Female special forces soldiers in ancient times

"Your Majesty, last year's battle was not entirely due to Marshal Su's negligence."

Your humble servant has reviewed and summarized the battles on numerous occasions.

If our army had won at that time, the result would likely have been a Pyrrhic victory.

"Oh, Wencai, do you mean that misfortune may be a blessing in disguise?"

Is fortune a harbinger of misfortune?

Then tell me, where does my good fortune come from?

After receiving reassurance from Zhong Wencai, the emperor...

In a great mood, he started making jokes.

But Zhong Wencai said it in a very serious tone;

"Your Majesty, of course our army has a total strength of 300,000."

Of these, 70,000 were the main force and 30,000 were elite troops.

However, the Great Xia Dynasty relied on its fortified city walls and defended it fiercely.

If they were to breach the city, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Even if our dynasty unified the world at that time,

Perhaps it will only repeat the mistakes of the Great Xia regime.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face immediately filled with doubt.

"To repeat the mistakes of the Great Xia Dynasty?"

"Wencai, what makes you say that?"

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, on the battlefield..."

It's always a case of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

If our army had captured the capital of Great Xia last year...

This would inevitably result in heavy casualties, thus affecting stability maintenance in the rear.

"Haha, hahaha! How can there be no casualties in a war?"

For decades since I ascended the throne, I have striven to unify the world and eradicate the false Xia dynasty.

To recover our lost territories, the war has been ongoing without end.

But the rear remains as stable as Mount Tai; Wencai's worries were unfounded.

Zhong Wencai saw that the emperor did not take it seriously.

Let's just explain it to him clearly.

"Your Majesty, that's because of the previous emperors of our dynasty."

Through hard work and diligence, they have built a considerable foundation.

Once the money is squandered, various forces in the imperial court and among the common people will suffer.

They will inevitably band together to oppose the imperial court; the Great Xia Dynasty serves as a cautionary tale.

The emperor's brows furrowed even more deeply.

His fingertips unconsciously traced the paperweight on the imperial desk.

His tone still carried a hint of disapproval:

"Wencai, you're exaggerating."

"My empire is secure; how could its foundation be shaken by a single victory?"

Zhong Wencai stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and

His tone was as heavy as iron:

"Your Majesty, I am not speaking in fear."

If we had truly captured the capital of Great Xia in last year's battle...

Our army will suffer at least 70% casualties.

If the main force is lost, the military strength will be depleted.

Without a strong military presence to deter others in the capital region,

Local warlords, court nobles, and powerful families,

Which one of them doesn't control money and supplies and secretly maintain a private army?

He paused, his gaze fixed on the throne:

"If their military strength weakens, they will take the opportunity to grow stronger."

Land annexation, monopolization of salt and iron,

They cultivated relationships with officials and installed their cronies in power.

From then on, the emperor no longer had the final say in the court.

Instead, it's those powerful families who call the shots;

The local areas were not the counties or prefectures of the imperial court, but the private lands of powerful and wealthy people.

Just like the Great Xia Dynasty, military, political, and financial power were all in the hands of three major families.

Imperial power was merely a facade.

"this......"

The emperor was speechless after hearing Zhong Wencai's words.

The brows that had finally relaxed furrowed again.

"Wencai, alas! That being said, from ancient times to the present..."

Every dynasty aimed to unify the world.

If I do not pursue the unification of the world and the recovery of lost territories

I fear this will further destabilize the military and alienate the people!

If Zhong Wencai had said those words to another emperor,

Even if they didn't immediately order someone to drag him down and behead him,

At the very least, they would fly into a rage and give him a good scolding.

Although the Emperor of Great Zhou was rendered speechless by the rebuke...

There was no blame whatsoever; on the contrary, it seemed like they were opening up to each other.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Wencai bowed again.

Though spoken slowly, every word carried immense weight:

"Your Majesty, unify the world and recover lost territories."

This is the righteous path of the emperor and the will of the people.

I have never had the slightest objection.

But the key to unification lies not in the gains or losses of a single city or region.

And the foundation is solid.

He looked up, his gaze earnest:

"But if we wage endless war, exhausting our main forces..."

They exhausted their elite forces to gain temporary territorial integrity.

It appears unified, but in reality, it is strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

With no troops stationed in the capital region, powerful ministers have grown increasingly powerful.

Local control is lost, and powerful families are vying for power.

By then, Your Majesty's empire...

It was nominally unified, but in reality, it was a period of division.

It was nominally imperial power, but in reality, it was clan power.

The people are still displaced, and the country remains in turmoil.

What kind of unification is this? What kind of recapture?

Then he continued to offer his advice.

"The 'blessing' I speak of is not about avoiding war."

Instead, they retreated to advance and conserve their strength.

Last year's defeat, though a temporary opportunity was lost,

However, he preserved 100,000 elite troops and stabilized the foundation of the court.

Now, we are strengthening the military and pacifying the people.

Suppress the powerful and consolidate our foundation.

When national strength grows and military might is rekindled,

Only then could we launch a full-scale attack without bloodshed.

True unification that ensures long-term stability and peace.

This is how to live up to the expectations of our ancestors.

The great path that does not fail the people of the world.

The emperor remained silent for a long time, then his fingertips slowly came to a stop.

Looking out at the deep night outside the palace, he let out a long breath.

Finally, he threw his head back and laughed a few more times.

"In the end, you're still advocating for me."

Your victory is achieved without a fight!

"Alright, you've been traveling all day, you can step down now!"

Go back to the barracks early tomorrow to oversee military affairs.

Zhong Wencai bowed and took his leave; the palace door closed softly.

The emperor was the only one left in the imperial study.

He did not rise immediately, but remained seated on the throne.

His gaze was fixed on the deep night outside the window.

Unconsciously, his fingertips tapped lightly on the imperial desk.

Zhong Wencai's statement that "the main force has been completely lost"

The saying goes, "When powerful nobles become too influential, imperial power wanes."

It still echoed in his ears.

What lessons can be learned from the example of the Great Xia Dynasty?

The Great Zhou and the Great Xia were originally of the same origin.

A hundred years ago, the world was in turmoil.

The ancient texts have been lost, and the two countries hold differing opinions:

The Great Zhou claimed to be founded by a legitimate prince.

The Great Xia was a branch of the rebellious ministers;

The Great Xia retorted, claiming that the Great Zhou was the usurper.

The dispute has lasted for a century.

Neither side could produce conclusive evidence, leaving only the option of armed conflict.

But Zhong Wencai's words struck like a bolt of lightning.

Suddenly, the fog was cleaved open.

The emperor suddenly sat up straight.

A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, the government has always been controlled by three major families.

Imperial power was merely nominal; military, political, and financial power were not in the hands of the emperor.

It was a time when imperial power was waning and powerful ministers held sway.

And what about the Great Zhou?

From the founding of the nation to the present, although there have been meritorious and aristocratic families,

However, military power remained in the court and imperial power was supreme.

Although emperors throughout history varied in strength, none have ever achieved such a feat.

The situation was one where "powerful families had the final say, and the emperor was just a figurehead."

This clearly indicates that the court is stable and power has not been lost.

A thought suddenly struck him.

It gave him a jolt.

If the Great Zhou Dynasty was truly founded by a legitimate prince,

Imperial power was firmly in his grasp, and all government orders were unified.

Which prince, which member of the imperial clan,

Having the opportunity to go out and establish a territory

Establishing a country without authorization? Absolutely impossible.

There is only one truth: the Great Xia Dynasty is the legitimate dynasty.

Only when the imperial power of the Great Xia Dynasty had long since fallen into the wrong hands...

When the emperor becomes a mere figurehead and the empire falls apart...

That prince who was separated from his family and living abroad,

Only then can one have the opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of the people in their fiefdom.

Through military training and consolidation, the Zhou Dynasty was gradually established.

Upon reflection, the century-old mystery became clear in an instant.

The true legitimate dynasty is the Great Xia Dynasty.

And his Great Zhou was nothing more than the collapse of the Great Xia imperial power back then.

This regime was established by a prince who had been living in exile during a period of political chaos caused by powerful ministers.

He and three generations of emperors fought for the "legitimacy" of the Great Xia Dynasty.

It turns out we were in the wrong position from the very beginning.

The emperor slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again,

The previous certainty had vanished from his eyes.

All that remains is a complex mix of clarity and bitterness.

He gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

A century-old obsession came to an abrupt end at this moment.

"So it turns out that my court is the false one."

So it turns out I was the hypocrite!