The most romantic little emperor

At this moment, important cabinet officials, the six ministers and vice ministers, and a group of military generals have all arrived. They all have worried looks on their faces, as if dark clouds are pressing down on their heads, foreshadowing the coming storm.

Obviously, they already knew something about the situation in the north.

As soon as Qin Haofu appeared, everyone seemed to have found a backbone. They stood up one after another and their expressions relaxed a lot.

Li Zhen spoke first, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, according to secret reports, the Liao Kingdom has ended its conquest of Goryeo and has assembled a million troops. They are aggressive and intend to move south. This situation is consistent with what Your Majesty expected before."

"What? A million troops, what should we do? We originally hoped to contain Goryeo, so our army went north to recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Now it seems that it is hard to predict whether it will be a blessing or a curse!"

"Your Majesty, the Liao Kingdom has evil ambitions, and an invasion from the south is almost certain. The 200,000 troops led by Wang Jian, together with the troops stationed in the northern border, total less than 500,000, are simply no match for the Liao Kingdom's million-strong army."

"More troops, we must increase them, otherwise the northern border will be in danger!"

"..."

All of a sudden, the ministers began to talk among themselves, with worry and indignation mixed on their faces. The air was filled with an anxious atmosphere, and for a moment, the entire hall seemed extremely chaotic.

Qin Hao frowned slightly and tapped the table with his fingertips. The steady and powerful sound, like the morning bell and evening drum, instantly penetrated the noise and made the bustling hall gradually return to silence.

"Why are you in such a hurry? The sky hasn't fallen yet, and the Liao Kingdom hasn't attacked us yet, but you're scared like this. How disgraceful?" He scolded unhappily, his tone containing some displeasure, but also a majesty that could not be ignored.

The ministers present couldn't help but restrain their expressions, and shame quietly crept onto their faces.

Qin Hao's eyes were as sharp as torches as he slowly scanned the surroundings, taking in every subtle change in everyone.

After a moment of silence, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly spoke, his words stirring up a thousand waves, "My dear ministers, this is nothing. Do you know what is giving me the most headache and anxiety?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. All the ministers looked at him with wide eyes, full of confusion, and began to speculate secretly.

Is there anything more troubling?

Even His Majesty feels uneasy, how can this be a trivial matter?

For a time, people were in panic, as if a storm was about to come.

Qin Hao rubbed his temples, looking somewhat melancholy, and said slowly: "Since Yelu Lingxiao returned to Shangjing, he has been imprisoned by Liao Zuo Emperor with an iron fist, his official position was stripped, and even his military power was ruthlessly taken away. I have to say that Liao Zuo Emperor Yelu Jing is quite resourceful."

"He sent Yelu Lingxiao, the King of the Southern Court, to our Great Xia before. On the surface, he was asking for food to help us out of our difficulties, but in reality, he was hiding a mystery and laying out an elaborate political game. His real intention was to eliminate dissidents and seize the important military and political power of the Southern Privy Council for himself."

"Now, Yelu Jing's half-brother, Yelu Xiong, has successfully ascended the throne of the Southern Court. This man has a violent temper, is bloodthirsty and warlike, and is even known as the 'war maniac' among the people. Although his actions are terrifying, he is deeply favored by Emperor Liao Zuo, and is even named the 'Liao Kingdom War God'. He is famous and powerful."

"And Yelu Hong, the Prince of the Northern Courtyard, has always been the greatest supporter of Emperor Liao Zuo. I guess the strategy of invading the south was also proposed by him. He is very strategic and is deeply trusted by Emperor Liao Zuo."

"I'm sure you all know that the Northern and Southern Privy Councils of Liao are like two stars surrounding the moon, firmly controlling the country's military and political lifeline. Their power is almost as great as the imperial power of Liao."

"Now, these two palaces of power are both occupied by Liao Zuo Emperor's close associates Yelu Hong and Yelu Xiong. Although these two people have prominent positions, they are only half a head lower than Liao Zuo Emperor."

"If the two of them work together, the Liao Kingdom will be unprecedentedly powerful. Although a million soldiers may be an exaggeration, it should not be a problem to mobilize 500,000 elite cavalry."

"This year, the Liao Kingdom encountered a locust plague that has not been seen in a century. Wherever the locusts passed, no grass grew. Therefore, whether it was the previous expedition to the east or the current expedition to the south, the Liao Kingdom should have mainly focused on looting. Otherwise, they would not have survived this winter."

"So, even if the two great leaders of the Liao Kingdom have different intentions, at the moment of life and death, they will probably put aside their prejudices temporarily and work together to make a great plan. From a strategic point of view, the Liao Kingdom has already made plans to invade the Central Plains."

Hearing this, the faces of the people in the hall became more and more ugly, especially those civil servants who usually talked incessantly, their expressions were so panicked and uneasy that they could be seen with the naked eye.

These civil officials usually have their own prejudices when discussing state governance in the court.

However, once it comes to war or invasion by foreign enemies, they seem to have lost their backbone, and their previous calmness and wisdom disappear without a trace in an instant.

Not only is it useless, it may even hinder our progress.

This is also one of the reasons why throughout the dynasties, some wars that could have been won ultimately ended in failure.

Looking at the anxious faces of the civil officials in the palace, Qin Hao sighed softly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking his forehead, feeling helpless yet a little calm in his heart.

He took the lead and, in a gentle yet dignified manner, stopped the indignant words that Li Zhen and others were about to burst out, and said, "My dear ministers, I know that you are worried about the country and the people, but at this moment, you don't have to worry too much."

"Under such circumstances, a large-scale war cannot break out so soon. I estimate that they will need at least a month to be able to prepare properly."

"On the other hand, our army has already started to rush to the front. Our army's morale is high, they have sufficient food and fodder, and they are well-equipped. It is the perfect time to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out."

"As the Art of War says, if you know yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. Since we already know the enemy's situation, why should we worry too much? We just need to act according to the plan and wait for the right opportunity. If we encounter their vanguard, I believe that Wang Jian's army will make sure they never return."

Upon hearing this, many ministers' expressions did not improve, and they could not hide their worry between their brows.

A minister lowered his voice, with a hint of uneasiness and tentativeness in his voice: "Your Majesty, if a full-scale war breaks out, the consequences will be unpredictable. Are you really determined to do so?"

Qin Hao raised his lips to sneer, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's as he scanned the crowd, his tone was full of unquestionable determination, and he asked back: "Humph! What do you think? Do we really have to wait until the Liao cavalry breaks through the border before we know how to write the word counterattack?"

"Have you forgotten the cause of the war against Liao two years ago? It was Liao who was ambitious and started the war first, intending to invade our Central Plains. How can we forget the pain of losing our territory so easily?"

"I tell you, the Liao Kingdom is like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, always coveting the fertile land of the Central Plains. It has never given up its heart to destroy our Great Xia. After so many years, haven't you seen it yet?"

After that, Qin Hao's tone turned deep, and every word was sonorous, as if ringing a warning bell in the hearts of every minister: "I have made up my mind, and I vow to avenge the humiliation and recover the territory, and let the Liao thieves know that I will not give up an inch of my Great Xia land, and those who offend my Great Xia will be punished no matter how far away they are! You, my nobles, should join me in this great cause, and do not let me down!"

Hearing this, everyone seemed to have suddenly been enlightened, and they were all eager to express their feelings.