In the Taihe Hall, the nine highest-ranking officials of Taicang stood silently, staring at the extinguished light screen for a long time.
In their minds, the image of the enormous hammer crashing down and turning thousands of powerful beasts into minced meat replayed endlessly.
They couldn't help but ask themselves: What would happen if Taicang faced that hammer?
The answer was clear: Even if Taicang gathered all its military forces and squeezed every last ounce of its strength, it would still be hopeless in the face of such a hammer.
Ji Xia looked at the despondent expressions on everyone's faces, feeling equally downcast. The power displayed in the light screen was far beyond what Taicang could resist at the moment. Even if Taicang were ten times stronger, it wouldn't be able to compete with such a terrifying opponent.
But he was not discouraged. Even though fear and anxiety swirled in his heart, he knew that fear and anxiety were useless. What he could do was to protect himself and the entire Taicang to the best of his ability.
Even though there was such a terrifying enemy before them, giving up and waiting for death was not an option, right?
He looked at the desolate expressions on everyone's faces, and a surge of anger rose within him. He pushed the water jug in front of him aside and shouted, "The reason I didn't want to watch the contents of the jade slips at the banquet just now was because I was afraid they contained information that would instill fear in the officials of Taicang! And the reason I kept you here is because you are the pillars of Taicang!"
"The highest-ranking officials in Taicang are you! I thought that even if the sky were to fall, you would stand tall and protect the people of Taicang without flinching. But your behavior has been so disappointing! Your faces are filled with fear, terror, and despair, as if we should just close our eyes and wait for death!"
"What do you plan to do? Surrender? Or bow to the Zhouqing kingdom, hoping they will spare Taicang? Will Taicang then become their slave state, with its people reduced to food for the Zhouqing? What about you then?"
"You, as the leaders of Taicang, do you think you can rest easy knowing you will become food for the Zhouqing people? No! You will be imprisoned, humiliated, tortured, and eventually die!"
"Think about it—would you rather endure the thunderous strike of the Great Symbol Nation, or have the whole nation become the pigs and dogs of Zhouqing?"
Hearing Ji Xia's last words, Po Xian's handsome face flushed red. He kneeled on one knee, lowered his head, and said, "Your Majesty, I have no thought of surrendering. The soldiers and people of Cang City, even if the whole city becomes a ghost, will never bow."
Lu Yu and Zhao Qu were both moved to tears. Lu Yu said, "We should not be afraid. We are not afraid. We're old men, over eighty, we've lived long enough and fear no disaster. But we are afraid for Taicang, for the youth of Taicang. At their beautiful age, they are about to face annihilation..."
Ji Xia interrupted his words, asking, "Has the Great Symbol's strong force arrived?"
No one answered. Ji Xia sneered and said, "The Great Symbol's strong force hasn't arrived, yet you're all like this? You disappoint me, the young prince."
Zé and Qìng felt a pang of shame as they listened to Ji Xia's words. When Ji Xia took the throne, they had opposed him, but now, today, Ji Xia was scolding the eight highest-ranking officials of Taicang right in front of them, and they had no rebuttal.
Because they truly felt fear and despair, to the point that the thought of resistance was beginning to fade.
"Fear is inevitable."
Ji Xia interrupted their thoughts, gazing intently at the group. "Because fear can motivate us, can spur us on to fight for a chance at survival."
Ji Qianqing looked into Ji Xia's eyes and saw that the shifty gaze he had just a few days ago had now become unwavering.
"But my ministers, my people, must never despair."
Ji Xia said, "Despair inevitably leads to low morale, which benefits us not at all. It will not help Taicang survive; it will only lead us to destruction."
"And I still have a way to win Taicang a chance."
He slowly spoke the final words, then exhaled a long breath and leaned back against his throne.
The group was stunned. Ji Zé hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what method?"
Hope immediately appeared in everyone's eyes as they eagerly looked at Ji Xia.
Ji Xia shook his head and replied, "I can't tell you yet. If even the slightest bit leaks out, it will bring endless darkness upon us. The Taicang people may cease to exist."
"You just need to do your respective duties. General Ji and Lord Po Xian will be in charge of the training of the Cang Guard and other military matters. The other important ministers will also do their part. When the time comes, you will naturally be informed."
He stood up from the throne and said, "Go back now. I am tired and will go to my chambers to rest."
With that, he no longer paid attention to the others and walked towards the back of Taihe Hall. Halfway there, he turned back and called out, "Meng Gui, come with me. I have some cultivation matters to discuss with you."
Meng Gui followed.
The remaining seven officials were left in the hall.
Po Xian still felt some lingering shame. He said, "I had just doubted the temperament of His Majesty. I never expected him, at just twenty years old, to be more clear-headed than we old ministers."
Lu Yu nodded. "After the death of the previous ruler, His Majesty has really grown a lot. His temperament is becoming more and more like that of the former ruler of Shang."
"The monarch just said he has a plan to give Taicang a chance at survival. I wonder what it is."
Zhao Qu was still worried, and said anxiously, "His Majesty is a Great Wind Walker. The Great Wind should protect him and Taicang. Besides, in these past few days, His Majesty has performed many miracles. Since he has said so, we should just do our jobs as he instructed and wait for the right moment."
Ji Zé put his hands behind his back, lowered his head, and said, "His Majesty is wise. We must trust him and wait for the time to come."
Ji Qianqing nodded but felt a flicker of doubt. When Ji Xia mentioned the plan, his eyes briefly shifted, and he didn't seem entirely truthful.
"Could it be like his Great Wind Walker claim? Just a baseless boast?" Ji Qianqing thought to herself.
Regardless, after Ji Xia's outburst, the heavy gloom that had shrouded the ministers' hearts dissipated a little. They came to their senses and realized that what Ji Xia said was very reasonable.
No matter how fearful, one could not give in to despair.
Because despair was futile. The wilderness was full of things to despair over, but despair only hastened destruction.
Perhaps this was the reason why Taicang had endured for over two hundred years. No matter the calamities, the difficulties, the fears, or the despair the people of Taicang faced, after despair, they would awaken and then fight for the survival of Taicang.
"As for the matter with the Great Symbol, nothing must be disclosed to the people or officials of Taicang. Those who know must be ordered to keep it quiet. We cannot let the people of Taicang be frightened or cause chaos."
Ji Zé issued a stern command, and the others responded accordingly.