Councilor Lan had been waiting there all along. He had thought it through clearly: if Celestial Xia truly intended to make a move, they surely had their own plans. Even if he joined in, it would merely be icing on the cake; he could not sway the overall situation.
But displaying his attitude and actually joining in carried different meanings. Whether he could find a way out for himself depended on that distinction.
It was not as if he had never considered Origin Xia winning. Even now, he still believed Origin Xia would not lose. But Origin Xia not losing did not mean that he himself would not lose; indeed, that outcome might be even worse. Once he was punished, there would be no chance of turning things around. Only if Celestial Xia put enough pressure on Origin Xia might he gain more choices.
At this time, the disciple previously ordered to deliver the message finally returned and reported to him, "This disciple has conveyed Councilor's words. The various Councilors said that so long as Celestial Xia's conditions are not overly excessive, they may all be accepted. They only wish to settle the pact as soon as possible."
Councilor Lan shook his head. "That will not do."
The disciple froze. "What?"
Councilor Lan said solemnly, "Go back and tell the various Councilors that the continuation of our Two Halls absolutely cannot be limited to one year alone. It would be best if we could negotiate two years, or three. That would give us far more room to act."
The disciple asked, "Councilor, is that truly necessary? The rear..."
"I know what I am doing," Councilor Lan said. Then he added, "I will personally speak with the rear shortly."
The disciple also breathed a sigh of relief. Though he had been