The vast armies of Yusheng were drawing closer, but the warriors of Beirong had been reduced to cornered rats. If the former Dugu Man was a demon of death, then Nangong Yu was truly a living Yama!
Wherever he went, victory was assured, and all was conquered. Those who surrendered obediently were allowed to keep their lives, while those who stubbornly refused were inevitably cut down by the Silver Armor Army.
While the Beirong royal court was still in heated debate over who to align with, Yelü Heng had already secretly led his personal guards towards the border of Wuyue country, as most of his forces were concentrated in that region.
"Your Highness, we're just leaving like this?"
"What, do you want to perish with Beirong?" Yelü Heng raised an eyebrow. "If you wish to perish with Beirong, I will not stop you."
"Your subordinate does not mean that. Your subordinate simply feels that it is somewhat inappropriate for us to leave like this?"
Yelü Heng looked into the distance, his brows deeply furrowed, and spoke with a sigh, "If we don't leave now, we won't be able to. Nangong Yu and Xiao Man are in league. Nangong Yu alone is difficult enough to deal with, and now there's Xiao Man. You know what kind of person Xiao Man is—ruthless to the extreme. I gained no advantage from her, and I can imagine that Yun Qi, the Young Emperor, is also in dire straits."
"But Wuyue country has the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry..." the attendant said cautiously, as they had suffered heavy losses and significant defeats at the Wuyue border. If they were to offend Wuyue country again, their lives would likely be in peril.
"So what if Wuyue country has the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry? This prince is not going to Wuyue country to cause trouble," Yelü Heng snorted coldly. "This prince wants more than just the small Wuyue country."
"Your Highness, what do you want?"
"The Pre-Qin Treasure." A wolf-like glint appeared in Yelü Heng's eyes. With the Pre-Qin treasure, which held immense wealth, why would he worry about his ambition to rise again? At that time, using the Pre-Qin treasure, rebuilding his homeland would be no problem. The key was that he had to preserve his forces and find the treasure!
"You mean the Pre-Qin treasure that was all the rage a while ago?" the attendant asked with confusion. "Does such a thing truly exist?"
"If it doesn't exist, why would so many people be searching for it?" Yelü Heng said calmly. "I investigated. Pre-Qin did indeed collect rare treasures from all over the world. When Pre-Qin fell, those treasures disappeared. It is said that Pre-Qin had long foreseen its demise and hid all these treasures, awaiting the day of resurgence. Now that the treasure map has appeared, the crucial part is to find the location of the real treasure vault."
"So, Your Highness's departure from Beirong is not a retreat due to fear, but a strategic withdrawal?"
Yelü Heng said with a straight face, "Of course. When the opponent is too strong, we cannot fight head-on; we can only outsmart them. As the saying goes, 'As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn.' If the Beirong royal family is wiped out, that would be a true demise of the nation. As long as one member of the Beirong royal family survives, it is not considered a lost kingdom!"
The attendant was persuaded by Yelü Heng's words and loyally followed him towards the Wuyue border.
However, fate did not favor them. Before they could reach the Wuyue border, Zhan Tianque attacked with his men. The assault was fierce, and within a few days, they had captured three cities. With the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry in front and the Silver Armor Army behind, Yelü Heng and his group were caught in the middle, in a dilemma.
In the Silver Armor Army camp, Wen Ruyu, clad in armor, had shed his dissolute demeanor and displayed a calm composure befitting a soldier.
"Your Majesty, why don't we press on with the victory?"
"We cannot cross the line," Nangong Yu said calmly. "Moving further would mean stepping into Wuyue's territory."
"Does Your Majesty not intend to take Wuyue country?" Wen Ruyu asked, puzzled. After all, Wuyue country was now a crucial stronghold for trade routes, a necessary passage. Taking Wuyue would mean controlling the vital artery of trade, and all future trade would have to be at their command.
Nangong Yu raised his eyebrows and looked at Wen Ruyu. "Do you think I have no brains, or do you think Xiao Man has no brains?"
Wen Ruyu faltered. "Your subordinate did not mean that. Your subordinate simply felt that taking Wuyue country would bring us nothing but benefits."
Nangong Yu shook his head. "Ruyu, remember this: anything that belongs to Xiao Man, whether it is a person or an object, do not lay a hand on it. Otherwise, the consequences will be beyond your ability to bear."
"Your Majesty still protects her." Wen Ruyu felt indignant. Previously, Xiao Man had betrayed Yusheng and nearly cost His Majesty his life, yet His Majesty still remembered their past affections and showed her leniency at every turn.
"She is my woman. Is it not natural for me to protect her?"
"Your Majesty, this is merely your wishful thinking. She doesn't acknowledge any relationship with you at all!"
These words were a bit cutting. Nangong Yu shot Wen Ruyu a glare. "Have you been too idle lately? Do you want to find something to do?"
Wen Ruyu pouted, not daring to retort further. Besides, he had come to see Nangong Yu for another matter. "Your Majesty, there have been rumors circulating about the Pre-Qin treasure recently. We..."
"Pay no attention."
"But that is the Pre-Qin treasure! It is said that the Pre-Qin treasury collected rare treasures from all over the world, and any single item is priceless. If we could obtain the Pre-Qin treasure, why would we worry about not being able to unify the world?"
Nangong Yu glared at Wen Ruyu. "Which country's founding emperor bought their empire with money?"
"It's not about buying with money. With money, one can recruit soldiers, purchase better weapons and equipment, and..."
"Do I lack money?" Nangong Yu asked abruptly. As the dignified emperor of a nation, did he lack money? Why should he trouble himself over a vague legend?
"Your Majesty, do you even know if you lack money or not?" Wen Ruyu asked in surprise. "Yusheng cannot be considered wealthy. You know, when Xiao... the Blue Moon Empress left Yusheng, how much gold and silver did she take? And Shangguan's family controls forty percent of Yusheng's businesses!"
"In that case, she is the wealthiest now."
"Isn't she?" Wen Ruyu said hastily. "Look at yourself, you fought on the battlefield to establish your position and gained your current status. But look at the Blue Moon Empress. She relied on her wealth and followers to easily ascend to the throne of the Blue Moon Empress, and she even suppressed the five princesses of Blue Moon so much that they dared not even exhale. Both are emperors, but your emperorship is truly too stifling compared to hers!"
"I am stifled?"
"Very stifled."
"Then how can I not be stifled?" Nangong Yu asked with amusement. How could he not know that he, the emperor, was stifled?
"Find the Pre-Qin treasure, then take the rare treasures within it to the Blue Moon Empress, and use money to buy her out! Buy Blue Moon with money!"
"Get out, get as far away as you can!"