Chapter 392: Is the Empress Possessed by the God of War?
Spring had arrived, and from top to bottom, Great Wu was working tirelessly to support agriculture, kickstarting large-scale production, and the entire nation was filled with energy and vigor. However, unexpectedly, neighboring countries around Great Wu were experiencing simultaneous peasant uprisings, throwing everything into chaos. The Great Xia Dynasty, Great Yan Dynasty, and Great Moon Dynasty—all of them couldn’t escape the turmoil.
Lin Beifan had initially thought that the most chaotic situation would occur in the Dayue Dynasty. After all, the peasant uprising organized by Princess Ziyue was the most organized and extensive. They were experienced and had the potential for the greatest impact.
But to his surprise, it was the Great Yan Dynasty that was the most chaotic. Uprisings had erupted everywhere, with even the smallest towns and cities joining the rebellion. The smallest rebellions had more than ten thousand people, and the largest had already reached fifty thousand. In total, the scale had surpassed one million, reaching unimaginable proportions.
Yet, when one thought about it, it seemed to make sense. Ever since Empty Void Daoist had arrived, the entire Great Yan court had been obsessed with witchcraft and drug use, neglecting state affairs. The current emperor had even launched an exploitation campaign to gather medicinal herbs and rare treasures from all over the country to concoct elixirs, which had already incited public outrage.
Before, they had lost hundreds of thousands of troops to obtain dragon bones. Even so, relying on the dynasty’s foundation, they had managed to hold on. But misfortune came in succession, with a once-in-a-century super ice disaster, causing the death of over twenty million people and a severe shortage of resources. The entire dynasty had suffered heavy losses.
However, at this critical moment, the Great Yan Emperor continued his obsession with alchemy and ignored the livelihoods of his people. The people could no longer endure it and rose in rebellion.
To maintain their rule, the Great Yan court had to dispatch over a million troops to quell the uprisings. How could one describe the chaos?
It was worse than the most chaotic times in Great Wu!
News of this situation quickly reached the Great Wu court. The Empress was delighted and sharpened her knives, saying, “Now that Great Yan is in turmoil, the people are suffering, it’s the perfect time for our Great Wu to send troops! My ministers, how many troops do you think we should send, and who should lead the campaign?”
The entire court, both civil and military officials, were shocked and tried to advise against it. “Your Majesty, it is not suitable to wage war now!”
“The ice disaster has just passed, and many repairs are needed. We should focus our efforts on production rather than going to war!”
“While there is unrest in Great Yan, we should remember that a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Their military strength is still formidable! If we go to war, even if we win, it will be a costly victory!”
“Please, Your Majesty, think this through!” The Empress said displeased, “Why can’t we go to war? Back when Great Wu was in turmoil, they treated us the same way! If it weren’t for the help of Sir Lin Beifan, you wouldn’t be sitting here ruling the nation today. So, while the enemy is weak and sick, we must deal with them properly and avenge our past grievances!”
Seeing that they couldn’t persuade the Empress, the officials in the court exchanged glances with Lin Beifan.
“Lord Prime Minister, please advise Her Majesty!”
“It’s really not suitable for warfare right now. Waging war won’t benefit Great Wu much!”
“Supreme Commander, you must convince Her Majesty. She listens to you!”
At this time, Lin Beifan acted as a mediator and said, “Your Majesty, what the officials are saying makes a lot of sense. Currently, Great Wu is fully focused on spring farming and it’s not the right time for warfare.”
The Empress frowned and asked, “Are you not supporting me, Sir Lin?”
“But Your Majesty also makes a valid point! Over the years, Great Yan has coveted our territory and caused us many troubles. This enmity cannot go unavenged. Now, with Great Yan in turmoil, it’s a heaven-sent opportunity. If we miss this chance, it might not come again.”
“So, Sir Lin, what is your opinion…”
“Your Majesty, matters of war are not trivial!” Lin Beifan said, cupping his hands. “Therefore, I request some time to consider this fully. After I have thought it through, I will provide Your Majesty with my answer.”
The Empress sighed, “Very well, let’s discuss this later.”
Although this impending war had been postponed, news of it had already spread among the common people, creating a buzz.
“Is our Majesty planning to attack Great Yan?”
“This seems like a good opportunity. Our Majesty is wise!”
“Excellent! I fully support it. I’m going to enlist in the army right away and make my mark in this endeavor!”
“I don’t want a war! We haven’t had peaceful days for long; another war will only bring chaos!”
“Yeah, I also don’t want a war!”
Great Yan’s undercover agents in Great Wu’s capital soon inquired about the situation’s authenticity.
With a solemn expression, Lin Beifan said, “It’s true! Her Majesty still bears a grudge against Great Yan for what happened in the past. She wants to seize this opportunity to march south with the army. The officials have advised against it, but Her Majesty is determined. Great Yan is in grave danger.”
The Great Yan spies hurriedly responded, “Please, Prime Minister, help persuade Her Majesty. Our country is in turmoil and can’t withstand another war!”
Lin Beifan shook his head, sighed, and said, “It’s difficult. Her Majesty is impulsive and eager for achievements. She doesn’t listen to anyone. Even I can’t persuade her now. You should prepare yourselves for war.”
The Great Yan spies were filled with anxiety. “Prime Minister, you know the situation in Great Yan very well. We really can’t afford a war right now. Please, we beg you to try to convince Her Majesty!”
Lin Beifan appeared reluctant. “Well… it depends on your sincerity. A sincere heart moves mountains.”
Three days later, the Great Yan spies presented a substantial sum of 5 million taels of silver, demonstrating their sincerity.
As a result, Lin Beifan stood before the court.
“Your Majesty, regarding the war with Great Yan, I’ve carefully considered it and believe that it’s not advisable for us to go to war,” he said.
The Empress asked, “Sir Lin, why is that?”
“Your Majesty, although Great Yan is currently in turmoil, it’s not a good time!”
“First, Great Yan has just deployed its forces to suppress the riots, and their military strength hasn’t suffered much damage. Second, our nation has just endured a massive ice disaster, and we should focus on recovery and not engage in warfare.”
“So, why don’t we wait until their internal turmoil ends, and their military strength is significantly reduced before launching an attack? This way, we can rebuild our strength during this time, making it an even more opportune moment.”
The Empress nodded, “Sir Lin, you make a valid point. Let’s not attack Great Yan.”
“Your Majesty is wise!” The officials chimed in unison.
“Instead, we won’t attack Great Yan, and we’ll go after Great Xia!” The Empress said with resentment, “Last year, they dared to send an army of 800,000 troops to attack Great Wu? At that time, we were on the brink of destruction, our nation’s survival was at stake. We must avenge this grudge! Moreover, this year, they unilaterally cut off compensation payments and blocked our trade routes. So, it’s necessary to strike them and teach them a profound lesson!”
Lin Beifan and the officials were left in shock.
Not attacking Great Yan but going after Great Xia? This was even more challenging, wasn’t it?
“Your Majesty, please think it over!” The officials pleaded, fearful, and tried to persuade her. But in the end, they couldn’t change her mind, and Lin Beifan had to step in again, expressing the need to consider the matter thoroughly.
However, this news once again spread from the court to the common people.
“Is Her Majesty planning to go to war again? Not with Great Yan, but with Great Xia?”
“If we attack Great Xia, I fully support it, because they indeed deserve it!”
“I still hope we don’t go to war!”
Great Xia’s spies inquired about this matter.
With a wry smile, Lin Beifan replied, “It’s true! The Empress has been fixated on avenging the humiliation at Hulao Pass last year. She won’t be swayed by anyone’s advice. And she’s even thinking of having me lead the army. Prepare yourselves for war; send more people! I’m afraid I won’t be able to control it in the court!”
The Great Xia spies were horrified. “During this ice disaster, we suffered heavy losses in Great Xia. Now, with the chaos resurging, our country is in turmoil, and it’s not suitable for warfare. Please, Prime Minister, help persuade the Empress.”
“It depends on your sincerity. When you show enough sincerity, I can be quite persuasive,” Lin Beifan replied.
In the end, Great Xia reluctantly paid a hefty price of 5 million taels of silver, showing their sincerity.
Taking the money, Lin Beifan once again used his eloquence in the court.
The Empress highly valued Lin Beifan’s opinion and nodded, saying, “Sir Lin, you make a valid point. Since there are many risks associated with attacking Great Xia, we won’t do it. We must not put our soldiers and citizens in harm’s way.”
“Your Majesty is wise!” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since we can’t attack Great Yan or Great Xia, then let’s go after Dayue!”
The Empress slammed the table and shouted, “Last year, they dared to lead 500,000 troops across the Qinglong Fortress and reached the Phoenix Mountain Range! This is an enormous disgrace for our nation! We will avenge this!”
The officials were once again dumbfounded.
Another war?
The officials turned their eyes toward Lin Beifan because they had already realized that among all the civil and military officials, only Lin Beifan could persuade the Empress.
Lin Beifan felt somewhat exasperated. What was going on with this Empress? She seemed to constantly crave warfare, either against this country or that. She was too impulsive.
Could it be that Her Majesty was possessed by the God of War?
“Your Majesty, please give me some time to consider. I’ll give you my answer after careful thought.”
“Hurry up, Sir Lin. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself!” The Empress was itching for action.
In the end, Lin Beifan managed to extract another 3 million taels of silver from Dayue and successfully persuaded the Empress once more. But she still wanted to wage war. If she couldn’t attack a major power, would she settle for a smaller one?
This decision put the smaller neighboring nations of Great Wu in a state of alarm. They all sent gold, silver, and jewels to Lin Beifan, urging him to dissuade the Empress from starting a war.
After this round of negotiations, Great Wu hadn’t attacked any nation. However, Lin Beifan had collected over 20 million taels of silver in the process, which left him both pained and delighted.
Even though persuading the Empress was a headache, he felt really happy when he got his hands on the money. It seemed that the next upgrade wasn’t too far off. The next promotion would make him a Supreme Grandmaster, a formidable expert, much like the terrifying Bai Guanyin.
Throughout this process, Lin Beifan had a vague feeling that he and the Empress shared an unspoken understanding. She would be responsible for fits of rage, and he would handle the financial negotiations.
