Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 385 - 238: The Emperor Skedaddles!

Chapter 385: Chapter 238: The Emperor Skedaddles!

In the imperial court, the debate continued unceasingly.

Those in favor of war and those in favor of peace each presented their views, citing authoritative quotes from Saints, drawing parallels with historical precedents from former dynasties; in short, they each believed wholeheartedly in their own reasoning.

As for the Emperor, he sat on his throne with impatience, watching the two factions argue back and forth, his face clearly showing his annoyance.

This newly enthroned Emperor had not yet adapted well to his role.

At this moment, he found the ministers’ conduct detestable, thinking they were simply talking nonsense that could ruin the nation. Not a single one could offer a strategy that would convince him, nor was there any phrase upon hearing which he could immediately make a decision and implement in full.

To the Emperor, this was unmistakably a display of the ministers’ incompetence.

At this point, Li Boxi and Tang Qin, although they seemed to be considering the nation’s and the monarch’s interests, appeared to the Emperor to be acting mostly out of self-interest.

Untrustworthy.

Seeing that neither side could come to a resolution after a prolonged argument, the Emperor shifted his gaze to Chuge, who had not yet spoken.

At this time, Chuge’s official title was Imperial Censor, and although his rank was not the highest, he was the head of the Imperial Censorate, with both authority and the right to speak.

Moreover, from the way the Emperor looked at him... it seemed the Emperor held his opinion in high regard?

Emperor Yingzong of Qi paused briefly, then, in a commanding tone he was still not quite familiar with, said, "Minister Li, what is your opinion on this matter?"

In this instance, Chuge’s name was Li Hao. Upon hearing the Emperor address him, after a moment’s thought, he replied, "Your Majesty, I believe that both war and peace are necessary tactics. We cannot be intent on war alone, but neither can we compromise for the sake of peace.

"The Jin soldiers come in fierce torrents, markedly different from the formidable enemies our dynasty faced before.

"Having swallowed up the entire north, the Jin soldiers’ morale is at its peak. At this point, they most likely harbor intentions of annihilating our Qi. Minister Tang’s idea of repelling the Jin with mere gold and treasures is, I’m afraid, an impossibility.

"Regardless of how much we offer, the Jin will certainly continue to make exorbitant demands, believing that our Qi can still offer more... This will become a bottomless pit.

"Therefore, a battle for the capital is inevitable.

"However, constant warfare is not sustainable. Our soldiers are lax in training and cannot stand up to the Jin in combat capability.

"If we rashly engage in field battles, we will likely be defeated one by one by the Jin.

"The only solution is to defend the capital until the armies loyal to our cause assemble. When our forces reach an absolute advantage, especially after the arrival of Zhong Pingyuan, the venerable old General of the Western Army, we might then have a chance to emerge victorious in one fell swoop.

"Only when the Jin have been attacking for a long time without success and find themselves deeply entrenched in our territory, there will be hope for peace talks.

"The key point is that this time, with the Jin Army’s swift advance causing our troops to collapse at the first contact, the capital is in grave danger. This has rung the alarm for our Qi.

"This time, we must first secure the capital, then after the loyal armies gather, repel the Jin Army, establish agreements, and then reorganize the troops for warfare. Within a few years, we can cultivate a strong military force capable of contending with the Jin soldiers, and only then can the nation be free from worry."

Chuge’s words were essentially the best solution from a modern perspective.

At this time, everyone understood the combat strength of the Jin soldiers; with the current level of Qi, there was no chance for victory.

However, although there were no defenses near the capital, relying on the city walls should pose no problem in holding off the first wave.

To avoid the disgrace of Jingping, in Chuge’s opinion, the priorities were as follows: first, as originally happened in history, to rely on Li Boxi’s strength to hold the capital;

Second, to persuade the Emperor to wait until Zhong Pingyuan’s Western Army was fully prepared before engaging in battle to gain an advantage in the field and force the Jin to negotiate;

Third, to preserve the main force of the Western Army, prepare properly, break the siege of Taiyuan City, and continue to strengthen the defenses of Taiyuan;

Fourth, to take this opportunity to reinforce the Yellow River defense line in anticipation of the Jin’s second invasion more than half a year later, which led to the crisis at Jingping;

Fifth, to gain temporary peace and then promote generals like Han Fuyue, reorganize for war, and muster nationwide support, by which time we could cross the Yellow River, recapture Yan and the surrounding regions, and even march directly into the heartland to eliminate the Jin Country.

If these steps could be successfully completed, then the Qi Dynasty’s reign could be extended by many more years, and with strongholds like Yan secured and properly managed, it could possibly withstand the rise of the Northern Barbarians until the day of their internal division.

If Chuge had found himself in the role of Emperor Yingzong of Qi, these five steps wouldn’t need to be suggested by others; he could have arranged for reliable ministers like Li Boxi to carry them out.

But since he was not the Emperor, only the Imperial Censor, he could only offer advice.

How much of it the Emperor would take to heart was something only heaven knew.

In fact, Chuge had other options, such as completely siding with either the pro-war or the peace faction, but considering that this was his first attempt, after some thought, he decided to lay out all the cards.

In the imperial court, it was unlikely that all of these steps would be implemented, but still, it was useful to arouse some consensus among the knowledgeable.

However, what surprised Chuge was the slight dissatisfaction appearing on Emperor Yingzong’s face.

"Hmm, Minister Li’s words, they make some sense."

Just "make some sense"? But this is clearly the best solution in the current situation!

Chuge glanced briefly at the other ministers’ reactions to his speech and found that Li Boxi, the head of the pro-war faction, seemed a bit surprised by his remarks, yet within that surprise, there was also some admiration; as for Tang Qin, his expression conveyed doubt, mixed with a touch of reflection and a sigh.