Chapter 557 What is the stepping stone?
Nansang's aggression did not stop.
Dongpu and Beixiang joined forces and tried their best, but they could only barely slow down the other side's speed of attacking the city.
In order to deal a heavy blow to the Nansang army, the King of Mobei took out the soul soldiers in his hands and deployed them away from the location of the divine soldiers.
Even so, the situation cannot be changed, and it is urgent to ask Dai Viet for help.
The formal invitation for an audience had been in the hands of Emperor Xuan Jing for many days, but there was no response, and the leaders of various countries were extremely anxious.
Qingshan Martial Arts Hall, outside the Chishui River, at the border between Dayong and Dayue.
All the outsiders in the small martial arts hall were cleared out, and the periphery of the martial arts hall was heavily guarded by soldiers.
This scene aroused the curiosity of the surrounding people, and they couldn't help but talk about it behind the scenes.
"Those guarding outside are all wearing silver armor. They're not ordinary government officials! What's going on? Does the martial arts school have such a big background?"
"It has nothing to do with the martial arts school. They're just borrowing this place. A few days ago, luxurious carriages started arriving. I secretly watched them for a long time. They looked like they were either wealthy or noble. I guess something big is going to happen."
"What could be more serious than the battle between Nansang and Dongpu? So many people died, eh."
"No, no, the people who came here are truly extraordinary. I recognize one of them. I had the honor of meeting him many years ago. Can you guess who it is? The King of Mobei from Beixiang!"
"Hiss! This is truly terrifying! Anyone who can get together with the King of Mobei is definitely not an ordinary person!"
Although the people talked a lot about it, due to their limited status, they could not guess the reason behind it and could only express surprise.
In the inner courtyard of the martial arts hall, the hall was lit at night.
There were about twenty people sitting in the hall, all dressed in brocade clothes and wearing jade crowns, looking very noble, but everyone had a sad look on their face, with their brows furrowed.
The anxiety was obvious and sighs were heard everywhere.
Emperor Dongpu sat quietly in a place. He was over sixty years old, but looked much older than his actual age. His hair was slightly messy, the jade buckle on his waist was tilted to one side, and he had a heavy aura of old age around him.
After suffering repeated defeats in the battles with Nansang, he, as the king of Dongpu, was unable to find food and had no time to even take care of his appearance.
"We've been waiting here for over ten days. Should we wait any longer?" The injured Emperor Bei gave a wry smile. "This place is separated from Dai Viet by only a canal, and only twenty days' journey from Dai Viet's capital. A pigeon message would take five or six days to get a reply... Now that so much time has passed, Dai Viet might simply not want to get involved in this mess, and it's not impossible that they'll just ignore our request for help."
Emperor Darong sat back in his armchair, his back slightly slumped. "If we don't wait, what else can we do? This is our only way out. If Emperor Xuanjing replies, we can rush to the place of exile from here. It's the shortest way. It's better to wait here than to go back and make the same journey again."
"Xuan Jing is the emperor. Even if he doesn't want to wade into this muddy water, he will give us an open answer." Wen Renjing spoke in a low, steady voice. No matter how worried and anxious he was, he remained calm, unmoved by emotion. "For the past two years, there have been disputes between the various nations. The fact that everyone has temporarily put aside their grudges and gathered here shows that everyone is understanding. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Although Nan Sang has set its sights on Dongpu first, its goal is the entire Central Plains. At a time like this, only by working together can we find a way out. So everyone, please be patient and wait for a response. Emperor Xuan Jing attaches great importance to the exile area. He may need to inquire before making a decision on whether to accept our invitation. Correspondence will take time. When you ask for help, you must put aside your status and attitude."
The others heard this and managed to hold back.
The top dignitaries from eleven countries gathered here for just this one thing.
Now they are in a passive position and need help from others. There is really no better way than to continue waiting.
While I was worried, someone rushed in from outside, so excited that he almost forgot the rules. "Your Highness, Dayue has replied!"
Wen Renjing stood up, took the letter from Feiyun and opened it quickly.
The others also stood up and couldn't wait to get close to him and watch, unable to wait even a moment longer.
"What's the matter? Is there a response from over there?" Emperor Dongpu was old and frail. He was a step too slow to squeeze in, and he was anxiously asking loudly from the outside.
After Wen Renjing finished reading the letter, he handed it to Emperor Dong Pu, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
If he is like this, the powerful people in other countries are even more depressed.
"No response. I said that Dayue doesn't want to get involved in this mess." The injured Emperor Bei said with a bitter tone.
Shangbei was one of the small countries and depended on Dongpu for survival.
If Dongpu is destroyed, Shangbei will certainly not survive.
Emperor Dongpu pursed his lips and patiently read the short letter from beginning to end, reading it back and forth twice. "Since the countries have come to request assistance, I should have led the way. However, after the land of exile was incorporated into the fiefdom of Princess Mingyue, it was no longer under the jurisdiction of Dai Viet. I am only a guest in the land of exile. If I want to meet with the people in the fiefdom, I must have a way to get in touch with them. If I am like this, so are you. I am deeply sorry that I cannot help the countries this time."
The letter is full of official excuses.
Emperor Dong Pu staggered back two steps and fell into the armchair. The letter slipped from his hand and floated to the ground.
He closed his eyes and smiled sadly, "This is my fate in Dongpu. That's all. Hahahaha, that's all..."
Wen Renjing's eyes fell on the yellowish paper. After a moment, an idea came to him. He leaned over and picked up the letter. "Wait, this situation may not be impossible to reverse. Although Xuan Jing rejected our request, he also pointed us in the right direction."
He raised his eyes and looked around at everyone, saying three words, "A stepping stone."
Long Yuanhuang's eyes were gray and unfocused. "It's easy to say it's a stepping stone, but what does Bai Yu want? Gold, silver, and jewelry? Cede cities and land? Or even our heads? Everything he does is to avenge Su Jiuni. How could he care about our lives while the hatred is still there? He's just deliberately making things difficult for us and humiliating us."
"If my head can make him help me, what's wrong with offering it to me? I'm just afraid that's not what he wants. Otherwise, with his ability, our heads might not still be on our necks today." Emperor Feng Lan closed his eyes, his voice weak and ethereal, muttering like a dream.
"Bai Yu wants a stepping stone... a stepping stone..." Emperor Lingjiang's eyes lit up, "Have you read the news I gave you before? Du Buqin appeared on Kongliu Island at the end of April! He and Su Jiuni fell into the sea together! Since he appeared alive, Su Jiuni is likely still alive! If that's true, Bai Yu's idea of causing chaos in the world will definitely be shaken. He values Su Jiuni very much and will not let Su Jiuni live in troubled times and be threatened by Nan Sang all the time!"
The people who were slumped in the seat stood up again, looking at each other with their eyes brightened.
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