There weren't many words on the edict. There were only a few dozen words, and the language didn't make any sense. This made Fang Zhengzhi slightly suspicious.
He felt that the answer was in the edict. However, if he could not find the answer, it would be pointless.
Was it an acrostic poem?
Fang Zhengzhi looked at the beginning of each line of words, then at the end of each line. Finally, he tried to interlace them horizontally, vertically …
However, after trying all the methods, he still couldn't find any other meaning.
Was it really just a simple request for peace?
This …
It should not be like this!
Wait a minute!
A request for peace …
"If we unite, we will live, if we separate, we will die!"
Very quickly, Fang Zhengzhi's eyes narrowed. He found a sentence. This sentence was not difficult to find, but it was mixed in with the rest of the words in the edict.
However, there was a big problem with this sentence.
There was one wrong word!
"If we unite, we will live, if we separate, we will die"? Shouldn't this sentence be "If we unite, we will live, if we separate, we will die"? Why did he use the word "He"?
Was the Emperor careless when he wrote the edict? Did he write another word?
Fang Zhengzhi felt that the possibility of this was not high. In other words, it was almost non-existent. Then, this "He Zesheng" …
No!
The word "He" was not used for "unite", but rather, it was used for "He Zesheng". It meant that many objects or things were mixed together. Mixed with flour, mixed with mud!
Mixed with, and …
Understood!
Fang Zhengzhi's eyes lit up. He finally understood the hidden meaning of the edict.
He knew the meaning of the edict.
He naturally knew the reason why Lin Mubai sent the Ministry of Rites official here.
He was indeed the Emperor!
Fang Zhengzhi sighed in his heart. Even under such a disadvantageous situation for the Great Xia, the Emperor still did not back down and sought a "ray of hope".
If we unite, we will live, if we separate, we will die.
Lin Mubai had already predicted that the Demon Race would attack the Southern Region. As such, he had given this order in advance. His aim was to mix the Southern Region and the Demon Race together.
Only when the two were mixed would conflict arise.
Only then would the Great Xia have a chance.
It was indeed an opportunity. However, it was a very difficult opportunity. If not for the threat of the Demon Soldiers in the Blood Shadow City, according to the Emperor's plan, this would be a very good opportunity.
But …
If the Blood Shadow City's Demon soldiers were heading towards the Sagely Mountain City as Fang Zhengzhi had predicted, then this was no longer an opportunity.
No matter how brilliant your moves were, the only thing you could do in front of a person with absolute strength was to raise your hands and shout, "Hero, I have eighty old mothers above me and children below me waiting to be fed!"
"Third Brother!"
At this moment, Princess Shan Yu's voice rang out once again. Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was resolute.
Shan Ling's hand stopped, his blade poised at the minister's neck. The sharp blade left a trail of blood on the minister's neck.
This made the Minister of Rites tremble and his face turn pale. However, he didn't kneel down and beg for mercy.
Perhaps …
This was the last shred of dignity that the Minister of the Six Ministries had left.
Even if he died, he would not beg for mercy!
"Sister, do you need me to repeat myself?" Shan Ling's hand did not move, but his gaze returned to Princess Shan Yu's face.
"Third Brother, if I tell you that the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City are heading towards the Sagely Mountain City, do you think your plan to become the Emperor will work?" Princess Shan Yu grit her teeth as she said this.
Of course, she didn't know if the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City were really coming.
All of this …
However, this was all Fang Zhengzhi's guess.
If the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City were not heading towards the Sagely Mountain City, then according to Shan Ling, the Southern Region could leave the Great Xia.
However, if the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City really did come...
If the Southern Region left the Great Xia, then the Emperor of the Southern Region would be a joke.
Could a country that was controlled by another race still be called a true country? What difference was there between that and becoming a vassal state of the Great Xia?
Princess Shan Yu was taking a gamble.
She was betting on whether she trusted Shan Ling or Fang Zhengzhi more. In reality, she chose to trust Fang Zhengzhi, who she had only met a few times and had known for less than a month.
"What? Sister, you said that the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City are heading towards the Sagely Mountain City? This … this is impossible. If that is the case, why did they sign the contract with me? Why did they give me three more days? "Shan Ling's expression changed, but he still couldn't believe it.
"This..." Princess Shan Yu paused and frowned. She couldn't understand this either.
If the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City were really heading towards the Sagely Mountain City, then time was of the essence for the Demon race. They wouldn't give the Sagely Mountain City any time to rest.
Furthermore, there was no need for the Demon race to spit out the meat that they had already swallowed.
Why would the Demon race sign this contract?
"Sister, are you sure that the Demon soldiers of the Blood Shadow City are coming out? Did you see it with your own eyes? "Shan Ling was slightly anxious when he saw that Princess Shan Yu wasn't speaking.
"This …" Princess Shan Yu was speechless. Of course, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. However, she felt that Fang Zhengzhi's words made sense.
There was no proof at all.
As she thought about this, Princess Shan Yu's gaze subconsciously turned to look behind her. It was at the youth who had been hiding behind her ever since he entered the palace. He had not spoken a single word.
He was questioning Fang Zhengzhi.
"I wasn't sure before. However, after seeing this contract, I am sure!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Princess Shan Yu and spread out his hands. His expression was somewhat helpless.
He didn't want to step forward now. After all, the Ministry of Rites official was still lying on the ground.
Should he help him up? That was a question worth pondering.
"Who are you?! You … are not from the Royal City! You are from the Great Xia! Tell me your name and I will let you die a quick death! " Shan Ling turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi. He quickly saw through Fang Zhengzhi's disguise as a Royal City Guard.
In fact, this wasn't because Shan Ling was careless.
However …
When Fang Zhengzhi followed Shan Yu into the palace, he saw the Ministry of Rites official reach out for him. In order to prevent his identity from being exposed, he hid behind Princess Shan Yu.
At the same time, he also lowered his head.
This way, Shan Ling couldn't see Fang Zhengzhi's face.
Shan Ling didn't mind. After all, it was normal for Princess Shan Yu to have a guard following her.
However, when Princess Shan Yu turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi and Fang Zhengzhi opened his mouth to speak, the secret could no longer be kept.
"Your Highness, you should not be concerned about my name. You should be concerned about the appearance of the Demon soldiers in the Blood Shadow City." Fang Zhengzhi smiled bitterly.
As expected, he should have left quietly and not stepped into this pool of muddy water. But now that he was here, if he were to leave now …
He probably wouldn't be able to leave.
The only thing he could do was to hang on.
"Haha, do you think I will believe the words of a Great Xia 'lobbyist'?" Shan Ling smirked icily. He didn't believe Fang Zhengzhi at all.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I only care about the truth." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. Then, he looked at Shan Ling, "If I'm not wrong, you signed the contract with the Demons not long ago. Let me guess … two hours ago?"
"So what?" The crown prince's expression changed slightly, but his tone was still calm. However, the sneer at the corner of his mouth was a little stiff.
"The Sagely Mountain City is surrounded. The Demons have no reason to give up on the city. They also won't give the Southern Region three days to rest, unless …" Fang Zhengzhi paused.
"Unless what?" Princess Shan Yu panicked.
"Your Highness, do you really not want to know?" Fang Zhengzhi ignored Princess Shan Yu and continued to look at Shan Ling.
"Speak!" Shan Ling frowned as he tightened his grip on his blade. Then, he looked at the trembling Minister of Rites and grit his teeth as he raised his blade.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at Shan Ling's blade, then at the Minister of Rites, who heaved a sigh of relief. He was stunned. He really wanted to say something.
That's not what I meant!
I don't care if you kill the Minister of Rites.
I didn't say it out loud just now because I wanted to keep him in suspense. Do you know what that means?
Okay …
Fang Zhengzhi knew that Shan Ling had misunderstood him. He thought that he was threatening Shan Ling to let the Minister of Rites go. However, this also confirmed his suspicions.
The contract was really signed two hours ago!
"The Demons and the Southern Region have something in common. They both have a severe lack of manpower. The Demons are even worse off than the Southern Region. As such, the only reason why the Demons are willing to give up on the Sagely Mountain City is because … they also need some time!" Fang Zhengzhi said.
"They also need some time?!"
Princess Shan Yu's expression changed when she heard this.
Shan Ling's expression changed as well. If Shan Ling had maintained his arrogance and confidence as the Crown Prince of the Southern Region, then he was truly terrified now.
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