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Great Wu Dynasty.

Li Zheng Palace.

The Martial Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, casting a glance over the ministers in the great hall.

At that moment, a eunuch beside the Martial Emperor spoke up,

"All those with memorials to present, step forward; all others, withdraw from the court."

As the eunuch's voice faded, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that the southeast is pacified, seigniors in various parts of Great Sum are expanding their forces. Great Sum is on the eve of disintegration. I believe we should redeploy our troops eastward. Once Great Sum descends into civil war, we shall attack."

No sooner had this minister finished speaking than another one interjected, "Now is the best opportunity to eradicate Great Sum. Once Great Sum falls, Great Wu will become unprecedentedly powerful, and Your Majesty will be the most meritorious emperor since the founding of the Great Wu Dynasty."

Following that, even more ministers stood up, their ideas fundamentally the same: that Great Wu should launch an all-out war and directly annihilate Great Sum.

Hearing the ministers' suggestions, the Martial Emperor laughed without restraint. After chuckling for a while, he said, "I really didn't expect that you all would be even more anxious than I am!"

"However, putting that aside, Great Sum indeed should disappear from this world," he added with a sigh.

"How time flies! I still remember when Lu Xingqiu came to Great Wu, proclaiming his grand ambitions to me. Little did I expect that while I am still in my prime, Lu is nearly finished."

"Since he's scarcely capable now, I might as well do a good deed and help him achieve his once lofty aspirations, hahaha..."

While the Martial Emperor laughed heartily, suddenly, a soldier, specialized in relaying urgent military intelligence, entered the hall, "Your Majesty, the North Country is showing unusual activity!"

The laughter of the Martial Emperor came to an abrupt halt.

However, his face was soon filled with confusion—what did the North Country's movements have to do with them?

The North Country didn't share a border with Great Wu. Could it be that they were rebelling, ready to march south and attack Great Sum?

If that were the case, it would be more than welcome.

At this moment, the eunuch quickly went over to the soldier, took the intelligence report from his hands, and briskly walked to the Martial Emperor's side, handing him the report.

The Martial Emperor's expression darkened the instant he read the intelligence.

Originally, he assumed the North Country had already marched south to attack the Great Sum court. To his surprise, the North Country had actually purchased Yongan County from Qi Country, which meant its territory now bordered directly with the Great Wu Dynasty.

Moreover, it wasn't just simple border contact; the North Country immediately stationed thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry in Yongan County.

What was the North Country planning to do?

To station thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry in a mere Yongan County?

This was clearly aimed at the Great Wu Dynasty!

Seeing the Martial Emperor's distressed expression, the ministers inside the great hall grew curious. What had the North Country done to make the Martial Emperor look so troubled?

At that moment, the Martial Emperor said, "The North Country has purchased Yongan County from Qi Country and stationed thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry there."

Upon hearing this, the hall erupted with discussion.

"What? The North Country actually bought Yongan County from Qi Country—so they now border Great Wu?"

"What are their intentions?"

"The moment they acquired Yongan County, they immediately stationed thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry there. They must be targeting Great Wu!"

"Did not Princess Junwan just sign a trade cooperation agreement with the North Country? Why would they do something like this?"

...

Listening to the officials' discussions in the hall, the Martial Emperor said, "What do you all believe is the intention behind the North Prince's actions?"

Hearing this, a minister stood out and said, "Your Majesty, it is very possible that the North Prince wishes to purchase Yongan County and then march south directly from there, bypassing Qi Country to attack the Great Sum court."

Following the minister's speculation, the Martial Emperor continued, "I didn't explain fully just now: although the North Country purchased Yongan County, they only bought half of it, and the half they bought does not border the regions controlled by the Great Sum court."

This...

Hearing the Martial Emperor's words, the ministers were momentarily stunned.

Most had assumed that with the North Country buying Yongan County, they planned to target the cities controlled by the Great Sum court. Now, learning that the North Country only bought half of it and only bordered Great Wu, the implication was clear that they were truly targeting Great Wu.

That was thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry, and these were the North Country's Heavy Cavalry. Although they had not witnessed the might of the North Country's army firsthand, ever since the North Prince went to the North Country, the Barbarian Tribes had not fared well against the North Country's forces.

If the North Country's thirty thousand Heavy Cavalry entered the Great Wu Dynasty, Great Wu would need to deploy at least a hundred thousand soldiers just to cope.

At this moment, the Martial Emperor's gaze fell upon Chai Jiliang, "Chai, what is your view on this matter?"

Chai Jiliang pondered for a moment before responding, "Your Majesty, I believe that the North Country's purchase of Yongan County and the stationing of troops there is mainly to deter Great Wu and prevent us from attacking Great Sum amid its internal chaos."

The Martial Emperor said, "The Sum Emperor is already on his last legs, and the North Prince isn't thinking of seizing the throne. Why would he guard against Great Wu instead?"

Chai Jiliang replied, "Perhaps the North Prince does not plan to immediately vie for that position. Although the North Country has strong military capabilities, it isn't wealthy. When the North Prince arrived there, the North Country had nothing, not even the basics.

That the North Country has come this far is largely because the North Prince values commerce, using trade to alleviate the country's shortage of food and clothing."

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