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

"Expel the Tartars and restore our homeland!"

Chen Zhong gathered the residents of Jintian and shouted a slogan of great significance.

Instantly, the oppressed people of Haixi responded in unison.

The movement spread like wildfire from Jintian to all parts of Haixi in an instant. Millions of people who had suffered from oppression and exploitation joined the Minshe (People's Society) and began to learn new ideas under Chen Zhong's leadership.

Chen Zhong seized the opportunity to become the leader of the people's society, thus sowing the seeds for the future downfall of the Wu Zhao Kingdom...

Meanwhile, outside Shengjing City, Shen Lang's army had already assembled outside the nine gates, with field artillery aimed at the city walls and infantrymen with their bullets loaded.

They were just waiting for Shen Lang's order to launch an indiscriminate barrage against the capital.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, upon hearing Zhang Gui's report, Li Hong slumped onto his couch, utterly dejected.

"The Chu army has already attacked?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Shen Lang said that you must go to negotiate in person and apologize for taking the Empress as a concubine. Otherwise, he will raze Shengjing to the ground and destroy all the royal ancestral tombs."

"Hahaha."

After hearing Zhang Gui's words, Li Hong couldn't help but laugh.

But that smile was rather forlorn.

Three hours earlier, he had received an urgent report from Southern Zhili, saying that the garrison troops' exhilarating victory over the Chu army had not yet subsided, and this terrible news had come so quickly.

"Shen Lang, are you trying to slap me in the face?"

Li Hong's smile vanished as he looked at the princesses and princes kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with pain.

"Shen Lang is just a son-in-law. Why would he turn against me for the sake of the Empress of Great Chu? Is it really necessary? I just wanted a way to save face, why can't you understand me?"

Li Yan raised his head: "Father, please think of a solution. Judging from the situation outside the city, these foreign barbarians will attack the city tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun hurriedly said, "Then let's fight the Chu army! There are millions of people in our capital. If we all gather together, we can drown these foreign barbarians with just a spit from each of us."

Guan Mao wholeheartedly agreed: "Yes, Wu Zhao is blessed by Heaven. How can we allow the barbarians of Chu to ruin our national destiny? This servant is willing to follow my master and dedicate myself to the country of Wu Zhao until my dying breath!"

(This is probably the worst time Zhuge Liang has ever been vilified.)

Wang Shanshui said, "This servant is also willing to be loyal to the Wuzhao Kingdom and kill all the barbarians to quell the hatred in my heart! Even if I die, I will die with my master for the country."

However, the princes and princesses in the palace felt no empathy whatsoever for these three people.

In their minds, isn't it only natural for you lackeys to die for your masters?

But why should we, of such noble birth, die?

Li Hong also disliked what Ji Yun and the other two had said.

What he needs now is not sentimentality or emotional value.

Instead, we need solutions to the immediate problems.

So he turned to Zhang Gui and asked, "Zhang Gui, what do you think we should do now?"

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the safest thing to do right now is for Your Majesty to personally meet with Shen Lang."

Upon hearing this, Li Hong was immediately enraged: "How could I, the supreme ruler, condescend to meet a mere son-in-law? I have never done anything so petty in my life!"

Zhang Gui replied, "Your Majesty, at this point, it's best to humble yourself and take advantage of the last remaining room for maneuver in the situation."

"Reach an agreement with Shen Lang as soon as possible, and the crisis in the capital can be resolved!"

Li Hong knew that Zhang Gui's suggestion was the best solution at the moment, but his status as a superior made him unable to lower himself to negotiate face-to-face with a son-in-law.

Even though this son-in-law had already driven him into a dead end where he had no way out.

"Absolutely not, Your Majesty!"

Seeing that Li Hong seemed interested, Ji Yun immediately shouted to stop him.

"Your Majesty! You are the ruler of all under Heaven, a great emperor for all ages! If you were to sit on equal footing with a foreign barbarian, how would the Wu Zhao Kingdom maintain its prestige throughout the world?"

Your Majesty, I believe that we must not compromise with the State of Chu. The more difficult the situation, the more we must be firm. Otherwise, if we retreat one step, we will retreat step by step!

"The Kingdom of Wuzhao will only continue to decline!"

Li Hong frowned. Although Ji Yun's words did not solve the problem, they were indeed reasonable.

"Enough, Lord Ji!" Zhang Gui shouted sternly. "The capital's military preparedness is far inferior to that of the Chu army. The Chu army can fire cannons at our capital from a thousand paces away. How can we possibly defend ourselves!"

"I have a way to break the Chu army's artillery formation!"

Ji Yun suddenly said something that surprised everyone.

Li Hong's tone turned serious: "What method do you have? Tell me."

Ji Yun: "Before I speak, I beg Your Majesty to pardon my disrespect!"

"I pardon you. Speak."

Ji Yun then mustered her courage and said, "Doesn't the Chu army claim to love its people? In that case, Your Majesty can forcibly conscript the people of the city and drive them to charge against the Chu army."

If the Chu army dared to retaliate, their lie about loving the people would be exposed, and the people of the capital, seeing the Chu army's brutality, would have no choice but to fight to the death.

If the Chu army dares not retaliate, then the people will charge into battle, forcing the Chu army to retreat. In this way, the threat to the capital can be eliminated, and the Emperor can calmly mobilize troops from all directions to fight the Chu army once more.

Upon hearing this, the other princes and princesses remained expressionless, but Li Hong's face was unusually grim.

It wasn't that he felt this action was against the natural order, but rather...

The reason why the Mingzhao Kingdom was able to win with fewer troops was because the ancestor Wu Zhao used this method.

Using captured civilians to attack the enemy lines would be advantageous to the Wu Zhao barbarian army, regardless of whether the Ming Zhao army retaliated or not.

After entering the pass, this method of warfare could not continue, so it was immediately abolished, recorded in the archives, and placed in the secret room of the imperial palace.

After four hundred years, even the Wu Zhao royal family is largely unaware of the brutal history of their rise to power.

Now that Ji Yun knows such a cruel tactic, is she trying to slap her ancestors in the face?

"You dare to send the common people into battle? Ji Yun, you're not worthy of being called a scholar!"

Zhang Gui was so angry that she started cursing.

"I thought you were just a pedantic scholar, showing off your knowledge, but I never expected you to be so ruthless. Is this the kind of thing a Grand Scholar should say?"

Ji Yun remained remarkably calm: "In my eyes, there is only the Emperor and the Wu Zhao Kingdom. As long as the Wu Zhao Kingdom prospers, what does it matter if I am ruthless?!"

Guan Mao agreed, saying, "That's right, Lord Ji's words make perfect sense. We must not compromise with the Chu army. In times of national crisis, what's wrong with sacrificing some insignificant civilians? They should feel honored to die for the Wu Zhao Kingdom!"

Wang Shanshui was even more obsequious: "That's right, the Emperor's grace is boundless. These lowly commoners have the opportunity to participate in such a war. They can die in peace!"

"That's utter nonsense! If such an approach gains momentum, do you know what the consequences will be, whether it succeeds or fails?"

Zhang Gui was heartbroken and wished she could devour these ungrateful beasts alive.

Li Hong remained silent, watching their argument quietly.

When the time was almost right, he walked up to Li Yan and asked, "Your Highness, whose opinion do you think I should listen to?"

"Ah? Father, this..."

Li Yan was surprised to be questioned like this by Li Hong, and for a moment she did not know how to answer.

"Answer me, whose advice should we follow?"

Li Hong's sinister gaze was fixed on Li Yan, making Li Yan's scalp tingle.