Duke Qin lifted his eyelids slightly and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, this old minister is old and afraid that I am not able to shoulder this heavy responsibility. Border defense is of paramount importance, and this old minister cannot be willful and risk the affairs of the state."

King Ji: "..."

Old man, you're getting cocky now!

Do you really think the State of Ji will perish without your Qin family? He simply doesn't believe it. The State of Ji doesn't have a single general capable of leading troops into battle.

Standing to the side, the prime minister looked at the king's frustrated expression, shook his head silently, and his eyes flashed with sadness. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Your son poisoned someone else's son just now, and now you're sending your father to war. How can you bully people like this?"

Even if Duke Qin had refused, the fact that he hadn't turned away was already a sign of respect.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Qin is old and indeed not fit to go on a campaign. In addition, General Song is a brave and skilled general, unparalleled in the world. This old minister recommends that General Song lead the troops on the campaign, and he will surely be able to pacify the border."

Hearing the prime minister's recommendation and considering the Song family's situation, the king hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "The prime minister's words are reasonable. General Song, I hereby appoint you as Grand Marshal, and my eldest son, Song Minghui, as General of Chariots and Cavalry, to lead the three armies. We will set off on a chosen day."

Upon hearing Ji Guojun's words, the entire court fell silent.

Only the Prime Minister looked gloomy. How could a monarch act impulsively?

How can the Grand Marshal and the Grand General be awarded to the same person?

In this way, all military power will fall into the hands of the Song family. Won't they become the second Duke of Qin?

Thinking of this, and considering the king's troubled expression as he looked behind the dragon table, his mind was in turmoil. He could understand why the king was wary of the Duke of Qin before, but now that the Song family was being replaced by the Qin family, and the king was still choosing to let one family dominate, the king was confused. Wasn't the lesson learned earlier enough?

Looking at the assembled civil and military officials, apart from General Song who wore a joyful expression, everyone else had shocked expressions.

The king glanced at the expressions on everyone's faces, then at the Duke of Qin, a smug look flashing in his eyes. "See?" he thought. "Even without the Qin family, I still have people leading troops into battle. But without me, your Qin family is nothing."

Duke Qin glanced at the king, his heart filled with complex emotions, but at the same time, he felt much more relieved.

He wanted to see if the king would be just as wary and afraid when the Song family held military power.

Overjoyed, General Song—or rather, the Grand Marshal—immediately knelt to express his gratitude, saying, "This old minister accepts the imperial decree and will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust."

"Very good, I wish Grand Marshal a triumphant return."

News of what happened in the court quickly spread throughout Liangjing City. The Song family was granted a title in the court, and the Grand Marshal took control of the military power of the entire court, a position that directly surpassed the Three Dukes, making him more powerful than ever before.

When Qin Su heard about it, he only slightly curved his lips into a smile and made no other move. He was currently recuperating at home and it was not advisable for him to show his face. However, the unrest at the border could not be resolved simply by appointing someone as Grand Marshal or General of Chariots and Cavalry.

He wanted to see how the Song family would return in triumph and how they would make the king smile.

A month later, the army of Ji marched to the border, and war broke out between Ji and Yue.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and the news of victory did not reach the court. Instead, news arrived that the Zhou Kingdom had stationed troops on the border. The Ji Kingdom was located east of the sea, and the other three kingdoms were adjacent to the Yue Kingdom, the Zhou Kingdom, and the Xiang Kingdom.

Now that the states of Ji and Yue are at war, the sudden troop buildup by the state of Zhou must be ill-intentioned. If the state of Xiang is added to the mix, the state of Ji will be attacked from three sides. Even if the state were to fight back with all its might, it would surely be defeated.

The king gripped the memorial in his hand, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. He quickly sought the opinion of his ministers, "My beloved ministers, what is the purpose of Zhou's actions?"