Chapter 1788: Chapter 570: Liang Hengzhang, Negotiations_2

With a smile on his lips, Liang Hengzhang immediately spoke, "The 100,000-strong army of Chen Cang is still stationed in East River City, and Great Xia has few troops available, otherwise, they wouldn’t be stalling to send reinforcements to Evergreen Valley. To be frank with Lord Xia, the Three Vassals intend to negotiate peace with Chen Cang. The conflict in Lin Chu County will likely soon end, and once it does, Chen Cang’s next target might just be Great Xia."

Trying to frighten me?

Xia Hong chuckled inwardly, raising an eyebrow, "So, the Three Vassals intend to negotiate peace with Chen Cang, meaning that Landgrave Cai plans to hand over Lin Chu County to Chen Cang?"

"Of course not. The Three Vassals exert pressure; no matter how capable Chu Longteng is, he must still cough up Lin Chu County, and the territories Great Xia currently occupies must also be returned in full to us, Cai Qiu."

"Such presumptuous talk. The lands that Great Xia has swallowed have never been given back!"

"Arrogant! The armies of Hezang and Wei Bo are still on their own borders and haven’t entered your Cai Qiu territory. You think these petty tricks can scare us?"

"Return everything in full to you? Quite the tone. How many troops can you Cai Qiu muster to respond to Qing Valley?"

......

Clearly provoked by Liang Hengzhang’s confident bearing, Xia Hong, who remained silent, saw members like Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Luo Yuan respond angrily in chorus.

The entire main tent instantly surged with bloodlust, making the atmosphere completely tense.

Xia Hong didn’t speak; instead, the smile that was just on his face suddenly became calm as he stared straight at Liang Hengzhang, waiting for his response.

Liang Hengzhang, although only a One Turn in the Tribulation Body Realm, found the show of force within the Great Xia’s main tent far from intimidating. Even with the cold beasts behind Xia Hong on the verge of action, he remained unfazed.

"Lord Xia, with the recent inclusion of the Southern Slope, Great Xia’s territory has increased severalfold. The urgent matter now is to consolidate these new lands, develop strength, and lay down the foundation for establishing a vassal state, rather than engage in a bitter fight over the barren Evergreen Valley with us, Cai Qiu. That 100,000-strong army of Chen Cang remains idle because their main focus is on Lin Chu. Once Chen Cang is free to act, does Lord Xia think Great Xia can hold onto Beishuo, Wuchuan, or the newly acquired Northern Five Towns?"

Xia Hong immediately lowered his gaze and turned to look at Qiu Peng.

Last night, Qiu Peng brought back news from Xia Chuan that the rebels in the Northern Five Towns had repeatedly arisen to cause trouble, leading Xia Chuan to send half of the Dongchuan army to suppress them. If there isn’t a shadow of Chen Cang involved, who would believe it?

So Liang Hengzhang’s words had hit the mark.

With the 100,000-strong army of Chen Cang inactive, they’ve already managed to stir up so many problems. Once they really decide to take action against Great Xia, would the hidden rebels in the Five Towns miss such an opportunity?

The rise of Great Xia is still too recent; although it has swallowed the Northern Five Towns in one gulp, the inherent dangers are significant. If not handled wisely, good fortune might turn into misfortune.

"Lord Liang just mentioned pointing out a clear path for Great Xia. Could it be that you suggest I withdraw my troops and cease fighting with Cai Qiu?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing his intentions uncovered by Xia Hong, Liang Hengzhang offered no concealment, providing a direct affirmative response, before continuing, "If the Xia Army withdraws from Evergreen Valley and my Cai Qiu sets the Bone-Eroding Path as the boundary, the two sides will become good neighbors. My Cai Qiu can facilitate relations, allowing Great Xia to forge friendly ties with Wei Bo and Hezang.

With the support of us, the Three Vassals, driving Chen Cang out of the Southern Slope Territory will be a breeze for Great Xia. Given Great Xia’s current strength, it can undoubtedly establish a vassal state in as little as a decade or as much as thirty to fifty years. By then, we, the Three Vassals, will be the first to back Great Xia. By that time, not only can Chen Cang be repressed, but even dividing and consuming Chen Cang isn’t out of the question."

They really painted a rosy picture for themselves...

Xia Hong looked at Liang Hengzhang, showing no emotional fluctuation on his face, yet deeper respect for this Cai Qiu Taiyi grew in his heart.

Liang Hengzhang’s words were indeed tempting.

However, they also harbored considerable latent risk.

As things stand, Great Xia has indeed deeply offended Cai Qiu; it’s no stretch to imagine that as allies of Cai Qiu, Wei Bo and Hezang hold no great regard for Great Xia.

Great Xia currently still has a cooperative relationship with Chen Cang. If Liang Hengzhang’s words were followed, with Great Xia changing the tactics and cooperating with the Three Vassals against Chen Cang, regardless of the outcome, the reputation for vacillation would surely be incurred.

Furthermore, would the Three Vassals sincerely help Great Xia drive out Chen Cang?

The armies of Wei Bo and Hezang have only gathered on the border but haven’t entered Cai Qiu to help resist Chen Cang.

If long-standing allies behave this way, especially for a recent entrant like Great Xia, it’s doubtful. Furthermore, suppose the Three Vassals genuinely dispatch troops to the Southern Slope Territory, claiming to help Great Xia counter Chen Cang. Xia Hong, upon self-reflection, wouldn’t dare let the Three Vassals’ army in.

Feigning help and seizing opportunities, there are too many instances in Xia Hong’s mind from his two lifetimes of experience to be fooled by such tricks.

Xia Hong remained silent, and the atmosphere within the tent immediately froze.

Liang Hengzhang also saw that Xia Hong was in deep thought, standing calmly in place, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"Can the Three Vassals jointly destroy Chen Cang?"

Upon hearing the question, Liang Hengzhang was initially taken aback but then lifted his head to look at Xia Hong, and his expression immediately darkened.

He almost instantaneously realized the subtext behind Xia Hong’s question.

The combined strength of the Three Vassals certainly surpasses that of Chen Cang.

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