The Prodigal Son

A few days later, Shou Chong.

An autumn rain has brought cooler weather.

Yu Jing, who was still recovering from his injuries, sat alone in the pavilion.

However, he had no interest in enjoying the coolness and just stared blankly at the big tree in the yard.

The autumn rain relentlessly pounded against the yellowing leaves of the big tree in the courtyard. Countless leaves could not withstand the pounding of the autumn rain and fell down with a rustling sound.

It looked desolate!

"well……"

Yu Jing's expression was solemn, and he sighed softly.

The scene before me is so similar to the current situation in the Min Kingdom!

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Just then, Yu Jing heard Zhou Jishan's voice.

Yu Jing snapped out of her daze and looked up at Zhou Jishan, who had run into the pavilion in the rain.

Zhou Jishan approached Yu Jing and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I just received news that Qin Yu forced the Chu army attacking Yuwang Pass to surrender at extremely low cost and captured Yu Wu alive!"

Hearing Zhou Jishan's words, Yu Jing's face twitched violently, then he closed his eyes in anguish, his face filled with despair, "My Min Kingdom is finished..."

Previously, he still held a sliver of hope.

If Da Ning were to go to war with Chu, in order to stabilize Min, Da Ning might temporarily halt its annexation of Min and support Min's ascension to the throne.

However, as Qin Yu forced the Chu army that was attacking Yuwang Pass to surrender, as long as Zhao Luan and the Chu emperor did not lose their minds at the same time, it would be impossible for Da Ning and Chu to go to war again.

This also means that his last hope has been completely shattered!

Seeing Yu Jing's pained expression, Zhou Jishan couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. He asked blankly, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

What should I do?

Faced with Zhou Jishan's question, Yu Jing couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile.

A moment later, Yu Jing opened her eyes, slowly stood up, and stepped into the rain.

"Your Highness!"

Zhou Jishan hurried forward, trying to pull Yu Jing back to the pavilion, his face full of sorrow as he pleaded, "Your Highness's injuries haven't healed yet, please don't..."

"Get out of the way!"

Exhausted, Yu Jing pushed Zhou Jishan away, letting the autumn rain pour over him. "The country is about to perish. What can I do now besides get soaked in the rain to bury the nation?"

The autumn rain relentlessly lashed against Yu Jing's face.

Rainwater streamed down his face, concealing the tears that welled up in his eyes.

Zhou Jishan's heart clenched, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Highness, we still have 50,000 elite troops. We can still..."

"Alright!"

Yu Jing weakly interrupted Zhou Jishan, "Don't you know the fighting strength of our 50,000 troops? We're even struggling to supply these 50,000 troops, let alone survive in this predicament..."

Fifty thousand elite troops?

Does he even believe that himself?

Tens or twenty thousand of them were Qin Yu's defeated enemies.

The rest were nothing more than servants and guards of landlords and powerful families.

In Ning Jun's eyes, they were nothing more than a rabble of 50,000 men!

Now, Qin Yu's fame has spread throughout the Min Kingdom.

In many people's eyes, Qin Yu is the reincarnation of a military god, an invincible legend!

Moreover, Ning Jun also has two grandmasters, Ning Huang and Zhao Po!

As for the Yan Kingdom, although its power is not as great as that of Da Ning, it is still not something they can contend with!

If we were to actually fight the Ning and Yan armies, more than half of them would probably surrender before the battle even begins!

Looking at the distraught Yu Jing, Zhou Jishan felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he was unable to speak for a long time.

After a long silence, Zhou Jishan finally spoke slowly: "Your Highness, we must make a choice as soon as possible..."

Yes!

It's unrealistic to deal with either the Ning army or the Yan army individually, let alone both at the same time!

Now, they only have two choices.

Either submit to Da Ning or submit to the Yan state!

Yu Jing remained silent, his mind in turmoil as he struggled with a profound internal conflict.

In fact, they had long known that asking Da Ning to send troops to help him reclaim the throne was like inviting a wolf into the house.

However, at that time they thought that the combined strength of Yu Wu and Chu was not weak, and that Da Ning would have to pay a heavy price to defeat Yu Wu and Chu.

As long as Da Ning suffers heavy losses, Da Ning will not forcibly occupy Min State, but will continue to support it.

But Qin Yu's sudden emergence completely disrupted their plans.

Da Ning completely defeated Yu Wu and the Chu army at a very low cost.

Today, Da Ning is still a strong and well-equipped army. Zhao Luan, who is determined to prove to the world that Emperor Xiaowen's decision was correct, would never spit out such a big piece of fat meat that has been in his mouth!

He wanted to ally with the Yan state to drive out the Ning army.

Even if he became a puppet supported by the Yan state afterward, it would be better than watching the Min state perish.

The problem now is that even if he wants to unite with the Yan Kingdom, the Yan Kingdom may not be willing to offend Da Ning for his sake.

After all, the Yan state still needed to obtain grain from Da Ning.

If they successfully drive away the Ning army, that will be fine; if they fail, Da Ning will inevitably have to suspend trade with the Yan state again.

The military might of Da Ning is now at its peak, and the Yan Kingdom has not dared to gamble on it for many years!

The autumn rain kept falling.

Yu Jing's body was already soaked through by the rain.

A chilly autumn wind swept in, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

However, his heart was colder than his body.

"Your Highness, things have come to this, don't torture yourself anymore!"

Seeing Yu Jing shivering from the cold, Zhou Jishan's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "If Your Highness is truly unwilling, then let's fight the enemy! At worst, we'll all die for our country!"

"That's enough!"

Yu Jing gently shook his head, "Let's just surrender to Da Ning!"

"Has Your Highness truly made up your mind?"

Zhou Jishan asked, his voice trembling.

He knew Yu Jing's resentment.

Therefore, he understood even more how difficult it was for Yu Jing to make such a decision.

"It's decided!"

Yu Jing let out a long breath, a self-deprecating smile on his face. "In this era of great strife, the strong survive, and the weak perish! I have never been a man of great talent and ambition. Since I am destined not to be able to protect the Min Kingdom, let the people suffer less from the ravages of war!"

Zhou Jishan paused slightly, then bowed and said, "Your Highness cares deeply for the people; this humble general admires you!"

"What talk of caring for the people? It's just a helpless measure."

Yu Jing waved his hand with a bitter expression and walked into the house with a dejected look on his face.

Now that the decision has been made, some things should be done sooner rather than later.

It's always better to surrender willingly than to be forced into a corner and then take another step forward out of desperation.

Zhou Jishan quickly caught up with Yu Jing and comforted him, "Your Highness, do not be discouraged. Don't forget, the Empress of Da Ning is still unmarried! If Your Highness could become the Empress of Da Ning's husband, what would it matter if I offered all seven provinces of my Min Kingdom to Da Ning?"

Yu Jing paused slightly, a self-deprecating smile returning to her face.

Zhou Jishan had no idea that he had been turned away by Zhao Luan!

Becoming Zhao Luan's husband is probably even more difficult than defeating both the Yan and Ning armies to save the Min Kingdom!

After returning to his room and changing his clothes, Yu Jing ordered someone to bring him writing materials. After pondering for a while, he finally began to write, filled with resentment and helplessness...