Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The moment those words left my lips, the teacup in Cui Yan’s hand crashed to the floor.

He hurriedly crouched down to pick up the porcelain shards, his fingers trembling violently, yet he refused to look up at me.

“Accumulate strength and bide your time; assess the situation and act accordingly.”

These were the words he had used most often to instruct me when I was young.

When I suffered a defeat in my youth and fell into a state of utter dejection, he had used these same words to comfort me.

I tilted my head, watching his arms shake more and more severely. “Don’t bother picking them up… Chancellor-Father.”

Cui Yan slumped onto the floor, still refusing to raise his head.

I stood up and helped him to his feet.

“You guessed it long ago, didn’t you?”

Ever since I woke up, there were several occasions where he had stared at me in a daze, his gaze growing increasingly strange.

I knew then that he had figured it all out.

My Chancellor-Father is the cleverest man in all of Great Xia; I have known this since I was a child.

After a long silence, Cui Yan finally let out a slow breath, his voice as faint as a mumble in a dream.

“I guessed… but I never dared to believe it.”

He finally looked up at me.

“Your Majesty… you…”

I raised a hand to stop him. “Shh.”

“It is enough that Chancellor Cui understands in his heart. There is no need for words.”

Cui Yan fell silent for a moment.

“Attacking the Wei State now is not the optimal time. The Emperor of Wei is gravely ill, and the heir is still young. If we were to wait another year or two until Wei’s internal affairs fall into chaos, we could achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

I nodded.

“Chancellor Cui is indeed as sharp as ever. That was my original plan as well.”

“However, it is a pity. I cannot wait that long, and Che’er cannot wait either.”

Cui Yan was stunned, but he quickly connected the dots.

“Attacking Wei is for Your Majesty’s sake? The High Shaman of the Wei State?”

I looked at him with great appreciation. “Chancellor-Father truly is the premier strategist of my Great Xia.”

The campaign against Wei proceeded smoothly.

That lad Zhou Ke was incredibly fierce. Within a month, he had fought his way across Pingqiao Ferry, capturing over a dozen Wei cities along the way.

Good lad. Being able to fight is a blessing.

Wei soon sent a petition for peace, willing to cede land to Great Xia.

Zhou Ke was unwilling. “The men of Wei are soft! Let’s just slaughter our way through and tear down their nest!”

I hesitated.

Seizing the opportunity to wipe out the Wei State was indeed a great temptation.

But the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said that Che’er’s Emperor Star was growing increasingly dim, showing signs of imminent disappearance.

Cui Yan glanced at me and spoke up. “It would not hurt to temporarily accept the peace treaty. As the art of war says, do not press a desperate foe too hard. If we push Wei to the brink, there is no telling if they might choose to go down in a blaze of glory. It is better to boil the frog in lukewarm water and take it slow.”

Wei agreed to cede thirty cities.

I permitted them to cede only twenty, on the condition that the High Shaman of the Wei State would henceforth be at the service of Great Xia.

After some hesitation, Wei agreed.

At the same time, I warned the Sovereign of Wei that if he dared to play any tricks, Great Xia’s cavalry could trample their capital at any moment.

The victory over Wei brought joy to everyone, except for Zhou Ke, who was displeased.

“The Chancellor must truly be getting old and senile.”

He believed it was Cui Yan who had stopped the continued invasion of Wei, and thus he developed a personal grudge against him.