Two days later.
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, back study room.
The furnishings in the study are gorgeous and solemn. The rosewood bookshelves are filled with various classics. Several famous calligraphy and paintings are hung on the walls. A pot of orchids is blooming in the corner, and a faint fragrance fills the air.
Xue Ye is sitting behind the desk, tall and straight, with a handsome face, but at this moment there is a bit of anxiety between his brows.
His fingers kept tapping on the table, one after another, just like his uneasy mood at the moment.
His eyes fell on the door of the study, waiting for the figure he had been waiting for for a long time.
Xue Xing walked in quickly, his chest was rising and falling, and there were fine beads of sweat hanging on his forehead. He obviously came in a hurry.
He walked to the desk and stood still, bowing slightly.
"Your Majesty..."
"How many times have I said it?" Xue Ye raised his hand to interrupt him, "In private, I call you Emperor Brother."
"Yes, brother Huang."
Xue Xing corrected the title and said it again.
He straightened up, his eyes fell on Xue Ye's face, waiting for him to ask questions.
"Well--"
Xue Ye nodded slightly, folded his hands on the table, and asked impatiently, "How is the situation?"
"Alas..." Xue Xing sighed in frustration, and he reported truthfully, "Brother, the situation is not good."
"Those aristocratic families don't see the benefits and are unwilling to help us."
"And those sects, because Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect was destroyed, no one is willing to help us."
It stands to reason that Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect is the country-protecting sect of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the two parties are the closest partners.
If something happens to them, Heaven Dou Empire cannot stand by and remain indifferent no matter what.
But the problem is, Heaven Dou Empire really didn't move at all this time.
They were not even willing to protect those Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect disciples who were living outside, and allowed Spirit Hall's people to arrest them.
This move can be said to have chilled the hearts of countless sect forces, both large and small, up and down Heaven Dou Empire.
Those sect families could see clearly that Heaven Dou Empire couldn't even protect their country-protecting sect, and even abandoned their allies. Why should such an empire make them sacrifice their lives?
Why should they be loyal?
"What about Eight Great Families?" Xue Ye asked hurriedly, "What is the attitude of Eight Great Families?"
"Eight Great Families also rejected us, but..."
Xue Xing prolonged his tone, deliberately showing off his words, and a glimmer of "there is still a turning point" flashed in his eyes.
"But what?" Xue Ye asked eagerly.
"But Eight Great Families recommended another hidden family to me."
Xue Xing slowly explained:
"According to what Eight Great Families said, two Titled Douluo appeared among the previous generation disciples of that hidden family."
"They left the family not long ago and went to a place called 'Tianyang Ancient City', where they settled down."
"Tianyang Ancient City?"
Xue Ye frowned and thought for a while, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table twice.
"Isn't that a city controlled by Eight Great Families?"
"That's right."
Xue Xing nodded and continued, speaking a little faster.
"In order to make friends with them, Eight Great Families specially gave Tianyang Ancient City to them as a place to stay."
"In just a few months, they transformed Tianyang Ancient City into a completely new business."
"The population has jumped from an old and weak place of about 40,000 to a wealthy place with a population of nearly 100,000."
Xue Xing's eyes flashed with light, and he took two steps closer.
"Brother Chen thought that since they have plans to join the world, we might as well try to spend more money to cooperate with them."
"As long as they are willing to cooperate, even if they cannot achieve the closest cooperative relationship, they can still share the pressure of the Star Luo Empire and Spirit Hall, right?"
"Okay, just do as you say."
Xue Ye immediately agreed to Xue Xing's plan without any hesitation.
He tapped his right index finger heavily on the table, making a crisp sound, and said decisively:
"You send an envoy immediately to discuss this matter with them."
"As long as they agree, I'll give them whatever they want!"
"Yes!" Xue Xing responded, bowed slightly and said, "Brother, I will do it now...!"
At the same time.
Three Rivers Estuary.
Three Rivers Estuary is a plain area located in the hinterland of the Heaven Dou Empire. It is the intersection of three rivers: Qing River, White Water and Zhuozhang River.
The water network here is like a weave, the oases are like stars, there are continuous rice fields and lotus ponds on both sides of the river, egrets perch on the sandbanks, and the fishing boats sing late in the mist.
Spring Three Rivers Estuary is the most beautiful time of the year.
Zhao Linchuan and Yue Shen have come here for an outing.
They walked along the path along the river, holding hands and walking leisurely and calmly.
Yue Shen is wearing a light blue dress, with long hair like a waterfall, gently fluttering in the breeze, and the whole person is like a walking landscape painting.
Zhao Linchuan was wearing a black robe, his eyes swept across the river in the distance, and then fell on the face of Yue Shen beside him, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Hey, that old man--!"
Zhao Linchuan and Yue Shen came hand in hand to an old man who was sitting by the river fishing.
The old man was about sixty years old, his hair was gray, his face was covered with the ravines of the years, but his eyes were still bright and lively.
He was sitting on a small pony, holding a fishing rod in his hand. The tip of the fishing rod was slightly bent, and the float immersed in the water did not move at all.
"Old man, did you catch a fish?" Zhao Linchuan asked with a smile.
"Hey!"
The old man stroked his beard, his movements unhurried and unhurried, with a certain calmness typical of an old fisherman.
He raised his finger and pointed to the fish guard on the side. It was a net bag made of nylon rope. Most of it was immersed in the water, and there was a faint silver light inside.
The corners of his mouth raised slightly, and there was a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Don't you know it just by looking at it?"
"It seems that the old man has gained a lot today?"
Zhao Linchuan took two steps forward, bent down, and lifted the fish protector out of the water.
"Crackling--!"
"Plop, plop, plop--!"
The fish that were lifted out of the water were jumping around in the fish guard, with silver light shining and water splashing everywhere.
Fish of all sizes are crowded together, including crucian carp, carp, grass carp, and bream. There are so many species that it's dazzling to see.
One of the big herrings, about one meter long, stood out in the fish guard. It was several times larger than the other fish. Its blue-black scales glowed like metal in the sun. The fish's tail was slapped hard in the fish guard, making a "snap" sound.
"Ouch!"
Zhao Linchuan looked at the "meter-level" big herring and couldn't help but let out an exclamation.
Zhao Linchuan straightened up and said with a smile:
"Old man, you have caught the dragons and grandsons in Three Rivers Estuary..."