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

The Eastern Yi Imperial City, Qingchao Capital, Chaoyin Palace.

For days, the entire hall has been shrouded in a thick layer of gloom, and the oppressive atmosphere makes it hard to breathe.

Inside the hall, civil and military officials lined up on both sides, each with a haggard face and bloodshot eyes, showing their exhaustion and anxiety.

Ever since Takenaka Ryosuke went alone to the Daqian army camp to sue for peace, Emperor Ito Jinmu of the Eastern Barbarian Empire and his court officials have been caught in an endless period of torment and waiting.

Sleepless nights, worried day after day.

Everyone knew that Takenaka Ryosuke's trip was fraught with danger, and the so-called peace talks were merely a last, extremely slim hope.

But now, the Eastern Yi have lost territory after territory, and their 150,000-strong army has been defeated. They have no choice but to pin their hopes on this peace talk that is gambled on the fate of their nation.

Even though they knew deep down that the chances were slim, they could only cling to this last sliver of hope and wait anxiously for news from the front lines.

Just as the hall was filled with a deathly silence, a series of footsteps slowly sounded from outside the hall.

……

General Minamoto no Yoshikiyo strode into the Chōon-den, arrived at the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Ito Shinmu on the throne.

"Your Majesty the Emperor!"

"The 20,000 garrison troops stationed in Fengyuan City have all been ordered to withdraw and have now moved into Qingchaojing to guard the south gate defense line."

"At this point, all the outer city garrisons within our Eastern Yi territory have been gathered and assembled within the imperial city, totaling 65,000 elite troops, ready for battle!"

Upon hearing this, Ito Shinbu's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded slightly, a faint sense of calm flashing in his eyes.

"it is good."

Ito Kamui's voice was hoarse and tired, carrying the weariness of days of anxiety, as he gave the order in a deep voice.

"By imperial decree, all soldiers must rest and recuperate, repair city defenses, stockpile arrows and provisions, remain vigilant at all times, and be prepared to fight to the death at any moment!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Minamoto no Yoshikiyo solemnly accepted the order.

But this brief period of peace did not last long. Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, mixed with the soldiers' panting.

A city guard captain, his clothes disheveled and his face pale, hadn't even had time to straighten his shoes. He stumbled and ran wildly into the main hall, nearly bumping into Minamoto no Yoshikiyo who was replying. The scene was extremely chaotic.

All the officials and civil servants turned their heads, a strong sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.

The captain, disregarding any sense of propriety, knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with extreme fear and panic, and cried out urgently:

"Your Majesty! Urgent report!"

"Reports from scouts at the front lines in Gangjin City indicate that the Great Qian army has already set out in full force and successfully captured the entire territory of Gangjin. The army has not stopped at all, with cavalry leading the way and infantry following closely behind. At this moment, they are rapidly advancing towards Binpu City, their advance aimed directly at Qingchao Capital!"

These few words, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout the Chaoyin Hall!

The once oppressive and deathly silent hall instantly exploded!

All the civil and military officials turned deathly pale, their pupils contracted sharply, their bodies turned ice-cold, and a deep-seated despair instantly swept over them.

The entire Daqian army advanced and captured cities one after another, which meant that Takenaka Ryosuke's peace talks had completely failed!

Their last hope, which they had been waiting for for days, has been completely shattered!

Ito Shinmu, sitting on the throne, trembled violently. All his strength was instantly drained, and he slumped back onto the dragon throne, his eyes glazed over, his face pale, and his eyes filled with endless fear and despair.

His last shred of hope was shattered.

He knew that Takenaka Ryosuke had failed to hold back the Great Qian army and had not been able to gain even a moment's respite.

Next, what awaits Qingchaojing and the entire Dongyi region is the desperate situation of the 300,000 fierce and powerful troops of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the destruction and collapse of the country!

The court officials were instantly thrown into chaos, unable to maintain any semblance of decorum. Flustered discussions and terrified whispers rose and fell, echoing throughout the entire hall.

"It's over! It's completely over! The peace talks have utterly failed!"

"Three hundred thousand elite troops of the Great Qian Dynasty are invincible. How can my Eastern Barbarians, with only sixty thousand soldiers left, possibly stop them?"

"The Great Qian army is incredibly powerful. If they were to invade, would they massacre entire cities in retaliation? Would they slaughter all the people of my Eastern Yi tribe?"

"Yes! Three hundred thousand soldiers could easily slaughter my Qingchao Capital. We are like caged beasts with no way to escape!"

For a time, the entire court was filled with anxiety and chaos.

The civil officials were in a panic, everyone felt insecure, and the hall was filled with the wails of those who clung to life out of fear of death. Ito Shinmu's head was spinning, his mind was in turmoil, and his heart was filled with a mixture of anger and despair.

"That's enough!"

A deafening roar suddenly exploded!

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo's face was ashen, his eyes sharp as he swept over the panicked ministers, his entire being radiating a chilling fighting spirit, and he roared angrily:

"A bunch of cowards who cling to life!"

"Now that the country is on the verge of collapse, instead of thinking of fighting to the death to serve your country, you are groveling and begging for mercy, trembling with fear of death. You are utterly cowardly and laughable!"

"With peace talks having failed, there is no turning back!"

"Now that things have come to this, there's no need to panic, no need to beg for mercy!"

"Everyone, take up arms, scale the city walls, and fight the Great Qian to the death! To die for one's country is better than to kneel in humiliation!"

Under the stern rebuke, the chaos and noise in the hall subsided slightly. The civil officials looked ashamed, but could not hide the fear in their eyes.

At that moment, Tachibana Tadakatsu, who had been standing silently in the ranks of civil officials, slowly raised his eyes, spoke, and his expression was calm.

He looked at the captain who had just delivered the message and asked in a deep voice:

"I ask you, after the Great Qian army conquered the entire territory of Gangjin, did they commit any massacres? Did they burn, kill, loot, and wantonly harm our Eastern Yi people?"

The question left everyone present stunned, not understanding its meaning.

The captain composed himself, carefully recalling the details reported by his scouts at the front, then shook his head, a look of doubt on his face:

"My lord, this matter is quite strange."

"After the Daqian army entered the city, they strictly adhered to military discipline and did not commit any offenses."

"As long as the people of Dongyi stay at home and do not rebel, the soldiers of Daqian will not disturb the people and will take over the city safely."

After hearing the reply, Tachibana Tadatsura nodded slowly.

"I see."

He looked at the assembled officials and ministers, his tone filled with compassion and benevolence, and slowly said, "The conflict between nations is a matter for the court and the military; innocent civilians should never be involved."

"As long as the people are safe and sound, and not slaughtered by war, it will be the greatest blessing in the midst of our misfortune, and the best outcome."

These words were spoken with righteous indignation, displaying the demeanor of a loyal minister who cared for the people and had compassion for them.

Seeing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo's eyes flashed with disdain, a mocking sneer curling his lips as he spoke calmly:

"Lord Zhongxiao's concern for the people is truly admirable. We only hope that his love for the people is genuine, and not merely a pretext for protecting his own future and making other plans!"

The words were sharp and pointed, directly addressing people's concerns.

Tachibana Tadakatsu's face instantly darkened, his expression turning angry. He stepped forward and retorted in a deep voice:

"General Yuan, what do you mean by this? With the nation in peril, I am concerned for the people. What wrong have I done? How can you make baseless accusations and malicious slander!"

"Enough! All of you, shut up!"

Just as the two were arguing and confronting each other, Ito Jinbu, sitting on the throne, suddenly roared angrily!

All the ministers and military officers bowed their heads, their eyes fixed on the Emperor.

Ito Shinbu slowly rose from the dragon throne, his usual timidity, fear, and exhaustion completely gone. Suddenly, a resolute and fierce crimson light ignited in his dazed eyes.

A powerful and unyielding spirit, ready to die for one's cause.

With things having come to this point, peace talks have completely failed, and all avenues for retreat have been severed.

Seeking peace means death, and so does resistance!

The only option is to fight to the death!

Ito Shinmu's sharp gaze swept over the entire court, his voice resounding and firm, each word dripping with emotion.

"Ryosuke Takenaka's peace talks have failed, the Great Qian army is pressing in, and the threat of national annihilation is imminent!"

"Since there is no way to seek peace, and no way to retreat, then we, the Eastern Barbarians, have no choice but to fight!"

"I want to see how the Great Qian Dynasty will destroy the Eastern Barbarians and raze Qingchao Capital after their 60,000 loyal souls have defended the imperial city!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Guards! Bring me my battle robe and armor!"

The attendant outside the hall immediately bowed and entered, carrying a set of gilded and solemn imperial armor.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire court, Ito Shinmu personally raised his hand, removed his loose dragon robe, and meticulously donned his armor, tightened his waist guard, and put on his helmet.

Finally, he reached out and grasped the Emperor's samurai sword hanging behind the dragon throne, gripped the hilt tightly, and suddenly drew the sword from its sheath!

The sharp edge of the blade flashed with a cold light...

Ito Kamuyatsu stood with his sword in hand, his voice hoarse and furious, echoing throughout the hall:

"Su Mu! Da Qian!"

"I, Ito Jinbu, will never compromise! From this day forward, I will defend the Imperial City to the death, fighting to the bitter end!"

Seeing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo was deeply moved. He immediately strode forward, knelt heavily on both knees, clasped his hands, and shouted:

"This humble general is willing to follow His Majesty to the death! To live and die with Qingchao Capital! To fight the Great Qian Dynasty to the bitter end!"

Immediately following, all the generals in the hall knelt down, their voices shaking the heavens, their fighting spirit soaring.

"We swear to follow His Majesty the Emperor to the death! We will fight to the bitter end and never retreat!"

Ito Shinmu's gaze slowly shifted to Tachibana Tadakatsu, Fujiwara Shigenobu, and other civil officials, his eyes sharp and cold as he issued a warning in a deep voice.

"Although you are civil officials, unskilled in warfare, the nation is on the verge of collapse, and no egg remains unbroken when the nest is overturned!"

"From this moment forward, I also expect you to abandon all literary pursuits, prepare your weapons at all times, and be ready to storm the city walls and fight the enemy!"

"Once the Great Qian army breaches the city, no one will escape unscathed; they will not spare a single official of our Eastern Barbarians!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he gripped his katana and strode out of the throne.

"Generals, follow me to the city walls to inspect the defenses, reorganize the army, and prepare for battle!"

"From this day forward, the entire nation shall fight to the death against the Great Qian!"