Sun Moon Empire, Ming Du.
The oppressive atmosphere dissipated somewhat at this moment.
For several full days, while Kong Deming and the others had yet to return to Ming Du, Meng Hongchen led the remaining court officials and the residual soul engineer legions to place Ming Du under martial law. The remaining troops were stationed at all the major routes around the city. The sky was filled with various detection soul tools, and the entire city was in a state of extreme tension and paranoia.
Until Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin returned first...
During those few days, even though Chen Junting and his group had left, the various shops in Ming Du did not open for business. The entirety of Ming Du was steeped in an intense sorrow and indignation, making everyone tremble.
Because their Emperor, Xu Tianran, was dead.
Moreover, Xu Tianran's death was not the end. After Ye Yulin and Jing Hongchen returned in a wretched state, news arrived from the Ming Dou battlefield that their Sun Moon Empire had suffered a crushing defeat, and the Star Luo Army had even crossed the Ming Dou Mountains, capturing cities and seizing territory within the Sun Moon borders.
One piece of bad news after another rapidly spread throughout the nation. Even though the Sun Moon court wanted to suppress the news, the Star Luo Empire's continuous advance made it impossible to keep these bad tidings under wraps.
But while the external situation was dire, the internal affairs were no better. After all, the emperor's throne was empty, and power tempts the heart!
In the ensuing days, the interior of Ming Du was in great chaos, especially among the imperial clan; it was an absolute mess. With Xu Tianran dead, even though he had purged the imperial clan before, there were still numerous descendants bearing the surname Xu.
Although legally, the true heir to the throne should be Xu Tianran's direct descendant. But what was the actual situation? Xu Tianran had left no heirs, and it was still debatable whether Meng Hongchen was even pregnant! Because of this, the imperial clansmen immediately saw red.
Even with Jing Hongchen suppressing them, it was to no avail. After all, no matter how you looked at it, Jing Hongchen was merely a subject; his only connection to the royal family was his status as an imperial in-law.
But whose fault was it?
Whose fault was it that his granddaughter's belly was disappointing and hadn't produced a dragon son? Since that was the case, they couldn't be blamed for their actions.
For a time, the interior of Ming Du was in utter chaos. Various factions fought against each other, especially the imperial clansmen. The more powerful royal factions began to crush one another and rope in various forces, seemingly completely forgetting the external threats. This allowed the chaos to last for several days without the slightest resolution. Outside Ming Du, massive private armies were ready to make a move, and the imperial court was also in turbulent turmoil.
At this moment, Meng Hongchen, as the Empress, could only maintain silence, keeping a vigil for Xu Tianran in a temporarily built palace without stepping out, while also waiting to see if her womb would provide a response. What Jing Hongchen could do was protect Meng Hongchen.
Right now, he desperately hoped that Kong Deming could return to Ming Du to take charge of the overall situation. However, reality diverged from his hopes.
Soon, a piece of news swept across the entire continent.
The army led by Kong Deming had surrendered!
The moment this news reached Ming Du, the commoners' eyes were filled with bewilderment, and the imperial clansmen also ceased all their power-grabbing actions, their hearts filled with sheer shock.
Elder Kong... surrendered!?
At the same time, a handwritten letter from Kong Deming was delivered to the Sun Moon court. The content was none other than the ultimatum issued to the Sun Moon Empire by the three great empires. If the Sun Moon Empire did not cede territory and pay reparations, the war would continue!
Thus, a court session was immediately convened. Since a new emperor had yet to be chosen, and out of regard for etiquette and Jing Hongchen's face, Meng Hongchen was allowed to "rule from behind the curtain."
The debate centered on whether they should continue fighting or not!
"We cannot fight anymore."
The Minister of Finance was the first to speak, making his stance clear. "The attack back then already caused the empire heavy losses. In order to launch this war of unification and replenish our ammunition supplies, the empire has invested a massive amount of funds into that area. In the subsequent war, our financial expenditure was also the largest. Right now, we can indeed still support it, but if we continue to fight..."
At this point, anyone who could understand was smart. In a word—"If we fight, the national treasury will be empty."
There was no way around it!
Following this, the other ministers voiced their statements. Without exception, they all held one view:
They could not fight anymore!
Whether militarily or economically, after enduring two precise strikes, the Sun Moon Empire was already done for.
This was a viewpoint that even Ye Yulin and Jing Hongchen could not refute. If Elder Kong had failed, who else could lead the army? You, Ye Yulin? Or you, Jing Hongchen?
Therefore, once the mainstream consensus of "no more war" was established, all that remained was peace talks. And these "peace talks" were the true intent behind Kong Deming sending back his handwritten letter.
Because more than half of the letter was Kong Deming detailing the peace terms of the three victorious nations—the Tian Hun Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire. How the Sun Moon Empire should cede territory, how it should pay reparations—each demand was more ruthless than the last.
Of course, mixed in were the conditions of the various major factions. There were even some factions that could only be considered third-rate.
Reading these things made the Sun Moon contingent grit their teeth in hatred!
Damn it!
Ming De Hall and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had already been completely looted by these thieves, yet their demands were still so excessive!
However, no matter how excessive they were, the talks still had to happen.
Jing Hongchen gripped the letter, his hands tightening repeatedly, before finally letting out a long sigh. "Let's discuss this and inform Elder Kong of our bottom line. The three great empires and the major factions are demanding so ruthlessly, but it's just asking an exorbitant price so they can be haggled down. As for those bottom-tier (third-rate) factions, we'll just reject their conditions outright. What qualifications do they have to scurry around making demands in front of us?!"
The inclusion of these factions wasn't because they truly wanted a share of the spoils; it was purely the three great empires being deliberately sickening.
Soon, the various factions within the court became united in their hostility against a common enemy. After all, if they were careless regarding the reparations, no matter who ascended the throne in the future, they would have to clean up this mess. At that point, they would just be asking for trouble.
Thus, five days later in Dongyang City...
Amidst this desolation and decay, the Sun Moon Empire faced its darkest moment. Its former glory, which had once suppressed the three nations, vanished into nothingness, leaving them no choice but to helplessly confront the cruel reality of defeat. In a simply furnished yet overwhelmingly oppressive room, a peace negotiation that would determine the fate of the Sun Moon Empire was taking place.
At this moment, in the center of the room, a wide rectangular table was placed. Both sides were filled with representatives from different factions. On one side were the representatives of the three victorious empires—Xu Jiujiu, Wei Na, Ge Hong—as well as Xian Lin'er from Shrek Academy, Ye Xuanji from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Du Busi from the Body Sect, and the Old Heavenly Dragon from the Heavenly Dragon Sect. On the other side were the despondent and exhausted representatives of the Sun Moon Empire, led by Kong Deming himself.
Kong Deming sat in his chair; although the Class 10 Soul Engineer kept his back straight, he couldn't hide his weariness. His eyes were interwoven with complex emotions, definitely containing a deep reluctance. As the empire's Grand Worship, he had never imagined that a day would come when he would sit at a negotiation table, fighting for the empire's survival and the meager benefits it could retain.
Long before the peace talks, the representatives of the victorious nations had informed Kong Deming of their harsh conditions and allowed him to communicate to discuss the negotiations with the ministers in Ming Du. And now, this was the endgame of the peace talks.
As for the conditions of the peace talks, they included but were not limited to:
First, the cities already conquered by the empires shall belong to their respective empires, and an additional five of the most affluent coastal cities and their dependent territories must be ceded to each empire;
Second, some of the Sun Moon Empire's mineral veins, mines, and other vital resources shall be open to our exploitation for a century;
Third, a reparations payment of one trillion Gold Soul Coins to each empire, which can be paid off over ten years, with the full amount to be paid on time annually;
Fourth, limiting the military development of the Sun Moon Empire—the total military strength must not exceed one-fifth of its pre-war numbers, the total number of soul engineer legions and soul master legions must not exceed one thousand members, and all naval warships must be handed over;
Fifth, regarding the various factions...
As the clauses were read out one by one, even though Kong Deming already knew their contents, he once again felt as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer. Every word was like a sharp blade, piercing his heart viciously. These conditions were no different from hollowing out the Sun Moon Empire, reducing it to fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.
"Such conditions, our Sun Moon Empire cannot accept!" At this moment, a Class 9 Soul Engineer of the Sun Moon Empire, also an imperial Worship, couldn't help but slam the table and roar in anger. But with just a single glare, Du Busi forced him back down.
"Can't accept it? Then why did you provoke this war in the first place?" Du Busi's rhetorical questions completely ignored the fact that even if the Sun Moon Empire hadn't launched the war, the three great empires would have. At this moment, he continued, "Since you have been defeated and surrendered, you must obediently accept the terms. If you don't agree, our army can trample the rest of your territory flat at any time."
Kong Deming forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart, stood up, and said with a resolute tone, "It is impossible for us to accept all these conditions wholesale! If you don't make concessions, then we will keep fighting! At worst, we fight until our Sun Moon Empire sinks into ruin, but you won't have it easy either!"
"Concessions? Stop dreaming!" The Old Heavenly Dragon's tone was icy, playing the harsh enforcer. "You must accept unconditionally, otherwise don't blame us for being impolite."
"Impossible!"
"We won't cede that many cities!"
"No way! Not a single one of those cities can be omitted!"
The victorious side's attitude was resolute, with no room for negotiation. The Sun Moon Empire's side also argued forcefully, stating it was impossible to agree to all these terms. If they accepted, their Sun Moon Empire would absolutely be unable to "rise again" within a century.
Soon, the negotiations reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to yield. At this moment, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.
Until both sides called for an internal discussion...
"Elder Kong, what do we do? Are we really going to agree to these unreasonable demands?" an anxious Worship beside him asked.
"Impossible!"
Kong Deming's attitude was resolute. He pulled out the letter Jing Hongchen had sent back to him. Written on it was the Sun Moon Empire's bottom line.
"No matter what, we must negotiate down to this point."
"Yes."
Subsequently, both sides returned to the table.
This time, it was another fierce exchange. However, everyone on both sides knew that this was the final discussion. During this conversation, Kong Deming fought hard, continuously driving the conditions down until they reached their bottom line...
"Enough." Kong Deming's voice was low and hoarse, as if he had exhausted all the strength in his body to say these words. "For the sake of the empire's citizens, I, on behalf of the Sun Moon Empire, agree to these reparations terms."
Hearing this, the representatives of the victorious side all revealed satisfied smiles, as if they had expected this outcome all along.
"Since you agree, then Silver Moon Your Eminence, please sign."
Ge Hong pushed two copies of the peace treaty text in front of Kong Deming and offered him a pen, his tone completely devoid of emotion.
Kong Deming stared at the treaty and the pen before him...
The moment he picked up the pen, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Signing his name meant he would bear infamy for eternity, becoming a sinner of the empire. But for the empire's future, he had no other choice.
He slowly reached out and grasped the pen. The moment the nib touched the paper, he wrote down his name.
Seeing this, the Worships of the Sun Moon Empire beside him were filled with humiliation. They originally wanted to take Kong Deming's place and endure this disgrace themselves, but they were flatly rejected by the victorious side.
Their reason was that Kong Deming was the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire; if he signed, it would be the hardest to break the contract.
Kong Deming put down the pen, his tone icy. "It is signed. I hope you can abide by the treaty and not provoke conflicts without reason."
The victorious side picked up the treaties, passed them around, carefully checked them once, and after confirming there were no errors, satisfied, they put them away.
"Rest assured, as long as you obediently fulfill the treaty, we naturally won't make things difficult for you." Ye Xuanji's tone was calm, yet convincing. After all, this was a promise made by a Limit Douluo.
Subsequently, Xu Jiujiu gestured toward the door.
"Silver Moon Your Eminence, have a safe journey."
Kong Deming hadn't spoken yet when a Worship beside him roared, "This is Dongyang City! It is our territory!"
"Sorry."
At this time, Wei Na raised the contract and said: "After Dongyang City was captured, it was sold to our Tian Hun Empire by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so Dongyang City counts as captured by our Tian Hun Empire. Therefore, Dongyang City no longer belongs to you."
"You!"
The Worship was furious upon hearing this, but after spitting out just two words, he was physically held back by Kong Deming. "Let's go."
Kong Deming dragged his heavy footsteps, followed by the group of Sun Moon Empire representatives, slowly walking out of the room. The sky outside was overcast and gloomy, seemingly reflecting the deathly stillness that filled the city.
"Elder Kong..."
A voice came from behind, but Kong Deming just waved his hand. "No need to say more. Whatever the consequences, I will bear them alone."
However, right at this moment, "Truly a man."
Du Busi's voice rang out, causing Kong Deming to turn around.
"Du Busi? And the rest of you... what is it?"
He looked at Du Busi, who had walked out of the room, as well as the people from Shrek Academy and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, his heart rising with vigilance.
And Chen Junting, representing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and blocking Kong Deming's path, was unsurprised by the vigilance in his words and actions.
"Rest assured, Silver Moon Your Eminence, we only want to ask one thing."
"What thing?"
"The Holy Spirit Cult."
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