We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

Chapter 244 Heaven is going to destroy my Northern Xia!

Northern Xia, Imperial Court.

All the civil and military officials gathered here.

Tuoba Zheng sat in the highest position, next to a three-year-old child who was reaching for the fruit on the table.

Tuoba Zheng sighed and subconsciously looked down at the many officials below, his gaze sweeping over Tuoba Dao.

Tuoba Dao's lips curled up slightly, showing no shame of defeat, but rather a mocking expression as he looked at Tuoba Zheng on the throne.

"A woman is just a woman, what right does she have to be an emperor?"

These words enraged the entire court.

"Tuoba Dao, show some respect!"

Tuoba Dao was not intimidated at all, and stared at everyone with equal rage.

Did I say something wrong?

"If someone else were emperor, they would have driven the northern barbarians back to the far north long ago. How could they have given them the chance to break out of the far north?"

"Putting aside everything else, you might as well take a look at what our Emperor brought back from the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Brightly colored fabrics, exquisite pastries, and even some tattered books?"

"Is this still Northern Xia? Don't forget, we fought our way out with swords and spears!"

"Iron ore, composite bows, armor-piercing spikes, triangular spikes—not a single one of those! What kind of nonsense is this!"

Many people were at a loss for words.

In fact, this is the current situation in Northern Xia. Whenever you argue with a military man, they will bring up the history of Northern Xia.

Song Shi glanced at Tuoba Dao with disappointment.

"General Tuoba, if you were truly so powerful, you wouldn't have been slaughtered by the Great Qian without leaving a single survivor."

"Of the 120,000 people, less than 10,000 escaped and returned. Is this the Wu Kexing Kingdom you speak of?"

Tuoba Dao's face showed shame and anger.

"Wasn't it all because of those scoundrels you old bastards kept in the army who ruined my plans?"

"To defect at the last minute, before even starting the siege, we've already started fighting amongst ourselves. Isn't this just making us a laughingstock for the Great Qian?"

Song Shi did not fall into self-justification because of this.

He calmly stated a fact.

"No matter the reason, 120,000 people being hunted down by 20,000 or 30,000 people, being slaughtered like pigs and dogs—you can't explain that!"

This is a fact.

The National Protection Army only mobilized 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The remaining men either rotated shifts or went with Lin Tong to attack the barbarian stronghold, leaving only about 20,000 to 30,000 National Protection Army soldiers remaining at Dayue Pass.

at this time.

No matter how unwilling Tuoba Dao was, he had no face to continue arguing at this moment. He just snorted angrily and stood there with his arms crossed.

Song Shi then withdrew his gaze and glanced at the others.

"I know that many of you also want to test the thoughts of Daqian. General Tuoba's attack on Daqian this time is not a spur-of-the-moment decision, nor can such a large army be mobilized by a single imperial edict."

"It's simply that you think if you can't defeat the Northern Barbarians, you can always go south."

"Let's stop testing the waters here!"

"We have a centuries-old feud with the Northern Barbarians. If we also antagonize the Great Qian Dynasty, and are attacked from both sides, our Northern Xia will be destroyed tomorrow!"

"Now, we must come up with a plan; wavering on the sidelines is not an option!"

Tuoba Dao appeared angry, but his expression became more serious.

The others weren't much better off.

Song Shi asked directly.

"General Tuoba, what did the Northern Barbarians say?"

Tuoba Dao was taken aback, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural.

"What do you mean?"

Song Shi sneered.

"Don't think I don't know. You've secretly sent people to contact the Northern Barbarians, wanting to make your mark there. Do you really think nobody knows?"

"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place!"

"General Tuoba, Northern Xia is facing a critical moment of survival. Now is not the time to hide anything!"

Tuoba Dao turned his head and saw that most of the people in the court were looking at him, seemingly waiting for the Northern Barbarians' reply.

But his expression was somewhat dejected, and he eventually closed his eyes in pain.

"Wherever the barbarians went, if anyone resisted, they were all beheaded. In a tribe, only children as tall as cartwheels and a few women were left alive."

"Even if Northern Xia wanted to surrender, it could only become a slave."

He thought others would laugh at him, thinking that his surrender before the battle was a disgrace to Northern Xia.

But others did not do that.

Especially during the Song Dynasty.

His eyes were deep, and he suddenly asked a question.

"How many people do you think would survive in Northern Xia if we surrendered to the Northern Barbarians?"

No one had ever considered this, but Song Shi eventually brought the topic to the imperial court.

Everyone else was pondering in their hearts, but they didn't know where to begin.

Tuoba Dao, however, showed a pained expression.

"Not one in ten survives, or even... not one in a hundred."

What does that mean?

Of ten people, not necessarily one will survive; more likely, it's one in a hundred!

Even Song Shi trembled.

"Why do you say that?"

Tuoba Dao laughed bitterly.

"This expedition to Dayue Pass serves two purposes: to test the military strength of Daqian and to put pressure on Daqian, thus demonstrating the predicament of our Northern Xia."

When he said this, everyone nodded in agreement.

In fact, although Tuoba Dao forced Tuoba Zheng to write his name when he sent troops, many people actually acquiesced to it.

Smart people like to have a backup plan.

On one hand, they can surrender to the Great Qian Dynasty, and on the other hand, they can also surrender to the Northern Barbarians, right?

But the result?

Tuoba Dao's eyes held a hint of despair.

"The strength of the Northern Barbarians lies in their fearlessness in the face of death."

"The strength of the Great Qian lies in their strict discipline and the fact that their National Protection Army is extremely well-equipped. Compared to when they entered the Northern Xia Imperial Court last year, their equipment has improved significantly."

"Fighting the Northern Barbarians feels like fighting wild beasts."

"Fighting against Daqian feels like facing an emotionless stone golem."

And they are the weak ones caught in the middle!

Although Tuoba Dao didn't say it aloud, everyone understood what he meant.

Song Shi also closed his eyes.

"Heaven is going to destroy my Northern Xia!"

"The barbarians are eyeing us covetously, and the Great Qian Dynasty harbors no good intentions either. Now, it is finally time to make a choice."

"Surrender to the Great Qian Dynasty."

"At least, the Great Qian Dynasty has always looked down on this barren land of Northern Xia."

Some people raised concerns and questions.

"Can the Great Qian really defeat those barbarians?"

Before they could come up with an answer, someone burst in from outside.