"Hello, Zhou Yan. My name is Della. This is our first meeting in the real world."
Della walked up to Zhou Yan and extended her fair, jade-like hand to shake his. This was a customary greeting on the Canglan Continent, and Della had done her research.
"Della, since you know my name and took the initiative to find me, you must have something on your mind. Let's get straight to the point."
Zhou Yan looked at her and invited Della to sit. They had known each other for over a year, though they had met less than ten times. Nevertheless, they had a considerable acquaintance.
After sitting down, Della didn't waste time on pleasantries. She stated her identity directly: "To be frank, I am the eldest princess of the Dark Dynasty. I have come hoping that you will spare us."
Zhou Yan was taken aback, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected his old acquaintance to be a princess of the Dark Dynasty. This was a bit unexpected.
However, Zhou Yan did not get angry. There was no animosity between them, nor had any unpleasant incidents occurred.
But now that Della represented the Dark Dynasty, Zhou Yan's attitude shifted.
"You should know that the Dark Dynasty sent people to hunt me down. If I weren't strong enough, I would have likely died at their hands.
"If you had the chance for revenge, would you stand by and watch your former enemies live leisurely lives?"
"I am not an unreasonable person. I will destroy anyone who has hunted me. I will not let anyone who has targeted me go. I am curious, how does your Dark Dynasty intend to negotiate with me?"
Zhou Yan looked at Della. Since she was here to negotiate, he wanted to see how she planned to resolve the situation.
Della nodded in understanding and replied, "The enmity between the Dark Dynasty and Canglan is not a recent matter. I believe you are well aware of this.
"Now is not the time to debate who is right or wrong. This hatred has been passed down through generations, and the animosity between both sides is too great.
"Those who targeted you were indeed people from our Dark Dynasty, and we understand your desire for revenge.
"I represent the Dark Dynasty today to state our position. What price are you willing to accept to cease your pursuit of us?"
Della offered no excuses or justifications, only inquiring if Zhou Yan could avoid this conflict.
"If my strength were insufficient, you would not be bowing your heads. If I were not strong, I wouldn't be standing on the territory of the Ancient Dynasty right now.
"The reason for this is simply that you lack the strength to defeat me. If your Dark Dynasty had the power to defeat me, we wouldn't be negotiating; we'd be at war already."
Zhou Yan stated a simple truth: the Dark Dynasty's overture was a consequence of their fear of meeting the same fate as the Ancient Dynasty.
"Indeed. Your strength is formidable, and we cannot defeat you. We wish to avoid war, to avoid annihilation, and to prevent the countless citizens of the Dark Dynasty from suffering the same fate as those of the Ancient Dynasty.
"As long as we can avert this war, we are willing to compensate you for your losses. If you are unwilling, we have no choice but to await your attack.
"We will mobilize our entire nation to resist you. Regardless of whether we can repel your assault, at least our entire country will stand united. Even if we are ultimately destroyed, we will have no regrets.
"None of us will flee. We are prepared to die. We do not wish to engage in war with you unless absolutely necessary."
Della revealed her dynasty's intentions. They knew they could not defeat Zhou Yan, but they would resist. They could not flee, nor could they abandon the citizens of the Dark Dynasty.
Zhou Yan was not from the Divine-Demonic Continent. Even if he destroyed the Ancient Dynasty, he could only take their wealth. He had no interest in the land or the people.
Could he bring so many people into his territory?
Zhou Yan had only taken those from the Ancient Dynasty's imperial palace. As for the common people, he hadn't taken many.
Those with talent, however, would be taken.
As for betrayal, it was nonexistent. As long as they were imprisoned long enough, his territory's dungeons possessed a mandatory loyalty attribute, so Zhou Yan was not worried.
The Dark Dynasty's submission was unexpected by Zhou Yan. As Della had stated, even if Zhou Yan destroyed the Dark Dynasty, he would only be able to plunder their existing wealth.
Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "I need to discuss this with my people. Can you stay for a few days?"
"Of course," Della replied. Zhou Yan had neither agreed nor refused, which indicated that there was room for negotiation.
Zhou Yan returned to the Celestial Palace and summoned his ministers, including Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, Guan Zhong, and Xun Yu. He then explained the situation with the Dark Dynasty.
"Lord, your subordinate believes that since the Dark Dynasty is willing to submit, it indicates they are fearful and retreating. As they do not wish for annihilation, I believe there is no need to continue this war," Xiao He stated his opinion first.
"The Lord has already proven his might. Why negotiate? Once the Ancient Dynasty is destroyed, we can simply crush the Dark Dynasty. The Lord can sweep through all opposition and need not concern himself with them," Shang Yang offered his perspective. He felt that with the territory's current strength, negotiation was unnecessary; they should simply sweep aside all opposing forces.
"This matter is not to be taken lightly. If we were a power of the Divine-Demonic Continent, we would not be so polite. However, we cannot occupy their land. If war were to break out, we would undoubtedly win completely.
"But the commoners of the Dark Dynasty would indeed become homeless, much like those of the Ancient Dynasty. Although we would do our utmost to avoid this, war inevitably brings casualties. I believe it would be best to avoid further bloodshed," Fang Xuanling shared his thoughts. He was a compassionate man who cherished the common people. While the Ancient Dynasty deserved to be destroyed, its populace had indeed suffered.
"Your subordinate also believes it is better not to go to war. However, since they are willing to yield, we should not be lenient. We must present the highest demands, ensuring the Dark Dynasty compensates us with vast wealth. This way, we can also deal with other forces," Han Fei offered his view.
"Your subordinate believes the Lord need not bother with them. We should simply destroy them. War inherently involves sacrifice. We can only blame them for being born into a nation that opposes us.
"There are so many nations in the Lord's world, and so many great wars occur daily, with countless casualties. We are not saints; we should let the world know the Lord's might," Li Si voiced his opinion.
Everyone presented their views. The majority supported a cessation of hostilities, while some advocated for Zhou Yan to crush them entirely.