Wang Xuan finally stopped tapping his fingers on the table. He looked Cui Yan up and down, then suddenly smiled. "I don't think your Cui Family can be of much help with expanding our territory in the north. That alone isn't worth letting your family off."
The words struck Cui Yan like a blow to the head, leaving him completely dazed on the spot. It felt as though a ten-thousand-ton boulder had been pressed against his chest, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. His vision darkened in waves, and his blood seemed to flow backward through his body. Standing there, he swayed unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment.
It was not that Cui Yan lacked the bearing of a great general, nor that a single sentence from Wang Xuan had frightened him into losing his composure. The life and death of his entire clan rested on those words, so he had no choice but to take them seriously.
What should he do?
Countless thoughts flashed through Cui Yan's mind, yet not one could resolve the crisis before him. At that moment, he truly experienced what it meant to be the knife and chopping board while he was the fish. Only then did he understand how fragile these clans, who seemed to control the fate of the realm, actually were when the central government held the military power in its hands.
He took deep breaths again and again, forcing himself to calm down. Suppression, anger, frustration, complaints, and every other emotion would serve no purpose at this moment. He raised his head and focused his gaze on Wang Xuan's face. He had to find a breakthrough.
Gradually, he noticed that although the smile had disappeared from Wang Xuan's face, there was no murderous intent in his eyes. This