"Another 200,000 troops have been sent as reinforcements?"
Upon hearing this, Li Anlan collapsed onto the dragon throne. The news was so terrifying that it sent chills down his spine.
According to intelligence, Lin Yi has mobilized more than 500,000 troops in the Northeast battlefield, 200,000 troops in the Western Regions, and now there are 500,000 troops on the main battlefield, bringing the total force to 1.2 million.
This number was simply outrageous, making him feel even more powerless.
Facing the 1.2 million-strong army of Xiliang, Great Ning now feels somewhat powerless and may not be able to withstand them.
He gritted his teeth and asked, "What's the state of Wuning Commandery now? Has it all fallen into Lin Yi's hands?"
"Yes!"
Zhou Zifeng nodded, his face full of bitterness, and sighed, "The 500,000-strong army of Xiliang swept through the entire Wuning Commandery. The Imperial Uncle's several lines of defense were destroyed, and he finally retreated to Wuning City, where he was defeated and killed."
As for the Imperial Clan Head, he died at the hands of Wang Yunze, who is now the Prefect of Wuning Commandery!
Holy crap!
Upon hearing this, the assembled officials were stunned. Wang Yunze was truly something else; he had essentially surrendered.
Zhang Wanhao, standing in the crowd, was dumbfounded. He couldn't help but look at Wang Hui and mutter, "Good heavens, the Wang Clan has surrendered first! You're supposed to be big shots among the powerful families, how can you be so spineless!"
If he was merely surprised, then Li Anlan was enraged, to the point of wanting to kill.
He glared at Wang Hui, the head of the Wang Clan family, and sneered, " Wang Hui, what does your Wang Clan want to do? You've actually become Lin Yi's prefect. Are you planning to completely submit to Lin Yi?"
Upon hearing the emperor's angry rebuke, a hint of embarrassment flashed in Wang Hui's eyes, but he remained completely calm.
He slowly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Wang Yunze's actions have nothing to do with my Wang Clan. I have decided to expel him from the ancestral register. To prove my Wang Clan's innocence, I am willing to provide Your Majesty with 100,000 shi of grain to resist Xiliang."
Forehead!
Everyone stared in disbelief at Wang Hui's righteous indignation. He thought he could get away with this by offering 100,000 shi of grain? This guy was too amazing.
However, Li Anlan suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Since you have this intention, I naturally believe in your loyalty. Let's leave it at that for now!"
With the capital city about to besiege, if he were to attack the Wang Clan, it would only cause them serious harm, so he had to hold back.
Only after defeating Northern Liang will it be time to settle the score.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Hui said solemnly.
He knew in his heart that the emperor must have some grudges, but there was no other solution at the moment, and Li Anlan certainly didn't dare to touch the Wang Clan.
The assembled officials were dumbfounded. How could this be overlooked? The powerful families were truly formidable.
Cough cough!
Li Anlan glanced at his ministers, his face regaining its stern expression, and said in a deep voice, "My dear ministers, what do you think is the best way to resolve the issue of Xiliang? If we allow Xiliang to attack the capital, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
If things continue like this, Great Ning might really be wiped out by that brat Lin Yi.
People's hearts are somewhat unsettled right now, and we must quell their unrest, otherwise chaos will ensue.
Upon hearing his words, the officials below all wore complex expressions. The situation was now out of control, and Great Ning probably no longer had the ability to repel Xiliang. What they needed now was to figure out how to save their own lives.
What can we do?
" The Prince of Xiliang is too ruthless! He's conscripted all the men in his territory into his army! That's more than a million strong!"
"Unbelievable, how can we possibly fight like this?"
"Soon, an army of 500,000 will be at the city gates, but the troops sent from the south to come to the aid of the emperor are being held back by Ma Chao. The capital is in grave danger!"
Their faces were pale; in fact, one could say they looked desperate.
Now that Wuning Commandery has been defeated, the enemy's next target will inevitably be the capital. This is no longer a question; it's practically a foregone conclusion.
The road has already been paved; if he doesn't make a move now, he's not the Prince of Xiliang.
Now, with his 500,000 troops and Ma Chao's 100,000 men, if they were to storm the capital, it would mean that the capital would be besieged by an army of 600,000, which is no joke.
Once the capital falls, the Great Ning will be destroyed, and we officials will likely meet a bad end.
No, perhaps I could learn from Wang Yunze and at least get a government position.
Whose official isn't an official?
This is bad!
Among the crowd, Grand Commandant Qin Li frowned, a thought flashing through his mind, which instantly became firm.
He slowly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, we must move the capital now. Only by moving the capital can we have a chance of survival. Otherwise, if Your Majesty is besieged in the capital, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
That's right, it's about moving the capital!
Lin Yi's forces are currently too powerful; the capital city alone cannot stop Lin Yi.
Only by moving the capital to Jiangling, the emperor's old stronghold, and with the Tianshui River as a natural barrier, might there still be a chance to resist.
"Moving the capital?"
Upon hearing this, the ministers' eyes lit up. This was indeed a good option; at least they could hold out in the south for a while, and perhaps they could even defeat Lin Yi with the help of the south.
Thinking of this, several ministers stepped forward to strongly support the decision.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant's words are reasonable. We must move the capital. The emperor cannot stand under a crumbling wall. Once Your Majesty is besieged, Great Ning will have no hope."
"As long as the Emperor is in charge of the All Under Heaven, everything will be fine. With the natural barrier of the Tianshui River, we can completely defend the south."
The enemy is still too strong. Since we can't defeat them, we must avoid their sharp edge and buy some time to catch our breath.
Better to live a miserable life than to die a glorious death; perhaps there will be a way later.
"Move the capital!"
Upon hearing these two words, Li Anlan's eyes lit up. This Qin Li was indeed quite sensible; he had immediately struck a chord with him.
As the emperor of a country, he naturally could not be besieged in the capital, otherwise he would truly be powerless to fight back.
Only by retreating to the south might there be a glimmer of hope.
Thinking of this, a glimmer of light appeared in Li Anlan's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Relocating the capital will have a huge impact, but there seems to be no better solution at the moment, so let's relocate the capital!"
Great Ning needs time to mobilize its forces and gather more troops to repel Xiliang.
Moreover, I have already sent people to contact the Southern Tusi and the Frostwest Empire. They do not want to see a powerful and domineering Xiliang emerge, so they will naturally send troops to help my Great Ning!
If we can hold them off for a while, we can wait for their reinforcements to arrive, and then we will surely be able to turn the tide!
A true man can bend and stretch. Although Li Anlan values his reputation, he can temporarily set aside that pride when his life is at stake.
However, even though the capital needs to be moved, it's important to give your ministers some confidence, otherwise they might rebel at any time.
Only by giving them confidence can we continue to use them and have a chance to turn things around.