Who put the yellow robe on me?

Chapter 189 Friendly Transfer

The night was deep, and the palace of Kucha City was brightly lit. Every inch of bricks and tiles in the palace revealed the majesty of the Western Regions' royal power, and even the air was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.

Lord Ji walked slowly into the hall, his heart filled with anxiety and uneasiness.

Ever since signing the agreement with Daliang to cede three cities, he has been thinking about how to explain this to the King of the Western Regions.

Now that the internal and external troubles in the Western Regions have become fully exposed, he knows very well that the anger of the King of the Western Regions will probably be difficult to quell.

In the center of the Kucha Hall, the King of the Western Regions, draped in royal robes, sat on his throne, his brow furrowed, his eyes gleaming with coldness. His right foot tapped the ground rhythmically, the sound echoing through the silent hall like the beat of a death drum.

"Master Ji," the King of the Western Regions said coldly, his voice as sharp as a knife, "You've returned just in time. I had something to ask you."

Lord Ji took a deep breath, suppressed his inner tension, and stepped forward with a bow, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have returned and am willing to help you solve your problems."

The King of the Western Regions narrowed his eyes, his gaze so sharp that he seemed to see through Lord Ji: "Sharing the burden? Lord Ji, don't you know what you've done? Ceding three cities to Daliang? Or is it a friendly transfer? Are you helping me, or are you handing our cities in the Western Regions to the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Ji immediately broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead. He knew very well how much the King of the Western Regions valued his territory, and he also knew how risky his decision to cede the city was this time.

At this moment, he can only rely on himself to turn this matter into a safe situation.

"Your Majesty," Lord Ji bowed his head respectfully, but his tone remained firm, "Although the agreement with Daliang this time is to cede the city on the surface, it is actually to buy a breathing space for our Western Regions.

Daliang is now so powerful that it will be difficult for us to confront it head-on in the short term. If we do not compromise, it will only plunge our Western Region into an even more critical situation."

The King of the Western Region snorted coldly, his eyes fixed on him like knives. "A chance to breathe? Do you think I don't know? Are you, Lord Ji, colluding with Daliang to use this opportunity to weaken the strength of our Western Region?"

Lord Ji felt a tightness in his heart, knowing that the King of the Western Regions was always suspicious of everyone.

He quickly calmed down, bowed slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no second thoughts. I made this decision entirely for the future of the Western Regions. If we don't temporarily compromise with Daliang, once their army approaches, not only will we lose these three cities, but all of our territory in the Western Regions."

The King of the Western Regions' eyes were still cold, but he did not refute immediately. It was obvious that Lord Ji's words had caused him to think.

"Your Majesty, please listen to me." Lord Ji saw this and took advantage of the situation to continue, "Daliang is no longer as powerful as it once was, and the Sixteenth Prince Jiang Chen is a master of military strategy. If we confront Daliang head-on, even Kucha will be in danger. I am negotiating with Daliang and ceding cities to buy time for Your Majesty to reorganize his forces and find new allies."

The King of the Western Regions frowned, obviously weighing the pros and cons.

Lord Ji knew his explanation wasn't enough to fully convince the King of the Western Regions, so he continued, "Your Majesty, have you heard about the recent discord between Daliang and the Northern Qiang? They've expended significant manpower, and a number of problems have arisen in the rear.

Although Daliang appears strong today, internal and external troubles have already emerged. We only need to be patient and wait for the changes within Daliang to emerge, then we can seize the opportunity to recover our lost territory."

The King of the Western Regions was stunned and fell into deep thought. Although he was still filled with anger, he had to admit that what Master Ji said made some sense.

Daliang was indeed powerful, and the Western Regions were not a force that could rival it at this time. Compromise was perhaps the safest option at this moment.

After a long moment, the King of the Western Regions finally spoke slowly, "Lord Ji, you have some truth in what you say. But remember, these three cities are only ceded temporarily. When the time is right, we must take them back."

Lord Ji breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. I will definitely live up to your trust."

The King of the Western Regions waved his hand and said tiredly, "Retreat."

Lord Ji retreated and breathed a sigh of relief. Although his life had been saved for the time being, he knew that the situation in the Western Regions was still dangerous.

……

At the same time, in Jiang Chen’s camp in Liangzhou City, the atmosphere was completely different.

Inside the large tent, the lights were brightly lit. Jiang Chen was discussing the next plan with his officers and men. He looked relaxed, but his eyes gleamed with deep calculation.

"Your Highness," Mi Chunhong stepped forward, his tone slightly puzzled. "Why are the Western Regions suddenly willing to compromise? Will they really withdraw their troops as agreed?"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly, a cold glint in his eyes: "They will withdraw their troops, at least not in the short term. Now that the internal conflicts in the Western Regions have intensified, they are unable to confront us in Daliang head-on."

Mi Chunhong frowned: "But, Your Highness, after the Western Regions withdraw their troops, how should we respond? Do we need to continue to put pressure on them?"

Jiang Chen glanced at the generals present and sighed softly: "Now is not the time for an all-out war. Xianyu Linyuan has already provided us with intelligence on the defenses of the Western Regions. Although the Western Regions' defenses appear solid, they are weak internally. If we storm, our chances of victory are very high. But..."

He paused, the corners of his mouth rising slightly, "I have a better plan."

General Zhong Wenbin frowned. "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Jiang Chen looked up at him, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. "The best way to fight a war is to attack their plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. I want to try to attack their plans first!"

"To plan a war?" Mi Chunhong asked doubtfully, "Please explain clearly, Your Highness."

Jiang Chen smiled, his eyes cold. "The Western Region is plagued by internal conflicts. Lord Ji and the King of the Western Region are not on good terms. Although Xianyu Linyuan has surrendered, his heart is still with the Western Region. As long as we cleverly exploit these conflicts, the Western Region will surely fall into disarray, and we will win without a fight."

After hearing this, all the generals showed admiration. Jiang Chen's strategy was indeed extraordinary.

At this time, Zuo Yongyu walked quickly into the tent and said with a bow, "Your Highness, someone has reported that the Western Region troops have withdrawn from Gaochang, Yizhou, and Tingzhou. These three cities are now unmanned."

Jiang Chen's eyes lit up, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Very good, Lord Ji is indeed trustworthy. Next, our mission is to ensure the safety of these three cities."

He turned to look at Zhong Xiaodan and said coldly, "Second Young Master, immediately send troops to take over the three cities and ensure the safety of the people within. Also, find General Xianyu's family and General Xuanyuan's brother and bring them to Liangzhou City to ensure their safety."

Zhong Xiaodan immediately clasped his fists and accepted the order: "Yes, Your Highness! I will arrange it right away."

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, his eyes deep.

He knew that only by ensuring that these people were in his hands could he completely control the loyalty of Xianyu Linyuan and Xuanyuan Feiyan.