"I'll give you two choices," the princess said, smiling at Tian Heng's grave expression. "I have a batch of medicine here that can greatly enhance the soldiers' potential. Dealing with those weakened Buddha shouldn't be a problem, and at least clearing out Jiangnan shouldn't be an issue. You don't want yourselves to be constantly interfered with by that Buddha Kingdom, do you?"
"Medicine?" Tian Heng said calmly, "With such miraculous effects from the Princess's medicine, there must be side effects, right?"
"What can be without side effects?" the princess said with a smile. "But often we have to know how to make choices. The side effects are indeed significant, and may even deplete the soldiers' potential, energy, and even lifespan. But these are extraordinary times. How can there be no deaths in war? Let alone something as trivial as medicine."
"Furthermore, if I remember correctly, you can directly control Samsara, right? In that case, why not offer some benefits? Soldiers who are willing to use the medicine will receive better arrangements in their next life, or even a proper position in the Underworld. I think there should be many willing to do that, right?"
Tian Heng: "."
Isn't this equivalent to a pre-war suicide squad?
This is no good news. Everyone in the West Sea Army wants a better future in the military and wants to earn merit; nobody wants to go and die so soon. And for some reason, he has a feeling that if he takes that drug, the consequences will be severe.
"May I ask, Your Highness, what is the second option?" Tian Heng asked cautiously, frowning.
"The second option is this: since General Tian is neither confident in eradicating the Buddhist temples nor distrustful of my ability to defend the city, why don't I lead my troops to Jiangnan and take care of those temples for you?"
Tian Heng's lips twitched. What was the difference between this and simply handing over Jiangnan to him? If he led his troops back himself, given the city defenses of Jiangnan's major cities, coupled with gatekeepers and various magical formations, even if the imperial army managed to conquer it, they would suffer heavy losses. But if he simply sent him to Jiangnan, wouldn't that be like throwing good money after bad?
"Your Highness, can't we wait a little longer?" Tian Heng asked in a pleading tone.
He didn't really know what would happen next, but Wang Ye said that Chen Qing would have a plan, so all he had to do was stall for time.
"We can't wait," the eldest princess shook her head. "You've seen the power of the Buddha Kingdom. If this continues, its foundation will inevitably be shaken. When I arrived, many Buddhist temples in the capital had already begun to exert their influence. We must use swift and decisive measures to eradicate them. Aren't you worried that your people in Jiangnan might also be misled? Unless... Jiangnan has already cooperated with the Buddha Kingdom!"
As she said this, a tear flashed in the princess's eyes. Though it was only fleeting, the terrifying pressure instantly made Tian Heng's breath catch in his throat.
In just a moment, he knew that the princess could kill him at this distance without giving him any chance to retaliate, and the same would be true on the battlefield!
"Your Highness is carrying quite a heavy burden," Tian Heng said coldly. "I dare not accept it."
"It's best if you don't dare to accept." The eldest princess said with a half-smile, "Your Underworld in Jiangnan directly controls Samsara, making it a perfect match for that Buddha Kingdom. If we hadn't already known about Chen Qing's actions, we probably would have thought so immediately."
Tian Heng's face stiffened, and he could only force a smile, saying, "Your Highness is joking."
The other party is putting you in a difficult position, and their reasoning is quite legitimate: they suspect you of colluding with the Buddha Kingdom. If you insist on not taking any action, then you are colluding with the Buddha Kingdom!
Once a legitimate reason is found, the alliance can be torn up and action taken directly.
After taking a deep breath, Tian Heng said in a low voice, "Could I consider it?"
"Consider?" The eldest princess took a step closer and smiled, "Isn't General Tian Heng the undisputed leader of the West Sea Army? If he needs to go back to consider things now, it's not because he wants to consult with someone, is it?"
"Shouldn't we discuss this with the deputy general first?" Tian Heng said with a smile. "After all, this is a big matter, and if we want to return to Jiangnan, we need to send a message Jiangnan first. Otherwise, if we rashly lead the troops back, the Shen Family might suspect that I have betrayed them."
"That makes sense," the Princess smiled. "Then I'll give General Tian an hour to consider. I'll wait here at the gate. I urge General Tian to act quickly."
"Yes"
--
"Bring troops back to reinforce?" Wang Ye was slightly taken aback when he heard the news Tian Heng brought back.
His brows furrowed immediately. "You mean, she sent you a batch of medicine and asked you to take your troops back to consult the Buddhist temple?"
"That's true," Tian Heng said in a low voice, "That woman doesn't know what she wants, and that medicine is probably not simple."
"That medicine must be from the Daoist School." Wang Ye glanced outside. " The Daoist School should have already contacted the Eldest Princess and the King of Qin. This medicine was probably given to us by the Daoist School sect. The Eldest Princess is using you as test subjects."
"To conduct an experiment?"
"Forcibly swallowing you up would come at a huge cost, so the best way is to weaken you. That medicine has side effects; forcing you to fight the Buddhist temple is weakening your forces. When the time is right, she can naturally lead her soldiers to take over Jiangnan in one fell swoop!"
"So what do we do now? Take forceful action?"
"Are you confident you can beat her?" Wang Ye asked curiously.
Tian Heng's lips twitched; Wang Ye's words were truly unpleasant.
If I were confident I could beat her, would she have waited until now?
"If I had known the Princess would arrive so quickly, I would have been confident I could have taken care of Lan Shang and the Princess together, given Ao Zhen's strength. But not now. I don't even have 40% of my previous fighting power. Let alone defeating her, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to protect myself amidst a vast army."
"So it seems like it's one-sided. What else is there to say?" Wang Ye frowned and said, "Of course you take the medicine and leave. If you resist, she'll take action right now, and she'll have a perfectly legitimate reason."
"But just as you said, she's wearing me down."
"Just stall," Wang Ye laughed. "Once you accept the mission and return to Jiangnan, you'll have the protection of several major cities Jiangnan. The enemy can't really attack. As for the matter of purging the Buddhist School, you can take your time."
Tian Heng nodded upon hearing this. "That's what I think too, but this pass is extremely important. If the other side lets the Heavenly Python in, without the Blazing Yang Grand Formation, those burrowing Heavenly Python will be in great trouble."
"She won't do that," Wang Ye shook his head. "What the eldest princess wants is a complete Jiangnan, not a ruined Jiangnan. The Central Plains now riddled with holes, and the north is barren, teeming with demons. Most of the population is concentrated in Jiangnan and the four prefectures of the capital. If Jiangnan is ravaged by the Heavenly Python again, the human population will probably be less than 10 billion."
"Population is the hope for the future. The eldest princess will not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Both she and His Majesty the Emperor are ambitious people and would not do such a thing."
"But dragging this out isn't a solution. How much longer will the Lord's plan take? And if the Lord's plan succeeds, will it resolve the current crisis?"
"Well..." Wang Ye didn't know what to say for a moment. Chen Qing's plan was to activate the supercomputer and create super life forms that could receive Dao Fruit, but after all, the number of supercomputers was limited, and the number of super life forms that could be produced was also limited.
It's unrealistic to expect those few capable individuals to turn the tide in this situation.
I have no idea what Chen Qing is planning.