The Prodigal Son

Beiqi, Dabancheng.

Xiao Yanguang's battle report was also delivered to Empress Murong.

"waste!"

Empress Murong slammed the battle report on the table in anger, her face contorted with rage.

As long as Shengzhou is held, the situation will be excellent, but Yelü Shu insists on being clever for his own good.

They suffered heavy losses and also lost their supplies.

How could Beiqi have such a useless general?

Xiao Yanguang was the same. He knew that Yelü Shu was brave but reckless and ambitious, and was completely unfit for important tasks, yet he still entrusted such an important mission to Yelü Shu.

If Xiao Baoju had been allowed to lead troops to seize Shengzhou, this would never have happened!

We lost four states for nothing!

Empress Murong grew angrier the more she thought about it, wishing she could order someone to redeem Yelü Shu's corpse and whip it.

Just as Empress Murong's anger was rising, a female official led in a sprightly old man.

"My beloved teacher!"

Upon seeing Tuoba Liuyun, Empress Murong's face suddenly broke into a smile, and she quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Tuoba Liuyun bowed slightly in greeting.

"No need for such formalities, esteemed teacher! Please have a seat!"

Empress Murong invited Tuoba Liuyun to take a seat while ordering tea to be served.

"No need for tea!"

Tuoba Liuyun slightly raised his hand. "I have something urgent to tell His Majesty!"

Urgent?

Empress Murong's heart skipped a beat.

Is it about the northern ice fields?

It seems like something really bad is going to happen over there!

Empress Murong sighed inwardly and quickly dismissed her attendants.

After everyone in the hall had left, Empress Murong quickly sat down and asked, "Is the situation on the northern ice plains not optimistic?"

"The outlook is not optimistic!"

Tuoba Liuyun sighed with worry, "The situation over there is exactly as the prophet foretold. That gate probably won't last much longer..."

Empress Murong's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Master, how long do you think that gate can hold out?"

Tuoba Liuyun's face was full of worry. "We'll definitely make it through this winter, but the question is whether we can make it through next summer..."

Don't worry too much in winter.

The most worrying time is summer!

Based on his investigation, even if the door could barely hold out until next summer, it would most likely not last until the summer after next.

Empress Murong's heart tightened, and she asked again, "Has my master seen those monsters?"

"I can't see him."

Tuoba Liuyun shook his head slightly, "But I can hear some chilling sounds..."

He couldn't describe the sound.

It sounded like the howling of ten thousand ghosts, seemingly mixed with the sounds of bones being gnawed on.

He also tried going through that door to see what was on the other side.

But even though there was a door there, he couldn't get through it at all.

An invisible force kept him outside the door.

These things were far beyond his comprehension.

Right now, those voices are still very small.

According to the prophet's prophecy, the monsters' mobility will be greatly restricted during winter.

If it were summer, and someone stood next to that door, the sound would probably be a thousand times more terrifying than it is now.

He even suspected that the monster behind that door might be even more terrifying than the prophet's prediction.

In fact, it's something that human power simply cannot overcome.

To be on the safe side, we should try to get the other half of the Nine Dragons Pendant!

"I also want that half of the Nine Dragons Pendant!"

Empress Murong sighed with a worried expression: "But my master knows Ningren's attitude. If we want to get the Nine Dragon Pendant, we either have to force Ningren to compromise, or we have to pay a price that we can't afford to pay to get it from Ningren..."

"Fighting should be a last resort; we should try to avoid fighting if possible right now."

Tuoba Liuyun gently shook his head. "Let's find a way to talk to the Ning people! This is no longer just our problem!"

"Explain the pros and cons to the Ning people; I believe there are still some far-sighted individuals among them!"

"If the Ning people don't believe me, I can take them to see for themselves!"

"If my Northern Qi were to fall into an abyss of no return, the Ning people would certainly not fare any better..."

In the past, he would have absolutely agreed to go to war with the Ning people.

But after personally experiencing it, he no longer wanted to fight the Ning people.

Addressing the current crisis is the most important thing.

If Beiqi and Ningguo fight to the death, and those monsters break out, it will be a devastating disaster for both Beiqi and Ningguo.

It's true that Beiqi and Ningguo are mortal enemies, but at least they are of the same kind!

But the monster behind that door could never be one of their kind!

Hearing Tuoba Liuyun's words, Empress Murong lowered her head and began to ponder.

Even my mentor, who was always so competitive, said this?

It seems the situation may be worse than I imagined.

Ugh!

How should we talk to Ningren?

The people of Ning are always greedy, and once they know their predicament, they will surely make exorbitant demands.

If even the Nine Dragon Pendant doesn't work, and those monsters rush out, wouldn't the Ning people take advantage of the chaos to loot?

After much deliberation, Empress Murong finally made up her mind: "Then let's negotiate! We'll exchange the three prefectures north of Panjiang for the Ning people!"

Anyway, those three prefectures are not part of Beiqi's territory.

Moreover, their plan to occupy Shengzhou failed.

If the Ningjun navy continues to harass the Bozhou Bay after entering it, Yunzhou and Jizhou will never have peace.

Although she kept comforting herself, the thought of giving away those three states still pained her deeply.

It's all because of that stupid pig Yelü Shu!

If she hadn't lost 20,000 men and supplies, she probably wouldn't be in such pain.

"Let's talk!"

Tuoba Liuyun sighed softly, "Land lost can be taken back in the future! Gold and silver treasures given away can also be taken back in the future! But if those monsters break out, we may lose both people and land! Or even be completely annihilated!"

"I see."

Empress Murong let out a soft breath. "I will immediately send someone to the capital of Da Ning to try and..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

After pondering silently for a while, Empress Murong shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Forget it, I'll go to Yunzhou to talk to Qin Yu!"

"Talk to Qin Yu?"

Tuoba Liuyun looked at her in surprise, "How could Qin Yu possibly make such a big decision?"

Empress Murong said solemnly, "He may not be able to make the decision himself, but he can persuade Zhao Luan!"

"Um?"

Tuoba Liuyun narrowed his eyes slightly. "Your Majesty suspects Qin Yu and Zhao Luan of having an affair?"

"More or less!"

Empress Murong nodded slightly. "Moreover, although Qin Yu is despicable and shameless, he should be far more farsighted than ordinary people..."

Although she had received confirmation that the schemes against the Yan Kingdom were the work of Song Zhuo, she still firmly believed that they were the work of Qin Yu.

Those who can devise such schemes must be cunning enough and have enough foresight.

Actually, the best way would be for her to talk to Zhao Luan face to face outside Wuguan Pass.

But the possibility is too small!

It's more reliable to talk to Qin Yu.

"Then let's talk to Qin Yu!"

Tuoba Liuyun said no more, "I will accompany His Majesty on that trip, to prevent Ningren from causing any trouble!"

"Then I'll have to trouble you, my esteemed teacher!"

"Let's not talk about that! As long as we can get through this crisis, anything is negotiable."