The Empress looked at the other ministers around her, her gaze filled with strong anticipation.
Although there were supporters for attacking both Zhao and Wei, they all presented reasonable arguments. The Empress, who had initially been set on attacking Wei, was now swayed by Chu Chen.
Xie An, the Minister of War, said with some concern, "Your Majesty, I have already stated the benefits of attacking Wei. I will not waver."
"Your Majesty should not blindly follow everything Prime Minister Chu says. What Prime Minister Chu thinks in his heart may not always be correct. You must discern carefully."
Chu Chen chuckled upon hearing this, "Lord Xie is correct. However, this time I am very firm in my belief that we should attack Zhao. I will not retract my suggestion."
Wu Sheng finally found an opportunity to criticize Chu Chen, "Your Majesty, Lord Xie's idea is clearly more reliable. Even if Wei truly has defenses."
"They will be like a startled bird, no cause for fear."
"If we truly attack Zhao, we will be doing work for Yan and the Xiongnu. Just thinking about it makes me feel indignant."
Hearing this, Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, also stepped forward, "Your Majesty, Lord Wu speaks the truth. I also believe we should attack Wei."
"We absolutely cannot be someone else's pawn. If we exhaust our national strength, it will ultimately benefit the Xiongnu and Yan."
Wang Zhe, the Minister of Justice, said, "Your Majesty, I truly cannot agree with Prime Minister Chu's proposal. Zhao is also a powerful nation. How could we possibly achieve a surprise attack and capture their strongholds in just a few days?"
"Is Prime Minister Chu perhaps too confident in his command abilities and the fighting strength of our soldiers?"
Meng Yuan, the Minister of Works, also frowned, unsure of what to do.
Although deep down he wanted to support Chu Chen, he vaguely felt that this time they really should attack Wei!
Hearing the unanimous opposition from the ministers, the Empress couldn't help but feel a bit flustered.
"Chu Chen, you have heard them. Everyone unanimously opposes your idea. Do you still insist?"
Chu Chen nodded, "Your Majesty, I am now certain. I insist."
"I believe that true paths are often held by a minority. I am willing to be that minority. Even if this conviction proves to be wrong in the end, I am willing to bear all responsibility and consequences."
Upon hearing this, the Empress nodded and carefully considered everyone's words.
Although all the ministers agreed on attacking Wei, just as Chu Chen had said, Wei would surely have defenses against Yunyue. Breaking through them would be incredibly difficult.
Therefore, only that one path remained: attacking Zhao.
Regardless of the choice, the final outcome this time would likely not be ideal. However, it seemed that this was the only way forward.
The Empress trusted Chu Chen's ability to lead troops.
"Very well. There has been a significant debate this time, but I have made my decision. We will adopt Chu Chen's idea and attack Zhao."
The Empress stated with a determined gaze.
Upon hearing this, the ministers of various departments and other high-ranking officials tried to dissuade her.
"Your Majesty, you must not be reckless. We must be cautious at this juncture. There are many aspects we haven't figured out yet. We cannot act on impulse."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. We are currently in a period of rising strength. We must not make hasty decisions, or it could lead to utter disaster."
"Your Majesty, if we attack Zhao, not only will we gain no benefit, but we will also benefit the Xiongnu and Yan. If I were a Xiongnu spy, I would definitely support this decision."
"Your Majesty, I suspect that Chu Chen is a so-called Xiongnu spy. Otherwise, why would he propose a decision that benefits the Xiongnu?"
Hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but smile.
"You lot, stop with the alarmist talk. Do I not know what is right and what is wrong?"
"I have said it. This is my decision, and it will not be changed. My esteemed ministers, do not waste your breath any further."
Hearing the Empress's firm tone, the ministers stopped trying to persuade her, though they all still looked helpless.
"Alright, this matter is settled. Does anyone else have anything they wish to say? You may speak now."
A silence fell upon the court. Clearly, the previous discussion had left them all feeling helpless, and no one wanted to speak first.
The Empress nodded, "Since no one has anything further to report, we shall adjourn. Chu Chen, remain behind. We need to discuss the matter of dispatching troops."
Chu Chen bowed in agreement. The ministers all paid their respects to the Empress and then withdrew.
At the same time, Li Xinyue also left with the others, but her gaze drifted towards Chu Chen, lost in thought.
She left the great hall and headed towards the palace gates, still pondering the matter.
Suddenly, she stopped and returned to the palace.
Her face was filled with anger, mixed with a hint of grievance.
Why? She had done nothing wrong towards her mother, the Empress, or Chu Chen. Why were her mother and Chu Chen treating her like this? Doing such things?
If they were going to do it, they had done it for two consecutive days. This was blatant disregard, as if they didn't care about her at all.
She went straight to the hall where the morning court had been held, but found no sign of Chu Chen or her mother. This made her even angrier.
"Mother, Chu Chen, where have you gone?"
The Empress and Chu Chen waited quietly until the ministers had dispersed. The Empress then stood up and beckoned Chu Chen, "Come back to the warm pavilion with me. I want to hear your thoughts thoroughly."
Saying this, the Empress turned and walked towards the back of the hall, leaving no room for argument.
Although Chu Chen was somewhat reluctant to go to the warm pavilion alone with the Empress again, he dared not disobey.
He followed the Empress to the warm pavilion. After obeying the Empress's command and closing the door, he turned around.
"You can speak now. What are you truly thinking? I feel that attacking Zhao is not your real intention. It was inconvenient for me to question you in front of the ministers earlier."
"But now that it's just the two of us, you should tell the truth, right?"
Hearing the Empress's words, Chu Chen couldn't help but smile, "Nothing can escape Your Majesty's eyes."
The Empress waved her hand, "Enough, don't talk about that yet. Speak about your ideas."
Chu Chen nodded, "Your Majesty, my actual idea is to attack Wei."
The Empress took a deep breath and nodded. It was as she had suspected.
"Then why did you say in court that we should attack Zhao?"
Chu Chen calmly replied, "Of course, I had to say we should attack Zhao. Only then can we get these people to spread the news. Then we can achieve a surprise attack on Wei."
"Zhao and Wei are both great nations. How easy is it to carve out a piece of territory from them? Moreover, this is our opening battle. We cannot afford any mistakes. We must win."