The next day at morning court.
The Imperial Commandant memorialized that people from Dongling had appeared in the capital last night. After a thorough investigation throughout half the night, they discovered a courtyard full of Dongling nationals in an alley in the western part of the capital. According to the investigation, this group of Dongling people had been lying in wait in the capital for at least two months.
“This group has considerable ambition!” Yun Chu sat behind the curtain and spoke coldly, “Dongling has infiltrated our Great Jin’s capital with wolfish ambitions. Do all of you still believe there’s no need to wage war against Dongling?”
Regarding the campaign against Dongling, it was brought up almost every court session.
But previously, Yun Chu had never expressed an opinion. This time, before anyone else spoke, she took the lead in stating her position.
Those in her camp immediately stepped forward.
The first was Junior Preceptor Nie Zhou: “This minister advocates going to war! Dongling has repeatedly harassed our Great Jin’s coastal cities, nearly abducted Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and the late Crown Prince also died in naval battle against Dongling… Our Great Jin and Dongling have a blood feud as deep as the sea. If we don’t avenge this grudge, how can our Great Jin claim to be the strongest nation in the Central Plains!”
“This minister seconds the motion.” Minister Xiang followed suit, stepping out. “So many people from Dongling are hiding in the capital. Once their numbers grow sufficient, they will certainly cause much trouble. When the capital falls into internal chaos, the nation will follow suit. This battle must be fought!”
“The two ministers speak so lightly of it.” The Minister of Revenue stepped forward. “Waging war requires silver and grain supplies. Where will these come from?”
“To attack Dongling, we must engage in naval warfare!” Another minister spoke up. “Dongling excels at naval combat, while our Great Jin soldiers excel at mounted land warfare. In such a confrontation, it’s our Great Jin that suffers the loss. How is this different from sending men to their deaths?”
The Empress Dowager’s faction and the Prince Regent’s faction refused to yield to each other.
The neutral faction temporarily had no one speaking.
But from their expressions, Yun Chu could tell that the scholars didn’t want to fight this battle.
Behind the pearl curtain, she stood up and spoke slowly: “Fifty years ago, during Emperor Chongde’s reign, Great Jin launched multiple campaigns. The common people of Great Jin suffered greatly from the ravages of war and greatly cherish the hard-won peace. Therefore, this Empress Dowager can understand everyone’s reluctance to go to war. With a new emperor enthroned and new reforms being implemented, who doesn’t hope for peace and stability? Yet Dongling is taking advantage of the situation, brazenly provoking our Great Jin. They’re like a blade suspended over the heads of our Great Jin’s subjects. Sooner or later, that blade will fall—either on us or on our descendants.”
“This Empress Dowager knows that most of you don’t believe Dongling can make any significant waves. How do we describe Dongling? A tiny place, very fitting. Yet it’s precisely this tiny place that killed the late Crown Prince…”
Speaking to this point, Yun Chu fell silent for a moment.
She was unwilling to acknowledge that Chu Yi had died, but everyone believed he was dead, so she could only treat it as if he had died.
“Dongling is precisely using that vast ocean to provoke Great Jin without restraint, because they know Great Jin is unwilling to go to war. No matter how they plunder Great Jin’s coastal resources, Great Jin won’t truly dispatch troops… Their ambition grows day by day. When the day comes that we’re evenly matched, it won’t be our side considering whether to launch a campaign, but rather Dongling striking first, and Great Jin’s court and country will have no choice but to take up arms in resistance…”
Her deliberate tone spoke iron-hard facts that left the civil and military officials speechless.
The great hall was very quiet, as if even a needle dropping on the floor could be heard.
“Therefore, Great Jin cannot avoid this battle.” Yun Chu continued. “Either we fight it, or our descendants will. I ask all you ministers, would you be willing to send your children, whom you’ve raised with such care, onto the battlefield?”
The hot blood in the scholars’ proud bones was awakened.
Since ancient times, scholars looked down on military men, considering them crude and believing they could only solve problems through brute force.
But now, Dongling had already danced right into the imperial capital. If they still advocated peace above all, that wouldn’t be called magnanimity—it would be called cowardice.
How could the mighty strongest nation of the Central Plains be so cowardly?
Chief Minister Li stepped forward: “This minister agrees with going to war and is willing to contribute his humble effort.”
He was the head of the scholars. When he stepped forward, the other scholars also came forward one after another to voice their agreement.
As for the military officials in court, they had long been unable to restrain themselves: “Fight! We must fight! Let those bastards be arrogant—we’ll finish them off!”
“Good, good, good!” Chu Hongyu clapped his hands. “Since the vast majority of beloved ministers agree with going to war, the minority yields to the majority. This matter is thus decided.”
The Minister of Revenue glanced at Chu Rui.
He stepped out of line and bowed, saying: “This old minister isn’t opposed to going to war, but I repeat what I said before—waging war requires silver and grain supplies. Where will these come from?”
The Minister of War stepped forward: “Moreover, naval warfare truly is a major problem. If we don’t think of a solution, who knows how many Great Jin soldiers will be thrown into it.”
Chu Hongyu immediately spoke up: “Beloved ministers, don’t panic. Regarding naval warfare, I already have preliminary ideas.”
The Minister of Works silently lowered his head.
The young emperor attended morning court every morning, amused himself at their residences every afternoon, and slept at night. He didn’t believe the emperor still had time to contemplate these national affairs.
But these things, he wouldn’t say aloud.
The Empress Dowager had bestowed gifts on his wife. Having received favors, his hands were tied, and he could only silently hide this enormous secret.
“As for grain supplies, this Empress Dowager has a solution.” Yun Chu spoke. “As for the silver needed for war, I’ll have to trouble the Minister of Revenue to put more thought into it.”
The Minister of Revenue was left speechless.
He couldn’t refuse.
Because if the Empress Dowager, a mere woman, took on the grain supplies, then if he, a Minister of Revenue, couldn’t even gather enough silver, wouldn’t that make him appear quite incompetent?
Morning court ended.
The Minister of Revenue looked toward Chu Rui.
Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue managed money, households, and land—it was the most valued functional department. Two years ago, he had already become the Prince Regent’s man.
Chu Rui spoke indifferently: “Since the Emperor and Empress Dowager have already spoken, then Minister of Revenue, gather more silver. This battle—Great Jin cannot lose.”
The reason he didn’t advocate for war was fear of exhausting the people and draining resources, fear that when he himself ascended the throne later, he would inherit a devastated Great Jin.
But Yun Chu was right—since this battle had to be fought sooner or later, better sooner than later.
If they lost, the young emperor and Empress Dowager would certainly suffer universal condemnation.
If they won, when he took over, it would be a Great Jin receiving tribute from all nations.
Either way, he would profit.
The Minister of Revenue received the order and went to handle it.
Chu Rui walked outside and beckoned Minister Lin over: “These past few days, has there been any activity on the Emperor’s side?”
Minister Lin replied: “The Emperor is still the same as the previous days. Every afternoon he brings a group of study companions to play at Minister of Works Chen’s residence…”
Chu Rui sneered coldly.
Rotten mud that couldn’t stick to a wall, rotten wood that couldn’t be carved.
Yun Chu didn’t even bother to manage him.
Oh, Yun Chu probably wouldn’t manage him.
After all, he wasn’t her biological son. If Chu Hongyu was truly too worthless, Yun Chu probably wanted to… support her biological younger son to ascend the throne?