With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

The explosion in the silent hall startled the ministers in the hall and they all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe.

"Haixia Pass...Haixia Pass actually...actually..."

The king's voice was low and hoarse, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth, his wide dragon robe fluttering in the air with his steps.

Inside the hall, the ministers were all silent, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

I was afraid of accidentally angering the emperor.

They all knew that the news brought by this battle report was like a bolt from the blue for Beixiang Kingdom.

Enough to shake the foundations of the entire country.

Java's Haixia Pass, a strategic location, was actually captured by Lu Yan!

The news spread like a plague, casting a shadow over everyone's heart.

"My dear ministers,"

The king suddenly stopped and turned to face his ministers, his voice echoing in the throne room like thunder.

"Tell us all! Now that Lu Yan is so arrogant, how should our Beixiang Kingdom respond?"

His eyes swept over each minister.

The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak first.

Those generals who had previously clamored to attack Shannan Prefecture.

At this moment, he was shrinking his neck like a quail, fearing that he would be called out by the king.

Their once bold words have now become ironic echoes.

It sounded particularly harsh in the empty hall.

Silence, suffocating silence, enveloped the entire Golden Palace.

Finally, Chu Wen stood up. He took a deep breath and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, please calm down. In my humble opinion, the only solution now is..."

He paused deliberately, looked around, and saw that everyone was listening attentively with bated breath, then continued:

"The only way is to reconcile with Shannan Prefecture."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.

The ministers were talking to each other and discussing things in an uproar like a boiling pot.

"Reconcile? Sir Chu, are you crazy?"

A general suddenly jumped out and pointed at Chu Wen's nose and cursed.

"That Lu Yan has repeatedly invaded our borders, killed our soldiers, and now he has even annexed Java's Haixia Pass. How can we negotiate peace with such a ruthless and ambitious person?"

Chu Wen was not afraid at all and sneered:

"General, you are wrong. Shannan Prefecture is now strong and powerful, and its morale is high. If our Beixiang State rashly sends troops, wouldn't it be like hitting a rock with an egg?"

He paused and then said:

"What's more, Lu Yan is a cunning man. Who can guarantee that he won't join forces with other countries to deal with our Beixiang Kingdom?"

These words left everyone speechless.

The King of Beixiang Kingdom also nodded slowly and said thoughtfully:

"What Minister Chu said is not without reason. However, if we just let it go like this, how will our Beixiang Kingdom maintain its dignity?"

Chu Wen glanced around and said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that will not only save the reputation of our Beixiang Kingdom, but also force Lu Yan to return Jianmen Pass."

The King of Beixiang Kingdom's face relaxed, the dark clouds dissipated, and the long-lost sunshine appeared.

"Dismiss the court! The Minister of Literature and the Minister of War shall remain, and the rest of you shall disperse."

His voice was relaxed, completely different from his previous furious look.

As if they had been pardoned, all the ministers bowed and left in a hurry, fearing that the king would change his mind.

The Golden Palace was soon empty, with only the King of Beixiang, Chu Wen and the Grand Marshal remaining.

The king stood up and walked to the imperial study with his hands behind his back, followed closely by Chu Wen and the general.

In the imperial study, the scent of sandalwood curled up, but the atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

"Okay, now you can tell me what's your plan?"

The king sat back on the dragon throne and asked straight to the point.

Chu Wen stroked his beard, and a gleam flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, Lu Yan is a master at using troops and is even better at inciting rebellion. I think that instead of a head-on confrontation, it would be better to..."

“It’s collapsing from within.”

When the general heard this, his body trembled violently.

"What the Minister of Literature means is..."

Chu Wen nodded slightly and said in a low voice:

"I suspect there is a spy belonging to Lu Yan in the court!"

When these words were spoken, the king and Xiong Ying both gasped.

Spy? This is a crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the clan!

The king's face darkened, and a fierce murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"Lord Chu, do you have any evidence?"

Chu Wen shook his head.

"It's just speculation at the moment, but we have to be on guard! Lu Yan's actions are too bizarre, not something an ordinary general would do." "I believe the most urgent task is to thoroughly investigate the officials in the court and eliminate the spies!"

The king pondered for a moment and said slowly:

"This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Lord Chu, do you have any other plans?"

Chu Wen knew that the king was worried about alerting the enemy, so he did not pursue the matter of the spy further.

Instead, he changed the subject and said:

"Your Majesty, Princess Mingyue is currently in Shannan Prefecture. I believe that we can... send her to Shannan Prefecture for marriage!"

"Wedding?"

The king and the general were both stunned. This was something they had never thought of.

"That's right!" Chu Wenxiong said confidently.

"Marry Princess Mingyue to Lu Yan, and give Yunyang City as a dowry and make it the princess's fiefdom."

"In this way, we can legitimately plant spies in Shannan Prefecture, bolster the princess's power, and dismantle Shannan Prefecture from within. Isn't that wonderful?"

A gleam of light flashed in the king's eyes. This was indeed a bold plan!

Sending Princess Mingyue into the tiger's mouth is extremely risky, but it may also bring unexpected gains.

"What do you think, Commander?"

The king looked at the general, wanting to hear his opinion.

The general pondered for a moment, then bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, I think the Prime Minister's plan is brilliant! The best strategy is to attack the enemy's mind."

"Giving away Yunyang City in exchange for lasting peace is worth it! Moreover, reconciling with Shannan Prefecture will help us concentrate our forces to attack Daqian."

"As long as we take down Daqian, what does Yunyang City mean? In a world of great struggle, the winner is king!"

"Your Majesty is a man of great talent and strategy. You will surely unify the Three Kingdoms and achieve lasting achievements!"

The general's words hit the heart of the king.

He always dreamed of unifying the Three Kingdoms and becoming an emperor like Taizu.

"Good!" The king slammed the dragon table and said heroically.

"I'll leave this matter to you two! Make sure to send Princess Mingyue safely to Shannan Prefecture and help her gain a foothold there!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Chu Wen and the Taiwei responded in unison.

……

The Kingdom of Java was immersed in a peaceful atmosphere, completely unaware that Haixia Pass had already fallen.

This sudden flood cut off the transmission of information and blocked the bad news of defeat.

The continuous rain for several days has filled the air with a damp smell.

The stuffy feeling spread throughout the palace like a huge steamer.

The king leaned back on the dragon throne inlaid with gold and jade, casually fiddling with two huge night pearls in his hands.

He was weighed down by his worries, and the hot and humid weather drained his energy. He asked weakly:

"Jin Xuanming has been searching for the snow lotus for many days. Has there been any news?"