Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1840 - 1833: The 3rd Party Breaking the Deadlock

Chapter 1840: Chapter 1833: The 3rd Party Breaking the Deadlock

Since Bailong An ascended the throne, the country’s situation has spiraled into chaos.

The late emperor’s body still lay unburied in the palace, and those Wu Family officials who had gained power began their spectacle.

They quickly replaced most key positions with their own people, imprisoning Wen Family officials on fabricated charges.

As the greatest bastion of the Wen Family, the Yichuan Clan naturally became the next target they aimed to deal with.

However, the Yichuan Clan clearly had no intention of yielding. Yichuan Xv, in charge of leading the Forbidden Army, immediately led his Yin State troops in battle against the turned Forbidden Army and the Wu Family forces.

This battle on the grounds of Yin State lasted for a full month, with both sides continuously pouring troops into the fight. What initially seemed to be a battle of tens of thousands ultimately escalated into a large-scale engagement involving over three hundred thousand soldiers.

The Wen Family aristocratic families in the territory of Yin State continuously dispatched their troops to support Yichuan Xv, while the Wu Family equally did not relent, constantly deploying forces to the battlefield to fight.

With the outbreak of the Yin State battle, the hope that Yichuan Xv would lead his troops back became a pipe dream. Yichuan Fei, who retreated to Liangyu Mansion, resolved to dig trenches and defend.

Liangyu Mansion itself was easy to defend and hard to attack. After years of management by the Yichuan Clan, this expansive estate had long been transformed into a sturdy fortress.

On this foundation, Yichuan Fei began recruiting personnel and dispersing the surplus. However, due to his reputation for benevolence, everyone from the mansion’s guards to its servants willingly stayed to defend.

Thus, Yichuan Fei opened his family’s armory, taking out weapons to arm these people, equipping everyone to the teeth, displaying a stance of resistance.

In fact, although they had seized power, the Wu Family forces remained in Shengyuan Qilan with limited troops, as most had been deployed to the Yin State battle. So, they could only, in the name of the Emperor Wu, repeatedly send envoys to demand Yichuan Fei’s submission.

However, Yichuan Fei refused to heed the summons and did not even acknowledge Bailong An’s identity as Emperor Wu, seemingly ready to go all out. It was surprising to see how this usually gentle and cultured man showed such fiery courage in a crisis.

Helplessly, these Wu Family officials turned their attention to the Wen Family officials they had imprisoned, particularly the Hundred Chief Yichuan Qing.

Yichuan Qing was Yichuan Fei’s father, and now that Yichuan Qing was in their hands, how would Yichuan Fei and Yichuan Xv not obediently surrender?

But what they did not expect was that Yichuan Qing committed suicide shortly after being imprisoned, and this unexpected event thoroughly disrupted the plans of these Wu Family officials.

They hurriedly sealed the news because they knew very well that once the news leaked, the possibility of Yichuan Fei and his brother surrendering would vanish completely.

Not only Yichuan Qing, but many Wen Family officials, unable to bear such humiliation, also despaired and committed suicide in prison. In a single day, over a hundred officials of various ranks committed suicide, greatly exceeding the Wu Family officials’ expectations of the Wen Family’s dignity.

Despite these Wu Family officials’ repeated efforts to block the news, such information inevitably leaked out.

The rumors of Wen Family officials committing suicide in prison grew increasingly exaggerated, ultimately evolving into a rumor that the Wu Family planned to kill all remaining Wen Family officials with none left alive.

Once this rumor surfaced, those Wen Family officials in Zhili, who had not yet been affected, abandoned their seals and fled, causing the entire Zhili region’s administrative system to collapse instantly.

Faced with such awkward situations, those Wu Family officials now in charge lamented bitterly, as they had nowhere near enough people to fill all these missing positions, directly plunging the area surrounding Shengyuan Qilan into complete anarchy, struggling to send orders from Shengjing.

In fact, these circumstances were foreseeable. The Wu Family and Wen Family naturally did not see eye to eye. Once the Wu Family came to power, even if they did not act against the Wen Family, chaos could arise. Furthermore, the Wu Family immediately attacked the Wen Family upon assuming power, causing Shengjing to become a place of turmoil.

Currently, the Wu Family can barely maintain order inside Shengyuan Qilan City, but chaos reigns outside, with bandits and thieves running rampant, and settlements either dispersing or fortifying for defense. The order painstakingly established by the Wen Family was entirely disrupted.

The armies of the Wu Family and Wen Family were fiercely engaged a hundred miles away in the Yin State, leaving them with no capacity to attend to Shengyuan Qilan. This left the Wu Family officials supporting Bailong An inside the Capital City feeling extremely frustrated.

Now the Yichuan Clan has become their greatest challenge; with Yichuan Qing’s suicide, the Yichuan Clan cannot be persuaded to surrender. Yichuan Fei is holding firm at Liangyu Mansion outside the city, while Yichuan Xv leads troops in a fierce battle with the Wu Family’s army in Yin State, rendering the outcome uncertain for the time being.

The Wu Family has only been in power for half a month, and the situation is worsening by the day. They clearly underestimated the difficulty of maintaining order, assuming they could do just as well as the Wen Family.

However, with the administrative system’s collapse, Shengyuan Qilan has become an isolated island, with Yichuan Fei watching like a tiger ready to strike outside the city, threatening to breach and capture the Emperor Wu.

Thinking of these matters, the Wu Family officials found themselves restless and plagued by anxiety, racking their brains day and night for a solution until, finally, someone remembered the existence of a third-party force within the city that might offer some assistance.

Thus, one day, Anxiang Liang, laden with lavish gifts, personally visited the Advance Team and others.

Despite the change to a new Emperor Wu, Luo’er was still recognized as the National Teacher. Even when the Advance Team reached the border, the Wu Family had made multiple attempts to win over Luo’er.

Therefore, to the Wu Family, Luo’er tended to be regarded as a third-party force. Caught in the current predicament, and at their wits’ end, they finally thought of Luo’er, anxiously hoping he could act as a bridge to persuade Yichuan Fei to cease resistance.

"What is the meaning of this, Manor Lord?" Luo’er calmly asked, seeing the continuous stream of gifts into his residence.

"This is a token of His Majesty’s appreciation. The National Teacher is the mainstay of the Heavenly Dynasty and must not be treated lightly. Hence, His Majesty specially dispatched me to extend regards to the National Teacher," Anxiang Liang said respectfully with a bow.

"Heh..."

Upon hearing this, Luo’er chuckled lightly, shook his head, and said, "You probably want something from me. Manor Lord, you might as well speak directly."

"Er..." Anxiang Liang scratched his head awkwardly after being seen through, then respectfully continued, "First of all, the National Teacher and the Wen Family get along quite well, given the current situation..."

Before he could finish, Luo’er gently waved his hand, interrupting him: "This is your domestic affair, and I’m in no position to interfere. I have repeatedly stated that I will not involve myself in your country’s internal affairs, so Manor Lord, please seek someone else."

"No, no, no, this is not a state matter. We merely wish to request the National Teacher, in a personal capacity, to go to Liangyu Mansion and persuade Yichuan Fei to respect the government."

"I am not being modest. How effective can I, an outsider, be in persuading Yichuan Young Mansion? Besides, Yichuan Young Mansion is an official of your Dongsheng Empire. Why don’t you yourselves persuade him? Instead, you seek out me, an outsider—what sense does that make?" Luo’er asked sarcastically.

"Yichuan Fei is temporarily misguided, and it’s unavoidable that he takes the wrong path. As long as the National Teacher can persuade him to surrender, the government will certainly not dwell on past matters."

"I am not so easily assured by your promises. If you genuinely wish for Yichuan Young Mansion to submit, why did you conspire against the Hundred Chief in the first place?"

"That was a misunderstanding..."

Anxiang Liang appeared somewhat agitated: "We had no intention of harming the Hundred Chief. However, the Hundred Chief was as stubborn as iron, and breaking meant damage; we were helpless..."

"Don’t think I’m unwilling to go..." Luo’er hesitated briefly before speaking.

"Ah," Anxiang Liang’s eyes instantly brightened with delight at his words, "as long as the National Teacher agrees to go and persuade, you can name your price."

"I’m not interested in these things. Take back the extras. With roads blocked, there are many hungry, trapped people in the city. Why not distribute these items among them?" Luo’er said, waving his hand.

"But National Teacher..."

Anxiang Liang asked hesitantly, clearly dubious of Luo’er’s altruism.

"I have only one condition!" Luo’er raised a finger and said.

"The National Teacher need only state it without reservation!"

"I had an agreement with the late emperor and the Wen Family that the Dongsheng Empire would never again violate West Outer Heaven. If the new emperor can uphold this agreement, I’ll accede to your request to visit Liangyu Mansion to meet Yichuan Fei."

"Uh..."

Upon hearing Luo’er’s condition, Anxiang Liang clearly hesitated for a moment.

He rolled his eyes briefly before assuming a sincere expression, vowing earnestly: "No problem, I will promptly relay the National Teacher’s wishes to His Majesty. I’m confident His Majesty will agree to the National Teacher’s request."

"Then that’s settled. Once this matter is concluded, it will be time for us to leave Shengjing..."

"Ah, where does the National Teacher intend to go?"

Anxiang Liang was taken aback.