As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Jiande, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but glance at Zhang Li.

Zhang Li's expression remained unchanged as he continued:

"General Jin now commands countless troops. The Panlong Army, once the army of the disgraced official Huang Long, is now under General Jin's control. The army is strong and powerful, and General Jin is also brave and fierce. Although he has been in the capital for the past two years, he has made countless military achievements back then."

"Even Qin Haotian back then couldn't compare to General Jin."

"With him going to confront Qin Ze, it will be a piece of cake."

After he finished speaking, some of the court officials fell into deep thought, while others echoed his sentiments:

"The Heavenly Official is right. To quell the rebellion in Northern Liang, we must use swift and decisive measures! If we allow those rebels to continue attacking the city, they will suffer a serious illness in the future!"

Jin Jiande's expression was somber as he shook his head and said, "I don't think it's necessary. After Tongwei City falls, the surrounding small cities will lack sufficient troops. I imagine Qin Ze will take them over in the next few days. In that case, Qin Ze will have to attack Anyang County next."

"As for Anyang County, it is guarded by Lian Xiaoru, who has 200,000 troops. He only defends and does not attack, so he should be able to withstand Qin Ze's offensive."

"Just order General Lian to hold the city for about twenty days. Once the barbarian army arrives, they will go and quell the rebellion."

"In this way, I won't need to use too many troops."

At this point, he looked up at Jin Fengluan.

Jin Fengluan understood his thoughts perfectly, and immediately nodded, saying:

“You are right, my dear minister.”

Zhang Li's eyes flashed, and he sighed inwardly, but he didn't say anything more.

At this moment, Xiong Yong, the Minister of War, cautiously spoke up: "Your Majesty, the memorial I submitted a few days ago concerning the East China Sea..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jin Fengluan frowned and her face immediately darkened.

She interrupted, saying, "I know."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li's face darkened, and his hands unconsciously clenched. He said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, Iwo Jima has already been occupied by them, and our vassal state, Gori, has sent envoys to ask for help. It seems that they are already unable to resist."

At this point, his voice already carried a hint of anger, and he continued:

"Two years ago, Japan had already submitted to our great power and willingly become our vassal state. Now, however, they have openly betrayed us. I have long known that these Japanese are wolfish and utterly wicked!"

"This time they dared to occupy our Ryukyu Island and went to the Kingdom of Kaori. Their ambitions are huge. In the battle in the East China Sea, although my great Chiyan Army perished, they also lost many people in Japan."

"How did they acquire so many troops in just two years? The garrison on Iwo Jima said that Japan has also acquired new weapons and is extremely powerful."

Just then, Jin Fengluan raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice, "Heavenly Official, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Zhang Li pondered for a moment, then said:

"It is truly astonishing that Japan has achieved such combat strength in just two years. I wonder if Japan has received aid from some other country?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the officials in the court looked surprised.

Even Jin Jiande's expression changed at this moment.

Jin Fengluan frowned and shook her head, saying, "Who knows?"

"In any case, I have already ordered the defenses of all parts of the East China Sea to be prepared, and as for the occupied Iwo Jima, let's put it off for now."

"One thing after another, we have to solve them one by one."

Zhang Li lowered his head and remained silent.

——

After the court session, Zhang Li went straight back to his residence.

Zhang Li took his daughter to the ancestral hall and told Zhang Zisheng everything that had happened in court that day, down to the smallest detail.

After hearing her father's words, Zhang Zisheng remained calm and said indifferently:

"It seems that there was indeed another hidden story behind the Battle of Fusang."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li looked bewildered.

Zhang Zisheng continued:

"In the Battle of Fusang, hundreds of thousands of Chiyan soldiers died at sea, and it was said that hundreds of thousands of Fusang soldiers also died. Only in this way would Fusang willingly become a vassal state."

"But in just two years, they were able to send troops by ship, first occupying Iwo Jima, then going to Gori, with a considerable number of troops and equipped with new weapons."

"It's impossible to make such rapid progress in just two years."

"It seems that, just as I guessed, another country provided them with new weapons. As for the troops, either there were people from other countries mixed in, or they didn't lose many people at all during the Battle of Fusang."

"The so-called sacrifice to perish together with the Crimson Flame Army is nothing but a pretense."

Zhang Li's expression changed, and he said:

"You mean, the Battle of Fusang was most likely just a ploy to send the Crimson Flame Army to their deaths!"

Zhang Zisheng lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "Maybe."

"Jin Fengluan, what else is she incapable of doing?"

"What do the affairs of the world matter when it comes to maintaining imperial power and ensuring the prosperity of the Jin family?"

Zhang Li shook his head.

"The previous monarchs were all diligent and conscientious, wholeheartedly serving the country and its people. Who would have thought that this generation would turn out like this? If they knew this in the afterlife, they would surely not forgive these unfilial descendants!"

Zhang Zisheng pursed her lips and fell silent.

At this moment, Zhang Li gritted his teeth and said, "It's a pity that Jin Fengluan didn't agree to send Jin Jianren to Beiliang."

At this point, he looked at Zhang Zisheng, frowning as he said:

"Zi Sheng, you said that Jin Fengluan has already ordered the barbarian army to go to Beiliang, and you also asked me to advise Jin Jianren to go. Although I understand that you want the Jin family to use their troops to weaken them, but... as you say, can Qin Ze really fight them all?"

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