“It is from… the Empire’s… Luotendo… issued in the name of avenging a murdered brother… a Declaration of Conquest!”
There was no chaos, no uproar. It was as if everyone had long known about this matter. The terror in their hearts now laid bare only made their already pale faces turn utterly ashen.
In truth, the various unsightly displays and strange expressions they had shown earlier were all because of this very matter.
…Otherwise, how would they dare to present such appalling appearances before the Illusory Snow Queen.
The main hall fell into a brief, deathly silence. Only Weilin’s face was a picture of utter confusion.
Huh? Am I really the only one who didn’t know about this…?
Indeed. Thanks to Huan Xuezhi, while others were kneeling, Weilin slept soundly until she woke up naturally, only leaving Flowing Firefly Palace at her leisure at eight-forty.
Since Cold Dove Hall and Flowing Firefly Palace were both within the Royal Palace, Weilin hadn’t been outside the palace and thus didn’t know the situation outside.
“Your Majesty, this Humble Minister will immediately dispatch men to arrest those who posted the notices last night…”
“No need.”
Huan Xuezhi interrupted coldly.
In fact, Huan Xuezhi had known about this matter earlier than anyone else.
Just last night, Imperial Citizens who had infiltrated Illusory Snow City, dogs of Luotendo, openly came to Cold Dove Hall and handed Huan Xuezhi a letter.
In the letter, Carol likely wanted to persuade her to hand over the Mourning Snow Divine Crystal as soon as possible to spare the Snow Kingdom from devastation. Unfortunately, Carol wrote it for nothing, as Huan Xuezhi had it burned to ashes without even opening it.
Conveniently, that Imperial Citizen also served as fertilizer.
The Mourning Snow Divine Crystal was not only a relic left by her late father, the King, but also the very foundation upon which the Snow Kingdom had relied for a millennium. If the Divine Crystal were surrendered, the already weak Snow Kingdom would only become an even more vulnerable existence, ripe for bullying and eventual annexation and annihilation.
Therefore, from the very beginning, there was no room whatsoever for negotiation in this war.
Huan Xuezhi swept her gaze across the entire hall, but her tone was one of inquiry:
“My ministers, the Empire has finally invaded our Snow Kingdom. What should we do?”
……
The officials were silent for a moment, then one man stepped forward from the group, bowed his head, and said in a trembling voice: “Your Majesty, according to this minister’s understanding, the Paradise Armaments are equipped with the Empire’s latest crystal-driven device… and a single Heaven Cannon. The cost of one Paradise Armament is a full 500,000 Gold Coins, let alone a thousand of them…”
How could they dare to directly counsel surrender?
But this fellow was clever. He knew how to analyze the insurmountable disparity in combat power between the two sides to indirectly express that the Snow Kingdom had no hope of fighting.
Countless gazes fell upon him. Unknowingly, this man had become the vessel for the hopes of all those in the Surrender Faction…
It wasn’t that there were no warriors willing to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield for their country. It was that when the scales of combat power were practically “vertical,” all desperate struggles seemed to lose their meaning, and even heroism became impossible to achieve due to “instant death.”
And this was just one Luotendo within the Empire…
Just then, a discordant laugh suddenly rang out.
“Hey, hold on… Her Majesty the Queen is asking us how we should respond, not inviting you to show off your Baidu Encyclopedia here! Can you just shut up?”
“…Who are you?!”
His supposedly brilliant argument being interrupted, the scholar shot a shocked and angry gaze coldly toward the young girl standing before the assembled ministers, the one who had just mocked him.
“You don’t need to know who I am…”
Weilin took five steps forward, placing herself directly between the Illusory Snow Queen and the assembled civil and military officials. She turned around, facing all the high ministers of the Snow Kingdom. Her gaze, carrying a faint hint of sarcasm, was like a sharp blade capable of piercing one’s very soul.
“Because there are only two kinds of people standing here right now. One kind is those who, if Her Majesty ordered you to die, would immediately commit suicide! The other kind… are those who defy the imperial decree and are executed according to national law!!”
Everyone present wasn’t stupid. They understood perfectly well what Weilin was getting at.
Hearing this, all those in the Surrender Faction felt a sudden pang in their hearts, and resentment towards Weilin began to fester.
But our protagonist remained as unmovable as a mountain.
The scholar who had just moments ago been eloquent about the Paradise Armaments was practically hopping mad. “…You… you crazy woman, what nonsense are you spouting here?!” He then turned his head to the Snow Maiden, pleading humbly, “Lady Snow Maiden, this woman is wreaking havoc and disrupting the order of the court, I implore you to have her seized!!”
Seize her?
Seized my ass. How would I even dare? You people probably don’t even know that the Illusory Snow Queen herself calls her “Weilin.”
And, speaking purely from the Snow Maiden’s subjective opinion, compared to this useless wretch who bolstered the enemy’s spirits while extinguishing his own side’s, Weilin was literally infinitely superior.
Thus, the Snow Maiden completely ignored his request, not even glancing at him.
The scholar was so choked with rage he nearly coughed up blood, utterly unable to comprehend why the Snow Maiden, who was usually so strictly bound by law and order, was so completely unresponsive.
“Of course, you don’t have to die right now. The day the Empire’s troops arrive at the city gates is the day you fulfill your duty, to the death.”
Facing the nearly one hundred resentful gazes directly, Weilin could still smile casually. “…But there is a way to avoid death. Right now, remove those official robes, take what belongs to you, and get the hell out of Illusory Snow City. That way, you will no longer be a citizen of the Snow Kingdom, and you won’t have to die for your country. Simple, isn’t it?”
Even the Snow Maiden dared not lay a hand on her.
And Her Majesty the Illusory Snow Queen’s stance was clearly that of the pro-war faction.
Damn it. Furious, but not daring to speak out…
“—Those who want to live, take off your robes and get lost!”
Weilin had sworn that this time, she would definitely protect the Snow Kingdom. But that didn’t mean she would tolerate these self-preserving, cowardly, incompetent sheep.
Yet still, no one left… because no one wanted to be the first to do so.
And also because this was not a pardon personally issued by the Illusory Snow Queen. Weilin had agreed, but Huan Xuezhi hadn’t. The first one to leave might well die without even knowing how.
“Minister Weilin, that’s enough.”
The Young Majesty’s clear, cold voice of restraint came from behind. Weilin froze slightly.
Unexpectedly, it was ultimately the Illusory Snow Queen who helped these ministers out of this predicament.
…Perhaps because even Huan Xuezhi couldn’t bear to be left with only a handful of subordinates in the end. Cowardly as they were, many among them had indeed loyally served the Snow Kingdom for many years.
“There was another major matter to announce for today’s assembly.”
Wait, this was the Illusory Snow Queen’s true purpose?! Everyone’s spirits tensed, and they all pricked up their ears to listen.
“Dodd, Lien, Rhodes, you three, step forward and receive orders.”
The three men moved one step to the left, stepping out from the crowd. One of them was the middle-aged mage who had earlier rebuked Weilin for “not kneeling before the Queen.”
“We ministers, receive our orders!” x3
“Hand your Ice Snow Guard Tallies over to Weilin. From this moment on, Weilin will command the Snow Kingdom’s ten thousand Ice Snow Guard.”
Wha…?!!!!
Lien’s knees went weak. Standing upright, he almost instantly buckled into a kneeling position. The other two were in no better state.
…Because they never imagined it would be a matter concerning military power. And to hand over the strongest Ice Snow Guard, second only to the Snow Maiden herself… all of them… to this young girl?!!!
“Weilin.”
The Young Majesty’s commanding voice rang out again. Weilin’s heart tensed, and she hurriedly cupped her hands. “Subject present!”
“Several days ago, at the Cloudstride Merchant Guild auction, Weilin generously donated ten million Gold Coins, replenishing the national treasury. A great merit already; she later saw through Wu Yin’s conspiracy, exposing his mouse-trafficking crime of colluding with the enemy, also deserving of reward; yesterday, she single-handedly exterminated the Snow Giant, quelling the great chaos in Mistlight City, an unparalleled and unprecedented achievement… Zhen declares that from this day forward, Weilin is enfeoffed as Illusory Snow Princess, holding sole command over the ten thousand Ice Snow Guard. Beneath one person, to see her is to see me!”
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