Xu Qi’an was momentarily stunned, then his gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at the middle-aged official. He said in a deep voice, “This joke is not funny.”

Those words sounded to him as if someone had said, “Your father is dead.”

If he didn’t understand First Minister Wang’s character, Xu Qi’an might have thought Wang was deliberately provoking him. But precisely because he knew Wang wouldn’t do such a thing, he felt more angry, confused, and gloomy.

The middle-aged official slightly lowered his head, his voice low and wooden as he said:

“Lord Wei fell in battle at Jingshan City, the headquarters of the Shaman God Religion. Of the hundred thousand troops, only sixteen thousand returned… The eight hundred li urgent dispatch just arrived tonight.”

After speaking, there was no response for a long time. The middle-aged official looked up and saw a deathly pale face.

“His Majesty and the ministers will discuss this matter in today’s court session. Subsequent dispatches will arrive in the capital soon… I’ve delivered the message, so I’ll take my leave now.”

He bowed and turned to leave.

…

“Creak…”

Zhong Li heard the sound of the door opening and drowsily raised her head to look. Seeing it was Xu Qi’an returning, she went back to sleep reassured.

Senior Sister Zhong valued her sleep greatly. This had nothing to do with women aging due to lack of sleep; mainly, if she didn’t get enough rest, it could lead to some sudden illnesses, such as myocardial infarction or sudden death.

In such cases, life and death could be determined in an instant, and even the miraculous medicines of the Celestial Observation Department might not be administered in time.

Of course, such situations were rare, but Senior Sister Zhong was experienced and knew how to protect herself. She wouldn’t put herself in such dangerous circumstances.

Dawn broke quickly. Zhong Li, who had been napping briefly, woke up on schedule. She sat up languidly, stretching her mature, curvaceous body. Suddenly, she froze…

By the desk sat a figure, as silent as a statue that had existed since ancient times.

He had been sitting there since he returned to the room! Zhong Li realized. She observed him; his expression was so lonely, so quiet.

Like a traveler adrift in a foreign land.

…

At this time, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony within the Imperial Palace.

The civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate and crossed the Golden Water Bridge in a solemn atmosphere, taking their positions according to their ranks.

The ministers ascended the vermilion steps and entered the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Today’s court session was late. Due to an urgent situation, the palace only notified the capital officials to attend court as dawn approached. No excuses for absence were accepted, including illness. As long as they weren’t dead, they had to be carried into the palace if necessary.

It must be a major event!

The capital officials, all seasoned veterans, immediately sensed the urgency of the situation.

The ministers entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony in an orderly manner, arranging themselves neatly and silently. At this moment, First Minister Wang slowly turned his head and glanced to his left, where there was no one. There should have been a figure in blue robes standing there.

Since Wei Yuan’s departure from war, this was the first time he had made such a gesture.

Some of the more perceptive officials took note of this.

A quarter of an hour later, Emperor Yuan Jing entered from the rear of the hall. He was no longer wearing Daoist robes but instead donned a bright yellow dragon robe.

The moment they saw Emperor Yuan Jing, the ministers were stunned. This old emperor, whose black hair had regrown and whose complexion was ruddy from successful cultivation, now looked like an old man who had just suffered a major blow in life.

His eyes were filled with hidden grief and lacked luster, his skin was dry and lackluster, and his entire being appeared exceptionally haggard.

This… the ministers’ pupils constricted.

The old eunuch stepped forward at the appropriate time and announced loudly, “If there are matters to report, speak now.”

As the words fell, First Minister Wang stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

“Your Majesty, urgent news has arrived from the Northeast. Wei Yuan led the army deep into enemy territory, captured the headquarters of the Shaman God Religion, and sacrificed himself for the country. Of the hundred thousand troops, only sixteen thousand have returned…”

In the hall, faces were frozen in shock. A few seconds later, the Hall of Supreme Harmony erupted into chaos, with an uproar instantly breaking out.

“Silence!”

The old eunuch swung his whip, cracking it against the polished floor with loud snaps.

Yet he couldn’t suppress the clamor of the ministers.

Just as First Minister Wang had lost his composure upon hearing the tragic news, so too did the ministers. Some things cannot be calmed by inner peace alone.

The loss of nearly a hundred thousand troops was undoubtedly a devastating blow, even shaking the foundation of Great Feng.

But the real reason for the ministers’ collective loss of composure was the sacrifice of Great Feng’s War God, that figure in blue robes.

Although Wei Yuan’s political enemies would often cry out, “Your Majesty, please behead this dog,” in reality, whether they liked it or not, in the hearts of all the ministers, including political rivals like the Wang faction, they all acknowledged that Wei Yuan was truly the pillar of Great Feng.

Prince Huai, though a Third-Rank martial artist, could defend a region, but he wasn’t quite up to the task of supporting the entire Great Feng.

Only Wei Yuan, the War God of Great Feng who had won the Battle of Shanhai Pass, was truly feared by the major powers of the Nine Provinces. Twenty years ago, they had been thoroughly beaten.

Beaten painfully.

The King of the Northern Frontier? At that time, he was merely a green leaf beside Wei Yuan, barely complementing him.

Now, that true pillar of the nation had fallen…

The ministers instinctively disbelieved this fact, but the eight hundred li urgent military dispatch had never been wrong in Great Feng’s six hundred years of history. After all, it was a capital offense to make a mistake in such reports, leaving no room for error.

Emperor Yuan Jing silently watched this scene, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

After waiting for a long, long time, until the clamor in the great hall subsided, he finally spoke with a pained expression, “Ministers, how should we handle this matter?”

Once again, it was First Minister Wang who responded. His tone was firm and resolute:

“In my opinion, we should mobilize troops from all provinces, gather the nation’s military might, march northeast, and join forces with the Yao barbarians to completely eradicate the Shaman God Religion in one fell swoop.”

Emperor Yuan Jing sighed, “Great Feng has already lost nearly a hundred thousand troops. They were all Our subjects, Our children. Minister Wang, how can We bear to start another war?”

“Your Majesty!”

First Minister Wang raised his voice, speaking with intense emotion:

“According to the dispatch, Wei Yuan has already captured Jingshan City. The Shaman God Religion has suffered heavy losses, with nearly seventy percent of their high-ranking experts perishing. Yan has had its heartland pierced by our great army, which is now at their gates. Those once impregnable cities have already been taken by Wei Yuan.”

“Jing has been fighting in the north for months, suffering heavy losses, and is further constrained by the northern Yao barbarians. Currently, only Kang has relatively intact military strength. If we fight one more battle now, Great Feng’s descendants will be free from the threat of the Shaman God Religion for a hundred years.”

His suggestion won the approval of some nobles and military commanders.

Wei Yuan had exhausted the national strength of the Shaman God Religion and captured their headquarters. The formidable passes of Yan that had hindered Great Feng’s army no longer existed. This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

“Minister Wang…” Emperor Yuan Jing waved his hand, speaking earnestly, “We have already exhausted our military might.”

First Minister Wang looked at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, opened his mouth, then retreated dejectedly.

With his retreat, the wheel of history turned in another direction. When future generations looked back on this period of history, analyzing the national strength of Great Feng and the Shaman God Religion, and comparing the losses on both sides, they unanimously believed that if Great Feng at this time could have steeled its resolve and committed its national strength for the next decade or so to campaign against the Shaman God Religion,

Then this behemoth that had dominated sixty thousand li of Northeast territory for thousands of years would have collapsed with a thunderous crash, never to rise again.

Countless people of later generations would wring their hands in regret.

As for the blue-robed War God who sacrificed himself in Jingshan City, the historical records would evaluate him thus: He bought the Central Plains one last breath.

Emperor Yuan Jing no longer looked at First Minister Wang, who had returned to his place. Instead, he swept his gaze across the assembled ministers, “What do you all think about how to handle the aftermath of this matter?”

The Minister of War stepped forward and bowed, saying:

“I believe we should mobilize twenty thousand troops from the provinces adjacent to Xiang, Jing, and Yu, positioning them at the borders. The returning remnants should also remain at the borders of these three provinces to guard against any counterattack from the Shaman God Religion.”

“Furthermore, since Lord Wei has sacrificed himself, Your Majesty must appoint another commander to go there.”

Emperor Yuan Jing glanced at him, saw that he had nothing more to say, and nodded, “Minister Chen’s words are most sensible.”

At this moment, Vice Minister of War Qin Yuandao stepped forward and said, “If Your Majesty is inclined towards peace, then we should discuss the relevant matters as soon as possible and confirm the peace envoy to be sent to the Northeast.”

Vice Minister of War Qin Yuandao was an unwavering supporter of the imperial faction, cut from the same cloth as Yuan Xiong, who had been demoted to Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. The two were core members of the imperial faction.

The Minister of War, a member of the Wei faction, glared fiercely at Qin Yuandao.

He had deliberately not mentioned peace talks, as in his heart, he still harbored thoughts of battling the Shaman God Religion to avenge Wei Yuan.

Emperor Yuan Jing slowly nodded, “Good.”

After Qin Yuandao returned to his place, the Minister of Revenue immediately stepped forward and said, “How shall we decide on the compensation for the fallen soldiers?”

With these words, the hall fell into dead silence.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Emperor Yuan Jing slowly said, “What are the ministers’ opinions?”

He asked three times, but no one responded.

Emperor Yuan Jing then turned his gaze to Yuan Xiong. This loyal “follower” of the emperor averted his eyes and remained silent.

The matter of compensation involved very significant issues, extremely significant ones.

According to Great Feng’s laws, when an infantry soldier died in battle, his family would receive three years’ full military salary of 36 shi of rice, equivalent to 18 taels of silver. Thereafter, for life, they would receive 3 to 6 dou of rice monthly.

For a cavalry soldier who died in battle, the compensation was 72 shi of rice, equivalent to 36 taels of silver, followed by a lifelong monthly allowance of 6 to 10 dou of rice.

The compensation varied for different types of troops and different ranks, all strictly regulated by rules and regulations.

Moreover, there was another rule, which was the reason for the ministers’ silence:

In case of defeat, compensation would be halved!

The Minister of Revenue raising the issue of compensation was just the surface; what truly made the ministers hesitant was the need to characterize this campaign.

Was this battle a victory or a defeat?

In silence, First Minister Wang stepped forward and said with deep sorrow, “Wei Yuan captured the headquarters of the Shaman God Religion, setting a precedent in Great Feng’s history. This battle is a great victory for our Great Feng.”

Immediately, some responded in agreement, some pondered, and some grieved.

Emperor Yuan Jing nodded slowly but did not respond to First Minister Wang. Instead, he said:

“We are somewhat fatigued. This matter is of great importance; let us discuss it further tomorrow.”

The old eunuch announced loudly, “Court is dismissed!”

…

“Knock, knock…”

The door of the room was knocked weakly twice as if the person knocking was also lifeless.

Second Uncle Xu, who had the day off, woke up and glanced at his wife sleeping with a charming expression beside him. The knocking wasn’t loud, so it didn’t wake her.

With his cultivation, Second Uncle Xu would immediately wake up at the slightest disturbance outside.

He left the warm blanket, put on a robe, walked to the outer room, and opened the door.

“Ning Yan?”

His nephew stood at the door, expressionless, with a gloomy look between his brows.

Second Uncle Xu’s heart suddenly sank. He knew his nephew too well; from just a glance or a tone of voice, he could understand what his nephew was thinking.

A father knows his son best, and raising a child with hardship is no different from being a father.

“Second Uncle, pack up immediately and go to Cloud Deer Academy. Go there to… to take shelter for a while,” Xu Qi’an said softly.

Second Uncle Xu looked at him deeply, “Alright!”

Xu Qi’an nodded and turned to knock on Li Miaochen’s door.

Susu, with her snow-white dress, eyes like black gems, lips like a touch of rouge, and a charming and alluring mature woman’s image, opened the door and said coquettishly, “What is it?”

Li Miaochen, wearing a flowing Daoist robe with her black hair tied up, sat at the table drinking tea and nibbling on pastries.

Xu Qi’an ignored Susu, his gaze passing over the beauty to look at Li Miaochen. He said slowly, “I want to go to the northeastern border.”

Li Miaochen was stunned and asked in confusion, “Are you going to war too?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head slightly and said, “Lord Wei… died on the battlefield.”

Li Miaochen’s face suddenly froze, and the pastry in her hand fell to the ground.

She quickly came to her senses and looked at Xu Qi’an nervously, because she knew how much this man trusted and respected Wei Yuan.

She knew even better that Wei Yuan’s kindness to him was as heavy as a mountain.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to comfort him. Any words of comfort at such a time would seem like insincere sympathy from someone uninvolved.

Xu Qi’an said softly:

“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe he would die in battle, so please take me to the border. If… he is dead.”

He paused for a moment, his eyes seeming to blur, “He has no children, no one to send him off. I have to go, I must go…”

Li Miaochen felt her heart being cut like a knife: “Alright.”