Gao Lizhu gritted her teeth. Damn it, they were using military orders as leverage! It seemed she had no choice but to agree.
If you agree, you're just throwing your life away!
No, if we're going to die, we'll die together. We have to find a way to make them fight tooth and nail to attack the city.
As the saying goes, "Where there is fragrant bait, there will be fish; where there is a great reward, there will be brave warriors."
No one gets up early without a reason. The four-nation alliance each had their own ulterior motives and wanted to take Princess Anyang, who was destined to bring prosperity and peace to the country, for themselves.
If we put this matter out in the open and directly propose that whoever can capture Anyang will get Princess Anyang, wouldn't they all be vying to be the vanguard?
A glint flashed in Goryeo's eyes. Princess Anyang was indeed quite capable, but compared to the Five Poisons Sect's "Star-Splitting Sand Burst," he would much rather have that incredibly powerful hidden weapon.
A smug smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He straightened his posture, glanced at the group, and cleared his throat.
“My brothers all agree that I am capable of this task, so my Gao Luo Kingdom will serve as the vanguard.”
Upon hearing this, Xi Yuelei was so happy he almost jumped up from his chair. Finally, someone was willing to brave that terrifying Heavenly Thunder Formation!
He beamed and nodded repeatedly, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Brother Gao is a righteous man who stepped forward at a critical moment to help us out of our troubles. He is truly a great man!"
Bargu was beaming with joy. "Yes, it's true! A general like Brother Gao, who understands the big picture and takes on the responsibility in times of crisis, is a true dragon among men and a pillar of the nation! He is truly admirable!"
"That's right! With a wise and brave general like Brother Gao leading the vanguard, we're sure to achieve a resounding victory and a swift success. We'll be waiting for your good news from the rear!" Nangong Jin quickly echoed.
"Alright, stop flattering me. I, Gao Lizhu, know my own limitations. Although I agreed to be a vanguard, I have a condition." Gao Lizhu frowned, her expression gradually becoming serious. "If you don't agree, even if you cut off my head, I won't go to my death."
Xi Yuelei was taken aback. "What conditions did you say?"
Barhu and Nangong Jin also stared wide-eyed at Gao Lizhu.
Goryeo cleared her throat again. "My condition is that if our Goryeo army is the first to capture Anyang, then Princess Anyang will belong to our Goryeo, and the three of you are not allowed to fight over her."
"What? You want to take Princess Anyang for yourself?" Bargu was the first to lose his composure, slamming his fist on the table and standing up. "Goryeo-ju, you've gone too far! Why should Princess Anyang be yours? You're just a sworn brother, who do you think you are?"
Nangong Jin couldn't help but rebuke her sternly, "That's right, our four kingdoms have all signed an alliance, and whoever plunders the treasures belongs to them. But Princess Anyang belongs to all four kingdoms. What virtue or ability does your little Gaoluo Kingdom have to try to monopolize her? You are truly overestimating yourself."
Goryeo-ju snorted coldly, her face showing disdain. "Stop with this nonsense. My Goryeo army risked being annihilated by heavenly lightning to attack Anyang. It was a near-death experience. Shouldn't such a feat be exclusively enjoyed by Princess Anyang? Give me a straight answer, is it yes or no?"
"No, I disagree." Barhu refused without even thinking. "Brother Xiyue is the commander of our four kingdoms. Just do whatever he tells you to do. Why all the nonsense? If you dare to cause any more trouble, be careful of military law!"
"Bargu, stop pointing fingers at me. I'm not easily intimidated. I told you, if you don't agree to my conditions, I won't be a sucker. If you have the guts, kill me right now. Believe me, I'll wipe out your Northern Barbarians with my 50,000 elite troops!" Gao Lizhu was not to be outdone. He knew that Bargu wouldn't dare to use force against him, so he deliberately spoke boastfully to provoke his anger.
Sure enough, upon hearing his boastful words, Balhu was so angry that his blood boiled. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "Kid, you dare to challenge me? You're asking for trouble."
At this moment, Xi Yuelei was also so angry with Gao Lizhu that he gritted his teeth. What a wolf in sheep's clothing! He is just a small country, yet he wants to monopolize Princess Anyang. I really don't know where he gets his confidence.
He originally intended to use his position as commander-in-chief of four countries to teach Goryeo-ju a lesson.
But then I thought again, with thunder raging and fire raging, everything in its path was reduced to ashes and smoke.
Goryeo-ju's journey is fraught with peril; she is doomed to die anyway, and there's no way she'll reach Anyang alive.
It's better to grant his request, just to fool the silly boy a little.
Just then, he saw that Bargu and Gao Lizhu were about to start fighting, so he quickly shouted, "Stop it, both of you!"
Barhu was furious and looked at Xi Yuelei, "Brother Xi Yue, you be the judge! The principle of our four kingdoms is to share weal and woe and to share the same fate. How can he be so unreasonable and want to monopolize Princess Anyang? Isn't this destroying the friendship between our four kingdoms?!"
"Alright, General Ba, sit down and calm down." Xi Yuelei waved for him to sit down, then said, "Everyone, please listen to me for a moment. I think Gao Lizhu's request is not excessive at all. As the saying goes, 'Fortune favors the bold.' Since Brother Gao risked his life to break through the Heavenly Thunder Formation, he deserves to have Princess Anyang all to himself."
Just as Balhu and Nangong Jin were about to object, Xi Yuelei quickly gave them a look, and the two of them instantly understood what he meant: he was just trying to fool the silly monkey!
“Yes, yes, Brother Xiyue is right. Brother Gao has made the greatest contribution and should rightfully enjoy Princess Anyang’s favor.” Nangong Jin nodded in agreement.
Gao Lizhu isn't stupid; only when things get serious will these people reveal their true colors.
"Alright, since you've agreed, let's put it in writing right now. Anyone who goes back on their word will be struck by lightning!"
Upon hearing this, Xi Yuelei shuddered in fright. "Brother Gao, be careful what you say. Don't mention the words 'struck by lightning,' that thing is too scary. We're good brothers, why would we need to draw up a written agreement?"
"That's right, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond, and a real man's word is his bond. Would I lie to you? You'd better go and get struck by lightning!" Barhu sneered inwardly. By then, he would have been chopped into pieces, and what would Princess Anyang have to do with him?
Gao Lizhu rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Words are no proof; let's have a written agreement."
Seeing that he wouldn't act until he saw the benefit, Nangong Jin clenched her fists, cursing inwardly.
What a shameless bastard! He's really pushing his luck, wanting to sign a written agreement. What a load of rubbish! If it were really a matter of signing and sealing, would he even have a chance? Even if half of them are killed or injured, he, the Southern Frontier, would not hesitate to fight.
Bargut also thought to himself that Gao Lizhu was a complete scoundrel, with an exceptionally deep and cunning nature, and she was meticulous in her dealings with people and things.
That kid's like a demon, full of twisted ideas; who knows what kind of brilliant strategy he'll come up with to defeat the enemy this time?
If a written agreement were signed, allowing him to break the Heavenly Thunder Formation and storm Anyang City, then Princess Anyang would have absolutely no connection with the Northern Barbarians.
No, we absolutely cannot let him have this good opportunity...
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