Why!
Everyone fell silent. Although the explanation was somewhat unbelievable, it was the most appropriate and convincing one.
A country that's too small is a tragedy!
At this moment, King Xue Qianren of the Icefield Kingdom stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes.
He glanced at the crowd and solemnly said, "Our country may not be large on its own, but if several countries join us, we can be comparable to Xiliang Commandery. The Prince of Xiliang will surely be interested!"
That makes sense!
" The Prince of Xiliang might not care about a tiny bit of territory, but if we join forces, we can do something for Prince of Xiliang. That would definitely be useful!"
"This method seems reliable, but I don't know if you guys are willing to participate!"
Meng Chihu naturally agreed wholeheartedly. After witnessing the power of Xiliang, he was already considering joining them and didn't care about saving face.
He glanced at the kings beside him. These guys didn't border Xiliang and hadn't been very proactive before; he wondered what their situation was now.
"We are willing!"
The three hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said with firm expressions.
For years they had been under the wing of the Frostwest Empire Frostwest Empire, paying tribute to them annually, but the Empire rarely paid them any attention, so their lives were difficult.
During these days, they have witnessed firsthand the happiness of the people of Xiliang Commandery and are filled with longing for life in Xiliang.
If they could gain the approval of the Prince of Xiliang, then good days would basically be coming, which would be much better than their lives in the Western Regions.
The people of Xiliang Commandery were filled with hope. They had potatoes that yielded more than 7,000 catties per mu, enough to feed their whole family. They also had all sorts of exotic delicacies and delicious fish and meat. This place was simply paradise!
The most crucial point is that Xiliang is strong enough!
This is the most important point. Several times they saw some so-called strong foreign tribes causing trouble in Xiliang Commandery, only to be beaten so badly by the City Guard Battalion that they couldn't even recognize their own parents, and in the end they could only slink away in disgrace.
This scene filled them with envy; that's the confidence of the strong.
This is why they went to great lengths to gain Lin Yi's approval; to put it bluntly, they wanted to curry favor with him. Besides ensuring their safety, they might also be able to get some potatoes.
Seeing that the three kings had agreed, a hint of joy flashed in Tu Xiu's eyes. Six countries had suddenly pledged allegiance to the Prince of Xiliang, which would surely give him a better chance.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a guard report, and he couldn't help but shudder.
" The Prince of Xiliang has arrived! All of you, come with me to greet His Highness! You all better be smart; if anyone dares to spout nonsense, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Don't worry, Tu Xiu!"
"We all share the same interests, there's no need for us to create trouble for ourselves!"
Upon hearing of the arrival of the Prince of Xiliang, the other kings forgot their discussions and quickly stood up to personally greet him downstairs. Their respectful demeanor amazed the people nearby.
They saw a carriage slowly approaching, and several kings quickly went to greet it.
"What's going on? These seem to be the kings of the Western Regions, greeting us so respectfully. This carriage has no markings; who on earth has such an air of importance?"
"Are you stupid? Who in our Xiliang Commandery has that kind of airs? It's none other than His Highness the Prince of Xiliang!"
"He beat the people of the Western Regions so badly they cried for their parents. If any of them dared to be disrespectful, I would have slapped them a few times across the face."
Everyone suddenly realized that what he said actually made some sense.
Sure enough, when they saw the person get off the carriage, they saw Lin Yi's figure, and they all became excited and knelt down.
"Greetings, Prince of Xiliang!"
Long live the Prince of Xiliang!
Looking at the kneeling people, Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh heartily, waving his hand and saying, "It's only been a short time since I last saw you, have you become so distant? Get up!"
Hahaha!
Seeing Lin Yi's approachable smile, the people below felt a warmth in their hearts and couldn't help but smile too.
The prince is still the same kind and approachable young master; he hasn't changed at all.
Seeing this, Jia Xu laughed and said, "Our lord truly enjoys the hearts of the people; even Li Anlan couldn't match that!"
He wasn't just flattering him; his lord truly was the best he had ever seen for the people, bar none.
In the world, how many lords would go to such lengths for their people, not only worrying about their food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, but also about their future development? Only my own lord would do that.
In terms of popular support, within the territory of Xiliang, it wouldn't matter if Li Anlan came, or even if the Prince of Northern Liang came.
"Haha, I'm not that good!"
Upon hearing Jia Xu's words, Lin Yi shook his head and said with a smile.
The reason he is so popular is simply because he doesn't exploit the people; instead, he offers them preferential policies. Who else would the people side with if not him?
Several kings from the Western Regions then chimed in with flattery, saying, " The Prince of Xiliang's benevolence has won him many hearts; he is destined to be a wise and benevolent ruler!"
"A wise ruler?"
Lin Yi's lips twitched slightly. These guys were being far too blatant in their flattery, practically begging him to ascend the throne. They were completely unafraid of offending the Great Ning Dynasty.
He laughed and said, "You are all guests. Originally, I should have been the one to invite you to the banquet, but now it's the other way around. I'm truly ashamed."
"Hehe, there are only a handful of people in the All Under Heaven who can invite the Prince of Xiliang to a banquet, it is our honor." Meng Chihu greeted him with a beaming smile, almost as if he wanted to help Lin Yi walk.
The group entered a private room on the second floor, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.
Tu Xiu picked up his wine cup and said excitedly, "It is a great honor for Your Highness to attend this banquet today. I Tu Xiu Your Highness!"
"Haha, no need for formalities!"
Lin Yi smiled slightly and drank the cup directly; this little bit of wine was nothing to him.
After a round of toasts, Tu Xiu suddenly became awkward, which made Lin Yi burst into laughter. He laughed and said, " Tu Xiu, just say what you want to say. I love making friends. Don't you consider me a friend?"
"No, no!"
Tu Xiu quickly shook his head, then secretly glanced at Lin Yi, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Highness, the reason our six countries invited you to this banquet today is actually to submit to Xiliang!"
"Submission?"
A glint of light flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. These guys are really straightforward; they actually want to surrender to Xiliang without a fight!
He didn't reply immediately, but instead laughed and said, "My brothers are from Western Regions countries, under the jurisdiction of the Frostwest Empire. If you were to pledge allegiance to my Xiliang, wouldn't you be offending the Frostwest Empire?"