At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

The Eastern Yi Kingdom.

Inside the Chaoyin Hall, the copper bells rang softly.

The Emperor of the Eastern Barbarians was summoning his ministers to discuss state affairs in front of the main hall.

The ministers were walking into the hall in small groups.

News of Shimazu Ryunosuke's defeat with his army has reached the Eastern Barbarians, causing a great uproar.

None of the civil and military officials of the Eastern Barbarians would have imagined that Shimazu Ryunosuke's military leadership skills and a general of Otomo Tetsumaru's caliber would result in the complete annihilation of the entire army in the Eastern Sea during the Great Qian Dynasty.

At this moment, Emperor Jimmu sat on the main seat, his gaze fixed on the kneeling ministers below the steps.

After a short while, he spoke, "My dear ministers, I have summoned you here today to hear your views on the affairs of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, the ministers began to discuss it animatedly.

In an instant, the once quiet hall became lively.

"We sent out 60,000 troops this time, and almost all of them were lost. Should we send more?"

"Yes, this shows that there are capable people in the Daqian army, and our Dongyi are hard to resist."

"That's right. The fact that a vanguard general like Otomo Tetsumaru was killed shows that the Great Qian Dynasty is not as weak as we thought."

"Tch, don't boost the morale of others. Our Eastern Barbarian army is invincible. It's very likely that it's just that Ryunosuke's leadership is incompetent."

……

At this moment, the Minister of the Right, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo, rose and bowed to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, I believe that we should once again dispatch 50,000 troops to directly invade the Eastern Sea of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty."

"The last defeat was only due to Shimazu Ryunosuke's overconfidence and recklessness, not because our army was weak."

"As long as we replace the commander with a calm and composed one, 50,000 troops will be enough to flatten the East China Sea of ​​Daqian and strike directly into the heart of Jiangnan."

Dainagon Tachibana Tadakatsu took over the conversation, but his opinion differed from that of Minamoto no Yoshikiyo.

"Your Majesty, I believe the Right Minister's words are inappropriate."

"The Eastern Barbarians have lost tens of thousands of soldiers and generals in the East China Sea of ​​Daqian, and even their commander-in-chief, Shimazu Ryunosuke, has been captured."

"If we rashly send troops again and suffer another setback, our Eastern Barbarian military strength will be dealt an unprecedented blow."

"At that time, our Eastern Barbarians will suffer more losses than gains."

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo turned his head and glanced at him, his eyes full of disdain: "According to you, we Eastern Barbarians should just swallow our anger and suffer this loss for nothing?"

Tachibana Tadakatsu did not avoid that gaze, but responded directly: "General Minamoto, as someone who leads armies, don't you know that underestimating the enemy is always a major taboo?"

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo ignored his words and coldly snorted, "My Eastern Yi Kingdom still has over 100,000 soldiers."

"The Great Qian court is corrupt, and the military has been weak for many years. This is the perfect opportunity for us to strike."

"If we miss this opportunity and other forces land first, we'll only be able to watch from across the sea as others feast on the spoils."

Tachibana Tadakatsu paused slightly, then chuckled, "Weak military commanders? If the Great Qian Dynasty truly had weak military commanders, why was Shimazu Ryunosuke captured?"

Why did Ōtomo Tetsumaru and Murakami Kaito die in battle?

"The Great Qian Dynasty has a vast territory and a large population, so it is not surprising that there are many hidden talents among them."

"If we underestimate this point, we will inevitably repeat the same mistakes."

"General Yuan, do you think Daqian is still as vulnerable as it was three years ago? The northern border has been recovered by Su Mu, and the East Sea has been pacified by him. This man's training and use of troops are rare in this era. How can we underestimate him?"

Minamoto Yoshikiyo snorted: "Tachibana Tadayoshi, you're just making excuses..."

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, the Emperor turned his gaze to the Left Minister Fujiwara no Shigenobu, who had remained silent.

Fujiwara Shigenobu slowly raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, General Minamoto's proposed direction for military action is correct, and Lord Tachibana's caution is also justified."

"The key issue is not whether to send troops, but how to send them."

"The Great Qian Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, while our Eastern Barbarians are isolated at sea, and their development is limited. We must go outward."

"But to send troops rashly without distinguishing between the real and the fake is a major taboo in military operations."

"I suggest that we first send the Eastern Secretariat to infiltrate the Great Qian Dynasty to find out the enemy's latest deployment and troop movements, and then formulate a detailed plan to ensure that every step is based on evidence."

"A well-thought-out plan is more effective than a hasty deployment of troops."

Emperor Jimmu asked, "Does my esteemed Fujiwara have a plan...?"

Just then, a voice came from the direction of the palace gate.

"The Eastern Secretariat, Shimazu Gennosuke requests an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, saying that he has extremely urgent intelligence to present in person."

The Emperor's lips twitched slightly: "Let him in."

The palace doors opened, and a gray figure slowly walked in.

Gennosuke Shimazu frowned, his face looking grim.

Approaching the Emperor, he bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I have received the latest intelligence from the south of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, all the Daisuke members turned to look at Gennosuke.

The Emperor leaned forward abruptly: "Speak."

Gennosuke was extremely serious, and his words were urgent.

"Grand Marshal Su Mu of the Great Qian Dynasty is recruiting soldiers and building warships in the Jiangnan region."

"His goal was to cross the East China Sea and crush the Eastern Barbarians."

Upon hearing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo was the first to burst out laughing.

"To crush the Eastern Barbarians? Have the people of Daqian gone mad?"

"They want to attack from across the entire East China Sea? That's the funniest joke I've heard all year."

A suppressed chuckle followed in the hall.

Some people shook their heads slightly, while others turned to look at their companions' expressions and burst out laughing.

The Emperor raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

Then, the laughter gradually subsided.

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo's smile faded slightly as he asked, "Gennosuke, tell me, how many troops does the Great Qian plan to send this time? With their military strength, they can only manage a maximum of fifty to sixty thousand, right?"

Gennosuke turned his head and stared at Minamoto no Yoshikiyo.

"General Yuan, according to my scouts, Su Mu has recruited 300,000 soldiers in Jiangnan so far."

Three hundred thousand?

The moment those words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

The smile on Minamoto Yoshikiyo's face hadn't completely faded before it froze.

The ministers who had been chuckling beside him just moments before now froze in their smiles.

The slap in the face came too suddenly.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jimmu, who was seated, suddenly stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "Three hundred thousand?"

The lingering sound trembled!

"They recruited 300,000 troops in the Jiangnan region alone?"

"Gennosuke, are you sure the information isn't wrong?"

"If this is wrong, I will cut off your head."

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely true," Gennosuke replied firmly, adding, "and the number is still growing."

"At the same time, the largest shipyard in Daqian, Longjiang Shipyard, has started construction and is building warships."

To save face, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo forced himself to say, "Three hundred thousand... Where does the Great Qian Dynasty get the confidence to support an army of three hundred thousand to wage war across the sea?"

Gennosuke said, "General Yuan, you are unaware of this. Scouts have reported that Grand Marshal Su Mu, who is the commander of the Eastern Expedition, is revered by the people of Daqian as the God of War of Daqian, and even as a deity."

"Therefore, the people trusted him implicitly and responded to his call one after another."

"Now, the people of Daqian are utterly loyal to Su Mu, and the entire army is of one mind."

"We in the Eastern Barbarians cannot help but worry about such an army."

After speaking, Gennosuke looked at the Emperor.

His words were addressed not only to Minamoto no Yoshikiyo, but also to the Emperor.

Emperor Jimmu took a deep breath, composed himself, and then sat back down. He looked at his ministers and asked, "My esteemed ministers, what do you think is the proper course of action regarding the Eastern Barbarians?"