World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 866 - 409: Alas, Zhi Li! When the wall falls, the masses push!_2

Chapter 866: 409: Alas, Zhi Li! When the wall falls, the masses push!_2

Indeed, Zhi Li could only fight to the end; either he became king, or he turned outlaw.

But Duke Turing Tuo was different; he could switch sides and pledge loyalty to Zhi Yan. When the time came, he would still be the first man of the Commander-in-chief’s Office, still the top military figure of the Rage Wave Kingdom.

After Zhi Yan’s ascension to the throne, as the Regent Royal Consort, Suo Lun would not compete with Duke Turing Tuo for position. For Duke Turing Tuo, the only discomfort was the prospect of living under Suo Lun’s influence from then on.

Moreover, if Duke Turing Tuo cast his lot with Zhi Li in a desperate gamble, not to mention the possibility of losing.

Even if they emerged victorious in the end, the main force of his Dragon Guard Army would have suffered countless casualties. It’s important to note that today at Tianlang Pass, the Southwestern Legion of one hundred thousand had already lost sixty thousand. If the Dragon Guard Army also suffered heavy losses, how many troops would the Turing Clan still be able to muster?

The troops were the foundation of Duke Turing Tuo’s wealth and glory. If he lost all his troops, what would he have left to resist Zhi Li when "The birds are all gone; the bow is at rest"?

This was precisely why Duke Turing Tuo sent his son to negotiate with Zhi Yan.

In comparison, at this moment, his betrayal of Zhi Li in favor of Zhi Yan held the greatest benefit.

All of a sudden, Turing Chen solemnly lifted his robe and knelt before Zhi Yan Princess, saying, "Your Highness, this is a civil war; those dying are our sons and soldiers of the Rage Wave Kingdom, and it’s draining the vitality of the Rage Wave Kingdom. In the decisive battle to come, no matter who wins or loses, the casualties will exceed several hundred thousand. If Zhi Li’s side wins, because of his special relationship with the Dragon Temple, perhaps the Flame Empire and the Xiliang Kingdom might not take the opportunity to strike..."

Turing Chen looked up and gazed at the exquisite face of Zhi Yan Princess, continuing, "But if it’s you who win, the casualties on both sides will only be greater. Once Your Highness ascends to the throne, it’s well known that the Dragon Temple has always been reluctant to let the secular royal power break tradition by allowing a woman to ascend. At that point, the kingdom will have completely lost the protection of the Dragon Temple, and both the Xiliang Kingdom and the Flame Empire will surely seize the opportunity to strike. After all, this civil war has cost us four or five hundred thousand casualties, and the kingdom’s army has lost half its strength. Then, how will we withstand the fierce onslaught from the armies of the Xiliang Kingdom and the Flame Empire?"

What Turing Chen said was not without reason.

If Zhi Yan ascended to the throne, then surely the Dragon Temple would be furious, and at that time, the Xiliang Kingdom, which had long been eyeing the Rage Wave Kingdom, would not miss the opportunity, and the Flame Empire would also take advantage of the situation.

The Rage Wave Kingdom, having lost half its army due to the civil war, was indeed in peril.

Having said this, Turing Chen earnestly kowtowed to Zhi Yan Princess, saying, "Please rethink this, Your Highness!"

At that moment, Suo Lun realized that Duke Turing Tuo had chosen to negotiate with Zhi Yan, not with him!

Judging by Turing Chen’s posture, this negotiation was even about sidelining Suo Lun.

...

At this time, the entire camp of Zhi Li fell into a very strange silence.

Every night before, Zhi Li had held grand banquets for his courtiers.

And every night, some lords, nobles, and high-ranking officers had seized the opportunity to cling around in Zhi Li’s camp, flattering and fawning over him in every imaginable way.

But tonight, after the battle had ended and everyone had returned to camp.

All the lords went directly into their own tents and never came out again.

Even including high-ranking civilian officials and military commanders, they all hid in their tents, as if they had simply gone to sleep.

The normally bustling central tent of Zhi Li was quiet as a grave.

Zhi Li lay sorrowful on his bed, without even a light in his tent, staring into the darkness, feeling a sense of absurdity and desolation in his heart.

It was laughable!

The wall had not fallen yet, but countless people were already prepared to push it over.

The world was just too realistic, too cold-hearted.

Today he had only lost the first battle, and already his threshold had turned cold. One could imagine that if he were truly defeated, those who had courted his favor, those who had fawned on him, wouldn’t hesitate to trample over him ten thousand times.

Before, he had felt like a god among the hundreds of thousands of troops that surrounded him, with the morale of the troops, the advantages of geography and timing all in his grasp.

But now, he still found himself among hundreds of thousands of troops, yet he felt completely isolated.

Of the four hundred thousand troops, how many truly were loyal to Zhi Li? Perhaps only the ten thousand troops from the Lesser Treasury Army!

The remaining hundreds of thousands of troops could turn into vicious beasts at any moment, ready to tear Zhi Li to pieces and leave no trace of his existence.

...

In the tent of Turing Duo!

"Why, Father?" Turing Duo screamed.

Her pale face was particularly ferocious at that moment, her eyes bloodshot.

"What reason, exactly?" Duke Turing Tuo said.

"Don’t think that I don’t know where Turing Chen went," Turing Duo said. "I understand you all too well. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, you prepared to turn tail and betray His Highness Zhi Li, intending to swear allegiance to Suo Lun."

Duke Turing Tuo paid him no heed, continuing his calligraphy calmly, waiting for Turing Chen’s return.

"How naive, Father. Do you really think that we have room to reconcile with Suo Lun?" Turing Duo said sharply. "Today, at the Tianlang Pass battlefield, Jian Ze already demonstrated that if we throw our entire forces into a do-or-die attack and pile up soldiers’ lives against the city walls, the Wind Thunder Fortress Defense Line is bound to break. We have at least an eighty percent chance of victory!"

"Indeed, if we gamble with our soldiers’ lives, we do have a seventy to eighty percent chance of winning," Duke Turing Tuo said. "And then what? How many lives must be lost?"

"Who cares?" Turing Duo said. "It’s not us who will die anyway. What are those soldiers worth? If they die, they die."

"You fool," Duke Turing Tuo roared. "Those soldiers are the foundation upon which our Turing Clan stands and survives. Today, the Southwestern Legion suffered sixty thousand casualties. If we follow Zhi Li in a desperate gamble, our Dragon Guard Legion is bound to suffer a loss of one hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand. After that, how many troops will our Turing Clan have left? Once Zhi Li ascends the throne, when the time comes that he turns against us, with what will I defend myself? Without an army, I am nothing! Chu Ye of the Northern Legion has already led his troops back to Nanlin Fort; even he knows to preserve his forces. Once my troops are gone, Chu Ye will become a fierce tiger that devours me, seizing my position."

"We cannot swear allegiance to Suo Lun either; that would be like seeking skin from a tiger. Given his vengeful nature, how could there be a way out for us?" Turing Duo said.

"You’re mistaken. Our allegiance is to Princess Zhiyan, not to Suo Lun," Duke Turing Tuo said.

"But the princess and prince are one and the same," Turing Duo said.

"No, they are not the same," Duke Turing Tuo said. "Previously, Princess Zhiyan had no one to rely on, and of course, she was aligned with Suo Lun. But as she is about to ascend the throne, they are no longer the same. In fact, if Suo Lun holds too much power, Princess Zhiyan will need someone to counterbalance him, and the best candidate for that is me!"

"But a woman’s heart is not like a man’s; once deeply moved, she would give her all. She will definitely let Suo Lun have his way. Once we pledge our loyalty to Zhiyan, Suo Lun will surely have us killed," Turing Duo said.

"Have you fallen in love? Have you given your all?" Duke Turing Tuo asked.

"I’m not like other women; I’m much more ruthless," Turing Duo said.

"Trust me," Duke Turing Tuo with a laugh, "Princess Zhiyan is even more ruthless than you. She is heartless!"

...

Inside the Wind Thunder Fortress!

Princess Zhiyan, facing Turing Chen, said, "Your father wants to pledge loyalty to me?"

"Yes!" Turing Chen said. "In order to preserve the vitality of the Rage Wave Kingdom, my father is willing to break tradition, swear loyalty to Your Highness Zhiyan, and support your accession to the queen’s throne!"

Turing Chen’s gaze was fixed solely on Zhiyan, not giving Suo Lun even a glance.

Just as his father, Duke Turing Tuo had said, their allegiance was to Zhiyan, irrelevant of Suo Lun.

Sensing this atmosphere, Suo Lun’s gaze also instantly turned cold, falling silent, retreating a few steps to watch with a detached eye.

"And the conditions?" Princess Zhiyan said.

"My father will remain as the first marshal of the Commander-in-chief’s Office, in charge of the Dragon Guard Legion, while I will serve in the Southwestern Legion," Turing Chen said.

What a huge appetite. Of the four great legions of the kingdom, the Turing Clan wanted to occupy two. Leaving the Northern Legion for Chu Ye, the Southeast Corps would go to Suo Lun.

Zhi Li was not yet dead, and already they could hardly wait to divide the spoils.

"And what else?" Princess Zhiyan asked.

"His Highness Zhi Li made a promise on behalf of the royal family to bestow the title of ’King’ upon my deceased grandfather," Turing Chen said.

Bestow the title upon a non-royal!

Duke Turing Tuo not only wanted to hold two legions but also sought to be a non-royal king!

Because after Zhiyan’s ascension to the throne, Suo Lun was certain to become the Regent Royal Consort. And if Duke Turing Tuo also ascended to the title of ’King,’ that indeed would enable him to equally confront Suo Lun.

"And there’s more?" Zhiyan asked.

"My Turing Clan is willing to form a marriage alliance with the Suo family, so I would like to marry Miss Suo Ningbing!" Turing Chen declared.

Such an outrageous demand!

Suo Lun’s rage exploded in an instant!

...

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