Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi were waiting for the Chu Clan to make a decision. Meanwhile, Chu Yunyi and General Chu had just received news from Western Liang that Chu Qingge had colluded with Ning Cheng and betrayed the Chu Clan!
Both Chu Yunyi and General Chu were filled with sudden enlightenment as their rage soared to the skies.
If Chu Qingge was in front of them right now, they wouldn't be able to vent their anger even if they killed her a hundred times over!
"That wicked girl!
"She's ruined everything Tianyin worked so hard for! Ruined! "
"Old Man's going to kill her! He's going to kill her with his own hands!"
"I never expected our Nether Clan's Chu Clan to have such a traitor as well. Unforgivable!"
… …
The two of them paced around the tent, unable to calm down for a long time.
After all, they'd only exposed themselves at Thousand Buddha Cave and mobilized their troops to rebel because they'd discussed this with Ning Cheng! It was all because they had the support of Ning Cheng and Tianning Country!
Otherwise, the Chu Clan wouldn't have been so impulsive without sufficient preparations. Nor would they have fought with their backs to the wall.
Now that Ning Cheng hadn't sent any troops, the Chu Clan had yet to claim the throne of Tianning Country.
All they had were the three eastern prefectures. Moreover, Youyun and Yaoshui were on the verge of being conquered.
How were they supposed to fight against the Duke of Qin and Emperor Kang Cheng?!
They'd really been tricked by Ning Cheng and forced into a corner by Long Fei Ye!
"I told you long ago that Ning Cheng couldn't be relied on! You just had to … aye, if you hadn't handed Gu Beiyue over to him, we'd at least have a bargaining chip! But now … "General Chu couldn't help but vent his discontent.
Chu Yunyi still refused to believe that he'd made a mistake in his judgment. "Ning Cheng … Ning Cheng …"
"Big bro, you still can't tell what Ning Cheng's ambitions are? We want to borrow Western Qin's name to conquer the world, but Ning Cheng doesn't? Don't forget that his Di Clan has the power to fight for the world! His Di Clan's wealth and military strength are enough to contend with any nation in Cloud Realm Continent! Heheh, all of our efforts in Tianning have gone to his aid! "General Chu said angrily.
Hearing this, Chu Yunyi finally came to his senses.
After all, the Chu Clan's original plan was to use Tianning as a stronghold to develop their power while searching for the orphans of Western Qin's imperial clan and roping in other nobles.
They didn't want to expose the Fiends' secret so soon.
However, they were forced by Long Fei Ye to reveal their secrets. Since the outbreak of the war, the situation had long been out of their control, and all of their decisions had gone against their original intentions!
Now that Chu Yunyi had calmed down and thought back, he realized that ever since Long Fei Ye had left for Western Zhou, he'd been incited into making decisions on impulse.
He couldn't help but ask himself, "How could this be?!"
Now that he reflected on it, it was already too late …
"In the end, it's all Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi's fault!" General Chu was so angry that he was panting.
Chu Yunyi's anger was all bottled up in his heart. In a low voice, he said, "There's no point in talking now. Let's think of a countermeasure instead!"
At this moment, the military reports from Youyun and Yaoshui arrived.
General Chu knew that the two cities would be lost at this time, but when he saw the news, his heart still thumped loudly.
He tossed the reports to Chu Yunyi and said, "Countermeasure? Heheh, we've been surrounded in all four directions. Besides abandoning this city, what else do we have? "
When it rains, it pours. Just as Chu Yunyi and General Chu were at their wits' end, they received letters from Long Fei Ye and Ning Cheng at the same time.
Both brothers read the letters together, but their faces were darker than the other's!
Long Fei Ye had taken Chu Tianyin as a hostage and given them ten days to think things over. He wanted them to surrender, which was both a threat and an invitation.
Ning Cheng had given them ten days to surrender as well. However, Ning Cheng's conditions were that if they were willing to surrender, he was willing to exchange Gu Beiyue with Long Fei Ye for Tianyin. This was both a threat and an invitation to surrender. Ning Cheng hadn't said it so clearly, but they should have understood.
Alright, here was their choice.
Faced with such a choice, Chu Yunyi and General Chu both calmed down. They exchanged glances, but neither of them spoke first.
Long Fei Ye and Ning Cheng had both given them ten days. Without a doubt, many things would happen within those ten days.
The two brothers fell silent for a long time before Chu Yunyi finally said, "Think it over carefully!"
Then he left the tent, leaving General Chu to massage his aching arm and fall into deep thought.
Ten days passed quickly.
On the third day, soldiers from Yaoshui and Youyun Prefectures arrived from the north and south to join forces with Long Fei Ye's elite troops to surround Fenglin Prefecture from the north, south, and west.
On the fifth day, Ning Cheng's troops arrived to join forces with the three elite troops stationed at Tianning's western borders to surround Fenglin Prefecture's east.
On the seventh day, Emperor Tianhui's first seven days passed.
On the eighth day, Chu Qingge carried the crown prince, who was still a month old, to the throne with the title of Eternal Light. Empress Chu was promoted to empress dowager and held court from behind a curtain. Ning Cheng was conferred the title of Prince Regent with the title of Prince Regent.
That very day, the Prince Regent led all of the civil and military officials in kneeling and swearing loyalty to Tianning and Eternal Light.
Today was the ninth day.
After nine days of silence, Chu Yunyi and General Chu finally summoned all of the Nether Clan elders and strategists to discuss a way out.
However, even now, the two of them had kept their mouths shut.
The elders and strategists, on the other hand, were talking about the wind and the clouds, and even began to argue.
"Ning Cheng can't be trusted. Are we supposed to stick our faces to him after being tricked once? What a joke! "
"Does the Duke of Qin have any credibility at all? Don't forget, the Nether Clan's Driving Arrow Arts are known to all because of the Duke of Qin! Ning Cheng just wants to take control this time. As I see it, the Chu Clan should keep cooperating with Ning Cheng. After all, half of Tianning's crown prince's blood flows in his veins! "
"Heheh, are you sure Gu Beiyue can be traded for Chu Tianyin? You're indulging in wild fantasies! He's just a trifling doctor! "
"Gu Beiyue was originally our Chu Clan's bargaining chip, but now he's in Ning Cheng's hands. Now he's a bargaining chip for our Chu Clan to surrender? Hahaha! Clan Head, where will my Nether Clan's Chu Clan hide its face now? "
… …
Hearing this, Chu Yunyi and General Chu remained silent. One knitted his brows, the other wore a heavy expression.
"No matter whether it's the Duke of Qin or Ning Cheng, all they want is our Chu Clan's Driving Arrow Unit. Whether we surrender or not, they'll never let the young general off! We'll be tied down for the rest of our lives. As I see it, we should just abandon this city. With the Chu Clan's strength, escaping is as easy as turning over a hand! "
"Heheh, are some people thinking of becoming deserters?"
"That's inappropriate, that's inappropriate. If we offend three parties at once, it'll be hard for the Chu Clan to gain a foothold in Cloud Realm Continent!"
"As I see it, we should surrender to the Ning Clan. After all, we still have their secrets in our hands!"
"Hmph, the Ning Clan really doesn't mind exposing the Di Clan's secrets, does it? As I see it, this won't affect Ning Cheng much at all! "
"Are we supposed to surrender to the Duke of Qin? How can he beat the Ning Clan with his wealth and military strength? "
… …
As the discussions went on, the smell of gunpowder grew thicker and thicker.
Finally, Chu Yunyi slammed his palm against the table, silencing everyone. Chu Yunyi glanced at General Chu and asked, "What do you think?"
General Chu looked at the crowd before he said seriously, "Let's not consider abandoning the city … it's not that Old Man wants to save Tianyin out of selfishness, but that the Chu Clan is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Everyone knows what's going on."
With the Chu Clan's skills, the Duke of Qin and Duke of Ning's encirclement was still within their capabilities. But as soon as they fled, they'd offend both Western Zhou and the Duke of Qin.
The Chu Clan troops had fought with Northern Li multiple times and had long become a thorn in the latter's side. Meanwhile, in Tian An Country, Long Tianmo and the Chu Clan were like fire and water.
Medicine City was in the Duke of Qin's hands, while Carefree City and the City of Daughters only recognized money.
As for Medical City, Head Elder Ling was still in Western Liang. It was likely that Ning Cheng and Chu Qingge had bribed him long ago.
As for Celestial Mountain, not to mention the fact that Celestial Mountain never interfered in worldly affairs, even if Celestial Mountain did meddle in worldly affairs, they would not be on good terms with the Chu clan. After all, the mother of the Celestial Mountain Sword Sect's most beloved disciple, Duanmu Yao, was in their hands.
The Chu Clan had offended all of Cloud Realm Continent's major powers.
If they didn't choose between the Duke of Qin and the Duke of Ning, then the Chu Clan … would become the target of public criticism without a place to stand!
How tragic and terrible it was!
If they hadn't provoked Long Fei Ye, they wouldn't have fallen into Ning Cheng's trap. The Chu Clan wouldn't have fallen into such dire straits either.
In the end, General Chu hated Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi the most.
Seeing no one speak, he stood up and said coldly, "Heheh, since my Chu Clan still has a choice, then we still have a bargaining chip! As Old Man sees it, it's better to let the Duke of Qin and the Duke of Ning fight it out instead of making a choice. My Chu Clan will be the fisherman who reaps the benefits! "
Everyone fell silent at General Chu's words.
General Chu was right. Now that the Duke of Qin and the Duke of Ning were fighting over the Chu Clan, the Chu Clan could use this chance to raise its status!
Why hadn't anyone thought of that after all these days of consideration?
General Chu lived up to his name. He was still so confident even at a time like this. Everyone quickly praised him. Finally, the heavy hearts of the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Yunyi had the same thoughts as General Chu. His public praise of General Chu gave everyone a glimmer of hope.
That very day, General Chu personally wrote back to the Duke of Qin and the Duke of Ning, telling them all of their conditions for the Chu Clan.
When Ning Cheng received General Chu's letter, he saw through the man's intentions at a glance.
After being conferred the title of King, he was in high spirits. Dressed in a white robe, he looked extraordinarily noble. At this moment, he was sitting on the spacious dragon throne in the Imperial Study with his legs crossed, as if he was the monarch of a country.
Chu Qingge, the empress dowager who sat behind the curtains, was sitting on one side.
Ning Cheng casually tossed the letter to Chu Qingge and mocked, "Your father's so greedy!"
Chu Qingge glanced at the letter and knew what was going on. She smiled coldly and said, "Ning Cheng, you'll lose this time!"
"Do you understand your father too well? Or … "
As Ning Cheng spoke, his lips curled into a mocking smile. "Or … did you overestimate the Duke of Qin?"
He'd already found out from Witch Aunt that Chu Qingge liked Long Fei Ye. He'd never worked with a woman before, so this was his first time. Naturally, he wanted to understand her thoroughly.
Ning Cheng's mockery was an eyesore to Chu Qingge. She hated people who looked down on her feelings for Long Fei Ye more than anything else. She raged, "I'm only judging the matter as it stands. You can't win against the Duke of Qin."
"I've already won once," Ning Cheng's face was indifferent, as if he didn't care what Chu Qingge thought of him.
But Chu Qingge's next words made him lose his cool …
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