"If this matter fails, I shall face blades and axes, reduced to shattered remains!"
Da You had submitted a military pledge.
If he failed, he would have wronged Empress Nuwa and Emperor Yan, who had sacrificed so much.
What face would he have to meet anyone again?
He could only die!
Da You's will was firm, and his voice rang with strength, showing his determination to remain loyal unto death.
"...Very good."
Emperor Yan fell briefly silent before nodding. His expression was subtle. "Do your best."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself..."
His conscience seemed slightly troubled, so he added a reminder. "Do everything within human power and leave the rest to fate. The situation is turbulent. No one can say what might happen in the end or what changes may arise."
"Victory and defeat are common in war. You don't need to keep using rigid thinking to solve every problem... Even if the war goes badly and you fall temporarily behind, don't determine the Overall Situation solely through military conquest. You can consider attacking through diplomacy, forming alliances and balancing powers to overcome the enemy together."
"Problems that war cannot completely solve may well be achieved through diplomatic alliances and indirect means... You must understand that legitimate orthodoxy and righteousness ultimately lie with our Fire Master..."
"..."
Emperor Yan gave Da You some advice. Da You scratched his head, and Emperor Yan had no idea how much he had taken in or how much he could actually accomplish.
By the end, Emperor Yan found it difficult to say more... Caught in the middle, he was in quite a difficult position himself.
Only then did he wave his hand and send Da You away. He sat alone in the hall and worked diligently as he always had, laboring overtime