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In the previous war, the Star Luo Empire annexed two and a half duchies of the Heaven Dou Empire. Half a duchy was seized through battle, while the other two were ceded by Xue Beng on the negotiation table as a condition for a ceasefire.
However, the transfer of the two duchies was not an easy matter. Before it could be fully completed, the Star Luo Empire underwent a change of leadership and was controlled by Amon.
Amon chose a suitable moment and, with Lei Yin as the general, relaunched the war against the Heaven Dou Empire.
The Heaven Dou Empire's national strength was depleted, and a large number of soldiers had been captured in the Battle of Night Capital, making it difficult to muster enough troops to resist.
Thus, Xue Beng issued a national conscription order, forcibly enlisting eligible young men into the army, while also extracting food from the common people as if draining a pond to catch all the fish.
Forced by hunger, the common people had no choice but to join the army in order to survive.
Ge Long led a hastily assembled army to the border, setting up camp in a valley, facing the Star Luo army across the river in front of the valley.
Lei Yin was somewhat troubled. He turned to the person beside him and asked:
"What does Mr. Amon mean by this? What does it mean to give the Heaven Dou Empire sufficient pressure while leaving them a glimmer of hope so that the war doesn't end too quickly?"
Beside him, a man with purple hair, a 'scene kid' hairstyle, and wearing metal punk-style clothing picked his nose:
"How should I know? This is your job, not mine."
His gaze, expression, and tone all stirred up flames in people's hearts. He seemed to have provocation and mockery ingrained in his bones.
Lei Yin's eyes twitched, suppressing the faint surge of anger in his heart: "Romier, you're still as annoying as ever."
Romier shrugged. "I've already restrained myself a lot. If the gap between us wasn't so big, and I wasn't worried that you'd accidentally kill me, do you think I'd be so restrained?"
"Why did you come to the army?" Lei Yin asked.
"Captain, no, His Majesty sent me here. He said that if anyone wants to negotiate, I'll handle it... It's not your forte," Romier replied.
He paused slightly, then continued: "To be honest, I'll be the empire's Minister of Protocol and Minister of Foreign Affairs from now on."
"I'm not good at it, so you are? What kind of result can you negotiate? It'd be good enough if you didn't ruin things," Lei Yin rolled his eyes.
At this point, he suddenly paused, slightly astonished, and said:
"Are you saying that Mr. Amon's purpose in launching the war isn't to gain anything, but that the war itself is his goal?"
Romier picked at his ears, his face drooping. "How should I know? Anyway, he just told me to feel free to do whatever I want."
Lei Yin narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering... Letting Romier do whatever he wants means things are bound to fall apart, so there's really no option for negotiation!
...
"Damn it, those sects and academies, they actually dare to refuse to respond to the empire's call, unwilling to contribute to the empire!"
Xue Beng angrily swept his sleeve, knocking everything on the table in front of him to the ground. Still feeling unable to vent the frustration in his heart, he kicked the table over.
With a loud "bang," the palace maids and guards in the palace were all trembling with fear.
"Do you have any solutions?" Xue Beng asked the empty space behind him.
"I am only responsible for ensuring your safety and preventing Amon from replacing you silently. War, and the like, has nothing to do with me." The figure of "Gehrman Sparrow" emerged from the shadows.
"If things continue like this, he won't even need to replace me. He can just let his army attack, and the entire Heaven Dou Empire will fall into his control," Xue Beng's eyes were bloodshot and red.
These days, he only felt that everything was going wrong.
Conscription was not going smoothly, so voluntary recruitment was changed to mandatory conscription. Raising military rations was not going smoothly, so officials had to be specially appointed to collect food from house to house.
Seeking help from the various soul master forces in the country was also not going smoothly. Almost no sect was willing to help him.
Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which had always supported the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family, provided very limited assistance this time, only sending a sum of money and never mentioning sending disciples to the battlefield.
In fact, Ning Fengzhi initially wanted to support Xue Beng as he had in the past, but the attitudes of other forces made him hesitate.
Not only were those soul master academies and large and small sects unwilling to obey Xue Beng's orders, but even many nobles and officials seemed unusually passive when faced with Xue Beng's orders.
The drawbacks of Xue Beng's illegitimate succession to the throne and his brutal seizure of the throne were revealed.
When he was strong, others were willing to submit and temporarily yield, but as soon as he showed any signs of decline, they immediately turned away. There was no cohesion or loyalty to speak of.
The Clear Sky Sect, which Xue Beng had placed high hopes on, had not responded for a long time due to Tang Hao's absence.
Xue Beng's hoarse voice revealed a hint of hysterical madness:
"Listen, we are united in not allowing Amon's ambitions to succeed. If the Heaven Dou Empire falls, you won't be better off.
Ge Long has made it clear that he can't hold out for long with that makeshift army. We must come up with a solution before then."
"Gehrman" seemed to be persuaded by him and began to think seriously. After a while, he slowly asked: "What did Yu Xiaogang say?"
Xue Beng immediately replied: "He is lobbying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Shrek Academy, but the results are not ideal."
Speaking of this, Xue Beng's expression was very cold. He originally thought that Yu Xiaogang had a lot of influence, but at this critical moment, the other party seemed to be of no use at all.
After Tang San left, Yu Xiaogang could not influence the Clear Sky Sect through him, nor could he borrow the power of the Clear Sky Sect, and he became insignificant again.
Although Ning Fengzhi also gave Yu Xiaogang enough respect, respect was respect. In such an unfavorable situation, he was unwilling to let the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect enter the fray casually.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was still afraid of Amon's power and dared not be his enemy.
The only one who still supported him was Liu Erlong, who was wholeheartedly devoted to him.
Even Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy, seemed to be distancing himself from him for some reason.
However, Yu Xiaogang was indeed a good teacher. Although he was also physically and mentally exhausted by a series of blows, although he knew that continuing to lobby would have little effect, he was still willing to run around for Xue Beng, his second disciple, visiting various large and small sects and forces with a thick face.
"Gehrman" suddenly said: "Have you considered the Spirit Hall?"
"What? The Spirit Hall?" Xue Beng was stunned.
Qian Renxue had left him with a lot of psychological trauma. Even after ascending the throne, he was still afraid of his former "elder brother."
Therefore, when "Gehrman" mentioned the Spirit Hall, he subconsciously wanted to shake his head.
Just as he was about to refuse, he swallowed the words back. Xue Beng's eyes narrowed, and the somewhat manic expression gradually calmed down. He vaguely realized that this seemed to be a way out, so he asked:
"But I am the mortal enemy of the Spirit Hall. Qian Renxue impersonated my elder brother and killed my father. And I also ordered the Spirit Hall to be banned nationwide, causing them considerable losses."
Although Emperor Xue Ye died at the hands of a Clear Sky Sect member instigated by Xue Beng, he blamed Qian Renxue when making public announcements.
"Gehrman" maintained his usual sternness and said in a cold and calm tone:
"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. Although the Spirit Hall had conflicts with you in the past, they should also be aligned with you and me in the face of Amon.
They don't want to see a unified great empire appear. So they will definitely intervene. If you ask them for help and are willing to pay a certain price, they will not refuse."
Xue Beng was tempted, but still worried. Not only did Amon have the ability to replace others, but so did Qian Renxue!
Even if her methods were not as strange as Amon's, not as terrifying as Amon's, she could replace his elder brother Xue Qinghe, she could naturally replace himself!
With the power of the Spirit Hall, even if Qian Renxue's disguise was not seamless, it would be enough to control the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Gehrman" seemed to see Xue Beng's worries, glanced at him, and said in a tone without any fluctuations:
"I will protect your life and will not allow anyone to harm you... Besides, you have no other choice."
The words "no other choice" deeply pierced Xue Beng's heart, shattering all his luck and fantasies. He hardened his heart and gritted his teeth:
"Okay, let's do it this way, contact the Spirit Hall! Who would be a better choice for this, you?"
Xue Beng looked at "Gehrman" with vigilance and suspicion in his eyes.
"Gehrman" shook his head. "I can't leave you now. Who knows if there are any Amon avatars lurking in Heaven Dou City.
Let Yu Xiaogang go. He seems to have some relationship with the Pope of the Spirit Hall. Let him negotiate, and he can also get you better terms."
The vigilance and suspicion in Xue Beng's eyes lessened slightly. If "Gehrman" had agreed readily, he would have thought that the other party wanted to betray him and betray the Heaven Dou Empire to cooperate with the Spirit Hall.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded. It seemed that there was no other more suitable candidate than Yu Xiaogang.
Xue Beng sent someone to find Yu Xiaogang. He adjusted his mentality and expression, and restrained his contempt, respectfully saying: "Teacher."
Yu Xiaogang's face was a little haggard, and there was some worry between his brows: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I have failed your trust."
Xue Beng showed a wry smile: "Teacher, you have done enough. It's Xue Beng who is incompetent... Now, I have something I want to ask you to do."
Yu Xiaogang's expression became solemn, "Speak."
"Gehrman and I discussed it and felt that seeking cooperation with the Spirit Hall now is a good choice."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up, and he also realized that this seemed feasible.
Xue Beng continued: "So I hope that you, teacher, can go to Spirit Hall City for me and ask the Spirit Hall to help us fight against the Star Luo Empire together, or let them mediate."
Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "I will definitely live up to my trust and give Your Majesty a satisfactory answer."
"Teacher, you are the only one I can trust now. The empire is in turmoil and on the verge of collapse. Now, only you have the ability to turn the tide," Xue Beng bowed deeply to Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang's face showed a moved expression, feeling that the hard work and fatigue of the past few days had disappeared, and a sense of responsibility and mission surged in his heart.
He said heavily: "Leave it to me."
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