Inside the main hall of the palace, Xiao Yu was furious.
Fuling City was a vital border town! It was also the first line of defense against the Xiongnu!
Now that Fuling City has fallen, the Xiongnu vanguard has penetrated deep into Dali territory, and the resulting tragedy is unimaginable.
In the main hall, Prime Minister Du Yuheng frowned deeply.
"Your Majesty, the situation on the border is currently unclear, and the Xiongnu have already entered the country and are wreaking havoc."
"The army still needs some time to prepare and set off,"
"In my opinion, we should first send a vanguard to the frontier to stabilize the situation."
Xiao Yu nodded upon hearing this and immediately asked.
"Who can take on this important task?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the court looked at each other in bewilderment.
After all, if they went now, they would have to face the Xiongnu's army of 100,000 men alone.
Let alone winning, whether they could even survive under the iron hooves of the Xiongnu was probably another matter entirely.
The atmosphere inside the hall became somewhat awkward for a moment, as no one wanted to do something that was thankless and exhausting.
Although military generals all want military merits, none of them are willing to do such a losing proposition.
For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the entire hall.
Xiao Yu's expression grew increasingly grim as time went on.
Just as Xiao Yu was about to lose his temper, a clear voice came from outside the main hall.
"Your subject is willing to go!"
The silent civil and military officials in the imperial court all looked towards the door.
Mu Zi'an, clad in a lion-shaped armor, slowly walked in from outside the hall.
The nail plates gleamed coldly in the sunlight!
With each step Mu Zian took forward, the friction of his armor plates produced a pleasant sound.
Arriving at the center of the main hall, Mu Zian calmly looked at Xiao Yu, who was somewhat surprised, on the dragon throne, and said firmly.
"Your subject is willing to lead troops to the frontier! To blunt the Xiongnu's advance! To uphold the prestige of our Great Li Kingdom!"
Mu Zian's voice wasn't loud, but all the officials present could hear it clearly.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Du Yuheng spoke up.
"This matter concerning the Duke of Zhenguo is of utmost importance. The fall of Fuling City is a major blow to the morale of our Dali army."
"If the vanguard we send out is defeated again, then this battle will be in grave danger!"
Mu Zian's expression remained unchanged; the moment he chose to enter the palace, he had already made up his mind.
Looking around, the expressions of the civil and military officials varied, even though Mu Zi'an had a record of defeating 100,000 with 30,000.
But that was a bandit suppression operation, and all they were facing was a group of starving outlaws.
This time, however, they would be facing 100,000 elite Xiongnu troops, making the difficulty more than a hundred times greater.
Although Mu Zian's words had previously caused all the soldiers to erupt in excitement.
But talk is cheap; when facing 100,000 Xiongnu cavalry, morale alone is not enough.
In the eyes of these court officials, Mu Zian was still that good-for-nothing playboy, at most he had just become a little more eloquent.
Fu Zheng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, stepped forward and spoke.
“You, Duke Zhenguo, are a powerful and influential figure in our Great Li. This journey is far too dangerous. If you are defeated, the morale that we have painstakingly built up will be completely dissipated.”
"In my opinion, it would be better for the Duke of Zhenguo to stay in the capital. Let the generals in the court handle such matters of charging into battle."
"The gap between the bandits and the elite cavalry of the Xiongnu was like an insurmountable chasm."
The meaning of Fuzheng is simple: let Mu Zi'an be the spiritual totem of the soldiers.
The other officials also spoke up, and the previously silent hall began to boil over once again.
Mu Zian took a deep breath, completely ignoring Fu Zheng's words.
He gazed intently at Xiao Yu on the dragon throne.
Mu Zian understood that at this moment, only the emperor could make the final decision!
Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, after all, Mu Zian was currently enjoying great popularity and had become the object of admiration for the people of Dali.
If Mu Zian is defeated, it will be a great blow to the morale of the entire Dali in resisting the Xiongnu.
Moreover, Mu Zi'an was his son-in-law, so he would still have some protection when he went on the expedition with the army.
Even if they are defeated, at least they can save their lives.
However, if you venture deep into enemy territory alone, you'll truly be helpless and your life will be entirely in the hands of fate.
Just as Xiao Yu was still hesitating, Mu Zian suddenly spoke up in the main hall.
"My hair stands on end in anger! I lean against the railing! The rain has just stopped."
The voice that Mu Zian suddenly spoke made the originally noisy hall quiet down.
"I raise my eyes, look up to the sky and roar! My heart is filled with fierce passion!"
When Mu Zian read out the second sentence, a look of shock appeared on the faces of the court officials.
After the poetry gathering on the painted boat, Mu Zi'an once again composed lyrics in front of everyone.
Before the officials could fully grasp the meaning behind their words, Mu Zian's voice suddenly became loud and clear.
"Twenty years of fame and glory are but dust and dirt! Eight thousand miles of road are but clouds and moon!"
"Don't let your youth slip away in vain, only to regret it later."
Mu Zian's voice echoed in the hall.
"Fuling has fallen, and has not yet been recovered! The subjects are filled with resentment! When will this hatred end!"
"Drive a long chariot and break through the Helan Mountain pass."
"With lofty ambitions, we'll feast on the flesh of the barbarians! And laughingly, we'll drink their blood!"
"Let's start anew! Let's reclaim our lost lands! And march towards the imperial palace!"
The song ended! Silence reigned all around!
Mu Zian bowed again, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said firmly.
"While you all head south, I alone go north; I will not regret it until I have destroyed the royal court!"
Mu Zian's voice echoed around the main hall.
After an unknown amount of time, a round of applause suddenly rang out.
"The Duke of Zhenguo truly has great courage!"
"With boundless ambition, I'll feast on the flesh of the barbarians! With laughter, I'll drink their blood! If I were thirty years younger, I would surely fight alongside you in this battle!"
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