Thirty thousand troops stood still.
Not one of them dared advance.
The commanding general watched Su Yueli disappear into the distance. Relief mingled with bitterness in his heart.
With the strongest person in the world on their side, this should have been Great Li's greatest opportunity.
But Su Yueli refused to take the field.
The imperial family could not control her power.
He took out a Message Jade Talisman and sent word of what had happened back to the Imperial City.
When the court received the news, the prince acting as regent remained silent for a long time.
"Withdraw the troops."
The two words had barely left his mouth before several officials who favored war grew anxious.
"Your Highness, the three cities are already within our grasp!"
"Then will you go stop Su Yueli?"
The hall fell silent. No one dared go; it seemed little different from seeking death.
The prince stared at the map and forced down his resentment.
Su Yueli had made her position perfectly clear.
Great Li could expand.
But it could not use the threat of her power to force others to surrender.
Without that greatest of trump cards, Great Li was not much stronger than the other dynasties.
If it insisted on war, the imperial family would pay a terrible price as well.
"Order the garrisons everywhere to heighten their vigilance."
The prince set down the map. "We will send out no more troops for now."
The court had no choice but to accept it.
When Su Yueli learned that the army had withdrawn, she left the matter alone.
She knew full well that Great Li's court would not abandon its ambitions because of this.
Those people simply did not know where her limits lay yet.
Once the situation grew more chaotic, they would act