I've announced that I'm destined to have many children, and my father has bestowed upon me

The Prince of Wei's residence.

Zhao Chen'an had just stabilized the divine power within his body and was preparing to study the wondrous uses of the "Body Tempering Spiritual Lightning".

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

It's Li Qingluan.

She was usually calm and proud, but now her face was pale and her steps were somewhat unsteady.

"My husband!"

Zhao Chen'an went up to her and took her arm.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Li Qingluan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, but her trembling voice betrayed her inner unease.

"My father... my father is going to the border."

Zhao Chen'an was taken aback.

"To the border?"

"It's...it's Great Xia!" Li Qingluan's eyes reddened.

"The Great Xia Dynasty has sent troops to attack!"

She told Zhao Chen'an everything she had just received from the General's Mansion.

When Zhao Chen'an heard the phrase "500,000 troops," his heart sank.

When he heard "ten Dragon Transformation Realm masters", his heart sank to the bottom.

Ten Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators?

Are you kidding me!

In the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, including the Xiao family patriarch and the emperor, there were only two people at the Dragon Transformation Realm!

"Not only that," Li Qingluan's voice trembled with a sob, "His Majesty... His Majesty... he's going to personally lead the army!"

Is the Emperor going to personally lead the expedition?

He was going to confront ten experts at the Dragon Transformation Realm head-on.

A bone-chilling cold shot straight from the soles of my feet to my head.

He clenched his fists instinctively, feeling the vast, golden sea of ​​suffering that had just opened up within his body.

It is full of divine power and vitality.

But so what?

The Sea of ​​Wheels!

In the face of a Dragon Transformation Realm expert, on a meat grinder battlefield composed of hundreds of thousands of troops, his strength was not even enough to qualify him as cannon fodder!

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness instantly swept over his entire body.

Mo Yuqing's words still seemed to echo in my ears.

"You started too late..."

"To surpass others, you must take the most extreme and domineering path..."

Yes, it's too late.

He has only just embarked on the path of cultivation and has not even reached the perfected state of the Sea of ​​Wheels.

But his father, and his country, are already facing a colossal wave that could destroy everything.

He could only watch helplessly?

All I can do here is pray that my father can create a miracle?

Do not!

Zhao Chen'an's fingernails dug deeply into his palm.

He can't accept it!

He suddenly looked up, gazing in the direction of the palace.

My father is not a reckless person; he is shrewd and calculating, and he always plans carefully before acting.

He dared to personally lead the expedition and face ten Dragon Transformation Realm experts; he must have something to rely on!

There must be some trump card he doesn't know about!

Even so, it was a gamble with one's life!

Zhao Chen'an closed his eyes, and at this moment, his thirst for power reached an unprecedented peak.

He needs strength!

We need power strong enough to change the course of the battle and protect our families!

Looking at his tense profile, Li Qingluan reached out with concern and gently grasped his clenched fist.

The warm touch from the back of his hand pulled Zhao Chen'an out of that cold, powerless feeling.

He lowered his head and looked at Li Qingluan's hand, which was tightly holding his. Her palm was slightly cool and covered with a fine layer of sweat.

"I'm fine."

Zhao Chen'an grabbed her hand in return, giving her a reassuring response, and then slowly let go.

He straightened up, and the newly born golden sea of ​​suffering in his chest was slowly circulating, with the boundless life essence washing over his limbs and dispelling the chill from before.

strength!

Yes, he needs strength!

But power doesn't appear out of thin air, nor can it be obtained by waiting anxiously.

The fact that the Emperor dared to personally lead the expedition suggests he must have a backup plan.

And I can't just be a spectator here.

"Qingluan, go and invite Xuefei, Ruoshuang, and Chuchu to the main hall." Zhao Chen'an's voice returned to calm, but contained an unquestionable determination.

Li Qingluan paused for a moment, and although she was puzzled, she immediately nodded.

"Yes, my husband."

……

The main hall of the Prince of Wei's residence.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Wu Lanxue, Li Qingluan, Liu Ruoshuang, and Xiao Chuchu, the four princesses and concubines, sat on either side. Their beauty was enough to make a hundred flowers pale in comparison, but at this moment they all wore solemn and worried expressions.

Zhao Chen'an sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

They were his wives, his closest people, and part of the family.

They have the right to know everything about this war that could destroy a dynasty, and they also have the responsibility to participate in it.

"Qingluan has probably already told you about it," Zhao Chen'an said, getting straight to the point without uttering a single unnecessary word.

"The Great Xia Dynasty, with ten Dragon Transformation Realm experts and an army of 500,000, is besieging the city."

"Father, I will personally lead the army into battle."

Each word was like a boulder, crashing into the hearts of the women.

The first to speak was Ulanxue.

She, the holy maiden of the Sirius tribe, possessed the fierce courage and indomitable spirit of the nomadic people.

"The enemy is powerful, but so what?" Her voice was clear and firm.

"Our Sirius tribe was defeated by the Great Zhou, and I, as the Holy Maiden, became a concubine sent for a political marriage. But the warriors of our tribe have never given up their belief in protecting their homeland just because the enemy is strong."

"Otherwise, what the Great Zhou will face is not a tribe seeking peace, but a death trap where they will fight to the last man."

Her words were resounding and powerful.

Zhao Chen'an nodded approvingly.

Yes, if a small tribe has such fighting spirit, how much more so a dynasty that has lasted for hundreds of years?

"Xuefei is right."

Li Qingluan took over the conversation; coming from a military family, she had a deeper understanding of war.

"In terms of high-end combat power, the gap between us and Great Xia is indeed as vast as an insurmountable chasm. But war is not just about the number of top-tier experts."

"Morale, fighting spirit, logistics, tactics... As long as the army of my Great Zhou can defeat that 500,000-strong army on the main battlefield, even if my father and the others... even if their high-end combat forces suffer a defeat, Great Xia may not be able to easily destroy my Great Zhou."

Her analysis was both calm and brutal.

The implication is that we should prepare for the worst and risk the lives of countless soldiers to secure a pyrrhic victory.

Zhao Chen'an's heart sank, but he had to admit that this was the most realistic consideration.

If the Great Zhou were united and the entire nation were mobilized for war, even if the Great Xia Dynasty were to win this battle...

They themselves would inevitably lose a few teeth; if they wanted to swallow the entire Great Zhou, they would have to weigh the price they would have to pay.

The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly somber.

Liu Ruoshuang, who had been silent all along, suddenly turned her gaze to Xiao Chuchu, who was sitting next to her and seemed a little restless.

Her voice was as cool and clear as ever, yet it carried a sharp edge that went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Chuchu, will the Xiao family patriarch participate in the battle?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's attention turned to Xiao Chuchu.

That's the key point!

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, apart from His Majesty Zhao Daoting, who just broke through, there is only the Xiao family patriarch who has lived for nearly a thousand years!

If he's willing to help, it'll be two against ten, which is still a desperate situation, but it's still a better chance than one against ten.