195: Chapter 195 Before the Tragedy Begins

"How many soldiers capable of fighting are left in Zhaoge City?"

"How long can the grain and armaments hold out?"

"To what extent has the panic spread among the common people?"

"How many people in the imperial court are still useful?"

He did not ask "can we hold out," nor did he ask "how do we counterattack."

In the face of the absolute will of the immortals and gods and the crushing disparity in power, these questions had long since lost their meaning.

What he asked about was when the final judgment would arrive.

Queen Jiang took a deep breath, forcing herself to pull away from her immense grief.

With the calmness and orderliness she had developed as a princess of the Jiang State and through her years of managing the inner palace, she began to state the facts one by one.

Her voice was steady; every number and every detail was clear and accurate.

It was as if she were giving a most ordinary report to her sovereign.

Except for the slight trembling at the end of every sentence.

"The Imperial Guard, the City Defense Army, and the private soldiers of various manors have been integrated; there are still over thirty-seven thousand men."

"However, many among them are old or weak, and morale is low."

"The elite were sent out months ago to block the enemy; most have been lost in battle, or have mutinied and defected to the enemy."

"Regarding grain, because Your Majesty secretly stored food in the Zheng Territory and other places last year, and I have done my best over the past three months to secretly purchase and transport supplies from my home country in the east, we can currently support the soldiers and civilians of the entire city for two months."

"However, if the siege lasts a long time, or if we suffer fire attacks or poisoning, it will be unsustainable."

"As for armaments... the production of bows and arrows cannot keep up with consumption, though the logs and stones for city defense can last for a while."

"However, much of the armor and weaponry is damaged, and repair materials are extremely scarce."

"Our soldiers are even less of a match for those immortal artifacts in the Western Zhou army."

"The people in Zhaoge City are grateful for Your Majesty's many benevolent policies in the past, especially with word of mouth from those who returned from the Zheng Territory; most are still willing to live and die with us."

"However, news from outside is cut off, rumors are flying everywhere, and panic is inevitable."

"The court..."

"Since Your Majesty fell unconscious, Bi Gan and other capable veteran officials who were suppressed have also died by Your Majesty's hand."

"As for the other veteran officials, some claim illness to avoid appearing, and some are even secretly corresponding with Western Zhou."

"There are still some loyal and honest officials in the court, but those who can still report for duty daily, handle trivial matters, or lead troops in battle number fewer than ten."

"The remaining civil and military officials are mostly mediocre people who just follow the old ways; they lack the ability to support the heavens or protect the throne."

One by one, item by item.

The Yin Shang Dynasty.

This once powerful dying beast that had struck fear into countless people.

Now at its last gasp, this was all that remained of its foundation.

Facing internal troubles and external threats, there would be no miracles, and no turning point.

Su Chen listened quietly.

His eyes were deep, piercing through the candlelight before him to see somewhere further away.

He saw the rolling wheels of history, unstoppable and irrecoverable.

"In the end... was I still unable to change anything?"

"But..."

"I believe I have still changed some things."

Queen Jiang stared blankly at the calm Su Chen.

She had imagined countless ways Su Chen might react upon learning that he and his most beloved country were going to the underworld together.

He might go mad, he might weep, or he might curse and complain about the injustice of heaven and earth.

But she had never expected this.

That he would be so calm.

So calm it was as if his heart had died.

Jiang Li's heart suddenly tightened at his calm reaction.

The pain was so sharp she almost doubled over.

She would rather he cry out in pain, curse in anger, or vent.

Anything was better than this calmness of one who understood everything and was ready to face death.

Her man had already done everything a monarch could do.

And yet, he was no match for the casual schemes of the immortals in the heavens.

"Your Majesty..."

She couldn't help but call his name.

Su Chen waved his hand, stopping her unfinished words.

He leaned forward slightly.

"Li'er, I already understand the situation you just described."

"There is no need for comfort, and no need for concealment."

"The Yin Shang Dynasty's fortune has run out; the timing of heaven, the advantages of the earth, and the harmony of the people are all lost. This is not something human effort can reverse."

"Zhaoge has become an isolated island. There is no grain within and no reinforcements without. The morale of the army and the hearts of the people are all on the brink of collapse."

"Western Zhou acts in the name of 'Heaven's Mandate' and has the secret help of immortals and gods; their military power is at its peak."

"The city will fall... in a matter of moments."

"After I die, the monstrous infamy of being a 'tyrant' and a 'faint-hearted ruler' will be a fact nailed into the history books, never to be overturned for all eternity."

"This is an ironclad fact that absolutely cannot be changed."

"However, if we strive a little, there are still some things that can be changed."

"That is, do not let the soldiers and people in Zhaoge who are still willing to believe in me and follow me become rebels who 'aided a tyrant,' unable to escape the coming purge."

He looked up, his gaze like a torch.

Queen Jiang's beautiful face turned pale.

She knew that Su Chen was about to say something to her that she could not accept no matter what.

Because.

This was the first time Su Chen, the King, had looked at her so formally.

Not as husband and wife, not as comrades-in-arms.

But like a monarch to a subject.

"Li'er, in the name of Di Xin, the thirty-first ruler of the Yin Shang Dynasty."

"I give to you—the Queen of Great Yin—the first, and also the last, royal command of this life that must be executed."

Although she had already anticipated it, Jiang Li's delicate body still trembled.

She instinctively wanted to stand up, but was held down by Su Chen's gaze.

"Listen."

"First, I want you to use all your power and connections as a Princess of the Jiang State to secretly transfer some things."

"You must take the existing classics and illustrations regarding agriculture, water conservancy, smelting, and medicine from the royal treasury, select the essentials, and transcribe copies."

"You must secretly send out the skilled craftsmen and learned scholars in Zhaoge City, along with their families, in batches."

"The destination is your ancestral land of the Jiang State, that eastern shore by the East Sea where the influence of the Zhou Dynasty cannot yet reach."

This was also the product of Su Chen's careful consideration.

These things were the symbols of the Yin Dynasty's existence as a civilization.

If they fell into the hands of the Western Zhou people, they would surely face the fate of being burned to ashes.

But as for the Jiang Clan, a powerful eastern state whose national strength was not at all inferior to the Yin Shang Dynasty at its peak.

They would not fear the threats of the Western Zhou people in the slightest.

He paused and continued.

"You also said just now that there are still some loyal officials in the court who, though of average ability, are willing to follow me to the death."

"For example, the veteran officials of Wen Zhong's lineage and their descendants, and the families of loyal generals like Huang Feihu who are still alive."

"For those who are unwilling to surrender to Zhou, or who have talent and virtue worth preserving, you shall identify them and likewise find a way to send them away."

"Accumulate strength secretly in the Jiang State to wait for a future that might not even exist."

"Third."

His voice lowered slightly.

"During my twenty-odd years of rule, I have occasionally gained insights regarding administration, people's livelihood, border defense, and even some whimsical ideas that transcend this world, which I have recorded intermittently."

"There are also some fragmented 'prophecies' about the future."

"I will compile them into a book and hand them all to you."

"These things may be useless for now, but if kept for future generations, they might enlighten the people and help them avoid disasters."

(Triple update progress 3/3!)