"They are indeed going to attack us."
The expression of the middle-aged man in black grew even more somber.
"Report this immediately. Use the fastest horse to send the intelligence back."
The middle-aged man in black commanded.
The shopkeeper immediately followed his orders and passed on the message.
The personnel responsible for relaying the message had already established their identities and connections, so sending the intelligence back was not a difficult task.
The fast horse galloped on the road for two full days and nights, carrying the message back to the State of Zhao.
When the news of the State of Yunyue preparing to attack arrived, the Emperor of Zhao was utterly bewildered.
"I didn't expect them to come so soon. Have our soldiers who went to cause trouble near Shuangyue City returned?"
The Emperor of Zhao anxiously asked the Prime Minister and the General before him.
The General sighed and replied, "Your Majesty, they have not returned. They have likely been imprisoned by the State of Yunyue."
The Emperor of Zhao was instantly enraged. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"It seems the State of Yunyue intends to have a full-blown war with us. Even if we wanted to be a shrinking turtle, they probably won't give us the chance."
"Quickly contact the State of Wei and ask them to send troops to our aid."
The Emperor of Zhao no longer cared about his pride. Many of their troops were occupied dealing with the State of Yan.
Furthermore, they were facing pressure from the Xiongnu, and now they had an additional adversary in the State of Yunyue.
The only neighboring country they had not yet antagonized was the State of Wei.
"But Your Majesty, will they really come?"
The General's face was etched with worry.
"They will come whether they want to or not."
"If we are conquered by the State of Yunyue, will the State of Wei be able to remain aloof?"
"The reason we went to war with the State of Yunyue in the first place was because we sent troops to attack them?"
"The State of Wei was also involved in our decision to send troops back then."
"If the State of Wei does not save us, they will be the next to suffer."
After speaking, a mocking smile appeared on the Emperor of Zhao's face.
A fast horse galloped from the State of Zhao to the State of Wei, and at the same time, intelligence from the State of Yunyue was also transmitted to the State of Wei.
The Emperor of Wei, who received the news sequentially, was also somewhat surprised.
"I didn't expect the State of Yunyue to mobilize so quickly. But fortunately, they are not attacking us, but the State of Zhao."
The Emperor of Wei felt a sense of relief, yet also suspicion.
If the Empress intended to send troops, why didn't she choose their State of Wei first?
This did not make sense. Under normal circumstances, the Empress should have attacked the State of Wei.
After all, it was their State of Wei that hosted the invitation for the Empress to search for the elixir of immortality and the realm of immortals last time.
Even if the Empress harbored hatred, it should have been directed at their State of Wei first.
Yet, the Empress was attacking the State of Zhao. Could there be some conspiracy behind this?
The Emperor of Wei looked at the Grand Eunuch before him, his face filled with inquiry.
"Is the news reliable? Is the State of Yunyue truly attacking the State of Zhao, and not us?"
The Grand Eunuch replied in a soft, effeminate voice, "Your Majesty, the authenticity of this matter can be largely confirmed."
"The State of Zhao received the news and immediately rushed to seek help. It is said that their spies in Shuangyue City have discovered troop movements."
"Our people have also bribed many high-ranking officials in the court of Yunyue. It can be confirmed that the consensus reached in their court discussions was to attack Zhao."
"It is said that many in the court leaned towards attacking our State of Wei, but Chu Chen, with his silver tongue, managed to reverse the direction."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Wei was greatly astonished. "I didn't expect this kid to have done something good for once. If Chu Chen hadn't attacked us, we wouldn't be in such a passive position."
The Emperor of Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Since this kid is so sensible, once we capture him, we will boil him slowly."
As he spoke, a smile bloomed on the Emperor of Wei's face, as if he had already captured Chu Chen.
The Grand Eunuch before him immediately let out a laugh.
"Your Majesty is right. If we capture this kid, we must truly show him what for, for daring to target our State of Wei."
Hearing this, the Emperor of Wei felt much more relaxed, as if the situation had suddenly improved.
"Send someone to tell the Emperor of Zhao that we cannot go to his aid at this moment. This cunning Chu Chen, what if he attacks our State of Wei?"
"We cannot afford to not send troops for defense. What if this kid uses a feint to draw away our forces, and we are finished?"
The Grand Eunuch nodded and said, "Your Majesty, but this is not a solution. The Emperor of Zhao will certainly not give up. He will definitely still want us to send troops. What should we do now?"
"Then delay. Keep delaying. In short, we must drag it out until the last moment."
The King of Wei said with a cold smile.
The King of Wei had already made his plans. Such matters were commonplace for him.
Having been on the throne for over a decade, he was accustomed to intrigue and deception. He had never cared about betrayal or mockery.
As long as his objectives could be achieved, he was willing to cast aside his pride.
Meanwhile, Chu Chen, in Shuangyue City, after finding Li Xinyue, was pestered by her to go out for a stroll.
Chu Chen had no choice but to agree. However, he still called upon the old God of War, Huo Qing.
Given the previous events, Chu Chen knew that Shuangyue City was not entirely safe at the moment, and there might still be hidden assassins.
With war imminent, he had to ensure his own safety.
However, Li Xinyue seemed somewhat unhappy. She had finally managed to go out with Chu Chen, only to have a follower tagging along.
Glancing back at the old God of War, Li Xinyue said with an unpleasant expression, "Chu Chen, why don't we let the old God of War rest? What could possibly happen to us within the imperial city?"
Chu Chen was taken aback, then shook his head. "Your Highness, this is for our safety. Let's not argue about this, alright?"
Li Xinyue nodded and agreed, but her expression remained somewhat displeased.
"I can agree not to fuss about this. By the way, you'll be leaving Shuangyue City soon. Let's go for a walk by the lake together."
Chu Chen considered for a moment and finally nodded, agreeing to Li Xinyue's simple request.
"Alright, Princess. Since you suggested it, I naturally cannot refuse. However, it might not be a good idea to board the boat like this, as we might be recognized. Let's change into casual clothes first before we go out."
Li Xinyue nodded upon hearing this. "Since you've agreed, I'll listen to you. By the way, how should we arrange for the old God of War?"
Chu Chen thought for a moment and smiled, "There are many people and eyes on the lake, and we don't know what might happen. We can board the boat one after another with the old God of War to ensure our safety."