It doesn't matter what the lord is.

He didn't ask for any response from his kindness, but ended up like this. Did he really think that Yunhai was easy to bully?

However, Bai Feng did not launch an attack on Tiancheng in the end, because the old man Hualong persuaded him. Tiancheng is now clearly a quagmire. Once Yunhai's army is trapped in it, it will be difficult to get out. Don't forget that not long ago, Yunyang just launched a blitzkrieg against Yunhai. If Yunhai's army marches to Tiancheng, Lid might decide to use the same trick again in a fit of anger.

The situation was at a stalemate for a while, and at this time, Lord Huai Wang stood up and spoke.

"I think we should sit down and talk. Up to now, no territory can monopolize Tiancheng... or rather, Tiancheng is an unbearable burden for any territory. But God is merciful, and we can't abandon those hundreds of hungry people. Is there any way to solve this situation?"

In the letter sent to each lord, Lord Huai's tone was understated:

"The answer is actually very simple. Let's put aside our hatred for the time being and sit down to have a good talk. Since none of our territories can take over Tiancheng alone, why don't we divide Tiancheng into several areas and let each of us take one? The world is changing and there are disputes. Don't waste your energy on useless things. If the lords who received the letter are interested, why not send someone to Jufeng City to discuss important matters together."

11. Jufeng City Conference

Envoys from various territories gathered in Jufeng City.

The suggestion of the King of Huai was very attractive and reasonable. Since one territory could not take over Tiancheng, several families could come together to divide it. Although this kind of negotiation has always been that the strong eat meat and the weak drink soup, it is better to drink soup than to watch it, right?

The envoys from the two territories of Zhaoxin and Shenghe arrived first and waited outside the city lord's mansion. Jufeng City was the territory of Kaiser, the fourth son of the Huai King. However, after Kaiser's unexpected death a few years ago, this place was temporarily under the command of Kaiya, the prince of the Huai King. Normally, the prince would not be given a fiefdom, but this time the situation was special. Kaiya liked this city very much, and the Huai King did not give the city to anyone else.

Zhaoxin's envoy took the initiative to greet Shenghe's envoy, wanting to find out the other party's bargaining chips in this negotiation. Shenghe's territory was not ranked high, only two places higher than Zhaoxin, ranking 17th. However, there was a considerable gap between the lords of both sides: in the Tiancheng swamp, Lord Zhaoxin had just lost 20,000 soldiers because of his ambition, while Lord Shenghe had preserved his main force because of his cautiousness.

Therefore, Zhao Xin's envoy lowered his head at the beginning, bowed and said:

"I don't know what the negotiation will lead to... Given Tiancheng's current situation, fighting is definitely not appropriate. If we can really solve the problem through negotiation, it will be a great benefit to all people."

The envoy of Shenghe Territory glanced at him and said calmly:

"Yes, Tiancheng Territory has been ranked last for a long time. As the saying goes, among all the sufferings of the world, Tiancheng is the worst. I hope this negotiation can have a good result and let the people of Tiancheng escape from the sea of ​​suffering."

Although he said so, Shenghe's envoy laughed secretly in his heart. Zhaoxin had just suffered a loss in Tiancheng, and immediately placed his hopes on negotiation, but how could he get what he couldn't get on the battlefield at the negotiation table? Even if the Tiancheng matter was finally negotiated, Zhaoxin's territory would at most be divided into a few shabby cities, and they would not get any of the real good things.

In fact, Shenghe Territory is not much better than Xin Territory, but sometimes the contempt chain is often so strange. It is normal for the strong to despise the weak, but the weak often despise each other. Obviously, everyone is the same, but they still compete to distinguish themselves from each other in that tiny gap.

The two people's chat was soon interrupted by the arrival of another person.

The messenger from the sea of ​​clouds was summoned.

Speaking of Yunhai's messenger Lian Zhao, he is also a little famous in [Phoenix Wing]. In contrast to the old man Hualong, he is a teenager who looks too young. However, he has a maturity and stability that is completely inconsistent with his age. Although he is always smiling, his eyes are always calmly looking at the people around him.

As soon as the summons came, Sheng He and Zhao Xin's messengers immediately moved aside to leave a passage.

Lian Zhao walked to the door and knocked on it. The envoy from Zhaoxin Territory immediately wanted to remind him that it was still a little early for the agreed time, so why not wait together at the door for a while.

According to his idea, this "kind reminder" would allow him to have a few words with Yunhai's envoy, and maybe he could find out Yunhai's attitude. But he didn't expect that Lian Zhao only knocked on the door twice, and the door opened immediately. Yunhai's prince Kaiya walked out of the yard while tapping his palm with a folding fan, squinting his eyes and smiling:

"Young Master, you have arrived just in time. I have just finished preparing and am here to welcome you all."

Kaiya stretched out his hand, but without bending, he just made a dry "please" gesture. The envoys of the three territories entered the city lord's mansion, but their faces had different expressions: Envoy Yunhai still had a fake smile, Envoy Shenghe had a blank expression, and Envoy Zhaoxin secretly clenched his fists.

The envoy of Zhaoxin Territory then remembered that Yunhai ranked seventh among the thirty-six territories of Yongtian, five places higher than the territory of King Huai. It was obvious that Kaiya had been prepared for a long time, but deliberately left them out until the envoy of Yunhai arrived and then went out to greet him in person.

However, his attitude towards the Yunhai messenger was not respectful at all, so there must be something fishy going on.

There was a table in the room, Kaiya sat at the head of the table, and Lian Zhao sat opposite him. On both sides sat the envoys from Shenghe and Zhaoxin. Kaiya was drinking tea, and was obviously not in a hurry to start the negotiations. He just casually asked Zhaoxin's envoy some questions:

"There are only about 200,000 troops left in Zhaoxin Territory now. Excluding the standing troops stationed at the pass, there are only about 60,000 to 70,000 troops that can be used to fight for Tiancheng. One-third of them died in an instant. It's really heartbreaking... I wonder if the envoy knows the inside story. What happened inside Tiancheng?"

The envoy from Zhaoxin Territory suppressed his resentment and anger, put on a smiling face, and told the news brought back by the surviving soldiers.

Kaia didn't seem to care that much. After listening absentmindedly, he smiled and said:

"The strong prey on the weak, which is the way of nature. However, people have empathy and cannot abandon their own kind. Lord Zhaoxin is still willing to help the world even though he is not well-off. This is admirable. But when the envoy returns, he must give him some good advice - helping others is about doing what you can, and you can't drag yourself into it just because you are helping others."

The envoy from Zhaoxin Territory was stunned for a moment, then nodded stiffly and looked away indignantly.

He could clearly hear the hidden meaning of Kaia's words - Zhao Xin was not strong enough, and he could not chew more than he could chew, so he could not expect to get anything good. Although the words were said in a tactful way, the meaning was conveyed clearly.

Kaiya blew the tea in the cup, then looked at the envoy from Shenghe Territory, and his tone softened:

"I met Prince Shenghe at the last gathering, and heard him talk about the deeds of Lord Shenghe. The Shenghe family has talented people from generation to generation, which is enviable. I heard that in history, Shenghe Territory once took over 18 cities in Tiancheng, but had to give them back due to pressure from the royal family. I think Shenghe Territory should still be brooding over this matter. How about we put an end to this unpleasant past this time?"

The envoy from Shenghe Territory also nodded, but looked much calmer than the envoy from Zhaoxin Territory.

The eighteen cities in the northernmost part of Tiancheng were looted by Shenghe once before, and now they are extremely dilapidated and uninhabited. But being able to take back these cities intact is of great significance to Shenghe. Kaiya gave them this favor, mostly because Shenghe's territory still has the strength to fight, and Shenghe's envoys will not ask for too much.

Finally, Kaiya's sight fell on Lian Zhao, the Cloud Sea Messenger.

Lian Zhao raised his eyebrows and said with a smile:

"Since you are the host, why don't you tell me. The world knows that Yunhai is rich. How many poor people do you plan to assign to Yunhai to take care of?"

12. Things are changing

Kaiya looked at Yunhai Messenger Lian Zhao, put his folding fan on the table, crossed his fingers and said:

"Since Yunhai is willing and able to help the people of Tiancheng, we naturally cannot let you down. I heard that Yunhai is looking for a way to break out. The cities in the south of Tiancheng were originally important transportation routes, but now they have been abandoned for a long time. If Yunhai can help take care of them, it would be great."

Lian held a press conference and said:

"That's no problem. We at Yunhai started out as a business, so we are familiar with doing business. However, this business requires capital, so we can't just work for nothing."

Kaiya's eyes flashed with displeasure, but he did not show it, and continued to smile and said:

"The Tiancheng nobles have been plundering people's wealth for hundreds of years, especially the Tiancheng lord's family, which is still very wealthy. All of this is the people's fat and blood. I'm going to give one third of it to Yunhai. I wonder if it can be considered capital?"

Lian Zhao pretended to think for a while and replied:

"The roads need to be repaired, the city needs to be rebuilt, the people need to be appeased, the bandits need to be suppressed... This investment is not small. I heard that the prince of Huai has always been kind and righteous, and he certainly can't bear to see the people living in the open and homeless."

Kaiya picked up the fan from the table again and tapped his palm lightly.

The envoys of Zhao Xin and Sheng He both took a deep breath, their eyes moving back and forth between Kaiya and Lian Zhao, looking like they were just watching a show.

Kaia smiled and said:

"Yunhai doesn't need this little money, young sir. And since you are good at doing business, you should know that the input and the return are equal."

Lian Zhao replied:

"Business is not about equal exchange, but about making a lot of money. We don't want to get something for nothing. We will do what we should do, but we will also try our best to get what we should get."

To be fair, the envoys of Zhaoxin Territory were eager for the two to fight, because once Yunhai gained the strategic route to the south of Tiancheng, they might be the ones to suffer. Although Zhaoxin was not one of the fifteen territories announced by the royal family, it was already on the edge of danger, so the envoys of Zhaoxin frowned and thought of a plan to disrupt the situation.

But Kaiya just glanced at him, who was about to speak but hesitated, and said to Lian Zhao:

"Okay. Young sir, why don't you tell me what you want?"

Lian Zhao replied:

"As a major transportation route, it naturally needs a city to protect it. Otherwise, it will be exposed to the outside and will be attacked by others. We hope to help take care of the people in the thirty cities in the southern part of Tiancheng, plus 40% of the wealth of the lord's mansion as a subsidy."

Kaia tapped the table with his fan:

"Twenty-five. Yunhai must have a lot of things to do, and we can't put the task of saving the people from danger on your territory alone. This is too unfair to you."

Lian Zhao recalled the Tiancheng map he had seen before coming here, and immediately understood Kaiya's intention. Even though only five cities were lost, there were still many mines in those five cities that were being mined, and a large amount of wealth was lost. However, he also knew that this was the bottom line of the Huaiwang Territory. Since they organized this game, they naturally wanted to get the biggest share, and Yunhai's main opponent now was not the Huaiwang Territory. As long as they could keep that important transportation route, everything else would be a waste of money.

Lian Zhao then cupped his hands and said to Kaia:

"Your Excellency, the Crown Prince is so righteous. Since the Huaiwang Territory is also willing to help Tiancheng get back on the right track, then we will naturally obey your orders. Let's do as you say, and congratulate you for accomplishing such a great thing before the New Year. It is a blessing for the people of Huaiwang Territory to have such a talent as your Excellency."

Kaiya narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and said with a smile:

"No, I just can't stand the hardship in the world and want to do something. I am also responding to the call of the royal family and helping the poor majority as much as possible."

The envoys from the two territories of Zhao Xin and Sheng He stood up quickly, bowed to Kaia, and said in unison:

"Your Excellency, the Crown Prince is so righteous!"

After saying this, the envoy from Zhaoxin Territory added:

"Then we... sign an agreement?"

Kaia picked up the teacup on the table, drank a sip of the already cold tea, and said to the maid standing beside him:

"Go get a hot pot."

Then he said to the messenger of the heart:

"No hurry, some people haven't come yet."

The messenger of Zhaoxin looked around and finally realized:

"Yes, where is Yunyang's messenger?"

Shenghe's envoy said:

"He's probably on his way. I heard that Lord Yunyang is young and energetic, so he probably wants us to wait for his envoy instead of having his envoy wait for us."

The maid came in and poured Kaiya a cup of tea. She also brought a few drafted documents and distributed them to everyone present. Kaiya drank his tea leisurely, while the others cast their eyes on the documents in their hands. Everyone was stunned for a moment. In addition to the allocations to each family, this document also reserved a copy for Yunyang. Of course, Yunyang's copy was pitifully small, only the five cities west of Tiancheng.

Moreover, their share was larger than what was discussed earlier. Even Zhaoxin Territory was allocated twelve cities, far exceeding the expectations of Zhaoxin Envoy. The young envoy could not help but smile. Shenghe's envoy looked at Kaiya twice more, silently admiring him: Kaiya probably guessed that Yunyang's envoy would be late - maybe he even notified Yunyang later than the meeting started, and then distributed the benefits before Yunyang's envoy arrived, so that Zhaoxin, Shenghe and Yunhai were on the same front with Huaiwang Territory, and only Yunyang would suffer.

Yunhai Envoy Lian Zhaoze looked at the documents placed on the empty seat, thinking about how to break the deadlock if he encountered this situation.

Kaia drank his tea leisurely.

One cup after another.

Everyone in the room had their own thoughts, and then they became impatient, and then they only had one thought in their hearts: No, where are the people from Yunyang? ?

Half a morning had passed, Kaiya frowned and put down the teacup, and saw a guard walk in and whispered:

"Your Excellency, the envoy from Yunyang..."

Kaia narrowed his eyes and asked:

"Yunyang's envoy has arrived?"

The guard showed a complicated expression and replied:

"No. Just now a merchant from Yunyang said he was on the orders of their lord and came by to deliver a message. The Yunyang envoy is not planning to come."

The messenger Zhao Xin stood up instantly and said in a lost voice:

"how is this possible?"

Kaiya raised his hand to stop him and said to the guard:

"What else did he say? If you don't plan to come, there must be a reason."

The guard glanced at the people present, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and whispered:

"The reason is, yes, there is one... Lord Yunyang said that they don't have the habit of sharing their prey with others."

Kaiya slammed the folding fan in his hand heavily on the table, frightening the guard and saying:

"Don't be angry, my lord. I will go and catch that merchant right away..."

But in fact, no one paid any attention to what the guard said. The messenger from the Territory of Zhaoxin shouted angrily:

"He has such a loud voice!"

The envoy from Shenghe Territory also frowned and said:

"Without our help, they can take down Tiancheng? Isn't this nonsense?"

The Yunhai messenger did not say anything, but just looked at Kaiya with a forced smile, and then looked at the document left for Yunyang on the table.

Kaiya opened his narrowed eyes and looked at the documents at hand. After a long while, he finally calmed down and said to the others present:

"That Lid is simply courting his own destruction... Well, if he doesn't sign, we'll just sign. You've all seen the situation in Tiancheng, and Yunyang, a mere jerk, can't make any waves."

The messengers of Zhao Xin and Sheng He picked up the pens, but for some reason they were no longer in the mood they had at the beginning. The operations that had just been conducted under the banner of justice seemed to have become a laughing stock in an instant. Some people were worried about the gains and losses of something that had no meaning at all, while others were unwilling to even come.

Yunhai Envoy Lian Zhao smiled, signed his name on the document, and then rubbed his shoulders and said:

"Since some people didn't come, it looks like we'll have to adjourn the meeting early this time. I didn't get enough rest last night because I had a bad acclimatization, so I won't stay long."

Kaia stood up and said:

"I'll take the young master back to the inn."

Lian Zhao walked to the door, looked up, and said to Kaiya:

"No need, Your Excellency, just stay. It looks like things are going to change... Your Excellency, remember to be prepared."

13. Siege

Yunyang-Tiancheng border line.

Lid hugged a soldier's neck affectionately, pointed to the city wall in the distance, and asked: