As the ancients said: One mountain cannot hold two tigers—unless one is male and the other female.
As the ancients said: Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
The ancients also said that the ancients' nonsense was getting to be too much.
People's hearts were all selfish.
The two families had been close for generations, sharing honor and disgrace as one.
Originally, both sides had been sovereigns, standing as equals. Although the Peacock Dynasty was somewhat stronger, the Black Flame Empire was by no means weak.
On one's own acre of land, one was the undisputed master. One's orders were obeyed without question; even a single cough could make that entire land tremble three times over.
Just as Lin Liheng had feared, if he raised troops to support the Peacock Dynasty and Ying Boyan claimed the world, what would become of the Lin imperial clan? What would become of the Black Flame Empire?
Was such a sacrifice too great? How would he answer to the Lin imperial clan? How would he answer to the founding ancestors of the Black Flame Empire?
"Since that's the case, why did Imperial Father send General Lin to attend the Nine Nations Conference convened by the Peacock Dynasty? Not only did he send him our imperial family's Tiger Mountain Fine Wine, he even said that Uncle Ying's likes and dislikes were Imperial Father's likes and dislikes. Wouldn't that make the world believe that the Black Flame Empire was also a staunch supporter of Uncle Ying's unification of the Nine Nations of Shenzhou?"
"A long time ago, your Uncle Ying sent word through Mengdie, hoping that I would give him powerful support at the Nine Nations Conference. I understood what he meant, and I had no way to refuse