Chapter 260: Chapter 176: The World’s Reaction

No one could have predicted this would be the outcome of the battle.

Eight hundred thousand Imperial Guards and a million Border Army soldiers, routed so quickly after facing the Great Qin army.

The Yong Emperor gritted his teeth, his eyes shot with blood.

This battle was a massive blow to him.

Lu Yuan’s strength had also far exceeded his expectations.

For the Crown Prince’s sake, he had gradually pushed Lu Yuan away from Dayong. He had been on the verge of executing him, only for a deal to be struck involving the title of Unparalleled Marquis. Yet, the price for all this was Dayong’s swift decline.

This battle had beaten the Yong Dynasty to the point where it had no strength to fight back, its national power reduced to less than thirty percent of its former glory.

He couldn’t bear to risk his only remaining four hundred thousand Imperial Guards and his last Renowned General in a final, desperate struggle against Lu Yuan.

If he threw them into the fray as well...

He would have absolutely no chance of making a comeback.

He glanced down at the court officials. "Gentlemen, are there any other options?"

At this moment, despite possessing Earth Immortal Cultivation, the Yong Emperor felt a wave of powerlessness wash over him.

He had no way to deal with Great Qin anymore.

Lv Ze spoke softly, "Your Majesty, Chang Dao has gained the upper hand in the battle at Luzhou. However, Luzhou is connected to Songzhou, and the Great Qin army will arrive in three days at the latest.

Neither King Bei You nor Chang Dao will be able to withstand such a military force.

If Luzhou falls, the only shield left for the Imperial City will be Lingzhou. The Great Qin Iron Cavalry can travel a thousand li a day; they will be at our gates in less than half a month.

I advise that we relocate the capital."

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials below erupted into discussion.

Relocate the capital? Such a thing had never happened in the history of Dayong.

It was a disgrace. If they truly moved the capital, where would they even go?

The Yong Emperor’s expression turned grim.

But he knew in his heart: ’Great Qin has an army two million strong, and my elites are gone. If I don’t leave now, when their army is truly at the gates, I won’t be able to escape even if I want to.’

He also knew that if he took this step, he would be seen as the ultimate betrayer of Dayong.

As he hesitated, the Grand Tutor, Ling Cheng, spoke up. "Your Majesty, the four hundred thousand Imperial Guards are currently garrisoned in Suzhou, led by General Zhang Xiao. That region is also adjacent to Luzhou.

Why not order the Imperial Guard to return and reinforce us? If something happens to our last Imperial Guard unit, we will truly have no cards left to play."

Grand General Zhang Xiao was Dayong’s last Renowned General. If he too fell in battle against Lu Yuan, all hope would be well and truly lost.

The Yong Emperor did not hesitate on this matter. He immediately ordered, "Draft an edict at once. Command Grand General Zhang Xiao to lead his army back to the Imperial City to protect the throne.

As for relocating the capital, I will consider it for a few more days before deciding."

He was unwilling to abandon the Imperial City and move south until the situation was truly, utterly hopeless.

After all, this city was the foundation of Dayong, built up over generations.

If it were lost, the damage would be too great.

"As you command!"

A nearby eunuch acknowledged the order and hurried to get busy.

At a signal from the Yong Emperor, the officials of Dayong withdrew.

When he was alone in his study, he clenched his fists and muttered to himself, "The Crown Prince has doomed me."

’Thinking back now, this is all because of the Crown Prince. If it weren’t for him, I never would have thought of pushing Lu Yuan out just to build up the Crown Prince’s prestige.’

’I certainly wouldn’t have pushed Lu Yuan to oppose Dayong, only for him to become a Great Qin general.’

’If Dayong had a man like him, I would have had the confidence to defeat Great Yu and annex Great Qin within ten years. Imagine how glorious Dayong would have been then!’

’But now, all of that is gone.’

’All that’s left is a shattered court. How can we possibly stand against Lu Yuan?’

At this thought, he ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.

He was filled with utter regret, but he could not let it show in front of his court.

Otherwise, if that sentiment were to spread, fighting this war would become even more impossible.

The Yong Emperor’s anguish was a burden he could not share.

But in the imperial palace of Great Qin, the atmosphere was one of celebration.

The Xiao Clan and her ministers had first been worried, then thrilled, and now that their emotions had settled, all that remained was joy.

In a mere two days, Lu Yuan had not only defeated two of Dayong’s most formidable Renowned Generals.

He had also routed eight hundred thousand Imperial Guards—those who didn’t die, surrendered.

Furthermore, he had captured nearly a million soldiers of the Border Army.

All these men would be incorporated into the ranks of Great Qin.

With a bit of training, they could be dispatched in batches to garrison cities for Great Qin, and that wasn’t even counting the other spoils of this war.

There were just too many: the lands of several provinces, gold and silver, grain, people, and vast quantities of cultivation resources. The list was endless.

This time, Great Qin had truly cast off its old humiliations, deciding the outcome in a single, decisive battle.

Dayong was crippled, and the tables of offense and defense had been turned.

The Xiao Clan looked at the Great Yu envoy, whose jaw had nearly hit the floor, and said coolly, "I’m afraid those grasslands can no longer be given to your Yu Emperor.

Please return and convey my thoughts to him."

Below, the envoy from Great Yu had lost all the arrogance he’d arrived with.

He bowed his head. "I will return at once and will be sure to deliver Her Majesty’s words."

After speaking, he cautiously backed out of the great hall.

After he left, the Xiao Clan turned to Li Qing. "I have just received a sound transmission from Prince Qin. He plans to continue pressing his advantage, and the court must supply the necessary rations, fodder, and other materials as quickly as possible.

Prime Minister, are you confident you can manage it?"

Everyone knew that since the war began, Lu Yuan’s pace had been astonishingly fast, like a wild horse that had broken its reins. It seemed nothing could stop him.

This, in turn, placed immense pressure on logistics.

Li Qing gave a wry smile. "Your Majesty, if Prince Qin isn’t complaining of hardship on the front lines, then we who supply him from the rear certainly cannot be the ones to hold him back.

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