Chapter 289: Chapter 285: Your Majesty, Something Terrible Has Happened

It was early morning, and golden sunlight illuminated the grand hall of the Imperial Palace.

The hall was spacious and bright. Eight red pillars carved with dragons supported the roof, the floor was paved with White Jade, and the air was filled with the scent of curling sandalwood incense.

Emperor Li Bi sat high upon his golden throne. Below, the court ministers were arranged in two columns, attending the morning court session to discuss matters of state.

"Minister Ma, what is the current situation of the war with Southern Chu?" Emperor Li Bi asked, his voice resonant.

The Southern Chu Country and the Southern Tang Country had long been hostile, with battles erupting annually. It was a constant thorn in Emperor Li Bi’s side, a source of great apprehension.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, we have news of a victory from the front. Two days ago, our soldiers executed a brilliant ambush, inflicting heavy losses on the Chu Country’s forces. For the time being, the border should be secure," Minister Ma of the Ministry of War replied, stepping out from the ranks.

"Good. Excellent. The Chu Country violates our borders every year. It’s satisfying to finally knock them down a peg. Hahaha, splendid." A smile spread across Emperor Li Bi’s face, his mood greatly improved. He nodded and said, "My dear ministers, are there any other matters to report?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one must deal with both internal and external threats. Now that the border is stable, it is time to resolve our internal troubles," Minister Ma of the Ministry of War continued. "Some time ago, White Cloud City defeated our one hundred thousand strong Red Sun Army, dealing a great blow to the prestige of our Southern Tang Country. Now that our hands are free, we must eradicate this menace and restore the might of Southern Tang!"

The defeat of the hundred-thousand-strong Red Sun Army at the hands of White Cloud City on White Cloud Mountain had become the talk of the Southern Tang Country. As a result, White Cloud City’s reputation had soared, its name echoing in every direction.

"White Cloud City..." A cold glint flashed in Emperor Li Bi’s eyes. His gaze wavered as he sank into deep thought.

"Your Majesty, you must not!" Minister Xu of the Ministry of Revenue hurriedly stepped forward. "White Cloud City is merely a Sect, not so different from the other Noble Sects. I have observed that they have no ambition for conquest. We should focus on appeasement and leave each other in peace. If we rashly go to war, I fear the people will suffer immensely! Besides, with Southern Tang’s constant campaigns in recent years, the treasury is already empty—"

"Hmph! An empty treasury is all the more reason to attack White Cloud City," Minister Ma of the Ministry of War retorted instantly. "Your Majesty, the whole world knows that Lord White Cloud holds a treasure of over a Million Gold Coins. If we can conquer White Cloud City and add those Million Gold Coins to our treasury, the Southern Tang Country’s military will surely be strong and well-supplied."

"Minister Ma, do you think Lord White Cloud is some pushover? The entirety of White Cloud City has been turned into an impenetrable fortress, and they possess countless Heaven-shattering Thunders. Even Grand General Ouyang Xu, leading a hundred-thousand-strong army, was defeated and killed in his assault. If we attack White Cloud City again, how many more soldiers must we lose? Are you not trifling with the lives of our men?"

"Haha, countless Heaven-shattering Thunders? A single Heaven-shattering Thunder costs thousands of Gold Coins. My lords, how many do you really think White Cloud City could have? This talk of ’countless’ Heaven-shattering Thunders is nothing but an exaggeration. In my view, it’s just an excuse the Red Sun Army made up to absolve themselves of blame for their defeat. And though Ouyang Xu was an Innate Realm expert, he was merely a warrior, a brute who knew nothing of military strategy. That is why he was defeated and killed..."

"Hmm, Heaven-shattering Thunders are indeed expensive. One wouldn’t use them in battle unless absolutely necessary."

"I agree, they couldn’t have had that many. In that case, the Red Sun Army’s defeat was likely due to their commander’s incompetence."

"Lord Liu, if that’s the case, is it really possible to conquer White Cloud City and obtain the Million Gold Coins?"

"It might be possible, but with the treasury empty, we’d need funds and provisions to dispatch an army."

"Haha, that’s simple enough. Just levy some more taxes."

...

"Speaking of which, White Cloud City doesn’t seem to have done anything wrong. If we march on them, it will be the second time the Court has initiated an attack. I’m afraid we won’t have the moral high ground."

"Heh, all land under heaven belongs to the Emperor. Does the Court need a reason to attack White Cloud City?"

"There are so many Sects in Southern Tang. White Cloud City’s only crime is possessing such a vast treasure in gold."

"Lord Yan, do you think His Majesty will dispatch an army?"

"It’s hard to say. It will depend on a calculation of gains versus losses. If the risks are within an acceptable range..."

The grand hall filled with the clamor of discussion as the civil and military ministers debated amongst themselves. Some made formal reports, while others put their heads together, whispering, and the hall grew noisy.

"Silence!" Emperor Li Bi boomed, his eyes glinting. He paused, then said slowly, "With a Million Gold Coins to fill the treasury, what threat would the Chu Country pose to Southern Tang? In fact, the Crown Prince previously suggested attacking White Cloud City to me. I refused at the time because we were engaged in battle with the Chu Country. I feared opening a second front would be disadvantageous. Now that the border is calm, we can indeed reconsider this matter."

Emperor Li Bi mentioned the Crown Prince with the intention of helping him earn military honors; after all, the Crown Prince was his only son.

"Minister Ma, if I were to send you and the Crown Prince to lead an expedition against White Cloud City, how many troops would you estimate you’d need?" Emperor Li Bi asked, turning his gaze to Minister Ma of the Ministry of War.

"One hundred thousand would be sufficient. However, to be safe, if Your Majesty were to grant me an army of two hundred thousand, the Crown Prince and I could certainly flatten White Cloud City." Minister Ma of the Ministry of War was overjoyed. He paused, then continued, "I also implore Your Majesty to permit National Master Meng Shuming to accompany us for our protection. This is to prevent any surviving White Cloud City remnants with powerful Martial Arts from attempting an assassination when the city falls. With the National Master’s protection, this expedition will be foolproof."

As Minister Ma spoke, the eyes of every official in the hall turned in unison toward a middle-aged man in white robes, who stood at the head of the left-hand column. The man was tall and slender, wore a formal cap, and possessed an otherworldly air. He was none other than the guardian of the Southern Tang Country, National Master Meng Shuming. His Cultivation was profound and immeasurable, and he was one of the few Innate Realm experts in the entire nation.

Innate Realm experts held an extremely high status. If one was unwilling to do something, not even Emperor Li Bi could force them.

"National Master, are you willing to go?" Emperor Li Bi asked.

"As Your Majesty commands, I shall naturally obey," National Master Meng Shuming said with a slight bow.

"Excellent!" A look of delight appeared on Emperor Li Bi’s face as he announced in a loud voice, "National Master Meng, Ma Hongxiao, hear my decree! I hereby command you to lead an army of two hundred... no, three hundred thousand men, and accompany Crown Prince Li Yu to conquer White Cloud—"

Just as Emperor Li Bi was speaking, a burst of frantic footsteps echoed from outside the grand hall.

"Your Majesty, terrible news! Terrible news!"

A soldier of the Imperial Army, drenched in sweat and pale-faced, stumbled frantically into the hall. He gasped for breath, stammering, "The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince, he..."

The hearts of the ministers jolted in shock, and their confused gazes all fell upon the Imperial Army soldier who had burst into the hall.

"What about the Crown Prince?" Emperor Li Bi’s expression changed, and he snapped, "Speak! What happened to the Crown Prince?"

"The Crown Prince..." The Imperial Army soldier took a deep breath, his face a mask of grief. In a trembling voice, he cried out, "Your Majesty, the news is terrible! The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince has been killed!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.