Earlier, when she had been held captive underwater by Wei Kingdom cultivators, a man resembling a common soldier had appeared, and later led Jiao troops to rescue her. At the time, she found this person perplexing, but what left a deeper impression was that his appearance had been accompanied by a thunderbolt striking down.

This matched perfectly with the “heavenly lightning” Feng Miaojun had mentioned.

So it was her friend who had saved her once again.

Having been recognized, Feng Miaojun could only smile sheepishly, “Yes, it was me.”

Miao Fengxian nodded respectfully to her: “I’m not asking the Queen to intervene and help mother and son escape.”

“What does the Crown Prince mean?”

Miao Fengxian’s expression grew increasingly solemn: “Actually, Jiao Kingdom still has one path to take, neither fighting to the death nor surrendering—at least not surrendering to the Wei Kingdom. However, this approach will invite condemnation from future generations.”

He gave a bitter laugh: “Fortunately, I’m already dead, Lin’er is still young, and Hanyue is merely a woman. I alone will bear all the blame.”

Princess Hanyue listened quietly but felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. She couldn’t help asking: “What… what method are you suggesting?”

Miao Fengxian had died recently and still retained his habits from life. He drew a long breath: “Join New Xia.”

“What!” Princess Hanyue’s eyes suddenly widened.

Her husband had been the Crown Prince of Jiao in life, yet after death, he wasn’t thinking about preserving Jiao’s existence but rather wanted her to lead the country to seek refuge with New Xia.

Feng Miaojun was equally moved: “Are you truly willing to give it up?”

“I’m not willing,” Miao Fengxian laughed bitterly, “but I’m already dead, and there’s no other way.”

Just then, more news came from outside: Wei forces had broken through the Five Maple Pavilion and were heading this way!

After the western corner of Yinzi City had been breached, Wei troops poured in like a flood, and both sides engaged in fierce street fighting.

The people of Jiao also understood that this was a desperate last stand. Once defeated, not a single soul would be left alive in the entire city of Yinzi!

This battle was filled with tragic heroism.

The military strength of both sides was unequal, but fortunately, street fighting could offset many of Jiao’s disadvantages, slowing the Wei army’s advance. Theoretically, if Yinzi City could hold out for another three to five days, reinforcements would arrive.

But the question was, would the Wei forces give them this opportunity?

“Hanyue’s temperament is different from yours; she cannot support the great Jiao Kingdom alone. Unfortunately, the royal family is now reduced to just this widowed mother and orphaned child.” Miao Fengxian set aside the war situation for a moment. He gently stroked his beloved wife’s hair, even though he could feel nothing. “I observe that most court officials show pessimism, with only a small faction still having the will to fight. Yan Kingdom cannot be relied upon, and even if Yinzi City could repel Wei forces in this battle, the kingdom is already in ruins. The Jiao Kingdom will face extreme difficulties in the future.”

He saw the situation. Even if the Jiao Kingdom could survive this life-and-death crisis, the fundamental problem remained unsolved: the heir to the throne was too young to govern, and Princess Hanyue could not manage state affairs. With a young ruler and weak mother, control of political affairs would inevitably fall into the hands of several regents.

As for foreign affairs, with both the King and Crown Prince of Jiao dead, the country had lost its helmsman. Neighboring countries taking advantage of the chaos to plunder would be considered mild; the most terrifying scenario would be Wei Kingdom regrouping and attacking again!

When that time came, who could stop them again?

Looking at both internal and external situations, the Jiao Kingdom was now in a precarious state and urgently needed a powerful backer. Yan Kingdom would be ideal, but it was simply too far away—how could distant waters quench an immediate thirst? Considering geography, they had no choice but to exclude it.

Princess Hanyue looked at him, then at Feng Miaojun:

“Why?!”

Miao Fengxian said softly: “The Wei-Xia Agreement.”

At the mention of that agreement, Princess Hanyue remembered feeling somewhat angry when she first heard the news. Feng Miaojun and New Xia signing the agreement clearly showed they didn’t care about the survival of surrounding countries: “The Wei Kingdom cannot attack New Xia territory?”

“Yes,” Miao Fengxian was now a soul; others couldn’t tell his expression. “If Jiao Kingdom becomes part of New Xia, Wei Kingdom must withdraw from this land.”

But in doing so, Great Jiao would no longer be an independent country. Princess Hanyue thought of the consequences and rubbed her temples: “Afterward, the entire court will be in uproar.” She truly didn’t know how troublesome it was for rulers to manage state affairs; the officials below would argue for half a day over the smallest matters. If Miao Fengxian implemented this nation-ending plan, they might argue so fiercely that they’d lift the roof off the hall.

After all, if the foundation built by the Jiao Kingdom over many years were to suddenly disappear, whose ruler would these people serve, and whose country would they love?

“Indeed,” Feng Miaojun shook her head. “This is a momentous decision. The Crown Prince should first inform all the officials, otherwise there will be endless problems in the future.”

Merging kingdoms was no child’s play. It involved too many affairs, and unexpected issues would surely be endless.

“There’s no time,” Miao Fengxian smiled bitterly. At this point, convening a court discussion would only invite arguments. Among Jiao’s ministers were many hot-blooded men who would rather lose their heads than bend their knees to others. But their fearlessness of death didn’t mean others shared the same attitude; their willingness to perish with the enemy didn’t mean other compatriots didn’t want to survive.

In life, Miao Fengxian had been the Crown Prince of Jiao, so his basis for weighing advantages and disadvantages must naturally be the welfare of all people, not the sentiments of a few.

As they spoke, thunderous cannon fire erupted outside, making the palace where they stood tremble.

Even Feng Miaojun drew in a sharp breath: “Xiao Yan is acting ruthlessly now.”

Cannons were bombarding the inner city of Yinzi! The Wei forces had lost patience and were unwilling to continue street fighting with Jiao troops, wanting only a swift resolution.

After all, they didn’t plan to leave anyone alive in the entire city; they might as well flatten it with artillery.

Simple, brutal, but direct and effective!

No matter how strong a beast’s defenses might be, once its belly is torn open, its internal organs are equally vulnerable. This was the current state of Yinzi City. If things continued like this, the people of Jiao wouldn’t hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Princess Hanyue bit her lower lip until it turned white, then looked at Feng Miaojun: “I beg for your help.”

Unexpectedly, Feng Miaojun immediately waved her hand: “I am the Queen of New Xia. I will not help an opponent of the Wei Kingdom. You must understand this first.”

It wasn’t that she was heartless; rather, the Jiao-Xia agreement had precedence. Regardless of her personal feelings, she couldn’t reveal such intentions in her outward actions. Miao Fengxian and Princess Hanyue exchanged glances, both seeing the bitterness in each other’s eyes.

Under normal circumstances, would a proud nation like Great Jiao ever agree to submit to another country? The Wei Kingdom had expended enormous effort, even sacrificing their ruler, without achieving this goal. But now, with the crisis difficult to resolve and Wei determined to massacre the city, seeking to join New Xia was already the best way out in the face of hundreds of thousands of lives at stake.

The enmity between Wei and Jiao ran deep. If Jiao people had to choose between submitting to the Wei Kingdom or New Xia, everyone would undoubtedly prefer New Xia to take over everything in Jiao.

Miao Fengxian had anticipated her response and nodded: “Precisely. I invited the Queen of New Xia here not to seek help, but to discuss terms of submission.”