Soul swap tyrant always wants to have a baby

Chapter 122: The hanging heart is completely dead

"In my humble opinion, we can first dispatch some troops from the vicinity of Jichun City to provide support and defend Jichun City."

"Send another capable general to the southwestern border immediately to mobilize troops to support the north."

"I second the proposal!"

"I also second the proposal!"

"Before that, I would like to ask you a question."

"What do you think about Beidong's sudden attack on Dongxia?"

"How do you plan to respond? Should you defend yourself and send people to negotiate, or should you fight them to the death?"

The officials below were obviously only thinking about how to deal with Beidong's attack, and had no time to think about why Beidong did this and how Dongxia should respond.

Leng Qingyi gave them some time to think and then began to call the roll.

"What do you think, Duke Zhenguo?"

"Your Majesty, I believe that our great nation of Dongxia should neither provoke trouble nor be afraid of it. Now that they have come to us, there is no reason to beg for peace in a humble manner."

"Your Majesty, you have only been on the throne for two years, and the treasury is empty. Beidong is not a small tribe on the grasslands, but a great power. Making an enemy of them will only bring harm and no benefit."

"The Minister of Revenue is advocating for peace talks?"

"I believe that peace talks are possible. War is costly and tedious. The Ministry of Revenue simply cannot afford a prolonged war with such a large country."

"Not only have we raided so many officials' homes recently, but we've also received a significant amount of donations from wealthy businessmen and officials in the past few days. How could the treasury be empty again?"

"What the Duke of Zhenguo said is not true. The national treasury has collected a lot of silver, but it has spent even more."

"There are over 500,000 soldiers in Dongxia. A new cotton-padded jacket for each person is a significant expense, plus food, fodder, and weapons are all expenses."

"Not only do the soldiers need money from the national treasury, but even the Ministry of Works needs a lot of money from the national treasury, and the Ministry of Rites is preparing for next year's imperial examinations. Which of these things doesn't cost money?"

"I will speak frankly today. The national treasury has some funds now, but if we continue to fight for years, it will definitely not be able to sustain it. Therefore, I advocate peace talks."

"If Dongxia were to initiate peace talks, those barbarians from Beidong would certainly make exorbitant demands. It wouldn't just be a matter of losing silver. What if they wanted the city of Dongxia?"

"Let's try to negotiate first. If the other side doesn't ask for much, why bother fighting? Not only will it cost money, but it will also cost many soldiers."

"What if the peace talks fail?"

"If it comes to the point where we have to fight, then we have no choice but to fight."

"Your Majesty, I think we can follow the Minister of Revenue's advice and start with peace talks. If the talks don't work out, it won't be too late to fight."

"Your Majesty, I believe that Beidong has already begun attacking Jichun City and will not give up easily. If we negotiate, the demands will surely be exorbitant, and Beidong will underestimate us and think we are afraid to fight. It is better to fight directly and let Beidong know that Dongxia is not to be trifled with."

"Your Majesty, do you think we should fight or not?"

When Leng Qing saw that they had almost finished their discussion, he sat up straight and coughed lightly a few times to clear his throat.

"If I say we must fight, and if they ask for our city during the peace talks, will we give it to them?"

"If we give it to them today, what if they are not satisfied and want to attack our cities again in the future?"

"Today I surrender five cities, tomorrow I surrender ten, and then I can sleep peacefully for one night. When I wake up and survey the surroundings, the enemy is here again."

"If this continues, Dongxia will be defeated without a fight. I cannot afford to lose this man."

The ministers who advocated peace talks thought for a while and felt that what the emperor said was indeed reasonable.

However, Dongxia’s years of stability have made them lose their fighting spirit.

"Your Majesty, I think we can try to negotiate first. If that doesn't work, it won't be too late to fight."

"The reason the Northern Xiongnu attacked our country in winter was simply because their land was barren and they couldn't grow any crops, making it difficult to survive the winter."

"Why not give them some food to avoid a disaster?"

"Do you think they went to war just for a little food? What they value is not just that little bit of food, but the land of Dongxia that can grow food."

"This……"

"No need to discuss further. This war must be fought. My mind is made up. I will personally lead the army on a chosen day!"

This sentence directly pulled the ministers away from the decision of whether to fight or not.

They all knelt down and begged the emperor to reconsider.

"Your Majesty, you don't even have an heir yet, so how can you lead the army in person?"

"Your Majesty, please think twice. A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly and is extremely dangerous. As the emperor, you cannot take risks."

"Your Majesty, Sanjue Mountain is within the territory of Dongxia. You can stop messing around, but on the battlefield, that's no joke."

Leng Qing was a little surprised to see that the Grand Tutor, who never spoke much in the court, stood up to persuade him.

"I am confident in saying this."

"Your Majesty, if you feel there is no one available in the court, I, an old minister, can ask General Ling to come out of retirement. Although General Ling is old, he has practiced martial arts for many years. Although he cannot go to the battlefield, he should be able to command from the rear without any problems. Under no circumstances can you lead the army in person."

"Why is the Grand Master trying to stop me like this?"

"Your Majesty, you are young and have never been on the battlefield. You don't know how dangerous it is. Even if you are a martial arts master, how can one person fight against ten thousand people?"

"Dongxia has only just begun to get back on track two years after you ascended the throne. If something were to happen now, Dongxia would be in chaos."

"Besides, since you don't have any children yet, leaving the capital will inevitably lead to unexpected events. You must not act on impulse."

"How could Grand Master know that I was acting on impulse? Thirty thousand elite soldiers arrived in Jichun City a month ago, and another fifty thousand ordinary soldiers are on their way. Eighteen thousand men are no match for the Northern Winter Xiongnu."

Leng Qingyi's words exploded in everyone's mind like thunder.

"what?!"

"When will the Emperor mobilize the troops? How come we haven't heard anything?"

The Duke of Zhenguo, who had been feeling his eyelids twitching recently, felt a chill in his heart when he heard the emperor's words, and his whole heart was lifted.

"I am the Emperor merely mobilizing troops. I believe I don't need to explain this to you all."

"This... Your Majesty, we should have the right to know. Where are the troops you are mobilizing?"

"If you knew, would you agree to my mobilization of troops? What do you think, Duke Zhenguo?"

Now the bad premonition in the Duke's heart became even stronger.

"If I hadn't predicted Beidong and his men's plan and dispatched troops there, I'd have heard the news of Jichun City's capture soon."

"So, Your Majesty, are you mobilizing troops from the southwest border?"

"Yes."

Well, now the Duke of Zhenguo’s worries are completely gone.

Leng Qingyi's affirmative answer shocked him, and his vision went dark.

"What else can we do? The total garrisons in the cities along the northern border are only a hundred thousand strong. The garrisons in other border areas are barely enough to defend the cities. Only the southwestern border has sufficient military strength. If I don't mobilize troops from the southwest, where else can I mobilize them?"

The Duke of Zhenguo pinched his thigh hard to keep himself awake.