Chapter 1031: Choices That Are No Choices at All

Upon hearing this person's suggestion, the Emperor's expression shifted slightly.

Kill Tokugawa Ienari?

In the current Wa nation, the Tokugawa Shogunate is the true ruler. It has been this way for hundreds of years. The Great General of the Tokugawa Clan has always kept these Emperors as mere puppets. If it weren't for the Emperor having such great prestige among the common people, they would have likely usurped the throne long ago...

Under these circumstances.

How could they kill him?

At the very least, the current Emperor has been under the control of the Tokugawa Shogunate since childhood, growing up in a state of innate fear toward them.

This is an inherent fear, one that leaves the Emperor with absolutely no thought of resistance...

He dares not.

He has never even considered it.

Yet at this moment, he is being asked to think about killing Tokugawa Ienari?

For the Emperor, this is truly a challenge.

A Strategist immediately stood up: "Your Majesty, the Tokugawa estate's elite Samurai have been heavily depleted this time; his strength is already hollow. If we were to..."

Everyone felt their spirits lift upon hearing this.

That's right.

With the Nanyang Army invading this time, many of the Tokugawa Clan's Samurai have been consumed, and the strength of the Tokugawa Shogunate has been greatly damaged. In reality, at this moment, the Tokugawa Shogunate's control over the Wa nation has begun to totter, no longer as firm as before.

"But..."

The Emperor frowned: "Even so, it is still somewhat impossible for us to move against Tokugawa Ienari."

After all, a centipede dies but never falls over; the Tokugawa Shogunate has ruled the Wa nation for so many years. Even if beaten to this state, there must still be many powerful Samurai around Tokugawa Ienari who are loyal to him. As for the Emperor's side, the Tokugawa Shogunate has always kept a tight grip on the armed forces under the Emperor. No matter where he goes, he is only ever provided with at most five hundred Samurai.

Five hundred...

A number of people insufficient for anything.

Wanting to kill Tokugawa Ienari? That is truly wishful thinking.

The group was at a loss.

You look at me.

I look at you.

No one has any Method.

However.

The Wa nation is now in crisis, the Wa nation is in crisis.

Suddenly.

Another Strategist shuddered, as if he had thought of a good Method. The others looked over one after another.

This person took a deep breath, a look of madness flashing in his eyes, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what if we find someone to go and negotiate with the Nanyang Army and seek their help?"

"What?"

"This..."

"This seems..."

The group was shocked at first, then began to ponder.

The Emperor's eyes also lit up upon hearing this.

That's right.

If the Wa nation is already riddled with holes at this time, and the common people have all been dragged off to fight by Tokugawa Ienari, leaving him with no one to rely on, then why not broaden their perspective and set their sights on the Nanyang Army... If they agree to help him in exchange for his surrender of the entire nation... this is indeed a decent Method.

It is just that...

Once this Method was spoken aloud.

Everyone looked at each other; in truth, everyone understood that under these circumstances, if they were to seek help from the Nanyang Army, they would definitely be in a passive position after the surrender... and it is even very likely they would be forced to sign treaties that humiliate the nation and forfeit its sovereignty...

It is just that...

They are now on the verge of national extinction.

Do they still care about such things?

If they don't sign some treaty that humiliates the nation and forfeits its sovereignty, could the Wa nation win?

Two choices.

One, seek help; the Emperor's status might be preserved, and the Tokugawa Shogunate might collapse as a result.

Two, continue to hold out like this, and what awaits them is the destruction of their homes and families... unless they hope for a miracle.

However, will there be a miracle?

This is almost a situation with no choice at all.

Everyone watched the Emperor with eager expectation.

They knew.

Once this decision is made, this war will end, but the Wa nation will also no longer be the Wa nation it once was.

"Fine!"

The Emperor finally gritted his teeth hard: "Send someone to mediate!"

"Yes..."

Rumble.

Rumble.

The fighting of the Nanyang Army is still continuing now.

The war has lasted so long that, in truth, everyone is exhausted, including Li Yun. Long-distance warfare is just like this; lack of acclimatization and overly long supply lines will make people feel exhausted, and will even affect the combat effectiveness of the entire army. The morale for battle is even more severely affected.

Furthermore.

The Wa nation is truly difficult to fight.

As a renowned general of his generation, Li Yun had to admit that these Wa people possessed an incredibly strong resilience. They were like cockroaches that could not be killed; even his Three Light Policy had failed to strike any fear into these Wa people, instead inciting their ferocity—the more brutal he was, the more intensely they resisted.

He even began to feel some concern.

Even if they could truly conquer the entire Wa nation this time, the Nanyang side would have to pay a heavy price.

To injure the enemy by one thousand, one must suffer eight hundred in return.

This was not what he wanted to see.

Therefore, while attacking this city, he gathered all the strategists in the army together.

To find a method.

To find a method to resolve the predicament their great army was currently facing.

The group discussed back and forth.

One strategist pondered and said, "Great General, this depends on whether we truly wish to destroy the nation, or if we wish to..."

The group looked at one another in dismay.

Destroy the nation? Or?

This question was indeed very important.

This time, in their conquest of the Wa nation, did they want to destroy the nation, or just make a quick profit and leave, or did they want to turn this place into their colony...

These three were different choices, and they would lead to different results.

But even in a war of annihilation, in the history of humanity since ancient times, there had never been a war of annihilation that truly killed every single person in a country; yet clearly, their current pace was to completely kill off all twenty-plus million people of the Wa nation... This was absolutely not a joke.

Making a quick profit and leaving was, of course, not what Li Yun wanted.

He was very clear about the viciousness of these Wa people.

Then...

Turn it into a colony?

This seemed to be the most suitable direction for them right now... although it was possible for the Wa nation to rise from the ashes, which would require a state of high-pressure control.

However.

What was the most important point?

In this era, the population dividend was still very important, or rather, in any era, population was very important. If they killed all these Wa people, what would be the point of colonizing this place? Who didn't know that the Wa nation was located in an earthquake zone, where earthquakes occurred frequently every year, making the local Wa people want to flee? The environment, resources, and so on here could not even compare to Nanyang. If they didn't want the population, what was the point of colonizing this place?

The third choice.

There was only the third choice.

Li Yun looked at this strategist and asked indifferently, "You mean..."

The strategist chuckled, "Vice Minister Liu once said that to truly colonize a place, one must kill those who do not submit, support a group of puppets, and station them to govern the colony... none of these three can be missing. Great General, since that is the case, why don't we install the Emperor and kill everyone from the Tokugawa Clan?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes lit up. Pop-ups have been frequent lately, you can click to download,

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