...
As the leader of the 13 Constabularies, Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilisation Constabulary understood the meaning behind the edict.
United we live, divided we die.
However, Xing Yuanguo's understanding of this was on a higher level than Fang Zhengzhi's. This level was the relationship between nations.
It was not uncommon for a powerful country to take in some of the more complicated regions or small countries in its surroundings as vassals.
There were many reasons. Sometimes, it was because the nation had just been established and needed time to recuperate. Sometimes, it was because of differences in culture. In order to appease the people and ensure the growth of the nation, they had no choice.
The relationship between the Southern Region and the Great Xia was the latter.
Culture, beliefs.
Regardless of how much military power the Great Xia had to expend to take down the Southern Region, even if they could, they would not do so. The difference in culture meant that their beliefs and beliefs were different.
If they governed according to the culture of the Great Xia...
The only possibility was that there would be riots and continuous battles. Manpower and material resources would be greatly consumed, but the final result would be that the people had no way of making a living.
Emperor Lin Mubai knew this. How could Xing Yuanguo not?
As for the relationship between nations...
There was no doubt that any wise monarch would adopt the method of 'carrot-and-stick', but no matter how you did it, there would always be 'carrot-and-stick' or 'carrot-and-stick'.
The pros and cons of both could not be ignored.
However, one thing was for sure. The Great Xia did not want to take over the Southern Region. As such, the Great Xia did not care about profits. They cared about the long term.
When it came to the long term, smart people would choose the latter.
In reality, the Great Xia had been doing this for the past few years.
Even if the Southern Region declared war with the Great Xia, even if the Southern Region wanted to be an independent nation, the Great Xia would choose the latter without hesitation.
The reason was simple.
For the long term.
This was not an empty promise.
The Southern Region was too special.
Show their might?
How?
Send a few envoys to make a scene? Or send tens or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers to guard the place? The former was of no use at all, and the latter was also of no use at all, as the country's strength had been greatly depleted.
As such, the most direct way was to kill!
Kill until they did not dare to resist.
But how many people were there in the Southern Region? It was already sparsely populated in the first place. If you killed another batch of people, there would only be one result — it would become a wasteland.
In this way, the way to deal with the relationship between the Southern Region and the Great Xia was clear. Kindness was the only option.
When it came to giving favors.
Of course, the most brilliant method wasn't gold, silver, jewelry, beauties, or rations. Instead, it was to send charcoal in snowy weather at the most critical moment.
When Xing Yuanguo saw the Imperial Edict, he understood why Emperor Lin Mubai had sent the Minister of Rites.
Wait!
While waiting for the "timely help".
Fang Zhengzhi's appearance had brought forward the war between the Great Xia and the Southern Region. On the surface, it seemed as though the Great Xia had been pushed into a passive position.
But on the contrary …
This also reduced the role of the Great Xia in the battle of the Southern Region to the minimum.
The Stable Mountain Gate had been breached, and the Great Xia Dynasty was unable to send reinforcements. This was equivalent to cutting off their path of retreat. Before the time was ripe, the Crown Prince's troops would not be able to rush to the Icy Monkey Settlement. There was simply no reason for them to do so.
The combat examination was not over yet.
Was it possible for the Crown Prince to come to the Icy Monkey Settlement to interfere in the battle between Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao? Wasn't this telling the Southern Region that the Great Xia Dynasty was coming to attack the Sagely Mountain City?
As such, when Emperor Lin Mubai received news of the Stable Mountain Gate being breached, he could already foresee the next step of the war.
The Crown Prince's troops would definitely be surrounded. No matter who won, the Icy Monkey Settlement would suffer heavy losses. In the best case scenario, the Great Xia would be able to take down a 'lone city'.
Furthermore, it would be a 'lone city' that would be breached sooner or later.
Under such circumstances...
Both the Southern Region and the Demons would no longer view the Great Xia's troops as a thorn in their side. They would immediately move on to the next step of their plan.
They would seize the initiative.
As such, the Great Xia would go from being in the light to being in the dark.
When the sandpiper and the clam fought, the fisherman would benefit.
Originally, the sandpiper and the clam were the Great Xia and the Southern Region. The Demons would be the fisherman. However, in the blink of an eye, the sandpiper and the clam had become the Southern Region and the Demons. The Great Xia had become the fisherman.
Who would dare to say that this was not a good thing?
After Xing Yuanguo saw the Imperial Decree, he understood the Emperor's intentions. He naturally became the 'fisherman' and prepared to help the Southern Region at any time.
Next...
Things were simple.
To watch the battle, he could not stay at the Icy Monkey Settlement. After all, there was no battle to watch. It was also impossible to send in a large number of troops. As such, Xing Yuanguo brought the Mountain Breaking Army and the Dragon Protection Squad to the Sagely Mountain City.
Just as he had expected.
The Sagely Mountain City was indeed a battle.
Furthermore, it was a brutal one.
As expected, the Southern Region was pushed back by the Demon Race. However, Xing Yuanguo did not understand how the Southern Region could hold out for so long despite having such a huge disparity in military strength and power.
Furthermore...
What confused him even more was that as they fought, the two sides actually called a truce.
Of course, this was not the most ridiculous thing. The most ridiculous thing was that the Demons suddenly ran away despite having the upper hand.
Xing Yuanguo was completely dumbfounded.
He had very clear military intelligence. As such, he knew that the Southern Region had 80,000 elite soldiers outside the Sagely Mountain City. However, from the looks of it, 80,000 elite soldiers were not enough.
At most, both sides would suffer heavy losses.
As such, Xing Qingsui's plan was to wait for the 80,000 elite soldiers to attack the Demons. When the Southern Region Royal City was about to be breached...
Then, he would lead his army into King City, snatch the King of the Southern Region and the Crown Prince, and leave.
But in the end?
The Royal City was not breached!
The 80,000 soldiers did not come!
The Demons had escaped?!
Xing Yuanguo would be lying if he said that he was not stunned.
Under such circumstances, he could not enter the Royal City to 'snatch' the King and the Crown Prince. If he did so, he would not be doing them a favor, he would be committing violence.
Xing Yuanguo was not rash.
On the contrary, he was extremely calm.
He did not know what had happened between the Demons and the Southern Region. However, he knew that as the 'fisherman', he had to be patient.
The Southern Region Royal City was not breached. The King and the Crown Prince were in the Royal City. What did he have to fear?
Defend.
Defend until the Demons turned around. Then, he would wait for the next opportunity.
Of course, in the case of guarding on one side, he also sent people to follow behind the devils to investigate the direction in which the devil soldiers had left and began to collect information again.
Very quickly...
He received the information that was reported back to him.
"Reporting to Xing Hou, the Demons are heading towards the Iron Hill Settlement!"
"Iron Hill Settlement?" Xing Yuanguo was confused.
At the same time, his mind was racing. Why would the Demon Race rush to the Iron Soldier Settlement so urgently? Was the Iron Hill Settlement fighting?
Impossible... the Iron Hill Settlement did not have soldiers... hang on, could it be that the 80,000 elite soldiers did not return to the Sagely Mountain City. Instead, they went to the Iron Hill Settlement?
Why would they go to the Iron Hill Settlement...
Oh no! So that's why! "
Xing Yuanguo was extremely experienced. In just a few moments, he had guessed the direction of the battle. He also knew what was going to happen in the Iron Hill Settlement.
However, this meant that Xing Yuanguo had two choices.
The first was to continue defending the Sagely Mountain City and wait for an opportunity. The second was to rush to the Iron Hill Settlement to reinforce the Southern Region. The first choice was to follow the Emperor's wishes and avoid unnecessary casualties.
The second choice was to go against the Emperor's wishes. There was a chance that the entire army would be wiped out.
"Qingsui, what do you think I should do?" Xing Yuanguo looked at the frowning Xing Qingsui and asked.
"This... I think we should rush to the Iron Hill Settlement!" Xing Qingsui's eyes glimmered. Even though he was initially hesitant, he quickly became determined.
"What about Young Master Nangong?" Xing Yuanguo did not look at Xing Qingsui. Instead, he looked at the calm Nangong Hao.
"Nangong Hao is just a scholar. He will listen to you on the battlefield."
"Okay, pass down my orders. We will rush to the Iron Hill Settlement immediately!" Xing Yuanguo did not hesitate to choose the second option.
This had nothing to do with arrogance.
This was because...
He was Xing Hou of the Stabilization Constabulary!
"Yes!" The messenger immediately responded softly.
...
Fang Zhengzhi had guessed that Xing Yuanguo would lead the Dragon Protection Squad and Mountain Breaking Army to the Sagely Mountain City. In fact, Xing Yuanguo had indeed come.
However...
He had left.
The result was obvious.
Fang Zhengzhi had tried many ways to lure Xing Yuanguo to him.
For example, in the process of leaving King City, he deliberately slowed down his pace and took off the thick rattan armor that concealed his identity, changing into his signature blue robe.
In his mind...
Since Xing Yuanguo had come to the Sagely Mountain City to "wait for his prey", then he should have left a few skilled spies in the city, right?
However...
Fang Zhengzhi did not find anything on his way to the gates of the capital.
"So he is at the foot of the mountain." Fang Zhengzhi felt that he had overestimated Xing Yuanguo's concealment abilities. Didn't he know that it was darkest under the light?
The most dangerous place was also the safest place!
It was written in the books.
To think that you, Xing Hou of the Stabilisation Constabulary, would actually hide at the foot of the Sagely Mountain City? Can't you have some guts?
Fang Zhengzhi despised Xing Yuanguo's arrangements.
However, he could understand.
In order to lure out the hidden sentries and spies from the Royal City to the foot of the mountain, Fang Zhengzhi once again used the method of 'luring the snake out'. For example, he purposely walked in the dark, or purposely let out a strange laugh.
"Hahahaha..."
"Hehehe!"
"Kekeke... ah ah ah ah..."
"..."
Fang Zhengzhi tried all kinds of laughter that he could think of. However, to his disappointment …..
Princess Shan Yu and Shan Ling looked at him strangely.
It was useless.
The mountain was still the same mountain, but it was a quiet mountain.
"Crown Prince, Princess, what colors do you like?" Fang Zhengzhi did not give up. Very quickly, he 'wittily' called out the words' Crown Prince 'and' Princess'.
It was almost a roar.
He felt that no matter how dumb Xing Yuanguo was, he would at least come out to take a look when he heard the words "Crown Prince" and "Princess".
However...
It was still quiet.
Other than Shan Ling and Princess Shan Yu, whose expressions had turned from odd to convulsive.
"Color?" Shan Ling glanced at Fang Zhengzhi and didn't even bother replying. How dare this guy question him at a time like this?
Shouldn't he be contacting the Great Xia soldiers now?
He had walked all the way from the capital to the foot of the Sagely Mountain, but he had not seen a single soldier.
Shan Ling doubted that Fang Zhengzhi was telling the truth.
A "spy" sent by the Emperor of the Great Xia had no way of contacting the army. He could not believe it.
Was it fake?
Was he tricked by this guy again?
This was not the first time Shan Ling thought about it.
However, in the end, he still suppressed it. This was because Fang Zhengzhi had the Emperor's Token. That was the Emperor's Token.
From Shan Ling's point of view...
Even if Fang Zhengzhi was extremely daring, he would not dare to pass a fake Holy Badge. That was a crime punishable by death, or even the execution of his entire family.
No one dared to do it.
Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi was a rank four official of the Great Xia. He had a bright future ahead of him. He would not risk his life.
Wait!
Shan Ling decided to wait until the foot of the mountain.
Of course, if Fang Zhengzhi could not contact the Dragon Protection Squad or the Mountain Breaking Army by the time he reached the foot of the mountain, then Fang Zhengzhi was lying.
There was no Dragon Protection Squad or Mountain Breaking Army.
The 80,000 elites of the Iron Hill Settlement had no hope of survival.
As such...
Did Fang Zhengzhi have any reason to live?
Shan Ling looked at Fang Zhengzhi, who was stomping on the ground. He clenched and unclenched his fists.
Unlike Shan Ling...
Princess Shan Yu did not doubt that Fang Zhengzhi was lying.
She was just curious. Why did Fang Zhengzhi suddenly ask her what colour she liked? What kind of wicked scheme does this fellow have in his heart?
Or...
Was he going to give her clothes?
But, as a princess of the Southern Region, why would she accept clothes from this guy?
"I like white clothes. I want it to be pure white, without any impurities. Also, the neckline has to be slightly lower, this will make my neck look longer..." Princess Shan Yu was a little disdainful, but she still explained her requirements in detail.
"Are you dumb? If your neckline is low, who would look at your neck? " Even though Fang Zhengzhi didn't quite understand why Princess Shan Yu would suddenly ask about clothes, he had only asked about a color.
However, he still felt that he had to correct Princess Shan Yu's misconceptions.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
