“Xu Ming, do you have any ideas?”
When the Wu Emperor asked this question, Xu Ming’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He looked at the emperor, carefully observing his expression.
Seeing the emperor’s serious and inquisitive gaze, Xu Ming finally let out a sigh of relief. He was now certain that the emperor meant his words at face value and wasn’t implying that he was going to offer him up to Beihai (North Sea) as some kind of political bargaining chip.
Xu Ming quickly organized his thoughts before speaking: “Your Majesty, that is not quite accurate. Over the past few days in Beihai, while I wouldn’t claim to have gained a deep understanding of the Dragon Empress, I have at least gotten a preliminary sense of her character. In my view, she is not someone who relies on marriage alliances to secure strong ties.
“What the Dragon Empress values more is the spirit of mutual assistance between nations. As long as Wu Kingdom does not treat Beihai unfairly and stands by Beihai in times of need, Beihai will undoubtedly return the favor many times over. In fact, she likely resents the use of marriage as a political tool, seeing it as nothing more than a crude and lowly means of diplomacy.”
The underlying meaning of Xu Ming’s words was clear—Please don’t even think about using marriage as a strategy, and definitely don’t go offering me up just because the Dragon Empress says so.
If it ever came to that, Xu Ming figured he might just have to stage a grand escape. After all, his mother had already gone to Beihuang (Northern Wasteland), and he had no real leverage tying him down. Of course, that was assuming he could actually manage to escape.
Hearing Xu Ming’s analysis, the Wu Emperor nodded seriously. “You make a good point, Xu Ming. You’ve had the most contact with the Dragon Empress, so your judgment is naturally more informed. Not to mention, you’ve done so much for Beihai already. From now on, the relationship between Beihai and Wu Kingdom will rely on you as a bridge. This will be a heavy burden on you.”
The emperor patted Xu Ming’s hand with a look of genuine concern. He understood all too well that the rapid progress in Wu Kingdom’s relations with Beihai was entirely due to the young man in front of him. Without Xu Ming, it would have been nearly impossible to establish this connection, no matter what he tried.
A promise was one thing, but how he would actually act when the time came—that was a different matter altogether.
That said, with this newfound link to Beihai, Xu Ming was starting to feel like he could truly walk around the imperial capital with impunity. As long as he didn’t do something that would make the Wu Emperor furious—like, say, causing trouble in the imperial harem—he was practically untouchable. No one would dare move against him. Otherwise, they wouldn’t just be angering the emperor—they’d be provoking the eternal Dragon Empress as well.
Upon entering the palace, the Wu Emperor personally pulled Xu Ming out of the carriage, insisting that they bathe together.
Xu Ming really wanted to refuse.
And he did, politely yet firmly: “Your Majesty, how could I possibly share a bath with you? Your esteemed body is beyond compare, this simply wouldn’t be appropriate.”
But seeing Xu Ming’s flustered reaction only made the emperor more amused. The more Xu Ming tried to decline, the more the emperor insisted.
Xu Ming really wanted to say, I’m not just being polite—I genuinely don’t want to soak in a bath with another man!
But of course, he couldn’t say that outright.
In the end, he had no choice but to let himself be pulled along to the bathhouse.
To be honest, he was a little nervous. After being away from the palace for the past few months, he couldn’t help but wonder—had the emperor’s preferences… shifted in any way?
Fortunately, it turned out that the Wu Emperor simply wanted to chat while bathing—nothing more.
In a bath as large as a swimming pool, with palace maids attending them, the two of them soaked while continuing their discussion about Beihai. The Wu Emperor then began inquiring about Xu Ming’s thoughts on the current state of the Four Seas.
“Your Majesty, are you considering…”
Halfway through his sentence, Xu Ming hesitated.
The Wu Emperor waved a hand, and the attending palace maids immediately understood. They bowed respectfully before retreating, leaving only the two of them in the bath.
“Your Majesty, are you thinking of sending troops to aid Beihai?” Xu Ming asked directly once they were alone.
The Wu Emperor nodded. “That’s right. Over the past few days, I’ve gained a general understanding of the Four Seas’ situation. After our conversation just now, I have a clearer picture. If nothing unexpected happens, Beihai (North Sea) and Donghai (East Sea) are bound to be at irreconcilable odds with End Mountain.
“Nanhai (South Sea) and Xihai (West Sea) surely resent End Mountain as well—after all, even the Dragon King’s Soar is gone. But the problem is that Nanhai and Xihai are still relatively stable for now. They don’t yet harbor a deep-seated hatred against End Mountain. And given that End Mountain wields extraordinary power, essentially representing half of the Southern Demon Kingdoms, they remain a formidable force.
“So if Beihai (North Sea) and Donghai (East Sea) want to go after End Mountain, they will first have to deal with Xihai (West Sea) and Nanhai (South Sea). Otherwise, their rear will be left vulnerable—something the Dragon Empress would never allow.
“But even if the Dragon Empress fully recovers from her injuries, taking on both seas might stretch her forces too thin. At that point, if I were to send troops to assist her, it wouldn’t just be a favor in a time of dire need—it would also be an opportunity for us in Wudu to acquire a wealth of treasures. I’ve heard that the Dragon Palace’s treasures are piled up like mountains.
“The issue is that deploying troops to another country is a serious matter. If the Dragon Empress doesn’t trust us enough, she might grow wary or even resentful.
“So, Xu Ming, what do you think? How feasible is my plan?”
Xu Ming gave it some serious thought. “Everything Your Majesty has said makes sense. Honestly, I can’t say for certain whether it would work. However, perhaps Your Majesty could first send a letter, subtly expressing your intent. If Beihai (North Sea) agrees, we can start by dispatching a small contingent of soldiers. Once the Dragon Empress grows to trust us, we can then gradually send reinforcements. That might be the best approach.”
“Very well, we’ll proceed as you suggest.”
The Wu Emperor nodded.
In truth, this was exactly what he had in mind as well.
He just needed someone to confirm that his plan was reasonable.
After all, this was a risky move—one that could potentially strain diplomatic relations between the two nations.
But the thought of the treasures that could be gained from subduing Xihai (West Sea) and Nanhai (South Sea) was simply too tempting!
“Xu Ming, are you finished bathing yet?”
With his thoughts now sorted out, the Wu Emperor stood up and asked with a grin.
“Just about,” Xu Ming replied, eyeing the emperor’s well-defined abs. “Your Majesty, what is—?”
“Come,” the Wu Emperor chuckled. “I have some heads to gift you as a present.”