Just as Kim Seung-man was secretly calculating the benefits of cooperating with Goguryeo, Kim Yu-shin, the Silla minister standing below, coughed loudly.

"Your Majesty, it's lunchtime. You should invite Shichen from Goguryeo to dine with you!"

Upon hearing this, Kim Seung-man immediately showed a look of realization.

"Oh oh oh..."

"I understand!"

"Guards, take Yuan Nan to the kitchen first. I will arrive shortly after..."

"promise!"

As the palace maid led Yeon Nam-saeng to the dining hall, Kim Seung-man also stepped down from the throne and personally took Kim Yu-shin's hand.

“Yi Chi Can, we are all blood relatives. Please speak frankly, and I will listen carefully.”

Kim Seung-man's use of the term "blood relatives" was no exaggeration. Kim Yu-shin's sister married his cousin Kim Chun-chu, and his own mother was Lady Manmyeong, the niece of King Jinheung of Silla.

If we're really going to talk about it, I should call him uncle.

As for the Ichi-chan, it was a very high official position in Silla, ranking second only to the highest-ranking official, the Shangchen.

Therefore, Kim Yu-sin can be considered a pillar of Silla.

"Your Majesty, I believe we should reject the marriage alliance with Goguryeo!"

"oh?"

"Tell me about this meal, why should we refuse?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Yu-shin spoke with righteous indignation.

"First of all, Silla and Goguryeo are sworn enemies. There is no reason for us to marry the son of our enemy instead of avenging our sworn enemy."

"Secondly, the Tang Dynasty was very powerful!"

"If we form a marriage alliance with Goguryeo, we will inevitably offend the Tang Dynasty and become their next target!"

"Finally, there is Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing and will become a scourge to the peninsula sooner or later."

“Even if the king marries his son and defeats the Tang Dynasty, Yeon Gaesomun will not keep his promise.”

"What should we do if Yeon Gaesomun joins forces with Baekje to attack us again?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Seung-man thought about it very seriously for a moment, and then asked a question.

“Yi Chi Can, you’re right, but I have a question: what about the saying ‘if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold’?”

"If the Tang Dynasty truly destroyed Goguryeo, wouldn't Silla be the next to fall?"

Kim Yu-shin gave a bitter smile upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, how could I not know the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'?"

"But it is difficult for small countries to cooperate with large countries. As a small country, Silla must be wary of being indecisive."

"We were bullied by Goguryeo before and had to ask His Majesty the Emperor of Tang for help. Now His Majesty the Emperor of Tang has sent troops to attack Goguryeo. If we join forces with Goguryeo, we will inevitably offend the Tang Dynasty completely."

"His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty detests those who are two-faced, as can be seen from his handling of the Mohe prisoners."

"At that time, it's hard to say whether the Tang Dynasty will fight Goguryeo or not, but they will definitely send troops to attack us!"

"this……"

Kim Yu-shin's words silenced Kim Seung-man, leaving her feeling more frustrated than ever before.

To outsiders, she appears to be a glamorous queen. But only those within the system know the hardships and frustrations that come with being a queen.

Putting aside the repeated humiliations she suffered at the hands of Goguryeo and Baekje, the internal conflicts within Silla alone were enough to exhaust her.

"Yi Chi Can, go and have your meal with Yuan Nan Chan. I'm going to change my clothes and will come back later..."

"promise!"

While the Queen of Silla hesitated, the King of Baekje faced the same dilemma.

Although Baekje and Silla were different, Baekje was allied with Goguryeo for a long time. However, since the three kingdoms were located on the same peninsula, minor conflicts were always inevitable.

Therefore, even though Baekje and Goguryeo were allies, the two countries were wary of each other and would not hesitate to strike a blow if the opportunity presented itself.

Normally, the King of Baekje would not even bother to look at Goguryeo's pleas for help; he would be more than happy for Goguryeo to suffer a loss.

But this time was different. This time, the Tang Dynasty's offensive was too fierce. Neither Liaodong City, which guarded Liaoze, nor Anshi City, which was built on the mountain, could stop the Tang army's advance.

If the Tang army continues to fight, Goguryeo will surely perish!

However, no one can figure out how big the Tang Dynasty's appetite really is. Does the Tang Dynasty only want to destroy Goguryeo, or does it want to completely incorporate the peninsula into the Tang Dynasty's territory?

"Has the Tang Dynasty's envoy not arrived yet?"

"Your Majesty, there is currently no news of any envoys from the Tang Dynasty..."

"well!"

"What exactly does the Tang Dynasty mean? Do they intend to attack us?"

"It's hard to say..."

"If the Tang Dynasty truly intends to destroy us all, then I have no choice but to take a desperate gamble and cooperate with Goguryeo to drive the Tang Dynasty completely out of this land!"

When the King of Baekje said this, all the ministers in the palace were dumbfounded.

"Your Majesty, be careful what you say!"

"Since entering Liaodong, the Tang army has been unstoppable, conquering more than a dozen cities in succession. Even the 150,000-strong army organized by Yeon Gaesomun could not stop them in the slightest."

"Our Baekje region has a small population and only tens of thousands of soldiers. How can we possibly fight against the Tang Dynasty?"

Upon hearing the words of his ministers, the King of Baekje wept and replied.

"I can't just stand by and watch the Tang Dynasty take away the legacy of my ancestors, can I? Waaah..."

"Your Majesty, things are far from over..."

"Our Liaodong is thousands of miles away from Chang'an. Even if the Tang army conquers it, what can they do? Can they send troops to garrison it, or send people to govern it?"

"Therefore, this land will always be ours, no matter what!"

"As long as we are submissive enough and serve the Tang Dynasty well, we can not only preserve our ancestral property after the Tang Dynasty leaves, but also conquer some of the former territories of Goguryeo..."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!