The world underwent a cataclysmic change. The moon rose full, and the appearance of the Emperor's Flowing Sap brought terrifying omens that affected all the dynasties across the continent of Qingzhou.
The states of Chen, Qi, Yan, Zhao, Chu, Qin, Shu, Han, Wei, Yue, Wu, and many others, though unaware of the meaning behind these phenomena, knew that such celestial events accompanied by the roars of myriad beasts were ill omens.
Those in various countries who were dissatisfied with their empresses seized this opportunity to challenge them.
After a day passed, the people of these nations discovered significant changes in their domestic animals.
Their size had uniformly increased by a fifth. While chickens and ducks, already small, were relatively unaffected, larger livestock like dogs, cattle, sheep, and horses presented immense trouble for the unsuspecting and unprepared nations.
The escalating casualties from incidents involving aggressive dogs, cattle, and horses plunged the countries into panic, leading to armies being mobilized to capture and cull the livestock.
The bewildered and ignorant livestock, merely larger and with slightly enhanced intelligence, were slaughtered by a fearful populace. Vast quantities of animals were killed and discarded.
This situation left the common folk with complex emotions. They were terrified by the celestial omens and the threat of demonic beasts they spawned, yet the resulting abundance of meat for sale caused prices to plummet to ridiculously low levels.
Warhorses, draft horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, sheep, and other livestock, except for a small minority that remained docile and obedient to humans without posing a threat, were ruthlessly exterminated.
This led to a drastic reduction in the cavalry forces of various nations, difficulties in transporting supplies, a decrease in the maximum acreage that could be cultivated, and potential shortages of woolen clothing for winter.
In the Chen State, within the Hall of Political Affairs.
Chen Xinmei, the Empress of Chen, with a somber expression and a heart full of anger, glared at the court officials below and demanded, "I ask you all, how are the preparations for the expedition?"
"Your Majesty! The country is lacking a large number of livestock, and without sufficient transport capacity, even grain and fodder cannot be adequately moved. I fear the army will run out of provisions before it even departs the capital!"
"At such a time of great upheaval, it is truly not an opportune moment to conquer the Yunyue Kingdom. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"
Mu Junyuan, the Prime Minister, his aged body trembling, shouted his counsel.
*This old man again, always saying this won't work, that won't work. How can he be so old and still not dead?*
Chen Xinmei's face revealed disgust and impatience. She slammed the table and questioned, "Last year, our Chen State was soundly defeated by the Yunyue Kingdom with fewer troops. Now, after six months of preparation, we are on the verge of marching. You dare to advise me against it?"
"Lack of livestock? Our Chen State has over ten million citizens. Are they truly less important than a few tens of thousands of animals?"
"Your Majesty, livestock only need grass and have no intelligence. The people of Chen indeed require families, stipends, food, and clothing. Our court's expenses are also funded by taxes levied on their labor. If a large number of young and strong laborers are conscripted, what will happen during the autumn harvest?"
"Not to mention the current spring plowing! If spring plowing is delayed, and there is a shortage of food in the autumn harvest, a crisis may arise!"
Chen Xinmei grew even more agitated and looked at the Left and Right Prime Ministers, asking, "Do the two of you also hold this view?"
The Left Prime Minister's mouth twitched. Before he could reply, the Right Prime Minister spoke with righteous indignation, "Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that our Chen State is strong and its people are prosperous. The court has accumulated a large surplus of tax revenue over the years. A temporary shortage of one year's grain tax is not a catastrophic crisis, merely a minor inconvenience. At most, we can spend a little more from the treasury to resolve it."
"Therefore, your humble servant believes we can continue the campaign against the Yunyue Kingdom. Otherwise, will the money and grain spent on six months of preparation not be considered money and grain? Will it all be for naught?"
Chen State also had Chancellors, but not just one. Instead, there were Left, Central, and Right Chancellors who jointly assisted the Empress of Chen in governing the court.
The Left Chancellor was the head of civil officials, the Right Chancellor was the head of military officials, and the Central Chancellor was the head of inspection. In normal times, the three Chancellors mutually restrained each other, forming a balance in the court.
It was quite normal for them to argue over a matter, though the final decision rested with the Empress of Chen.
Since last year, the Yunyue Kingdom had used the Yunyue Plow and waterwheels, doubling their grain output during the autumn harvest. The potential demonstrated was terrifying, and the doubling of grain production was highly conspicuous.
Such farming implements and wealth were coveted by the Chen State, or perhaps it was to suppress the development of the Yunyue Kingdom, or to annex it.
Thus, the Chen State, using the humiliation of its envoy as a pretext, dispatched troops to invade the Yunyue Kingdom.
They had expected to easily subdue the Yunyue Kingdom with their vast plains, abundant farmland, and large population and army. Who would have thought they would be defeated by a smaller force? This caused Chen Xinmei to harbor even greater resentment.
To launch another campaign against the Yunyue Kingdom and avoid defeat, the Chen State had prepared for half a year, intending to dispatch an army of 280,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry, along with 500,000 able-bodied men, after the spring plowing this year.
Unexpectedly, just as preparations were complete and departure was imminent, they encountered the cataclysmic change, the celestial phenomenon that caused beasts to increase in size and intelligence.
This led to the dispute between the Left and Right Prime Ministers. The Left Prime Minister advocated for caution and opposed spending vast sums to invade the impoverished Yunyue Kingdom, even if the Yunyue Kingdom's civilian wealth had doubled during last year's autumn harvest.
The Right Prime Minister, as the military chancellor, was focused on revenge and providing opportunities for his subordinates to achieve merit. Since the Chen State had ample grain, why not proceed?
After a period of arguing without reaching a conclusion, Chen Xinmei, utterly impatient, slammed the table and shouted, "All of you, be silent!"
The Left and Right Prime Ministers ceased their argument and looked towards the Empress.
Chen Xinmei pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Although I wish to attack the Yunyue Kingdom to wash away the shame, this change in livestock cannot be ignored. Thus, the Central Prime Minister shall dispatch personnel to the Yunyue Kingdom to investigate its domestic situation again."
"Focus on investigating their military preparedness, supplies, and their response to this incident. In the meantime, the Right Prime Minister shall send people to the surrounding mountains to scout for wild beasts and dispatch troops to eliminate any demonic beasts causing trouble in the surrounding counties and villages."
"The Left Prime Minister shall tally recent losses and thoroughly check the grain reserves of various regions, in preparation for operations."
"Minister of War!"
"Your humble servant is here!"
Chen Xinmei looked at him and said sternly, "You shall recruit fifty thousand militia for me. They will be trained initially and kept in reserve for future use."
"Understood!"
With the intervention of the Empress of Chen, the Chen State no longer had to agonize over whether to attack the Yunyue Kingdom. Although Chen Xinmei wished to crush Chu Chen of the Yunyue Kingdom and tear him limb from limb, it was ultimately not the opportune moment for an invasion.
Chu Chen, who was handling official duties from eight in the morning to six in the evening at the government office in the Yunyue Kingdom, was completely unaware that the mutation of livestock had inadvertently saved the Yunyue Kingdom from a meticulously planned war.
Because of its long-term preparations, it was unaffected by Chu Chen's achievement of a "Peaceful Era." Now, by a fortunate coincidence, a disaster was averted, buying the Yunyue Kingdom precious time to develop itself and resolve its own issues.
At the same time, the various human nations were unaware that in their respective famous mountains and great rivers, the fierce beasts that had greatly benefited from the Emperor's Flowing Sap and transformed themselves were now vastly different.