Peace Order

Chapter 1913: Chapter 17: The Last Move

There is an inherent sense of ease and nobility, a feeling of being accustomed to comfort and luxury.

And now, only a little over ten days have passed.

This old man’s hair has turned completely white, like white ashes left behind after the flame has burned out. The wrinkles on his face have etched a few more lines each day; it seems as if he has aged over ten years in this half a month.

The strain on his mind and body is too immense.

A day passes like a year.

Wei Yiwen knows that his body is like oil scorching in a fiercely burning fire. The only reason he can still stand is because he is propped up by the great affairs of the world, holding onto one last breath, stuck in his chest, unwilling to let go!

Once these matters are resolved, even if the Daying Kingdom temporarily preserves its legacy and is not shattered by Emperor Qin, he doesn’t have much life left. Perhaps a month at most, or a few days at least, he would breathe his last.

He suddenly understood the past state and mental condition of Jiang Wanxiang.

If death comes, so be it.

Just regret that the remaining wishes are unfulfilled, and the body has decayed.

Jiang Gao said: "Prime Minister Wei, you’ve endured so long, should you not rest a bit?"

Wei Yiwen replied: "With Your Majesty still as such, how dare an old minister like me say I am weary?"

Jiang Gao did not speak any courtesy, he simply looked into the distance, his hands clasped behind his back, and said: "Before, as Crown Prince, I merely thought that solving one issue was just that—a single victory on the battlefield was a victory."

"But now I realize it’s not the case."

"This expansive world, being just a part of the battlefield, drains so much effort; Zhenbei City, Northern Domain Pass, Southern battlefield, these are all parts of this massive battlefield, one victory, or one defeat, only partly influences the ultimate outcome."

"The world’s ebbs and flows are like a person’s breathing, constantly changing over time."

"Only at this moment, do I realize the battlefield is not just the battlefield, there are the common people, the Martial World, the terrain, and the current situation; such layers upon layers forming a complex three-dimensional state, that’s the real battlefield."

"Every day, every battlefield presents a different kind of information."

"Coming from the people, from the past, from the enemy, from the battlefield, even from logistics..."

"These pieces of information are already extremely numerous and complex."

"And each piece of information affects, interferes with, and cooperates with the others, while also directly impacting the entire situation of the war and the world’s direction. Countless bits of information come together, requiring decisions to be made in a very short time."

"The decisions made will affect subsequent information."

"It is mentally exhausting indeed..."

Jiang Gao stretched out his hand, pinching the hair at his temples; amidst his originally black hair, many white hairs had emerged. He looked complex and faintly self-mocking:

"This way of treating the entire world as a battlefield, with the future’s direction as the conclusion of grand army group, long battle lines, and multi-regional warfare."

"There has never been anything like it from ancient times till now."

"In just these ten days, it feels like I’ve been thoroughly drained; even a famous general could not support more than a few such battles of this magnitude in a lifetime, I think."

"Li Guanyi, oh Li Guanyi, how is it that at this age, he’s capable of stirring up such waves?! Is it the Martial Arts Legend?"

"Did he achieve the Martial Arts Legend and accomplished such feats, or was it in the process of achieving such feats that he became a legendary name?"

"Just ten days."

"And my Daying Kingdom already shows signs of a great edifice about to collapse."

Wei Yiwen was silent for a long time.

The old minister lowered his head and said:

"Your Majesty, there is something I want to say, but I don’t know if I should."

Jiang Gao said: "Speak freely."

Wei Yiwen exhaled and finally spoke, "Your Majesty, consider relocating the capital...."

Jiang Gao was stunned, looking at this white-haired old man, seemingly having exhausted the rest of his life in just these ten days. Wei Yiwen, with bitterness on his face, said, "Now all the troops have been deployed, only the imperial guard remains in the Eastern Capital."

"These imperial guards do not possess much power anymore."

"Listen to this old minister’s advice."

"The Military School speaks of heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony."

"Emperor Qin grasped heavenly timing from the start, seizing our Daying’s most vulnerable weakness, causing us to be in a passive state from the beginning. In just a little over half a month, the dead lands are all up in flames."

"Your Majesty, only by retreating can we find a sliver of survival."

"Preserve the main force, and we may still have a chance to rise again!"

Jiang Gao looked at the old minister, suddenly smiling slightly, he said:

"You all have exerted yourselves to the utmost; I know it; you were amicable with my father, I know it too; and you feel a sense of guilt because of Loyal Er, towards both me and my father, I understand it even more."

"I know you hope my Daying Kingdom can continue to exist."

"However, without the people, without the land and ancestral temple, without the capital, what is that continued existence but mere lingering on in a petty existence."

Jiang Gao smiled: "I am also the emperor of Daying."

"Even if I must die, I will perish with the state and society."

"It’s about time to rest, Prime Minister Wei, let’s return to handling the paperwork."

Wei Yiwen abruptly turned, the old minister nearly lost control, raising his voice, "But, Your Majesty, currently within the Eastern Capital there are no more than twenty thousand imperial guards and Imperial Army combined, but the Taiping Army, there are nearly a hundred thousand of them!"

"Your Majesty, a hundred thousand! Bearing the spirit of mourning soldiers, with all the strategists and martial generals bravely charging, we, we cannot stop them!!!"

Wei Yiwen is a renowned minister, indeed with considerable stratagem.