A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Wei Zhao turned his gaze away from the panel.

Those exchanging God of Slaughter Points that used to cost hundreds of thousands or even millions are now just wishful thinking.

The killing power points in my hand had just increased when they were mostly consumed by leveling up, and what was left couldn't even buy the cheapest Earth-level martial arts.

What's the rush? We'll take it one step at a time, and kill people one by one.

He shifted his attention from the shopping mall and looked back at the old lady.

The old lady clearly had more to say.

The iron cane tapped lightly on the ground, at a moderate pace, a habitual gesture she made when she was thinking.

"Mother, what are the plans for next?"

Wei Zhao took the initiative to speak.

He is currently in the position of commander-in-chief, but the old lady is the one who truly steers the ship, so he won't make a foolish mistake in this matter.

The old lady stopped using her cane.

"After this battle, the Wei family army will have about 200,000 soldiers left who are capable of fighting."

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the council chamber listened intently.

"The wounded and disabled soldiers will remain at Yanmen Pass. I have already arranged for two old captains to watch over them, which is enough."

"The backbone of the Northern Rong has been broken, and it will be impossible for them to muster a decent force to march south in the short term."

"Two hundred thousand people," the old lady said, her gaze falling on the sand table.

Her finger traced across the northern border, across the heart of the Central Plains, all the way to the western pass marked with a small flag.

"Go to Yumen Pass."

Upon hearing these two words, Liu Jingshuang's brows furrowed sharply.

"Yumen Pass?"

Liu Jingshuang stepped forward, staring at the location of the small flag on the sand table, and asked in confusion:

"That's the gateway to the west. Mother means... the Western Qiang have already reached there?"

The old lady nodded heavily.

"When the five tribes invaded at the same time, the most dangerous place was our Yanmen Pass."

"With 500,000 troops from the Northern Rong pressing in, they could breach the pass at any moment, so I've focused all my energy on this."

She tapped the east side of the sand table with her fingers.

"The Donghu and Xianyuan were a combination of archer cavalry and a semi-Sinicized opportunist."

"These two companies don't like each other and neither dares to back down. They're hesitant and timid when they fight, so they won't amount to much in the short term."

The finger then moved south.

"In the southern barbarian lands, the miasma and dense forests are fierce, but the terrain limits their speed of advance, and they can't turn the tide in the short term."

Finally, the finger landed on the west.

"Only the Western Qiang—"

The old lady's voice grew somber.

"The mountain night raids are swift and swift. The Zhenxi Army was already short of troops, and that old scoundrel Lu Song cut off 30% of their pay, leaving the soldiers without enough to eat."

"The military report that came in half a month ago said that Yumen Pass had been besieged."

There was a moment of silence in the council chamber.

Wei Zhao leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest unconsciously.

His mind raced.

Five tribes invaded, and the Northern Rong were the strongest, but they had already been wiped out.

The Donghu and Xianyuan restrained each other, while the Nanman were limited by the terrain.

The Western Qiang, however, were adept at mountain warfare, and the Zhenxi Army had been crippled by Lu Song...

If Yumen Pass falls, the Western Qiang cavalry can advance straight into the heart of the Central Plains along the Hexi Corridor.

At that time, the western gate of the entire Great Wei will be open.

Wei Zhao understood this point, but then another thought popped into his head.

"Mother."

He sat up straight, his eyes fixed on the location of Kyoto on the sand table.

"Aren't we taking our troops back to Kyoto?"

Upon hearing this question, the breathing of several captains in the council chamber became heavier.

Who wouldn't want to go back and settle accounts with those bastards?

Lu Song embezzled military pay and secretly colluded with foreign enemies; the deaths of nine generals were inextricably linked to him.

Who in the military, from top to bottom, doesn't grit their teeth at this blood debt?

The old lady glanced at Wei Zhao and shook her head.

"No."

Two words, decisive and resolute.

"What would it be if we led troops back to the capital now? It would be a rebellion."

The old lady stood up, leaning on her cane, and walked step by step to the sand table.

"We just annihilated the Northern Rong's army of 500,000, and 200,000 elite troops are marching south. What do you think Emperor Yuanxi, sitting on the dragon throne, will think?"

She didn't wait for Wei Zhao's reply and continued on her own.

"He would think that the Wei family is rebelling, no matter what banner we are fighting under, it is still rebellion."

"When the time comes, the armies from all over the country will surround us, and not only will we not be able to avenge ourselves, but we will also ruin the reputation of the Wei family for centuries of loyalty and valor."

The old lady's cane slammed heavily on the ground.

"More importantly—once we leave, the northern border will be empty. The Donghu, the Xianyuan, the Nanman—aren't they all keeping an eye on us?"

"We will return to the capital in triumph, and the foreign tribes will be able to invade us. At that time, the Central Plains will be devastated and the people will be displaced. The Wei family will truly become sinners for all time."

She turned around, her cloudy old eyes staring straight at Wei Zhao.

"The country comes first, then the family."

Five words.

Wei Zhao remained silent.

He is not unaware of this principle.

In my past life, when I read history books, the phrase "a family full of loyal martyrs" seemed so light and easy to write; once you turned the page, it was time for the next one.

But actually standing in that position, knowing that the enemies who killed his father and brother are living a carefree life in the capital, he still has to fight for this rotten-to-the-roots court—

suffocated.

That's so damn frustrating.

But he looked into the old lady's eyes.

There was no hesitation, no resentment in those eyes.

All that remains is a steadfastness forged repeatedly by time and bloodshed.

This old woman, who had lost both her husband and nine sons, had more reason than anyone else to hate that court.

But she still chose "the country first".

This is why the Wei family was full of loyal martyrs.

It wasn't blind loyalty; it was because there were millions of ordinary people behind them. The Wei family army wasn't fighting for the emperor, but for the people.

"I understand."

Wei Zhao nodded slowly, his voice steady.

The old lady's gaze softened for a moment, but she quickly regained her iron-fisted expression.

"I have already made arrangements for the west side."

She pointed to two spots on the sand table with her finger.

"After you arrive at Yumen Pass, two people will come looking for you—Tuoba Yue and Shang Wanqing."

"You will find out their identities and backgrounds in time."

"For now, all you need to remember is that they are pawns arranged by me, and you can trust them."

Wei Zhao memorized the two names. Tuoba... that surname is interesting.

"The prefectures along the way can conscript soldiers," the old lady continued.

"Two hundred thousand men are not enough. We need at least another one hundred thousand. Jing Shuang will be in charge of training the new recruits. They will train as they go. They will be ready to use when we reach Yumen Pass."

Liu Jingshuang nodded with her arms crossed, saying nothing more. Training soldiers was her forte.

"As for this old woman—"

The old lady's tone suddenly changed.

It wasn't the calm composure one displays when assigning military tasks, but something colder and harder.

"I will return to the capital first."

Wei Zhao's eyes flickered.

"The court cannot be without someone to deal with that old dog Lu Song."

"While we are winning battles on the front lines, he is sabotaging us from the rear, manipulating everything from supplies and pay to rewards and transfer orders."

The old lady gave a cold laugh.

"If we don't put out the fire in our own backyard, all the brilliant fighting on the front lines will be for nothing."

Wei Zhao did not respond immediately.

He knew, of course, that his mother was right. Lu Song had controlled the government for so many years, and he had planted countless spies among his men.

The Wei family army was far away on the border, beyond their reach.

Someone has to go back to Kyoto to take charge and confront that old dog face to face.

But let my mother go back alone...

"I'm worried about my mother going back to Beijing alone."

"Whether you feel at ease or not is not up to you." The old lady tapped the ground with her cane.

"Battles in the imperial court are not something you can resolve with a gun. You're still too green to handle the intricacies of those civil officials."

That was a straightforward statement. Wei Zhao didn't mince words; he genuinely wasn't good at these things.