Chapter 56 Decision of the Emperor
Inside the Imperial Palace, a royal messenger hurried into the study and presented a sealed letter to Emperor Hong Yuanji.
"The latest intelligence, Your Majesty."
Hong Yuanji opened the letter. It was from the Crimson Empire's hidden spy.
As he read through its contents, a look of surprise flashed across his face.
The report described the Northern Alliance descending into complete chaos.
Their rulers had turned against one another, exchanging accusations of treason before their meeting was interrupted by an attack.
Several rulers had been killed or wounded, and distrust now plagued the entire alliance.
Hong Yuanji slowly set the letter down.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I didn't expect the enemy to turn against each other."
After a moment of silence, he waved his hand.
"You are dismissed."
The royal messenger immediately cupped his fists.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Just as the messenger turned to leave—
"Wait."
Hong Yuanji's calm voice echoed through the study.
The messenger immediately stopped and turned around.
"Your Majesty?"
Hong Yuanji rested his fingers on the intelligence report.
"Inform the Prime Minister. Tell him to gather all the civil and military officials we shall convene the imperial court immediately."
The messenger bowed deeply.
"This subordinate understands."
Without another word, he hurried out of the imperial study.
Soon, the news spread throughout the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor had summoned an emergency court assembly.
Palace attendants hurried through the corridors, delivering the imperial decree without delay. Ministers who had just returned to their residences immediately changed into their official robes and rushed back to the palace. The atmosphere grew solemn as everyone realized that such an urgent summons could only mean one thing.
A major decision concerning the war was about to be made.
Before long, every civil and military official had arrived at the imperial court.
One after another, they entered the grand audience hall and took their respective positions.
None of them knew why they had been summoned so suddenly.
The hall gradually filled with hushed whispers.
"Why has His Majesty called an emergency assembly?"
"Has something happened on the northern frontier?"
"Could it be another defeat?"
"I heard a royal messenger rushed into the palace earlier."
The officials quietly exchanged glances, each making their own guesses.
The atmosphere inside the audience hall grew increasingly tense.
A loud voice echoed throughout the palace.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The massive palace doors slowly opened.
Hong Yuanji entered the audience hall with calm and steady steps.
He wore the imperial dragon robe, his expression dignified and unreadable.
Walking at his side was Prime Minister Hong Yanshu.
The two advanced toward the Dragon Throne.
Hong Yuanji slowly took his seat upon the throne, overlooking the gathered officials.
At once, every civil and military official knelt respectfully.
"Long live Your Majesty!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"May the Crimson Empire prosper for ten thousand generations!"
Their voices resounded throughout the grand audience hall.
Hong Yuanji swept his gaze across the kneeling officials before speaking calmly.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The officials stood in unison, though curiosity remained written across their faces.
The officials had just risen to their feet when one of the senior ministers stepped forward.
He cupped his fists respectfully.
"Your Majesty."
"You summoned all the civil and military officials on such short notice."
"May this humble minister ask..."
"What is the purpose of this emergency court assembly?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other ministers also turned their attention toward the Dragon Throne.
They shared the same question.
What important matter required the entire imperial court to gather?
Hong Yuanji remained seated, his expression calm.
He slowly swept his gaze across the audience hall before speaking.
"I have summoned all of you today..."
"...because important intelligence has arrived from the northern frontier."
The moment those words were spoken, the hall fell completely silent.
Every official listened attentively, waiting for the Emperor to reveal the contents of the report.
Hong Yuanji remained seated upon the Dragon Throne.
His expression was calm as he looked toward the man standing beside him.
"Prime Minister."
Hong Yanshu immediately stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
Hong Yuanji picked up the letter from his imperial robe and handed it to him.
"Read the report sent by our spy."
Hong Yanshu accepted the letter with both hands.
"As you command."
Every official fixed their eyes on the Prime Minister.
Hong Yanshu glanced over the contents before reading aloud.
"According to our spy..."
"The Northern Alliance's emergency war council has fallen into chaos."
"The rulers have begun accusing one another of being traitors. Their trust has completely broken down."
"During the meeting, a fierce argument erupted among the rulers. Before the conflict could be resolved, the command tent came under attack, leaving several rulers dead and many others seriously wounded."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The alliance's supply crisis has grown even worse."
"Food shortages have spread throughout their camps."
"Desertions continue to increase."
"Several smaller kingdoms have already begun withdrawing their armies to preserve their remaining strength."
Hong Yanshu lowered the letter slightly.
"The report concludes that the Northern Alliance is rapidly collapsing from within."
As soon as the reading ended...
The audience hall erupted into astonished whispers.
After two years of relentless war...
They had finally received the news they had been waiting for.
The gloomy atmosphere that had hung over the imperial court for years gradually disappeared. For the first time since the war began, everyone could finally see the dawn of victory on the horizon.
A minister stepped forward and respectfully cupped his fists.
"Your Majesty, this minister believes the time has come to launch our counteroffensive. The Northern Alliance is already on the verge of collapse. Their armies are starving, their morale is at its lowest, and their rulers are no longer united. If we seize this opportunity now, we can end the war in a single decisive campaign."
Several ministers immediately voiced their support.
"I agree!"
"The enemy is in chaos. This is the best opportunity to strike."
"If we hesitate, they may recover."
However, before Hong Yuanji could respond, another senior minister stepped forward.
"I object."
The hall fell silent as everyone's attention shifted toward him.
The elderly minister calmly cupped his fists before speaking.
"Your Majesty, although the Northern Alliance has indeed begun to collapse, that is precisely why we should remain patient."
He looked around at the gathered officials before continuing.
"The enemy is already weakening on its own. Their supplies continue to dwindle, their soldiers desert every day, and distrust among their rulers grows stronger with each passing month."
"If we attack now, we may force them to unite once more against a common enemy."
He paused briefly.
"But if we wait..."
"Hunger will continue to consume their armies."
"Their alliance will fracture even further."
"And by the time we launch our offensive, they may no longer possess the strength to resist."
The ministers began whispering among themselves.
Some nodded in agreement with the military minister, believing victory should be seized immediately.
Others found the elderly minister's reasoning more convincing, arguing that allowing the Northern Alliance to destroy itself would cost the Crimson Empire far fewer lives.
Before long, the imperial court was divided into two opposing factions, each firmly believing their strategy was the key to ending the war.
As the debate continued, the audience hall became increasingly noisy.
The two factions refused to give way, each trying to convince the Emperor that their strategy was the correct one.
Voices overlapped as ministers cited military tactics, logistics, and past campaigns to support their arguments.
Meanwhile, seated upon the Dragon Throne, Hong Yuanji quietly rubbed his temples.
A trace of exhaustion flashed across his face.
"Here they go again..."
"Every time there's a court meeting..."
"...these old geezers never fail to argue with each other."
He let out a silent sigh.
Since ascending the throne, he had grown accustomed to this scene.
Whenever an important decision had to be made, the ministers would inevitably split into opposing factions, each refusing to concede.
Sometimes, they argued for hours without reaching a conclusion.
Hong Yuanji glanced at Prime Minister Hong Yanshu, who remained calm and composed despite the commotion.
"No wonder Cousin always looks so patient."
"If I had to listen to this every day..."
"...I'd probably lose my sanity."
Suppressing another sigh, Hong Yuanji patiently waited for the arguments to subside before making his decision.
The audience hall remained filled with heated arguments.
The ministers showed no signs of stopping.
Seated upon the Dragon Throne, Hong Yuanji let out an inward sigh before turning slightly toward the man beside him.
He leaned over just enough that only Hong Yanshu could hear him.
"Cousin..."
"What do you think is the best decision?"
Hong Yanshu kept his composed expression as if he hadn't heard the endless debate around them.
After a brief moment of thought, he replied in a low voice.
"Attack now."
Hong Yuanji raised an eyebrow.
Hong Yanshu continued,
"The Northern Alliance is completely unprepared."
"Their command structure has collapsed, and their armies are scattered across different fronts."
"If we wait..."
"They'll eventually recover from the confusion."
"The surviving rulers will mobilize their forces and prepare to confront both the Crimson Empire and their former allies."
He glanced at the arguing ministers before continuing.
"But at this moment... They're busy suspecting one another, their supply lines are broken, their troops are dispersed and they cannot concentrate their strength."
A faint smile appeared on Hong Yanshu's face.
"This is the perfect opportunity."
"If we launch a full-scale offensive now..."
"We can defeat each kingdom one by one before they have the chance to reorganize."
Hong Yuanji nodded thoughtfully and quietly contemplated Hong Yanshu's advice.
After a long moment, the hesitation in his eyes disappeared, replaced by firm resolve.
He slowly rose from the Dragon Throne.
The moment the Emperor stood, the heated arguments throughout the audience hall came to an abrupt halt.
The ministers who had been debating only moments earlier immediately fell silent and lowered their heads.
The entire hall became so quiet that a pin could have been heard dropping.
Hong Yuanji's gaze swept across every official before him.
His expression was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
He had listened to every argument.
Both sides had valid reasons.
One advocated patience to further weaken the Northern Alliance.
The other urged an immediate offensive to seize the fleeting opportunity.
After weighing both opinions, he had reached his decision.
"The Crimson Empire shall launch a full-scale offensive immediately."
His voice echoed throughout the grand audience hall.
"The Northern Alliance is divided. Their armies are scattered, their supplies are exhausted, and their rulers no longer trust one another."
"If we allow them time to recover, this opportunity may never come again."
"Therefore, I order every army along the northern frontier to begin the counteroffensive."
"Drive the invaders from our lands."
"Reclaim every city that has fallen into enemy hands."
For a brief moment, silence lingered in the hall.
Then the ministers who had supported an immediate attack could no longer conceal their excitement.
Smiles spread across their faces as they respectfully cupped their fists.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
After almost three years of defending the empire, they would finally take the initiative and carry the war to the enemy.
On the other side of the hall, the ministers who had favored waiting exchanged helpless glances.
Some frowned slightly, believing that patience would have been the safer choice.
Nevertheless, none of them objected.
The Emperor's decision had already been made.
As subjects of the Crimson Empire, their duty was no longer to debate...
But to carry out the Emperor's command without hesitation.