What Do the Chief Ministers Have to Fear? Do Not Think Their Power Has Not Waned

"This is somewhat wishful thinking," Wang Jing said at this moment. "At present, although the court's armies have swept across the Grasslands and wiped out a number of tribes, even driving the three major tribes beneath the Rouluo people northward in defeat, we have yet to discover the Rouluo main force. Not to mention a decisive battle—we cannot even deal the Rouluo a crippling blow."

Since this was an exchange between ruler and ministers concerning the war in the Grasslands, there was not much need for concealment in their words.

The state of the war naturally had to be embellished when announced to the public. Even during court assemblies, when speaking with the officials, it was impossible to reveal everything completely. First, it was to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, lest those court officials deem the war hopeless and begin dragging things down; second, it was out of concern for secrecy.

The more people who knew any piece of news, the greater the chance of leakage. Even among Great Rui's court officials, there was no shortage of those who had been bought off. Some were outright spies, while others might leak information inadvertently.

Still, they could not fabricate reports or conceal matters entirely. Some reservation was inevitable.

Yet such reservation did not exist among the highest ranks of the dynasty. Otherwise, if they could not even discuss the situation truthfully, there would be no point in speaking of war with other nations.

Even so, in Qiu Yan's eyes, this truthfulness remained somewhat thin.

Great Rui's capital lay in the Central Passes, not far from the Grasslands, but there was still distance between them. Deliberations held in the Imperial Study would inevitably lag behind the actual course of the war. Yet leaving the army entirely to its own