The Empress sighed and said, "Both countries have now deployed a hundred thousand troops, intending to attack each other's capitals."
"It's time to decide whether we watch from the sidelines or snatch a profit from the fire."
Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished. No one had expected things to escalate to this point.
"Your Majesty, the two nations have always jointly resisted the Xiongnu and maintained good relations. Why are they attacking each other this time? Won't the Xiongnu benefit from this?"
Xie An, the Minister of War, couldn't help but ask.
The Empress frowned, "It is said that a minister in the Zhao Kingdom was once a close friend of the Yan Kingdom's Crown Prince. This minister has now committed a crime and fled to Yan. The Zhao Kingdom wants the person, but Yan refuses, leading to the current situation."
Xie An immediately scratched his head, looking perplexed. "Your Majesty, is the Zhao Kingdom so careless that a criminal can simply escape to another country? Could someone be manipulating this?"
The Empress's eyes lit up at his words. "You mean the Xiongnu?"
Xie An nodded. "Besides the Xiongnu, I doubt anyone else would have this motive."
The Empress looked up at the other ministers. Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, nodded. "Your Majesty, this humble servant agrees."
Wu Sheng, the Minister of Rites, said, "Your Majesty, apart from the formidable Xiongnu, no other nation has a motive to provoke Yan and Zhao."
Wang Zhe, the Minister of Justice, stated, "Indeed, Your Majesty. The Central Plains countries all rely on Yan and Zhao as their shield, and naturally wouldn't create trouble for themselves."
The Empress then turned to Chu Chen. Chu Chen spoke proactively, "Your Majesty, this humble servant also believes it was the Xiongnu. They caused trouble in our Shuangyue City before, even attempting to kill Qian Jieren, and they also tried to assassinate me recently. If they can attack us, they might as well attack Yan and Zhao, as these two nations are the first line of defense against the Xiongnu's southward advance."
The Empress nodded and sat back on her dragon throne. "Then, tell me, assuming it is the Xiongnu, what should we do?"
Meng Yuan, the Minister of Works, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, this humble servant believes we should attack the Zhao Kingdom while their armies are engaged in battle."
The Empress looked at him with curiosity. "Explain why it should be Zhao, not Yan?"
Meng Yuan replied, "The Zhao Kingdom is strong and holds an advantageous position in its conflict with Yan. Even without our intervention, they are likely to defeat Yan. Furthermore, the barbaric Xiongnu may seize this opportunity to destroy Yan and occupy its territory, achieving their goal of advancing south. They might even use this chance to forge ties with Zhao. Therefore, if we wish to resolve this Yan-Zhao crisis, we must attack Zhao. This way, we can also claim a share of the spoils from this Yan-Zhao war, and expand our strength as much as possible before the Xiongnu's southward push, thereby increasing our capital for resisting them."
Chu Chen was utterly bewildered by Meng Yuan's suggestion. Attack Zhao? Shouldn't they be attacking the Xiongnu to prevent them from conquering both countries? The conflict between Yan and Zhao would inevitably lead to one side being defeated, or both being severely weakened. At such a time, the Xiongnu might even swallow both nations whole! Even if the Xiongnu had such an appetite, they would surely devour them one by one. After consuming both nations, the Yunyue Kingdom would be next.
The Empress frowned, feeling that this approach was somewhat inappropriate. "Rashly involving ourselves in a war is not in our best interest. If we can avoid participation and simply observe, that would be preferable," she murmured.
Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and nodded. "Your Majesty, this humble servant suggests summoning all three parties to negotiate. Perhaps the issue can be resolved."
Wu Sheng, the Minister of Rites, shook his head. "Negotiations, wouldn't they ultimately depend on the outcome of the battlefield? Since they have initiated this conflict, they are unlikely to back down without a clear resolution."
Chu Chen nodded in agreement. This was true. Yan and Zhao were known for their proud warriors; if they decided to fight, they wouldn't easily withdraw.
Wang Zhe, the Minister of Justice, said, "Your Majesty, this humble servant also believes that if they don't fight, it will be difficult to mediate. However, we should try to contain their conflict within a small scope, so as not to let the Xiongnu exploit the situation."
Chu Chen couldn't help but shake his head. It sounded nice, but such a situation was hard to mediate and easy to disrupt. If the Xiongnu could cause trouble in Yunyue City, they would surely have an easier time in Yan and Zhao. This conflict would inevitably escalate, and the question was how to secure their own interests.
The Empress pondered for a moment. "It seems the war between Yan and Zhao is unavoidable. Persuading them to avoid conflict might not be easy. The only course of action is to watch from the sidelines and act opportunely."
Xie An, the Minister of War, interjected, "Your Majesty, even if we wish to watch from the sidelines, it may not be possible. They won't agree. Ultimately, we will have to participate in the war, so it might be better to act sooner."
The Empress nodded. "Then tell me, who should act? And whom should we help, and whom should we fight?"
Xie An, the Minister of War, replied, "Your Majesty, as I said before, we should help the weaker party. Assisting Yan against Zhao would help maintain a balance."
The Empress shook her head. "This is also not feasible. This is precisely what the Xiongnu would want. Their greatest intention is to weaken both nations, allowing them to absorb both without bloodshed."
Xie An couldn't help but show a wry smile. "Your Majesty, although that is the case, if we participate, we can at least claim a share of the spoils."
Wang Zhe, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward directly. "Your Majesty, their conflict is inevitable anyway. We should directly attack the easier target and focus on gaining more benefits. At that time, even if the Xiongnu want to challenge us, they will have to consider whether they can defeat us if we ally with the other party."
Sun Mo, the Minister of Personnel, added, "Yes, Your Majesty. While we may not be able to resist the Xiongnu alone, if we, along with Zhao, conquer Yan, the benefits will be immense. Our territory will expand, giving us strategic advantages and the capital to contend for dominance."
Sun Mo's words made the Empress momentarily tempted. "In that case, shall we send envoys to contact Zhao and prepare to jointly attack Yan?"
The Empress looked at her ministers. At this, everyone fell silent. They could offer suggestions, but when it came to making a decision, they all shut their mouths. None of them wanted to bear the responsibility. If something went wrong, they would undoubtedly be scapegoated.
The Empress took a deep breath and looked at her ministers, shaking her head. If these fellows were truly capable, she wouldn't have kept Chu Chen around as an eyesore. She then turned her gaze to Chu Chen.