Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

"allow."

The Empress Dowager paused for a moment, then continued:

"What does Your Majesty think?"

You've already approved it, so why are you asking me?

Chen Shao now has a good understanding of his role as a puppet.

"Everything is up to the Empress Dowager."

This child is teachable...

The Empress Dowager, behind the screen, smiled slightly.

If you behave well, we can get along better.

Wang Zheng knew that the situation was hopeless; without the retired emperor, he was nothing in the court.

He did not protest his innocence and allowed the Imperial Guards to take him down.

Taking over the throne was just a side issue; the real priority was what needed to be discussed next.

Beimang and go south!

how to respond?

The atmosphere inside the main hall immediately became heavy.

After a moment, people slowly stepped forward.

"The Northern Barbarian cavalry is unparalleled in the world. This time, even an army of 500,000 was completely wiped out. Now, the capital city has at most 30,000 old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers left. The military strength is depleted..."

"If the Northern Barbarians invade from the south, there is absolutely no way to resist them. In my humble opinion, the only solution now is to move the capital south to Jinling!"

"Relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, we can plan for future actions!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.

But this is a thought shared by everyone.

Five hundred thousand was wiped out in no time, what's the point of fighting anymore?

By migrating south early, the Northern Barbarians, who were not skilled in naval warfare, were able to gain control of half the country.

Immediately, a chorus of agreement arose in the imperial court.

"Indeed, the Northern Barbarians are powerful and cannot be defeated by force."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. The southward relocation is merely a temporary measure. We should wait to recuperate and rebuild before planning a northern expedition!"

"The capital has no natural defenses; rather than waiting to be defeated, it's better to move the capital to avoid the enemy's advance!"

"Nanjing has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. No matter how powerful the Northern Mang cavalry are, they can't just cross the river on horseback, can they?"

"I second that proposal!"

"I second that opinion!"

Voices of agreement rose and fell, and one courtier after another knelt down.

However, at that moment, an untimely yet powerful shout rang out in the hall.

"fart!"

A fart, and it was like a thunderclap.

Everyone turned around at once and saw that it was Yu Qi'an, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Information about this person immediately came to Chen Shao's mind.

Yu Qi'an started as a county magistrate and climbed step by step to become the Vice Minister of War.

He held the rank of third grade official.

Now that the Minister of War has died in battle during the Northern Expedition, he is the de facto head of the Ministry of War.

This person is a notorious troublemaker, with a strong personality who never takes sides or curries favor with the powerful.

"Yu Qi'an, what are you saying! This is utterly disgraceful!"

"I'm telling you, you're all talking nonsense! At a time like this, forget about being civilized!"

"Move the capital? What capital are you talking about!"

"The capital city is the very foundation of the Great Yan Kingdom, and the mausoleums of all our ancestors are located here!"

"The ancestral temples are here, the altars of the state are here! You think you can just move them like that?"

"The 500,000-strong army is gone! But the Great Yan Dynasty has more than just 500,000 men!"

"The northern garrisons still have troops stationed there, and each prefecture and county has its own militia. The eight major garrisons alone have hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers. If the imperial court were to raise its voice, the number of troops coming to the aid of the emperor would easily exceed one million."

"You guys are something else, thinking about running away before the enemy even attacks?"

He got angrier and angrier as he talked.

"If the emperors of the past knew that their ministers' first reaction in times of national crisis was to move the capital and flee, they would probably be turning in their graves!"

Yu Qi'an unleashed his full power, and for a time, he single-handedly subdued the entire court.

Everyone was speechless... Moving the capital was indeed not a glorious thing.

If the sky falls, there are big guys to hold it up. Even the emperor isn't worried, so why are they?

The court officials all turned their gazes toward their leader.

Han Cao remained expressionless. This Yu Qi'an was truly courting death.

"Minister Yu".

"As the Vice Minister of War, you hold the rank of third grade, making you a high-ranking official in the imperial court."

"In the imperial court, how can one speak such vulgar and offensive language, constantly spouting nonsense and 'I am a master'?"

"When civil and military officials discuss matters here, even if they have different opinions, they should persuade others with reason, rather than resorting to tantrums and cursing."

"Your behavior is no different from that of a street thug."

He cursed fiercely, but Yu Qi'an was not afraid at all, and met Han Cao's gaze head-on.

"Then you should ask the Prime Minister: the entire court is filled with high-ranking officials, all receiving the emperor's salary, yet not a single one dares to speak of war or defense; they only kneel and beg to move south. What kind of decorum is this?"

The two engaged in a heated debate, with the third-ranking official directly confronting the prime minister in front of the entire court.

Chen Shao watched from above and was full of amazement.

It's a miracle that Yu Qi'an is still alive.

The verbal sparring between the two had reached a fever pitch.

Yu Qi'an, head held high and his official hat already thrown to the ground, shouted:

"If the Prime Minister is determined to move south, then I, Yu Qi'an, will resign my post!"

"How dare you, Yu Qi'an!"

"cough."

The Empress Dowager finally couldn't stand it any longer and coughed lightly.

"Minister Yu's loyalty is commendable and his heart is pitiable. Prime Minister Han is mature and prudent in his approach to the country, and his intentions are also very good."

"We're all doing this for the sake of the Great Yan dynasty, why go to such lengths?"

"Minister Yu, put away your official hat. You are the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a pillar of the court. How can you just quit like that?"

"As for whether or not to relocate the capital, and the overall strategy for defense and defense, this matter concerns the survival of the nation. Your Majesty, I, and several ministers have discussed it for a long time, and Your Majesty has already made up your mind."

"This matter will be resolved soon; there is no need to argue about it endlessly in the court."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the young emperor who had remained silent on the dragon throne.

Has His Majesty already made a decision?

Even Chen Shao was taken aback. Had the Emperor already made his decision?

How could I not know?

Oh, it's these old guys who want me to take the blame.

After all, the southward migration, the exodus of the elite, was something that would be condemned and humiliated.

Isn't this exactly what he did to ascend the throne?

Han Cao finally had a way out, and waved his hand dismissively.

"Court is adjourned. His Majesty has the authority to make decisions on his own. You may all wait and see."

"Everyone should do their job and not lose their composure."

Just then, another clear voice rang out in the hall.

"Wait a minute!"

The Yuwen father and son exchanged a glance, and the younger Yuwen Chen stepped forward from the crowd.

He straightened his sleeves and bowed slightly to the emperor on the dragon throne.

"His Majesty."

"I heard that Your Majesty defeated the Crown Prince in one move yesterday. I have been practicing martial arts since childhood and am quite interested in this."

"I'm itching to show off my skills and humbly request Your Majesty's guidance. Would that be so kind of you?"

Chen Shao's gaze fell on him.

A transparent panel immediately appeared.

[Name: Yuwen Chendu]

[Military Strength: 118, Domestic Affairs: 10, Intelligence: 80, Ambition: 125.]

"No, I don't have time to give you pointers," Chen Shao decisively refused.

He knew his own limitations very well, and his victory over the eldest prince was entirely due to the "murder of brothers" statistic.

Why bother fighting with a brute like that?

Challenging the Emperor? The entire hall erupted in uproar.

This is absolutely unprecedented.

Although Chen Shao was just a puppet emperor, he was nominally the Son of Heaven of the Great Yan Dynasty.

This is deceiving the emperor!

Immediately, an official spoke out in rebuke:

"Yuwen Chendu! How dare you! His Majesty is of noble birth and supreme status; how could he possibly engage in a contest of fists with a mere warrior like you?"

"To openly challenge the Emperor in the imperial court—where do you place the proper order between ruler and subject? This is utterly outrageous!"

"Ah! Gentlemen, you are mistaken."

General Yuwen Huagu strode out, his face beaming with smiles.

"What is the relationship between my son and His Majesty? They are cousins!"

"We were friends when we were kids, we used to steal birds together. In terms of age, Your Majesty should call Chen Du an elder brother."

"How did a friendly sparring match between brothers, just to loosen up their muscles, escalate into a discussion of the fundamental principles of ruler-subject relations?"

Eh?

Chen Shao's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Is he also an elder brother?