Xie Jiayan unfolded the map, studying the maritime terrain. These foreign invaders, who had been posing as pirates and wreaking havoc at sea, were intimately familiar with the waters and possessed excellent swimming skills, making them formidable adversaries.
This war had been premeditated, and it was indeed disadvantageous to their forces.
During the Qinghe rebellion, river pirates had plundered along the waterways. At that time, Sixth Lady had casually remarked that the Great Wei had not engaged in naval warfare for over a decade, and their warships were dilapidated and outdated. This should have served as a warning and prompted increased vigilance.
Less than a year later, a naval conflict erupted, just as she had predicted.
The Great Wei's most skilled naval commander was Marquis Chenliu. He had been stationed in the maritime region for many years. To prevent local commanders from accumulating too much power, the Emperor implemented a system of rotational assignments. For years, he had been transferred from one post to another. Unexpectedly, the old man had sacrificed himself at Yumenguan.
Upon hearing of Xie Jiayan's return, Hua Chaofei rushed over without delay. Seeing that half of his hair had turned white, he nearly rode back to the capital to kill that dog emperor.
"What's the point of you doing all this? If you ask me, you should just rebel. With your status, you'd naturally rally widespread support," Hua Chaofei said indignantly.
Xie Jiayan remained remarkably calm. "You only say such things in front of me."
If it truly came to that, his life would certainly be forfeit.
It wasn't that he feared death, but rather that the Central Plains faced a crisis, and he couldn't bear to see her suffer.
"Look at you. Xie Jiayan, are you human or a god? What are you striving for by doing all this? What do foreign invasions and border conflicts have to do with you? Come with me now. Even if Fengming Tower has to be at odds with the world, we'll ensure your safety for the rest of your life."
If he changed his mind and desired that position, he would sacrifice his life and Fengming Tower to aid him, at least in a grand endeavor.
But in his current state, Hua Chaofei felt wronged for him, that it was all for naught.
Xie Jiayan slowly withdrew his gaze and returned it to the map of the domain. "After the war ends, I will leave."
"Leave? Will he let you leave alive?"
"Don't I still have you?" Xie Jiayan said, half-jokingly.
"You saved me back then, and I promised you my life. But now, I wish you had never saved me, rather than seeing you endure such hardship day after day. I consider you a brother, yet you treat your life as a game. What do you owe that dog emperor?" Hua Chaofei was always persuaded by him, but this time, no matter what, he was determined to take him away.
Since the old emperor didn't acknowledge him as his son and constantly schemed against him, Xie Jiayan saw no need to worry about these matters. Let them fight their wars, let them descend into chaos. It would be best if the Xiao family's empire were to perish.
"I owe no one, nor is this for him. I am merely doing what a citizen of Great Wei should do. We cannot err just because others have erred. The world cannot be this way," Xie Jiayan stated, his tone consistently calm.
"You always find a way to convince me. But I'm telling you, if anything happens to you, I will lead my men to the capital and take that dog emperor's life." Hua Chaofei turned and left.
He was an abandoned infant, unaware of his parents' identities. He was found and raised by his master in the tower, experiencing all the vicissitudes of life and lamenting the unfairness of fate. Thus, he was determined to make a name for himself.
Later, in pursuit of power and dominance, he killed his senior brother, his master, and his uncle, ascending to the position of Tower Master on the blood of his fellow disciples.
He believed himself to be the greatest villain in the world, only to discover that a greater evil was the torment of the heart.
His birth parents, who had abandoned him, were fortunate. Otherwise, they would have long since become his fallen victims.
Hua Chaofei drew his Qingyu sword. Since meeting Xie Jiayan, he had rarely used it, and it had been out of its scabbard for a long time. He wondered if it would still be as wieldy as it was in the past.