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

"I've been running my business in the capital for decades, and I'm not about to be driven to my death by a man surnamed Lu."

The old lady's eyes revealed a chilling ruthlessness.

"The stronger the Wei family army is, the more upright I will be in the capital."

That's the logic.

But Wei Zhao still felt a tightness in his chest.

It's not that he's afraid of war. With the "God of War" template around, he'd love to fight every day.

The more he kills, the stronger he becomes.

Whether it's the Western Qiang or the Eastern Hu, kill them one by one, or kill ten thousand if they come.

What upset him was something else entirely.

That old scoundrel Lu Song, who killed nine of his brothers, is probably sitting in the Grand Master's chair in the Prime Minister's residence, drinking tea right now.

Perhaps they are still waiting for news of the defeat at the front, so they can take the opportunity to swallow up the last of the Wei family's assets.

And Wei Zhao, despite possessing a terrifying physical body with 1,905 points of physique, clearly already surpassing the mortal realm—

But they could only watch helplessly as that old dog continued to roam freely.

Because he had to save other people's lives first.

……

"A great victory at Yanmen Pass! The Wei family army has annihilated 500,000 Northern Rong troops!"

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the messenger's voice boomed like thunder into the Golden Palace.

The entire court was instantly in an uproar.

The generals standing on the left were the first to react.

Zhou Jing, the Vice Minister of War, suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, and his lips trembled before he managed to squeeze out a single word: "Complete...total annihilation?"

"Reporting to your Excellency, annihilate them all!"

The messenger knelt on one knee, holding the military report high with both hands.

"The Northern Rong general, Yue Mao, was slain on the battlefield by Wei Zhao, the tenth son of the Wei family; not a single one of the 500,000 Northern Rong troops escaped!"

Zhou Jing's legs went weak, and he almost lost his balance.

Five hundred thousand were annihilated.

What does this mean?

In the 170 years since the founding of the Great Wei Dynasty, the greatest victory was the Northern Expedition personally led by Emperor Taizu, which annihilated 120,000 enemy troops.

That has been praised by historians for over a hundred years, and it is mentioned and recited every year during ancestral worship ceremonies.

Five hundred thousand.

This is a victory that will rewrite the history of our nation.

The military officers were in an uproar, while the civil officials were eerily quiet.

Standing at the head of the right side, Lu Song had his eyelids half-closed, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, his thumb slowly and steadily turning them.

That well-maintained face showed no emotion.

But the expressions on the faces of his trusted confidants behind him had changed.

Emperor Yuanxi, who was on the throne, suddenly stood up.

The forty-five-year-old emperor was slightly plump, with a round face and fair complexion, and usually had a kind and benevolent appearance.

At this moment, his round face was filled with uncontrollable ecstasy. He placed his hands on the dragon table, leaned forward, and his voice trembled.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row.

"The Wei family army truly deserves to be called the pillar of our great Wei!"

"Five hundred thousand northern barbarians were annihilated in a single battle!"

Emperor Yuanxi emerged from behind his desk, paced back and forth on the steps, his face flushed with excitement.

"I will reward you handsomely! I will reward you handsomely!"

He turned to the chief eunuch beside him.

"By imperial decree—the Dowager Lady of the Wei family is hereby granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady, and bestowed with a golden book and golden seal. Wei Zhao…"

Emperor Yuanxi paused for a moment.

The tenth son of the Wei family. The one who was sent to a Taoist temple to recuperate as a child, a walking pharmacy? The one who slew the cunning Fang Mao?

A very subtle unease rose from the bottom of my heart.

With all nine sons of the Wei family dead, he had assumed that the Wei family's military power would naturally disintegrate, allowing the court to take back military control of the northern border.

Then, a guy named Lao Shi appeared, and instead of causing the Wei family army to fall apart, he won an unprecedented victory.

But this unease lasted only a moment.

With all the ministers watching and the news of the great victory of 500,000 men right in front of him, he couldn't possibly keep a stern face.

"Wei Zhaofeng—"

"His Majesty."

A calm, unhurried voice interrupted.

Lu Song stepped forward half a step from the first position on the right and bowed in greeting.

An expression finally appeared on that face—a sorrowful look of concern for the country and its people.

"The great victory at Yanmen Pass is truly a blessing from Heaven for the Great Wei. Your Majesty and I share in the joy."

Lu Song straightened up, his tone earnest.

"However... Your Majesty should not be too hasty."

Emperor Yuanxi's hand hovered in mid-air, and he swallowed back the words of bestowal of rewards.

"What does Minister Lu mean?"

Lu Song stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said: