Chapter 669, Negotiation

So Qi Ling and Bibi Dong then rushed to the Tiandou City Palace. When the people in the palace saw the return of Prince Qi Ling, the Protector of the Country, their faces were filled with unconcealed joy, and someone hurriedly reported it to Xue Ke. [ ]

Everyone in the Tiandou Empire knows that the difficulties encountered by the empire recently have threatened the existence of the Tiandou Empire. Once the five major principalities completely break up with the Tiandou Empire, the Tiandou Empire will face the crisis of division at any time.

At the same time, everyone is more aware of the fact that the one who can solve this problem is not the current Queen Xue Ke, but the Protector of the Country, Qi Ling!

So now after seeing Qi Ling, everyone just feels that the country is finally saved, and they don’t need to worry about it day and night. For a while, even everyone feels that the crisis has been resolved.

Bibi Dong on the side looked at this situation and couldn’t help shaking her head helplessly. Even though Qi Ling hadn’t appeared for half a year, the situation has not changed at all. Qi Ling’s prestige and status have not weakened at all, but have become even taller.

If this happened in any other country, it would definitely be a disaster. If one's achievements are greater than the master's, it will definitely lead to a conflict between the monarch and his subjects, and the lives of the people will be destroyed.

But in the Tiandou Empire, there was no such disaster. Xue Ke completely trusted Qi Ling. Even if Qi Ling had this intention, she could give up the throne to Qi Ling, and she would just stay by his side.

But now that she is the queen of the Tiandou Empire, she must not disappoint her teacher's expectations, nor the people's expectations. The Tiandou Empire is lucky enough to be in Xue Ke's hands.

Seeing Qi Ling again, Xue Ke was naturally very happy. She couldn't help but act like a spoiled child to Qi Ling. Qi Ling was also helpless. If anyone saw Xue Ke like this, they would not believe that she was the queen who was so high above.

Then when Xue Ke calmed down, Qi Ling asked her to tell him about the five duchies. At least she had to know the details of the matter before she could deal with them.

After Xue Ke's narration, Qi Ling knew the whole story, which was basically consistent with what Bibi Dong said. Moreover, these principalities were indeed very greedy. Before this, they had sent their own envoys to negotiate with Xue Ke.

Their request was that they wanted more autonomy and that the empire recognize their independent status. They would still call themselves vassal states in the future, but the connection between them and the Tiandou Empire would naturally be almost non-existent.

Xue Ke naturally could not accept such an approach, otherwise she would be the sinner who caused the division of the Tiandou Empire. The five principalities insisted on their own statements and did not intend to give in at all, so the matter was put on hold until the negotiation meeting was held.

"Teacher, this is the situation. Tell me, is it because of my lack of ability that I can't solve this matter?" Xue Ke said a little sadly.

In front of outsiders, she is a queen of high status, and naturally cannot easily show weakness, but in front of Qi Ling, she can be unscrupulous, because this is her teacher.

Qi Ling touched Xue Ke's head and smiled, "You have done a good job, but these people are just greedy. Such people will always pay the price!"

"Leave the rest to me, Xue Ke. When the negotiation comes, my sister and I will go with you."

With Qi Ling's assurance, Xue Ke finally put her mind at ease. After all, no matter how difficult the matter is, as long as her teacher says there is a way to solve it, then it can definitely be solved.

In this way, the date of the negotiation meeting soon arrived, and the place of negotiation was in a city that did not belong to Tiandou City and the five principalities. From a geographical point of view, it can basically be regarded as the middle of everyone.

Qi Ling knew that the reason why these principalities made such a request was because they wanted to create an atmosphere that the relationship between them and the Tiandou Empire was an equal and evenly matched relationship, rather than a subordinate relationship.

Qi Ling did not say anything about this. Together with Xue Ke and Bibi Dong, they arrived at the meeting site on time, leaving the imperial guards outside, and walked in together.

After entering the venue, Qi Ling immediately saw that none of the people from the five duchies came. It was clearly time for the meeting, but they did not show up, which was undoubtedly a show of strength to Qi Ling and others.

"Damn it! These people are really too much! Who do they think they are!" The captain of the Imperial Guard said angrily. For him, the humiliation of the Queen and the Prince of the Protectorate was an insult to himself.

Qi Ling sat in his seat and said slowly: "Don't worry, we will wait here to see what these people want to do."

It was not until half an hour later that the people from the five duchies arrived at the scene, and the five duchies arrived together. With such a coincidence, everyone knew that they did it on purpose.

The Queen of the Tiandou Empire, Xue Ke, came in person, and the kings of the five duchies naturally had to come in person, otherwise there would be no need to continue the negotiations.

As soon as the five kings came in, they immediately apologized to Qi Ling and Xue Ke, saying that they were late because they encountered some trouble on the road, or forgot the time and remembered the wrong place, and it was definitely not intentional.

Qi Ling just paused and said to everyone, "Don't be so polite, it's human nature and understandable. Please take a seat first."

Seeing Qi Ling's expressionless expression, the five kings couldn't help but feel depressed. Sure enough, the man who could decide the fate of the Tiandou Empire was still this man!

So since he didn't hide it anymore, he immediately expressed his intention after sitting down, and put forward the previous conditions again, wanting to completely separate from the Tiandou Empire.

Xue Ke couldn't help but say at this time: "No, we can't agree to this! Don't forget, you are all people of the Tiandou Empire. How can you bear to split your motherland for your own selfish desires!"

Among the five kings, a king named Otto said: "Your Majesty, the times are different. Although we are people of the Tiandou Empire, the Tiandou Empire can no longer meet our needs!"

"That's right, that's it!" "Our needs are not to continue like this, but to change!" The other kings also echoed.

Xue Ke naturally couldn't agree with such a statement, so she debated with several kings, but no matter what, several people refused to change their demands.

In the end, Otto even said with a rogue look: "In this case, let's temporarily stop the negotiations so that we can have more time to prepare!"