The officials praised the Empress upon hearing her words.
A Jin Yi Wei immediately departed to relay the Empress's intentions to the generals.
Meanwhile, Wu Sheng's face had fallen completely.
From the conversation between the Empress and the Jin Yi Wei, it seemed they intended to solidify the narrative of the army's triumphant return.
Wouldn't that mean he, Wu Sheng, would be a stepping stone for that brat Chu Chen?
Since the Empress and Chu Chen had not yet turned their gaze or suspicion towards him, he decided not to bring it up for now.
He would wait until after the news of the army's defeat was confirmed, and then make his move.
The Empress did not pay much heed to the officials' flattery.
"Enough, enough. There's no need for so many pleasantries. This time, Zhao and Wei have joined forces against our Yun Yue Kingdom."
"We absolutely cannot sit idly by; we must counterattack."
"My lords, please discuss and decide. What course of action should we take? Should we dispatch another army?"
"Or should we send envoys to engage in stern negotiations with the two nations?"
The Empress looked at her ministers, who now appeared somewhat cautious.
"Your Majesty, I believe it would be best for us to send envoys this time," said Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, after some thought.
The Empress glanced at him and asked, "Lord Sun, please state your reasons."
Sun Mo shook his head. "Your Majesty, I have no specific reasons for saying this."
"I simply feel that if we were to go to war with both Zhao and Wei simultaneously, we would gain no advantage."
"Furthermore, prior to this, we discovered that the Xiongnu were also active in Shuangyue City."
"If we were to engage in war with Zhao and Wei at the same time, the Xiongnu might very well get involved."
"At that point, facing pressure from three nations simultaneously, it would be difficult for us to sustain ourselves."
Upon hearing this, some ministers nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, that is true. If we win this battle, what we need to do now is recuperate, not expand the war."
"Our Yun Yue Kingdom has only just begun to accumulate some resources; we cannot afford to squander them carelessly again, or we might lose everything."
"Exactly. The fact that the armies of two nations are causing trouble near Shuangyue City may not necessarily be the will of their respective rulers. We only need to send envoys to urge them to strictly restrain their armies; there is no need to escalate the conflict."
The Empress then turned to others and asked, "Wang Zhe, the Minister of Justice, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Wang Zhe stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe it is not advisable for us to engage in battle. The two ambushes we conducted previously have already consumed a significant amount of our provisions, grain, and supplies."
"We should take this opportunity to regroup and restore our strength, avoiding any surprise attacks from other nations."
"As for engaging in war again, it carries immense risk for us."
"A slight misstep could lead us to an abyss from which there is no return."
"Those hidden enemies lurking in the shadows will not give us a chance to correct our mistakes."
Wang Zhe's words caused the Empress to fall silent for a moment, after which she said, "Wang Zhe's words hold some truth."
"However, you have overlooked one point. We did not suffer any losses in this recent engagement; on the contrary, we gained considerable benefits."
"We acquired a large quantity of supplies, and the soldiers' combat effectiveness has been enhanced."
"There may have been some casualties, but we will quickly replenish those numbers."
"Moreover, did the previous reports not state that we captured a considerable number of enemy soldiers in the two battles?"
"We can fully utilize these soldiers in combat. As long as we disperse them thoroughly, all these issues can be resolved."
The Empress's words surprised many of the ministers present.
"That's right! If we had won those two battles, our losses would have been much smaller. In fact, we could say we emerged stronger from each battle."
"Precisely! Truly powerful nations become stronger as they fight."
"However, even if we become stronger through combat, we cannot fight endlessly, can we? Wouldn't that be considered excessive militarism?"
"Regardless, what Zhao and Wei have done to us is truly unforgivable. If we do not retaliate effectively, they will truly believe we are easy to bully."
Meng Yuan, the Minister of Works, spoke with righteous indignation, "Your Majesty, you are correct. I believe we must dispatch another army to counterattack the two nations."
The Empress looked at Meng Yuan with approval.
"Meng Yuan, tell me what you are thinking."
Meng Yuan, the Minister of Works, organized his thoughts and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that although Zhao and Wei are significant nations, they are not exceedingly powerful."
"Firstly, Zhao is currently at war with Yan. Although Zhao holds a certain advantage, Yan will undoubtedly divert some of Zhao's attention."
"Even if Zhao engages in intense conflict with our Yun Yue Kingdom, they will not be able to deploy their full combat strength to deal with us."
"As for Wei, they also cannot fully commit to dealing with us. Wei is situated in a precarious position, surrounded by many states."
"Even if they strive to maintain peace with their neighbors, any sign of decline will prompt surrounding nations to seize the opportunity and divide them."
The Empress nodded, her face filled with relief and approval.
"Meng Yuan is correct. While these two nations appear powerful, they each have their own constraints."
"Furthermore, we have just defeated them once. We now possess a psychological advantage."
"At this juncture, we should not retreat in any way."
Xie An, the Minister of War, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I agree with your assertion that we should engage in battle."
"However, I believe we should only engage one of the nations."
"With the other nation, we should strive to maintain peace, thereby maximizing our chances of victory."
The Empress pondered for a moment and nodded. "If that is the case, which nation should we attack first?"
Xie An, the Minister of War, said, "Your Majesty, Zhao is currently at war with Yan. If we join the conflict, we will have Yan's assistance."
"I believe we should attack Zhao first."
After speaking, Xie An returned to his position.
The Empress looked at the others, her gaze conveying a request for their opinions.
"My esteemed ministers, we have tentatively decided on a strategy of dispatching troops to engage in battle. What are your views? Whom should we attack?"
Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we should attack Wei first."
"Although Zhao is constrained by Yan, Zhao's northern border is adjacent to the Xiongnu."
"If we dispatch troops to attack Zhao, and if Yan gains an advantage in their war, the Xiongnu, to prevent Zhao from suffering significant losses, will undoubtedly send reinforcements."
"In such a scenario, our offensive will be greatly hampered."
"At best, we will achieve nothing; if the situation worsens, we might even suffer losses and gain no advantage."
Sun Mo gave a dry chuckle.
The Empress nodded.