Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao Yu and Mu Zi'an looked at each other, neither of them speaking first.
After a long while, Xiao Yu was the first to break the awkward atmosphere.
"You're more cunning than your father."
As he spoke, a look of reminiscence seemed to appear on Xiao Yu's face.
"It was right here that your father personally helped me ascend the throne."
"At that time, rebellions broke out all over the country, and the former crown prince's faction was causing trouble. It was your father who personally led the troops to quell the rebellion and allowed me to secure my throne."
"In the following years, they drove out the Qiang cavalry, resisted the Xiongnu, and conquered the Great Chu, thus creating the Great Li we know today."
After saying that, Xiao Yu's gaze returned to Mu Zi'an.
"Although you have persuaded the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison, it does not mean that you have won."
Mu Zian said calmly.
"Does Your Majesty believe we cannot win this war against the Xiongnu?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu took a deep breath and said.
“Suppressing bandits and waging war are not comparable. Even your father would not be confident of victory against these 100,000 Xiongnu.”
Mu Zian straightened his body slightly.
"This battle concerns the honor and disgrace of our Great Li, and even more so the peace and stability of our borders for the next twenty years. I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Xiao Yu sighed deeply.
"Your father only has one son, you."
Mu Zian naturally understood the meaning behind Xiao Yu's words, and he smiled frankly.
"This battle is not only for the sake of the millions of people of Dali, but also for Her Highness the Ninth Princess. Therefore, I am willing to go through fire and water!"
"Moreover, I and tens of thousands of soldiers of the Beijing Garrison have already made a bold statement on the training ground. If I do not personally go to the battlefield, wouldn't I be breaking my promise?"
Xiao Yu stood with his hands behind his back and smiled.
"Very good, I was right about you."
"When you return victorious, I will arrange your marriage to Xiao Jiu."
Upon hearing this, Mu Zian clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
......
After leaving the palace, Mu Zian went straight to the Ministry of Works.
A large army going on a campaign is no child's play; provisions, supplies, and military equipment are all indispensable.
The saying "the Great Li Dynasty lacked horses" is more accurate to say that all dynasties in the Central Plains were in short supply of horses.
To counter the Xiongnu, who were known for their cavalry, Mu Zian had to work on other aspects.
The Divine Arm Crossbow was a great gift that Mu Zi'an prepared for the Xiongnu people.
After all, even the once invincible Jin Dynasty cavalry could not contend with this thing.
Upon hearing that Mu Zian had arrived at the Ministry of Works, the Minister of Works immediately came out to greet him.
After all, Mu Zian's name is now associated with the plague god.
No one who has offended him has ever had a good ending.
Mu Zian's purpose in coming here was naturally to inquire about the progress of the Divine Arm Crossbow's production.
When the Minister of Works heard that Mu Zian had come to ask for crossbows, the weight in his heart immediately lifted.
Before long, a crossbow with a bow length of three feet three inches and a string length of two feet five inches was brought up.
The Minister of Works introduced it with a smile.
"The crossbow made by the Duke of Zhenguo is truly a first-class weapon of war."
"It can still penetrate iron armor from 300 paces away."
Mu Zian held it in his hand for a moment, then nocked the arrow, placed it on the bowstring, and pulled the trigger.
With a whoosh, the arrow struck the wall, sparks flying.
The arrow pierced the wall as easily as piercing tofu.
Mu Zian nodded, very satisfied with the effect of the Divine Arm Crossbow.
"First, forge a thousand Divine Arm Crossbows."
Time is of the essence, and equipping the entire army is a realistic goal.
Mu Zian wanted to equip Ye Bushou with these thousand divine crossbows first.
In this era, the crossbow was equivalent to a sniper rifle, and it could be used to its fullest potential in the hands of a night watchman.
As news of the Xiongnu invasion spread.
The entire capital city instantly began to stir.
The soaring price of rice further fueled panic.
Enraged, Xiao Yu immediately ordered the Imperial City Guard to conduct a thorough investigation.
Within three days, eighteen grain merchants who had hoarded goods were executed.
The Dali Daily News immediately published a news article to reassure the public and stabilize grain prices.
As expected, both Minister of War Liu Yi and Vice Minister Feng were eliminated.
Gossip, rumors, and embarrassing stories come one after another.
Those idle scholars within the Dali Newspaper Office were even more enthusiastic about it.
They visited the relatives and friends of Minister Liu and Vice Minister Feng to collect stories.
In an instant, the two of them became pariahs in the capital.
Liu Yi even earned the reputation of being a "beautiful minister".
The Vice Minister Feng fared even worse; his mansion gates were splattered with excrement by angry citizens every day.
He was even verbally abused and pointed at in the street, which scared him so much that he dared not go out.
After the Dali Newspaper published Mu Zian's words in the main hall and in the training ground.
The initial panic in the capital vanished instantly, replaced by anger towards the Xiongnu.
Especially that line: No reparations, no tributes, no ceding of territory, no marriage alliances; the emperor guards the nation's gates, the monarch dies for the state!
It became a household name! In no time, many wandering knights in the capital eagerly signed up to join the army, determined to go to the frontier and fight the Huns.
Just as war preparations were in full swing in the capital.
A raging fire broke out in Fuling City, on the frontier of Dali.
Countless Xiongnu cavalrymen galloped freely through this city!
Screams, pleas for mercy, and curses rose and fell.
The blood glowed with an eerie red light under the firelight.
The corpses of countless soldiers from Fuling City lay piled up on top of each other.
Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, making the entire city of Fuling resemble a living hell.
Flames soared into the sky in front of the city lord's mansion!
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