Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Alliance “Who are you? What do you want?” Murong Huang asked as he raised his head. However, everything before him was pitch-black, and he could not see a thing. The moment he finished speaking, torches suddenly flared to life all around him. Murong Huang saw a woman standing before him, while the man who had traveled with him stood at Ling Jiayue’s side. “Old Hai? What happened to you? And who are you?” Murong Huang asked in alarm when he saw Cheese Lord. Then he raised his voice to question Ling Jiayue. He simply could not understand how the companion who had originally been traveling with him had now tied him up. “I am Ling Jiayue. I was the one who sent him out,” Ling Jiayue replied calmly. “You’re Ling Jiayue? You’re the one who flooded the Sheyu Kingdom’s army?!” When Murong Huang realized that the woman before him was Ling Jiayue, shock and fury surged through him. He struggled with all his strength, as though he wanted to break free of the ropes and kill Ling Jiayue. Ling Jiayue quietly watched Murong Huang struggle and said, “Stop struggling. This is a pig-hoof knot. Even a pig couldn’t break free of it, let alone you. Let’s talk.” “Hmph! This general has nothing to discuss with you. Hurry up and accept your death, so you can repay the soldiers of my Sheyu Kingdom who died unjustly!” Murong Huang said furiously. “You only see the soldiers of your Sheyu Kingdom who died unjustly. Can’t you see that soldiers of my Ye Kingdom also died unjustly? Ultimately, all of this happened because your Sheyu Kingdom started the war, causing so many innocent lives to be lost. I merely fought war with war. Was I supposed to stand by and watch you slaughter my country?” Ling Jiayue said. “Hmph, I have nothing to say to you. Those who follow different paths cannot make common cause. Either kill me, or go to hell!” Murong Huang said bitterly. “Speaking of which, the Sheyu Kingdom and Dayi have always coexisted peacefully. Why would a war suddenly break out now? Don’t you want to know why? Shouldn’t we be putting a stop to this war? If the fighting continues, who can say how many civilians will suffer?” Ling Jiayue said calmly, ignoring Murong Huang’s question. Murong Huang fell silent when he heard this. He had never considered why the two countries had suddenly gone to war, nor had he ever thought about how to end the current situation. He was merely a soldier who served on the battlefield. Whatever the sovereign ordered him to do, he did. Yet, in his heart, he hated this. He simply had no way to change it. “Do you have a way to change this situation? Can you stop the war?” Murong Huang asked. He studied Ling Jiayue, then suddenly laughed at himself. Murong Huang said with a laugh, “I must be crazy. You’re the one who slaughtered the soldiers of my Sheyu Kingdom, yet I actually asked you that question. Do you really think you can stop this war? How ridiculous.” Ling Jiayue said calmly, “To stop this war, we must first uncover its origins. Your sovereign was greedy to begin with, foolishly hoping to divide Dayi between the Sheyu Kingdom and Ye Kingdom. Yet Ye Kingdom did not send a single soldier, while your Sheyu Kingdom suffered heavy losses. I expect that after this war, your country will need a period of recuperation.” “Damn that Ye Kingdom! They tricked us into sending our troops while they dreamed of reaping the benefits without lifting a finger. Our Sheyu Kingdom has lost everything. We’ve even lost more than half of our able-bodied labor force,” Murong Huang said bitterly. “So now, let’s talk,” Ling Jiayue said. “Talk about what? What could you and I possibly have to discuss?” Murong Huang said coldly as he looked at Ling Jiayue. “There is nothing for you and me to discuss, but our two countries have plenty to discuss. Chu Chaoci of Ye Kingdom spent a long time plotting to make our two countries slaughter each other while he reaped the benefits. Aren’t you angry? He plunged our people into misery and caused countless deaths and injuries. Aren’t you angry? Our two countries should join forces.” Ling Jiayue looked at Murong Huang, her eyes possessing a power that seemed capable of ensnaring the heart. Watching Ling Jiayue, Cheese Lord finally realized how formidable she was. With only a few words, she had thrown a general of the Sheyu Kingdom into disarray. At that moment, he made up his mind to follow Ling Jiayue to the death for the rest of his life. “What do you want to discuss?” Murong Huang asked. “We should join forces and deal with Chu Chaoci together. If we unite, we can certainly avenge ourselves and wipe away our grievances. That way, the soldiers who died unjustly can also rest in peace—whether they came from your country or ours.” After Ling Jiayue finished speaking, she fell silent and simply waited. Listening to her, Murong Huang also sank into silence. He did not know whether he should heed Ling Jiayue’s proposal, nor whether doing so would be a mistake. But from the bottom of his heart, he felt that he should no longer stand with Chu Chaoci. After a long while, Murong Huang seemed to have made up his mind. “How do we join forces? What must we do to avenge the people of our two countries?” Ling Jiayue had finally received the answer she was waiting for, and she smiled. “We will turn the enemy’s stratagem against them and pull Chu Chaoci down from the throne! We’ll ruin his reputation and leave him disgraced!” “What do you want me to do?” Murong Huang asked. “You will return and continue serving as your Grand General. We simply need not resume the war. I have a letter here. Please deliver it to the sovereign of the Sheyu Kingdom on my behalf,” Ling Jiayue said calmly. “That’s all?” Murong Huang asked skeptically. “Yes. You only need to take the letter back,” Ling Jiayue said calmly. “All right,” Murong Huang agreed. Ling Jiayue raised a hand, and Cheese Lord stepped forward to untie the ropes binding Murong Huang. Murong Huang rolled his wrists a few times, then took the letter from Ling Jiayue and left. Only after Murong Huang had gradually disappeared into the distance did Cheese Lord say to Ling Jiayue, “Master, are we really letting Murong Huang leave just like that? What if he goes back on his word?” “Although Murong Huang is a general of the Sheyu Kingdom, he is also a man loyal to his sovereign and country. For the sake of his nation, he will not go back on his word. Now, all we can do is see whether we can move the sovereign of the Sheyu Kingdom. If the Sheyu Kingdom turns around and joins forces with us, it truly couldn’t be better,” Ling Jiayue said calmly. “Let’s go. We should get out of here. This basement is far too dark and damp. Come to think of it, our army should begin training as well. Even if the Sheyu Kingdom refuses to ally with us, we should still train our soldiers properly in case of any unforeseen circumstances.” As she spoke, Ling Jiayue led Cheese Lord out of the basement. The days passed one after another. Third Prince Mu Yuyang became increasingly deranged. Not only the sovereign, but the various ministers as well, grew more and more disgusted with him. Although the black-clad agent was suspicious of this, he did not know the reason either. He could only report it to Chu Chaoci. Chu Chaoci regarded Mu Yuyang solely as a pawn and paid him no mind, simply letting him do as he pleased. Although the Third Prince grew more deranged with each passing day, the Crown Prince was secretly making plans and building his power. Without making a sound, he slowly gathered the court’s forces into his own hands. Meanwhile, at the Northwest border frontier, Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng trained the soldiers every day. After Murong Huang took the letter back to the Sheyu Kingdom, there was no further news from them. Ling Jiayue simply waited in silence. She knew that this was not the time to be anxious; all they needed to do was wait. Time passed swiftly. One day, Ling Jiayue was inspecting the military camp when Cheese Lord hurried over and said quietly, “Master, ‘that side’ has sent a reply.” When Ling Jiayue heard this, she stopped inspecting the camp and led Cheese Lord back to the study. “What did they say? Tell me quickly.” Cheese Lord pulled a letter from his robes and handed it to Ling Jiayue. Ling Jiayue accepted it, opened it, and quickly read through it. A smile appeared on her face. Cheese Lord asked, “Master, what did they say?” “It worked!” Ling Jiayue said. “Congratulations, Master! My congratulations!” Cheese Lord said to Ling Jiayue.