Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

"Ring the Jingyang Bell! An emergency court meeting!" He ordered sternly. "Send a message to Meng Zhi of Beiting. Suspend the Fox Hunting Camp plan. Hand over the defense of the northern border to the deputy general. Order him to immediately assemble his 30,000 black-armored cavalry, lightly armed and with a small force, and rush to Longyou as quickly as possible!"

"Send a message to the main camp in the capital, prepare for battle!"

"Order the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to immediately dispatch food, fodder, and military equipment to the western front!"

"Order all prefectures and counties in Longyou to fortify their defenses and clear the fields, and hold out until reinforcements are ready!"

A series of orders were issued like a torrential downpour, and the entire imperial machine roared at maximum efficiency again. The shadow of war instantly dispelled the relaxed atmosphere that had just been attempted to create.

Qin Ming strode towards the Imperial Palace, his dark dragon robe rustling behind him. His face was devoid of any trace of the previous prudence and consideration, only a cold determination and murderous rage remained.

Internal troubles have not yet been resolved, and external threats are coming.

Appeasement? Soothing?

In the face of naked aggression, iron and blood are the only language!

He seemed to have transformed back into the iron-blooded emperor who roamed the battlefields and instilled fear in his enemies. The fate of the empire once again hung on an impending war. And this time, he would personally lead the army to personally confront Wudun, the Qiang leader who had dared to take advantage of the situation!

The bells in the capital rang rapidly, foreshadowing the coming of another storm.

Like hungry wolves plunging from the depths of the Qilian Mountains, the 50,000 cavalrymen of Qiang leader Wudun tore through the seemingly impregnable defenses of the empire's western frontier with lightning speed. Liangzhou fell, its defenders slain, Longyou was shaken, and the war raged as far as Guanzhong! This sudden and tragic news, like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguished Qin Ming's brief attempt to ease internal tensions through appeasement.

Inside the Huangji Hall, the atmosphere of the emergency court meeting was almost suffocatingly tense. The important officials who had just been discussing how to revise the "Performance Evaluation Law" and dispatch "Imperial Envoys" were now pale, their court robes soaked with sweat. The looming threat of war was far more terrifying than the accumulated corruption of the bureaucracy.

Qin Ming sat high on the dragon throne, his face devoid of any trace of previous prudence or consideration, replaced only by icy coldness and determination. His gaze, like lightning, swept across the anxious ministers below.

"You, the bastard Wudun, took advantage of my efforts to clean up my internal affairs to invade and plunder my borders, slaughtering my people!" His voice was low, but with the clang of metal clashing, it struck everyone's heart. "If this beast is not punished, there will be no peace in the western frontier! Where is the dignity of the empire?!"

"Your Majesty!" The Privy Councilor was the first to step forward, his voice slightly hoarse with urgency. "The Qiang cavalry are advancing fiercely. Liang Province has been lost, and Longyou is in danger! Your Majesty, please dispatch troops immediately to support the western front! We still have 50,000 elite troops in the capital camp, so hurry and meet them!"

"Fifty thousand against fifty thousand, a field battle against the Qiang cavalry is unpredictable!" The Minister of War objected sternly, "Besides, the capital is our foundation and cannot be left empty. I believe we should urgently order General Meng Zhi of Beiting to send his troops south to join the remaining troops in Longyou. We can then defend the city and wait for reinforcements, wearing down the Qiang cavalry's spirit and then launch a counterattack!"

"Hold on and wait for reinforcements? Won't the people of Longyou be slaughtered?!" a young imperial censor exclaimed excitedly. "The Qiang are brutal. Every time they capture a city, they burn, kill, and loot! If we wait for reinforcements, Longyou will probably be reduced to a scorched earth!"

The court quickly split into two factions, one for a quick fight and the other for holding on, and they argued endlessly.

Qin Ming watched the debate below with a cold eye, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrests of the dragon throne. Suddenly, he raised his hand.

The arguing stopped abruptly, and all eyes were focused on the throne.

"Beiting Mengzhi," Qin Ming said, his voice unquestionable, "I have ordered him to lead 30,000 of my own black-armored cavalry, lightly armed and with a few followers, to rush to the aid of Longyou. According to the timetable, the vanguard should reach the Longshan line within five days."

Everyone felt relieved after hearing this. Meng Zhi was a brave general who had fought in many battles, and the Black Armor Army under his command was the sharpest blade of the empire.

"Yes," Qin Ming changed the subject, "Meng Zhi's troops are cavalry, which is good for field assaults, but not for holding a full line. The Qiang tribe has come out in full force this time, and their ambition is not small. They are definitely not satisfied with just plundering the border counties."

He stood up, walked to the huge map of the western border, and pointed his finger at the mountain pass between Liangzhou and Longyou.

"Wudun is cunning. He avoided our heavily defended front of Longshan and penetrated through the weak flank. His forces are at their peak. If we allow them to wreak havoc on Longyou, even if Meng Zhi arrives, we will be forced to passively take the fight and fight to the death."

His finger suddenly swiped westward and landed on an inconspicuous pass - "Eagle's Beak Gorge".

"I don't want to drive him back, but to annihilate him here!"

The ministers were in an uproar! How could they completely wipe out 50,000 Qiang cavalry? How easy would that be!

"Your Majesty!" the mature and prudent Prime Minister couldn't help but speak. "The Qiang cavalry come and go like the wind, and they are familiar with the terrain. Our army has come such a long way, and it's already difficult to seek a decisive battle, let alone annihilate them completely. If we lose this decisive battle, the western front will be in danger!"

Qin Ming's lips curled up in a cold arc: "So, I will lead the expedition myself."

"Your Majesty!"

"Absolutely not, Your Majesty!"

"The capital is such an important place, how can we leave His Majesty here to take charge?"

The ministers were immediately in an uproar, kneeling down to dissuade him. The emperor personally led the army, the risk was too great! If he failed, the empire would instantly crumble!

"I have made up my mind." Qin Ming's voice was calm, but it was filled with a sense of finality. "If Wu Dun dares to come, he is taking advantage of me because I have just established my own country and cannot afford to look west. I will go and tell him personally that he has miscalculated!"

He swept his gaze over the crowd and continued his deployment, clear and ruthless:

"Twenty thousand elite infantrymen will be dispatched from the capital's main camp, led by the Deputy Privy Councilor. They will then set out to ensure smooth food routes and secure the occupied areas."

"Ministry of Revenue, immediately dispatch food, fodder, and military equipment and transport them westward along the Jing River. No mistakes!"

"Ministry of Works, mobilize civilians to reinforce the passes along Longshan Mountain, especially the mountains on both sides of Yingzui Gorge. Prepare plenty of rolling logs, rocks, kerosene, and arrows!"

"Send a message to all prefectures and counties in Longyou: Abandon the open country, gather the people into the city, fortify the walls and clear the fields! I want to see how long Wudun's 50,000 cavalry can hold out against my fortified city and scorched earth!"

"The affairs of the court shall be decided by the Prime Minister and the six ministries. If there is any indecision, report to me urgently within eight hundred miles."

A series of precise and efficient orders instantly pushed the entire empire's war machine to its limit. No one dared to object, and everyone was overwhelmed by the emperor's cold determination and majestic momentum.

"Dismiss the court! All departments act immediately!" Qin Ming waved his sleeves, turned around and left, and the black dragon robe brought up a gust of cold wind.

Three days later, the Suzaku Gate in the capital burst open.

Clad in black golden armor with coiled dragons, Qin Ming rode a jet-black divine steed, wielding a massive black iron sword. Leading the way, he galloped out of the city gates. Behind him, thirty thousand black-armored cavalry, still brimming with murderous intent after a brief rest, followed silently behind him like a black torrent of steel. The clink of their hooves resonated like thunder, shattering the tranquility of the capital. Carrying an endless aura of murder, they rolled westward.

The news that the emperor was personally leading the army spread quickly to all directions as if it had wings.

The people of the counties and prefectures along the way knelt by the roadside, watching this torrent of iron cavalry carrying the hope of the empire. They had mixed feelings, with both anticipation and deep worry.