Chapter 429

Seeing Dai Xiaoyao kneeling before him, Zhu Yingxiong's eyes were a bit dazed.

He still remembers when Dai Wuchang begged him to help him ascend the throne; he was just like this.

He was also full of ambition and had grand ideals.

These two brothers are simply identical.

But once one becomes Emperor, there are many more things to consider.

Dai Wuchang is just like that now; to consolidate his position, he has turned his back on everyone.

Zhu Yingxiong actually doesn't want to get involved in this muddy water; this is treason!

Besides, at Zhu Yingxiong's level, there is nothing left to be conferred in the Star Fall Kingdom.

To put it bluntly, even if Zhu Yingxiong helped Dai Xiaoyao become Emperor, Dai Xiaoyao couldn't give him anything.

If they fail, the price Zhu Yingxiong would pay would be enormous.

But now is a time of life and death, and as a native of the Star Fall Kingdom, he has deep feelings for this land and truly cannot bear to watch the country head toward destruction.

Zhu Yingxiong let out a long sigh and finally reached out to help Dai Xiaoyao up.

"Since you have this determination, I still have some old subordinates in the army..."

Dai Xiaoyao was overjoyed to hear this; he knew that Zhu Yingxiong had implicitly agreed.

The two immediately began to plot and initiate the plan to save the Star Fall Kingdom.

Dai Wuchang has been ruling the Star Fall Kingdom for some time and has strong control over the court; it won't be easy for them to rebel.

And at this moment, the one even more panicked than them is none other than the King of the Star Fall Kingdom, Dai Wuchang.

Originally, relying on the Eternal Day Empire's garrison in the country, he could still throw his weight around.

But now he finally understands that those so-called "garrison troops" are actually "supervisors"!

Today, the Eternal Day Empire's general even gave a direct order for him to send a large army to reinforce the Uroya Empire and ensure the Baifan Kingdom's army is driven away.

"Your Majesty, it's not just us; over a dozen surrounding countries are all required to send troops." The minister reported tremblingly.

What made Dai Wuchang vomit blood even more was that the Eternal Day Empire's general took the opportunity to sell him a batch of "advanced military gear" at a high price.

Although this equipment is stronger than what the Star Fall Kingdom currently has, compared to the Baifan Kingdom's May Tian Ce standard gear, it is simply trash!

To put it plainly, it was the Eternal Day Empire having a "clearance sale," and they couldn't refuse to buy it.

"I heard that the Tasha Kingdom has already obtained the May Tian Ce Dynasty's military gear and is making moves."

The minister's words made Dai Wuchang break out in a cold sweat.

He finally realized that the Eternal Day Empire never considered them as people; they wanted them to pay money and exert effort, while the Eternal Day Empire itself was making a fortune from the war!

"It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away."

Dai Wuchang muttered to himself.

Those Eternal Day Empire garrison troops cannot be driven away now even if he wanted to.

After much thought, Dai Wuchang decided to restart his relationship with the May Tian Ce Dynasty.

And at this moment, the vanguard scout reported that the May Tian Ce army outside the border was slowly advancing forward—another one thousand meters.

Don't look at it as only one thousand meters; they haven't reached the Star Fall Kingdom's border line yet, and one could even say the distance is still very far.

But as the Emperor of a small country, he can naturally feel that immense pressure.

Since he cannot openly defect to the May Tian Ce Dynasty, how about defecting in secret?

Thinking of this, Dai Wuchang had the envoy summoned into the hall to discuss countermeasures.

After the envoy entered the hall and saw his King acting like an ant on a hot pan, he was also speechless.

Back then, I told you to play it safe and be a fence-sitter, but you insisted on picking a side just for expansion. Now that the May Tian Ce Dynasty's army hasn't even attacked yet, you know you were wrong?

But he only muttered to himself inwardly and began to offer suggestions to Dai Wuchang.

Normal tribute is useless now; how could the May Tian Ce Dynasty look upon such meager offerings?

The best way, naturally, is for Dai Wuchang to personally go and kneel to beg Li Chen for mercy, and then find a scapegoat, saying it was all his doing.

In this way, as long as the scapegoat is executed, perhaps Emperor Li Chen's anger will subside, and he won't bother with them.

Hearing the envoy's suggestion, Dai Wuchang pondered: "This method is good, but who should be the scapegoat?"

The envoy cautiously replied: "Your Majesty, the scapegoat's power and status cannot be low, otherwise it will be hard to convince people..."

He hinted pointedly, "For example... Prince Xiaoyao would be very suitable. He is both of imperial blood and holds heavy military power..."

"That is my own younger brother!" Dai Wuchang slammed the table and stood up.

The envoy immediately fell silent, but inwardly he was sneering: You can't bear to sacrifice your own brother, so do you want to be the scapegoat yourself? You can't expect me, an envoy with no real power, to be the scapegoat! The May Tian Ce Emperor isn't a fool!

If you say it was my doing, the May Tian Ce Emperor will think you are deliberately mocking him; who can't see through that?

Dai Wuchang paced back and forth in the hall, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

On one side is brotherly love, on the other is the fate of the nation.

Dai Wuchang hesitated. It wasn't that he couldn't bring himself to harm his younger brother, but his younger brother had Zhu Yingxiong's backing and possessed a certain amount of power himself, so he would need to be prepared before making a move.

Just like that, the two brothers began to fight in the dark, neither knowing what the other was going to do, but it seemed they were indeed engaged in an internal struggle; whoever wins becomes the Emperor, and the loser becomes the scapegoat.

It could also be said that Dai Xiaoyao still has some luck, otherwise he wouldn't even know how he died.

Thousands of miles away, Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying were standing on a hill on the border of the former Uroya Empire, overlooking the battlefield below.

The Baifan Kingdom's army was disciplined, and their formations fully displayed the May Tian Ce style.

Zhu Zhuying couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty, when I was in the imperial capital, I often saw Baifan Kingdom cultivators studying in the academy. I didn't expect that after they finished their studies and returned home, they could actually build a small country into such a state."

She looked at the Baifan Kingdom flag fluttering in the distance and thought of her own motherland's situation, her heart filled with mixed feelings: "If the Star Fall Kingdom were willing to submit sincerely, how could it have come to this..."

In her view, the King of Star Fall defecting to the Eternal Day Empire is simply courting death.

Li Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound: "Although the Baifan Kingdom is strong, they have only learned the surface. The true way of survival lies in choosing the right path."

This is the absolute truth. The Baifan Kingdom is known as the Little May Tian Ce, but don't forget, Li Chen is the Emperor of May Tian Ce.

As an Emperor, he certainly knows which countries are relatively loyal, and this loyalty is certainly relative.

Because the Baifan Kingdom needs May Tian Ce's protection, they are certainly loyal.

The May Tian Ce Dynasty certainly didn't give the Baifan Kingdom and Tasha Kingdom military gear and supplies for free; that also costs money. The May Tian Ce Dynasty and the Eternal Day Empire are just playing a game, and they haven't started a direct war yet.

Let's put it this way: Li Chen having Xu Zifeng lead the army to advance one thousand meters every day is, in a sense, the same logic as the Eternal Day Empire having troops stationed in other countries.

The goal is to intimidate these countries.

Before Xu Zifeng set off, Li Chen trained him, which was to make him obedient.

Up to now, Xu Zifeng doesn't even know what Li Chen wants him to do, because this operation has no clear combat objective.

Li Chen didn't specify which country to attack; he only told him to advance.

(End of this chapter)