Wei Wangqing immediately summoned the ministers and held an emergency court meeting.
After their initial disbelief upon hearing the news, some ministers were filled with rage: "This Southern Dynasty has broken its promise and dared to attack our Great Wei! Your Majesty, we must not let them off lightly!"
"Yes, we must show the Southern Dynasty the power of our Great Wei."
"Yes, send General Li over there and give the Southern Dynasty a sound thrashing."
This is the side that initiated the conflict.
Some ministers calmly pondered, "Why would the Southern Dynasty suddenly launch a military campaign against our Great Wei? Could there be some kind of conspiracy?"
"Was the previous alliance just a ploy to lull us into a false sense of security and catch us off guard?"
Wei Wangqing had considered this possibility, but it was highly likely if it were the original Southern Emperor.
If it were Nanlin instead, even a sham alliance would become real.
It wasn't that Wei Wangqing trusted Nan Lin that much, but she believed in Nan Lin's feelings for Nan Xiangyue. That kind of look in his eyes couldn't be faked, just like Ayan and her.
If someone with his indifferent nature towards women could put on such an act for the sake of the world, then Wei Wangqing would accept defeat. She knew she couldn't be so shameless.
The ministers in the court argued endlessly, with no consensus reached.
But the most difficult and challenging position to hold belongs to Prince An, who found himself in an extremely awkward situation.
But Nanfeng herself didn't believe any of this. She chose to trust her own judgment and believed that Nanlin wasn't that kind of person.
She couldn't imagine that if that were the case, she would go insane if she were to hand her daughter over to such a monster.
The ministers spoke, but none of them dared to look at Prince An.
Everyone knows that Prince An loved her two children the most; they were her life.
Now that the Southern Dynasty is attacking the Great Wei, Nan Xiangyue will not have a good ending regardless of whether the Great Wei sends troops or not.
It's good, but it only spares her life to blackmail Prince An and the Great Wei.
If it's not good, then I'm afraid...
They were used directly as a sacrifice to boost morale and inspire the troops.
As for these two points, it depends on how ruthless the Southern Emperor can be.
However, the person who would send troops at this critical juncture is clearly disregarding Nan Xiangyue's life or death; they must be a ruthless and determined individual.
Seeing the ministers arguing back and forth without reaching a consensus, Wei Wangqing asked Prince An, "Prince An, what do you think?"
The court fell silent instantly.
"Your Majesty, I believe there must be more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps we should hold back for now and send someone to the Southern Dynasty to investigate secretly."
Upon hearing this, a minister immediately objected: "Is Prince An doing this for your daughter? But this is a matter of national importance and cannot be influenced by personal feelings."
"Hold back? Are you waiting for the Southern Dynasty to invade the heart of our Great Wei?" another minister sneered.
Wei Wangqing pondered, but in fact she agreed with Prince An's idea.
Seeing that the Empress was truly considering the feasibility of the matter, one of the ministers immediately stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, you must not listen to the nonsense of Prince An. If we truly let the Southern Dynasty's army go unchecked, it may be the time when our Great Wei will perish!"
After saying this, he kowtowed three times with a loud thud, which was deafening.
Wei Wangqing was aware of the seriousness of the matter, which is why he thought it over and over again and wanted to see everyone's opinion.
She was also afraid of making mistakes and ruining the country because of herself.
However, this matter will eventually come to a conclusion.
In the end, Wei Wangqing decided to stick to his own ideas.
"There's no need to investigate. I have my own spies in the Southern Dynasty, but I didn't receive any prior information about this matter."
The courtiers were initially astonished that His Majesty possessed such ability, having even planted spies in the Southern Dynasty, and that those around them...
You don't know?
Every move they make is under the Queen's surveillance!
But if that's the case, things become even more puzzling.
Some ministers also believed: "Your Majesty, doesn't that further prove the Southern Dynasty's wolfish ambitions? They must have had this intention all along, which is why they took precautions."
Wei Wangqing shook his head, "I still have some confidence in my own people, something the Southern Dynasty couldn't do."
"Therefore, I suspect that someone acted on their own initiative, and the Southern Emperor was completely unaware of it!"
The room erupted in uproar.
How is that possible?
These four words came to everyone's mind.
This conjecture is too audacious. How could someone send troops to the Great Wei without the ruler of the country being aware of it?
But if it's true, then the least likely is the most likely.
But the Southern Emperor doesn't seem to be that weak.
Yes, Nanlin is not weak, but what if there is a force that is on par with him?
Wei Wangqing thought of the mastermind behind it all; many things were inextricably linked to him.
Could this also be the case?
"I have decided to communicate with the Southern Emperor first to find out the details of the matter before making a decision."
So that means ending the war?
"Your Majesty, please reconsider. The Southern Emperor is using sophistry and may very well be manipulating the letter to deceive Your Majesty."
"Yes, how can one trust the words of people from the Southern Dynasty?"
"My mind is made up, you need not try to persuade me any further."
"Send orders to the border to fight the enemy with all their might, and not allow the Southern Dynasty army to set foot in our Great Wei. But do not pursue them, and wait for further orders."
The Empress has given the order; there is no way to reverse the situation.
No matter how unwilling they were, they had no choice but to obey. How could they possibly resist the current empress?
Princess An felt grateful, though she herself thought so too, but she couldn’t be absolutely certain.
The ministers would only think that her decision was an abuse of power for personal gain.
If the Empress really decides to send troops, she won't say anything.
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