The establishment of the Celestial Dynasty began with the bestowal of the title upon the River God.

After the small court assembly last night, the civil and military officials only learned about the war from Zhao Bin, the Minister of War, when they went to court early this morning.

After much arguing, no solution could be found, so they had no choice but to follow the plan and transfer the troops to the two border passes, and also send someone to Dali to ask for help.

Even though it was just a stopgap measure, the resistance was still considerable, with most voices in the Xuanhe Hall advising for reconciliation.

Wang Xianzhang disregarded royal decorum, sitting on the dragon throne with his hand on his forehead, his brow furrowed in worry.

"What's the difference between persuading for peace and persuading for surrender?!" Zhao Bin stepped forward and shouted. "Does the Great Zhou send troops against our dynasty simply to covet more tribute each year?"

Stop dreaming!

"The Great Zhou is about to start a war with the Great Li, and the Great Yan is caught in the middle. How can we be allowed to live?"

"If the Great Yan Dynasty wants its nation to survive and its people to not be treated as two separate subjects, there is only one way!"

"Nonsense!" Hong Wenzhang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, retorted angrily. "If the Great Zhou wishes to make the Great Li its enemy, it must first appease our people. How could it possibly unleash a massacre and incur the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people?"

Another minister stepped forward and said, "Although the Great Yan is stable and its people live in peace and prosperity, its territory is limited. How can it be a match for the Great Zhou? It would be better to surrender now and save our soldiers from needless sacrifice."

Your Majesty could also be a great Duke or Marquis of Zhou, so that the imperial harem would not be displaced and the people would not suffer the loss of their homes and families.

A man stepped out from behind Zhao Bin and angrily pointed at the minister.

"I think you just want to become an official in the Great Zhou!"

"You—ambitious, crude, and lacking in strategy! You all desire to conquer battlefields and gain fame before and after death, but have you considered how your soldiers will feel? The Great Yan has lost its men; how will it survive in the future?"

Although Zhao Bin tried his best to restrain himself, he still couldn't suppress the anger in his eyes.

"Can we defend our country with mere words? If no one is willing to sacrifice, aren't we just a flock of lambs? What's the point of establishing a court then?"

Wang Xianzhang rubbed his temples and looked up at Xu Jili, the Minister of Personnel, who had not uttered a word.

"What are your thoughts, Xu Qing?"

Xu Jili bowed slightly, his thoughts drifting as he said:

"Your Majesty, I am wondering, what does the Great Zhou seek?"

Wang Xianzhang gave a wry smile, "The anniversary of the Jianwu, what else is there to think about?"

Expanding territory and making a name for oneself in history—do we need any other reason?

No need.

Wang Xianzhang's gaze swept over the assembled officials, and he suddenly sighed.

If the Great Yan were to occupy a continent, even he would have to establish a Heavenly Official system, expand his army, and try to conquer the nine continents and achieve unparalleled feats!

The prince and his civil and military officials continued arguing when suddenly a tall figure stepped into the hall with his hands behind his back and spoke abruptly:

"This tiny place dares to challenge the Great Zhou?"

The sound wasn't loud, but all the civil and military officials heard it clearly, their faces filled with shock as they looked towards the palace entrance.

"You audacious madman, where did you come from?"

"What are the guards doing? Seize him!"

The officials were furious, but no matter how much they shouted, the guards outside the palace remained silent, their eyes fixed straight ahead, as if oblivious to everything happening inside.

"Stop shouting, you're giving this old man a headache."

The man was eight feet tall, and although he was slightly hunched, he resembled a fierce tiger that had been conserving its energy, sending chills down one's spine.

His gaze swept over Xu Jili and Zhao Bin, finally settling on Wang Xianzhang's face, showing no regard for rank.

"Even if the entire Great Yan Kingdom mobilized its troops, could it last me, Xu Xiaofeng, for two days?"

Sure enough it was him.

Zhao Bin stared intently at Xu Xiaofeng, "With the gathering of all the cultivators of my Great Yan, I refuse to believe we can't kill Xu Xiaofeng."

Xu Xiaofeng chuckled, "Considering that the Great Yan Dynasty is about to perish, I'll allow you to mobilize Qi cultivators to participate in the war. Can I wait half a day?"

Zhao Bin, enraged, laughed involuntarily. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Jili suddenly stepped in front of him and asked:

"As the commander-in-chief of a large army, have you come here alone merely to mock the incompetence of our cultivators?"

Xu Xiaofeng smiled silently, "I've come to make a bet with the Emperor of Great Yan."

Since hearing about the war, Wang Xianzhang had been trembling with fear every day. But now, having seen the enemy commander with his own eyes, he regained some composure and said in a deep voice:

"Please speak."

Xu Xiaofeng stood with her arms hanging down, her large sleeves covering her hands, and began to speak:

"If our army breaks through the border before 11 PM, and His Majesty surrenders voluntarily, I, Xu Xiaofeng, will take charge and petition the Emperor on behalf of the officials of the Great Yan, granting His Majesty a royal title, and allowing one of the counties of the Great Zhou to be vacated and returned to His Majesty and the officials of the Great Yan to govern."

This statement seems to simply mean that the Great Yan dynasty has been moved to a different location.

Xu Xiaofeng's smile remained unchanged. "At that time, although you will be under the jurisdiction of the Great Zhou, it will be as if you are enjoying a country within a country. Apart from paying taxes every year, you will be no different from others. In addition, there will be six Heavenly Officials from the Great Zhou to assist in managing the people's livelihood."

Hong Wenzhang's expression softened slightly, and he tentatively asked:

Is what Master Xu said true?

Xu Xiaofeng still looked up at the Emperor of Great Yan, "Is my reputation, Xu Xiaofeng's reputation, worth less than a prefecture?"

The civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and Xu Jili, the Minister of Personnel, sighed inwardly.

The court of the Great Yan was already in turmoil, and with this person's threats and inducements, what chance did the Great Yan have of winning?

But... is there a better way?

He glanced at Zhao Bin discreetly and saw that his expression was complicated, clearly not as resolute as before.

What does the Great Zhou seek?

Xu Jili was still pondering the matter.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After escaping death, Li Yi and Meng Yunjie rushed back to the eastern border to reunite with the general, still feeling lingering fear.

The local earth god had just unleashed his full power; a slight misstep would have meant certain death in the forest. His might was truly astonishing.

Xu Rong and the other two junior officers dismounted and bowed, both looking relieved.

"The Thousand Households are truly formidable! The mere Earth God of the Great Yan is nothing to them!"

Meng Yunjie didn't respond. He didn't have time to retrieve his mount, so he had to borrow a spare horse. He turned around and said:

"That monkey spirit is furious. Judging from his words just now, the commander-in-chief has already led his army into the capital region. We should not delay and set off immediately."

Li Yi nodded, "Yes, sir."

Meng Yun glanced around and saw that at least 70% of the manpower in the headquarters was gone. He then looked at Xu Rong and asked, "Where are the rest?"

"Reporting back to you, sir, a quarter of an hour ago, the commander arrived with his troops and took some of the brothers away. The main army bypassed Tongjiabao and must have already traveled several miles."

Since Liu Tianyun has already set out on the expedition, he is the commander of the two thousand soldiers of the garrison, and it is not unreasonable to regard him as the fifth battalion of the army.

Meng Yunjie nodded, and the five bodies of the Earth God were restrained by the three sentry officers; even if two bodies could be freed, they would not be a match for the army, let alone those ubiquitous ordinary spirit seeds.

If Liu Shishuai leads his men to avoid the local deity, the journey will not be too difficult.

"The local deity has probably already returned to defend the capital of Great Yan. We don't need to be on guard. Let's quickly join up with the army."

The scouts galloped past Tongjiabao, their hooves thundering.

The village militia looked tense. The village head, standing at the front, called out in a low voice, "How is it?"

The local militiamen standing on the watchtowers on both sides looked at each other in bewilderment, their voices filled with panic:

"It seems... it's penetrated."

There was complete silence below the building entrance; no one spoke for a long while.

Suddenly a woman burst into tears, covering her face and saying:

"My husband is still a garrison soldier at Duanxia Pass, what am I going to do!"