After being repeatedly rejected, Zhou Meng was very dissatisfied. The officials who were familiar with Zhou Meng had already noticed that their king was on the verge of losing his temper.
Zhou Meng had always been a man of his word in Xiyue, especially when it came to women. None of the women in Xiyue would resist becoming his woman.
However, Qin Yining had repeatedly made him suffer, which made him very angry.
The originally gentle Little Yi had also lost her patience because she had failed to coax Qin Yining. At this moment, Zhou Meng was once again the domineering one who gave orders.
"Since you don't want to drink wine, then don't. However, This King has invited you to tonight's banquet because he has something to tell you in front of all the officials. "
As soon as Zhou Meng finished speaking, the hall fell silent. The officials' family members tactfully retreated, leaving only Zhou Meng and a dozen other officials in the hall, as well as Qin Yining and the three people she had brought with her. The twenty or so soldiers that Zhou Meng had brought with him were still holding onto the hilts of their swords, surrounding Qin Yining in a semicircle. There were even signs that they were about to attack.
Qin Yining's bright eyes looked around and saw the situation clearly. She smiled and said, "Please speak, Your Highness."
Zhou Meng did not keep her in suspense and said bluntly, "Your arrival is indeed as described in the holy books of the Xiyue Sect, which is why everyone believes that you are a goddess who can bring food and harvest. This King does not deny this, but you and your clansmen were forced to step into the desert in the no man's land for some reason. This is a fact that no intelligent person can refute. Don't you think so? "
Qin Yining chuckled and said, "What does Your Highness want to say? Just say it."
Zhou Meng said, "Alright, then This King will be frank with you. Our Xiyue clansmen have been here for more than a hundred years. We have always been worried that the resources in this oasis are limited and that sooner or later, we will run out of resources. Thus, we have always been searching for a way out. We have not been able to find a way in these hundred years, let alone you who have just arrived. Thus, I will say something inappropriate. I am afraid that you and your clansmen will have to stay here for the rest of your life. "
Qin Yining's heart jumped violently.
What Zhou Meng said was the truth. When she was forced into the no man's land by the Tatan, she already knew that she would not be able to get out. If he wanted to see his family again, it would probably be impossible in this lifetime. But even though he knew it in his heart, it was one thing to hear someone say it out loud.
Qin Yining had been trying to numb herself for the past few days. Ever since she woke up from her coma, she forced herself not to let her imagination run wild. She forced herself to muddle through life and live one day at a time.
However, when Zhou Meng mercilessly revealed this simple truth, the despair that had been well hidden by Qin Yining gushed out uncontrollably. It was as if her body had suddenly been thrown into an ice-cold sea. The surrounding coldness and suffocation made her wish she could just die.
Qin Yining could not show the intense sadness and despair in her heart at this moment. She would not give anyone a chance to negotiate.
Qin Yining smiled faintly and said, "The Duke's analysis is only one-sided. What you can't do doesn't mean that we can't. "
Zhou Meng laughed mockingly and said, "Don't force yourself to be calm. No one here is an idiot. You won't be able to get out of this desert! "
Zhou Meng stood up and walked down the stairs. He suddenly turned around and his loose robes fluttered behind him. He spread his arms and said excitedly, "You said you can get out of the desert? If you really could, why would you come here aimlessly? Let me tell you! That no man's land takes at least a dozen of our Sunset Moon Clan's lives every year! Those who were lucky enough to escape said that the terrain of the desert changes rapidly. A moment ago, it was still flat ground, but in the next moment, a sand dune might be blown out!
"Furthermore, the environment there is extremely harsh. Sandstorms attack at every turn and cover the sky so much that you can't see the color of the sky! You might close your eyes because of the sandstorm. When you open your eyes again, you won't be able to tell which direction you came from and you'll be completely lost!
"No food, no water, bad environment, no direction, walking aimlessly in the desert, aren't you afraid? You've already experienced it once and lost half your life. Now, you still have the courage to boast that you can get out of the desert. I really admire you! Haha! "
Zhou Meng laughed loudly at the end of his speech.
Everyone present heard Zhou Meng's words clearly. Other than Su Rina and Wu Lan who didn't understand what he said, everyone's face was solemn, especially Uncle Arhan. He had personally experienced the desert and naturally knew that Zhou Meng was telling the truth.
Qin Yining's expression didn't change, but his hands were clenched into fists under his cloak. His nails dug into his palms so hard that a few pale crescents appeared.
It was because Zhou Meng was telling the truth that she felt like every word was stabbing into her heart. When she said she could get out of the desert, she was indeed boasting and encouraging herself.
She didn't believe that she would be completely separated from her family and stay in this oasis for the rest of her life.
Zhou Meng saw that Qin Yining's expression was still calm, as if he was unmoved. He immediately said, "You are your clan leader. You have to be responsible for the lives of your people, right? Since you can't get out and are destined to spend the rest of your lives here, why don't you consider my suggestion last time?
"The best way for two people to fuse together is through marriage. If you want my clansmen to accept your clansmen and share the resources of this oasis, the only way is for us to form an alliance through marriage. You wouldn't disregard the lives of your people for your own selfish reasons, would you? "
As he spoke, Zhou Meng suddenly gave a meaningful glance to the soldiers behind Qin Yining.
The twenty or so soldiers immediately drew their shiny swords and prepared to attack.
Wu Lan and Su Rina cried out in alarm and blocked Qin Yining. Uncle Arhan also got into position, preparing to snatch a weapon.
As soon as he entered the palace, his weapons were confiscated.
"You'd best agree now. Otherwise, my soldiers will raze your people's camp to the ground, and the three people beside you will also become ghosts under our blades. "Zhou Meng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking proudly at Qin Yining.
With a cold glint in his eyes, Qin Yining looked at the crazed Zhou Meng and calmed down.
"Does the Royal Prince mean for me to marry you?" Her voice was gentle and calm, completely out of tune with the hostile atmosphere in the palace.
Zhou Meng's face lit up, and he nodded, saying, "That's exactly what I mean. If you marry me and become my consort, your people and my people will intermarry. In the future, our two tribes will become one, and we will live in this oasis and find a way to leave together. This way, we won't have to be wary of each other, and we can share all the resources. Even if we can't leave this place, the seeds you brought will be enough for us to farm here and be self-sufficient. Isn't that good? "
If Qin Yining wasn't married and didn't have Pang Xiao in his heart, this arrangement would indeed be able to maximize her benefits. In the past, she had always felt that marriage had always been decided by the parents. There were plenty of women who didn't know whether they were marrying a genius or a fool. If they were unlucky and married a hoodlum, they could only accept their bad luck. Thus, she didn't care who she married.
But the problem was that her heart already belonged to someone else. If a good woman didn't serve a second husband, how could she marry someone else?
Qin Yining didn't immediately answer. Instead, she asked, "The Royal Prince's words are reasonable. But you already have four concubines. Your Sunset Moon Sect's holy scriptures say that the Goddess will definitely become the Royal Prince's consort. That should be the official wife, right? "
Seeing that she had agreed, Zhou Meng immediately said happily, "That's easy! If you're willing to marry me, I won't want any of those four women and the other concubines. I'll chase them all away. What do you think? "
The moment he said this, all the officials in the hall sucked in a breath of cold air.
They didn't expect the Royal Prince to invest so much for a woman! He actually wanted to dismiss the imperial harem!
Qin Yining looked at Zhou Meng's burning eyes, which were filled with desire, and felt goosebumps all over her body. She forced herself not to show her disgust.
Seeing that Qin Yining was silent, Zhou Meng suddenly laughed coldly.
"You can refuse. I'll tell you the truth. This King has already set up an ambush around your tribesmen's campsite. He has also prepared a large amount of oil to burn everything! Otherwise, why do you think This King would arrange for them to be in the most remote area?
"It's fine if you agree. But if you don't, This King will immediately wipe out your tribesmen at all costs. I've never been bullied since I was born, so I'll definitely be able to get whatever I want! There's no need for me to repeatedly lower myself for a woman like you. I'd rather not have your provisions. I'd rather pretend that you've never appeared! "
At this point, Zhou Meng took a few steps forward and placed his hands on the table in front of Qin Yining. He leaned closer to her and said, "If you don't believe me, you can try!"
The soldiers behind Qin Yining once again thrust their swords forward, almost stabbing Wu Lan and Su Rina's bodies.
Uncle Arhan was so anxious that his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He angrily said, "You've gone too far! I've never seen such a shameless person forcing a marriage! "
"You better keep your mouth clean! All of your lives are in my hands! "
Uncle Arhan wanted to say something, but Qin Yining stopped him.
She was calmly analyzing the current situation.
Zhou Meng was a temperamental person, and his behavior was unreasonable and overbearing. It seemed that he was used to being pampered and had grown up with the wind and the current. This kind of person was the most self-centered. From their interactions over the past two days, it could be seen that he was the kind of person who was willful for a moment and didn't care about the overall situation.
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