Chapter 148: The Court and the Realm Are Shocked; I Never Expected Jin Nian to Master Even My Own Move!

Shock.

Everyone froze in place.

The Da Xia soldiers were stunned, frightened by the scene before them.

Even battle‑hardened soldiers had never encountered such a situation.

During war, sudden wind and rain are normal, and even hail is not unusual.

But fire stones falling from the sky, they truly hadn't expected.

The Xiongnu soldiers were stunned, yet they couldn't escape.

Fire stones fell one by one, leaving hundreds of large craters around, some smaller, and several major ones that killed thousands of elite troops.

Of the 250,000‑strong army, nearly a third were brutally wiped out by these fire stones.

Among them, the cavalry was reduced by at least 20,000.

Flesh and blood were smeared, warhorses shattered.

More importantly, the Xiongnu warhorses were in complete panic, unable to be controlled no matter how the cavalry struggled.

Ding! Ding! Ding! The clanging signal sounded, indicating a retreat; with this sudden turn, who would still dare to keep fighting?

The campaign started poorly, losing a third of the troops at the outset—what's the point of fighting? As the clanging sounded, all Xiongnu soldiers fled toward the rear.

The Xiongnu cavalry did their utmost to control the warhorses, but the horses simply wouldn't obey.

At that moment, a voice rang out, leaving each Xiongnu soldier utterly bewildered.

"Run, more fire stones!"

When the voice sounded, many soldiers looked up.

Above the heavens, three bright fire stones appeared, seemingly larger than the previous ones.

At that moment, the Xiongnu soldiers could no longer stay seated.

Earlier, the retreat signal had been orderly, with some discipline.

Now, seeing this, there's no order at all—run quickly.

Even the Xiongnu soldiers who were still rescuing the wounded now dared not delay, each fleeing toward the rear.

They aren't afraid of battle.

But there's no need to die needlessly.

Each fire stone that fell had power nearly equal to a full‑force strike from a Seventh Realm cultivator.

That's clearly a death trap; no one would be that foolish.

They fled wildly, without a single thought.

The Xiongnu cavalry grew even harsher, abandoning their warhorses and rushing off the battlefield; these horses were bred by the Xiongnu, fiercely loyal, and if left alive here, they'd return on their own.

If captured by Da Xia Dynasty troops, they would show no fear; these horses would never obey Da Xia soldiers, recognizing only Xiongnu as masters.

Moreover, they are all stallions and can only breed with Xiongnu mares, so there's no worry that the Da Xia Dynasty would use them for breeding.

Thus, staying here, the worst outcome is death.

They fled wildly, losing without a fight.

The Xiongnu soldiers swarmed away in a frenzy.

And the fire stones in the heavens were even more terrifying than before.

"Boom! The drums beat fiercely."

Staring at the terrifying fire stones, the Xiongnu general let out a roar, his eyes filled with anger.

The sound reached the Da Xia army as well.

Lord Zhen Guogong frowned upon hearing the sound and asked the nearby deputy general.

"What does this mean?"

He asked, not understanding the Xiongnu language.

"Lord Zhen Guogong, this is the Xiongnu's curse, essentially saying 'this is a damned war.'"

The deputy general spoke up, providing an explanation.

For a moment, the troops burst into continuous laughter.

And beside him, Gu Jin Nian also went numb.

He never imagined that a poem he wrote would trigger such a celestial phenomenon.

Fire stones falling?

Mad, Xiu'er possessed? "Don't laugh."

"Quiet down, let Jin Nian write another one."

Grandfather Gu quickly silenced everyone's laughter; he feared Gu Jin Nian lacked inspiration and couldn't compose new verses.

"Grandfather."

"It's not that I can't write, it's just that these fire stones should be enough, right? Writing more would be a waste, wouldn't it?"

Hearing Grandfather's voice, Gu Jin Nian couldn't help but speak.

It's not that he's reluctant to part with his poems, but that a single fire stone just now caused such massive damage, and now there are three more—it's more than enough.

If his poems truly work, there's no need to keep using them.

He can save them for next time.

They should be applied at the cutting edge.

Indeed, once said, everyone agreed.

Given the current situation, three fire stones fell, and of the 250,000 troops, surviving 30,000 is already a good thing; thus there's truly no need to continue this method.

Grandfather Gu couldn't help but nod, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Still, my grandson is clever."

"Jin Nian."

"For this battle, you take the lead."

"Grandfather, when you go back, be sure to report the truth to His Majesty, hahahaha."

Grandfather Gu burst out laughing.

He has never fought such an easy battle in his life.

Two hundred and fifty thousand troops, including one hundred thousand Xiongnu iron cavalry.

To put it bluntly, even with him overseeing the battle, there's still some uncertainty; with a hundred thousand Xiongnu iron cavalry positioned here, he has already prepared for the first engagement to lose a hundred thousand troops.

Looking at the situation now, I'm afraid not even one will die, right?

This is no longer a great victory.

It's a crushing victory.

At this moment, the Marquess of Zhen Guo's thoughts have drifted elsewhere; he is seriously contemplating Gu Jin Nian's marquis title.

Marquis of An Guo? Not very good.

Marquis of Firestone? A bit vulgar.

Fine, think about it slowly; we'll discuss it when we get back.

Grandfather Gu gathered his thoughts again, then quietly enjoyed the splendid performance.

But soon, Grandfather Gu slightly frowned.

Something feels off.

"Where are the war drums?"

"Hurry and get the war drums beating."

"Play music."

"Play a grand piece for me."

Grandfather Gu was thrilled; he waved his hand, ordering the drummers to play. Such a good occasion shouldn't wait to make music—when will they start? Hearing this, the nearby deputy general was also extremely excited and immediately gave the order.

Soon, the drums sounded; previously it was the war drums, deafening, but now the tone shifted abruptly and music began.

It felt somewhat festive.

This left Gu Jin Nian beside him genuinely at a loss for words.

"Grandfather, are we being a bit reckless?" Gu Jin Nian wanted to say this, but thought better of it and kept silent; in such a celebratory moment, he decided not to speak up.

And just then,

The first, largest firestone exploded.

It shattered into nearly a few thousand small firestones, then bombarded with a roar, killing a group of people outright.

The first unlucky were the cavalry; they had no warhorses and wore heavy armor, making it hard to shed, so they gritted their teeth and ran, but not quickly.

After a round of bombardment, countless were killed or wounded.

The fleeing infantry fared a bit better; hearing the explosions behind them, each felt immensely relieved.

But just as they thought they had escaped death,

another firestone exploded again; the second blast turned into tens of thousands of fist-sized firestones, spreading forward.

These firestones gave them a chilling blow.

Boom—boom—boom.

Boom—boom—boom.

The firestones fell, triggering terrifying explosions; ahead, hardly any solid ground remained, only pits and craters.

Even the infantry were bombarded, suffering heavy casualties.

"This isn't a natural disaster; it's Da Xia's tactic. Do not gather together, or you'll all die."

Suddenly, someone realized these firestones were aimed specifically at them, and hastily warned everyone to disperse quickly.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, many Xiongnu soldiers instantly ran outward.

Although they didn't believe it, now, to survive, they had no choice.

Watching them scatter and flee.

Grandfather Gu was getting impatient; after two rounds of bombardment, almost half were dead, but that was far from enough—only when they're all dead will he be happy.

"Jin Nian, it's time to act now; fire a few more, otherwise they'll all run away."

Grandfather spoke, urging Gu Jin Nian to compose another poem.

"Alright, Grandfather, give your grandson a moment."

Gu Jin Nian agreed, but he was still pondering an appropriate verse.

Before Gu Jin Nian could think of an answer, the second firestone exploded.

The blast was loud, turning into countless shards—at least tens of thousands of fragments—rushing in all directions.

Bang—bang—bang—bang.

Bang—bang—bang—bang.

Like fireworks, the shards fell and exploded upon hitting the ground.

Anyone who's studied physics knows that when volume shrinks, speed increases, and over time this leads to a surge in energy, making the destructive power even greater.

Tens of thousands of palm-sized fragments can pierce ordinary armor; unless one is a Human‑Dragon Realm master, they're virtually unstoppable.

The ultimate fireworks display swept the Xiongnu soldiers clean.

Two hundred and fifty thousand troops.

After this round of bombardment, fewer than fifty thousand remained; one hundred fifty thousand died on the spot, another hundred thousand were severely injured, lying on the ground with firestone fragments piercing their bodies— even if rescued, they stand no chance of survival.

This is worse than death.

The surviving soldiers gazed at the sky, their eyes almost desperate.

I thought scattering would let us avoid the fire stones, but I never expected these fire stones to have eyes, locking onto us.

Now only one fire stone remains; the Xiongnu soldiers stand in place, momentarily unsure whether to run or not.

Don't run.

Wait here to die.

Run.

Afraid of being within the fire stones' attack range.

For a moment, nobody really knew what to say.

"First, observe where the fire stones will fall."

"Don't rush."

"At least keep half the people alive to return."

A Xiongnu soldier roared; although only fifty thousand remained, they were not completely annihilated, the army not utterly destroyed, dying to a natural disaster, they had nothing to say.

But as long as someone returns alive, that's enough.

As these words were spoken, the Xiongnu soldiers froze, standing in place, watching where this fire stone would fall.

No matter where, half the people could quickly escape; that should be fine.

After all, those who have survived to this point are no ordinary folk.

But what leaves one speechless is...

The fire stone hung in the sky, utterly still? "Damn your mother's horse!"

After a moment, a Xiongnu soldier finally couldn't take it.

"You're not playing fair? If your fire stones strike, I'll accept it."

"And there's this kind of play? If I don't move, you don't move?"

"If we're going to play like this, don't fight this battle—I'll open the gates of the royal court."

"You."

"Please come in."

This time, don't say the Xiongnu are cursing their mothers; the Da Xia soldiers were all dumbfounded.

These fire stones truly seemed to have a spirit, dead‑eyedly staring at this bunch of Xiongnu.

The Xiongnu don't move, and neither do they.

Fortunately it's aimed at the Xiongnu; if it were aimed at the Da Xia soldiers, we wouldn't fight.

No, don't play.

Just sit here and wait to die.

Hey, just wait to die, that's the game.

On the war chariot, Gu Jin Nian was somewhat silent.

He didn't know what to say.

Indeed, it's a bit excessive.

But who let the people of the Xiongnu State seek death themselves? If they had early accepted their own peace terms, wouldn't that have been enough?

Why invite suffering?

Gu Jin Nian had no pity.

For without these fire stones, the ones dying in this war would be the Da Xia soldiers.

There is a chance to win.

But it's just piling up lives.

At that time, no one would pity the Da Xia soldiers.

War is just like that—merciless, especially when the enemy is a true foe, and moreover one with a generational blood feud.

Both sides fell silent.

Above the sky, the fire stones began to shake, eventually breaking apart in midair, then turning into countless fire stones that slammed down in all directions.

Hmm, they gave no chance of survival at all.

The soldiers were numb.

Some Xiongnu soldiers were even more carefree, literally holding their military tokens in their mouths so they wouldn't forget their identity if found.

"What are you doing under the tree? You'll die there too."

Some also simply ran to lie down under the tree, drawing curiosity from the Xiongnu soldiers.

"It's cooler; if you die, you won't stink."

The latter spoke lightly.

Already numb.

Cards laid bare.

No more games.

"I'll wait to die, okay? When the fire stones fall, no matter whether the crowd is desperate or hateful, or simply lies flat, utterly merciless, they extinguish all hope of life."

250,000 strong army.

Four fire stones.

At this moment, they were utterly destroyed.

Single‑target bombardment.

Mass bombing.

Targeted bombing.

Indiscriminate bombing.

After these four rounds, there basically can be no survivors.

Originally, this should have been a protracted war, with rivers of blood and mountains of corpses.

But now, there are no bloodstains; everything has evaporated clean. As for the corpses, no intact remains can be found—the temperature on the fire planet is extreme, and everything was burned to ash.

On the Tongtian Tower.

The Xiongnu King stared at it all in a dazed manner.

Two hundred fifty thousand troops! Though this isn't the entire force of the Xiongnu Nation, it's about a third, especially the cavalry.

It directly annihilated half of them.

Although there are two hundred thousand reserve cavalry, there's still a noticeable gap between those reserves and the cavalry that can actually go into battle.

Now it's no longer a severe loss of vital energy.

Instead, the injury reaches down to the bones.

The Xiongnu Nation still has combat capability, but even without fire stone attacks, it won't dare to continue the slaughter.

If the fighting continues, even killing a hundred thousand enemies would be useless; after a fire clash, the Xiongnu Nation would truly have no troops left.

Cultivation also takes time, right?

That one-third is the main force; now the entire army is annihilated, at most another one-third can be drawn to defend the city.

Yes.

They can only be used to defend the city, not to fight; the other troops must guard the four directions. It's impossible to shift all forces here to clash with Da Xia.

Should the rear be garrisoned as well?

Should the flanks be garrisoned? If the Da Xia Dynasty adds another five hundred thousand troops to encircle from the sides, it would be a death sentence.

Horses trample the royal court.

It's no longer just a slogan; it's something that will truly happen.

But what truly frightens the Xiongnu King is.

Will Gu Jin Nian produce fire stone again?

If he does, even sending out all troops would be a suicide.

"No."

"Impossible."

"That's impossible—why would fire stone fall?"

"Why does this situation arise? How could Gu Jin Nian possibly have such power?"

The Xiongnu King trembles with anger, choking as if to vomit blood.

He racks his brain and still can't understand why Gu Jin Nian could achieve this.

It's fundamentally impossible.

Inside the Tongtian Tower.

The Xiongnu King's roar continues.

Everyone else remains silent, all in a state of shock.

This was originally a slaughter, and most likely a battle the Xiongnu Nation could win, unless Da Xia throws its life away.

But they didn't expect that the two hundred fifty thousand troops would be sacrificed without even killing a single opponent.

Xiongnu Nation.

Severe loss of vital energy.

The envoys of the Fuyu Dynasty and the Great Jin Dynasty were utterly stunned.

First, they were overly shocked by the war's outcome.

Second, Gu Jin Nian's methods are practically divine.

Such methods likely even the peerless masters of the Seventh Realm of the Immortal Path cannot achieve, unless one steps into the legendary Eighth Realm.

If Gu Jin Nian entered the Eighth Realm, he wouldn't need such trouble; a single palm could annihilate two hundred fifty thousand troops.

They truly can't figure out what this is.

"It's probably related to Heaven's Mandate."

Finally, someone spoke up, offering a possibility.

"Heaven's Mandate?"

At that moment, everyone looked at the latter, their eyes full of curiosity.

"Those who grasp Heaven's Mandate may receive its protection."

"Our Xiongnu Nation's destiny has been diminished, and Gu Jin Nian, who masters the count of Heaven's Mandate, has his poetry become immortal, thereby causing these celestial anomalies."

"Your Majesty, I have perused some ancient texts that record theories about Heaven's Mandate."

"Heaven's Mandate usually has little effect, but at crucial moments, those who grasp it can perform many incredible deeds, representing the will of heaven and earth."

"The ancient books further state that those who grasp Heaven's Mandate can control wind, thunder, rain, and lightning; shift mountains and rivers; invert sun and moon; even reverse rivers, possessing myriad wondrous powers."

The latter gave the answer, though he wasn't sure if his words were true, since they came from the books.

However, considering the current situation, everyone who heard this couldn't help but gasp sharply.

They know Heaven's Mandate is important, yet they don't understand what it is.

Now it seems this Heaven's Mandate is crucial.

"Your Majesty, what should we do next?"

Only, someone spoke up, asking the Xiongnu King what to do next.

"Urgently dispatch fifty thousand iron cavalry and one hundred fifty thousand troops."

"Garrison the twelve cities."

The Xiongnu King spoke; he issued the order—though the men were dead, he still had to send additional iron cavalry to guard the twelve cities.

"Your Majesty."

"That would probably not be good; if we keep sending more to the twelve cities and another fire stone falls, I'm afraid the realm will have no soldiers to command."

A Xiongnu minister hurriedly spoke, deeming the current reinforcement of troops an unwise choice.

"Shut your mouth."

The Xiongnu King inhaled deeply and glared at the latter.

Now he absolutely does not want to hear the words "fire stone".

Just hearing it irritates him.

Only, he is not wrong at all; sending more troops now, if a problem occurs, it would indeed be ruinous.

The Xiongnu King's heart bleeds.

Two hundred fifty thousand troops.

Said it, and it's gone.

Even if two hundred fifty thousand pigs were placed before Da Xia soldiers, it would still take an hour to kill them, right?

Moreover, he knows in his heart that even an emergency mobilization would likely be too late.

"Mr. Chen Song."

"At present, we can only hope the Great Jin Dynasty and the Fuyu Dynasty will step forward to negotiate peace."

"The Xiongnu State cannot continue to declare war."

Finally, the Xiongnu King, holding his breath, spoke.

Sending more troops is just a momentary outburst; thinking seriously, he also fears Gu Jin Nian will launch another fire‑stone bombardment.

If another round of bombing occurs.

Then it won't be a matter of the twelve cities, but whether the Xiongnu State can hold out.

Their three hundred thousand troops haven't even moved yet.

If the fighting truly starts, combined with fire‑stone bombing, reaching the royal court would only take three days.

By then, even if the Fuyu envoys and Great Jin envoys intervene forcibly to mediate, it would be useless; the Xiongnu royal court would be shattered, and the two great dynasties' compulsory intervention would require compensation of countless gold, silver and treasures before peace could be negotiated.

Now, holding the Xiongnu territory still provides capital for peace talks.

Of course, it is only capital for peace.

The exact nature of the peace can only be seen from how Da Xia thinks.

"Please, Your Majesty, rest assured; we will immediately draft the document and rush it to the capital."

Chen Song and his companion did not dawdle; even without the Xiongnu King's instruction, they would still act.

Meanwhile.

On the Luo Long Plain.

The Da Xia soldiers were left utterly speechless.

Two hundred fifty thousand troops were completely annihilated, giving them an unprecedented shock.

I've heard of winning without fighting, but I've never heard of this kind of win without fighting.

"Lord, shall we charge?"

A deputy commander snapped back to his senses and asked the Lord of the State thus.

At present, the two hundred fifty thousand troops are gone.

We could choose to charge and seize the twelve border cities.

"No."

However, the Lord of the State shook his head and outright refused to charge.

"Although the Xiongnu State's vitality is severely wounded, there are still garrisons within the twelve cities; even if we could take them, it would cost a price."

"Now, the Xiongnu State should be the one panicking."

"Order the soldiers to clear the battlefield, take the intact armor and the Xiongnu warhorses, confiscate them all, and then wait for them to voluntarily come forward to return the twelve cities."

The Lord of the State instantly grasped everything; under such a situation, the Xiongnu State's annihilation of two hundred fifty thousand troops is certainly a severe loss of vitality.

The Da Xia Dynasty has no need to continue the war.

Because it has already won.

The first battle was won.

And it was a total victory.

"No, not a total victory, a crushing victory!"

"The twelve cities are already in our grasp; why rush to seize them?"

"Let the Xiongnu continue to occupy them for now."

"If the Xiongnu State does not negotiate peace, then we fight, sending an additional three hundred thousand troops to cooperate with five hundred thousand border troops, a total of eight hundred thousand troops."

"If pushing the twelve cities horizontally truly fails, we will dispatch our own grandson and launch another round of fire‑stone bombing."

"At worst, we can abandon the twelve cities."

"Directly strike the Yellow Dragon."

"Horse trampling the royal court."

"How many troops the Xiongnu State actually has, the Lord of the State indeed does not know, but it can still be roughly calculated."

Two hundred thousand iron cavalry have arrived; now a hundred thousand are dead, leaving a hundred thousand.

The other troop types total six to seven hundred thousand; everyone is a soldier, but can scattered troops match a regular army? This six‑to‑seven‑hundred‑thousand force garrisons the east, south, west and north, so many must be dispatched outward.

Surrounded on all sides—are you still not crying?

As for aid from the Great Jin Dynasty and the Fuyu Dynasty? Fine, all four routes are surrounded by Da Xia soldiers; if you have the ability to send help, send it—whatever you send becomes Da Xia's.

And daring to openly support the Xiongnu Nation is to tear the face; since the face is torn, pull everyone into the water.

You want a full‑scale war, right? Da Xia can certainly see it through to the end—let's see who loses. The Great Jin Dynasty has long aimed to become the foremost dynasty of the Eastern Wilderness and the second dynasty of the Continent, constantly conserving strength, yet reluctant to sacrifice its soldiers.

After all, if Da Xia goes all‑out, the Continent dynasties are willing to aid; the more chaotic the Eastern Wilderness, the better for the Continent. Everyone ends up unlucky.

Da Xia Dynasty is unlucky, the Great Jin Dynasty is even more unlucky, and the Fuyu Dynasty is beyond that; if a war breaks out, the Fuyu Dynasty still relies on the Great Jin Dynasty. Therefore, Lord Zhen Guo can be certain that the Great Jin Dynasty will aid the Xiongnu Nation, but not too much, as it involves its own national interests, and may even betray the Xiongnu Nation without hesitation.

So, he is not in a hurry to retake the twelve cities immediately.

He intends to capture the border twelve cities without sacrificing a single soldier, and also to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu Nation for reparations.

"Understood."

The commander, without idle words, led the large detachment away, rushed to the battlefield, and began collecting loot.

And this news was dispatched to the capital at once.

For this momentous good news, Lord Zhen Guo did not forget to report the joy to the capital.

"Jin Nian."

"This time your merit is immeasurable."

"You truly gave Grandfather Gu a surprise."

"Jin Nian, don't leave this time; if the Xiongnu king remains obstinate, write another poem and capture the twelve cities in one stroke."

Grandfather Gu gazed at Gu Jin Nian, his eyes filled with indescribable excitement.

He has seen every great storm in his life.

But this kind of event, truly, is his first time witnessing.

He even began to look forward to the prospect of a horse trampling the royal court.

"Grandfather."

"This fire stone may not have been made by the grandson."

"Please, do not be overly superstitious."

Hearing Grandfather Gu's words, Gu Jin Nian still had to explain, because even he did not know whether the fire stone was indeed something he had produced.

If it isn't, it would be detrimental to the upcoming battle.

If it is, then that's easy to say.

"Regardless of whether it is."

"First acknowledge it, then speak."

"This monumental merit, you seize it first, understand?"

Grandfather Gu's martial transmission was extremely serious.

"Understood."

Gu Jin Nian nodded.

Indeed, no one can prove the fire stone was brought by oneself, but even fewer can prove it was not; given that, the merit should not be wasted.

However, inexplicably, Gu Jin Nian seemed to understand why his sixth uncle liked to ride on others' merits.

It seems all the daring is taught by Grandfather.

Meanwhile.

A dragon boat sped at top speed toward Da Xia Capital.

Spirit crystals were tossed into the dragon boat as if they were free.

All to deliver the battle report to the palace at once.

This is no longer just a swift report; it's a momentous celebration.

At this moment.

Da Xia Capital.

The border declaration of war has already spread throughout the capital; now not only the capital, but all Da Xia citizens are discussing the current war situation.

To speak frankly, it's not that we doubt Da Xia's soldiers, but the two sides' strengths are indeed uneven.

A half‑million army is certainly valiant, but hearing that the Xiongnu Nation deployed a hundred thousand iron cavalry in the first battle cast a cloud over the hearts of Da Xia's people.

Within the imperial palace.

Tension also filled the air.

In the main hall.

Emperor Yong Sheng sat upright on the Dragon Throne, silent.

The officials were somewhat distracted from reporting state affairs; everyone was actually waiting for the battle's outcome.

Even the Crown Prince, King Qin, and King Wei unusually attended court.

Although everyone knew the battle would not yield news until tomorrow at earliest, the crowd still gathered.

They awaited a good result.

After the court report concluded, the assembly fell silent; Emperor Yong Sheng did not even announce a recess.

Everyone quietly waited inside the main hall.

On the Dragon Throne.

Emperor Yong Sheng's expression was calm, yet anyone could see his heavy demeanor.

He sat upright on the Dragon Throne.

Emperor Yongsheng has already made all preparations regarding Prince Ning and Prince Qi Lin.

He has secretly dispatched a large army to the northwestern border.

If the battle situation turns unfavorable.

Prince Ning and Prince Qi Lin must rush to the battlefield at once, and he anticipates that these two princes will make appearances without contributing effort.

Therefore, if the two princes dare this, he will immediately grant authority to the Duke of the Nation, taking over the secretly mobilized 500,000 troops, and suppress Prince Qi Lin and Prince Ning in one stroke.

Then proceed to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu Nation.

Yes.

This is his plan.

It appears to be a declaration of war against the Xiongnu Nation, but in fact it is to resolve one of the greatest internal crises.

Using this opportunity to eliminate the two princes, if successful, even if the Xiongnu Nation demands tribute, he can still agree to peace.

It would not be in vain.

Of course, a minor victory would be even better, to display morale and resolve, and then discuss peace with the Xiongnu Nation again.

External war provides leverage for future peace talks; with advantage, more benefits can be demanded, without advantage, it serves to resolve internal contradictions.

As for a simultaneous internal rebellion and external enemy, he has a solution.

He has a trump card.

A trump card no one could anticipate.

He will not use this card until the crucial moment.

If an internal and external crisis truly occurs, he will employ this card to completely resolve all contradictions.

Although he will pay a price himself, as long as the final outcome is good, that suffices.

Three quarters of the You hour.

The sun is about to set.

The ministers stand inside the main hall, not moving a muscle, and no one shouts that they are tired.

Everyone's mood is very tense.

Especially Minister of War Zhao Yiyang.

The two nations are at war.

Whether win or lose, it truly grips the heart.

But, at this moment.

A dragon boat appears outside the imperial palace, and a soldier quickly runs down from the boat, brandishing a military order and shouting.

"Border battle report!"

"100,000 urgent!"

"Yield!"

He shouts loudly, mounts a swift horse, and leaps over the palace guards.

The 100,000 urgent dispatch cannot be obstructed; this is palace protocol, and riding horses inside the palace is permitted to save time.

Soon, the warhorse gallops within the palace as if flying low, and after merely ten breaths, arrives outside the palace's main hall.

"Your Majesty!"

"Border battle report!"

"100,000 urgent!"

As the voice sounds.

Inside the main hall, everyone snaps back to attention.

All the officials and ministers are on edge.

Even Emperor Yongsheng cannot help but stand up.

Because it is only now the You hour.

What does the You hour mean? Even at the dragon boat's top speed, disregarding spirit crystal cost, it still takes one and a half hours to reach the capital.

While the battle start time is the Wu hour.

That is, half an hour after the battle began, the 100,000 urgent military dispatch arrived.

There are only three possible outcomes.

First, the two armies did not engage; but if there was no battle, such urgency would be unnecessary.

Second, the Xiongnu's 100,000 iron cavalry defeats Da Xia, prompting an immediate recall of troops, which is highly likely.

Third, an internal rebellion occurs, with Prince Ning and Prince Qi Lin joining forces to attack the rear camp, intending to revolt.

This is also possible, but unlikely.

Otherwise, normally the dispatch would not arrive until around the Yin hour of the next day.

Accelerated by five hours, a special circumstance must have occurred.

At this moment, Emperor Yongsheng hopes strongly that the first possibility holds; no battle between the sides, a result he can accept.

Otherwise, the second or third, he cannot accept.

Not only him, but also the civil and military officials, the Crown Prince, Prince Qin, and Prince Wei each hold their breath, awaiting a judgment.

"Urgent report."

Emperor Yongsheng speaks.

His tone involuntarily becomes more urgent.

Soon.

The soldier tasked with delivering the message rushes straight into the main hall, without even shouting "Long live!".

Holding the information in his hand, he drew a deep breath and said.

"Your Majesty."

"The first battle at the border was a great victory."

"Heir Apparent Gu Jin Nian composed a poem before the battle; the poem became legendary, causing heavenly and earthly anomalies, gathering four Celestial Fire Stones."

"He annihilated 250,000 enemies; not a single Xiongnu survived."

The soldiers spoke up, using their loudest voices to report what had happened at the border.

But as his words fell.

In an instant.

The great hall fell into a deathly silence.

The civil and military officials stood frozen in place.

Zhao Yi Yang was utterly stunned, like a wooden chicken.

The Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Wei stared blankly at each other.

Even Emperor Yong Sheng was stunned for a moment.

At this moment.

Inside the great hall.

A pin drop could be heard.

It was so quiet that aside from the soldiers' hurried breathing, there was no other sound.

"Absurd."

"This is utterly absurd."

"You are spreading false information."

After a moment, a voice rang out—it was Zhao Yi Yang's voice; he looked at them and shouted angrily.

"Celestial Fire Stone?"

"It smashed to death an army of 250,000?"

"The entire army wiped out?"

"Not a single one of our troops is hurt? You're deceiving ghosts, you bastard! You treat the entire court's civil and military officials as fools!" As Zhao Yi Yang's voice rang out, the civil and military officials came to their senses completely, and Emperor Yong Sheng also came to his senses.

At this moment, pairs of eyes stared fixedly at that soldier.

He, meanwhile, excitedly knelt on the ground, producing the State-Protecting Duke's Command Arrow and said.

"Your Majesty!"

"Minister!"

"This subordinate has not uttered a single false word; this is the Duke of the State's command, and this subordinate has come bearing the Duke of the State's command to report the battle situation."

"It's true."

"This subordinate personally witnessed His Highness the Heir Apparent compose a poem before the battle, summoning the Celestial Fire Stone; if this subordinate utters even half a word of falsehood, this subordinate is willing to suffer death by a thousand cuts."

"If Your Majesty does not believe, please immediately send someone to hurry to the border; many Xiongnu corpses can still be seen now—whether true or false, Your Majesty will know upon inspection."

He explained this with extreme excitement, though he himself could hardly believe it—but the fact is exactly as such.

Upon saying this,

Hiss! Inside the great hall, a chorus of sharp intakes of breath sounded.

To be honest, they had been stunned earlier.

As Zhao Yi Yang spoke, they found it quite reasonable.

But once this person spoke, everyone again felt uneasy.

Mainly because he held the Duke of the State's Command, which cannot be forged nor stolen—how could the esteemed State-Protecting Duke's personal token possibly be stolen?

There is only one possibility: the State-Protecting Duke personally handed the token to him.

He would deceive people, but the State-Protecting Duke has no need to deceive everyone; besides, faking military intelligence is pointless—just send someone to check the border.

A round trip by dragon boat, regardless of cost, takes only three hours.

Whether it's true or not, a single glance will tell.

If it's false, this person deserves death by a thousand cuts, and for Da Xia it entails no loss.

Moreover, even if one were to fake military intelligence, why bother with such a tale? Simply claim a great victory: Da Xia lost 100,000 soldiers, the enemy lost half, and kept retreating.

Everyone would believe that.

Taking all this into account, the matter is very likely true.

Thinking this through,

Emperor Yong Sheng's heart pounded uncontrollably.

Minister of War Zhao Yi Yang trembled all over.

"Your Majesty!"

"I still do not believe; please grant Your Majesty a dragon boat, and I will lead twenty men to rush to the border; within three hours, I will know whether it is true or false at a glance."

Zhao Yi Yang's body trembled, but he still did not believe; although he inwardly believed it, it was too outrageous—he needed to see it with his own eyes.

"I approve, go quickly."

Emperor Yong Sheng directly agreed.

To be honest, he also believed it, but the matter is simply hard to believe.

Soon, Zhao Yi Yang led twenty court officials, departing swiftly with the dragon boat, sparing no expense, heading for the border.

Emperor Yong Sheng, however, had the soldier recount in detail what had happened at the border, even down to the color of Gu Jin Nian's clothing.

The messenger soldier, without further ado, after recalling carefully, began to explain all the details from beginning to end.

All the civil and military officials of the court were shaken to the core.

Just like that.

After one and a half hours.

Above the Luolong Plain.

When Zhao Yiyang saw the massive craters one by one, he was completely stunned.

The ministers who followed were also completely stunned.

When the facts were verified, a wave of euphoria and excitement surged in his mind, and Zhao Yiyang fainted on the spot, but he regained consciousness after a moment.

A faint from excitement.

"Quick!"

"Quick!"

"Hurry back to report to His Majesty, hahahaha, hurry back, hurry back!"

Zhao Yiyang let out an excited howl.

They didn't intend to see the Duke Zhen Guo; they turned the dragon boat around and rushed to the imperial palace at full speed.

Again, after another one and a half hours.

The sky turned completely dark.

But inside the main hall, the lights remained bright, and the soldiers began to recount the battle for the twenty‑fifth time.

Others said they were stunned.

But they couldn't resist the officials and the Emperor's love for hearing it.

Indeed, he repeated it twenty‑five times, and Emperor Yongsheng listened with great interest twenty‑five times, never getting bored.

Until the fifth quarter of the Zi hour.

Several figures appeared outside the main hall.

"Hahahahaha."

"Hahahahaha."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's true, it's true."

"Two hundred and fifty thousand troops were completely annihilated."

"At the Luolong Plain Xiongnu camp, fire pits were everywhere, with countless casualties, countless casualties!"

Outside the main hall.

Zhao Yiyang's trembling, excited voice rang out.

It echoed into the main hall.

At that moment, all the officials were completely stunned.

Even Emperor Yongsheng was stunned.

It was their second time being stunned.

Even though they questioned the messenger soldier's words, Zhao Yiyang was different; he was the Minister of War.

He couldn't fabricate it.

This matter couldn't be faked.

A moment later.

Inside the main hall, various exclamations and howls rang continuously.

Everyone was extremely excited and thrilled.

Who could have imagined that this great battle would end in such a way?

A great victory, a super great victory!

On the dragon throne.

Emperor Yongsheng was so excited that he clenched his fists tightly, his face flushing red.

The ministers reveled.

The Crown Prince widened his eyes, King Qin was numb, and King Wei stood beside him, utterly dumbfounded, still a bit incredulous.

But on the dragon throne, Emperor Yongsheng was the first to calm down.

He took a deep breath and said to the messenger soldier,

"Zhou Fu, from now on, you are the Household General of Tongguan City, appointed to the fourth rank, step down."

Emperor Yongsheng spoke, waved his hand grandly, and directly promoted him by two ranks.

He was an auxiliary general, appointed to the sixth rank.

Now he is elevated to Middle Household General, a double promotion, which for Zhou Fu is a tremendous piece of good news.

"I, the junior general, thank the holy grace."

"Thank the holy grace."

Hearing this, Zhou Fu's face lit up with excitement, and he knelt on the ground to thank.

"Later, tell me the whole story ten times; I want to listen carefully."

Emperor Yongsheng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He was overjoyed.

And at that moment.

Another urgent intelligence arrived.

"Border battle report."

"Ten thousand, urgent."

As the urgent war report was delivered.

A figure appeared, and then knelt in the hall.

This left the officials silent.

No one knew what had happened again.

"Your Majesty, the Duke's urgent report."

"Subject Gu Yuan pays respects to Your Majesty, wishing the emperor ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years. In this first battle between the two states, Gu Jin Nian gathered extraterrestrial fire stones and annihilated 250,000 enemies."

"Our Da Xia commanders suffered no deaths, one seriously wounded, thirty-two lightly wounded; due to the extraterrestrial fire stones, the warhorses were startled, causing thirty-two to fall from their horses and scrape their palms."

"The seriously wounded has a broken ankle bone; I feel ashamed and unable to bear it, have already punished the soldiers to train diligently, and I hope Your Majesty will not blame my troops; this old minister is willing to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the generals."

"I also hope Your Majesty will show understanding."

"The messenger soldier opened the document, then, steeling himself, spoke these words."

"As soon as these words were spoken,"

"The officials fell even more silent."

"Emperor Yongsheng also fell silent."

"What a guy."

"Is this asking for forgiveness? Is this shame? This damn thing is just showing off, right? Showing off here for me?"

"Isn't this the achievement of my nephew Gu Jin Nian?"

"You old fool, what are you pretending?"

"Do you think you're so great? I, the emperor, can do it too."

"Emperor Yongsheng laughed in anger."

"Okay."

"Issue my order: punish, heavily punish—just punish the Duke of the State returning to the capital; in my presence, make him drink for three days, not to return until drunk."

"Emperor Yongsheng spoke, his face stern."

"But the officials couldn't help but burst into laughter."

"Especially the three princes, who laughed even more gleefully."

"But hearing this laughter, Emperor Yongsheng took a deep breath, glanced at his three sons, and anger welled up in his heart."

"Look at Gu Jin Nian."

"Then look at my three sons."

"Still have the face to laugh?"

"For no reason, a nameless fire rose."

"Thinking this, Emperor Yongsheng spoke directly."

"Dismiss court!"

"Tomorrow's court will discuss post-war matters."

"You three, get over here."

"Having said this, Emperor Yongsheng turned and left."

"But the three princes were stunned."

"No."

"Father, everyone was laughing, how can you just change your face like that? I can't even laugh a couple of sentences?"

"The three were a bit dazed."

"How come we're suddenly losing our temper for no reason?"

"The three didn't understand, but they still obediently left, following behind Emperor Yongsheng."

"Thus."

"After a while."

"Inside the Hall of Nurturing the Heart."

"The angry rebukes of Emperor Yongsheng came through."

"Take a look at you three."

"Take another look at Gu Jin Nian."

"Do you still have any shame?"

"I never expected that Gu Jin Nian would even learn this trick of mine."

"You guys, take a look at yourselves."

"Gu Jin Nian is almost learning everything I have, yet you three can't learn a thing."

"If you were just a bit more diligent and learned even a tenth of what I know, you wouldn't be like this."

"The rebukes came one after another."

"Even outside the Hall of Nurturing the Heart, they could be heard."

"Father, I don't mean anything else."

"Is summoning the extraterrestrial fire stones also learning from you?"

"You're just trying to leech off this, aren't you?"

"At that moment, Prince Wei's voice sounded, tinged with doubt."

"But soon."

"A strange sound arose."

"Father."

What are you doing?

Why are you pulling off the jade belt? Are you going to rest? Should the subject leave?

Father, what are you doing?

Father, why are you pulling me?

Hiss, elder brother, second brother, save me.

Father, stop hitting, stop hitting, I was wrong, I was wrong.

Father, you pulled the wrong one, pull Old Three, why are you pulling me?

Old Three, don't run over to your elder brother's side, come over a bit, Old Two, quickly hold down Old Three, otherwise we're both doomed.

Waves of noisy sounds rose.

Outside the Hall of Nurturing the Heart, Wei Xian and Liu Yan thoughtfully locked the palace doors, which could be considered leaving the three princes a last shred of dignity.

(End of chapter)