"Yes, Master!"
Yu Xiaoyao sneered. In truth, even if Leng Caiwen really revealed his secret, it wouldn't change anything in the grand scheme of things. Yu Xiaoyao wouldn't be completely unguarded against someone tormented by love and prone to change at any moment. Leng Caiwen thought he had done a good job, but could Yu Xiaoyao be completely unaware of the constantly shifting guilt in his heart? However, he would not allow a traitor to live.
In the Crown Prince's residence, Leng Sha suddenly reported: "Your Highness, Your Highness, there seem to be strangers moving around outside the residence these past two days."
Baili Chen raised an eyebrow: "Oh, have you found out who it is?"
"Not yet. These people seem to be looking for someone, but it doesn't seem to be targeting the Crown Prince's residence." Leng Sha shook his head and reported the information he had gathered.
"Who are they looking for?" Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue exchanged a glance. Baili Chen said, "Keep an eye on them secretly for now, don't alert them, and see what they're up to before you say anything."
Although these people are excellent in all aspects of their actions, don't forget that this is the Crown Prince's residence, the territory of Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. They have unimaginable power and trump cards here. If they only linger here for eight hours, it's fine, but if they stay here for too long, there will be no spies or traitors that they can't find.
Two days later, the sound of fighting suddenly came from outside the Crown Prince's residence. Leng Sha had already led his men there. When he saw the person covered in blood, he was shocked: "Quick, save Young Master Leng."
A group of people rushed out of the Crown Prince's residence, but after fighting them, Leng Caiwen was stabbed twice more in the waist and abdomen, and another sword was close to his chest. If the bleeding hadn't been stopped in time, Leng Caiwen would have lost his life. He had at least five or six wounds of varying sizes on his body. Due to excessive blood loss, even with the help of medicine, he remained unconscious for five days before regaining consciousness. When he did, he saw a slender woman with her head down, doing something. He was stunned for a moment, thinking he was dreaming: "Am I dead?"
The woman suddenly looked up, her face filled with surprise: "Cousin, you're awake! Lie down quickly." Ouyang Yue was delighted and quickly stopped Leng Caiwen from getting up. She only instructed the maid by the door to go and call the doctor. At this moment, Baili Chen and Baili Su came over, and the three of them smiled at Leng Caiwen.
Baili Chen shook his head and said, "You're really tough. You survived such serious injuries. I admire you." His words were sarcastic, but Leng Caiwen had known Baili Chen for a long time and naturally saw the joy in Baili Chen's eyes. He was genuinely moved and worried for him. Leng Caiwen's heart suddenly tightened.
Baili Su said, "Uncle is really too weak. He actually got hurt by those bad guys. You should beat them all down and show them what you're capable of." Baili Su clenched his little fist and said angrily.
Leng Caiwen laughed: "Cough cough cough..." But the next moment he coughed in pain because of the wound.
At this moment, the imperial physician rushed in, took Leng Caiwen's pulse, and said, "Young Master Leng, you must not be too emotional or engage in strenuous exercise. I will prescribe some internal and external medicines for you to take regularly. You must also be careful to prevent catching a cold or fever caused by wind, otherwise it will accelerate your condition and even endanger your life."
"I understand, Physician Liu. Please take good care of Leng Er these days."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will do my best."
The maid led Physician Liu down to get the medicine, and Ouyang Yue patted Baili Su's little head and said, "Su'er, aren't you going to practice your sword? Your uncle has already seen it, so don't let it interfere with your studies."
Baili Su pouted immediately, as if he didn't know they were going to tell him a secret. However, Baili Su still left reluctantly with a grumble. Baili Su rarely refused what Ouyang Yue said.
Only Baili Chen, Ouyang Yue, and Leng Caiwen remained in the room. Baili Chen then said, "Tell me what happened."
Leng Caiwen's eyes flickered slightly, and he lowered his gaze, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue did not press him, but they obviously would not let it go so easily. After all, Leng Caiwen was being chased outside the Crown Prince's residence, which was not only offending the Leng family but also daring to offend the Crown Prince's residence. This was definitely no small matter.
After a long while, Leng Caiwen suddenly said, "The Holy King of Miao Jiang is plotting a conspiracy, and I happen to know a little about it, so he wants to kill people to silence me."
After Leng Caiwen finished speaking, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue fell silent. Although they had vaguely felt that Leng Caiwen was not quite right when he was chased to the Crown Prince's residence, hearing it with their own ears was still somewhat complicated. This was because Leng Caiwen's words also told Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue that he had actually had contact with the Miao Jiang Holy King, and even had a cooperative relationship with him. He could be considered their enemy.
For a moment, none of the three spoke. Ouyang Yue glanced at Leng Caiwen and slowly asked, "What does the Miao Jiang Holy King want to do?"
For some reason, Leng Caiwen's eyes reddened. Enduring the throbbing pain in her chest wound, she slowly spoke…
The three talked for about half an hour, and then Ouyang Yue went out to supervise Baili Su's sword practice, while Baili Chen stayed a little longer: "You're really confused."
Leng Caiwen gave a bitter smile: "Yes, I was indeed foolish." Because of that ambition, he did many wrong things, and even escaped with his life on the line. In the end, he was rescued by his cousin and her husband. Doesn't that make him look ridiculous?
Baili Chen stared at Leng Caiwen for a while, then shook his head and left. Leng Caiwen watched his retreating figure, lost in thought. They hadn't asked what he had done, nor had they offered any further criticism, but this only made Leng Caiwen feel more guilty. If Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue had given him a good scolding, he would have felt more justified and felt better. He knew they didn't want him to blame himself too much, but Leng Caiwen shook his head. A mistake is a mistake, and a mistake cannot be undone.
Leng Caiwen clutched his chest and gave a wry smile. He really wished his cousin could angrily scold him, or at least have her eyes on him for a moment.
Why is he still thinking about these unrealistic ideas? Wasn't it because of these ideas that he was blinded by his desires and made mistakes in the first place? Since he entered the Crown Prince's residence, all his previous extravagant hopes have been buried in his heart. He can't make the same mistake again!
Meanwhile, a group of disguised merchants left the capital and headed towards the border. Among them was a man with a dark complexion and dark eyes. He turned and glanced back at the capital. In the end, he didn't bring her out. But it didn't matter. It was his, and he would take it back eventually. It would just take some effort.
This person was none other than Yu Xiaoyao, the Holy King of Miao Jiang. Ever since he accidentally rescued Leng Caiwen outside the Crown Prince's residence, Yu Xiaoyao left the capital as soon as he received the news. Naturally, the fact that Leng Caiwen had been rescued was no longer a secret. However, he didn't care. A true hero is one who can face one difficulty after another without fear, and ultimately dominate the world. This world, this Great Zhou, was originally his, and he would take it back one day. And this idea was not far off.
Yu Xiaoyao had a belief since he was very young, or rather, he knew it since he was old enough to understand things: he had to have a belief that he had to reclaim the Great Zhou, because it was his country.
That's right, Yu Xiaoyao was a person from the previous dynasty. When the Five Elements Killing Array was set up at Tianshan, Baili Chen said that there was a handsome and talented prince from the previous dynasty who was sent away because the emperor of the previous dynasty was wary of him. Since then, the prince has never appeared in people's sight again. Some people say that the prince was secretly killed by the emperor of the previous dynasty, some people say that the prince of the previous dynasty went crazy because he couldn't bear the change, and some people say that the prince of the previous dynasty died of a serious illness because he was depressed and unhappy. People could only sigh endlessly when they heard this news. But in fact, the prince did not die. He was planning a big game in his heart.
In fact, those rumors weren't entirely speculation. The former emperor did indeed intend to kill that prince and sent people to hunt him down. The prince was seriously injured and fell off a cliff, eventually falling into the water and being swept away. He survived by chance and was later noticed by the former Miao Jiang Holy King, who took him in as a disciple. He eventually learned the skills of Miao Gu. After the old Miao Jiang Holy King died, the former prince took over the position of Miao Jiang Holy King. Therefore, Yu Xiaoyao is none other than the descendant of that former prince.
From a very young age, before he could even understand anything, Yu Xiaoyao was forced to learn knowledge, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs, as well as extraordinary Gu poison skills. Putting aside what a child could possibly learn from music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs, he was whipped if he couldn't learn them, having no human rights whatsoever. Moreover, learning Gu poison was not as easy as he imagined.
The powerful Gu worms are obtained by capturing a group of highly venomous insects such as spiders and scorpions, locking them in a large urn, and then forcing them to kill each other. In the end, only one Gu worm can be obtained from a hundred or eighty of them. Some more powerful Gu worms require hundreds of eliminations to obtain one, or even a thousand or eight hundred. As for the Miao Jiang Holy Son, who is the first in line to succeed the Miao Jiang Holy King, in order to cultivate a body that is immune to all poisons, he must first understand and feel poisonous creatures. How did Yu Xiaoyao survive? Every day, he was forced to stay in a large urn filled with poisonous herbs and plants. In the later stages, even poisonous snakes and insects were added inside. The urn was covered with a lid and sealed with mud. No one dared to open the urn unless the Miao Jiang Holy King gave the order. Day after day, year after year, the suffering was simply inhuman.
Even Yu Xiaoyao's appearance and temperament changed, becoming increasingly sinister, allowing him to move between two forms. The previous Miao Jiang Holy King had contacted the Empress Dowager, and the pills he gave her every year were intentional. The Empress Dowager used Miao Jiang as a pawn, and so were they. They had taken advantage of women's desire for beauty. The Empress Dowager felt insecure in the palace and only wanted to use her youth to maintain her favor. In fact, even if the Empress Dowager hadn't had the medicine stopped by Emperor Mingxian and regained her aged appearance, she would have withered away and died as a pile of dry bones in three to five years. It was an extremely potent poison.
The torment Yu Xiaoyao endured growing up was unimaginable to most. From a young age, he was instilled with the belief that the Great Zhou Dynasty originally belonged to them, and now that it had been treasonously occupied, he would one day reclaim it. In his eyes, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty were bandits, a group waiting to be defeated and devoured by him. They were not loyal to Heaven, and everything he did was for the sake of the millions of people of the former dynasty. He never felt he had done anything wrong.
This Great Zhou Dynasty is his, and it will definitely be his in the near future, along with that woman—Ouyang Yue!
With Yu Xiaoyao's departure and Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's fruitless search, two months later, several major powers on the Langya Continent, led by the powerful Daqian Kingdom to the north of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and crossing the Dahong River, formed a three-pronged encirclement of the Great Zhou Dynasty, encompassing the northwest of Daqian, the southeast of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the nomadic tribes along the two major borders of Daqian and Great Zhou. Emperor Mingxian immediately mobilized all the forces of the Great Zhou Dynasty, dividing two-thirds to guard various border passes. One-third of the troops were stationed in the capital and the palace. However, the total military strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty was only about one million. Xuan Yuan Chaohua had more than 270,000 troops, most of whom were elite soldiers of the Xuan Yuan Army. The remaining infantry and other troops were not strong enough to fight. Ouyang Zhide's 150,000 troops were in a similar situation. Of course, the remaining one-third of the troops who were defending the capital were all elite soldiers. They not only had the duty to protect the security of the capital and the people, but also to protect the emperor. Of these nearly 300,000 troops, more than 200,000 were stationed in the suburbs of the capital. There was also a batch that could be dispatched to provide support at any time. However, in reality, no more than 150,000 could be mobilized. The capital was the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If it fell, the Great Zhou Dynasty would cease to exist. The troops on the border could not be reduced, and the troops in the capital could not be reduced even more.
The Great Zhou Dynasty only dispatched 600,000 to 700,000 troops, which seems like a large number, but divided into three parts, each side only has a little over 200,000. The Da Gan Kingdom, on the other hand, has mobilized most of its national strength for the siege, which is 500,000 troops. The Black Teeth Kingdom is a small country and naturally not as powerful as Da Gan, but its 200,000 troops are still enough to cause trouble. This time, the nomadic tribes have gathered all the tribes on the grasslands, with strong men and young women all going up, totaling more than 200,000. Add to that the 200,000 from Miao territory, and that makes more than a million, which is almost half of the Great Zhou Dynasty's external forces. How can this battle be fought? It's already a defeat before it even starts. The other side can crush the Great Zhou Dynasty's troops with sheer numbers.
Moreover, the Great Zhou Dynasty was surrounded on three sides, its retreat route was blocked, and it would have to surrender if it did not fight back, so the situation was extremely critical.
Emperor Mingxian couldn't sleep for two nights in a row, constantly discussing matters with his civil and military officials. These civil officials, who were usually the most vocal and outspoken whenever something happened, were now as silent as gourds, wishing they could shrink down and pretend they didn't exist. Emperor Mingxian wanted them to come up with a solution, but in this situation, who had any ideas? Even the military generals who usually loved to shout and fight were now speechless.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, the situation of Great Zhou is extremely perilous. We are surrounded on three sides, and our forces are more than twice the size of Great Zhou's. If Great Zhou were to fight back, the final result would likely be a crushing defeat. Moreover, this very situation of being surrounded on three sides could wear Great Zhou down in a short time. Perhaps... perhaps we should surrender." A minister said tremblingly.
Surrendering without a fight is cowardly, but knowing that defeat is inevitable and still stubbornly going to war is reckless and equally foolish.
Emperor Mingxian's face was ashen. In just a few days, he seemed to have aged five years. Emperor Mingxian was well aware of this principle, but he also understood that if he surrendered today, the Great Zhou Dynasty would become the goods in the hands of the Da Gan, Miao Jiang, Hei Chi Kingdom and You Wu ethnic groups, and would be divided up. Not only would the Great Zhou Dynasty cease to exist and the people be displaced, but they themselves would also be unable to survive.
Therefore, although some people agreed with the minister's proposal, others remained silent. Since ancient times, few have had a good ending when their country is destroyed and their families are ruined. Not to mention the distant past, when the Great Zhou destroyed the previous dynasty, almost all of the loyalists of the previous dynasty were wiped out, and almost all the royal families and clans with deep ties to the previous dynasty were exterminated. The death toll in such a war of dynastic change is always counted in the hundreds or thousands. Such a decision cannot be made until the very last moment.
That very day, Da Gan sent a messenger with a lengthy list of crimes committed by the Great Zhou Dynasty, such as the death of Jiang Xuan, hypocrisy and disregard for the lives of the people, collusion between family ministers to frame loyal officials, Emperor Mingxian's conservatism and inflexibility, and his domineering and dissolute nature. Even if these crimes didn't exist, they would at least fabricate decades of charges against him. This was one of the conditions for sending troops. Of course, the letter also stated that if the Great Zhou was willing to surrender, Da Gan was willing to leave a city for the Great Zhou and ensure the safety of Emperor Mingxian, among other favorable conditions. Surprisingly, this actually moved many ministers, who all advised Emperor Mingxian to choose to surrender.
Emperor Mingxian would naturally not agree easily, because Da Gan was known for its fickle nature. Moreover, Emperor Mingxian was the emperor of a great nation, and it would be better to kill him than to make him submit. Although Da Gan had set out conditions, only they knew how much of it they would actually deliver. This was a procedure before war. However, the current situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty was too dire, and even the ministers in the court were uneasy, let alone the common people. The common people only knew that the Great Zhou had received letters urging surrender but was pretending to be stupid, wanting them to die with them.
The common people didn't care who the emperor was; it was none of their concern. Their only concern was a stable and prosperous life. They probably wouldn't object even if a woman were emperor. The people of the capital spontaneously went to the imperial city to shout and demand surrender. After being forcibly suppressed by a group of guards, another group emerged, even larger than the last. If they escalated the situation, internal strife would erupt in the capital, making the war even more unwinnable. Emperor Mingxian urgently dispatched troops to guard the city for twelve hours straight, watching over those who sat in front of the imperial city, refusing to eat or drink and demanding an explanation.
The emperor then ate and discussed the matter with some of his ministers, and in the end, half of the ministers agreed to surrender, which greatly annoyed Emperor Mingxian.
"After surrendering, not only will the Great Zhou Dynasty collapse, but do you gentlemen present think you will survive? You are all pillars of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and your fate will also be death." Baili Chen had been summoned by Emperor Mingxian early on. At the beginning of the discussion, he remained silent, but as time became increasingly urgent and the ministers began to waver, he had no choice but to speak.
"Your Highness is mistaken. If you know that defeat is inevitable, that millions of people in the Great Zhou Dynasty will lose their lives, and that our soldiers will sacrifice themselves in vain, only to find ourselves in a corner of the world, no longer possessing the might of a great nation, then how are you any different from those ambitious, wolf-like countries that disregard the people's wishes and besiege the Great Zhou? As the future heir apparent of the Great Zhou, it is understandable that Your Highness is dissatisfied with being subservient and afraid to surrender. However, Your Highness's words concern the lives of millions. Can Your Highness be so heartless?" The speaker was Ning Baichuan, the eldest son of the Ning family and the current Imperial Censor. After he finished speaking, many ministers no longer looked at Baili Chen with respect, and even began to criticize him. In fact, even if Ning Baichuan hadn't said it, they all thought the same about Baili Chen.
Baili Chen sneered: "I may not be afraid, and you won't believe me if I say it, but I can say that if this war breaks out, we might not necessarily lose!"
“Your Highness is a joke. Based on my years of experience leading troops, this battle is a sure loss whether we fight or not. There is no such thing as a possibility or uncertainty,” one of the military officers who was willing to offer advice retorted.
Baili Chen looked at him and said, "So, General X, you can only be a fourth-rank military officer now, and I'm afraid you'll only have this rank for the rest of your life, and you'll never be able to rise any higher."
"Your Highness, you are not so humiliated as to be ashamed and angry. Although I am of little influence, I still have dignity. Moreover, if the country falls, I will be nothing more than a prisoner and will not even be able to remain a fourth-rank official. What do I care about? This war cannot be fought!" The military officer glared at Baili Chen with a fierce look on his face.
Normally, these people wouldn't dare, but with so many ministers in the court holding a surrender view, even if Baili Chen wanted to punish him for disrespect, it would surely provoke a backlash from others. Therefore, they weren't so scary at the moment.
Baili Chen sneered, "A country that can't even muster a group of pillars of the state and only knows how to be submissive and fearful is destined to fail. Only now can we truly see whether a country is a hero or a dog!"
"Your Highness, you've gone too far!"
"Yes, the Crown Prince disregarded the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty and insisted on starting a war, plunging the Great Zhou Dynasty into dire straits. He is a sinner for all time and should die to atone for his sins."
"The Crown Prince, out of selfishness and self-interest, insisted on starting the war. His despicable character and behavior are outrageous. He should be deposed as Crown Prince, demoted to a commoner, and exiled thousands of miles away."
"No, he should be killed!"
"Yes, he should be executed to intimidate and appease the people. The Crown Prince must die!"
"The Crown Prince must die!"
"die!"
"die!"
"die!"
The prince and his courtiers were indignant and furious at Baili Chen's insults, but Baili Chen was unconcerned: "Before the incident, you all only knew how to boast and show off, thinking yourself so talented and outstanding. But once something happens, you all become like cowards, not uttering a single word except to surrender. Are you still thinking that if you insist on surrendering now, you can use your silver tongues to become officials in the new dynasty after the Great Zhou Dynasty is truly defeated, and continue to enjoy your wealth and glory?"
Upon hearing Baili Chen's words, the ministers were momentarily speechless, for this was exactly what they had in mind.
Baili Chen sneered: "It doesn't matter. I won't blame you for saying it. However, as people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you must die as ghosts of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If you want to betray your country and surrender to the new country, even if you become traitors and a laughing stock of the world, I will do you a favor today."
"Guards! Take these ministers away and send them on their way!"
"What!" The ministers in the hall were all stunned. Who would have thought that Baili Chen would be so ruthless and audacious, and so decisive? Those who could enter the hall to discuss the matter were at least civil officials of the third rank or above, and military officials of the fourth rank or above. They were all important court officials of the country. He actually killed them without hesitation. Wasn't this treating human life like dirt?
"This is an atrocity! This is an atrocity! We will be punished by Heaven and condemned by the people of the world!" Ning Baichuan and a few others who had been shouting the loudest were dragged out by the guards summoned by Baili Chen at his command. They realized that Baili Chen was not just trying to scare them; he really intended to kill them.
"No! I am a high-ranking official of the country. How can the Crown Prince be killed so easily? Your Majesty, please say something! It is a misfortune for our Great Zhou Dynasty if the Crown Prince does not act so tyrannically. He should be deposed as Crown Prince and executed to set an example! Your Majesty!" Ning Baichuan shouted anxiously. He had already been kicked down and dragged out by the guards. His face was pale with fright, and he kept shouting.
"Your Majesty, we cannot allow the Crown Prince to act recklessly! With such a Crown Prince, the Great Zhou Dynasty is doomed!" The other ministers who were being dragged away also cried out in alarm.
"Your Majesty, please speak up! The Crown Prince's actions are tyrannical and ruthless. This behavior is absolutely unacceptable; it will cause great chaos!" Even those who hadn't spoken up to persuade him to surrender earlier couldn't help but say this now. If so many ministers were killed by Baili Chen, even if they managed to launch several major attacks without success, the Great Zhou Dynasty would still be thrown into chaos.
"Tyrant, die!" Suddenly, an excited guard drew his sword and charged at Emperor Mingxian. The officials in the hall were stunned, not expecting the incident to happen so suddenly. As soon as the guard moved, two other guards beside him also drew their swords and attacked, one towards Emperor Mingxian and the other towards Baili Chen. Among the officials, a general with a somewhat shifty look suddenly shouted and rushed towards Emperor Mingxian in a few steps.
"Protect the Emperor!" Fu Shun cried out in terror, his face pale. However, before the guards could succeed, they were quickly dealt with by a group of men in black who surged in from behind. The general hesitated and was about to retreat when Baili Chen silently walked up to him: "Traitors of the Great Zhou Dynasty! They were bribed by another country to assassinate my father! They deserve to die!"
The next moment, Baili Chen's long sword pierced through the general's chest. The general's eyes widened, and he died with his eyes open. Baili Chen held the blood-stained sword, took out a white handkerchief and gently wiped it. He spoke slowly and deliberately: "These ministers have been bribed by other countries. They not only want to assassinate Father Emperor and I, but also want to incite the people to take the opportunity to rebel. What does Father Emperor think we should do?"
Emperor Mingxian's eyes flashed as he looked at Baili Chen's ruthless hand. His expression was complex, whether from admiration or regret. He said, "Behead these people and hang their heads outside the capital. Punish them for treason. Tell the people that things haven't reached their worst point yet and they shouldn't be swayed by these people."
Hanging these bloody heads outside the imperial city, a row of狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) heads, wouldn't that terrify the people? This kind of deterrent power would be enough to temporarily resolve the problem of internal strife among the people. Even the court officials in the main hall were on edge at this moment. Baili Chen would never show mercy when he took action. Moreover, they had been summoned to the palace to discuss countermeasures with Emperor Mingxian. Because this matter was extremely serious, it seemed that Emperor Mingxian would not let them leave until a solution was reached. Furthermore, the power of the guards in the imperial city was entirely in Emperor Mingxian's hands. He also had a secret guard that only obeyed his orders and could fight ten men against one. Anyone who dared to act recklessly would die without even knowing how they died.
Baili Chen smiled and said, “My lords, do not be afraid. We are all people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and everything we do is for the good of the Great Zhou Dynasty. These people who are trying to persuade us to surrender are cowardly and afraid of trouble. They want to surrender to the enemy for their own selfish reasons. They may have already established contact with foreign countries to disrupt the politics of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Why don’t you think about it? Although the Great Zhou Dynasty is surrounded by enemies on three sides and is in a critical situation, it seems that we have lost the game. Surrender can solve the problem of temporary safety. But to become slaves of a conquered country, you have held important positions for many years. Do you have the courage to become prisoners and be looked down upon? Things have not reached the last moment, and it has not reached the point where we must surrender. We still have time to think of a way to repel the enemy. My lords, please continue to discuss a solution.”
Emperor Mingxian said, "Go and think about it first. Tomorrow, each of you should come up with a solution. I want to hear it."
The ministers all looked distressed, but there was nothing they could do. They were led away and placed in rooms with three people in each room. The rooms were heavily guarded. At this point, they were no different from prisoners. But they had no choice; if they didn't want to die, they had to do something.
After everyone left, Emperor Mingxian shook his head and said, "Seventh Prince, you were too impulsive just now."
"Didn't Father Emperor stop it either?" Baili Chen was not an impulsive person. The situation was critical with enemies on three sides outside, and the people in the inner city were panicking and denouncing. None of the ministers supported by the Great Zhou Dynasty offered any useful solutions. If they didn't have some intimidating presence, the Great Zhou Dynasty would have fallen into chaos from within, even without a major attack. It was precisely at times like these that chaos was unacceptable.
Emperor Mingxian suddenly stared intently at Baili Chen: "What you told me before, was it true!"
Baili Chen nodded seriously: "Yes, this treasure was discovered by Yue'er. Back when we returned to Baicheng, we secretly sent people there. The tunnel has already been dug, but it's been too short to transport the treasure out yet." They had only known about the treasure for two or three months, and it was impossible to quickly dig through a sheer cliff like that.
Emperor Mingxian's heart tightened: "Tell me about those treasures again."
"There are more than ten stone doors in that tunnel alone, and each one contains at least one to three mahogany chests. Each chest alone is worth at least thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver. Not to mention the final treasure, which, roughly speaking, has two small mountains of gold bricks worth at least several million taels of silver. Adding in the other treasures, the enormous treasure in that stone cave is worth at least a billion taels of silver." This is still a rough estimate, because Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue only took a quick look and didn't use much of it. The number is likely higher than it is.
To put this into perspective, the total annual tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty was only two to three million taels. Adding in miscellaneous expenses such as the tribute of grains and other goods, and mining, the annual income was only about ten million taels. Of this, the annual military expenses and the monthly salaries of court officials and the royal family's supplies alone cost more than five million taels. It was considered good if the national treasury could actually recover two to three million taels each year. With these resources, even if the Great Zhou Dynasty were to sit idle and eat its own filly, it could still live off its wealth for a hundred years. Moreover, they could use this money to generate more money and produce more goods, and the value they brought was definitely not a matter of one plus one equals two.
With these treasures, Emperor Mingxian would be willing to make enemies of the world. With these riches, they could exhaust other countries to death. Of course, that's the reality. Now the border is surrounded by three countries, and trade is affected. But no matter the era or place, there is no shortage of people willing to take risks for money. Emperor Mingxian suddenly understood why Baili Chen was so confident, even at the cost of offending the entire court. Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingxian felt a surge of excitement and couldn't calm down for a long time.
"No, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, this matter must be carried out quickly. The treasure must be retrieved as soon as possible. I will dispatch 90% of my secret guards for your command. This great treasure must not be lost."
"Yes, Father, I understand," Baili Chen said respectfully.
Emperor Mingxian nodded, his gaze towards Baili Chen deepening. He hadn't expected that the son he had wronged the most back then would now be the most resourceful and capable of helping him...
The Great Zhou was surrounded on three sides, and the Great Gan even issued a declaration of war. However, the reality of a great power going to war is not as simple as it seems. There are many things to do, such as troop deployment and food preparation, even though the Great Gan and other countries were prepared in advance. The Great Gan troops were actually stationed on the border between the Great Gan and the Great Zhou. The Great Zhou needed some time to think about whether to surrender or not. The Great Zhou was also indecisive. Once an envoy came to discuss the surrender, it would take at least two or three months to send a message back. After that, they would receive ambiguous information, and the envoy would have to communicate with other countries again. This has always been the case in the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. If a matter is not settled within half a year or even longer, it is not considered a negotiation. Both sides are using the tiger's skin to try their best to gain benefits for their own country. So, half a year has passed, but the Great Zhou Dynasty still has not really made up its mind to surrender or not.
Yu Xiaoyao sat in the general's tent, his brows furrowed slightly: "No, we can't delay any longer. If we wait, things will change. The Great Zhou clearly has no intention of surrendering. We must send troops and spread the word that we will launch a full-scale attack on all routes of the Great Zhou in a month, heading straight for the capital of the Great Zhou!"
"Yes, Holy King!"
The Miao King was also sitting in the large tent, but with Yu Xiaoyao, the Holy King of Miao, present, even though he was the true king of Miao, he could only be in a subordinate position. He laughed and said, "The Great Zhou is besieged by the three great powers. It's like a grasshopper in autumn; it won't be able to jump around for much longer."