Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 163 Wu Junwan

As Prime Minister Chai Jiliang finished speaking, the Great Wu court fell into complete silence.

The officials stared in disbelief at Chai Jiliang, who stood at the front. Clearly, no one had expected that Chai Jiliang would actually persuade Empress Wu to end the war.

After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he launched wars against foreign powers. Now, the territory of the Great Wu Dynasty is one-third larger than before. These are all Emperor Wu's achievements, and they are also things that Emperor Wu likes to boast about.

Now, someone actually dares to stand up and advise him not to launch wars against foreign powers, and even said that the Great Wu Dynasty is in danger of collapse. Isn't this courting death?

Although Chai Jiliang was the prime minister, in the Great Wu Dynasty, the position of prime minister was not a secure one. Since Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he had dismissed countless prime ministers. Some people even suspected that Emperor Wu intended to abolish the position of prime minister altogether and never establish it again.

Chai Jiliang is really stubborn!

The war between Da Wu and Da Xia had only just begun, yet he dared to jump out and advise Emperor Wu to end the war.

How could Emperor Wu possibly agree to end the war? The war had only just begun when Great Wu had already occupied two counties of Great Xia.

It's obvious that the Great Xia Dynasty is doomed. For a monarch obsessed with territorial expansion, this is a golden opportunity. How could he possibly stop at this time?

At this moment, the Martial Emperor, dressed in a black dragon robe with gold trim, was staring intently at Chai Jiliang below the platform.

The atmosphere in the main hall was incredibly oppressive. The officials below the dragon platform were all sweating profusely, and the sweltering air made it difficult for them to breathe.

After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Wu chuckled and said, "Chai Jiliang, I see that after serving as prime minister for a few years, you've lost sight of your place."

"Since I ascended the throne, I have conquered so much land for my descendants. In your eyes, Chai Jiliang, I have become a tyrant who disregards the lives of his people and only knows how to wage war?"

Upon hearing Emperor Wu's words, Chai Jiliang continued humbly and confidently, "Your Majesty has conquered countless territories for future generations, which is indeed Your Majesty's achievement. At first, the people praised Your Majesty highly, but the annual wars have made the people of Great Wu weary. Now, no matter how much more land Your Majesty conquers, the people will not have any smiles on their faces. Your Majesty is moving too fast, and the people can no longer keep up with Your Majesty's pace."

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest!"

"You need rest, the Great Wu Dynasty needs rest, and the people need rest even more!"

Upon hearing Chai Jiliang's words, Emperor Wu sneered. Seeing the Emperor's expression grow increasingly grim, Geng Chengguang, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and said, "Minister Chai, could it be that you've received bribes from the Great Xia Dynasty, which is why you're advising His Majesty to end the war?"

"Everyone knows that the Great Xia is riddled with internal conflicts and its strength has been greatly weakened. If we don't destroy the Great Xia now, we may not have such an opportunity again in the future."

Chai Jiliang said coldly, "Minister Geng, I'm afraid you're the one who took the money. I've long heard that you have close ties with the Chu family of Great Xia. Every year, the Chu family sends you many gifts, and the Xia Emperor has long wanted to destroy the Chu family."

"You have repeatedly urged His Majesty to attack the Great Xia, disregarding the lives of the people of the Great Wu. You know your true intentions."

Geng Chengguang immediately said, "Minister Chai, don't slander people so easily! Everything must be based on evidence!"

Just as Chai Jiliang was about to say something, the Martial Emperor on the Dragon Platform said in a powerful voice, "Enough!"

After speaking, the Emperor looked at Chai Jiliang and said coldly, "Prime Minister Chai is unwell and should rest at home from today onwards. Geng Chengguang will temporarily assume the position of Prime Minister."

Upon hearing this, Chai Jiliang immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

The Empress, too lazy to waste any more words, rose abruptly, waved her sleeve, and said, "Court adjourned!"

Empress Wu then left the Lizheng Hall.

As soon as he left, some officials began to gloat and make sarcastic remarks.

"Lord Chai, why did you do this? Now you've ruined your official position."

"Lord Chai, I think His Majesty is absolutely right. You've been prime minister for a few years, and you've already lost sight of your place."

"Our Great Wu army is almost at the capital of Great Xia, yet Lord Chai still dares to oppose His Majesty. If you say he has confiscated money from Great Xia, I don't believe it."

"Lord Chai, you should go back and take good care of your health. You should probably see a doctor to check your brain, hahaha."

……

Hearing the officials' sarcastic remarks, Chai Jiliang completely ignored them and walked straight out of the main hall.

That's how it is in Da Wu. The prime minister is just a worker, and while he does have some power, he is not without it.

But as for how much power he actually wields, you can tell from the officials who just mocked Chai Jiliang that the little power he has is nothing at all.

His power could be stripped away at any time, so few officials in the court were afraid of him as prime minister.

……

Da Wu.

The Imperial Palace, Qingyun Hall.

A woman in a long purple dress sat on a couch, her long legs crossed.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with a face like a flower and skin like jade, and seemed to radiate a holy light.

At this moment, she was holding a bamboo slip in her hand, and her gaze was focused on the bamboo slip.

At this moment, a maid entered the main hall and said, "Princess, Prime Minister Chai has arrived."

The woman said softly, "Let him in."

The woman's voice was mature and charming, making the listener feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

Soon, Chai Jiliang entered the main hall.

"Your subject pays respects to the Princess."

Wu Yunwan hummed in agreement, then asked, "May I ask what brings Prime Minister Chai to my Qingyun Palace today?"

Chai Jiliang said directly, "Your Highness, I advised Your Majesty today to end the war with the Great Xia, which angered Your Majesty. As a result, Your Majesty stripped me of my position as Prime Minister, and I am no longer the Prime Minister."

Upon hearing Chai Jiliang's words, Wu Junwan raised her beautiful eyes and then couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Let my father end the war? Lord Chai, you must be joking."

At this point, Wu Yunwan looked at Chai Jiliang and then said, "Speak, what do you want with me? Do you intend to ask me to persuade my father to end the war?"

"If that's what you think, then please leave."

Chai Jiliang immediately said, "Princess, you misunderstand. I came to you hoping that you could use your connections to keep the Emperor in the north at all times."

Upon hearing Chai Jiliang's words, Wu Junwan was immediately confused.

"north?"

"My relationship with Emperor Yue is good, but why should I ask him to pay attention to the north?"

Chai Jiliang said, "In the north, there are 50,000 heavy cavalry of the Great Xia. If these 50,000 heavy cavalry pass through Dayue, they may directly cut off the rear of the Great Wu army."

Hearing Chai Jiliang's words, Wu Junwan still smiled.

"Lord Chai, are you referring to the 50,000 heavy cavalry under the command of the Northern King of Great Xia?"

Wu Junwan was no ordinary princess; she wielded considerable power, which gave her a deep understanding of the affairs of various dynasties and countries. She also knew exactly what Chai Jiliang meant by the 50,000 heavy cavalry.

Chai Jiliang said, "Exactly."

Wu Yunwan then said dismissively, "Lord Chai, rest assured, those 50,000 heavy cavalry will not pass through Dayue. Dayue has mobilized 200,000 soldiers to the north to prevent the barbarians from moving south."

"Not to mention that the Emperor of the Great Yue Dynasty would definitely not agree to the Northern King's request to pass through the Great Yue Dynasty, even if they secretly pass through the Great Yue Dynasty's territory, the 200,000-strong army will stop them."

(End of this chapter)