Chapter 1651: Chapter 1568: The Elf’s Dilemma
Within the capital of the Poplar Empire, His Majesty Emperor Yangmu Yi was seated in his place, gently tapping his fingers on the armrest, producing a crisp, non-jarring sound.
It was a pure gold armrest, cool to the touch, making it very comfortable. The entire chair was crafted by the skilled artisans of the Elf Race, gracefully intricate, showcasing the unique luxury of the Elf Race.
Lately, the days have not been easy for the Elf Nobility, as they are troubled by one issue: whether or not to offend a distant, powerful, and terrifying ally to avoid the fate of being swallowed by them.
The Elf Race is not foolish; on the contrary, they have many wise individuals. These people are very aware that once the Ice Cold Empire is defeated, their northern frontier will no longer have any so-called security.
The humans, or rather the Tang People, hope to return to their lost homeland, which includes the Eternal Winter Port taken by the Ice Cold Empire, and of course the Hotwind Port occupied by the Elves, including the Northern Ridge, Brunas further south on the southern border of the Elven Yangmu Empire…
These cities, wealthy ports, were once the possessions of the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, created by the hands of the people now calling themselves Tang People.
If reclaiming Eternal Winter Port is their goal, then taking back Hotwind Port is also their goal! The “Double Emperor Alliance” between the Poplar Empire and the Tang Empire is not unbreakable; on the contrary, this alliance has long been in name only.
However, on the surface, both sides appear friendly, and under this guise of friendliness, the Poplar Empire is actually still acquiring many technologies from the Tang Empire, which the high-level elves are reluctant to easily forgo as a “benefit.”
So now, within the Poplar Empire, two voices continuously interfere with the decision-making of Emperor Yangmu Yi, causing this ancient Elf Empire to respond more slowly.
The peace faction, led by Duke Leibart, believes that as long as friendly relations with the Tang Empire are maintained, the Tang Empire will have no reason to continue invading the Elves southward, and the conflicts between both sides are not irreconcilable.
They believe that as long as the Elves return Hotwind Port to the Tang Empire and then “devoutly” offer their compensation, such as ceding Osa Port and the like, then the Tang Empire will ensure the security of the Poplar Empire.
Of course, this is merely wishful thinking on their part, and as for whether there is any specific guarantee for this claim, they themselves cannot provide any reliable evidence to support their viewpoint.
Therefore, His Majesty the Elf Emperor of the Poplar Empire, Yangmu Yi, having clawed his way up through the ranks, does not plan to entrust the fate of his country and himself to the peace faction.
Who doesn’t know that Duke Leibart has a son who is doing quite well in the Tang Empire, and even if he surrenders, he’d have a decent retirement in the Tang Empire?
The war faction within the Poplar Empire is more significant, including the Emperor himself, who seems to lean towards this faction. But they also do not have any means to ensure the resolution of the current dilemma.
Everyone believes that the Tang Empire should be stopped from landing in the Ice Cold Empire, but how exactly to stop it remains a topic of endless debate.
Some believe that they should fully support the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Empire, providing money, providing guns, until the Tang Empire is driven into the sea.
But this approach would face the Elves directly with the wrath of the Tang Empire, and by then, with deteriorating relations between the two countries, the Elves’ losses would immediately affect the people’s livelihood, which is almost intolerable.
Moreover, the Dwarves had previously engaged in a war with the Elves that lasted more than a year, resulting in significant losses on both sides, and supporting the Dwarves could easily arouse opposition from the grassroots populace.
Others believe that some supplies should be secretly supported, but absolutely not openly. This is basically self-deception, as if the intelligence department of the Tang Empire indeed found evidence, the fate of the Elves would not be better than the current Ice Cold Empire.
Moreover… in the current battlefield situation, what is the use of covertly supporting the Dwarves? Seeing the Tang People already establish a foothold on the coastline, sending a little rice, flour, and peanuts to the Dwarves cannot change the outcome of the battle.
Frankly speaking, even if the Elf Race declared war on the Tang Empire immediately and mobilized a million troops to march north, supporting the Dwarf Empire to counterattack, winning is still uncertain; providing two shells today and three canned goods tomorrow would have no use, if it would be any help, it would be a miracle.
But dragging this out is not a good thing because time has almost cornered the Elves: if they do not make a decision soon, it would be equivalent to having made a decision already.
Yes, if they don’t send troops to help the Dwarves fight, it would equal acquiescing to the demands of the peace faction, and by then, ceding land and paying reparations… those would be the least of their problems.
“Have the people been apprehended?” After a moment of silence, Yangmu Yi finally asked a question seemingly unrelated to today’s topic.
However, the Prime Minister, although momentarily taken aback, understood that when His Majesty asked this question, he seemed to have made some sort of decision.
“Your Majesty! The editor of that newspaper, as well as the journalists who wrote the news, have all been apprehended.” He immediately answered, then bowed his head, waiting for the rebuke from His Majesty.
That newspaper incited the Elf populace, spreading rumors that the Empire was preparing to abandon the alliance and collude with their former enemies, the Dwarves, making their arrest an understandably justified action.
However, the main responsible figures for that newspaper, which manufactured conflict between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire, being apprehended, clearly signified that His Majesty was already preparing to commence large-scale support for the Dwarves.
At the very least, the previously covert railway transport was now given a green light by the Empire, allowing goods from the south to continuously flow into the fiercely battling Ice Cold Empire territory.
“Prime Minister… I do not know if doing this is right or wrong… but if I do nothing, I will obviously regret it in the future,” Yangmu Yi said heavily to his confidant, as if explaining, also seemingly convincing himself.
“I also believe that allowing the Tang People to infinitely expand in the Eastern Continent is not a good thing for the Empire,” the Prime Minister bowed his head, agreeing with his Emperor.
“Even if we all eventually die, we should die standing; that is the dignity of an Elf.” Yangmu Yi lifted his chin: “The fate of the Elves must be in our own hands! Tell the Dwarves’ envoy… if they need, we are willing to offer any assistance within our capabilities!”
“And… the Tang People,” the Prime Minister reminded.
“Let them come to us…” After Yangmu Yi finished speaking, the hall once again fell into silence.
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Updating resumed, aiming for diligence! Working hard…