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The gaze and actions of Guo Huai deceived the delighted Feski, but they did not escape Du Jin's eyes. However, Du Jin did not speak directly; he merely revealed a smile that was hard for others to notice.
Since Guo Huai had already arranged everything, the next steps would be easier. Guo Huai told Feski to launch their attack three days later, with the offensive starting from that time. The next steps would need to be discussed after capturing Dragon Glory City.
The six Grand Marshals who emerged from the main tent had varied expressions. The Northern Bear Empire, being the first to attack Dragon Glory City, was in high spirits, with its Vice Marshal sharing jokes and casting provocative glances at Willy. Willy appeared quite dejected, while his brother, who was also a Vice Marshal, continuously tried to console him. The calmest among them was Du Jin from the West Lion Empire; when he stepped out, his expression was unreadable.
After returning to their respective camps, Liu Hong followed Du Jin into the Grand Marshal's tent. "Commander, why didn't you make a case for yourself with the Imperial Envoy today?"
Du Jin smiled slightly. "What is there for me to fight for? Although our Majesty did not say much this time, I can tell that he does not want to get involved in this conflict at all. That's why he only provided me with two hundred thousand troops. And as you saw today in the main tent, the Grand Marshals of the Northern Bear and Southern Tiger Empires are at odds. Even though we have mobilized over one and a half million troops this time, capturing the Eastern Dragon Empire will not be easy, especially since Guo Huai is clearly favoring the Southern Tiger Empire."
As the Grand Marshal of the West Lion Empire, Du Jin was renowned for his wisdom. Not only was he highly skilled, but he also had a quick mind. Thus, he quickly understood Guo Huai's intentions and recognized his bias towards Willy. If a mediator cannot remain impartial, their role will inevitably diminish.
Upon hearing Du Jin mention Guo Huai's favoritism towards the Southern Tiger Empire, Liu Hong was taken aback. "Grand Marshal, how come I didn't notice Guo Huai favoring the Southern Tiger Empire? I feel he is more inclined towards the Northern Bear Empire; otherwise, he wouldn't have let them attack Dragon Glory City first. If the Northern Bear Empire captures it within fifteen days, won't it belong to them?"
"You are only seeing the surface; I believe you will understand what I mean in due time. However, remember that our purpose in coming to the Eastern Dragon Empire is merely to establish a foothold and show support; we won't engage in significant military actions. But if there are benefits to be gained, we might as well take some."
Inside the Southern Tiger Empire's tent, Willy paced back and forth, unable to comprehend why Guo Huai arranged for the Northern Bear Empire to attack first instead of his own Southern Tiger Empire. Did Guo Huai receive gifts from the Northern Bear? He doubted it; he could sense Guo Huai's bias towards him but couldn't figure out how it worked: "Will, make sure everything is arranged in camp tonight; I will go find the Imperial Envoy later."
"I understand; don't worry about it, big brother."
In stark contrast to the Southern Tiger Emperor's camp was that of the Northern Bear Empire. At this moment, everyone in their camp knew they were leading the charge; if they captured Dragon Glory City within fifteen days, their nation would gain significant rewards. Consequently, smiles were everywhere among soldiers and generals in the Northern Bear camp.
As night fell, Willy stealthily approached Guo Huai's tent with gifts prepared for him. "I am Marshal Willy of the Southern Tiger Empire; I have matters to discuss with Lord Guo."
The guard at the entrance saluted Willy. "Marshal Willy, please enter; our lord has been waiting inside for quite some time."
Willy was momentarily taken aback by this response but then smiled and said, "Thank you." After lifting the curtain and entering, he found Guo Huai sitting behind a desk reading. Upon seeing Willy arrive, Guo Huai placed his book on the table and smiled: "Marshal Willy, you finally came! I've been waiting for you for quite a while."
"Lord Guo, how did you know I would return today?"
"Today in the main tent, I could see your unwillingness in your eyes and sensed you had many questions for me. So I knew you would definitely come looking for me today. Looks like my guess was right."
"Your lordship truly has remarkable foresight; I admire you."
“Marshal Willy, feel free to ask me anything. I will certainly help you relieve your worries.”
“Thank you, Imperial Envoy. This is just a small token of my appreciation; I hope you won't think poorly of it.” With that, Willy presented a small box in front of Guo Huai. Guo Huai gently opened the box to reveal a model of a flying dragon made entirely of pure gold, exquisitely crafted.
Seeing the model, Guo Huai smiled slightly. “Marshal Willy, you are too generous.”
“This is what I should do. You have come all this way to help us mediate; it truly shows your concern. Rest assured, once we conquer the Eastern Dragon Empire, I will definitely inform His Majesty about your hard work.”
Guo Huai nodded and smiled as he said, “Now let’s get to the main topic?”
“Yes, my lord. Lord Guo, I just don’t understand why we should let the Northern Bear Empire take the lead? This greatly reduces our chances. What if they capture Dragon Glory City within fifteen days? What then?”
“Marshal Willy, you need not worry about that. The Eastern Dragon Empire has existed in this world for a thousand years, just like your Southern Tiger. Do you really think the Eastern Dragon Empire lacks this level of strength? I can assure you that the Northern Bear Empire will absolutely not capture Dragon Glory City within fifteen days.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“When the soldiers of the Northern Bear Empire arrive here, the Eastern Dragon will already be taking action. It seems they are aware that someone will attack them and have gathered a large number of soldiers in Dragon Glory City well in advance. It is conservatively estimated that there are at least four hundred thousand troops inside Dragon Glory City right now. If I were to send your Southern Tiger Empire to attack, I can guarantee you would not succeed. That is why I let the Northern Bear Empire attack first. Given that there are only fifteen days, I can assure you that Feski from the Northern Bear will launch a fierce assault. Once those fifteen days pass, they will have to retreat. By then, I expect that at least sixty percent of the soldiers inside Dragon Glory City will be lost. Then you can attack with your fifty-five thousand elite troops against their exhausted forces of over ten thousand. Who do you think Dragon Glory City will ultimately belong to?”
At this moment, Willy suddenly understood: “So that's how it is! You truly think ahead; I admire your insight.”
“Moreover, have you considered how much loss the Northern Bear will incur after fifteen days of fierce attacks? If everything goes smoothly, they could lose at least two to three hundred thousand troops during this time. By then, your troop numbers will be quite similar. This way, when it comes to competing for territory, you won’t be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.”
“My lord, you are truly remarkable. As long as we conquer the Eastern Dragon Empire, I will repay your great kindness.”
“You just need to perform well here; I will speak highly of you before His Majesty. I believe it won’t be difficult for you to become a general in our Guardian Nation.”
“Really? If I can truly go to Guardian Nation, then my lord, you would be like my reborn parents! At that time, I would work tirelessly to repay your kindness.”
“That is all for later; just focus on performing well here as a gift for His Majesty's meeting. As long as His Majesty is pleased, nothing is impossible.”
“Yes, thank you, my lord. Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb your rest any longer. I take my leave now; my lord can await good news here.”
“Go ahead and ensure your soldiers are well-rested; we don’t want them to falter later.”
“Rest assured, with your support, how could we possibly fail to capture Dragon Glory City? I take my leave now.”
After Willy stepped out of the tent, he wore a smile, feeling happier than ever. He tossed a few gold coins to several guards as a token of appreciation for their hard work, then returned to his military camp with a grin. He shared what he had heard from Guo Huai with his brother Will, who was also overjoyed and danced around.
Thanks to Guo Huai's efforts, a significant crack had appeared in an already fragile alliance. However, this crack was quite subtle; apart from Du Jin, who kept himself detached from the situation, no one else seemed to notice.
Meanwhile, within Dragon Glory City, since the day the troops from the Northern Bear Empire arrived, all soldiers and citizens had entered a state of alert. Shangguan Ji personally issued an imperial decree to the citizens of Dragon Glory City, urging them to fully cooperate with the soldiers defending the city. If Dragon Glory City were to fall, it was highly likely that the Eastern Dragon Empire would collapse entirely, leaving everyone at risk of becoming slaves of a fallen nation.
At the same time, Shangguan Ji issued orders to the four kings of his subordinate kingdoms—Starry Rain Kingdom, Hua Ri Kingdom, Huayue Kingdom, and Hua Wind Kingdom—to mobilize their troops and send all soldiers to reinforce Dragon Glory City.
The responses from the four kingdoms varied. The king of Starfall Kingdom, Sun Liang, had already received a warning from Liu Guanfeng and had gathered his entire army in advance. As soon as Shangguan Ji's order arrived, he promptly dispatched all his soldiers to Dragon Glory City.
The most dramatic response came from Five Star Nation. Although it was merely a principality with only around a hundred thousand soldiers, Bao Rui ordered that each city retain only five hundred soldiers for daily patrols while gathering all remaining troops under his command to head directly for Dragon Glory City.
This move by Bao Rui met with strong opposition from all officials under Cui Wenwu. They believed that sending the entire nation's forces to assist the Eastern Dragon Empire in defending the city was unwise. If too many soldiers were lost in battle, the nation's defensive capabilities would weaken significantly. Moreover, if Starfall Kingdom and Star River Kingdom attacked during this mobilization, the entire nation could be overrun.
However, Bao Rui remained undeterred. He understood that although he was now a ruler, this position was granted by Liu Guanfeng. With Liu Guanfeng in trouble, he felt compelled to do everything in his power to help his master. Many supported Bao Rui in this decision, including the Copper Bull brothers and Platinum Wen. They were well aware of the potential consequences but chose to back Bao Rui wholeheartedly for Liu Guanfeng's sake.
Seeing that Platinum Wen and the Copper Bull brothers supported Bao Rui, Cui Wenwu's officials ceased their objections. After all, these three were Bao Rui's right-hand men and influential figures among Cui Wenwu's officials. With their support, any further arguments would be futile. Thus, Bao Rui set off with Copper Bull and Iron Bull along with Platinum Wen and fifteen thousand soldiers to support Dragon Glory City.
After Bao Rui took away the nation's troops, the kings of Starfall Kingdom and Star River Kingdom received news of Five Star Nation's actions. Realizing what was happening, they began plotting how to maximize their own interests amid the chaos. Since Sun Liang had recently ascended to the throne and had not yet gained recognition from these two kingdoms, their allegiance remained superficial despite their outward submission.
Moreover, given the significant threat facing the Eastern Dragon Empire—potentially leading to its downfall—the two kings began considering their own nations' futures and set their sights on Three Cities belonging to Five Star Nation.
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