Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

"I gave you an army of 250,000 and full authority! Is this how you repay my trust?"

"Your entire army has been wiped out! Your troops have been lost, and your country has been disgraced! How can you still face me? You should atone with your death!!"

The furious roar echoed through the hall, making the guards and eunuchs outside tremble.

Changsun Wuji lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Immediately afterwards, Li Shimin's anger turned to his treacherous ally:

"And that Scorpion Clan member, Huyan Ying! A despicable scoundrel! Fickle and unreliable!"

"If he hadn't deserted in the face of battle, taking tens of thousands of cavalry with him, how could Wang Zhongsi have been unable to hold out alone, and thus be tied down by the Chu army's Vermilion Bird Legion, ultimately falling into an encirclement?"

"These barbarians of the grasslands have only interests in their eyes and no sense of honor! They deserve to be killed! They deserve to be wiped out!"

He grew angrier the more he cursed, with nowhere to vent the pent-up anger in his chest.

His gaze swept over the memorials concerning the nation's welfare and people's livelihood that he had just been carefully reviewing on his desk, but now he found them so glaring!

The empire suffered such a crushing defeat in the south that its elite troops were wiped out and its famous generals were lost.

All of this stems from the incompetence of the frontline commander and the betrayal of allies!

"Bang!" A loud noise!

In a fit of rage, Li Shimin suddenly swept his sleeve, knocking the heavy Duan inkstone, carved with dragon patterns, off the imperial desk. Ink splattered everywhere, staining the polished gold bricks black!

This seemed to be a signal. Then, with a "whoosh," the neatly stacked memorials were swept away by his arms and scattered like snowflakes!

The brush holder tipped over, the jade paperweight rolled off, the teacup shattered, and the entire imperial desk was a mess!

"Waste! They are all waste!!"

Li Shimin roared in the hall like a wounded lion, his hair and beard bristling, his eyes bloodshot.

The overwhelming sense of defeat, the anger of betrayal, and the deep anxiety about the future overwhelmed this emperor who was known for his calm and wisdom.

The annihilation of 250,000 troops not only signifies the complete failure of the southern strategy, but may also shake the foundations of the nation and incite the covetousness of neighboring villains!

This was an unprecedented setback since he ascended the throne!

Changsun Wuji lowered his head even further, not daring to offer any advice, and could only wait for His Majesty's anger to subside on its own.

The eunuchs and palace maids outside the palace were so frightened that they fell silent, not daring to even breathe.

The deep darkness of night enveloped the heart of the empire, and was also shrouded in a sudden and immense cloud of defeat.

The hall was in a mess; ink stained the gold bricks, memorials were scattered all over the floor, and broken porcelain shards gleamed with a cold light.

The raging fire in Li Shimin's chest subsided abruptly after that out-of-control smashing, leaving only a suffocating silence and a pervasive sense of shame and chill in the hall.

He stood there, panting heavily, a few ink stains on the cuffs of his dragon robe. His earlier rage had left him looking somewhat dejected.

But deep within those eyes, the flames of resentment and pain still burned.

Changsun Wuji remained prostrate on the ground. He could sense the change in the emperor's aura above him, a shift from an outburst of anger to a deep, cold, and more dangerous contemplation and struggle.

He dared not move and could only wait.

Time passed slowly, feeling like a long time had gone by, yet also like a fleeting moment.

Finally, Li Shiming's hoarse and weary voice broke the deathly silence. Gone was the fury of moments before; only a heavy weight remained, a weight emanating from the oppressive reality he faced.

"Wuji, in your opinion, what should I do next?"

This question is no longer the commanding tone of an emperor, but more like that of a head of household driven to the brink, asking his most trusted steward for a way out.

The annihilation of the 250,000-strong army was not a simple military defeat; it was like a giant black hole, devouring the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, the morale of its army, and even the stability of the surrounding situation.

Now that the State of Chu has achieved such a great victory, what will be its next move?

Should they press their advantage and launch a northern expedition to gradually annex the territory? Or should they use their power to force a peace and extract huge profits?

Regardless of the reason, the Tang Dynasty had fallen into an unprecedented passive position.

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji slowly straightened up, but remained kneeling.

His face was still wet with tears, but his eyes had regained some of the clarity and solemnity that belonged to the Prime Minister of the Empire.

He took a deep breath; his voice was still hoarse, but it became clearer:

"Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to stabilize our position, regroup, and prepare for the inevitable advances or threats from the State of Chu."

He paused, then took out a tightly sealed private letter from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

"This is a private letter that Marshal Li Jing sent at great risk after the defeat."

"In his letter, he confessed his mistakes to the old ministers with earnest words, saying that he had no face to see His Majesty again and was no longer qualified to continue commanding the army. He was determined to submit a memorial to resign and asked the court to punish him severely in order to uphold military law and bring peace to the country."

Li Shiming looked at the letter with a complicated expression.

There was lingering anger towards Li Jing for losing the army and disgracing the country, but also a complex mix of emotions towards his ultimate choice to take responsibility and preserve the dignity of the court.

He did not accept the letter, but simply gestured for Changsun Wuji to continue.

Changsun Wuji withdrew the letter and continued, "In his letter, Li Jing strongly recommended General Guo Ziyi."

"It is said that although Guo Ziyi also participated in the rescue, his main force was not severely damaged. He was calm and resolute, deeply loved by the army, and was familiar with the situation on the southern front."

"He implored His Majesty to allow Guo Ziyi to succeed him and take full responsibility for the defense of the southern front and to clean up the mess."

This was Li Jing's last personnel arrangement for the empire before his downfall, an attempt to preserve a glimmer of hope for reorganization.

"Guo Ziyi!"

Li Shiming murmured the name, his expression softening slightly.

He knew of Guo Ziyi's abilities and loyalty.

This is perhaps the least bad option at the moment.

Seeing that the emperor seemed to be thinking, Changsun Wuji continued to state his long-considered countermeasures, his tone becoming increasingly heavy: "Your Majesty, after this battle, the Chu Kingdom's momentum is unstoppable. Chu Ning is an ambitious man and will never be satisfied with a border victory."

"The next step, whether it is a large-scale northern expedition or a war to force peace, our dynasty must have sufficient strength to deal with it in order to gain some initiative and not be at the mercy of others."

He held up three fingers: "Therefore, I believe that we must take a three-pronged approach and spare no expense to rebuild our southern forces as quickly as possible."

"First, mobilize troops and immediately draw upon the elite local troops and border troops in Guanzhong, Hedong, and Longyou that have not yet been affected by the war to quickly reinforce Guo Ziyi's forces."

"Even if it means robbing Peter to pay Paul, we must gather a fighting force of at least 200,000 men under Guo Ziyi's command before Chu launches its next offensive, and hold the line by relying on the passes."

"Secondly, recruit new soldiers. The losses in this battle were too great, and it is difficult to sustain the war for long by simply drawing on existing troops."

"An emergency recruitment order should be issued immediately in densely populated areas such as Henan and Hebei, and even around the capital, offering generous salaries and tax exemptions to recruit young men on a large scale and intensify their training."

"Although new recruits are not up to the task, they can at least fill the gaps in the defense line and undertake tasks such as defense and transportation, freeing up the limited elite troops for key operations."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin nodded slightly and asked, "And the third?"