Zhai Le neither agreed to the Central Branch's proposal nor rejected it.
He only said, "I need to think it over."
The middle-aged scholar was deeply suspicious.
In his view, Zhai Le had made a terrible move by agreeing to ally with Shen Tang. Any ruler with a sound mind would have stayed on the sidelines, waited for his rivals to tear each other apart, then emerged to reap the rewards. He might even have swept up everything and become the last one standing.
But Zhai Le hadn't done that. Instead, he'd dragged the Qu Kingdom into a losing deal.
One bad move was bad enough, but if he corrected it in time, there was still a chance to come out ahead.
They had practically handed him a cure for regret, yet Zhai Xiaofang had actually said he needed to "think it over"? What was there to think about? Once the Central Continent fell, Zhai Xiaofang's Southeast Continent would become Shen Youli's for the taking too.
By then, he wouldn't even be able to protect his own life and property.
Never mind his current position and power.
No matter how anxious and frustrated the middle-aged scholar felt, he knew that pushing too hard would only backfire. He could only reluctantly agree.
He gave Zhai Le three days to consider.
He said earnestly, "Lord of Zhai Country, you must be prudent."
Zhai Le said, "Of course."
How could he not be prudent???
Zhai Le massaged his aching temples, looking utterly exhausted. Even the middle-aged scholar could see the problem at a glance; how could the Qu Kingdom's ministers, civil and military, fail to see it? From the moment the alliance was formed, Zhai Le had faced enormous opposition.
As time went on, the pressure only grew.
Some of his closest confidants