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

Qingchaojing, the capital of the Eastern Yi.

Outside the palace gates of the imperial city, hooves thundered, raising clouds of dust!

Covered in soot and dust, Ito Shinmu, along with his senior retainers Minamoto no Yoshikiyo and Takenaka Ryosuke, fled into the Imperial Palace like a stray dog.

At this moment, he had long lost the majestic demeanor of the emperor he once possessed.

Having just escaped death from the hellish East China Sea battlefield, witnessing the annihilation of the entire nation's navy and the loss of 150,000 elite troops to the sea, his mind was already on the verge of collapse.

Upon entering the city, he dared not rest for a moment and went straight to the Chaoyin Hall, the central council hall.

The moment he sat down, he could no longer suppress his panic and issued a series of imperial edicts in a stern voice!

"By imperial decree! Immediately mobilize all 10,000 Imperial Guards from the palace to leave the city! They will be stationed at all nine gates of the capital, maintaining strict vigilance and remaining there at all times!"

"Urgent order! All soldiers defending the three cities of Gangjin, Fengyuan, and Binpu must immediately retreat to the capital and assemble to defend the Imperial City!"

The imperial edict was issued, and the attendants in the hall dared not hesitate, quickly accepting the order. Sangyu went down to convey the edict.

Upon hearing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo was greatly shocked. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked urgently:

"Your Majesty! Have all the troops from the three cities been withdrawn to the capital?"

"What about the other border towns and coastal counties?"

"Once undefended, the Great Qian army will surely advance unimpeded after landing!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the main hall instantly became heavy.

Ito Jinmu slammed his hand heavily on the imperial desk, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse and agitated, filled with a desperate and reckless resolve: "How can I possibly care about the other counties?!"

"The combined garrison of all the cities in the country can only be pieced together to a force of thirty to forty thousand, and even with the imperial guards, the total number of troops is only fifty thousand!"

"The Great Qian's 300,000-strong army, fierce and powerful, is fully prepared for battle. Their warships are invincible, their artillery is unparalleled, and their forces outnumber ours by six times!"

"If we disperse our forces to garrison various small towns, we will only be defeated and gradually devoured by the Great Qian army, resulting in pointless deaths!"

"I am based in the capital, a city with high walls, ample supplies, and complete weaponry—the only place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack!"

"The only course of action now is to concentrate all our forces to defend the capital and hold the line! As for the other counties, I... am unable to attend to them all!"

His words were blunt and cruel, revealing the desperate situation the Eastern Yi people were in.

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo's body stiffened abruptly, and he was completely dumbfounded, standing there in a daze, a chill running down his spine.

He never expected that Ito Kamu, who was always arrogant and self-important and considered himself a great ruler, would make such a decision to abandon the world and its people when faced with a desperate situation!

Abandon the border, abandon the counties, abandon hundreds of thousands of coastal residents!

Once the Great Qian army lands, with no one to stop them, they will inevitably slaughter cities and villages and wreak havoc across the entire territory.

At that time, countless Dongyi people will be plunged into the inferno of war, with countless deaths and injuries!

Minamoto Yoshikiyo felt a sharp pain in his heart, filled with sorrow. He subconsciously turned to look at Takenaka Ryosuke beside him, his gaze earnest, hoping that the other would speak up and stop this absurd imperial decree.

But the next second, Takenaka Ryosuke's words completely stunned Minamoto Yoshikiyo.

Ryosuke Takenaka remained calm and solemn, bowing slightly: "Your Majesty is wise. I agree with Your Majesty's decision."

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief: "Mr. Takenaka! Do you know what this means?"

"To abandon the outer towns is to abandon the people! To allow the Great Qian army to sweep across the land!"

Ryosuke Takenaka shook his head slightly, his tone calm to the point of being almost icy: "General Minamoto, things have come to this point, and there is no room for any womanly compassion."

"Our 150,000-strong Dongyi navy was completely annihilated, our sea defenses collapsed, and only 50,000 soldiers remain in the entire country."

"With such a disparity in troop strength, further dividing our forces to garrison various locations would be tantamount to digging our own graves and willingly throwing our lives away!"

"Only by concentrating all our strength to defend the imperial city can we preserve the last glimmer of hope for the Eastern Barbarians."

"But Gangjin City is our first land defense line in the East! With the advantage of the harbor, we can still hold off the enemy for a while!" Minamoto no Yoshikiyo roared unwillingly.

"It's too late." Takenaka Ryosuke's tone was firm, and his words were clear. "At this moment, the Daqian army must have already finished resting and is ready to land at any time. Our army hastily mobilized troops and simply does not have time to deploy defenses along the port and Tianjin lines."

"The imperial city has towering walls, complete defenses, and abundant food supplies, making it the only stronghold that can be held for a long time."

"Abandoning the branches and leaves, preserving the roots, is the only way to break the deadlock right now."

Minamoto Yoshikiyo listened to this analysis in a daze, and had to admit that everything Takenaka Ryosuke said was true and irrefutable.

In their desperate situation, they had no other choice.

Hey……

He sighed deeply, utterly exhausted, and powerless to argue any longer. He could only accept this cruel decision.

The messenger immediately rode swiftly, carrying the imperial edict to all directions.

In the short span of half an incense stick's time, the bells of the Chaoyin Hall rang out loudly, urgently summoning civil and military officials to court for political discussions.

Before long, the entire court of civil and military officials, dressed in their official robes, rushed into the main hall one after another, looking flustered and walking hurriedly.

The imperial court at this moment had long lost its former solemnity, majesty, and orderly atmosphere.

All the ministers were pale and terrified, whispering among themselves, and the entire hall was filled with extreme panic and despair.

The devastating news of the annihilation of the entire 150,000-strong East China Sea naval force had already spread throughout the capital.

Everyone knows that the capital upon which the Eastern Barbarians relied to dominate the East China Sea has been completely destroyed, and all the natural defenses at sea have been lost. Now, 300,000 elite troops of the Great Qian Dynasty are eyeing them covetously, ready to cross the sea and land at any time to crush the Eastern Barbarians.

How could a mere 50,000 soldiers withstand the invincible iron army of the Great Qian Dynasty?

There is absolutely no chance of winning!

Panic-filled discussions rose and fell, morale plummeted, the army lost all hope, and the entire nation and the court were in complete chaos.

"Quiet!!"

"From the throne, Ito Shinmu shouted loudly."

"I have summoned you to court to discuss strategies for repelling the enemy and saving the country, not to have you cause a ruckus and disturb my peace of mind!"

The angry rebuke fell, and the entire court fell silent instantly, no one daring to utter another word.

But everyone remained with their heads down, looking at each other blankly, no one daring to step forward and offer a suggestion.

Faced with a formidable enemy, overwhelming disparity in strength, and a desperate situation that seemed to be collapsing the heavens and earth, even the entire court of civil and military officials were helpless!

A deathly silence enveloped the entire hall, so oppressive it was suffocating.

Just then, an elderly official dressed in a civil official's robe, with slightly white hair and beard, slowly stepped out of the queue, bowed and clasped his hands, his expression solemn. He was none other than the current court official, Tachibana Tadakatsu.

"Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, I have something to say, and I will risk my life to present it to you."

Suppressing his anger, Ito Shinbu said in a deep voice, "You speak."

Tachibana Tadakatsu took a deep breath, looked directly at the throne, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty..."

"After this naval battle, our Eastern Barbarians have lost all their elite troops and breached all their natural defenses. With only 50,000 soldiers in the entire country, we are afraid that we will have no power to resist the 300,000 fierce and powerful troops of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Stubborn resistance will only lead to defeat, national annihilation, and the downfall of the royal family!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you send envoys to sue for peace, and that the entire nation submit to your rule, in exchange for a glimmer of hope for the survival of the Eastern Barbarians!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of agreement immediately arose within the hall!

"Lord Tachibana is absolutely right! In this desperate situation, the only option is to seek peace!"

"Fighting again will lead to certain death! Seeking peace is the only way to survive!"

"We implore Your Majesty to reconsider and protect the nation and its people!"

Most of the civil and military officials stepped forward to echo his sentiments, and everyone's thoughts were aligned.

If you can't beat them, you have no choice but to surrender!

As his ministers urged him to make peace, Ito Jinmu sat on his throne, his mind trembling violently.

He knew perfectly well that everything Tachibana Tadakatsu said was true, and that resisting to the end would only lead to the destruction of the country.

Seeing that the Emperor was interested, Tachibana Tadakatsu quickly pressed his advantage, loudly proclaiming, "Your Majesty! I have heard of precedents to follow!"

"In the past, the Northern Di invaded the northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, but were ultimately defeated and routed. The Northern Di king was killed in battle, and his brother Tuoba Lie led his people to surrender to the Great Qian Dynasty, voluntarily submitting to its rule and paying tribute every year!"

"The Great Qian Dynasty then established a policy of 'one dynasty, two systems,' preserving the fiefdoms and territories of the Northern Barbarians, allowing them autonomy, and ensuring mutual non-aggression, resulting in peace and stability year after year!"

"Now that we, the Eastern Barbarians, are in dire straits, we can follow the example of the Northern Barbarians, submit to the Great Qian Dynasty, pay tribute annually, and seek a system of two dynasties under one rule. This will preserve the Eastern Barbarians' state and ancestral temples, and save us from the calamity of national subjugation and destruction!"

One regime, two systems!

Those four words, like a lifeline, instantly ignited the despair in Ito Kamuyashi's eyes!

The mind that was on the verge of collapse was instantly rekindled with a glimmer of hope!

He stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the assembled civil and military officials, his voice filled with urgent anticipation: "My esteemed ministers!"

"Is it truly feasible for us Eastern Barbarians to emulate the Northern Di, submitting to their rule and seeking a dual system under one dynasty?"

His gaze swept across the room, and Fujiwara no Shigenobu stepped forward first, his expression grave yet resolute: "Your Majesty! This is our only way out for the Eastern Barbarians, our last chance! We must try!"

All the ministers nodded in agreement, and no one objected.

Finally, Ito Jinwu's gaze fell on Takenaka Ryosuke, who stood silently to the side, and he asked in a deep voice, "Mr. Takenaka, what do you think?"

Takenaka Ryosuke remained silent for a moment, then looked out at the vast sea and sky outside the palace. He sighed softly and cupped his hands slightly: "Your Majesty, in this desperate situation, there is no other way. This is the only chance of survival, and it is worth a try."

Having received Ryosuke Takenaka's affirmative reply, Shinbu Itō had no more doubts.

He let out a long breath, the struggle and resentment in his eyes fading away, replaced by a helpless compromise and forbearance, and said in a deep voice:

"Very well! Let's proceed as the ministers have decided!"

"Immediately dispatch envoys to the Great Qian navy camp to meet with Su Mu, sue for peace and surrender, and earnestly request the Great Qian to implement a system of two regimes under one dynasty, allowing our Eastern Yi to submit and survive!"

With the imperial edict in place, the next step was to select envoys.

Ito Shinmu's gaze swept over the assembled officials, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who is willing to go to the enemy camp on my behalf, to the Great Qian army to sue for peace, and to seek a chance for survival for the people of Dongyi?"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the civil and military officials who had been vying to advise and seek peace fell silent!

All the civil and military officials lowered their heads and avoided eye contact, everyone shrinking back in fear, and not one dared to respond.

Sending an envoy to the enemy camp to meet the victorious commander-in-chief of the Great Qian Dynasty is extremely dangerous!

The two armies are sworn enemies. Seeking peace this time is tantamount to venturing into the tiger's den, with a slim chance of survival!

These civil and military officials, who usually reside in the imperial court and enjoy their salaries, are all greedy for life and afraid of death when faced with difficulties. Not one of them dares to risk his life for the country!

Looking at the scene before him, Ito Shinbu felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow and bitter irony.

When the nation is in peril and the country is on the verge of collapse, the civil and military officials who usually talk big and are loyal to the emperor and the country all cower and hide to avoid disaster and live a life of ignominy!

Just as the entire place fell silent and no one responded, a composed figure slowly stepped out of the queue.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go."

Ryosuke Takenaka stood with a bow, his expression calm and resolute, his tone forceful and clear.

Everyone in the room looked up instantly, their faces filled with astonishment.

No one expected that the one who would step forward and risk his life in the end would not be a high-ranking prince or minister who had enjoyed a life of luxury for generations, but rather Ryosuke Takenaka, a strategist who entered officialdom from humble beginnings!

He had no hereditary title or official position, and could have stayed out of it and protected himself. However, when no one in the country dared to take responsibility, he stepped forward and was willing to go into the land of tigers and wolves to seek peace for the sake of the people of Dongyi and the survival of the nation!

On his throne, Ito Shinmu stared blankly at Takenaka Ryosuke, who stood alone below, his heart filled with mixed emotions, sorrow, and shame.

All the officials and ministers in the court were corrupt and opportunistic.

A poor scholar, he dedicated himself to his country!

How ironic, how ridiculous!

After a long silence, he suppressed the bitterness in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Master Zhuzhong is truly virtuous! I entrust this matter to you!"