The empress disliked my achievements for overshadowing her own, so she turned her attention to the N

Under Chen Nan's threat, none of the officials dared to stand up and refute him.

Sun Xiu, the Vice Minister of Rites, opened his mouth, trying to seize the last glimmer of hope.

He moved his right foot forward slightly, and just as he was about to speak, he felt someone pulling him from behind.

He then turned his head and saw the Vice Minister of War shaking his head slightly.

With his lips still forming the words, he said, "Don't go!"

He then winked at the person behind him.

Following the gaze, Sun Xiu saw the passerby who had already died.

He couldn't help but swallow hard, which stopped him from going forward.

Seeing the reactions and attitudes of the officials, Chen Nan nodded in satisfaction: "Since none of you have any objections, does that mean you all agree to this reform?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers wore helpless smiles.

Do they want to agree?

That's not true at all!!!

Everyone knows that reforms will harm their own interests.

But when they tried to reason with Chen Nan, he immediately pulled out a knife.

When they were about to use their knives, they realized that no one was a match for Chen Nan.

When they tried to file a joint complaint against the Empress Dowager, they were shocked to discover that the Empress Dowager was actually on the same side as Chen Nan.

Do they have the right to refuse?

absolutely not.

Chen Nan slowly walked to the center of the hall and glanced disdainfully at Qin Qingmin, who was still slumped at his feet.

After kicking him aside, he said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have another suggestion."

"Oh? Does the Prince of Zhennan have any other good suggestions? Tell me everything you have to hear?"

"By the way, let all my beloved ministers hear what kind of officials are the backbone of our Northern Wei."

The Empress Dowager smiled, her words filled with unreserved praise.

"Your Majesty, I believe that it is not only our Northern Wei's civil service group that needs reform."

"Military generals also need reform, and the Northern Wei army needs a reform even more."

The moment the words were spoken, the military officers who had been indifferent just moments before panicked.

When the civil service was being reformed, the military officers didn't say a word.

Faced with the civil officials' harassment, Chen Nan even killed someone in public.

If they dare to stand up and refute, will Chen Nan's butcher's knife be turned against them?

Nobody knows, and nobody wants to try.

"Please explain in detail, Prince Zhennan, how should our Northern Wei military officers be reformed? And how should the Northern Wei army be reorganized?"

Chen Nan explained directly: "Your Majesty, I believe the primary issue is the military."

"At present, the Northern Wei army is too chaotic. The army not only has the old and the young, but also scum who just want to eat and wait to die."

"I believe that the army should be concentrated and the soldiers should be thoroughly screened."

"What we should do is strengthen the soldiers' morale."

"Let them know who they are fighting for, let them know what their purpose is."

"Not only that, but we also want to build a tomb for heroes in Wei capital."

"Those soldiers who died in battle should be buried in the Heroes' Tomb."

Chen Nan said a lot in a row.

The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly as she listened.

Although she didn't know what Chen Nan's purpose was in doing this.

However, Chen Nan gave her a feeling that she could trust him unconditionally.

Moreover, trust can bring even greater rewards.

What the Empress Dowager approves of does not mean that others approve of it.

It should be understood that Chen Nan's reforms have completely offended the entire civil and military faction of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Finally, a military officer stepped forward and said, "Isn't the Prince of Zhennan's statement a bit too exaggerated?"

"We are fighting for the Northern Wei Dynasty and for the Empress Dowager."

“Those soldiers are just a bunch of peasants, what do they need to know?”

"All they need to do is follow the general's orders."

Following the sound, Chen Nan saw Qingyu, his former defeated opponent.

With a cold voice, he released a slight air of authority: "What? General Qingyu, are you not convinced?"

He thought that Qingyu, feeling the weight of his power, would naturally back down.

To his surprise, Qingyu actually defied his imposing presence and walked up to him.

"May I ask, Prince Zhennan, weren't those peasants fighting for the Northern Wei? Weren't they fighting for the Empress Dowager?"

Chen Nan shook his head: "Yes, but not entirely."

His words left everyone present completely bewildered.

Qingyu, a mere military general, had no idea about so many intricacies.

He said excitedly, "This humble general does not understand what Your Highness means. Please explain it more clearly."

Chen Nan didn't hide anything: "General Qingyu, if it were you fighting for the Northern Wei, what would you say?"

"We finally won a great victory."

When he got home, he found that his wife had been defiled by a high-ranking official of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and his son's body had been carelessly thrown aside.

What were General Qingyu's true feelings?

"Speaking of which, General Qingyu just said that he is fighting for the Empress Dowager."

"When the general returns home and sees this scene, doesn't he hope that the Empress Dowager will stand up for him and uphold justice?"

Upon hearing this, Qingyu lowered her head and fell into deep thought.

He wasn't the only one; most of the military officers in the row lowered their heads.

They weren't stupid; they naturally knew what Chen Nan meant.

Putting themselves in their shoes, they would naturally hope that someone would stand up for them in that situation.

However, given the current political climate in Northern Wei, no one would dare to step forward.

Furthermore, this group of people will not only not stand up, but will also kill to silence witnesses.

Was the Northern Wei Dynasty, with its complexities, truly worth fighting for?

They didn't want to admit it, but a voice inside them kept struggling.

Yes, how many people are willing to do something that's thankless and requires a lot of effort?

Chen Nan once again struck a chord: "Think about it from a different perspective."

"You fought for the Northern Wei, and when you died, not only did the court take care of your wives, children, and elderly parents, but you yourselves were also able to enter the Tomb of Heroes. Isn't that a great honor?"

"When you returned victorious, you found that you had two acres of fertile land, and your wife was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) with two children in her arms."

"Isn't this what you've been thinking?"

After hearing these words, the court officials fell completely silent.

Suddenly, Chen Nan appeared much taller in their eyes, not only taller, but also surrounded by a pale yellow aura.

They were somewhat confused, unsure whether the person in front of them was Chen Nan, the Prince of Zhennan, or an angel sent by heaven to save them.

"Fellow colleagues, think carefully: is it more likely to win a war that goes into battle with hope, or one that goes into battle with the intention of just getting by and waiting to die?"

Actually, the answer to this question is obvious.

They all know this, but they don't want to admit it or they're afraid to admit it.

When those peasants had hope, what about the nobles? How could they comfortably enjoy the fruits of victory?

Finally, the Empress Dowager, suppressing her joy, spoke from her throne: "My lords, today is only for discussing reforms."

"Five days from now, I await your final decision."

"Retreat!"

After speaking, the Empress Dowager withdrew.

The bewildered courtiers were left in the main hall.