My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

Ashina continued, his tone self-satisfied: "The entire Western Regions are now my territory."

He rode on that black horse, one hand casually resting on the reins, the other slowly drawing a half-circle in the air, as if gathering the entire coastline before him into his palm.

"Once you become citizens of the Western Regions, you are free to choose where you live. And as the king of the Western Regions, I will naturally protect you."

Ashina slightly raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over the group of disheveled people from the South China Sea in front of him, his voice steadily spreading out in the drizzle.

This is also a way of telling Fujiwara no Shujin that you can't escape.

After all, the entire Western Regions belong to him, and you people—no matter which direction you run—are all on his territory!

Fujiwara no Shujin's face immediately turned extremely ugly. His usually composed face, which had never lost its composure even in the storm, finally broke down—

The Western Regions have been unified?!

The situation is quite bad...

In his mind, the Western Regions had always been a collection of dozens of small states and countless small tribes.

They couldn't understand each other's languages, their writing systems were different, and the deepest hatred between them probably stemmed from wars that lasted for over a hundred years.

So he was just thinking that as long as he found a chance to break out, everything would be fine.

Although they couldn't return by sea, the Western Regions were a vast area with numerous small kingdoms, each governing itself. With tens of thousands of them scattered and hiding, they wouldn't be easy to find.

There's always a way to slip out, always a way to negotiate with the king of some small state for passage.

But now they're telling him that the Western Regions have been unified?!

What does the unification of the Western Regions mean?

This means that all the troops, all the passes, all the post stations, and all the horses in this land... are all under his control...

Wherever they go, they'll be right under this person's nose!

And this man, who was able to unify the Western Regions, is definitely no benevolent person!

Today, it seems things won't end well...

Ashina clearly noticed the subtle change in his expression. He then began to threaten:

"As for those who are not from our Western Regions—"

He straightened up, raised his hand from the horse's back, and made a very casual gesture as if to shoo something away.

"Our Western Regions do not welcome them! They are all invaders!"

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the faces of the South China Sea soldiers in the front row, and then over the nobles huddled together behind them.

"As for invaders, we'll break their arms and legs and throw them into the sea to feed the fish!"

Upon hearing this, many nobles in the South China Sea were so frightened that their legs went weak and they fell to the ground.

Terrified gazes converged from all directions, landing on the faces of their respective kings.

A minister from a small country, unable to stand due to leg weakness, simply used all four limbs to move to his king's feet, grabbed the king's soaked robe, and earnestly suggested, looking up at him:

"Your Majesty, why not just join the Western Regions? After all, we're already a vassal state in the South China Sea, so joining anyone doesn't really matter..."

More and more voices joined in, some ministers advising their own king against it, others unable to bear their own choice to join. The vast expanse of coastline that had been cordoned off suddenly became lively.

Fujiwara no Shūjin clenched his fist, his five fingers tightly pressed together under his sleeve, his knuckles making a very slight cracking sound, his nails digging into his palms, leaving crescent-shaped white marks.

He felt powerless for the first time in a long time. The last time was when he was driven out by Ye Fan during the invasion of the Great Flame Kingdom and had no choice but to sign a vassal state treaty...

Join us, and become the Emperor, the King of Japan, and the most powerful monarch in the South China Sea!

From then on, they would have to be subservient to others, kneeling and calling them "Your Majesty"—

How could he possibly accept this?!

But if he doesn't join, he can't escape...

The entire Western Regions have been unified. Even if he ordered his soldiers to break out at all costs, they wouldn't be able to escape the Western Regions...

As for the sea... going back now would be suicide!

All directions were blocked. He had only tens of thousands of exhausted soldiers, but in front of him were armored soldiers and swords poised to strike.

They were completely cornered...

Fujiwara no Shujin's clenched fists trembled slightly inside his sleeves, but he still didn't loosen them.

Ashina was a man of deep understanding of human nature.

He knew that a mere threat might actually provoke arrogance and fierce resistance from some powerful figures.

Unlike the vassal kings of those small states, who would soften at the slightest intimidation.

A monarch like Fujiwara no Shūjin, who personally conquered an empire, wielded real power.

Threats might only make them grit their teeth and resist to the end; even if they are subdued, the seeds of rebellion will remain in their hearts.

Ashina did not want the seeds of rebellion; he wanted these people to be truly loyal to him.

If coercion alone doesn't work, then add bribery!

So he relaxed his posture a bit and softened his tone, continuing, "As for the kings—as long as they lead their people to join the Western Regions, I, Ashina, will never treat them unfairly."

"In a large country like Japan, the king can be directly appointed as the prime minister—second only to the king, above all others."

Ashina specifically pointed to the Japanese kingdom.

This is not just a random example; it is an implication and a sign of sincerity.

He knew that Fujiwara no Shujin was the toughest nut to crack among this group, so he prepared the fattest cut for him—

Prime Minister.

A position second only to Ashina himself, a position that, in any country, would be the pinnacle of power that countless people would fight tooth and nail for.

He gave the position to Fujiwara no Shūjin not because he valued him, but because he needed him.

Fujiwara no Shūjin's prestige in the South China Sea is a golden brand; once you win him over, other countries will naturally follow suit.

Moreover, the Western Regions were his domain.

The title of prime minister is just that—a title. How much real power one wields is ultimately up to him!

But there's no need to tell them that.

Ashina ignored Fujiwara no Shujin's expression and continued speaking in a relaxed tone:

"Other kings may also be appointed as elders and have the right to participate in council meetings."

He paused deliberately, giving each king present time to fully consider his words. Then, he abruptly changed the subject: "But—!"

"Prime Minister, we already have one in the Western Regions, and we only need one more now. There are also only five vacancies for elders."

His gaze swept across the center of each protective ring, lingering particularly long on the smaller ones, and he said meaningfully:

"Everyone, hurry up! If you're too late, you'll miss this chance to soar to new heights."

Upon hearing this, some kings of small countries couldn't hold back their anger.

Their status and position are inferior to those of the kings of Japan and some medium-sized and large countries, and they are usually not allowed to speak first.

But Ashina's phrase "soaring into the sky" was like a feather, precisely scratching their most sensitive spot.

A middle-aged man dressed in a blue brocade robe was the first to step forward.

He was the king of a small country in the South China Sea, whose territory was a small island with a population of just over a thousand. When he was in the South China Sea, he didn't even have the right to participate in the South China Sea Conference.

His voice trembled with excitement. He raised his hands above his head and shouted shrilly toward Ashina, "Supreme King of the Western Regions! Your Majesty! I am willing! I am willing to lead my people to join the Devouring Flame!"