The Mingyue Kingdom is now essentially unified under its royal family. While its military strength cannot compare to that of the other vassal states, it still boasts nearly two million soldiers. It also has almost twenty warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men, including Wu Jiang, and a considerable number of strategists, advisors, and administrative talents.
Many who were previously hesitant have now surrendered, leaving only the Northern King, who has warmly welcomed them.
Why would anyone entrust their future to you when you lack ability? While it's true that those who surrender during times of hardship are invaluable, such individuals are rare, and those who do are either shrewd or gamblers.
In short, most people simply follow the crowd, which is understandable. They possess ability and competence, and whoever controls the kingdom will need these people to manage it.
A vast country cannot be ruled by one person alone; it requires a vast number of talented individuals, and talent is always in short supply.
The Mingyue Kingdom's royal family occupies a prosperous and desirable region in the north, with excellent cities, commerce, and spiritual fields, and convenient transportation.
The royal family was overjoyed and brimming with energy, but the vassal states were far from calm. These were powerful figures in their own right, and they understood the situation perfectly.
The three vassal states were roughly equal in strength, and unifying the Bright Moon Kingdom wouldn't be a quick process for any of them—it was practically impossible—unless they had an extraordinary stroke of luck, and even then, it would take a very long time.
Therefore, they were more interested in maintaining the current situation, acting as their own de facto emperors, ruling their respective regions, and ensuring the well-being of their descendants. Perhaps, in the long run, the Bright Moon Kingdom might even split into four.
Originally, they were happy to watch the Crown Prince and the Northern King fight it out, hoping they could both be weakened. The royal family lacked the power to unify the kingdom, as they were the legitimate heirs, and they didn't want the Bright Moon royal family to become too powerful.
Even when the Crown Prince and the Northern King were fighting, the vassal states hoped the Crown Prince would win, because they didn't want to see the Northern King show weakness; they didn't want to see the weak defeat the strong, as that would also put them in danger.
Furthermore, they knew very well who the Crown Prince and the Northern King were. They weren't too worried about the Crown Prince's victory, as they knew he lacked the ability to unify the Bright Moon Kingdom.
Now, however, they were more concerned. The Northern King had defeated the Crown Prince with almost no effort, suffering minimal casualties. The Crown Prince's army had been completely overrun, now numbering two million.
Compared to any other vassal state, two million soldiers was still insufficient, but the Northern King had previously defeated over 1.6 million troops with only 200,000…
and with ease, facing virtually no resistance, sweeping through like a whirlwind.
Therefore, the vassal states were no longer calm. The Northern King now ruled, making the royal family even more powerful, and none of them felt they could stop his advance.
They panicked, and they could sense the Northern King's ambition. They were adversaries, and if the Northern King defeated them one by one, everything would be for naught.
Therefore, three days later, the three vassal states gathered to discuss important matters.
The Southern Kingdom, the Tiger Kingdom, and the Qing Kingdom were three vassal states. At this moment, in Ye City, where the three kingdoms met, the outside was under heavy military alert, and inside, three men were frowning in worry.
"Standing still will surely lead to defeat, but if we take the initiative, there's a sliver of hope, though that would earn us a reputation for rebellion," said a middle-aged man with a somewhat effeminate appearance.
He was the ruler of the Qing Kingdom, enfeoffed as the King of Qing, a prince of a different surname with a fiefdom, though not as large as it was now.
"Perhaps we can remain still. If the Northern King attacks either of us, the other two must provide support; otherwise, if one is defeated, we're all doomed," said the Tiger King.
The Southern King nodded in agreement: "I think the Tiger King's idea is feasible. If the Northern King attacks us first, we'll support each other, and even if we launch a preemptive strike, it will be considered defense."
"It's not that simple. The royal family is the legitimate authority. They might just offer you surrender. Will you surrender? If you don't, it'll be considered treason, and then they'll have a legitimate reason to attack you, a righteous army," sighed the Qing King.
The other two fell silent. They had always felt the royal family was in decline and utterly finished, never imagining such a day would come.
Now, what Prince Qing said truly put them in a dilemma. Now that the royal family had regained its authority, many would likely choose to pledge allegiance.
After all, it was the legitimate dynasty, and the Northern King was renowned for his virtue, rumored to have the assistance of a great sage, making him invincible.
"Prince Qing, what do we do now? Surrender?" Tiger King asked anxiously, his temper flaring.
"Would you be willing to surrender?" Prince Qing asked.
"Nonsense, who would be willing? The Bright Moon Kingdom is so vast, wouldn't it be better to divide it into four?" Tiger King said unwillingly.
"The Northern King only has two million troops; that's his foundation. If we can weaken his army, then even the strongest of those two great sages will be useless," Prince Qing said.
"Those two great sages are said to be able to instantly kill someone capable of defeating ten thousand men, and can easily take down an army of ten thousand," Southern King said.
"Those two are just passing through; they won't stay in Mingyue Kingdom forever. They just need Mingyue Kingdom as a stepping stone," said Prince Qing.
"If it weren't for those two, we wouldn't have to worry about the Northern King at all. Those two are just too strong, but why do we have to help the Northern King?" Tiger King said indignantly.
"Interests, and habit. The Northern King is the weakest. Well, originally, the Northern King was the weakest, but the other side must have its own reasons for choosing the Northern King."
"Headache. Never mind, Prince Qing, tell me a method, and I'll listen to you," Tiger King said, unable to bear the atmosphere any longer.
Nanwang hesitated for a moment and then nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to Prince Qing too."
"Since that's the case, it's better to take the initiative than to be passive. As long as we annihilate the Northern King's two million-strong army, and if we can kill the Northern King, then everything will be a success. So we can prepare two plans: one is to assassinate the Northern King. If the Northern King dies, the army will be leaderless, and the two million-strong army will be useless. If the assassination fails, then we can directly fight and destroy the other side's two million-strong army," Prince Qing said slowly.
Tiger King and Southern King were delighted upon hearing this; this method was feasible—a two-pronged approach, any success of which would be beneficial.
The final step was to assassinate Northern King, the core of the royal family. As long as Northern King lived, the soul of the royal family remained.
"Who should be sent for the assassination?" Southern King asked.
"This is of paramount importance, so we must all send our strongest teams. Now is not the time to hold back; let's overcome this immediate difficulty first!" Prince Qing said.
"Good!"
"Good!"