"Your Majesty, the Divine Eagle Empire harbors wolfish ambitions. It has invaded our borders and plundered the south. We must answer with a thunderous counterattack and cow the petty villains under heaven."
The first to step forward was Zhang Junwei. Having taken up the post of Minister of War, he considered the matter from the perspective of a demonic cultivator: if someone came knocking to provoke them, they had to be beaten back ruthlessly—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
"Imprudent."
Another person stepped forward. This was Yu Wenjie, a Grand Scholar from the former dynasty. He was one of the few civil officials in the Great Li Dynasty who had not been corrupt or venal. He had long been ostracized in official circles, yet among the common people, he enjoyed a considerable reputation for virtue.
Thus, after the Great Xia Dynasty was established, Yu Wenjie was retained and continued serving as a Grand Scholar.
"Your Majesty, the Great Xia Dynasty has only just been founded, and the people have long suffered through the misery of war. The people's livelihoods are in decline, so we must allow them to recuperate and rebuild. If we take up arms again and the war drags on without resolution, the situation within the nation may become unstable.
"War is a matter of vital importance to the state, a realm of life and death, a path of survival or ruin. It must be examined with the utmost care.
"I humbly venture to suggest that, regarding the Divine Eagle Empire, we choose to resolve the matter through peace talks."
Yu Wenjie offered his advice, believing that what the newly established Great Xia Dynasty needed now was rest and recovery.
"Rubbish. The Divine Eagle Empire has already attacked our doorstep, and you still want