Once those words were spoken, a commotion arose, and discussions erupted.
"What? Three cities? Is this Eldest Prince of Bei Xia out of his mind?"
"How many cities does Bei Xia even have? How dare he wager three? Would King Bei Xia agree?"
"It’s said that during this envoy to Eastern Chu, the King of Bei Xia has granted the Eldest Prince considerable authority. Promising these three cities is no problem for him. The question is, what exactly is his grand purpose in making such a promise?"
"What’s so hard to understand about that? Bei Xia promised three cities for this contest. Eastern Chu is in a difficult position and has to follow suit by wagering three cities."
"Their goal is to acquire three cities from Eastern Chu!"
Bei Xia’s reckless bet, with its ambition clearly written all over it, was obvious to everyone.
But after realizing this, whether Eastern Chu should accept the challenge became a question.
If they accept, it means they’ll have to promise three cities.
If their Eighteenth Princess loses, they will inevitably lose these promised three cities.
Those are three cities, which are no small matter. They are worth far more than a few thousand taels of gold and jewels.
But if they don’t follow the Eldest Prince of Bei Xia in betting, it’ll damage the national reputation if word gets out, making other countries think Eastern Chu is cowardly and petty.
However, national interests should not be compromised for mere reputation!
Emperor Yongning was in a dilemma, still pondering whether to accept the challenge.
"Your Majesty, for a mere contest, to put up three cities as stakes is truly not worth it. We, Eastern Chu, must not agree!"
"Your Majesty, I second that."
The ministers were already standing to oppose it.
However, their opposition made the Eldest Prince of Bei Xia think they were cowardly and lacked strength. Unworthy to stand and converse with any country, and unworthy of standing to receive respect, deserved only to kneel spinelessly.
If a nation’s knees are bent and it can only kneel to speak, then such a nation is not far from extinction.
If today, Eastern Chu acts so timid and petty, afraid to wager even a small stake, Emperor Yongning could foresee that if their cowardly reputation spread, the iron cavalry of other nations would surely march into Eastern Chu’s territory.
By then, the crisis of Eastern Chu would come, and their losses would be more than just three cities.
If surrounded and attacked by other nations, they could face the calamity of losing the country.
At this moment, Emperor Yongning was not acting for his own dignity, nor for the trivial fame of the country, nor because of endless doting on his daughter... he decided to accept the challenge for the future of Eastern Chu.
But if they lose, his beloved one might suffer grievances.
Emperor Yongning looked fondly at Jun Ning in the Empress Dowager’s arms, then withdrew his gaze, and boldly said, "Our Eastern Chu is willing to wager three cities. If my Eighteenth Princess loses, I shall duly hand over these three cities."
The Eldest Prince of Bei Xia, hearing this, said, "Your Majesty truly has courage, unlike these cowardly ministers."
"Eldest Prince..." Knowing this in one’s heart is fine, but saying it aloud is intentionally slapping faces. Emperor Yongning responded very displeased, "No matter how cowardly our ministers are, your Bei Xia’s envoys, during the plague, still relied on them for saving their lives, didn’t they?"
The Eldest Prince of Bei Xia, belittling his own benefactors without regard for their grace—wasn’t he just slapping his own face?
If the Eldest Prince himself didn’t realize it, Emperor Yongning could remind him!
Sure enough, after this reminder, the Eldest Prince of Bei Xia dared not say more, obediently closing his mouth. Because of his severe loss of face, his expression turned a bit green.
The banquet hall instantly fell into silence, with neither the envoys from various nations nor the hosts saying a word.
"Alright, let the contest begin!"
At this moment, the Fifth Prince of Bei Xia spoke, easing the awkwardness hanging in the silent air.
She felt so pressured!
She was forced into a tough situation!
What kind of contest it would be remained unknown?
But seeing the Fifth Prince of Bei Xia rise and stand at the center of the hall, prepared to start the contest, staying in the Empress Dowager’s embrace would be inappropriate. Jun Ning stood up and walked to the hall, facing the Fifth Prince.
The two of them looked at each other with defiance, full of pride.
The ministers of Eastern Chu, seeing the height difference between Jun Ning and the Fifth Prince, felt quite worried.
"It’s over, it’s over, the Princess will surely lose this time, and our Eastern Chu will lose three cities!"
These discouraged ministers seemingly forgot that not long ago, they were confidently and grandly backing Jun Ning to win, with a demeanor befitting a great nation.
But when the contest began, they lost their composure, disheartened instantly because of the wagered three cities.
With such weak mental strength, spreading negative emotions as soon as they opened their mouths affected everyone’s mood, not to mention potentially affecting those involved in the contest.
They certainly lacked both foresight and composure.
How they managed to attain their official positions with such little skill was a mystery!
The Crown Prince glanced at those who couldn’t maintain their calm, memorizing their names. In the future, he planned to replace them with more stable and excellent talents when the opportunity arose.
The Ninth Prince, with a young yet slightly ruthless face like his brother, said, "The first round of the contest is simple: see who can solve the Nine Linked Rings in the shortest time."
The nine linked rings are a kind of cognitive puzzle. Made of jade, these rings are set on a board with various frameworks and handles. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽
During play, following a certain procedure repeatedly allows the nine rings to be individually solved or unified.
Since childhood, the Ninth Prince of Bei Xia has loved playing with this toy.
Carefully retracing, it seems he started playing at the age of one and continued until now.
Initially, even with all his might, he couldn’t solve the nine rings, but gradually reduced the time from three months to two, one month, then even down to five days, three days over an extended period.
Now, he essentially takes only two hours to solve the nine rings, indicating that he’s quite skilled.
Anyone, be it adult or child, who competes with him in solving the nine rings, without exception, has lost.
It seems this little princess will be no exception.
Because of this skill, the Ninth Prince of Bei Xia has gained the favor of King Bei Xia, and his praise, among various nations, has been slightly heard.