After a brief moment of surprise, Yan Cheng frowned and said:
"Chieftain, what do you mean by this?"
"Could it be that..."
"You're not planning to send troops?" Yan Cheng asked, his gaze sharp and his expression extremely grave.
“Yes, I have decided not to send a single soldier.” Wu Li gripped his cane tightly, looked directly at Yan Cheng’s face, and replied in a deep voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Cheng's expression changed drastically. His face, already flushed from drinking too much strong liquor, turned even redder. He clenched his fists and questioned sharply:
"Chieftain!"
"With a formidable enemy at hand, you say you won't send a single soldier to fight? I cannot understand that!"
Wu Li remained calm and said, word by word, "We absolutely cannot fight them in this battle."
"The consequences of fighting this battle are something we absolutely cannot afford!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Cheng's anger surged, and he roared:
"Why can't we fight? Our barbarian tribe has been brave and skilled in battle since ancient times, and we are never inferior to anyone!"
"This time, the Jin family is joining forces with us to fight Qin Ze!"
"What can he possibly use to block this?!" Yan Cheng raised a fist, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke.
Wu Li looked at Yan Cheng, who had an angry expression, and simply shook his head: "If you can't fight, you can't fight."
"The Jin family of today is not the Jin family of the past, and Qin Ze of today is not the Qin Ze of the past."
"If my barbarian tribe sends a large army to participate in this war, I dare say it will be a battle with a nine-out-of-ten chance of survival..."
"No... even 'nine deaths and one life' might be too conservative."
"As can be seen from the battle at Yanluo Mountain, once you are defeated, there is no chance of survival, and no one can live."
"Therefore, once war breaks out, it will be..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Cheng abruptly waved his hand, angrily interrupting him:
"Chieftain! You're boosting the morale of others while diminishing our own!"
"The battle at Yanluo Mountain was lost because Qin Ze had the advantage of terrain. Your Majesty and the others had never been to the Northern Territory before, which is why they were defeated. But this time it's different!"
"We are very familiar with this place, and Qin Ze's troops are not many. Why would we...?"
"You believe that?!" Wu Li suddenly shouted.
"The Jin family, who were driven to Nanze, you can still believe their words?!"
Yan Cheng's expression froze for a moment, and he retorted, "No, I didn't believe it completely. I know that arrogant Jin Pingwu would never tell the truth."
"The fact that they asked us to fight the rebels together means there's something fishy going on, but so what? Sooner or later, we'll have to fight the rebels again."
"Isn't now the best time to send troops than later?"
Wu Li shook his head repeatedly.
Yan Cheng grew increasingly furious and looked at the others, saying, "Everyone, am I wrong?!"
"Are we really going to hide here and watch Qin Ze swagger around, bullying and oppressing our barbarian tribe?!"
Everyone remained silent, but they all stared at Wu Li.
Wu Li sighed softly and said:
"Yan Cheng, you still don't realize the current predicament of my barbarian tribe."
"What's your situation?" Yan Cheng asked, dissatisfied.
Wu Li rubbed his wrinkled forehead, his eyes dimming slightly:
"Last time, Jin Fengluan sent people to our barbarian tribe, asking us to rush to Beiliang to suppress the rebel army that had just started its uprising. He promised to marry Princess Yongning, the daughter of Prince Qing, to the king, and also promised to hand over Beiliang to us. On the surface, this seems to be a very good offer."
"The king is not interested in women and is only focused on seeking more benefits for the barbarians. Even though some people in the tribe oppose him, he insists on going against the majority and even cuts off his uncle's head in order to lead the army into battle."
"Is Your Majesty wrong?" Wu Li looked at the silent people in the room, then fixed his gaze on Yan Cheng.
Yan Cheng snorted coldly: "Does the clan leader think the king is wrong?"
Wu Li shook his head: "I said the King is right."
Upon hearing this, Yan Cheng was somewhat surprised. He had thought that Wu Li was simply trying to persuade his clansmen by bringing up the previous defeat, and that belittling Wu Kui would be the best excuse.
At this moment, Wu Li continued with a sigh:
"The king is young and strong, and has always been brave and courageous on the battlefield. He is an ambitious and determined man. Among his eight fierce generals, there are both the heroic elephant dancers and veteran generals who are experienced in battle. Moreover, they are all loyal and devoted to the barbarians."
"Although we were defeated by Qin Haotian many years ago, over the years, our barbarian tribe has become strong again. However, the Jin family's misrule has led to widespread discontent. Qin Haotian and those renowned generals of different surnames have either been executed or demoted, and our military strength is no longer what it used to be. This is what prompted Qin Ze to take the opportunity to rebel."
"The resurgence of chaos is the best time for our barbarian tribe."
"It is not the king's fault that he decided to go and fight for the world. On the contrary, as the leader of the barbarians, he should have the courage and ambition to do so."
Wu Li looked at the strand of white hair hanging down at his temple and sighed again:
"If I were his age, I would definitely join him on the expedition, just to fight for a grand cause. Even if I were to die on the battlefield, I would be willing."
"But now my ambitions have faded with each passing year, and my hair has turned gray more and more. There's nothing I can do about it. Alas."
Yan Cheng's expression gradually softened after hearing these words, and he sighed, "Clan leader, since that's the case, we should do our best to fulfill the King's last wishes."
Wu Li walked to Yan Cheng's side and shook his head, saying:
“I have never thought the King was wrong, and I have always respected his ambition.”
"But the people often say..."
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