In truth, Emperor Yan knew better than anyone else: what could a million-strong army do?
In the face of deadly weapons, they are no different from empty shells!
The prime minister looked up and glanced at Emperor Yan's face. Could that emperor's face, which was always so confident, also show a hint of anger and unease? Could he also feel uncertain?
When they framed Zhou Zhenguang for treason, did they never think they would be killed in retaliation?
The prime minister sighed inwardly. He was too lazy to say any more comforting words. After thinking for a few seconds, he finally saw through Emperor Yan's pretense: "Does Your Majesty really think so?"
"What do you mean?!"
Bu Tong —
The prime minister lifted his robe and knelt on the ground.
He said loudly, "Your Majesty, I want you to see the current situation clearly. The Yan Kingdom today is not the Yan Kingdom of two months ago, and the court today is not the fearless court of two months ago."
"Let's start with the internal situation. In recent years, Yan Kingdom has suffered from severe disasters and droughts, resulting in a shortage of food, as well as insufficient supplies and national treasury."
"But at this very moment, Zhou Cheng took advantage of the troop movements of the eight cities to seize their grain and valuables, catching the imperial court completely off guard!"
"As for the external situation, Zhou Cheng carries an inexhaustible supply of weapons, and the Xiongnu are eyeing us covetously from the east and west. Once the court goes to war with Zhou Cheng, regardless of the outcome, it will certainly not end well."
“............”
"........"
The prime minister spent a quarter of an hour revealing the current situation in the Yan Kingdom, completely shattering the Yan Emperor's facade of composure.
What, an army of 500,000!
What is there to fear about rebellion?
What is the point of seeking reconciliation if it's considered shameful?
With a knife to your throat, what's the point of saving face?
"His Majesty."
"Don't you understand? Zhou Cheng is no longer someone we can deal with! Not to mention where his weapons came from, just look at the food and supplies that suddenly appeared in Jiangling City."
"Take the gold and silver treasures that suddenly disappeared from the eight nearby cities. This isn't just one city, but eight. They vanished into thin air overnight. Are you still going to pretend you didn't see them and cling to wishful thinking?"
"Can these things that disappeared and reappeared out of thin air be completely unrelated to Zhou Cheng?"
"besides!"
"The imperial court does indeed have 500,000 troops in the south, but Yan is currently short of food and silver. Military campaigns cost silver, and can the imperial treasury support the war expenses of 500,000 troops?"
"Your Majesty, Yan Kingdom has no other choice."
"From the moment you decided to seize Zhou Zhenguang's military power, and from the moment Zhou Cheng stormed out of the capital with weapons, the court had no choice but to negotiate peace!"
The prime minister knelt on the ground and tearfully uttered the answer.
Emperor Yan felt as if he had been struck on the head by an alarm bell. He couldn't help but recall the details recounted by the chief of the secret guards... Everything in the General's Mansion had vanished into thin air overnight, leaving no trace.
In Lisu County, hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain were destroyed in the fire, leaving not a single grain of rice.
...
Could all of this be completely unrelated to Zhou Cheng?
Emperor Yan sat stiffly on the dragon throne, his head buzzing with the news. These earth-shattering events had been around all along, but Emperor Yan was unwilling and dared not think about them deeply.
Now, faced with reality, Emperor Yan had no choice but to confront it and reassess Zhou Cheng's strength...
He knew that he had no choice but to negotiate peace.
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