Upon hearing Lan Xuan'er's words, Beiyue's gaze flickered. "Sister Xuan'er staying in Dayan now might not necessarily be a bad thing."
Just like himself, staying in Dayan was the only way to survive. If he returned to Beili, the poison in his body might flare up at any moment, and that would truly be the end of him.
Gan Tang nodded in strong agreement. "I heard that quite a few of my Nanyue citizens have fled to Dayan during the war between our two countries, just in time for the Divine Maiden's bestowal of sweet dew."
Her eyes swept over the group, and she lowered her voice slightly. "You must have received the news too: the Divine Maiden rides in a jasper carriage pulled by winged heavenly horses that can fly through the sky. The sweet dew she bestows works wonders on both crops and people."
Thinking of what her informants had written in their secret letters, Gan Tang let out a deep sigh again. "With Her around, tell me—how can Dayan lose when they face us? How can we possibly win?"
The more she spoke, the more she felt she should thank Gan Sheng for sending her to marry into Dayan.
Hearing Gan Tang say this, Bei Ye, who was bent on becoming emperor, grew even more worried. He couldn't help lowering his voice. "Have you noticed that Her power is constantly rising? Think about the range of rainfall the first time, and the range now."
"Besides, she rides a flying chariot... Even if it can't cover a thousand li a day, it must cover several hundred, right?" Dayan had Yue Fuguang, who not only brought tangible benefits but more importantly served as a symbol that won people's hearts. The Nanyue refugees fleeing here were the best proof of that.
"They say soldiers in the Nanyue battlefield have defected mid-battle. Is that rumor true or false?"
His gaze fell on Gan Tang. Bei Ye knew that Gan Tang's intelligence resources were no less than theirs, and she would certainly know more about what happened on the battlefields.
Since Bei Ye asked, Gan Tang no longer tried to cover for the Nanyue army and nodded frankly. "Brother is right. In the battle of Fengcheng, our army not only suffered heavy losses, but a ten-thousand-strong unit was scared out of their wits by Dayan's formidable weapons and defected on the spot."
As for how her dear imperial uncle, who was stationed in Jialing City right next to Fengcheng, had been too afraid to fight, leading to Fengcheng falling in just three days—she didn't go into detail.
After all, Gan Tang still had some face to save. Seeing the Nanyue army fight like this made her own eyes ache.
So it was because of those weapons. Bei Ye's hand, which was pouring tea, paused. He gently set down the pot and casually glanced at Xi Yuanshan before finally venturing a probe. "Brothers from the Xi family, what do you think of this?"
"If Nanyue is conquered, Nan Zhao will surely be next. It might be hard for our two countries to stay out of this. If we don't join hands..."
They might end up like Nanyue—done for sooner or later.
Yanji, who had been idly tracing patterns on the table with water, suddenly stopped. In his little head swirled big questions: what did he mean by "after Nanyue comes Nan Zhao"?
Was Dayan's appetite really that big?
The Dongyi brothers were completely baffled, and everyone else simply ignored them. Those two...
Xi Yuanshan frowned in thought for a moment, then let out a helpless, self-deprecating chuckle. "These major matters of national diplomacy involving multiple countries are beyond the reach of a powerless, idle prince like me."
His mother, ignoring the objections of his adoptive father and maternal uncle, had insisted on sending him back to Xiqiang to reclaim his lineage. It wasn't without the calculation that one day he might ascend the throne.
But by the time he entered Xiqiang and changed back to his original surname, his status was only that of an adopted son.
Xiqiang's royal family had no shortage of sons. Being an adopted son essentially cut off his path to advancement.
To this day, he only held the empty title of prince, constantly targeted and suppressed by his brothers, with little real power.
The fire in his heart had gradually cooled over the past two years.
When Xi Yuanshan said this, Xi Ling was even more straightforward. Smiling, he shook his head at Bei Ye. "There's no need to mention my situation. I don't want that position anymore. As for Xiqiang's future, let those who care worry about it."
He too saw through Bei Ye's intentions. Not only was there no hope for him in the succession struggle, but even if there were, would he dare to openly show any intention of joining forces with another country against Dayan?
Was that asking for a short life?
If they dared to do such a thing, even if Dayan's rulers and ministers didn't know, the True God out there spreading rain and dew would surely find out.
Xi Ling subtly shifted away from Bei Ye. This guy, with his bushy brows and big eyes, had seemed clever before—but now, chasing after a throne that might never be his, he had clearly lost his mind.
He discreetly distanced himself a little more. People who courted death like this weren't worth getting close to.
Seeing that the Xi brothers weren't taking his bait, Bei Ye turned to urge Beiyue, completely missing Xi Ling's slight movement and the flicker of disdain on his face.
"Brother, what do you think?" he said, his voice extremely low. "We should make plans soon and return to our country as quickly as possible."
Once war broke out between the nations, they might immediately transform from envoys of goodwill into hostages.
At the mention of returning, Beiyue shook his head frantically. Return? Not even a dog would go back if it were him.
"Fifth brother, you know my situation. It's not that I don't want to return—I can't go home!"
He put on a sad expression. "I don't want to die, and I don't want to get in anyone's way. Let me just muddle along like this."
Beiyue looked deeply melancholic. In Bei Ye's eyes, this second imperial brother was as good as finished.
But he had no idea that this seemingly despondent Beiyue was silently cursing in his heart, looking at Bei Ye as if he were already a dead man.
Among those present, Gan Tang understood Beiyue's feelings best. Over the past two days, she had noticed several unusual people among the dowry convoy.
Why unusual? Because all signs suggested they were less like guards and more like assassins—assassins sent by Gan Sheng to kill her.
And Gan Sheng would surely have guessed that she was the one who had poisoned him.
"Brother Beiyue is right to stay in Dayan for now. When those close to you want to strike in the dark, it's impossible to guard against them."
"As long as we remain in Dayan, the entire nation must ensure our safety."
She couldn't help but laugh as she spoke. "It really does seem safer here than in our own countries."
Even if misfortune befell them, and someone tried their best to save them—that someone would probably be from Dayan.
What a huge joke that was, and yet it was the truth.
What Emperor Mingxi had asked the Crown Prince to do spread through the cities and counties around Shangjing within two days, traveling at the speed of Dayan's fastest horses.
The happiest to hear this news, aside from farmers who lived off the land, were those with sick family members.
Ever since they heard the news of the Divine Maiden bestowing sweet dew, these people had been hoping and waiting every day for that compassionate and almighty Junior Preceptor to remember them.
Before the Divine Maiden even arrived, they first heard about the drought demon and the Flower City. As for the Divine Maiden's punishment of the Flower City people, Dayan's citizens naturally sang her praises.
As for those clan heads and elders who thought they held the power of life and death over their people—what they thought didn't matter.