With the "bang" sound of a cork popping, the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak.
The amber liquor is bright in color and extremely clear after being poured into the glass. There are fine and long bubbles floating slowly in the liquor.
The aroma of the wine overflowed, and the sweetness of the grapes quickly permeated the air. In contrast, the pungent smell of alcohol was much lighter, making it clear that this was not a glass of strong wine.
However, Yunye still dare not drink.
She remembered the wine that she was forced to drink in Huayue City, and Zipu told her that she lay motionless and unconscious on the table after getting drunk. Except for that dinner and the pair of glasses afterwards, Yun Ye hadn't touched alcohol very much, and naturally she didn't know what kind of posture she would turn into when she was drunk.
So when the others were already concentrating on tasting, Yun Ye didn't even raise her hand, just staring at the wine in a daze.
After a while, everyone drank the wine in their glasses and continued to chat about some trivial matters. Yun Ye just picked up the cup symbolically and shook it, then put it back. The dishes on the table gradually bottomed out, and the story came to an end. During this process, while dealing with the situation, Yun Ye tried her best to think about what other clever rhetoric could break the deadlock.
Until the end, Yunye didn't think of a particularly good way to break the situation. She put the last piece of pastry into her mouth in despair, chewed it mechanically, and thought about what she should say when she went to the council hall to delay the time, when she suddenly heard Lid, who was sitting across from her, asked:
"Yunye, if you want one of Black Steel City and Sword Forging City, Yuxi City, do you find it difficult?"
Yun Ye swallowed the pastry in a hurry, pinched her thigh secretly, and forced herself to cheer up.
She didn't know why Lid chose to ask at this time, but since Lid asked, she had to firmly express her position:
"It's hard. Iron ore is an extremely important resource for any territory. Without enough iron, there is no capital to arm an army. Moreover, weapons and armor will wear out. Only by ensuring a long-term and stable supply of iron ore , the army can have the ability to fight for a long time. Yunyang also does not produce much iron, and the two iron mines to the west are resources that must be contended for. The lord of Yunyang once said that no matter what, it must not be lost."
Lide stared into Yunye's eyes, and asked with a half-smile:
"What about you? Do you agree with what he said?"
"I… "
Yun Ye bowed her head and remained silent.
Lid took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. His voice was a little muffled during this time, but he quickly returned to normal:
"In my opinion, as long as this situation continues to be deadlocked, Lord Yunyang will most likely be willing to give me the Black Steel City to the west. You once said that there is no natural danger between Black Steel City and Sword Casting City, so I I can go east at any time after taking Black Steel City, but Lord Yunyang knows this kind of thing well. So he will release Black Steel City to me, and then give Liyi 10,000 people to garrison Jianjian City. What he needs is not A notorious son of Yunyang, he still wants to give Li Yi a chance to mess with me again."
Maybe because she recognized Li De's words in her heart, Yun Ye didn't refute, but just asked:
"At that time, did the Lord City Master think that Yuxi City could create another miracle of winning more with less?"
Lied stood up, and Alaya beside him helped him put on his coat.
Lide said to Yunye:
"Yuxi City has never relied on any miracles until now. If we had relied on such illusory things, we would have perished countless times."
A bad premonition surged in Yunye's heart. She watched Lide prepare to leave, and suddenly realized something, and she panicked. This question should not have been asked at the dinner table just now. Since it was asked, it shows that Lide has lost interest in going back to the council hall to continue the negotiation, and the plan is over.
Yun Ye spoke quickly, asking whatever came to her mind, there was no time for her to hesitate, she would rather guess a few answers at random than just give up.
Lied also always gave short and quick answers.
"Does Lord City Master know who is standing behind Prince Yunyang this time? Who is fueling the flames of this war?"
"Duke Huai's son and Qiming's son, only those two have the spare time to think about me."
"The Lord City Lord, has he ever thought that once Black Steel City falls into the hands of Yuxi City, the Lord Shizi can promise them more benefits and borrow more reinforcements from them?"
"I thought about it, but there is no reason in the world to give up eating because of choking."
"Firstly, the war against the demons, and then the war with the prince. Frequent conquests cost the people and money. The city lord does not care about the power of the people in Yuxi City. Will he give up only when it is exhausted?"
"The people of Yuxi City have always had a surplus, and our exorbitant taxes are the lowest in the world. The extra soldiers don't need to be supported by the people. On the contrary, they can feel at ease only when Yuxi City is strong. We have been satisfying the wishes of the people."
"Even so—"
Yun Ye also stood up from the chair, and said excitedly:
"Even so, you can accumulate strength first. As long as you defeat Yunyang's main army in one fell swoop on the frontal battlefield and force the lord of Yunyang to make you his son, you can end the civil strife in Yunyang with the lowest sacrifice. Before that , there is absolutely no need to forcibly occupy Heigangcheng!"
"It's necessary, Yunye."
When Lide called her name, Yun Ye suddenly woke up, realizing that she just lost her composure.
Lide didn't seem to care about her overly excited words and deeds, he looked at her quietly, and his voice was neither sad nor happy:
"The general trend is the general trend, and there is no time for me to develop slowly. If I defeat Lord Yunyang head-on on the battlefield a year later, what I will take over will be a dilapidated Yunyang, and the world will be in chaos. What will I use to fight for more?" What about things? Before that, I will get a lot, and I will start the layout in advance.”
He Yue glanced at Lide, he could feel that Lide had said a bit too much, but he didn't stop his city lord, he thought it was good.
Lide smiled, put his hands in his sleeves, and said to Yun Ye:
"During the meal, I saw that you seemed to have something on your mind. A plate of food was not touched, and it was cold. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter if you stay and finish eating and then leave... Since we can't reach an agreement, in two days, you Just go back to Lingyun City. Report this experience to Lord Yunyang intact, and see what his attitude is."
After speaking, Lidra tightened her coat and walked out the door.
The senior officials of Yuxi City turned around one after another and left with their city lord. On Fang Shisan's side, Yushuang pushed the wheelchair and walked at the end of the line.
Only Yunye was left slumped on the chair.