Chapter 883

Xu Qi'an was slightly startled. His eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared at the middle-aged official and said in a deep voice, "This joke is not funny."

In his ears, it was as if he was saying, "Your father is dead."

If he did not know Wang Shoufu's character, Xu Qi'an would even think that Wang Shoufu was deliberately provoking him. But because he knew that Wang Shoufu would not do so, he was even angrier, more confused, and more gloomy.

The middle-aged official bowed his head slightly and said in a low voice,

"Duke Wei died in the headquarter of the Witchcraft Cult in Jingshan City. Only about 16,000 of the 100,000 soldiers returned … Eight hundred miles express, just arrived tonight."

After saying that, there was no response for a long time. The middle-aged official looked up and saw a ghastly pale face.

"His Majesty and the officials will definitely discuss this matter at the court meeting today. The follow-up reports will also arrive in the capital one after another … Since I have delivered the message, I will leave first."

After bowing, he turned around and left.

…

"Squeak …"

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhong Li raised her head in a daze. Seeing that it was Xu Qi'an, she felt relieved and continued to sleep.

Senior Sister Zhong paid great attention to her sleep, which had nothing to do with women aging due to lack of sleep. The main reason was that if she did not get enough sleep, it might lead to some sudden diseases, such as myocardial infarction, sudden death, etc.

In that case, life and death would only be a moment, and the Celestial Commissioner might not even have time to take the elixir.

Of course, this situation was rare, but Senior Sister Zhong was experienced and knew how to protect herself. She would not put herself in such a dangerous situation.

Soon, the sky brightened. Zhong Li woke up after a short rest. She sat up lazily and stretched her curvy mature body. Suddenly, she was stunned …

There was a figure sitting beside the desk. He was so quiet that he looked like a statue that had existed since ancient times.

He had been sitting there since he returned to his room! Zhong Li suddenly understood. She carefully observed him. His expression was so lonely, so quiet.

He was like a wandering traveler in a foreign land.

…

At this time, in the Throne Room of the imperial court.

The civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Jinshui Bridge, and stopped at the position corresponding to their official position.

They walked past the Alchemy King and entered the magnificent Throne Room.

Today's court meeting was a little late. Because of an emergency, the officials were informed that they were not allowed to ask for leave, including sickness. As long as they were not dead, they had to be carried into the palace.

Something serious must have happened!

The officials were all experienced and immediately realized the urgency of the situation.

The dukes entered the throne room in an orderly manner, arranging themselves neatly, silent. At this time, Grand Secretary Wang slowly turned his head, giving his left side a look. There was no one there, there should have been a set of black clothes there.

This was the first time Wei Yuan had done something like this ever since he had set out.

Some officials were thoughtful.

After a quarter of an hour, Emperor Yuan Jing came in from the back of the hall. He was no longer wearing a Taoist robe, but a bright yellow dragon robe.

The moment they saw Emperor Yuan Jing, all the dukes were stunned. This old emperor, who had regrown black hair and a ruddy complexion, now looked like an old man who had just suffered a major blow in his life.

His eyes were filled with sorrow and were dim. His skin was dry and lacked luster. He looked extremely haggard.

His eyes were dark and sorrowful. His skin was dry and lacked luster. He looked extremely haggard.

The old eunuch stepped forward at the right time and said in a loud voice, "If there's something to report."

The old eunuch stepped out and said loudly, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from the northeast.

Wei Yuan led the army deep into the enemy's territory and attacked the Witchcraft Cult's headquarters. He sacrificed himself for the country. Only 16,000 of the 100,000 soldiers returned … "

Inside the throne room, there were many dumbfounded and stiff faces. A few seconds later, the throne room was in an uproar, and an uproar instantly erupted.

"Silence!"

The old eunuch brandished his whip and lashed it on the smooth and clean floor, making a loud snapping sound.

But he could not suppress the uproar of the officials.

Just like how Wang Shoufu lost his composure when he heard the bad news, the officials were the same. There were some things that could not be calmed down.

An army of one hundred thousand had almost been completely wiped out. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow, even shaking the foundation of the Great Feng Empire.

What really shook the hearts of the public and caused them to collectively lose their composure was the sacrifice of the Great Feng God of War, the man in green.

Even though Wei Yuan's political enemies often shouted, "Your Majesty, please behead this dog."

But whether they liked it or not, in the hearts of the officials, including political enemies like the Royal Faction, they all admitted that Wei Yuan was the pillar of Daibun.

Although Duke Huai was a Third Grade Warrior, he could defend a region. He was still lacking if he wanted to prop up the mountain of Daibun.

Only Wei Yuan, the Daibun's God of War who won the battle of Shanhai Pass, was the one that the major forces of the Nine Prefectures feared. Because they were already scared of him twenty years ago.

It was painful.

The King of Zhenbei? At that time, he was just a leaf beside Wei Yuan, barely supporting him.

Now, the true pillar of the nation had fallen …

The officials could not believe this fact. But the military reports from eight hundred miles away had never been wrong in the six hundred years since the founding of Daibun. After all, this was a crime punishable by death. There was no room for mistakes.

The Yuanjing Emperor looked at the scene in silence. He was neither happy nor sad.

After waiting for a long time until the noise in the hall died down, he said with a pained expression, "My ministers, what should we do about this?"

It was still Wang Shoufu's reply. His tone was firm and powerful.

"I think we should mobilize the troops from all the provinces and use the entire nation's military power to attack the Northeast. We should unite with the demons and barbarians to wipe out the Witchcraft Cult."

The Yuanjing Emperor sighed, "Daibun has already lost close to 100,000 soldiers. They are my people, my children. Minister Wang, how can I bear to start a war?"

"Your Majesty!"

Wang Shoufu raised his voice and said emotionally,

"According to the reports, Wei Yuan has captured Jing Shan City. The Witchcraft Cult has suffered heavy losses. Nearly 70% of the masters in their headquarters have been killed. The Fire Country's hinterland has been penetrated by the army. Now, the difficult cities have been conquered by Wei Yuan.

"The Jing Kingdom has been fighting in the north for several months. They have suffered heavy losses and are restrained by the demons and barbarians in the north. At present, only the Kang Kingdom has preserved its military power. If we fight another war now, the descendants of Daibun will not have to worry about the Witchcraft Cult for a hundred years. "

His suggestion won the approval of some of the nobles and generals.

Wei Yuan had used up all the national power of the Witchcraft Cult to capture the headquarters. The dangerous pass of Yan Kingdom, which had blocked the Daibun army, would no longer exist. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Minister Wang …"

The Yuanjing Emperor waved his hand and said earnestly, "They have exhausted their military power."

Wang Shoufu looked at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne. He opened his mouth and retreated dejectedly.

As he retreated, the wheel of history turned in another direction. When the later generations reviewed this period of history, they analyzed the national power of Daibun and the Witchcraft Cult. After comparing the losses of both sides, they agreed that if the current Daibun could be ruthless and fight against the Witchcraft Cult with the national power of the next ten years.

Then the Witchcraft Cult, a giant that had dominated the Northeast for thousands of years, would suddenly collapse and would not be able to rise again.

Countless people of the later generations sighed.

As for the Tsing Yi God of War who had died in Jing Shan City, the evaluation in the history books was that he had kept the Central Plains alive.

The Yuanjing Emperor no longer looked at Wang Shoufu who had retreated. He turned to the officials and said, "How do you think we should deal with this matter?"

The Minister of War stepped forward and said,

"I think we should transfer 20,000 troops from the neighboring states of Xiang, Jing, and Yu to the border. The remaining troops should also stay at the border of the three states to prevent the Witchcraft Cult from counterattacking.

"In addition, since Duke Wei has already sacrificed his life, Your Majesty will have to send another commander over."

The Yuanjing Emperor glanced at him. Seeing that he did not continue, he nodded and said, "Minister Chen is right."

At this moment, the Assistant Minister of War, Qin Yuandao, stepped forward and said, "If Your Majesty wants peace, then we should discuss the relevant matters as soon as possible and confirm the envoy to the Northeast for peace talks."

The Assistant Minister of War, Qin Yuandao, was a staunch supporter of the Emperor. He was in the same boat as Yuan Xiong, who was demoted to the Right Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censorate. Both of them were core members of the Emperor's Faction.

As the Wei's Minister of War, he glared at Qin Yuandao.

He deliberately did not mention peace talks because he still wanted to fight with the Witchcraft Cult and avenge Wei Yuan.

The Yuanjing Emperor nodded slowly and said, "Good."

After Qin Yuandao returned to his seat, the Minister of Revenue stepped forward and said, "How should we decide on the compensation for the soldiers?"

As soon as he said that, the hall fell into dead silence.

For a long time, no one spoke.

The Yuanjing Emperor said slowly, "What do you think?"

He asked three times in a row, but no one responded.

The Yuanjing Emperor looked at Yuan Xiong, the emperor's loyal 'retainer'. He avoided eye contact and did not say a word.

The compensation for the soldiers was very, very important.

According to Daibun's laws, when an infantryman died in battle, his family would be given three years of full military pay of 36 Shi of rice, which was equivalent to 18 taels of silver. Then, he would be given three to six buckets of rice per month for life.

When a cavalry died in battle, he would be given 72 Shi of rice, which was equivalent to 36 taels of silver. Then, he would be given six to ten buckets of rice per month for life.

The compensation for different types of soldiers and positions was different, and they all had strict rules and regulations.

Besides that, there was another rule, which was also the reason why the officials in the court fell into dead silence.

If the battle was lost, the compensation would be halved!

The Minister of Revenue raised the issue of the compensation. The compensation was only on the surface. What really made the officials hesitate was the nature of the battle.

Was the battle won or lost?

In the silence, Wang Shoufu stepped forward and said in a sorrowful tone, "Wei Yuan conquered the Witchcraft Cult's headquarters and made history in Daibun. This battle is a complete victory for Daibun."

Some people responded, some were deep in thought, and some were sad.

The Yuanjing Emperor nodded slowly, but he did not respond to Wang Shoufu. Instead, he said,

"I'm a little tired. This matter is very important. We'll discuss it tomorrow."

The old eunuch said loudly, "Court dismissed!"

…

"Knock, knock …"

The door of the room knocked twice weakly. It seemed that the person who knocked on the door was also a little lifeless.

Today, the second Uncle Xu, who was on break, woke up. He looked at his wife who was sleeping next to him. He did not knock loudly, so he did not wake her up.

With Second Uncle Xu's cultivation, he would immediately wake up if there was even the slightest movement outside.

He left the warm bed, put on some clothes, and went to the outer room to open the door.

"Ningyan?"

His nephew was standing at the door. He was expressionless, and there was a gloomy look between his eyebrows.

The second Uncle Xu's heart suddenly sank. He knew his nephew too well. The second Uncle Xu could understand his nephew's thoughts from his eyes and tone.

No one knew a son better than a father. He had raised him with all kinds of hardships.

"Second Uncle, pack up immediately and go to the Yunlu Academy. Go there and hide for a while. "Xu Qi 'an said softly.

The second Uncle Xu looked at him deeply. "Okay!"

Xu Qi 'an nodded, turned around, and knocked on the door of Li Miaozhen's room.

Susu, who was dressed in a snow-white dress, had lacquered eyes, and crimson lips, opened the door and said in a sweet voice, "What's the matter?"

Li Miaozhen, who was wearing an elegant Daoist robe and had her hair tied up, was sitting at the table, drinking tea and eating pastries.

Xu Qi 'an ignored her. His eyes swept past the beauty and looked at Li Miaozhen. He said slowly, "I want to go to the northeast border."

Li Miaozhen was stunned and asked doubtfully, "You want to go to the war too?"

Xu Qi 'an shook his head and said, "Duke Wei died on the battlefield."

Li Miaozhen's face suddenly froze, and the pastries in her hand fell to the ground.

She immediately came back to her senses and looked at Xu Qi 'an nervously. Because she knew how much this man trusted and respected Wei Yuan.

She also knew that he was indebted to Wei Yuan.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say to comfort him. Any words of comfort, at this time, would seem to be fake kindness that had nothing to do with her.

Xu Qi 'an said softly, "I don't believe it.

I don't believe that he died in the war. So, please take me to the border. If … he really died. "

He paused for a moment, and his eyes seemed to blur. "He has no children, no one to send him off. I want to go, I have to go …"

Li Miaozhen felt like a knife was twisting in her heart. "Okay."