mtl008 Chapter 284 The war begins
Chapter 284 The war begins
The twilight, as dark as ink, quietly enveloped the entire capital city, its heavy twilight pressing down on the eaves of the Cui residence.
Cui Zhihao sat in the hall, holding a bowl of steaming soup in his hands. Just as he was about to drink it, his gaze inadvertently swept over the empty seat, and he realized that Shi Wanxia had not yet returned home.
He looked out at the deepening night, his brow furrowing slightly, a sense of unease rising in his heart. He asked Shuyun, "Miss Shuyun, has Miss Shi not returned yet?"
Upon hearing the sound, Shuyun also looked up at the door. The sky was dark and the number of pedestrians on the street was dwindling. At this hour, Miss Shi should indeed have returned long ago.
"Not yet, Young Master Cui," Shuyun replied softly, her tone also carrying a hint of worry.
Cui Zhihao sighed softly and said to Shuyun, "Shuyun, Miss Shi has been really tired these past few days. Tell the kitchen to make more of Miss Shi's favorite dishes."
Shuyun nodded obediently, but sighed inwardly. She didn't like this bustling yet oppressive capital city. Although her sister Shi now held an important position in the court, the burden and pressure on her shoulders were increasing day by day.
Shuyun witnessed all the power struggles and intrigues in the court, as well as the doubts and difficulties raised by the officials, and it pained her deeply.
As the first female official in thousands of years, Sister Shi's hardships and grievances were beyond the comprehension of others; only she knew a little about them.
Just as Shuyun was lost in thought, Shi Wanxia's voice came from outside the door: "Shuyun, what are you thinking about? Is dinner ready?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shi Wanxia walking into the hall with slightly tired steps.
Her figure appeared somewhat frail in the dim candlelight, and although she tried to maintain her composure, she could not hide a trace of weariness.
"Miss Shi, you're finally back!"
Choi Ji-ho quickly stood up, strode forward to greet her, took the items from her hands, and asked with concern, "Why are you back so late today? Were you busy with official duties?"
Shi Wanxia gave a faint smile and nodded, saying, "Yes, some trivial matters took me by."
Shuyun hurriedly stepped forward, taking off her cloak as she said, "Sister Shi, we've been waiting for you to come back for dinner. I made your favorite dishes today."
Shi Wanxia nodded slightly and gave Shuyun a grateful look. "Thank you for your hard work, Shuyun."
Several people sat around the table, the steam from the food rising, but it failed to dispel the gloom in Shi Wanxia's heart.
She ate a few bites of food, then put down her chopsticks and couldn't help but sigh, "Today in court, I brought up the previous policies for governing the country again, but His Majesty still didn't give a clear answer. The ministers' eyes were full of doubt and disdain."
Cui Zhihao put down his chopsticks and gently patted the back of her hand, comforting her, "Miss Shi, don't be too anxious."
"You've only been here a short time, so it's normal that they find it hard to accept your views right away. Your talent and ability will eventually make them look at you in a new light."
Shuyun chimed in, "Yes, Sister Shi, you're so amazing, you can definitely do it!"
Looking at them, Shi Wanxia felt a surge of warmth in her heart. "With you all by my side, I feel much more at ease. It's just that the path of officialdom is far more difficult than I imagined."
After dinner, Shi Wanxia returned to her study and continued to peruse the mountain of memorials and official documents.
Her brows were furrowed, and she would sometimes pick up her pen to make annotations, and sometimes fall into deep thought.
Cui Zhihao carried a cup of hot tea into the study and gently placed it on her desk. "Miss Shi, don't work too hard. Have some tea and rest first."
Shi Wanxia looked up at Cui Zhihao, her eyes filled with emotion. "Brother Cui, thank you. These past few days, I've been so grateful for your and Shuyun's company and support."
Choi Jiho sat down beside her and said softly, "We're family, there's no need to be so formal. No matter what difficulties we encounter, I'll always be by your side."
In the days that followed, Shi Wanxia continued to struggle in the imperial court.
Every time she attended court, she faced the questioning and difficulties from the officials, but she never once showed any intention of backing down.
In order to make her policies more convincing, she used her spare time to go deep into the towns and villages around the capital to understand the hardships of the people and collect a lot of detailed information.
The sun hung high in the sky, and the warm sunlight shone through the carved window lattices onto the magnificent court hall, but it failed to dispel the tension and solemnity that permeated the hall.
Shen Yuxi sat upright on the dragon throne, his posture ramrod straight, his face cold and stern, but his eyes could not hide his anger and worry.
Recently, the barbarian small countries have become increasingly rampant, not only harassing the borders of Cangling Kingdom every day, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil deeds, but now they have even colluded with several neighboring small countries to openly invade the border cities of Cangling Kingdom.
Such behavior is a blatant provocation against the majesty of the Cangling Kingdom. How could Shen Yuxi not be furious?
His gaze slowly swept over the civil and military officials below the throne, where they were arguing heatedly about how to deal with the situation.
Most civil officials, led by Lin Yuan, Minister of Personnel, and Zhao Hong, Minister of Works, advocated for peace talks.
Lin Yuan, slender and with his official robes fluttering gently in the breeze, was speaking with great emotion: "Your Majesty, these are merely small foreign countries. Give them some provisions, and they will leave. Why go to such lengths? My Cangling Kingdom is vast and rich in resources. A little bit of provisions is but a drop in the ocean, yet it can bring peace to the border. Why not do it?"
Zhao Hong quickly echoed, his face full of a fawning smile: "Yes, Your Majesty, now our Cangling is peaceful and prosperous. If we were to wage war over these few small foreign countries, wouldn't that destroy this hard-won tranquility? Besides, war is a waste of resources and manpower, and is not a wise move."
Upon hearing this, many civil officials nodded in agreement, and for a time, voices in the court supporting peace talks rose and fell.
However, the military officers, led by General Lin Yong, strongly opposed this.
Lin Yong, a burly man with a full beard, roared with furious eyes, "Hmph, peace talks? Absolutely absurd! Those barbarian little countries are wolves in sheep's clothing. If we give them provisions today, they'll demand even more tomorrow. If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll only push their luck further. Where is the dignity of my Cangling Kingdom? Where is the fighting spirit of my soldiers?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the generals behind him chimed in in support, "The General is absolutely right! We must not negotiate peace! We must let those small foreign countries know the might of our Cangling Kingdom!"
In the imperial court, civil and military officials each held their own views and refused to yield, and the argument grew increasingly heated.
As Shen Yuxi looked at the chaotic scene, his brows furrowed more and more, and his frustration grew stronger.
He knew that while peace talks could temporarily quell the war, they were by no means a long-term solution; but if he rashly sent troops, he would have to consider many factors, and if he was not careful, he would be plunged into an abyss of no return.
Just then, Su Yu, the Vice Minister of Rites who had been silent all along, stepped forward.
Despite his young age, Su Yu was exceptionally talented and was known as the "wise strategist" in the imperial court.
He was tall and handsome, and at this moment he slightly cupped his hands and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, I believe that neither negotiating peace nor sending troops is advisable."