Chapter 40: A War of Words with the Court Ministers
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When the little Emperor Ning Chen openly spoke those words, the entire court was instantly consumed by blazing fury.
In their eyes, these fellow officials were either scions of military families or distinguished men of letters. They were the officials of Great Ning, the pillars upon which the empire rested.
Yet this nine-year-old child, this mere boy fresh from his mother’s milk, had actually dared to accuse them of “selling out the country for personal gain”!
To them, it was surely the most vicious insult in the world.
Zhao Siwen was the first to step forward, his face twisted with anger.
“Selling out the country for personal gain?”
“Your Majesty, you dare accuse all of us of such a thing?”
“We have served Great Ning with all our hearts and souls. Our loyalty shines as plainly as the sun and moon!”
“Then tell us, Your Majesty—how exactly have we sold out the country for personal gain?”
The moment Zhao Siwen finished speaking, a crowd of court officials stepped forward one after another, bombarding Ning Chen with questions.
At that moment, hardly anyone still cared about how to deal with the threat posed by Great Jin. Every spearpoint in the hall had turned toward the small, delicate Emperor seated upon the Dragon Throne.
The Empress Dowager beside him also frowned slightly. As the most exalted person in Great Ning, she naturally understood why Zhao Siwen and the others had reacted so violently.
Yet she did not immediately intervene. After all, Ning Chen’s words had openly provoked every official in the court.
She was more than happy to see such a scene. The more recklessly Ning Chen behaved, the more wholeheartedly the ministers would submit to her when she stepped in to resolve matters.
More importantly, she was curious. Why had the usually ignorant and muddle-headed Ning Chen suddenly risen to speak with such fervor?
Ning Chen laughed in fury.
“My calling you traitors who sell out the country for personal gain is already letting you off lightly!”
“Not one inch of our territory must be surrendered. Every one of our people, old or young, must be protected!”
“Great Jin seized Shanhai Pass and slaughtered the people of Beiguang City. Hundreds of thousands of innocents died. Those were the lands of Great Ning, and those were the people of Great Ning!”
“As ministers of Great Ning, instead of thinking about avenging our people or reclaiming our territory, you seek peace on your own initiative, cede land, pay reparations, and meekly offer tribute!”
“What have you done with the dignity of Great Ning?”
“Are you worthy of the official robes you wear?”
“And are you worthy of the trust the court has placed in you?”
The words left everyone speechless. No one had expected that a puppet emperor of merely nine years could utter such righteous and impassioned words.
Yet in their eyes, this was nothing more than the wild fantasy of a fool, utterly laughable.
However, Ning Chen’s next words wiped the smiles from their faces.
“Do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking?”
“Not one of you cares about whether the people along the border live or die. You don’t care about the loss of a single city or fortress, nor do you care about the dignity of the nation!”
“Just look at your bloated, pampered faces. The only things you care about are your own wealth and glory. So long as Great Jin does not reach the capital, and so long as Great Ning still exists, your privileges remain untouched!”
His words caused every face to flush with rage. Their murderous gazes seemed eager to tear Ning Chen apart and swallow him whole.
But after Ning Chen had suddenly exposed their innermost thoughts in the Golden Hall, they found themselves unable to respond.
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly. On the one hand, she was astonished that Ning Chen had been able to say such things.
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After turning the matter over in her mind, she decided these words must have been taught by that old Master Kong, who could speak of nothing but benevolence, morality, family, and the realm.
On the other hand, she could not help finding the situation faintly amusing.
Of course she knew what these men were like. But no ruler would be foolish enough to stand in the Golden Hall and berate everyone at once.
Ning Chen, Ning Chen… Should I praise you for cursing these men on my behalf?
Or should I teach you a proper lesson for your ignorance?
Once again, Zhao Siwen was the first to step forward.
“Well said. What lofty righteousness! What a fine denunciation of every official under Heaven!”
“Your Majesty is young and ignorant. This old minister can overlook it.”
“But I would ask Your Majesty one question: if, as you say, we must not bow our heads in submission, then what should Great Ning do?”
Ning Chen took one step forward and replied solemnly, “Of course we should fight!”
“Hahaha…”
The instant Ning Chen finished speaking, Zhao Siwen threw back his head and laughed, his voice overflowing with contempt.
“What a magnificent declaration—‘we should fight’!”
With that, Zhao Siwen turned toward the Empress Dowager and bowed respectfully.
“Your Highness, forgive this old minister for speaking out of turn.”
“I truly believe that your only mistake was failing to depose the emperor at once.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. She was clearly displeased by the words “your only mistake.” Yet after a moment’s thought, she continued enjoying the spectacle with great interest.
Zhao Siwen then glared directly at Ning Chen.
“As the saying goes, empty talk brings ruin to the nation!”
“Since Your Majesty says we must fight, how do you propose we fight? And with what?”
At once, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward in agreement.
“Exactly. What can Great Ning fight with?”
“The only reason we were able to resist Great Jin all these years was because the natural fortress of Shanhai Pass shielded us. Now that Shanhai Pass has fallen, the cavalry of Great Jin faces no obstacle…”
A mere nine-year-old child knew nothing but how to make grand declarations. Once the discussion turned to actual strategy, he was bound to humiliate himself before the entire court!
Yet Ning Chen refused to yield even an inch. He cut the man off immediately.
“With our lives, of course!”
“Shanhai Pass may indeed have fallen. But so long as the people of Great Ning stand united and join forces against the enemy, that unity will become the greatest natural barrier protecting our empire for countless generations—the strongest fortress of all!”
The words were met with another eruption of laughter.
The Empress Dowager silently shook her head and thought, He truly is nothing but a useless child. I thought you had learned something from Master Kong, but in the end, it is merely impractical nonsense and empty theorizing from books…
“Still, this is exactly the sort of thing Master Kong would say. Fan Dayou was the same, wasn’t he?”
“Whenever he spoke, he had one polished argument after another. Whenever he acted, he was utterly muddled…”
Unexpectedly, Ning Chen’s voice rang out once more.
“Have you ever wondered why, after Great Jin captured Shanhai Pass and slaughtered Beiguang City, they did not continue southward, but instead sent us a letter?”
The entire court froze in surprise.
The Empress Dowager also frowned, as though she had thought of something.
Ning Chen continued, “If Great Jin truly had the strength to destroy Great Ning, why would they have stopped?”
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“They must know that they cannot wipe out Great Ning. That is why they have put forward these terms, demanding that we bow our heads and submit!”
The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue abruptly cut in.
“What a joke!”
“That is nothing more than your guess. Can you guarantee that Great Jin lacks the strength to march straight upon our capital?”
Ning Chen could not be bothered to argue with him over the finer points of logic. Those who understood would understand; for those who did not, further explanation was useless.
He changed tack.
“Very well. Even if Great Jin possesses the strength to commit the entire nation to an invasion of Great Ning, our capital lies thousands of miles from Beiguang City. Between them stand countless mountains, rivers, and lakes!”
“No matter how formidable their cavalry may be, even if they sustain themselves through conquest, a march of thousands of miles will inevitably exhaust them. Their soldiers will be weary, their horses spent!”
“In such circumstances, all Great Ning needs to do is establish defensive positions along the route!”
“While slowing their advance, we can organize our forces to wage wars of attrition, guerrilla warfare, ambushes, even trap warfare, small-unit actions, and operations behind enemy lines…”
“In short, our soldiers do not need to clash with them head-on. We need only retreat while fighting, steadily wear them down, and divide their forces!”
“Even if they reach the capital, we can continue moving south. If necessary, we can even relocate to the islands!”
“Their cavalry may be invincible, but naval warfare is their weakness—a gulf they can never cross!”
“In short, so long as all of Great Ning stands as one, even the sharpest spear will eventually be ground to dust!”
The moment he finished speaking, the entire court fell into an uncanny silence.
Some were stunned that nine-year-old Ning Chen could deliver such a lengthy argument without hesitation.
Others were deep in thought, considering whether his plan was truly feasible.
Among the military commanders, several perceptive men already had the flames of hope rekindled in their eyes. Their gazes gradually grew resolute.
What they did not know was that Ning Chen had absolute faith in one thing: the strategy once used against the invaders in his previous life would still work in Great Ning today.
It had been proven through the blood of countless martyrs and veterans.
He knew that even if these commanders did not understand terms such as small-unit warfare or guerrilla warfare, they would certainly grasp the essence of what he meant.
And sure enough!
Several young generals immediately stepped forward and cried out loudly, “His Majesty is wise! His Majesty is wise!”
“That is right! No matter what happens, Great Ning still has the advantage of fighting a rested force against an exhausted one, waiting for the invaders to come to us!”
“So long as we carry out the strategy Your Majesty has proposed, even the mighty forces of Great Jin can be defeated…”
At that moment, no one noticed the drastic change in the Empress Dowager’s expression.
The faintly mocking look she had directed at Ning Chen turned in an instant into a razor-sharp gaze filled with overwhelming shock.
How had this useless little wretch suddenly become so formidable?
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