"Your Majesty is wise; my country, Frostwest, would never do such a thing!"
"We can't afford to offend Great Liang now, or we'll become the target of everyone's hatred and condemnation!"
"We absolutely cannot afford to provoke Great Liang; we can't afford to now."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted from their hearts. To be honest, they were terrified that their emperor might act rashly and openly cause a Great Liang, which would truly be the end for them.
Their Net network is all-pervasive; if even a single piece of information were to reach Great Liang, Frostwest would truly be doomed.
After all, Great Liang had always coveted Frostwest, but it lacked an excuse, which was why it hadn't made a move.
Once news of His Great Liang's plot against Daliang gets back, it will give Lin Yi an excuse to send troops. If Great Liang then goes all out to deal with Frostwest, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Frostwest was already being strangled by two forces; if the behemoth Great Liang were added to the mix, there would be absolutely no chance of survival.
Fortunately, the Emperor couldn't hold back anymore, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash!"
Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes, a hint of displeasure flashed in Bill IV's eyes, but he suppressed it.
These officials are still useful; they will be needed to govern the country in critical moments. Besides, now is not the time to turn against the Great Liang, so it's better to keep a low profile.
As for what Derby said...
This matter isn't untouchable, it just can't be discussed publicly, because that would risk leaks. If it were to be facilitated secretly, the effect would be different, bringing nothing but benefit to Frostwest.
This would not only shift Great Liang's focus to Xue Rengui, but also allow Great Liang to help eliminate Frostwest's major problem, making it a win-win situation.
However, these are all plans for the future. The most pressing issue now is not Great Liang, but Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui, who are about to invade Tiele City.
As if they had planned it, the two of them actually targeted Tiele City together, which cast a shadow over his heart, or even gave him an ominous premonition.
What a coincidence!
Such a coincidence is either extremely rare or orchestrated by a hidden force. Given the current situation, the first possibility is unlikely; it's clearly the second!
This made him feel a great sense of crisis; he knew he had to be prepared.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his worries, and said solemnly, " Kubo, you need to expedite communication with Abaddon and get them to send reinforcements to Frostwest. In gratitude, we are willing to give them this territory!"
Furthermore, to demonstrate our sincerity, I will order the garrison here to withdraw first, making it easier for them to take over!
He drew a circle on the map beside him, casually handed it to Kubo, confirmed the territory to be ceded, and made arrangements accordingly.
Now only the Great West Empire has taken the plunge!
"Are you really going to cede territory?"
Kubo frowned. To be honest, he didn't want to do this because it would damage his reputation if word got out.
But now that both ministers are absent, I, as the Minister of Commerce, have no choice but to step in. Anyway, the territory isn't mine, so let it be ceded; at least it can preserve the country.
But when he took the map and looked at it, his pupils contracted, and he exclaimed, "It's the Xiling Corridor!"
This is a very important area!
He glanced at Bill IV instinctively, only to find the man looking at him meaningfully. His heart skipped a beat; the Emperor was doing this on purpose.
While it's true that the ceded territory belongs to Frostwest, it is the gateway from the Western Regions to the Great West Empire, and also a shortcut to the Frostwest.
Once Frostwest loosens its defenses on this land, Great Liang can easily march straight into the Great West Empire and even reach Great West Empire borders. This is no joke.
This reveals His Majesty's true intention: to Abaddon into this mess.
This location determines the importance of the Xiling Corridor to the Great West Empire. Even if Abaddon doesn't want to confront the Great Liang for the time being, he will never allow the Great Liang to occupy the Xiling Corridor. That would be like handing over his zipper to them, which would be suicidal.
This means that even if Abaddon didn't want this place, he would never let it fall into the hands of Great Liang, otherwise there would be endless troubles.
Good heavens!
As expected of the former Prince Tiandu, he always acts with calculation. Even if Abaddon knew it was a piece of excrement, he would probably still have to bite the bullet and swallow it.
He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will arrange it well! I believe Abaddon is a smart man and will not disappoint Your Majesty."
"You've worked hard, my dear minister!"
Ashina Tiandu, then looked at Derby and said in a deep voice, " Derby, hurry up and do what I asked you to do. We need someone to share the burden!"
"Your subject obeys!" A complex emotion flashed in Derby's eyes, but he ultimately agreed.
After making these arrangements, Ashina Tiandu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With these arrangements in place, at least his side could hold on.
If we can defeat Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui, we might be able to launch a counterattack against Great Liang, and then everything will be back to normal.
Just then, Zela returned from outside, her face filled with terror. "Your Majesty," she cried, "Everyone in Aksu's residence has vanished! Some of the servants have been silenced!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Ashina Tiandu had just breathed a sigh of relief, instantly flew into a rage.
The disappearance of a family at this point would undoubtedly prove that he betrayed Frostwest; otherwise, as the second-in-command, he wouldn't have moved his family members away so directly.
Damn it!
Ashina Tiandu and roared, "You, Aksu, how dare you treat me like this! I will make sure you die a horrible death!"
That bastard is utterly ungrateful! He was second only to the emperor, yet he actually sided with some nobody named Huo Qubing. It's just shameless!
Now he is filled with regret. He should have just killed him back then, otherwise he wouldn't be in this predicament.
In an instant, his anger erupted, and his hair seemed to stand on end.
Holy crap!
Kubo was just about to embark on a mission, froze, feeling as if a thousand curses were running through his mind. That old bastard Aksu actually surrendered! This is just too outrageous!
But now they're in trouble; the emperor probably wants to kill them.
Gritting his teeth, he said sternly, "Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance. If Aksu's crimes are thoroughly investigated, I suggest we follow the Great Liang dynasty and execute Aksu's entire clan, nine generations, as a warning to others!"
"Indeed, Aksu, as the leading minister, has acted in such a way; it is simply intolerable..." The other ministers couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to shift the blame. They couldn't afford to follow Aksu down this path.
Although the truth has not been fully investigated, it is probably quite close to the truth. Otherwise, there would have been a lot of people in Aksu's mansion, and the servants would have been killed. It is clear that they were trying to cover up their activities.
Ashina Tiandu, but ultimately didn't explode. He decided to resolve the immediate crisis first and settle the score later.