“Great Yan’s Baochang Governor Liu Yingshi, with thirty thousand mercenaries, petitioned Great Yan’s Emperor Yuankang to relocate the capital to Baochang to establish a new capital. Emperor Yuankang refused and rejected the memorial. Liu Yingshi rebelled, installing the imperial relative ‘Yuchi Xujie’ as ruler of Later Yan, changing the era name to Kaiyuan. Liu proclaimed himself Regent Prince. The southern prefectures and counties of Great Yan responded to the Kaiyuan Emperor… Great Yan lost most of its territory, with Later Yan controlling waterways and cutting off grain routes. The prepared provisions were seized by Liu…”

Huzi finished reading the secret report quietly and methodically, then clicked his tongue. “This Liu Yingshi is truly audacious. When his petition to relocate the capital failed, he actually went and established an emperor. He even seized the provisions previously gathered by the capital and took control of the waterways. Won’t the capital and surrounding towns all face food shortages?”

Pang Xiao nodded thoughtfully. “In chaotic times, such people inevitably exist. This Liu Yingshi is quite scheming. His actions are extremely disadvantageous for us.”

“Why?” Huzi asked somewhat puzzled. “That ‘Later Yan’ has cut off the capital’s grain supplies – isn’t that perfect for our siege?”

“It is, but my original focus was on all of Great Yan. With Liu Yingshi causing this chaos, Great Yan is split in half. Previously, taking the capital would have brought all of Great Yan under our control, but now taking the capital still leaves us with Later Yan.”

Pang Xiao stood and paced. “Our national treasury can barely support this. If we only take the capital and control Yuchi Yan, we might still grit our teeth and persevere. But now even after capturing the capital, we’d only catch this group in the capital and destroy only the former Yan Dynasty. This way, I’m afraid it won’t be good.”

After thinking, Huzi also understood. “This Liu fellow really knows how to pick his timing.”

“We can’t worry about all that. First take the capital, then talk. Even if Later Yan Dynasty also has ‘Yan’ in its name, Great Yan must still perish at Great Zhou’s hands.”

“Exactly so. Now the capital has become an isolated island cut off from grain supplies – it can’t hold out much longer.” Huzi was high-spirited.

“We must hurry.”

Pang Xiao walked to the map and carefully studied countermeasures. He had to end this war quickly, because Qin Yining was in the capital city that was about to run out of food.

He didn’t want her to go hungry and suffer.

At this time, chaos had already erupted in the capital.

The court had just auctioned off numerous sinecures to improve merchants’ status. For these past days, grain had been continuously transported into the capital, and the common people hadn’t been happy for more than a few days before news came that provisions were robbed on the roads and Later Yan had established a dynasty in Baochang.

The capital’s people fell into tremendous panic!

Great Yan Dynasty’s capital was the capital city, the emperor was Emperor Yuankang – what the hell was this Later Yan!

This was clearly rebellious traitors making a mess, just finding an excuse to compete with the capital’s people and garrison for food!

Panicked citizens blocked the yamen and Xuansu Temple entrances, wanting someone to give them an explanation. But this time, whether yamen or Xuansu Temple, the main gates were tightly shut.

The people went to grain shops and rice stores to buy grain, but all the grain stores had closed their doors and hung up signs saying they were out of business. Even around the capital’s granaries, heavy troops were arranged in layers of guard.

The people excitedly rampaged through the streets, then returned home disappointed. After several days of such turmoil, some citizens began leaving the capital with their families.

However, within three days, the outer city gates were heavily guarded. Entry and exit required strict inspection, and those trying to flee the capital with their families would be ordered to return.

Some clashed with the guards, shouting loudly, “The capital is about to be captured, and we common people have nothing to eat or drink. Are we supposed to wait here to die! We want to go south to join Later Yan!”

Before this person finished shouting, he was dragged away by the guards. His pants were stripped off on the spot and he was beaten with forty strokes until he was barely breathing. His wife and children tearfully carried him back into the city.

Such situations occurred at every outer city gate.

Beyond their panic, the people were filled with dissatisfaction toward the court.

Unable to protect them, yet not allowing them to flee – no wonder some said Great Yan Dynasty deserved to perish…

At this time, Yuchi Yan was already at his wit’s end.

He strode into the Retired Emperor’s bedchamber and said directly, “Father Emperor! Outside is already in great chaos. Yuchi Xujie has actually proclaimed himself emperor, turning Baochang and all lands south to the coast into his own territory, establishing some Later Yan Dynasty! Father Emperor, if you still won’t reveal the location of that batch of silver, our Great Yan will truly perish!”

The Retired Emperor lay on his side on the bed, leisurely smoking a water pipe, enjoying the clouds and mist with squinted eyes.

“You are Great Yan’s emperor. Whether the country perishes or not is for you to bear – what does it have to do with me?”

Yuchi Yan looked at the Retired Emperor in disbelief. “Father Emperor, do you have no feelings whatsoever for this country? You were once Great Yan’s master after all! What use is embezzling such a huge sum of silver? Do you still expect to go out and establish a dynasty yourself? How much silver can a person use in a lifetime – do you still want to enjoy it yourself? Can your conscience be at peace! Taking out this huge sum now to preserve Great Yan is the proper thing to do!”

“Hmph! Even if the country perishes, I won’t be the one recorded as the ruler who lost the country – why should I worry? Stop bothering me and get out!” The Retired Emperor took another puff of his water pipe and waved at Yuchi Yan like shooing away a fly.

Yuchi Yan’s head buzzed with anger, his vision darkening. If not for Eunuch Lu’s quick reflexes, Yuchi Yan would have collapsed from rage.

This was his father emperor!

This was the real reason his father emperor had abdicated to him.

Not because of his talent and learning, but because there was no other choice. Not because his father emperor truly wanted to abdicate, but because his father emperor didn’t want to be the ruler who lost the country – he wanted him to take the blame!

Unable to hit him, scold him, argue with him, or persuade him, Yuchi Yan walked despondently through the long street, looking at the azure sky with eyes full of desolation and despair.

Was Heaven truly determined to destroy Great Yan?

“Tell me, should I agree to relocating the capital?” Yuchi Yan asked Eunuch Lu beside him.

Eunuch Lu hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, if you agree to relocate the capital, you might walk into an ambush once you reach Baochang! That Liu Yingshi has no good intentions at all. Perhaps he doesn’t want you to relocate the capital at all, but wants to trick you into going there because he wants to be Great Yan Dynasty’s master!”

Yuchi Yan smiled bitterly. “How could I not know this? That’s exactly why I refused initially. But if I had agreed, perhaps Great Yan would be fine, perhaps I wouldn’t have to be the ruler who lost the country, and the historical records wouldn’t record me so wretchedly.”

Eunuch Lu lowered his head – these words were truly not something he, an inner palace supervisor, could address.

Just then, guards came running to report, “Your Majesty! The Huben Army has launched a general assault. Although Duke Anguo has kept the city gates tightly shut and refuses to engage, the Huben Army’s assault is fierce and they’re attacking from all sides, completely surrounding the capital!”

Hearing this, Yuchi Yan’s face turned deathly pale as he looked up and wailed, “Heaven wants to destroy me! Heaven wants to destroy me!”

While Qin Huaiyuan was at the front helping Duke Anguo Li Mian defend the city, Qin Yining was gathering all the Qin family members in Compassionate Filial Garden to announce her decision:

“Move house? Ning’er, where would we move at a time like this?”