Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

It's March, the perfect time for spring outings and picnics.

The capital was peaceful and harmonious until a shocking message came from the northern border.

This news immediately shattered the peace of the capital, causing widespread panic.

Just two months ago, Bei Li and Mo Bei joined forces to invade Da Zhao.

The allied forces of the two countries, like a surging dark cloud, rapidly pressed towards the territory of Da Zhao.

They came with overwhelming force, and the dust billowing into the sky seemed like the prelude to war, foreshadowing a brutal storm about to sweep across the land.

The Northern Desert Cavalry was a force that instilled immense fear in the people of the Seven Kingdoms.

They were dressed in black armor, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Wherever the iron cavalry went, the earth seemed to tremble.

The thunderous sound of hooves was deafening; each stomp seemed to herald the approach of death.

They swept across the fields and villages of Dazhao like a black torrent.

The crops in the fields, which were about to ripen, were ruthlessly trampled and turned into a mess; the houses in the villages were knocked down by the iron cavalry.

Innocent civilians fled in terror, their cries echoing in the wind...

The Northern Li army also has its own strengths.

The Northern Li possesses a unique type of crossbow, which is exquisitely crafted, has an extremely long range, and is incredibly powerful.

On the battlefield, the crossbowmen of Beili stood in neat rows, their movements perfectly synchronized: drawing their bows, nocking their arrows, and firing them in one fluid motion.

The dense crossbow bolts rained down on the Da Zhao army.

Each crossbow bolt could easily pierce through armor, taking away one life after another.

The infantry of Beili were armed with heavy shields and sharp spears.

They formed a solid defensive line, like mobile fortresses, making it difficult to break through.

Therefore, even though the army of Da Zhao had vowed to resist to the death, they were unable to withstand such a powerful enemy and weapons, and could only suffer repeated defeats.

These two powerful forces have joined forces, and both sides have very large ambitions.

Like a burning flame, it blazes uncontrollably.

Their goal was not merely to conquer half of Dazhao, but to attempt to annex the entire Dazhao.

Now, two months later, they have made unstoppable progress and have successively captured six cities of Dazhao.

Those six cities were originally prosperous places, with bustling streets and lively markets.

But now, it is shrouded in war.

The city walls were riddled with gaping holes by enemy catapults, and the Great Zhao flags that had been flying on the walls were torn down and replaced with the menacing battle flags of the Northern Li and Northern Desert allied forces.

The streets were filled with ruins, and blood stained the stone pavement.

The once bustling shops were looted, and goods were scattered all over the ground.

Some of the people were brutally murdered, while others were abducted and enslaved.

...............

When Da Zhao received this news, he was attending the morning court session.

Emperor Jingzhao was sitting high on the majestic dragon throne.

When the news of the fall of those six cities struck the court like a heavy hammer, his face turned deathly pale.

The hand that had been gripping the handrail tightly now had veins bulging from the excessive force.

His eyes were fixed on the messenger who had come to report, as if he could not believe his ears.

A moment later, Emperor Jingzhao suddenly stood up, his dragon robe fluttering as he moved.

His voice, filled with boundless anger and heartache, echoed in the empty court: "My Great Zhao, my people, have been so bullied by the Northern Li and the Northern Desert!"

His eyes were bloodshot, as if they were about to spit fire; that was the grief and resentment of a monarch over the loss of his country's territory.

The court officials below the throne were also thrown into chaos.

An elderly minister with gray hair was trembling uncontrollably with rage.

He pointed his withered finger outside the main hall, his voice hoarse and filled with grief and indignation: "Those wolves from Beili and Mobei are simply too much! They have so cruelly harmed the people of my Great Zhao and occupied my cities. This is an open provocation against my Great Zhao. If we do not avenge this, how can we face our ancestors!"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his wrinkled face.

Those were tears of anguish, for the fallen city, for the suffering people.

Another minister added with concern, “Your Majesty, the combined forces of the Northern Li and the Northern Desert are coming on strong. If we do not defeat them as soon as possible, our Great Zhao will be in grave danger.”

At this moment, a young general's face was flushed red, and his eyes were burning with anger.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he took a step forward, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "Your Majesty, this humble general requests to lead the army to the border and fight the allied forces to the death! We cannot allow them to be so arrogant. We must drive them out of the territory of our Great Zhao and avenge the dead people!"

His fists were clenched, and he couldn't wait to fight his enemies.

However, some courtiers were filled with fear and panic.

One of the civil officials was as pale as a sheet, and his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

His voice trembled as he said, “Your Majesty, the Northern Li and Northern Desert allied forces are so powerful that our Great Zhao army has suffered repeated defeats. If we rashly send troops now, I fear our Great Zhao will suffer even greater losses.”

Although his words stemmed from concern for the country, the underlying fear was difficult to conceal.

Clearly, they were afraid that the Great Zhao Dynasty could not withstand the combined forces of the two countries, so they decided to seek peace directly without fighting.

Another minister sighed and echoed with worry, "Yes, Your Majesty, we have long heard of the power of the Northern Desert cavalry. Now, with the addition of the Northern Li's crossbows, our Great Zhao is truly unable to withstand them. What should we do? Is our Great Zhao really going to be annexed by them?"

His eyes were filled with despair, as if he could already see the tragic scene of the Great Zhao Kingdom being destroyed.

Xiao Muyao listened to the discussions among the officials below without uttering a single word.

Because he already knew the outcome: his father would definitely go to war with them regardless of everything and would never seek peace.

As expected, Emperor Jingzhao's anger intensified when he heard some of his court officials' words of retreat.

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne and shouted, "How can my Great Zhao be trampled upon like this! No matter how powerful the enemy is, we cannot back down. We are determined to fight the allied forces of those two countries to the end. If there are any who are afraid of fighting, I will not let them off lightly!"

His words at that moment were filled with determination and resolve.

I've made up my mind to fight them to the end.

Upon hearing Emperor Jingzhao's words, those courtiers who were initially filled with fear gradually abandoned their timidity.

At this moment, the court was solemn and dignified, the atmosphere so heavy it felt suffocating.

They knew there was no way out; only by fighting the enemy to the death could they have a chance of survival.

As a result, everyone's eyes fell on He Jingchuan like spotlights.

At this moment, He Jingchuan stood quietly among the officials. His upright figure was like a majestic mountain peak, giving people a sense of calm and reliability.

He was dressed in the court robes of a military officer, and the clothes seemed to be imbued with a special kind of glory on him.

It's strange that, despite having so many military generals in the court, the first person they always think of is He Jingchuan, and only then do they think of the other generals.

He was clearly one of the youngest among all the officials.

However, He Jingchuan gives everyone a very reliable feeling.

It was as if as long as he went to the battlefield, there was no battle he couldn't win, and no enemy he couldn't defeat.

This is the confidence that He Jingchuan, the ever-victorious general who has never lost, brings to everyone.

So at this moment, the officials looked at He Jingchuan and suddenly felt less afraid, their hearts filled with a glimmer of hope.