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

On the other side of the East Sea, in the imperial city of the Eastern Barbarians, in the grand hall of the morning court.

As dawn breaks, the solemn court assembly begins.

The court officials stood on both sides, their expressions excited, and the hall was filled with an atmosphere of anticipation for the war against the Qian dynasty.

A lively and bustling scene.

For days, the entire Dongyi court has been preoccupied with the matter of uniting with Liuyu Kingdom to jointly attack Daqian.

In the eyes of these Dongyi courtiers, as long as the Dongyi and Ryukyu navies join forces and launch a cross-sea attack, they will surely be able to tear through the Great Qian East Sea defense line and then nibble away at the Great Qian territory in one fell swoop.

They, on the other hand, are able to enter the Great Qian Dynasty, enjoy its countless gold and beauties, and divide the world among themselves.

At this moment, the Eastern Emperor, sitting high on the dragon throne, looked arrogant, his gaze sweeping over his ministers, his tone filled with an air of certainty.

"My esteemed ministers, I have summoned you today to discuss when we can launch an attack on the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Also, how are your negotiations progressing regarding the treaty proposed by the King of Liuyu?"

"I can't wait any longer."

"During Takenaka Ryosuke's previous mission to Ryukyu, the alliance was finalized. Ryukyu's 100,000-strong navy is formidable. Once the alliance is formed, the two navies can join forces and cross the sea to attack Qian, with victory assured!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtiers in the hall echoed his sentiments, their faces beaming with ecstatic joy.

"Your Majesty the Emperor is wise! Ryukyu possesses a natural barrier near the sea, and its navy is skilled in naval warfare. If it joins forces with our Eastern Barbarians, we will surely be able to crush the Great Qian's coastal defenses!"

"Once we breach the Great Qian's East China Sea defenses, we can advance unimpeded and carve up the fertile lands of Great Qian!"

The ministers were in high spirits and had already begun to imagine the grand scene of the post-war division of territories.

At this moment, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo stepped forward, cupped his hands, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, I believe that the treaty should clearly stipulate that after the two countries successfully conquer Qian, the wealthy hinterland south of the Great Qian, the important salt and iron towns, and the trading ports must all belong to our Eastern Barbarians!"

"Liuyu is merely a small, weak country, only capable of occupying a small corner of the sea. We must never allow them to lay their hands on the fertile lands of Jiangnan!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room erupted in agreement.

"Yes, General Yuan is absolutely right."

"We absolutely cannot cede the heartland of Jiangnan in the Great Qian Dynasty to the Liuyu Kingdom. After all, that is the Great Qian Dynasty's money bag, the richest place in the Great Qian Dynasty's territory."

"Yes, even a condition like dividing Jiangnan equally is unacceptable."

"We, the Eastern Barbarians, must take complete control of Jiangnan."

In the hearts of the Dongyi people, the Liuyu Kingdom was nothing more than a pawn they deliberately tried to win over, a shield for others, and cannon fodder to pave the way.

The so-called alliance is nothing more than using the Liuyu navy to deplete the Daqian's military strength, and then, once the overall situation is settled, turning around to suppress Liuyu and take all the spoils.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction, his eyes filled with greed and calculation.

"General Yuan is right. Liuyu is small in size and population, and its scope is limited. It is not worthy of possessing a rich and prosperous territory."

"Once the campaign against Qian is successful, the important lands of Jiangnan will all belong to our Eastern Barbarians. Liuyu will only be able to receive land near the sea, which will be enough."

In the imperial court, everyone was in high spirits, as if a great victory was imminent and the vast territory was already in their grasp.

Fujiwara Shigenobu scoffed at the plan. He knew very well that such conditions were too unfair to Ryukyu Kingdom. They weren't stupid enough to agree to such an alliance.

Just as he was about to offer his advice and dissuade His Majesty the Emperor and his ministers from their delusional fantasies.

Suddenly, a series of hurried and flustered footsteps came from outside the hall...

A messenger stumbled into the main hall and knelt down to report urgently.

"Your Majesty, I hereby report an urgent message from the Eastern Sea Customs! The Kingdom of Ryukyu has dispatched an envoy across the sea with a wooden box, claiming it to be a precious gift from the King of Ryukyu to Your Majesty. It has been delivered to the Imperial City overnight by express courier!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in commotion once more.

The Kingdom of Liuyu has sent a generous gift?

All the ministers were overjoyed, convinced that the fact that Liuyu Kingdom had specially sent an envoy with gifts meant that the alliance had been finalized, and that Yu Linyuan had already made up his mind to side with Dongyi!

Emperor Jimmu was also overjoyed, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and he said loudly:

"Excellent! Well done, Yu Linyuan! He knows how to seize the moment! It seems there's no turning back on the alliance!"

"Bring the wooden box here immediately!"

"I want to see for myself what kind of lavish gift the King of Liuyu has sent!"

The attendant immediately stepped forward, carried a sealed black lacquered wooden box into the hall, and slowly opened it.

The box lid slowly opened, revealing no gold or jewels, no rare treasures, only a blood-soaked human head lying quietly, its hair disheveled, its face deathly pale, stained with blood, and its appearance grotesque and terrifying.

The sight instantly startled Emperor Jimmu, causing him to curl up and fall backward onto the dragon throne.

His smile froze instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, and a sudden chill ran through his body, a bone-chilling cold rushing from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He stared intently at the human head in the box, his legs trembling slightly, his earlier confidence completely gone.

In the deathly silence, his voice trembled as he demanded sharply, "Whose head is this? What is the meaning of this, Liuyu Kingdom?"

In an instant, the laughter and chatter came to an abrupt halt.

The entire Zichen Hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The civil and military officials, who had been so full of vigor just moments before, suddenly turned pale, their pupils contracted, and they all took a half step back, their faces filled with fear.

Fujiwara Shigenobu took a deep breath, recalling the events, and replied, "Your Majesty, this is the first courtesan of the Eastern Barbarians, whom you presented to the King of Ryukyu when Takenaka Ryosuke visited Ryukyu last time. She is also a ninja from our Eastern Barbarians!"

"Your Majesty, there are also letters in this box!"

"Take my faith! Quickly take my faith!" the Emperor roared angrily, his chest heaving violently, his rage boundless.

Fujiwara Shigenobu quickly took out the letter and read it aloud in front of everyone. Each word was cold and resounded throughout the hall.

The letter was written in a resolute tone, without the slightest hint of tact.

Yu Linyuan bluntly stated that he saw through the wolfish ambitions of the Eastern Barbarians, knowing that they intended to use Liuyu as a pawn, dragging Liuyu into the war against Qian and making her cannon fodder.

Effective immediately, the Kingdom of Liuyu completely rejects the Dongyi Alliance, severs all trade relations between the two countries, closes its border crossings, and expels all Dongyi people from Liuyu territory. From now on, the two countries will have no further dealings, each maintaining their own maritime territory and refraining from interfering with each other!

A single letter, each word like a knife.

All the fantasies, schemes, and dreams in the hearts of the Dongyi people were utterly crushed!

The lively scene of celebration and anticipation of the division of territories that had just unfolded instantly turned into the ultimate irony.

The faces of all the civil and military officials were ashen; everyone was shocked and speechless. The enormous contrast shocked them all, and they found it hard to accept.

"Impossible! An alliance had already been agreed upon, why is Yu Linyuan suddenly going back on his word!"

"The Kingdom of Liuyu is blatantly breaking its promises and playing a trick on us, the Eastern Barbarians!"

"To arbitrarily sever trade, expel our people, and execute the first singing girl of the Eastern Barbarians whom I gifted to him—this is simply outrageous!"

For a moment, shouts of anger, shock, and doubt rose and fell within the main hall.

"Yes, Yu Linyuan simply doesn't take our Dongyi seriously."

"What benefit could Liuyu Kingdom possibly gain from this action?"

The Emperor of Dongyi gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands, his face as gloomy as the deep sea before a storm, his heart filled with overwhelming anger and unease.

Two figures flashed through his mind. He stood up and shouted loudly:

"Summon... immediately summon Takenaka Ryosuke and Shimazu Gennosuke to the palace!"

……

Before long, Takenaka Ryosuke, who was in charge of the mission to Ryukyu and the formation of the alliance, and Shimazu Gennosuke, the minister who recommended him, hurriedly entered the palace.

The two had just performed the kneeling ceremony when they looked up and saw the human head in the wooden box. Instantly, their bodies stiffened, all color drained from their faces, and their expressions were filled with disbelief.

Ryosuke Takenaka was deeply shocked, his mind went completely blank.

He had clearly planned every step of the way, planting spies and using persuasive words, and was already certain that the alliance would be foolproof.

Unexpectedly, the situation completely reversed in just a few days. Not only was the alliance nullified, but the top ninjas planted in the royal palace were also beheaded and sent back!

Before the two could speak, Fujiwara Shigenobu slowly stepped forward, his expression solemn, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Liu Yu's sudden change of heart was not without reason."

"I surmise that the Great Qian must have already known that the Eastern Yi wanted to win over Liuyu, and then they quickly took action."

"They might even send the entire Qianlong navy to intimidate Liuyu!"

"Yu Linyuan feared the strength of the Great Qian Dynasty and saw through our schemes, therefore he broke the alliance and sided with the Great Qian Dynasty!"

Fujiwara Shigenobu's words were truly a wake-up call!

These words resounded like a thunderclap in the hall.

The previously furious Emperor of Dongyi suddenly felt a chill run through his body, and an endless panic welled up in his heart.

Yes!

Without pressure from the Great Qian Dynasty, how could Liuyu dare to openly break ties with the Eastern Yi and sever the alliance at the cost of complete enmity?

The Great Qian Dynasty must have revealed its terrifying strength, making Liu Yu realize that relying on the Eastern Barbarians was a dead end, and that befriending the Great Qian Dynasty was the way to prosper!

Upon realizing this, the Emperor's anger transformed into a deep-seated fear.

With the fall of one ally and the loss of the other, Liuyu turned against them, and Dongyi was instantly left isolated and helpless!

The battle against Qian, which had been a sure thing, instantly turned into a desperate situation!

Just as the court was in a state of panic and chaos, another soldier rushed into the hall, shouting:

"Urgent report! Your Majesty! Urgent report from the East China Sea!"

"The Great Qian Dynasty's 300,000 elite naval forces have all assembled at Zhenhai Pass!"

"Huge warships are arrayed in the East China Sea, fully prepared and ready to cross it at any moment, heading straight for our Eastern Barbarians!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall was filled with shock.

The Emperor of Dongyi sat stiffly on the dragon throne, his eyes glazed over, his body cold, and his mind blank.

Alliance hopeless, neighboring countries defecting, powerful enemies pressing in...

At that moment, he completely panicked.

The vast Eastern Barbarian lands faced an uncertain future and were on the verge of collapse. He no longer knew how to end things or what to do!