The Prince Can Do Divination

Chapter 371 - 236: A War of the Entire Nation, Crimson Gold Fate Grid [True Dragon Emperor], Contention in the Great Era, I Have Received the Celestial Mandate

The Imperial Court.

Holy Bright Palace.

Amidst a heavy atmosphere, the civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate and took their designated places, gathering in the magnificent and resplendent great hall.

Today’s court session was rather late. An emergency had arisen, and the palace had only notified the Capital Officials to attend after dawn. The Holy Emperor had decreed that no one could request leave for any reason, not even illness. Unless they were dead, they were to be carried into the palace if need be.

Most of these officials were seasoned veterans who had navigated the political landscape for decades. They knew with certainty that something major must have happened.

The Capital Officials filed into the great hall in an orderly fashion, their ranks forming neat and silent lines. Just then, Yuan Xuangang, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet who had already resigned his post, appeared at the entrance of the Holy Bright Palace and slowly walked inside.

He glanced to his left. The spot was empty—it was supposed to be the position for the Advisor of the Imperial Censorate. Now, however, Yuan Xuangang stood there.

Upon seeing this, some of the more politically astute officials grew pensive.

A quarter of an hour later, Emperor Yong’an entered from the rear of the hall. He was no longer in the casual, everyday robes he wore within the Deep Palace, but was instead clad in a bright yellow, nine-clawed Dragon Robe.

The sight greatly heartened the court officials.

Ever since the Holy Emperor had stopped holding court, Great Yan’s Fortune had suffered one setback after another, and this had been going on for quite some time.

Seeing the Holy Emperor preside over the court once more was, naturally, a sight all the officials were delighted to behold.

However, the moment they saw Emperor Yong’an, all the officials froze.

This Iron-blooded Emperor, once strong and black-haired with a ruddy complexion, now looked like an old man on death’s door, his time nearly up.

Before this, perhaps no one would have ever imagined that the once brilliant and powerful Emperor Yong’an could appear so decrepit. Everyone had naturally assumed the Holy Emperor could lead Great Yan through another sixty years of prosperity.

But now, he had the complete bearing of an aged emperor.

Never mind his head of white hair; the wrinkles on his face were far more numerous than before. His eyes, dim and lifeless, held a hidden grief. His skin was dry and dull. The man looked utterly haggard.

’What is going on...’

The pupils of the court officials shrank in shock.

The Old Eunuch at his side promptly stepped forward, announcing in a loud voice, "The Holy Emperor has spoken! Today, we discuss only matters of great importance!"

As his voice fell, the newly appointed Minister of War strode forward and said in a grave tone, "Reporting to the Holy Emperor, an urgent dispatch has arrived from the Celestial Profound Border. While leading his army in retreat, Qi Xingyan was ambushed by the Blood Race from the Underworld. He gave his life for the nation to protect the people of the region. Of his one-hundred-thousand-strong army, only a little over ten thousand managed to withdraw..."

This matter had long been a topic of discussion among the common folk.

Now, however, it was finally being addressed in the Imperial Court. Instantly, the Holy Bright Palace erupted, and an uproar exploded through the hall.

"Silence!"

The Old Eunuch, holding his Duster, let out a shrill cry that echoed throughout the vast hall.

But it was hardly enough to suppress the clamor of the officials.

Regarding this matter, hardly any of the court officials could remain calm.

The decimation of the army, on top of the grievous casualties at the Border Pass, was already a staggering blow. But the fall of one of the Saints and Sages was enough to shake the very foundations of the nation.

Qi Xingyan’s sacrifice had shaken the officials to their core, causing them to collectively lose their composure.

Everyone present could not help but recall the events of over a hundred years ago, when Great Yan was invaded by two realms.

That was the second time Great Yan had suffered a joint attack from the Holy Netherworld and the Wilderness.

The Human Race suffered grievous losses, Great Yan’s national power regressed, and they entered an era dominated by the Great Netherworld. They had to live in constant fear, unlike the present, where they held a slight advantage.

Now, it seemed, even that slight advantage was no more.

The first great war had taken place during the founding of the dynasty by the Grand Ancestor. The Demon Country had taken advantage of the Central Plains Dynasty’s unstable Celestial Mandate to invade. If not for the intervention of the Confucian Temple Saints and the Buddhas of the Buddhist Sect, Great Yan might not exist today.

Countless capable experts had taken action, giving rise to the Defenders who guarded the Great Wall.

Some of them achieved illustrious fame, their might awe-inspiring entire regions. Even now, their names are recorded in the annals of history.

The lives of countless Cultivators were sacrificed to build the glorious Great Yan of today.

Even his political rivals, who had found Qi Xingyan pedantic, prone to empty talk about the people’s welfare, and impersonal in his governance, had to admit that he was truly a pillar supporting Great Yan.

Martial Artists and Qi Cultivators alone are far from enough to support a Dynasty.

It is the countless scholars like Elder Mr. Qi, men dedicated to the nation and its people, who are the true reason the various other dynasties and the Demon Fiends dare not invade.

At first, the officials had instinctively refused to believe it, but an urgent military dispatch sent by express courier could not be forged.

Even the Holy Emperor himself had been stirred to action.

He was personally presiding over the court to discuss this very matter.

The grief on his face did not seem feigned.

Emperor Yong’an watched the scene unfold in silence, schooling the emotions on his face until he once again appeared impassive, devoid of sorrow or joy.

He waited a long time, until the great hall fell silent once more, before speaking in a heavy tone. "My ministers, what is to be done about this matter?"

The first to answer the question was none other than the returning Yuan Xuangang. His tone was hard, his words ringing with conviction:

"I believe we should mobilize the forces from every province, muster the entire nation’s military strength, and march upon the Demon Country. We must ally with the other nations—especially Great Sui and Nanli, as well as the Silver Frost Empire—and annihilate the Demon Country’s armies in one fell swoop."

A pained expression appeared on Emperor Yong’an’s aged face. He sighed. "Our Great Yan has already lost one hundred thousand soldiers. They are all Our people. Minister Yuan, how can We bear to start another war?"

"Your Majesty!"

Following him, the current Chief Minister of the Cabinet—a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, with refined features and a handlebar mustache—spoke with great emotion:

"According to the battle reports, the Celestial Profound Continent held out for a hundred bitter days, greatly depleting the strength of the Demon Country’s army. But other sections of the Great Wall have fallen, leading to tragedies like the one in Gao Hu City. Not every city is blessed with the protection of Saints and Sages! If we do not mobilize our forces soon, Great Yan’s losses will only become more severe!"