Chapter 1304 - 407: Turn Against_2
The two sides began a back-and-forth haggling, and at the crucial moment, Emperor Huian severely reprimanded Xiao Ruiyuan for his mishandling of the situation, not capturing the Wu Tuo spies. Had it not been for Chu Heng intervening on his behalf, Emperor Huian might have even stripped him of his Great General title.
Xiao Ruiyuan, having fought in campaigns for many years and established meritorious service in stabilizing Great Chu’s territories, faced Emperor Huian’s rebuke for the first time. Under the weight of his gloomy mood, he holed up in the General Mansion drowning his sorrows in alcohol, not stepping outside for several days, and naturally ignored the Uto People’s urgency.
This matter became the talk of Jing City, with many in the know believing it to be a sign of Xiao Ruiyuan’s fall from grace. The Uto People, upon hearing of this "unintentionally," saw it as a stroke of fortune from the heavens and even entertained the thought of persuading Xiao Ruiyuan to defect.
Thus, the Uto People, who had never met with Xiao Ruiyuan before, unanimously decided to send Weiya to persuade him. They wanted Xiao Ruiyuan to secretly align with the Uto Kingdom, promising that, should he aid the Uto Kingdom in conquering Great Chu’s vast lands, he would be granted a royal title.
In front of a disguised Weiya, Xiao Ruiyuan did not agree, but inadvertently expressed his dissatisfaction with Emperor Huian. This greatly exhilarated the Uto People, who believed that with a few more persuasions, even if Xiao Ruiyuan wouldn’t completely turn his coat, he wouldn’t be as willing to risk his life for Great Chu’s Emperor as he had been in the past.
This, too, was good news for Wu Tuo.
Although Xiao Ruiyuan had not been turned, he finally agreed to help the Uto People send the trapped spies back to Wu Tuo in exchange for his fiancée. However, he did not trust the Uto People and demanded a face-to-face exchange.
Leituo was very cautious and suspicious, believing that at this point, Xiao Ruiyuan wouldn’t play them, but still remained vigilant. His suspicions deepened when Xiao Ruiyuan requested a face-to-face exchange, worrying that Xiao might back out at the last minute or set a trap to capture them all.