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

No sooner had he finished speaking than the king of another small country stepped forward, his voice even louder: "I am willing too! Our country has over two thousand people, all of whom will obey Your Majesty's commands!"

One after another, people from other vassal states also stepped forward.

Anyway, as a vassal state, they had to obey the orders of the major powers when they were in the South China Sea.

Since that's the case, what difference does it make whose opinion we listen to?

Moreover, if we act quickly now, we can still secure a position as a council elder, and perhaps even become more prestigious than the former kings of great nations!

The sea breeze, carrying salty, fishy raindrops, swept over us, making the already stuffy air even more murky.

The encirclement was densely packed with people, and the colorful flags in the soldiers' hands were soaked by the rain, drooping on the flagpoles, making it impossible to distinguish who was who.

The kings of other medium and large-sized countries besides Japan could no longer hold back.

The prime minister was appointed to Japan, and they accepted it.

Japan is indeed the strongest country; even if they all joined forces, they might not be able to defeat him.

But surely they can't be left without even an elder position!

There were only five spots available, and with fewer and fewer spots remaining, some kings from medium and large-sized countries could no longer wait.

A tall, burly king with a full beard shoved aside the king of the small kingdom who was blocking his way, squeezed to the front, and shouted in a gruff voice:

"Our Javanese kingdom is also willing! As its king, I am willing to lead my 23,000 people to join the Western Regions!"

He originally wanted to wait and see, but there were only two or three elder seats left. If he waited any longer, he wouldn't even get a taste of the soup!

If you can't even become an elder...

Just imagine what the future holds! He'll even have to defer to the kings of those once-vassal states who knelt before him, never daring to raise their heads! It's an utter disgrace!

The king of another medium-sized or large country behind him also spoke quickly and urgently, as if afraid of being a step too slow.

"Your Majesty, our great nation of Yali, totaling 21,000 people, shall immediately submit to the Western Regions! I, as an elder, am willing to serve the Flame Devourer to the very end!"

Those who didn't manage to get a spot immediately started to panic.

Some people still tried to push forward, but the major powers realized that their soldiers were not to be trifled with and would not give them another chance.

They had no choice but to stand on tiptoe and crane their necks in the crowd, almost vying to speak, their voices overlapping, each shouting louder than the last, hoping that Ash would see them.

The once quiet beach suddenly became lively, and the atmosphere of unity formed among the countries in the South China Sea due to their joint escape was completely shattered by Ashina's few words.

The argument grew louder and louder.

The rain hitting their faces couldn't extinguish the kings' competitive spirit. They argued heatedly, their faces flushed, their earlier fear and the sudden allure of power burning away in an instant.

Some kings started criticizing the other party in their arguments, saying their country was too weak to be an elder; others started listing on their fingers the contributions their country had made to powerful nations...

Fujiwara no Shūjin listened to the intense arguments around him and slowly closed his eyes.

A drop of water trickled down his cheek and chin, indistinguishable as to whether it was rain or something else.

He knew that this time it was real, and all was lost.

If they wait any longer, he fears he might lose his position as prime minister. The King of the Western Regions was merely hinting at the situation to Japan and to him, but he did not say that the prime minister was indispensable.

As a king who had accomplished what so many of his predecessors had failed to do—unifying the Western Regions—his pride would not allow him to wait too long.

Moreover, he was certain that if he had delayed his statement even a moment longer, and if the King of the Western Regions had shown even the slightest intention of finding another prime minister—

Those kings of the great South China Sea powers who failed to secure the position of elder will definitely try every means to oust him from the throne!

Fujiwara no Shūjin closed his eyes, suppressing the surging resentment in his heart.

The fingers that had been tightly clenched in his sleeve finally loosened slowly, leaving several deep nail marks on his palm, but he could no longer feel the pain.

He finally spoke, though he tried his best to remain calm, but to little avail; his voice still trembled as it was forced out of his throat:

"The Emperor of Wa, Fujiwara no Shujin... led 46,000 people from Wa to join the Western Regions' Flame-Eating Kingdom."

After saying this, Fujiwara no Shūjin seemed to have had his last bit of support removed, and his shoulders slumped completely.

At that moment, a sudden gust of wind rose on the sea, tearing down a white flag with a red sun from the mast of the largest ship.

The flag fluttered a few times in the wind, then, like a bird with broken wings, stumbled and fell into the surging waves, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye...

Ashina burst into laughter.

Laughter burst from his chest, exploding in the damp air, loud and clear, full of exhilaration.

After laughing, he raised the reins in the air and spoke in a resounding voice:

"Very well, now that you've entered the Western Regions, I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

Ashina Chong's lieutenants waved their hands.

"Someone! Take our new citizens to the city and settle them down!"

Then he turned his head and looked at the pile of South China Sea kings, who had all fallen silent and were nervously awaiting their verdict.

After scanning the expectant faces, Ashina moved his finger and pointed out five people.

This includes the kings of the two small countries who spoke up first.

When the two were called, they could hardly believe their ears. They were overjoyed and even knelt down and kowtowed.

Then came the kings of the two largest nations who reacted the fastest: Java and Asia. The two kings clasped their hands in a respectful bow and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The last one was the king of a medium-sized country. Because he had the largest army, he managed to squeeze out the last place among the kings of the large countries.

These are the five council elders.

After selecting the elders, Ashina continued, "As for our new prime minister and the five elders, they will come with me to the palace for a meeting."

His voice carried an undeniable decisiveness. He clapped his hands and loudly ordered:

"Prepare carriages for the Prime Minister and the elders!"

Soon, soldiers bought wagons from the nearest town.

The carriage was specially made in the Western Regions. The body was made of iron birch wood, a local specialty that is drought-resistant, moisture-resistant, and hard. The wheels were covered with a ring of wrought iron, allowing it to travel smoothly on sandy and muddy ground.

The six people got in one by one, and the carriage started moving, following behind Ashina who was riding a horse.

Behind them were the original nobles and officials of the South China Sea, as well as a few commoners. The nobles, dressed in silk and satin, were walking on the wet sandy road, their boots and robes covered in mud.

Some people were still holding bundles they had brought from the ship; the cloth of the bundles was soaked through by the rain, and the color was patchy, with dark and light patches.

The long queue stretched along the winding sandy road like a slowly moving gray river, silently flowing towards the gray city standing on the horizon in the distance.

They were surrounded by a circle of accompanying soldiers, their armor plates gleaming coldly in the drizzle.