The flames of war raged fiercely at the front, but the air inside the Queen's tent was as still as ice. Tian Flying Swallow stood before the throne, the dust on her fiery red cloak still carrying the acrid smell of the battlefield. Her fingers gripped the armrests of the gilded throne tightly, her knuckles turning white. She was truly caught in a dilemma.
The shamelessness of those noble allied forces left her at a loss—those self-proclaimed "noble protectors of the nation" parasites were using 32.7 million civilians as human shields in Crimson Flame City. The entire Crimson Flame City was like a living Hell, with the sound of nobles' iron hooves trampling over flesh, and tens of thousands of deaths being thrown off the city walls every day.
No one dared to breathe loudly inside the military council tent. The sand table on the military council table had long been overturned and was in a mess. The flag symbolizing Konoha was stuck diagonally on the edge of the sand table, and the flagpole was bent crooked, as if it would snap in two at any moment.
"If we yield to the threats from the nobles, the vast lands of the Land of Fire lie behind us; if we advance without being threatened, the lives of 32.7 million civilians will be slaughtered in Crimson Flame City, piling up into mountains of corpses." Tian Flying Swallow's voice was low and hoarse, like sand being ground against gravel. Her once clear, eagle-like voice cracked for the first time. She raised her hand to press her throbbing temples; the edges of the civilian register on the table were frayed from her fingertips.
Just then, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, bringing in a fragrant breeze. Tian Yueqing slowly walked in and waved for everyone else to leave. The generals nodded to Tian Flying Swallow and withdrew from the tent. Tian Yueqing took out a secret letter and handed it to Tian Flying Swallow; the Konoha leaf emblem on the sealing wax was still warm. Tian Flying Swallow, puzzled, tore off the sealing wax. The letter rustled, revealing only eight characters written by Tsubasa with powerful strokes:
"One country, two systems" can solve the deadlock.
Her hand gripping the letter tightened suddenly, the letter crumpling into a ball in her palm.
In the villa of the Divine Weapon Pavilion in Konoha, Tsubasa, who was only three years old, spread out a stack of secret report scrolls on the stone table. The scouts drew a map of the noble alliance's defenses, the Anbu agents gathered a list of provisions, and even the amount of gold and silver in the nobles' private accounts were clearly remembered. The ink gleamed coldly under the rune lamplight.
"Is it frozen?" He tapped the valley on the defense map with his fingertips, his voice deep yet as steady as a foundation stone beneath a rock.
Tian Yueqing said solemnly, "Those nobles may seem numerous and powerful, but they lack the strength of any truly powerful individual. They're merely using millions of civilian hostages to maintain appearances. But what about Flying Swallow? If we launch a direct attack, 32.7 million civilians will immediately perish. If we besiege them, the armies of more than a dozen countries, including the Land of Lightning to the east and the Land of Wind to the west, are already preparing for battle on the border. In ten days at most, they will be able to take advantage of the situation and invade. At that time, the number of civilian casualties will be countless."
Tsubasa looked up at Tian Yueqing standing beside him. The candlelight cast dappled patterns on her white dress, but it couldn't penetrate the coldness in her eyes.
" Yueqing, I've talked to you a lot about governance policies before. Tell me, what does 'one country, two systems' mean?"
Tian Yueqing nodded slightly, the hem of her robe brushing against the pebbles on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, "It's just that the old rules and the new laws each go their own way. Allocate a piece of land to those old nobles so they can preserve the dignity of their ancestors; the rest of the territory will be governed by the new rules—this way, we can both appease those old fogies and protect the common people."
"That's it." Tsubasa pushed a sealed letter in front of her, the envelope rustling as it slid across the stone table. "Take this letter and go see Flying Swallow, then go alone to the Noble Alliance. Tell them—the tide of events is unstoppable, but the nation will not forget the contributions of their families for generations, leaving them a way out. This way out is the last bit of dignity the Land of Fire is giving them; if they dare to discard it, the nation dares to make their entire clan perish; if they accept it peacefully, they can live a life of dignity and wealth."
Tian Yueqing gently traced the edge of the envelope with her fingertips, runes spreading across the paper. "What if they don't believe me?"
A sharp smile suddenly appeared on Tsubasa's lips, the candlelight dancing like sparks in his eyes. "Then let the knife speak for you. When the knife is drawn, those cowardly nobles will naturally believe it, and those who are not afraid of death can have their way."
At dawn on September 20th, just as the Tian Yueqing had already passed through the defensive array of the Jūni Land of Fire sentries. Arriving at the military camp, countless sentries raised their spears to block her way, but were forced back by the Rune Sealing Jutsu she flicked from her sleeves. A general at the gate attacked, but his spear tip, no more than three inches from her throat, could not advance any further. When the general saw the Konoha insignia on the seal, he was so frightened that his hand trembled, and the spear clattered to the ground.
Upon entering the Queen's golden tent, Tian Flying Swallow discussed the matter with the high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire. Tian Yueqing waved for everyone to leave. Tian Flying Swallow was hunched over her desk, calculating how many civilians would die if the fighting continued. Her long hair, tied with a plain ribbon, hung down, obscuring most of her face, with only the bloodshot veins at the corners of her eyes clearly visible in the morning light. She wasn't wearing the golden crown that usually symbolized royal power, and the bronze lamp with runes on the desk was still lit, its light mingling with the bloody smell emanating from her, filling the tent.
"Sister Yueqing, was it the Hokage who sent you? Did he advise me to retreat to the capital and hide, or did he advise me to attack and then leave these 32.7 million people to be slaughtered by those noble wolves?" When Tian Flying Swallow raised her eyes, her eyelashes were still glistening with fine tears, but she insisted on raising her chin high, like a lone eagle that refused to bow its head.
Tian Yueqing, her white robes sweeping across the felt carpet, brought with them a cool breeze. "I've come to advise His Majesty—to retreat as a strategic advance." She took a letter from her bosom and gave it to Tian Flying Swallow, then slowly unfurled a sheepskin map on the table. A winding line was drawn on the map in vermilion. "The old nobles can retain their fiefdom of Crimson Flame City, or they can choose another piece of land. On this land, their laws, taxes, and noble ranks will all be governed by the old rules, preserving their dignity. In other places, abolish slavery, distribute land to commoners, establish Nine-Rank Clan System, and regardless of birth, advancement will be granted based on merit, all according to the laws of the Land of Fire."
She pointed her finger at the location of Crimson Flame City: "This area is only three hundred miles in circumference, yet it can save the lives of hundreds of millions of people. My queen sister, by taking this step back today, you can take a hundred steps forward in the future."
Tian Flying Swallow's fingertips traced the vermilion line, her nails almost digging into the sheepskin. After a long while, she suddenly bit her lower lip hard, and a drop of blood rolled down her lip, landing right on the three characters " Crimson Flame City," like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming.
"... Do as you say." Her voice trembled, but carried an undeniable ruthlessness. "But if they dare cross this line and violate the laws of the Land of Fire, I will show them no mercy—"
"Those who cross the line and break the law should, of course, be executed," Tian Yueqing said solemnly. "Since you agree to this plan, then I will personally go to Crimson Flame City to resolve this matter!"
At noon on September 21st, the noble council hall of Crimson Flame City was filled with murderous intent. One hundred and thirty-six family crest flags hung from the beams, their tiger, eagle, and scorpion patterns baring their fangs in the Yin Shadow. The nobles' private soldiers, dressed in gleaming armor, surrounded the hall, and the cold glint of their spears cast dense Kageko on the ground.
Tian Yueqing's feet trod on the bluestone floor, each step releasing tiny runes that crackled and popped. She came without any attendants; her white robes stood out against the gleaming armor of the hall, like a solitary snow lotus.
"Queen Tian Flying Swallow only sent a woman to negotiate? Is there no one else?" Duke Kako, sitting in the main seat, sneered, a flame rising from his palm, illuminating his wrinkled face with flickering light. "To barge into my council chamber alone, you certainly have some nerve."
Tian Yueqing didn't even look at him. She simply raised her hand and flicked a scroll of military reports onto the long table. The scroll unfurled automatically, revealing a map of the 100,000 elite Konoha Anbu. The red arrows on the map pointed directly at Crimson Flame City. "I've only come to say three things," she said, her voice clear and icy, instantly cooling the heat in the hall.
The first sentence. "She pointed her finger at Crimson Flame City on the map, 'You have no way out. If you resist to the bitter end, within three days, not a single blade of grass will be left here. Don't forget to threaten the civilians.'"
Duke Kako's flames suddenly leaped half a foot higher, but then froze three steps away from her, transforming into a sealed lotus flower.
The second sentence. " Tian Yueqing tapped the vermilion boundary line on the map with her knuckles, and the line lit up with a red light when she touched it. 'One country, two systems, to protect your ancestral halls and bloodlines, to protect your luxurious lives. If you lose this opportunity, you can only wait for the extinction of your entire clan. Are you really determined to die with the common people?'"
The elderly Marquis Ayame, leaning on his snake-headed cane, stood up shakily, his silver beard trembling uncontrollably. "We... we must retain our own private army."
Tian Yueqing finally looked up at him, her eyes icy and menacing. "A duke may retain three thousand private soldiers, a marquis two thousand, Earl one thousand, a viscount five hundred, and a baron one hundred." Her imposing aura made everyone unable to lift their heads. "And they will be under the supervision of Konoha."
The council chamber was deathly silent for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, and one by one the lights under the 136 family crests went out.
All the nobles eventually compromised.