Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Inside the Xuanzheng Hall of Weiyang Palace, a group of officials gathered to begin a heated debate about whether to wage war or make peace with the Xia Kingdom in response to the fall of Luoyang.

"Luoyang has fallen! The northwestern gateway of the Great Chu has been wide open. If we do not stop the Xia Kingdom's eastward advance in time, the country will be in danger!"

Your Majesty, I believe that we should mobilize the entire nation's army to march north and fight a decisive battle against the Xia Kingdom in order to preserve the state of Chu!

"The Xia Kingdom is coming with great force. If we rashly start a war now, it will only put our Chu Kingdom in a passive position. I think it is better to negotiate with the Xia Kingdom."

"I also agree. The Xia Kingdom's purpose in doing this is nothing more than to seize the Heluo region. We should just agree to their demands for now."

I believe that once the Xia Kingdom gets what it wants, it will definitely lead its troops westward and wait for the right opportunity to launch a counterattack to reclaim it.

"Are you still subjects of my Great Chu Dynasty? Instead of resisting the invasion of a powerful enemy, you are thinking about how to please the enemy chief?"

"You, as officials of the Great Chu Dynasty, have already begun to surrender and beg for peace with the enemy before the war has even begun? This is truly utterly shameful."

"Are we ashamed? Fine, since you've said you want to fight, then I'd like to ask you, how do you plan to fight?"

Two hundred thousand iron cavalrymen were poised to attack Hukou Pass, and a single misstep risked the loss of the pass and the collapse of the state.

When that day truly comes, can you bear that responsibility?

Inside the main hall, the pro-war and pro-peace factions engaged in a heated verbal battle, creating quite a commotion.

Sitting in front of the imperial desk, Jiang Mengxuan surveyed her surroundings with a cool expression, but did not speak up to stop them.

Shen Lang, who was seated on the steps, showed no sign of wanting to participate in the debate. He simply flipped through a copy of "Military Drill Manual" in his hand.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Suddenly, a eunuch shouted, and Empress Dowager Ji Yuxi, supported by Rong Momo, gracefully entered Xuanzheng Hall.

Her arrival immediately silenced the previously noisy scene.

Shen Lang merely glanced at it briefly before looking down at the booklet in his hand.

His facial expression remained unchanged, as if nothing that was happening to him mattered.

Jiang Mengxuan stood up and curtsied, "What brings you here, Mother?"

Ji Yuxi said, "How could I not come? The Xia Kingdom has invaded our Great Chu territory, and the people in the harem are all in a state of panic."

If I don't step in soon, I fear this empire will be in danger.

As she said this, she glanced at Shen Lang, who was sitting beside her, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. Although the Xia Kingdom is coming on strong, I and all the ministers will discuss a solution. Please stay in the palace and do not get involved in state affairs."

“My son, what time is it? Why are you still concerned about these formalities?”

The barbarians of Xia were savage by nature; they were all raised on horseback.

With such a fierce and powerful army, how can our great Chu army withstand its might?

As I know, the army recently won a great victory in the south.

But how can those chieftains in the southwest compare to the Xia Kingdom? I still remember the reign of Emperor Xuan, which was the most prosperous period of our great Chu Kingdom, right?

And the result? A million-strong army couldn't stop the invasion of 100,000 Qiang people, forcing them to move the capital to Nanjing to protect the country.

"Our Great Chu is currently far weaker than the Xuan Emperor's Dynasty, so how can we possibly fight them?"

Ji Yuxi's words immediately garnered support from the pro-peace faction within the palace.

This displeased Jiang Mengxuan, who had realized that Ji Yuxi was planning to take the opportunity to interfere in court affairs.

At this point, if the idea that the empress dowager should not interfere in politics were to be mentioned again, it would provoke a backlash from many civil officials in the palace.

"Then, in Your Majesty's opinion, what should we do now?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuxi immediately said, "My son, I am not very knowledgeable about matters of state, and I should not have entered the Xuanzheng Hall at this time."

But since this concerns the fate of the Chu state, I must presume to presume to offer my son a suggestion: we should prepare for both war and peace simultaneously.

Jiang Mengxuan: "Please give your instructions, Mother."

Ji Yuxi slowly said, "First, we should begin peace talks with the Xia Kingdom, see what demands they've made, and try our best to meet them if the conditions are reasonable."

Although the barbarians of Xia were savage by nature, their true intention was simply to extort money, grain, and wealth; at worst, they might be given some land in return.

Then, select a few more women from the royal family to marry into the enemy's clan; having gained an advantage, they will withdraw their troops.

Upon hearing this, a frosty expression gradually appeared on Jiang Mengxuan's exquisite and beautiful face.

But Ji Yuxi seemed not to notice and continued, "Secondly, we must also prepare for another possibility, in case the Xia Kingdom harbors wolfish ambitions and is unwilling to withdraw its troops."

We cannot tolerate this either. We should dispatch troops from all directions to the capital to intimidate the enemy. I believe the troops of Shu are brave and skilled in battle, and their terrain is closest to that of the Xia Kingdom.

"My son and the Prince of Shu are family, making them the most suitable candidates for transfer. My son can draft a transfer order, ordering them to lead troops into the capital to stabilize the court."

Upon hearing this, many people in the hall finally realized what was happening.

Ji Yuxi is using this opportunity to control the capital; her scheming is obvious.

Summoning vassal kings to the capital to defend the emperor? Isn't that tantamount to destroying the nation?

Lu Lin immediately stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, according to the ancestral rules of our dynasty, princes are not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without permission; otherwise, it will be considered treason!"

Ji Yuxi: "The King of Shu is here to defend the capital and protect the country. How can this be considered a violation of ancestral rules? Besides, what time is it now?"

Even I, a woman, know that the current situation is urgent and cannot be delayed. Following the rules and regulations will only exacerbate the problem.

"The state of Chu is about to be handed over to another; is this the situation you, as high-ranking officials of the court, are willing to see?"

These words left Lü Lin speechless.

Many officials in the hall also began to echo Ji Yuxi's suggestion.

"Your Majesty, for the time being, shall we heed the Empress Dowager's advice?"

"Your Majesty, the fate of the nation is paramount. The King of Shu has many capable and skilled warriors under his command."

The disciples of the Shu Sword Sect are unparalleled in the world; if the King of Shu were to enter the capital...

The traitors of Xia will certainly not dare to advance rashly.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of the country and the people, please summon the Prince of Shu to the capital for the time being."

Faced with the fact that the court officials almost unanimously sided with Ji Yuxi, the Empress's heart sank.

Once Jiang Chong leads his troops into the capital, his power will be gradually stripped away, and the situation that Shen Lang has worked so hard to achieve will completely vanish.

But if we don't agree, how should we deal with the current situation?

Jiang Mengxuan was caught in a dilemma.

Snapped--

Just then, a crisp sound of a book being slapped on the table rang out in the Xuanzheng Hall.

Almost everyone felt a jolt in their hearts and looked toward the source of the sound.

Shen Lang stared blankly at the assembled officials in the hall, occasionally letting out a soft hum.

Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Mengxuan felt immediately relieved.

"I almost forgot, I still have Shen Lang, why should I worry so much?"

Ji Yuxi's face darkened: "What does Shen Xuanwei mean by this?"

"What do you mean? Humph."

Shen Lang slowly rose, walked to the front of the hall, and bowed to the Empress.

After rising, he addressed the assembled officials directly: "In my humble opinion, any official who just spoke of advocating peace, surrender, ceding territory, or allowing vassal kings to enter the capital should be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public!"

"Furthermore, even if my Great Chu Kingdom is weak, we can lose land and give away money, but we will never give away people. Marriage alliance? Hmph, anyone who dares to speak of it should be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the peace advocates immediately darkened.

However, the next moment, he turned his attention to the pro-war faction.

"Furthermore, the officers who advocate war should also be severely punished, because you have not even understood the current movements of the enemy before you started shouting for battle, which will only lead to the soldiers dying in vain."

"Before starting a war, one should first familiarize oneself with the enemy's troop deployment, supplies, and true strategic intentions. Only by making full preparations can resources be mobilized for war, rather than standing in the court passionately pointing out the state of the country."

These words made even the pro-war faction blush with embarrassment.

For a moment, they couldn't tell which side Shen Lang was on.

Ji Yuxi angrily retorted, "How dare you! This is the Xuanzheng Hall, how can you be so insolent..."

Shen Lang abruptly changed the subject, interrupting Ji Yuxi: "Since the Empress Dowager knows this is the Xuanzheng Hall,

Then it should be even clearer that this place is for discussing court affairs and national matters, and when has it become the place for the harem to participate!

The Empress Dowager entered the palace without authorization and presumptuously discussed state affairs. According to the laws of our Great Chu, she should be stripped of her position as the Empress Dowager, banished to the Cold Palace, or sent to a nunnery to become a nun.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, which ancient temple do you intend to spend the rest of your life in? Your humble servant will prepare it in advance for you, hmm?"

Shen Lang's cold words turned the tables, turning the tide and reversing the unfavorable situation for the Empress.

"You, you...I..."

Ji Yuxi was instantly intimidated by Shen Lang's aura. When she met his cold eyes, she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Not only Ji Yuxi, but even the Empress was so shocked by Shen Lang's preemptive aura that her heart was pounding and she was jumping around.

"Please excuse yourself, Your Majesty. This is not a place for you."

If there is another instance of unannounced entry, I will have no choice but to deal with the Empress Dowager according to the laws of the Great Chu.

After all, the Empress Dowager probably wouldn't want to taste the prison food of the Jingwei Division again, right?

"good good good good."

Ji Yuxi trembled with anger.

"I came here out of kindness to help you through this difficult time. Since you don't appreciate it, then I'll just say I was being presumptuous."

After saying that, Ji Yuxi immediately fled from Xuanzheng Hall as if she were escaping.

The inexplicable aura emanating from Shen Lang made her genuinely wary.