Meanwhile, a completely different scene unfolded in the royal palace of the Northern Xiang Kingdom, thousands of miles away.
A grayish carrier pigeon fluttered its wings and landed on the windowsill of the imperial study.
The small bamboo tube tied to his leg contained news of the fall of Yunyang City.
After reading the report, the King of Beixiang felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fainted.
He swept the memorials and inkstone off the table and onto the floor.
Fragments splattered everywhere, ink spilled all over the ground, just like his mood at that moment, a complete mess.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
He roared, his voice echoing in the empty hall.
"Fan Tong, that traitorous dog! I have treated him well, yet he dares to betray his country and defect to the enemy!"
He paced back and forth, his chest heaving violently, as if it might burst at any moment.
The loss of Southeast Pass had already caused him a great deal of trouble, and now Yunyang City had fallen into Lu Yan's hands.
These successive blows almost drove him insane.
What angered him even more was that Lu Yan actually dared to make such a statement.
Make him withdraw the troops from the capital, and that's not enough; he also has to apologize.
Otherwise, we'll fight our way all the way to Tianjun City!
This is an absolute disgrace!
When has he, the dignified King of Beixiang, ever been threatened like this?
Fear surged through him like a tidal wave, and he realized it then.
Lu Yan is no longer the minor prefect of Shannan Prefecture who could be easily manipulated by him.
In just a few months, this kid has grown so powerful that even he is afraid.
He forced himself to calm down; he knew now was not the time to lose his temper.
He must find a way to deal with the current crisis.
He summoned all the civil and military officials and told them the news of the fall of Yunyang City.
An uproar erupted in the main hall.
The ministers looked at each other in disbelief.
"How long has it been, and Yunyang City has already fallen?"
"That scoundrel Fan Tong actually surrendered? He was one of my trusted confidants!"
"Hundreds of thousands of troops couldn't even defend a single city? What were those generals good for?!"
...
The King of Beixiang listened to his ministers' discussions, his face turning ashen.
He roared, "Shut up, all of you! This is not the time to assign blame, but to find a way to solve the problem!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" the minister pleaded cautiously.
"Let's think about how to deal with Lu Yan's threat first."
The King of Beixiang glared at the minister:
"Deal with it? How? That Lu Yan is a complete madman!"
"He actually dared to threaten to march on Tianjun City! My Princess Mingyue is still in his hands, I...I..."
At this point, the King of Beixiang's voice choked with emotion.
He slumped onto the dragon throne, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Finally, he raised his head and scanned the room, his gaze settling on Chu Wen:
"Minister Chu, what do you suggest we do now?"
Chu Wen was the brother-in-law of the King of Beixiang and his most trusted advisor.
He was known for his wisdom and resourcefulness and enjoyed considerable prestige in the court.
Chu Wen also looked solemn. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to find out Lu Yan's true intentions."
"His true intentions? He's already at our doorstep, what could his true intentions be?"
"You just want to destroy my Northern Xiang Kingdom!"
The King of Beixiang Kingdom said angrily.
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Chu Wen said unhurriedly.
"Although Lu Yan acts eccentrically, he is not a reckless man."
"He had been holding back for a while, but now he has suddenly launched an attack. He must have some ulterior motive."
"What else could he possibly want? My Princess Mingyue is still in his hands!"
The King of Beixiang said through gritted teeth.
"If he dares to lay a finger on my daughter, I will tear him to pieces!"
"Your Majesty, Princess Mingyue is Lu Yan's trump card. How could he easily harm her?"
Chu Wen analyzed, "In my opinion, Lu Yan's move is more like an attempt to force us to negotiate with him."
"Negotiation? What are we supposed to negotiate with him? Does he expect me to cede territory and pay reparations?"
The King of Beixiang was furious.
"Your Majesty, the situation is beyond our control; we have no choice but to submit!"
Chu Wen earnestly advised.
"Lu Yan has already occupied several cities, including Jiannan Pass and Yunyang City, and his strength should not be underestimated."
"If we continue fighting him, I'm afraid..."
"What are you afraid of? Just say it!"
The King of Beixiang urged impatiently.
Chu Wen took a deep breath and said:
"I fear that my Northern Xiang Kingdom is in danger of being destroyed!"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell into complete silence.
The King of Beixiang was deathly pale.
He never imagined that he would be forced into such a desperate situation.
"Your Majesty, I believe that peace talks are the best course of action!"
Chu Wen suggested again.
"Peace talks?" A struggle flashed in the eyes of the King of Beixiang.
At this moment, the Grand Commandant stepped forward and spoke with great passion:
"Your Majesty! I firmly oppose peace talks! Those scoundrels in Shannan Prefecture are like grasshoppers in autumn."
"Releasing them now, what's the difference between that and raising a tiger to cause future trouble?"
"Our Beixiang Kingdom is vast and rich in resources, with a vast territory spanning thousands of miles. It is one of the world's leading great powers."
"How can we bow down to a Shannan Prefecture that doesn't even qualify as a country?"
"If word gets out, how will our Northern Xiang Kingdom retain its dignity? And where will the Emperor's face be?"
"I second that proposal!"
...
At one point, no fewer than twenty people seconded the motion.
Chu Wen sneered, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
