Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 298 If you can't decide, draw lots.

The old generals, of course, refused to give up and immediately retorted.

"Nonsense, I can still fight, how am I old?"

"We are doing this to share the burden for the King and the Commander-in-Chief; it has nothing to do with merit or not."

"Young people should be patient and not always think about making meritorious contributions."

These people started arguing back and forth, and soon the argument was getting out of hand.

"Generals, please calm down." Tuoba Lie tried to stop them, but none of the commanders, who were in the middle of a heated argument, paid him any attention.

Tuoba Lie called out several times, but seeing that these people were still arguing like belligerent wolves, his temper flared up.

He suddenly drew his curved sword and cleaved the table in front of him in two, roaring angrily, "Shut up, all of you!"

A flash of cold light, and the sheepskin map was neatly cleaved open, the falling pieces of paper fluttering like a flock of startled birds. The dull thud of the blade striking the ground made everyone involuntarily shrink back.

The enormous sound instantly drowned out all other sounds.

The tent fell eerily quiet, with only the creaking of the broken table under its own weight.

Everyone who was arguing froze in place.

Although Tuoba Lie ousted Murong Dayu and became the commander of the southern expeditionary army.

However, in reality, not many people take it too seriously.

We've all fought countless battles, and our hands are stained with the blood of many. So what if you, Tuoba Lie, are the king's brother-in-law?
It was only at this point, when Tuoba Lie was completely enraged, that everyone realized how terrifying he was.

Tuoba Lie was so angry that his face turned blood red. His hand trembled as he pointed at everyone: "This is the central command tent. Do you think this is a vegetable market?"

Wherever his finger swept across, the generals lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Who will attack Xueyuan Pass is a decision for me, the commander. Do you really think that once you've argued your way to a conclusion, I'll have to listen to you?"

Instantly, everyone fell silent, all eighteen pairs of eyes staring expectantly at Tuoba Lie.

As he sheathed his scimitar, the blade scraped against the scabbard with a grating sound. His gaze swept over the expectant eyes of the crowd, the veins on his forehead still throbbing.

The veterans' beards trembled slightly, while the young generals' Adam's apples bobbed. They were clearly hoping that their commander, Tuoba Lie, would give them a definite answer.

The once aggressive Tuoba Lie suddenly found himself at a loss. Naturally, he wanted to choose his own trusted subordinates.

How can we easily give such credit to outsiders?
However, if we do that, the biased attitude will be too obvious and will disappoint the other generals.

These people represent not only themselves, but also the families behind them and the armies under their command.

The most fundamental reason why Tuoba Lie seized the position of commander-in-chief was that he wanted to make a name for himself.

Therefore, how to control the army is of paramount importance.

My gaze swept over the hanging banner of the Northern Barbarian King, where the ferocious wolf head pattern came to life in the firelight.

Tuoba Lie took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, and finally made up his mind.

Even if we can't treat everyone equally, we should at least appear fair on the surface.

Even if we cannot achieve complete fairness, we should at least ensure that no one has any complaints.

Under the current circumstances, assigning the task of attacking the city to anyone would obviously cause immediate dissatisfaction among others.

The veteran generals' beards trembled slightly, while the young commanders clenched their fists. An eerie silence filled the tent, like the calm before a storm.

The task of attacking the city cannot be assigned to one's own forces. Batu has just finished attacking Xueyuan Pass, and he doesn't seem interested in continuing the attack.

The other two commanders of ten thousand who joined him along with Bautu were obviously excluded as well.

As for those neutral generals, it's worth trying to win them over.

The problem is, there's only one spot available. You can't possibly give up the others just to get one, can you?

As for those who are loyal to Murong Dayu, it seems best to choose from among them.

Doing so is the best way to demonstrate one's selflessness, impartiality, and integrity.

The question is, is it really worth giving up such a large share of the credit for this reason?

Giving them credit won't make them more loyal. But it will create resentment between those who have pledged allegiance and the neutral generals.

Tuoba Lie weighed the pros and cons in his mind for a long time, but still couldn't find a way to solve the problem.

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

He couldn't help but feel resentful towards Bawutu.

His gaze swept like a knife towards the seemingly respectful figure, only to find the other person bowing his head to adjust his wrist guards, cleverly avoiding his eyes.

She glared at him secretly, cursing inwardly, "Why did you have to bring this up of all things?"

After hesitating for a long time, Tuoba Lie suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp, knife-like light: "This commander has decided that I will personally lead the troops..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, the gold threads on his armor gleaming in the firelight, displaying the commander's majesty.

But unexpectedly, he hadn't finished speaking.

The air inside the tent seemed to freeze instantly. Except for Bautu, all the commanders of ten thousand men said in unison, "No!"

The veterans' white beards trembled with excitement, while the young generals' eyes burned with a fierce determination.

The commanders almost mutinied on the spot and beheaded Tuoba Lie.

Some had even drawn their swords halfway out.

Fortunately, they remembered that Tuoba Lie was the king's brother-in-law.

Otherwise, things might have turned out very differently today.

Even these generals, who had fought for half their lives and killed countless people, were wary of his identity and dared not act rashly.

The veterans' hands rested on their sword hilts, but they ultimately made no further move. The muscles on their wrinkled faces twitched involuntarily.

They could feel the palpable killing intent emanating from the centurions.

Tuoba Lie's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, and he couldn't help but shiver.

I felt as if a dozen mountains had suddenly pressed down on me, and I didn't even have the strength to speak.

Under pressure, Tuoba Lie quickly changed his tune, saying, "Forget it, I have absolutely no interest in this little Snow Abyss Pass."

His voice was dry and hoarse, as if it had been sanded.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the endless killing intent on his body vanish without a trace.

"Damn it, these bastards actually dared to threaten me," Tuoba Lie cursed inwardly.

Tuoba Lie was cursing, and the generals were cursing in their hearts as well. They exchanged meaningful glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw the anger that had not yet dissipated.

"Damn it, you actually tried to eat it all by yourself!"

An old general's beard trembled slightly with anger, and his eyes burned with resentment.

"You want to claim all the credit? If you weren't the king's brother-in-law, I'd chop you into mincemeat right now."

A dangerous glint flashed in the young general's eyes, and the brand-new scimitar at his waist gleamed coldly in the firelight.

"I never realized this guy was this kind of person. I'll have to be careful of him in the future."

The two commanders who had defected to Tuoba Lie were so frustrated they were almost in tears.

Why were they willing to turn against Murong Dayu in order to allow Tuoba Lie to ascend to the throne?
It's impossible that they were truly attracted by Tuoba Lie's personal charm and were determined to follow him.
In the end, isn't it all about profit and gaining more credit?
Now, this tremendous achievement is right before our eyes.

They were convinced that Tuoba Lie would give them the opportunity without hesitation.

Not only did that not happen, but this guy also wanted to claim all the credit for himself.

You, Tuoba Lie, are now the commander-in-chief of the southern expedition. If the southern expedition succeeds, the greatest credit will definitely go to you.

Even so, they were still not satisfied and did not even let go of the credit for attacking Xueyuan Pass.

Even Ba Wutu, unaware of Tuoba Lie's true intentions, began to regret his decision to pledge allegiance to him. —That position once belonged to Murong Dayu. Now, covered in a thin layer of dust, it seemed to be silently mocking something.

After all, when Murong Dayu was the commander-in-chief of the Southern Expeditionary Army, he was at least able to be fair and just, and wouldn't just swallow their credit.

Noticing their strange looks, Tuoba Lie quickly understood their thoughts, and a sudden tightness appeared in his chest.

I want to explain, but I don't know where to begin.

After all, even if he explained it, probably no one would believe him.

So, Tuoba Lie simply stopped explaining.

Since he couldn't allocate them, Tuoba Lie simply stopped worrying about it and waved his hand, coldly snorting, "This general can feel the patriotic hearts of all of you generals, and I don't want to let you down."

His voice was as loud as a bell, shaking the dust off the tent ceiling.

"Now that things have come to this, no matter who I order to attack the city, it will discourage the other generals."

Tuoba Lie waved his hand and said decisively, "Therefore, I have decided that all of you may attack the city together."

"From now on, divide the walls of Xueyuan Pass into ten sections. Each of you generals will lead your troops to attack them. Whoever breaks through Xueyuan Pass first will be credited with the greatest merit."

"The others were assisting in the attack and also deserve credit."

The expressions on everyone's faces were uncertain, and some people unconsciously licked their chapped lips, their eyes gleaming with greed.

"As for who can claim the greatest credit, it all depends on their own abilities. Do any of you generals have any objections?" Tuoba Lie's gaze swept over the crowd like a knife.

Several generals stared wide-eyed, genuinely stunned, their mouths agape in astonishment.

No one expected that Tuoba Lie would come up with such a solution.

The soldier, Bautu, said cautiously, "General, you don't need to take me with you. My troops really don't have the strength to attack the city. By the way, some parts of the city wall are heavily fortified, some have many siege weapons, and some are relatively weak. How should we choose who attacks which areas?"

Tuoba Lie really wanted to tear Ba Wutu's mouth apart. Would it kill you to say one less word?
It took him a lot of effort to calm these generals down.

As a result, that bastard Bautu's words made the atmosphere in the tent extremely tense again.

Because of what had just happened, Tuoba Lie's mind was working at an unprecedented speed.

His gaze swept across the various expressions on everyone's faces, and almost as soon as Ba Wutu finished speaking, Tuoba Lie immediately said, "Drawing lots depends on luck. I don't think any of you generals have any objections, do you?"

This method certainly cannot satisfy everyone.

The veteran generals exchanged meaningful glances, but no one said anything. The younger generals, on the other hand, frowned, their eyes flashing with resentment.

However, under the current circumstances, there is no more suitable option than this.

After all, if they had to choose, everyone would choose a location closer to the edge of the city wall.

Although those places are difficult to attack, there are also fewer defending troops.

Positions near city gates not only mean dealing with more siege equipment, but sometimes also having to fend off attacks from both sides, which is definitely not a desirable choice for anyone.

If neither side gives in, it will only turn into a pointless argument.

The key is that most people agree, and even if a few don't want to draw lots, they can only submit to the majority.

Tuoba Lie first had the guards outside bring in a new table for him.

A flash of cold light, and the curved knife in his hand precisely divided the Xuan paper into nine equal parts. The trajectory of the falling paper pieces resembled that of a flock of startled birds, particularly conspicuous in the firelight.

In front of everyone, write down the numbers one through nine on the house selection form.

The ink spread across the rice paper like nine venomous snakes spitting their tongues. With each number he wrote, Tuoba Lie deliberately paused for a moment, ensuring everyone could see it clearly.

Then fold the paper strips and mess them up in front of everyone.

His hand moved rapidly across the table, the sight of the notes fluttering around causing everyone to unconsciously hold their breath.

Finally, I put everything into a ceramic jar and shook it vigorously a few times.

"Let me make this clear from the start: this is a one-time event. No matter the outcome, you are not allowed to back out. Otherwise... don't blame me for being ruthless in the face of military law." Tuoba Lie's sinister gaze swept over everyone.

His gaze was as sharp as a knife, and wherever it passed, people unconsciously shrank back.

The commanders quickly made assurances.

"Don't worry, Commander, we will never go back on our word."

"Whatever we grasp, we grasp; we grassland men are always true to our word."

The unanimous reply from everyone caused the tent walls to tremble slightly.

"Very good." Tuoba Lie nodded slightly, feigning magnanimity, and said, "If anyone thinks there is anything wrong with these notes, they can come and check them now."

These notes were made by Tuoba Lie in front of everyone, so naturally no one questioned them.

Besides, anyone who's not a fool wouldn't jump out at this time. Wouldn't that be a clear indication to Tuoba Lie that they don't trust him?
This guy really wants the commander-in-chief to make things difficult for him.

The tent suddenly fell into an eerie silence, and everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

These people were quite relaxed about the order of the draw. One by one, they came up to Tuoba Lie, reached into the pottery jar, and pulled out a slip of paper.

The lottery process went very smoothly, and whether I was satisfied or not, I had no choice but to accept the result.

After all the results were in, Tuoba Lie waved his hand and said, "Generals, Xueyuan Pass is already on the verge of collapse. If we just give it our all, we will surely be able to completely destroy this city of Guan!"

(End of this chapter)