm our answer within a timeframe. This is excessive!" Su Qianxue articulated each word with determination shining in her clear eyes. She feared that the third question might be as difficult as the first.
Indeed, Jiang Han might be able to decipher it, but time was not on their side. The third question would not be as simple as just a single sentence. If the Emperor of Da Zhou were to answer it, he would likely need only a moment's thought.
Thus, the court insisted that it must be answered before the session ended. After all, we have already been here for three or four days and do not wish to wait any longer.
Princess of Xia pressed on relentlessly; her bright eyes glinted with murderous intent, and her smile appeared particularly chilling. The phoenix gown she wore was entirely stitched with golden threads and adorned with numerous gemstones, even more impressive than Su Qianxue's Dragon Robe.
The officials of Da Zhou watched this scene intently, their gazes fixed on Su Qianxue. Luo Yuhua stepped forward once more and said, "Since it is merely a single sentence, why must we seek an answer at this very moment? The Great Zhou Capital offers music and scenery that rival those of the Xia Kingdom. The Ninth Princess could enjoy two more days in our capital; we would be more than willing to provide an answer then."
"Absolutely not!" Princess of Xia shook her head slightly, coldly staring at Su Qianxue as she said, "This question requires your response before the court session ends. If you can provide an answer before then, I will immediately order the Xia Kingdom's troops to withdraw from your borders without demanding any tribute from you. However," she paused for effect, her voice melodious yet clear, "if you cannot provide an answer before the session ends... then the day our dynasty's troops withdraw will be far off."
"Emperor of Da Zhou," she declared firmly, "this is not a request; it is a notification! You have no choice but to comply!"
Su Qianxue listened to these words, her hands resting on the table as she struggled to suppress her anger. She glared at the Ninth Princess, noticing the arrogant and haughty expression on her face, and silently vowed to revitalize her country and wash away the humiliation.
The words from the Princess of Xia were no less than an ultimatum; even Luo Yuhua found it difficult to speak up. Fine, before the court adjourns, I will give you an answer! You can now ask whatever question you wish!
Su Qianxue slightly raised her head, doing her best to maintain a proud demeanor, ensuring that her nation's dignity was not compromised.
The Princess of Xia chuckled lightly and said, "It's simple; it's just one question! Tell me, in this world, which came first: the chicken or the egg?"
This left Su Qianxue momentarily stunned. How was she supposed to answer such a question?
Man Chao Wu gasped in surprise; no one had expected the Princess of Xia to pose such a query. Which came first: the hen or the egg? If she answered that the egg came first, then where did that egg come from? Did it just appear out of thin air? That seemed unlikely. It must have been laid by a hen.
But if she answered that the hen came first, then that hen also hatched from an egg.
Ninth Princess, this question is likely something no one in the world can answer! Su Qianxue asked in a somewhat panicked tone. She truly hadn't anticipated such a question from the Ninth Princess.
"My question is precisely that!" The Princess of Xia replied with a smile. "If you can answer it, you won’t need to offer tribute. If you cannot answer it, then prepare your wealth for tribute."
With a graceful smile, she added, "It is precisely because no one can answer it that I chose this topic to inquire of the Da Zhou Emperor!"
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