After being driven out by Zhou Qianfu, Zhou Linglong hurried to find Zhou Huangye.
"Ancestor, what should we do now?" she asked, her voice trembling with panic. "The Emperor told us not to act rashly, but he himself went into seclusion to heal his injuries. Meanwhile, Orion's army is advancing fiercely. How are we supposed to handle this?"
Zhou Linglong's fear was palpable. The power of Orion had far exceeded her imagination, leaving her feeling utterly powerless. She quickly lost her composure.
Zhou Huangye frowned and rebuked her sharply, "Hmph! How did you become emperor with such weakness? Orion's army is approaching, and yet you can't even muster the strength to gather our forces and fight back?"
"But even the Emperor was injured," Zhou Linglong protested, her voice softening.
At this, Zhou Huangye's glare intensified. "The Emperor may be wounded, but do you think the enemy's Half-Emperor is unscathed? His injuries might even be worse! Both sides have lost their top fighters. So why are you so afraid?"
Zhou Huangye's eyes suddenly gleamed as an idea struck him. "Wait… If both their Half-Emperor and our Emperor Ancestor have been weakened, their forces will be in disarray. If I lead our troops now, wouldn't it be easy to eliminate their Half-Emperor?"
The more Zhou Huangye spoke, the more excited he became. Even though the Half-Emperor was still formidable, if he was injured, there was no need to fear him.
"Don't forget," Zhou Huangye added, "we still have six Martial Saints in our Dragon Court. A Half-Emperor may be strong, but he is no Great Emperor—especially not when wounded!"
With a smirk, Zhou Huangye rubbed his chin. "I don't need to rely on any envoy for such a small matter. I can take care of it myself."
Zhou Linglong, still puzzled, asked, "Envoy? What envoy?"
Just moments ago, she had heard the term from the Emperor. Now, her ancestor was repeating it. Something about this didn't sit right with her.
Zhou Huangye's expression immediately darkened. "It's nothing," he said curtly, his eyes flashing. The existence of the envoy was a top-secret matter, not to be discussed—not even with Zhou Linglong.
"Linglong, gather some elite soldiers and follow me north. This time, I want to face Orion myself," Zhou Huangye declared with a sneer. He found it hard to believe that Orion could be so invincible. As a powerful Martial Saint, Zhou Huangye was convinced that he could defeat this so-called menace.
"Elite soldiers?" Zhou Linglong stammered. "I've already mobilized troops from across the nation to support Yizhou. But those provincial soldiers are weak and won't be of much use."
Impatiently, Zhou Huangye interrupted her. "Provincial soldiers? Most of them are mere warriors, not battle-hardened fighters. What we need are elite soldiers to counter Orion's army and free us to deal with their Half-Emperor."
"But… my imperial army is nearly exhausted," Zhou Linglong hesitated. "We only have 100,000 soldiers left to guard Chang'an. The rest have been lost in battle."
Hearing this, Zhou Huangye snorted disdainfully. "So this is how you've managed the Great Zhou Dynasty? Nearly 700,000 troops wiped out under your command? Useless!" He shook his head. "But now isn't the time for blame. What about the noble families? They must have private forces. It's time for them to contribute."
"Yes, the nobles must send their soldiers as well!" Zhou Linglong agreed.
Zhou Huangye nodded. "Exactly. The royal family can't shoulder the entire burden. Let the noble families bleed for once. Hold an emergency meeting. It's time they join the fight."
"I'll do that right away," Zhou Linglong said firmly, relieved that her ancestor was backing her up. For the first time in a long while, she felt confident.
Together, they entered the court. The courtiers, confused by the sudden summons, gathered in groups, whispering about what might be happening. Some speculated about corruption, others wondered if a demonic cultivator had surfaced again. But their worst fears revolved around Orion.
Zhou Linglong soon confirmed their suspicions. "Ministers, Shuofang City has fallen to Orion's rebels. Guo Ming, the Minister of War, and 300,000 of our elite troops have been decimated. Orion's army continues to march south toward Chang'an. I need your counsel—what should we do?"
The ministers were stunned. Another 300,000 troops gone, following the earlier losses? That meant a total of 600,000 of the Emperor's forces had been annihilated. Orion, the once insignificant rebel, now posed an existential threat to the entire Zhou Dynasty.
After a tense silence, Yang Yan, the new Minister of War, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, Chang'an is in danger. Most of the city's elite troops have already been destroyed. With only 100,000 left, the city is defenseless. I propose that we not only summon soldiers from every province but also call upon the regional princes to come to the capital and defend the throne."
Zhou Linglong nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, the regional princes' armies are powerful. Their support would bolster our defense. Summon them immediately."
Another minister, however, offered a bolder suggestion. "Your Majesty, I have another proposal. The 600,000 forbidden troops were lost because they were divided and defeated in waves. Now that Orion is marching straight for Chang'an, we should consider abandoning Yizhou and Yongzhou. By concentrating all our forces in the capital, we can make a stronger stand against Orion's army."
The court fell silent again. Abandoning territory was no small matter—it was a bitter pill for any dynasty to swallow. But for now, it seemed the only viable strategy.
Zhou Linglong, after a moment of contemplation, gave her final command. "We shall gather all available forces and prepare to defend Chang'an. Summon the regional princes. This is our last stand."