"My lords, are you truly unaware, or are you feigning ignorance? What is the current predicament of my Northern Xiang Kingdom?"
"If the fighting continues, the national treasury will be emptied! At that point, let alone resisting Lu Yan, we probably won't even be able to pay the soldiers' salaries!"
He looked around, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"If Lu Yan really marches to the gates of Tianjun City, who can stop him? You?"
The King of Beixiang's face was terribly gloomy, like dark clouds before a storm.
He stared at the Grand Commandant, his tone icy:
"Since the Grand Commandant is so confident, then tell me, how do you plan to fight?"
"I will give you 200,000 troops and 100,000 laborers. Can you take Shannan Prefecture?"
The Grand Commandant stood tall and proud, full of confidence:
"Your Majesty, with the fall of Yunyang City, I believe Fan Tong bears a heavy responsibility."
"His actions are suspected of being treasonous, and he may have been bribed by Lu Yan, which led to the fall of the city."
"If Lu Yan dares to invade, I am willing to lead troops into battle and repel him!"
"A true case of no return!"
Chu Wen scoffed.
"Grand Commandant, have you forgotten how Jiannan Pass was lost? Those cannons in Shannan Prefecture are no joke!"
"Even the thickest city walls can't stop their cannon fire!"
The Grand Commandant curled his lip in disdain:
"Lord Chu, are you perhaps terrified?"
If Shannan Prefecture truly possessed such powerful weapons, Lu Yan would have already become a king and a hegemon.
Would they still cower in that poor, remote place in Shannan Prefecture?
"Exactly! If Shannan Prefecture were really that powerful, Lu Yan would have already marched to Tianjun City. Why would he have waited until now?"
Several ministers echoed his sentiments, and a burst of laughter erupted in the hall.
The Grand Commandant bowed triumphantly.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops into battle and capture this traitor Lu Yan!"
The King of Beixiang felt a surge of frustration stuck in his chest, leaving him in a dilemma.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his palms were slightly damp.
His original plan was to negotiate peace with Lu Yan.
They would not hesitate to return all the treasures plundered from the Datong Dynasty in exchange for Princess Mingyue.
In his view, this was the best way to stop the loss and the optimal solution to save face for the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
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