Five Lands Pact-What Will You Do?

At the banquet, delicacies filled the tables, yet no one touched their chopsticks.

Everyone had come with something to gain. None had come to fill their stomachs.

They had come for the whole world!

Gu Yi gave a light sweep of his sleeve. The guards moved through the banquet with practiced ease, quietly placing an edict before each guest.

Dense lines of tiny characters covered the edicts' fine paper.

Wu Ying pushed her copy toward Gongsun Pingxi.

Gongsun Pingxi hurried to his feet, bowed, and solemnly accepted the stack of edicts with both hands.

The sight darkened Gongsun Zhongshu's gaze further.

Yuwen Yan put away the jade pendant in his hand and studied the contents with his full attention.

Halfway through, he stopped!

Yuwen Yan exchanged a glance with Gongsun Zhongshu, the two communicating in private.

Their two kingdoms were weak. They had long been closely allied against the other nations.

You, by contrast, seemed remarkably composed. You slowly unfolded the papers in your hand, your gaze moving from line to line.

It was a pact between the four kingdoms and Northern Yan!

Beneath the lamplight, the nations seemed to have reached a tacit understanding long ago.

All remained silent!

You read through the terms one by one. Among them, the four kingdoms recognized Yan Territory.

The five lands would not take up arms against one another for ten years. This time, the armies would withdraw from Great Qing, and for ten years they would not campaign against Great Qing's Jiangnan lands. Should any party violate the pact, the other four would attack it together.

There were also numerous provisions covering trade and exchanges between the four kingdoms' academies.

Then you reached the final clause!

"All lands in Zhou Xuan's Hexi territory bordering Northern Yan shall be ceded to Northern