We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

The capital of Silla, Jincheng.

The night is like ink, covering the ancient city.

Deep in the palace, there is a secret room hidden behind rockery and flowing water.

The air was damp and stagnant, with only a few dim oil lamps on the wall emitting a dim halo of light, stretching and distorting the human figures on the cold stone walls.

The door of the secret room was pushed open silently, and a middle-aged man with a sturdy physique flashed in.

He was wearing a dark cloak and glanced warily around the small space, his gaze finally landing on the woman sitting in the center of the chamber.

The woman was wearing a simple and elegant light golden dress and was sitting upright on a cushion.

The awe-inspiring demeanor without anger shocked the visitor.

Although her face was ordinary, her body was plump and well-proportioned, and her skin's radiance was still visible in the dim light.

The most impressive thing is her height.

Even when kneeling, she appeared unusually tall and straight. It was said that she was more than seven feet tall when standing, which was extremely rare among women.

What's even more bizarre is that the fingertips of her hanging hands can easily touch her knees, which is different from the proportions of ordinary people.

Park Nanjian instantly confirmed the other party's identity.

The ruler of Silla, Queen Kim Bok-man.

There was no one else in the secret room except Jin Fuman.

Park Nanjian's heart sank slightly, but he still bowed slightly according to etiquette, and then slowly sat down on the cushion opposite Jin Fuman.

His eyes swept across the shadowy corners around him again, as if confirming something.

Jin Fuman seemed to see through his thoughts, and his cold voice rang out in the silent room: "There is no need to look any further. The King of Baekje has not come, nor has he sent anyone."

Upon hearing this, Park Nanjian's face instantly darkened and he snorted coldly:

"Humph! What?"

"Is Baekje determined to be Li Che's dog and willing to be a puppet for the rest of his life?"

"Why does the King of Baekje have the right to do so? Just because Yan is his niece?"

Park Nanjian's tone was full of contempt and anger, but when he mentioned the word "Li Che", Jin Fuman could still feel that he was weak in his heart.

Park Nanjian looked fierce but was actually weak, and continued to say in a hateful voice:

"Who is Yan? She's just a favorite concubine in Li Che's harem, not even a proper concubine!"

"With just that face of hers, can she really protect Baekje's vast foundation? That's simply wishful thinking!"

Jin Fuman raised his eyes, and his deep eyes looked particularly profound in the dim light.

She did not directly refute Park Nanjian's words, but sighed softly, with a complex tone of emotion:

"Submitting to King Feng...what's wrong with that?"

"At least, under the protection of King Feng, Silla no longer has to worry day and night about the covetousness of powerful neighbors. The Feng army's powerful ships and cannons can both intimidate us and protect us."

"Captain Park, you should remember that before the rise of King Bong, you Goryeo had always wanted to annex my Silla!"

These words seem to be stating facts, but they are more like trying to convince himself.

Park Nanjian uttered a short, sharp laugh: "Ha!"

He leaned forward slightly and looked directly at the woman opposite him:

"My Queen, if you truly believe this, why would you condescend to meet me in this darkened room tonight?"

Jin Fuman was slightly stunned and did not refute.

"Look at how Li Che treats us!"

"He sent our three kingdoms' fleets to fight the Japanese, sending our soldiers to their deaths and exhausting our strength, leading to the complete annihilation of our three kingdoms' navy!"

"Once he's used up all that, he'll just abandon us like a piece of trash and ask us to provide him with manpower and food so he can go to the Japanese island and reap the fruits of victory!"

"Is this what he calls 'protection'? What suzerain nation in the world would offer such 'protection' to a vassal state?!"

"Empress, are you truly willing? Are you willing to be his puppet queen forever? Are you willing to watch Silla's foundation being eaten away by Fengguo bit by bit, and eventually become a province of Fengguo?"

"The glory of your Jin ancestors and the century-old state of Silla will be destroyed in your hands and become a trivial chapter in the history books of Fengguo!"

Every word of Park Nanjian's questioning was heart-wrenching and hit the deepest pain in Kim Bokman's heart.

Her hands on her knees unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes.

"Captain Park, don't forget!" Kim Bok-man's voice was also tinged with coldness, and he looked back at Park Nam-gun without showing any weakness. "It was your family, the Park family, that first presented the surrender letter to King Feng and led the Feng army into Goryeo!"

"Bongguo took advantage of your Park family's rebellion to stir up chaos in Goryeo, and only then did they send troops to destroy the Goryeo royal family under the pretext of justice."

"And your Pu family, seeing the unstoppable Fengtian Army, immediately turned around and knelt at Li Che's feet, begging for mercy."

"Now, you have the nerve to talk to me about shame? About dignity?"

"Captain Park, how much are your shame and dignity worth?"

"You..." Park Nanjian felt sore and instantly became furious, punching the low table in front of him.

But soon, he forced himself to suppress his anger, and a ferocious and resolute look appeared on his face.

"That's why, because my Park family did the foolish thing of inviting a wolf into our home, we can't just sit there and wait for death!"

"Your Majesty, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Li Che and his Fengtian Army are currently mired in the war with Japan."

"According to my inquiries, he has already started a decisive battle with Japan's Kaibu Munemasa. It was a battle that would have destroyed the entire nation!"

"Li Che must be too busy to care about anything else right now. His eyes are only on Kyoto, and he won't consider what's happening behind the scenes!"

Park Nanjian's tone suddenly became urgent, yet full of temptation: "Take advantage of this opportunity, the three countries should join forces!"

"Silla, Baekje, and our Goryeo Restoration Army can cut off their food supply from behind and burn their warships at the docks to block their sea routes."

"Uproot the Fengguo troops left in Silla and completely cut off Li Che's retreat!"

"When he and the Japanese are both defeated, we will cross the sea and attack them from both sides. The Fengtian Army will undoubtedly be defeated!"

There was a crazy light flashing in Park Nanjian's eyes: "If God blesses us, we can make Li Che die directly on the Japanese island... hehe..."

"The young prince of Feng State is only three years old. With a young ruler and a fragile state, Feng State will surely be in chaos. How can they have the energy to annex us?"

"By then, the independence of the three kingdoms and the restoration of their former territories will be just around the corner!"

He took a breath, lowering his voice with a hint of viciousness: "Even if Li Che is lucky enough to survive... the most elite troops of Feng State he brought with him will inevitably be completely destroyed by the joint attack of Japan and us!"

"Fengguo has been severely damaged. For at least ten years, he will no longer be able to look east. This gives us a chance to breathe and time to grow stronger!"

Park Nanjian looked at the silent Jin Fuman in front of him and asked in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, you just need to tell me... should we do this or not?!"