In the opulent palace of the Great Jin Imperial Capital, civil and military officials gathered below the grand hall, their faces etched with worry as they exchanged uneasy glances.
The dragon throne at the head of the hall had been empty for some time. Their Empress was currently in seclusion, yet to make an appearance.
In her stead stood Hao Jiao, a young man in black robes, beside the dragon throne.
"General Hao, you mobilized the army to attack Great Qian without the Empress's command, and you returned in defeat. This is an overreach!" a white-haired elder official stepped forward, reprimanding Hao Jiao.
Hao Jiao cast a dismissive glance at the elder official and said coldly, "Overreach? Heh, before entering seclusion, Her Majesty entrusted me with overseeing the state and granted me the authority to exercise all powers in times of crisis!"
"But this is not a time of crisis; you initiated this war!"
The elder official, a staunch supporter of the Empress, could not stand to see Hao Jiao overstep his bounds and gradually usurp the Empress's power.
Yet, he felt helpless. While the Empress was peerless and divinely talented, she paid little heed to state affairs, dedicating herself entirely to cultivation. Otherwise, how could Hao Jiao have gained control of half the court?
"Enough, Lord Li. You are old and no longer fit to serve in court. I have already arranged a prime blessed land for you. From now on, cultivate diligently and strive to break through your realm before your lifespan wanes, extending your life."
Hao Jiao's tone was light as he uttered words that sealed the elder official's fate.
Several soldiers stepped forward, flanking the elder official, and escorted him out of the hall. Despite his struggles and protests, it was to no avail.
The remaining officials, witnessing this scene, felt a chill run down their spines!
With the Empress absent, Hao Jiao reigned supreme in the court; no one could oppose him.
A few officials moved their lips, intending to speak, but upon meeting Hao Jiao's icy gaze, they quickly lowered their heads.
"Now that state affairs are in my hands, I act, and who dares to disobey?" Hao Jiao declared dominantly, looking down at the assembled officials.
A profound silence fell upon the hall. The officials were stunned by Hao Jiao's audacity, daring to utter such words. Was he not afraid of the Empress hearing them? This was practically treason!
Hao Jiao dared to speak thus because he had a solid foundation. He had already gauged the Empress's sentiments, knowing she cared little for the throne and even harbored thoughts of relinquishing it.
This emboldened him, and he indeed possessed the qualifications. In the Great Jin Dynasty, his strength was second only to the Empress, making him the sole cultivator of the Divine Rope Realm. He held the potential to ascend to the Heaven-Treading Realm and perhaps even glimpse the revered Quasi-Saint Realm.
Seeing no one step forward to refute him, Hao Jiao nodded with satisfaction. His expression then darkened. "Last night's battle, Great Jin suffered a crushing defeat, losing over seventy percent of our soldiers. It was an utter failure!"
"However, it wasn't entirely without merit. At the very least, we destroyed all of Great Qian's defensive formations, which will greatly aid our next assault."
He was summarizing the defeat, the battle last night having filled him with shame.
An army of tens of thousands of cultivators had failed to conquer a fortress defended by only three thousand soldiers, and had lost seventy percent of their men. It was a catastrophic loss.
This was not to say Great Jin's soldiers were weaker than Great Qian's. Offense inherently carried more risk than defense, and Great Qian's fortress possessed formidable defensive formations. Most of Great Jin's soldiers had perished within these formations.
But now, with the formations destroyed, Great Qian's gates were wide open, awaiting their advance.
The civil and military officials were startled to hear Hao Jiao planning another large-scale invasion of Great Qian. Some quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, urging him to reconsider and not act impulsively, suggesting they wait for the Empress to emerge from seclusion before discussing matters.
The majority, however, were Hao Jiao's faction. They staunchly supported his decision, declaring their intent to mobilize all of Great Jin's forces and conquer Great Qian in one decisive blow!
"General Hao, with the Empress in seclusion, if we launch a war against Great Qian and the Great Qian Emperor intervenes, we will be utterly defenseless!" someone voiced their deep concern.
Hao Jiao smiled faintly. "Rest assured, I have already contacted the Old Demon Emperor of the Beast Mountain. He owes my father a favor, and he will act at a critical moment."
He then continued with burning ambition, "Currently, Great Qian's eastern and southern garrisons are stationed on the Endless Sea, while the western garrison is held back by the Beast Mountain. Only the heavily depleted northern garrison remains on the front lines, along with the Dragon Guard protecting the imperial capital. If we gather our forces and swiftly take the northern front, our army can march directly into the Great Qian Imperial Capital. This is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
He had meticulously planned this; it was Great Jin's sole chance to conquer Great Qian.
As for the Great Qian Emperor, he was not worried. The Old Demon Emperor had promised to intervene when necessary. As long as the Great Qian Emperor could be held back, he could essentially do as he pleased in Great Qian, as there was no other cultivator of the Divine Rope Realm there.
Upon hearing Hao Jiao's explanation, the officials were swayed. They carefully considered the situation and realized that with the Old Demon Emperor's assistance, Great Jin might indeed have a chance to conquer Great Qian.
Even if they couldn't conquer it, inflicting a wound upon Great Qian would be a significant gain.
The only question was whether the Empress would approve of this decision.
Hao Jiao perceived the officials' thoughts, understanding that they still held the Empress in higher regard.
"Everyone, rest assured. When Her Majesty learns of this, she will surely agree with my decision!" he stated calmly, soothing their concerns.
Hearing this, their hearts gradually settled. Hao Jiao was right; an opportunity to annex Great Qian and strengthen Great Jin was a decision the Empress would undoubtedly approve of.
However, just as the civil and military officials nodded in unison, agreeing to Hao Jiao's resolution, a cold and majestic voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Who says I will agree?"