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

Fujiwara no Shujin observed all of Ashina's reactions during the council meeting.

These few people from the South China Sea are like mere decorations in a council.

Whenever they spoke, Ashina would simply nod perfunctorily, his gaze sweeping over them without leaving a trace.

He immediately turned to the left, his face regaining its focused expression, and his voice becoming more serious: "What does the Prime Minister of the Dashi Barbarian Kingdom think?"

Their attitude of disregarding them became increasingly obvious and undisguised.

At first, they would at least pretend to ask the people on the right, "What do you all think?" But now they skip that question altogether, completely ignoring their opinions, as if those seats on the right were never meant to be.

Fujiwara no Shūjin had a premonition that when the Great Flame Reaper was defeated and rewards were distributed, it would be the end of their official careers. After all—positions had to be vacated eventually.

After another council meeting, Ashina kept Dashiman and three other elders from the Western Regions behind, while the others filed out of the council hall.

This was an afternoon meeting, and it was already getting late outside the hall.

The setting sun sank behind the west side of the palace wall, revealing only an orange-red semicircle. The afterglow filtered through the carved window lattices, dividing the corridor into a pattern of alternating light and shadow.

The lanterns in the palace corridors were lit one by one by the servants. The candlelight flickered gently behind the silk lampshades, and the warm yellow light spread out in circles of blurry reflections on the stone floor in the shadows.

Fujiwara no Shūjin was among the last few, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the two former kings and elders of the small South China Sea Kingdom following behind him, their steps light and their mouths grinning foolishly.

His lips twitched, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Two people had appeared beside him without his noticing; they were the former kings of Java and Yali.

The Javanese king's eyes no longer held their usual roughness and recklessness; instead, a rare hint of solemnity appeared.

The polite smile that King Yali once wore on his face had vanished completely, replaced by a somber and melancholic expression.

After leaving the palace, the three of them slowed down their pace without prior arrangement.

After the two elders, who were so carefree they even started discussing dinner, had gone far away, they walked side by side into a pavilion.

The pavilion is not large, with upturned eaves at all four corners. A bell covered in verdigris hangs under the eaves, making a dull sound or two when the wind blows.

The three leaned against the stone railing, with the afterglow of the setting sun behind them.

The sun had sunk so low that only a sliver remained, and the colors of the sky resembled a spilled bowl of dye, with various hues mixed together, their boundaries indistinguishable.

A few wisps of clouds hung on the horizon, burned to a dark red by the last rays of the setting sun.

The rain in the Western Regions has stopped today. Only the puddles on the ground reflect the sunlight, creating a shimmering expanse.

But the flames continued to fall.

According to the latest intelligence discussed in parliament, migrants have begun to appear in cities along the river and coast.

It's only a matter of time before we attack the Great Flame.

They turned their heads and all saw the same worry in the eyes of the three people—

Such high positions without real power are like castles in the air; they will collapse at the slightest breeze.

They can't just sit here and wait to die; they have to do something!

Fujiwara no Shūjin beckoned the rulers of Java and Yashiro to come closer.

The three people huddled together under the pavilion, the setting sun casting long, slanted shadows of them. The three dark shadows stretched down the stone steps of the pavilion and all the way to the end of the path.

As both are major powers in the South China Sea, Fujiwara no Shūjin knew a lot about the two men, so it would be best to bring them along on this matter.

After hearing this, the King of Java was taken aback at first, then nodded vigorously and said in a low, gruff voice, "I'll listen to you."

The Great Lord of Yashiro was silent for a moment, his eyes darting around on his thin face, before he nodded very slightly: "Alright! Let's do it!"

As the three words were uttered, the last rays of sunlight sank below the horizon.

Dusk enveloped them from all directions, and the three faces in the pavilion disappeared into its shadow, leaving only six eyes shining like six stars in the night.

……

After the morning meeting that day, Ashina, as usual, kept Dashiman behind and waved for the others to leave.

Apart from Fujiwara no Shujin and the other two elders, the other elders were already used to this procedure. After bowing, they lined up and quietly withdrew.

The elders of those small countries in the South China Sea were even more eager for the meeting to end soon so they could go back and enjoy themselves.

Neither Fujiwara no Shūjin nor the elders of Java Yari University left.

The three stood up. Fujiwara no Shūjin straightened the collar of his robe, took two steps in the opposite direction from the group of elders, and stood still to bow.

"I have something to report to the two elders regarding the attack on the Great Flame."

Ashina Dian Dian.

News of torrential rain and heavy flames has been coming in for the past few days, and the water level of the Fengjiang River has risen again. Small-scale riots by starving people have occurred in several counties in the southeast.

He was indeed preparing for an attack, after all, time was of the essence, the torrential rain would stop at any time, and after the flood, there would almost be an epidemic.

That will be the best time to attack!

There's an old saying in the Central Plains, "Strike while the iron is hot," which is probably what he's trying to do now.

However, Wang Meng had far more soldiers than them and possessed powerful weapons. If it weren't for the internal strife and natural disasters, they would have had no chance of winning.

Even if they are in disarray now, they should carefully consider their attack plan. They must come up with a foolproof strategy; haste makes waste.

After all, this is very likely their only chance! One wrong step and they'll lose everything!

So even if Ashina didn't think much of them, since they had ideas, he might as well listen and see what happens.

He lowered his hand, leaned back on the throne, and gestured with his chin for the elders who had stopped to watch him at the door to leave first, leaving only Fujiwara and the other two, along with Dashiman.

The remaining three elders of the South China Sea King left, looking completely bewildered.

Watching the three figures, once leaders of the South China Sea, recede into the distance, a sense of unease arose in their hearts.

Why were only the three of them left behind? Did something happen?

But no one gave them the answer, so they could only leave with a belly full of doubts and unease, returning to the elders' quarters assigned to them by Ashina.

The bright midday sun shone on the mottled murals on the wall, and the mythical beasts painted with cinnabar and malachite seemed to come alive under the light, baring their fangs and brandishing their ferocious faces.

It also seemed like some kind of ominous premonition...

After everyone had left, Ashina leaned back on the throne, his eyelids half-closed, his gaze peering through the gaps in his eyelashes, scrutinizing Fujiwara no Shojin and the others.

One hand rested on the armrest, the index finger tapping lightly on the tanned leather covering, producing a very faint thumping sound: "Speak, does Prime Minister Chou Ren have any brilliant ideas?"

Fujiwara no Shūjin first performed a Western Regions greeting with great care.

Then he straightened up, his back straight, his chin slightly tucked in, his gaze level with the front, neither humble nor arrogant: "I wouldn't call it a brilliant insight, but I do have a suggestion."