"If Jade City is lost, Your Majesty..." The minister paused, his voice echoed in the empty hall, and his tone became heavier, as if he was suppressing a huge weight.
"Then we really don't have many chips in our hands." He raised his head and looked at Lions II worriedly, hoping that his words would attract the young emperor's attention.
Lines City, the imperial capital of the Lines Empire, has experienced months of tension. There is a suffocating and depressing atmosphere in the air, like the calm before the storm.
The imperial palace, which the empire had just expanded less than half a year ago, should have been splendid, noble and elegant, but now it was shrouded in a layer of gloom.
In the main hall, Lions II was sitting on a gilded throne inlaid with gems. His figure looked particularly lonely under the bright lights. Although the place was decorated according to his favorite style, the emperor was now upset.
.
His brows were furrowed and his expression was solemn, like a volcano about to erupt. His eyes scanned the ministers standing below, trying to find a glimmer of hope on their faces, a glimmer of hope that could turn things around. However, what he saw was
There is only confusion, fear and despair.
No one else spoke in the hall, everyone had their heads lowered. Only the minister's admonishment echoed in the empty hall. It seemed that the whole hall was so empty and lonely, as if it foreshadowed the empire's imminent decline. Hangings on the walls
The exquisite murals on the walls seem to silently tell the past glory of the empire, forming a sharp contrast with its current predicament.
The splendor and splendor here could not cover up the swaying atmosphere of the impending storm, but instead highlighted the precarious situation of the empire.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Another minister stood up and took a step forward. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the silent hall, breaking the suffocating silence. The minister's face was full of anxiety.
, as if he had foreseen the imminent collapse of the empire.
However, everyone present knew that what he was anxious about was that Lions II was still unwilling to make up his mind to surrender. His voice also became a little trembling because of anxiety: "If the Tang army captures Jade City, then we will
Once you get down there, there will really be no danger."
His gaze, like a machine gun that was firing, quickly passed through everyone present, as if he wanted to find his supporters in the crowd. Unfortunately, his efforts were doomed to be in vain, because almost all the ministers were low-key.
They lowered their heads and refused to even look at him. It was as if... they had all been hit by bullets.
"Your Majesty! It's not too late to surrender now!" A gray-haired veteran stood up and stepped forward tremblingly. Every step he took was like stepping on the tip of a knife. His back was hunched, as if he was bearing a huge burden.
There was a hint of pleading in his voice, hoping that Lions II could recognize the reality and make the choice that is best for the empire.
"If it's later, I don't know what changes will happen in the Tang Empire." His words were full of worry, because he knew that war is never something that can be easily predicted. On the ever-changing battlefield,
Anything can happen. Once the situation on the frontline becomes more dire, the conditions acceptable to the Tang Empire will definitely change accordingly.
"Variables? What variables can there be?" Lions II murmured to himself. His voice was low and weak, and his tone was full of confusion and helplessness. He leaned weakly on the throne, his eyes dull, as if he had lost his soul.
A puppet. He couldn't understand why the empire had reached this stage and why he was facing such a dilemma.
"Your Majesty, if you offer your country, then the Tang Empire may give you a good title, but if you are a prisoner, the treatment will be different." A minister said carefully, bowing his head.
Body, head slightly lowered, trying to persuade Lions II in this way," a minister said carefully, trying to persuade Lions II in this way.
"But, but..." Lions II's voice trembled, revealing the struggle and contradiction deep in his heart. He cast his confused eyes on the minister, his eyes full of hesitation and reluctance.
"Paul is still fighting in Yucheng, fighting bloody battles, resisting the enemy's attack at all costs, but I declare a truce at this time. Am I a bit sorry for him? I'm sorry for the sacrifices he made for the empire and for me?" He said
There was a hint of guilt and a hint of intolerance in his tone, as if he had made some difficult decision.
After all, he is also a human being, even if sometimes he is a little crazed and sometimes he is a little stupid and incompetent... But he is not a fool.
Of course he can tell who is somewhat loyal to him. At least he knows that General Paul, who is in charge of the overall situation in Yucheng, is a general who is relatively loyal to him!
Under such circumstances, he felt that he should give Paul enough support, at least not destroy the last hope of the defense of Jade City while Paul was still fighting to the death.
That is not only Paul's hope, but also his last hope as Lions II!
"Your Majesty, General Paul... he can't hold it anymore!" The minister's voice was low and hoarse, as if he was telling a cruel fact.
"This is a fact. We can no longer deceive ourselves." He paused, with a hint of comfort in his voice: "I think General Paul is a man of great righteousness and he will understand His Majesty's good intentions.
Yes, he will understand that everything you do, Your Majesty, is for...it is all for the people of Lanes, and him..."
"Is there really no other way? For example..." Lions II leaned weakly on the throne and rubbed his temples tiredly, as if he wanted to dispel the haze that enveloped his heart. He raised his head
At the beginning, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, as if he was grasping a life-saving straw.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "For example...Paul, Paul guarded Jade City?" His voice became smaller and smaller, and his tone was full of uncertainty, because he himself also knew that this
It's just a luxury wish.
No matter how crazy he is, he knows that Jade City cannot be defended. The millions of troops are on the verge of collapse. The latest news is that the Dornish troops south of Lines have stopped moving north and have begun to return to the country.
Without reinforcements, the situation in Tamaki will only become more difficult. No one can guarantee how long Paul can last in Tamaki. Lions II knows the current situation better than anyone else, but he is not willing to accept the reality yet.
"Your Majesty, please stop having unrealistic illusions!" A general in military uniform stood up and said with a wry smile, his tone full of helplessness and bitterness. He was a general on the staff, so he naturally knew the actual situation.
"It's impossible. The situation over at Yucheng is already very bad. In the last telegram, General Paul asked us to provide reinforcements of 300,000 troops. Isn't this a joke?" There was a hint in his tone.
There is a hint of self-mockery and a hint of sadness, as if he is laughing at his own powerlessness.
"That's right, Your Majesty!" Another general stood up suddenly, his beard trembling slightly with emotion, and his tone was full of resentment and unwillingness: "If we really still have 300,000
Do we still have to wait until now for the troops? They have been sent to him long ago! How can we wait until now?"
He is really afraid that if Lions II is happy, he will take the remaining crooked melons and cracked dates to support Yucheng... You know, the remaining defenders near Lions City no longer have serious combat effectiveness, and let them pretend
It's okay to pretend, but if they really go to war, they will probably be scattered and run away before they get to the place.
So he tried his best to look like he was under great pressure, lowered his head and persuaded with sincerity: "Your Majesty, think about it, if we really have so many troops and let these troops reinforce Yucheng earlier, the war situation may not be the same.
So passive! An army of 300,000 is enough to support the place for a while! But now, everything is too late, everything is too late..."
He shook his head in pain, his tone full of self-blame and helplessness. This was not an act, because he really did not have an army of 300,000... at least not so many now.
"According to the news we have received, street fighting is already taking place in Yucheng." A minister stood up next to the prime minister, took out a crumpled telegraph newspaper from his arms, unfolded it with difficulty, and said in a heavy tone: "This is
The telegram sent back during the intermission period of the Tang Army's interference revealed that the Yucheng defenders had suffered all casualties. General Paul, he...he..."
The minister choked up, holding back his grief and continued, "He has tried his best. Now the Tang army has occupied most of the neighborhoods, and the area controlled by the defenders is less than half of Jade City."
He couldn't talk any more, and choked with sobs as if what he had lost was not Jade City, but his backyard: "According to the speculations of the staff, it is possible for the Tang army to occupy Jade City in two or three days at most."
"Your Majesty! The war is urgent. There is no need to hesitate any longer. You have to make a decision as soon as possible!" The ministers advised one after another, their voices full of anxiety and worry. They looked at Lions II worriedly, hoping that he could make a decision as soon as possible.
Make decisions and lead them out of trouble.
"But if I surrender now, what will happen to our ally Dorne?" Lions II sat weakly on the throne, closing his eyes in pain, his tone full of hesitation and uneasiness.
"They have at least nearly one million troops in our territory. If we abandon them at this time, what will they think? Where should our credibility and dignity be placed?" He opened his eyes suddenly.
His eyes swept over everyone present, and he asked in a hoarse voice: "Are we going to bear the reputation of treachery and ignore the safety of our friendly troops?"
"Your Majesty, what time has it been and you are still thinking about this?" A minister said anxiously. He walked quickly to Lions II and said in a hurried tone.
"How can we care about them? This is a critical moment of life and death. We must protect ourselves first before we can talk about anything else!" He paused, with a hint of determination in his tone: "Your Majesty! We can notify Dorne in advance.
aspect, but you really don’t have to consider their feelings! After all, in this world of the jungle, you can only consider others if you protect yourself first!”
"Yes, Your Majesty! Don't forget, when Susas surrendered, they didn't tell us!" Another minister echoed, his tone full of resentment and injustice: "What can we do?
?Can we still beat them? In this situation, you should take care of yourself!"
When the Susus Empire was mentioned, Lions II couldn't help but want to get angry. The opponent was really doing a lot of harm, and his sudden surrender left him completely unprepared for any defense.
Originally, the battle line was still in the northern part of Susus. As long as Susus was willing to defend to the end, then at least the Lions Empire would have a few months to deploy calmly, and then Jade City would definitely not be what it is today.
At least Bunas will not immediately defect with Beiling. In that case, the defense line in the north of Lanes will be complete, and Tamaki's defense line will be at least several times stronger than it is now!
But Susas surrendered so shamelessly! The Lions Empire ended up like this! So Lions II hated the old and dim Susas I, and often called him a coward!
The problem is that now that he is a noble of the Tang Empire, no matter how much he scolds him, he can't hurt him. Maybe, after he surrenders, he will still act based on the face of Susas I.
indefinite.
After all, even those who surrendered were ranked first and first, and there were distinctions between high and low. Obviously, because of the thoroughness of the surrender and the simplicity of the surrender... Susas I must have a relatively high status in the Tang Empire.
The tallest king of subjugation - he Lions II may not be comparable to him.
Hearing someone say this, someone immediately echoed: "That's right! Susas sold us, what will happen if we sell Dorne? Now we should take care of ourselves!"
"Your Majesty, please make plans early!" The prime minister spoke at this time. He was promoted by Lions II. He was usually a yes man. Naturally, he did not dare to express his position easily now. He could only let Lions II make his own decision.
Of course Lions II himself had no idea. If he had, he would not have held such meetings so frequently.
However, after several days of torture, he has now begun to waver. So after being anxious for a long time, he finally chose to compromise: "Then contact the Tang Empire! Tell them that we are willing to negotiate... negotiate... discuss, discuss
Matters of surrender.”
"Your Majesty is wise!" "Your Majesty is wise!" Immediately, the faces of some ministers showed joy, which was in sharp contrast to the dull atmosphere in the hall before. These ministers praised Lions II one after another, as if he was about to lose his country.
The emperor is one of the few wise emperors in history.
