My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Everyone fell silent.

Liu Ju raised his hand and pointed north.

"The blood of my Han people still flows in the borderlands! The wronged souls of my Han sons and daughters still weep beyond the Great Wall!"

"The Xiongnu slaughtered our people with their swords; this blood feud is irreconcilable!"

"How can we sit idly by and allow the barbarian cavalry to run rampant and the border people to suffer just because our father has not returned?!"

He turned abruptly, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing the hesitant ministers.

"Before my father departed, he granted me the power to oversee the country, to command both military and political affairs! What does it mean to oversee the country? It means to act on behalf of my father, to guard this vast land and protect these hundreds of millions of people!"

"Now that our borders have been breached and our people slaughtered, if I were to cling to the old ways, cower in fear, and wait for my father, what face would I, Liu Ju, have to stand before Weiyang Palace? What right would I have to call myself the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty?!"

A glint flashed in Wei Qing's eyes, Huo Qubing gripped his sword tighter, and even Sang Hongyang involuntarily straightened his back.

Liu Ju took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

Finally, his gaze swept over the crowd and landed on the silent steel behemoth in the arena—the heavy truck.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a crazy idea surged into his mind.

"Father's return will bring his wrath! But the hatred and bloodshed of today—I will avenge myself!"

He surveyed the entire room, speaking each word deliberately and forcefully.

"I will personally lead an expedition to the northern frontier to avenge the blood debts of the unjustly killed border people!"

"Personally leading the expedition?!"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Now that His Majesty has not returned, what if something were to happen to His Highness the Crown Prince? How would we explain this to His Majesty?"

"I urge Your Highness to reconsider!!!"

Another gasp arose.

The Crown Prince's personal command of the expedition is no small matter!

If nothing goes wrong, that's fine. But if something does go wrong...

Who will take responsibility for this?

When Liu Che returned and saw that his son was in trouble, what do you think he would think?

Liu Ju, however, no longer gave anyone a chance to question him.

"The Xiongnu's wolfish ambitions have never ceased. If they dare to harass Dingxiang today, they will dare to covet Yunzhong and Yanmen tomorrow!"

Liu Ju turned his head and pointed at the heavy truck, continuing.

"This is a marvel of craftsmanship acquired by my father! Don't the Xiongnu think our border troops can only defend cities? I will ride this iron beast and personally lead the charge!"

"Let it carry the banner of my Han Dynasty's crown prince, let it roar like thunder, let it crush the Xiongnu cavalry's lines!"

"I will show the Xiongnu what true 'divine might' really is!"

"I will use their blood to wash away the dust from this steel! I will use their fear to comfort the souls of my fallen border people!"

He looked at Wei Qing with a look that was both a request and a command.

"General, please deploy elite troops and prepare provisions for me! This battle is not for territorial expansion, but solely for—revenge!"

He looked at Huo Qubing again, his eyes burning with the same intensity.

"General of the Flying Cavalry! Your horse is swift, your blade sharp! Would you be willing to be my vanguard, clearing the way for this iron beast, and thrusting straight into the heart of the Xiongnu?!"

Finally, he looked at all his ministers, his voice echoing across the square.

"My mind is made up for this battle! All the soldiers who dare to fight and are willing to fight, and all the officials who support our revenge, are the backbone of our great Han Dynasty today! Anyone who has objections may leave a letter here, and I will take full responsibility upon my father's return!"

"But today, at this moment, the decision to launch the northern expedition is made!"

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Wei Qing looked intently at Liu Ju.

In that instant, he felt that his nephew had grown up, as if overnight he had shed all his immaturity and merged the hatred for his country and the responsibility of the crown prince into a raging fighting spirit.

Whether as a general or as an uncle, he was extremely happy!

His Highness the Crown Prince has some of His Majesty's demeanor!

After a long while, he slowly clasped his hands in a fist and knelt on one knee.

"Your subject, Wei Qing, obeys His Highness's order! The entire Northern Army is willing to serve as Your Highness's vanguard, avenging this blood debt!"

Huo Qubing followed closely behind, kneeling heavily, his sword tip touching the ground, his voice hoarse yet incredibly excited.

"Your subject, Huo Qubing, is willing to serve as Your Highness's vanguard! I will not return until all the invading barbarian tribes have been annihilated!"

"We (your humble servants) are willing to follow Your Highness and pay for this debt in blood!"

Cheng Bushi, Sang Hongyang, Gongsun He, and all the military officers and officials present.

Regardless of whether they had hesitated before, they were all moved by the Crown Prince's resoluteness and grief, and echoed in unison, their voices resounding throughout the Weiyang Palace!

Liu Ju stood before the crowd, beside the steel behemoth. His young figure, against the backdrop of the Han Palace sky, exuded an aura of towering stature.

The wind whipped up dust, sweeping across the bluestone pavement of the palace gardens, causing Liu Ju's robe to flutter loudly.

He walked slowly to the heavy truck, turned around and addressed the group of craftsmen in a loud voice.

"Craftsmen, heed my command—within three days, arm it to the teeth! Cover the outer layer with heavy armor, mount powerful crossbows in the carriage, and reinforce the wheels to prevent slipping and arrow damage!"

"I want it to become the nightmare of the Xiongnu!"

"Here you go!"

Craftsmen from the Ministry of Works were already waiting nearby.

Upon hearing this, they all clasped their hands in agreement, their eyes filled with excitement.

Having witnessed the power of this iron beast firsthand, they would gladly go blind to transform it into a weapon to defeat their enemies.

Then, Liu Ju looked at Wei Qing and nodded to him.

Wei Qing stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice booming like a bell.

"Cheng Bushi! You will lead five thousand Imperial Guards to Yangqu City immediately to reinforce its defenses, receive the fleeing soldiers, and pacify the local people! Remember, defend only, do not attack. Wait for the main army to arrive before engaging in a decisive battle!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

Cheng Bushi clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned and left, the crisp sound of armor clashing echoing clearly in the silent palace garden.

"Sang Hongyang!"

Wei Qing then looked at the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

"Your subject is here!"

Sang Hongyang stepped forward, his face no longer showing the fear he had just displayed, only a resolute expression.

"Within three days, procure 100,000 shi of grain, 5,000 sets of armor, and 30,000 arrows! I don't care what method you use—empty the treasury or allocate supplies from other counties—you must gather the necessary supplies!"

Sang Hongyang straightened his chest.

"I guarantee with my life that the provisions and weapons will be delivered on schedule!"

Wei Qing looked at the messenger one last time, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"Bearing my tiger tally and command, I will ride through the night to the post stations in each county along the way!"

Wei Qing bent down, grabbed the bronze command arrow from the table, and threw it in front of the other person.

"Order all prefects and magistrates to immediately post notices to the people—in three days, the Great Han army, leading the Northern Expeditionary Force, will pass through the region with its guardian divine weapons. These are wondrous artifacts crafted by the heavens, neither demonic nor strange! The people may stay at home or observe from a distance by the roadside. Do not panic and flee, and absolutely do not attempt to enter the army's ranks or block their path!"

Liu Ju paused, then added a sentence.

"I hereby issue this further order: the entire army, as it passes through the region, shall not commit any offenses whatsoever! Any soldier who takes even a needle or thread from the people, or disturbs the local community, shall be executed without mercy!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

The messenger picked up the command token with both hands, stood up, and was about to rush off.

"Wait a minute!"

Sang Hongyang suddenly stepped forward, his brows furrowed slightly.

"The wording of the notice should be simple and straightforward. Avoid using flowery phrases like 'miraculous artifacts.' Just write 'Divine weapons and iron beasts of the Han Dynasty' so that the rural people can understand it. Furthermore, you could add the line 'Divine weapons pass through the area, protecting the region,' to reassure the people."

Wei Qing nodded and said in a deep voice.

"Approved! The notice shall be revised as Lord Yisang said, and every person along the route must be informed."

Huo Qubing clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, staring intently at the heavy truck, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit.

"Uncle, you must let me take the modified heavy truck to the border first!"

"I'll show the Xiongnu that their warhorses can't withstand the steel behemoths of my Han Dynasty!"