Fang Zilan woke up very early this day, washed up and put on court clothes meticulously. There was still some time before the morning session started, so she took a walk in the courtyard.
The whole courtyard is lush and green, with green vines climbing on the walls and unknown little flowers on the vines. At first glance, it looks like it is wearing a thick green robe, covering the entire courtyard from the wall to the ground.
The weather in summer was unavoidably sultry, and the court clothes were heavy and made Fang Zilan sweat. She raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead and sighed, "It's so hot."
"Boss, it's time for breakfast." Vice General Cao shouted to her from under the eaves. Awan also walked out of the front hall and said, "What are you doing standing outside on this hot day? Come in quickly!"
Fang Zilan looked back at them, hooked her lips and chuckled: "It's coming."
Awan was stunned on the spot. This was the first time she saw Fang Zilan wearing court clothes, and the crimson robe with a cage crown was indescribably stunning. It is neither as formal as official uniforms nor as gorgeous as New Year's Eve costumes. It is a completely different kind of dignity.
"What's wrong?" Fang Zilan walked up to her, reached out and pinched her face, and then she realized, "It's nothing."
Fang Zilan didn't know why, and Vice General Cao couldn't help laughing, "Miss Awan is stunned."
"What?" Fang Zilan was stunned for a moment, and then Vice General Cao praised: "The boss is really suitable for court service. He has the qualities of a dragon and a phoenix, which is beyond words."
"Old Cao, where did you learn the words from?" Fang Zilan shook his head helplessly and reminded: "That's all in front of me and Awan. Never say that in front of outsiders."
Vice General Cao nodded hurriedly and followed them to the front hall to have breakfast. After that, Fang Zilan entered the palace and entered the court.
On weekdays, Fang Zilan had been handling official duties in the government office and had never appeared in court. Therefore, when she entered the court for the first time, she inevitably attracted a lot of attention.
But when Li Shengxuan appeared, the eyes that were originally focused on her naturally dispersed.
The affairs of the court continued as usual, but what caused everyone to argue and cause an uproar was still the massive invasion of the Miluo people. The Peace Faction claimed that if peace was not sought, the Miluo people would invade the capital. The War Faction claimed that the Peace Faction was all timid and fearful, and would destroy their own prestige by letting other people's ambitions overwhelm them.
Just when the two parties were quarreling fiercely, there was just a clang, and Li Shengxuan threw all the memorials on the case in front of everyone, and the hall became extremely quiet.
Just listen to his sarcastic words every word: "You have been arguing for several days, and I have never heard of different arguments, let alone a result. What a good group of ministers, very good. .”
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Everyone said with sincerity and fear, and they all bowed to worship. Only Fang Zilan still stood upright, which stood out among the crowd.
"Duke Yue, you invited yourself to the court, saying that you want to discuss this matter with all the ministers." Li Shengxuan's eyes fell on her, and he said calmly: "I don't know what you have to say?"
"I can't speak highly of you." Fang Zilan walked up to the crowd with neither humility nor arrogance, and said solemnly: "I have invited you to go to the southern border to fight against the Miluo people and defend Qiluo City."
"What did you say?" Li Shengxuan looked at the people below steadily, only to see her looking up, "The disaster in the southeast has only just subsided, and the people still need to recuperate, and there is still no energy left to fight to the death with the Miluo people. For now The only solution is to delay."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was whispering and making a commotion, but she was unaware of it and continued talking to herself, "If I can defend Qiluo City, I can buy time for everyone in the court to find other ways. . Furthermore, if the Miluo people are unable to attack Qiluo City for a long time, not only will their morale be greatly frustrated, but they are also likely to detour to the east or west. Once the front line is lengthened, they will not be able to delay it. Over time, they can only Retreat your troops."
Seeing that Li Shengxuan was speechless for a long time, Wei Subaru stood up and said with a cold expression: "What Mr. Fang said is a good strategy, you can try it."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone stood up and retorted: "The words of Duke Wei are wrong. Many cities have been captured in just a few days. It seems that they are well prepared. Even the Duke of Yue can defend Qiluo." How long is the city?”
Hearing this, Fang Zilan turned back to look at the speaker with deep eyes, "Hearing Mr. Xu's words, it seems that he is confident. If there is a better way to defeat the enemy, you might as well tell it and ask your Majesty to make a decision."
Mr. Xu was frightened by her gaze and couldn't help but froze on the spot. However, Li Shengxuan still didn't speak, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "There is no way to retreat from the enemy. It's just that if we ask for peace from the Miluo people now, what else can we do?" There are conditions to negotiate..."
"What conditions?" Fang Zilan interrupted him coldly and asked in a loud voice: "Is it to cede land and pay compensation, or to pay tribute every year?"
Mr. Xu couldn't help but shiver and said tremblingly: "No matter what the conditions are, at least the people can be spared from the pain of war. If there is a chance in the future, it will not be too late to rebuild the country."
"According to Lord Xu, those who have died under Miluo's iron hoof, ranging from generals and soldiers to common people, have their blood been shed in vain?" Fang Zilan said in a voice as cold as ice: "Xu Your Majesty's method only focuses on the present, and in future generations, the country will be destroyed forever. How is it different from drinking poison to quench thirst?"
Mr. Xu took a step back after what she said. Most of the other people in the hall were also timid and did not dare to come forward to give advice. Only Fang Chongzheng raised his eyelids and looked at the resolute figure. He said in his heart that it was indeed so. I sighed, with mixed feelings and couldn't tell what it was like.
Wei Subaru looked steadily at Fang Zilan, who was standing straight and unflinching in front of everyone, and suddenly a kind of heroic spirit surged out of his chest, even though thousands of people had gone there. He suppressed his emotions and looked elsewhere calmly. His eyes happened to briefly meet with Zhuge Ming's on the other side. When their eyes met, they both read a tacit sense of relief in each other's eyes.
The group of old foxes in the court, whether they are the peace seekers or the main war faction, are like a mirror in their hearts. If no one comes forward, they can only wait for General Shen from the southeast camp to arrive and drag the Miluo people away for a while. For just a moment, they can take a breather and gain some confidence whether they want to sue for peace or to fight.
But no matter how loud their little calculations are, General Shen has to hold them back. Therefore, someone secretly wrote a letter earlier to recommend Wei Subaru to go to Shennan. But once Wei Subaru leaves Beijing, who will fall into the hands of the camp on the outskirts of Beijing? Nothing more than his brothers. Li Shengxuan knew that many Wei family disciples were fiercely fighting among themselves, so even if Wei Subaru took the initiative to ask Ying to speak up, he might not agree.
Excluding Wei Subaru and the immobilized generals on the border, those who are capable of conquering and fighting can be used, such as Xiahou Yunzhao from far away and Fang Zilan from close by. Li Shengxuan knew better than anyone how much blood and tears were hidden behind the Xiahou family's stay in the old land of Baiyue. However, how could Fang Zilan, who was strictly guarded and still had to request an order to enter the court, fare better?
It's not that Li Shengxuan didn't call, but he didn't dare to call at will. In this kind of near-death battle situation, if you don't have a certain death intention and have a little luck, you can't buy time for the court. It's just a useless sacrifice and only increased losses.
What's more, the people in the Ministry of Revenue almost have the words "no money and no affordability" written on their faces. Who dares to act rashly? This is how discussions in the court are like quarrels in the marketplace. Now that Fang Zilan took the initiative to stand up, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Fang Zilan looked sharp and looked away from them. Instead, she looked up at Li Shengxuan and said loudly: "I know very well that when the Miluo people invade this time, a single move can affect the whole body. I dare not ask your Majesty to give me troops to fight. But the military situation is urgent. If the Miluo people's offensive is still unable to be contained, they may come straight towards the capital like a rainbow, and it will be too late to say anything by then."
She paused, the corners of her lips slightly curved, and a confident and free smile appeared on her face, "Fang Zilan is not talented, but he is still the one who conquered the Gilded City. Since I can do things that no military commander in the past has ever done. , so now I want to overestimate my own capabilities, stick to Qiluo City, and fight for ten days and a half for Your Majesty and all of you."
After saying that, she suppressed her smile and solemnly knelt down on one knee and said: "I, Fang Zilan, would like to issue a military order here, swearing to live and die with Qiluo City. I will survive the city, and I will destroy it if it is destroyed."
