Since spring, the political atmosphere in the Eastern Capital had remained tense.
That went without saying... whose emperor could take most of his court away and never return; whose million-strong army and several million laborers could fall apart just from marching; whose realm could rise in rebellion across more than half its territory, without things becoming tense?
Yet thanks to the Luokou Granary, the common people had actually remained somewhat stable, leaving the tension in the Eastern Capital concentrated mainly at the political level. It was rather thought-provoking.
Or perhaps, in the face of certain fundamental problems, other problems that ordinarily seemed serious no longer counted as problems at all.
"Let me count them off..."
In mid-autumn, inside Ziwei Palace in the Eastern Capital, in the Southern Office's council hall, Prime Minister Su Wei, who seemed to have aged seven or eight years overnight, sat behind the desk at the head of the room and attempted a summary. "First, on the outermost front, several lesser khans and princes of the western Wu Clan have sent reports, saying that Dulan Khagan in the east and Central Tuli Khagan have assembled at the Wu Clan's sacred mountain to swear an alliance..."
"Forget it. There's no saving the west either. With the great desert between us, we cannot reach them. From now on, the Northwest, northern Jin, and even the western Northern Wasteland will see no end of trouble." Minister of War Duan Wei, one of the Eastern Capital's eight grandees, delivered this judgment without expression. "Besides, this was settled after the Western Inspection Tour."
"Then there is some disorder in the Northern Wasteland as well." Su Wei offered no further comment, merely continuing his inventory from his seat. "Neither great matters nor small ones, but a great many matters... for instance, after