Chapter 82

This Eighth Prince is against the peace talks!

At this point, all the ministers in the hall were well aware of this. They not only knew that this Eighth Prince was against the peace talks but was extremely opposed to them.

Otherwise, how could he have come up with such a "mad" so-called "gift"?

Those sets of women's clothing were clearly mocking these ministers for their lack of courage, unworthy of serving in the court.

Fortunately, I am in favor of declaring war...

The Minister of Rites, She You, swallowed hard, as he saw the current expression of the Minister of War, Li Yu. This old man, over fifty, had a face that alternated between black and pale, full of shame and anger, staring intently at the wooden box in front of him, his whole body trembling.

It was no wonder, after all, those were women's clothes. Any man receiving women's clothes would consider it a great humiliation, let alone a Minister of War. However, the fact was that these ministers who received women's clothes, even though they were filled with shame and anger, could not find any words to refute.

Who could blame them, when, as the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun said, they had pinned the fate of the Great Wei on the marriage of Princess Yulong?

Old Li has lost his honor in his later years...

The Minister of Rites, She You, sighed inwardly.

It was not hard to imagine that if this matter were to spread, all the officials in the hall who received women's clothes would become a laughingstock throughout the Great Wei. Worse still, no one would sympathize with them; they would only be cursed for being cowards and getting what they deserved.

Even if they died one day, perhaps the court would give them a derogatory posthumous title of "Fearful."

A lifetime of shame!

However, this prince's boldness was truly astonishing... Using this method to provoke the ministers in the court was understandable, but to send such an insulting gift to the emperor as well...

Many ministers who did not receive the "gift" sighed and quietly observed the emperor's reaction.

As they said, the emperor was indeed very angry, extremely furious, because no one had ever dared to mock the emperor in such a way. However, he could not find words to scold his son.

Because his son Zhao Hongrun had merely expressed his stance and attitude in a proper manner, despite the shocking and unconventional method.

"Is there anyone else who wants this prince's gift?"

This casual remark made all the ministers in the hall fall silent.

Because they had already understood that if they dared to suggest peace talks or a marriage alliance at this moment, they would immediately receive a gift from the Eighth Prince that would ruin their honor and reputation, making it impossible for them to hold their heads high in the court again.

Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun glanced around at the ministers and finally turned his gaze to the emperor.

"One vote against peace talks, thirty-two abstentions!... This is the result, Father."

...

The emperor silently scanned the ministers in the hall. He saw that the ministers who had been inclined towards peace talks earlier were now all lowering their heads, not daring to speak. He could not help but feel shocked.

What a skill... Truly a remarkable skill!

The emperor was once again surprised by his son.

He knew very well that if Zhao Hongrun wanted to protect Princess Yulong, he would never allow the ministers to reach a conclusion of peace talks. Therefore, he also wanted to hear what his son had to say.

But the result was that his son was even more ingenious than he had imagined. From beginning to end, he did not say anything against the marriage alliance. He just sent a gift.

Yes, just by sending a gift, he made all the ministers who advocated for peace talks fall silent.

Even the emperor, looking at the set of women's clothes in the wooden box on the dragon desk, could not find words to support the marriage alliance.

After a long while, the emperor asked calmly, "Hongrun, are you against the marriage alliance, or against Yulong's marriage alliance?"

This question was somewhat heart-piercing.

Indeed, Zhao Hongrun raised an eyebrow and answered calmly, "Naturally, I am against the marriage alliance! If a country's fate must be entrusted to a woman's body, such a country, in my view, should perish!"

...

The ministers in the hall looked at Zhao Hongrun in shock, thinking that this Eighth Prince really dared to say anything.

"Your meaning is to declare war on Chu?" the emperor asked calmly.

Zhao Hongrun sneered, "Father, your son does not understand great principles. Your son only knows that if someone hits you, you should hit back. You cannot retreat just because the other person is strong. ... Once you retreat, the other person will take advantage of your weakness and bully you."

The emperor was silent for a moment, then asked, "But what if you are not the other person's match? Should you still hit back?"

"Hit, and hit with all your might!... Not many people are truly fearless. Bite, tear, bite off the other person's nose, tear off their ears, blind their eyes!... No matter how many punches you take, once you bite, do not let go, and tear off a piece of their flesh!"

...

The emperor was slightly moved and asked, "But what if there is someone else behind you who also wants to hit you?"

"Kill the chicken to scare the monkey. Use the most ruthless means to drive away the opponent in front of you, and the one behind will not dare to move."

"This is too crazy!" The emperor thought for a long time and shook his head.

Zhao Hongrun's metaphor was clear, but declaring war on Chu was a very dangerous matter.

What if they failed to scare Chu and instead provoked the northern Han?

"Yes, but madness can make people fear!"

"..." The emperor was silent.

After a long while, he asked solemnly, "Can you guarantee that the Great Wei can defeat Chu?"

"Your son cannot guarantee. ... But your son believes that a country's survival should not be entrusted to a woman."

In the end, it's still about Yulong!

The emperor looked at Zhao Hongrun irritably. He could not understand what Yulong had done to deserve such protection from his son.

"Declaring war on Chu is easy to say!... Do you understand that my decision concerns the lives of tens of thousands of our soldiers? Do you think you can decide the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers?"

"Your son cannot decide the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers." Zhao Hongrun lowered his head, then raised it, looking at the emperor with bright eyes and said, "In that case, let those tens of thousands of soldiers decide for themselves. What do you think, Father?"

The emperor was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Your meaning is..."

"Your son humbly requests that Father give your son a chance to persuade the tens of thousands of soldiers in the camp near the capital..."

The emperor pondered, glancing at the military officials in the hall who had received the "special gifts" and whose faces were as if they had lost a loved one. He asked carefully, "Do you have the confidence to persuade the hearts of tens of thousands of soldiers?"

"Even if I cannot, your son will do his best."

"..." The emperor looked deeply at Zhao Hongrun and said solemnly, "Alright, I will give you this chance. But if you fail, you will stay in the palace and not interfere in this matter again... How about that?"

Zhao Hongrun was somewhat hesitant, clearly understanding the deeper meaning in his father's words.

"..."

"Alright."

With Zhao Hongrun's agreement, today's military council came to a temporary end.

The ministers in the hall left the Chui Gong Hall one by one.

As for the "special gifts" received by some ministers, they were all left in the hall, not only not taken away but not even dared to open the boxes.

When Zhao Hongrun was about to leave with twenty guards, the Deputy Chancellor, Yu Ziqi, caught up and whispered, "Your Highness, your methods today were indeed clever, but you have undoubtedly offended the military officials... Be careful."

...

Zhao Hongrun looked at the Deputy Chancellor, with whom he had a good relationship, and said, "Thank you, Minister Yu."

Yu Ziqi nodded and returned to the Chui Gong Hall.

As Yu Ziqi predicted, the military officials returned to the Ministry of War with sullen faces.

In the Chui Gong Hall, these officials did not dare to act rashly, but once they returned to their own department, they could not hold back, some blaming and complaining, some cursing under their breath.

Even the Minister of War, Li Yu, had a dark face, repeatedly slamming the table.

"How can this be! How can this be!... I have always considered the best interests of the Great Wei, yet I am mocked by that young man!"

Although the emperor had subtly warned the ministers not to speak of today's matter outside the Chui Gong Hall, Minister of War Li Yu was still worried.

Because he noticed that the ministers who advocated for war against Chu looked at him with a gleeful expression when they left.

Not just him, the Minister of War, but almost all the important officials in the Ministry of War were looked at with strange eyes by their colleagues.

If this matter were to spread, not just the Minister of War Li Yu, but the entire Ministry of War would become a laughingstock.

And all this was due to the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun!

"Do not be angry, Your Excellency, and do not worry, gentlemen, I have an idea," the Deputy Minister, Xu Guan, said in a low voice. "The emperor has allowed the Eighth Prince to persuade the soldiers in the camp tomorrow... If we spread a message, we can make the Eighth Prince fail!"

"What is your idea, Deputy Minister?"

The officials of the Ministry of War asked one after another, and the Minister of War, Li Yu, also looked at Xu Guan.

Seeing this, Xu Guan lowered his voice and said, "We just need to spread a message in the camp that the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun is advocating war against Chu to protect his sister, Princess Yulong... For this, the Eighth Prince is willing to push tens of thousands of soldiers into battle and risk the safety of the Great Wei... In this way, who among the soldiers in the camp will listen to the Eighth Prince?"

The officials of the Ministry of War were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other and smiled.

"Good idea!... Sacrificing tens of thousands for one person, even if the Eighth Prince is eloquent, he cannot withstand the anger of tens of thousands of our soldiers..."

"Let's see how he handles it tomorrow!"

The officials of the Ministry of War nodded in agreement and then looked at the Minister of War, Li Yu.

The old man, over fifty, closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said righteously, "We cannot let this young man's short-sightedness destroy the Great Wei... Alright, let's do it!"

That night, a message spread through the camp near the capital of Daliang.

It said that the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun, to protect Princess Yulong, disregarded the disparity in strength between the Great Wei and Chu, intended to declare war, and treated the lives of tens of thousands of Great Wei soldiers as nothing.

This message spread throughout the camp, making the tens of thousands of soldiers furious, and they all cursed the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun.