Chapter 221: Great Shen Shall Prevail!

Chapter 221: Great Shen Shall Prevail!

The emperor's wrath was like thunder, and just as it struck, the two ministers were rendered speechless.

For based on the new emperor's previous conduct, he would indeed do such a thing.

If they were truly dragged out of the palace gates, their humiliation would be immense.

These officials, who valued their dignity above all, would never want the common folk to see them being thrown out of the imperial palace.

With the two men silenced, the emperor was pleased, and his face quickly regained its usual calm, once again wearing a smile.

Even so, the two did not dare to approach or provoke the emperor further, for they knew that the new emperor was unpredictable but always kept his word. If they spoke another word, they would be thrown out.

When he had first ascended the throne, some ministers tried to manipulate him with their words, only to find that the new emperor showed no mercy and directly rebuked them.

One minister, in defiance, threatened to resign and return to the countryside.

After all, losing an experienced and capable official could be a significant headache for the court.

But the emperor did not yield, immediately ordering him to remove his official robes and leave. By that afternoon, the entire family was expelled from the residence without any mercy.

Moreover, within half a day, someone else took over his position, swiftly handling all his duties.

This left the former official dumbfounded.

He had intended to intimidate the emperor, not truly resign and turn into a peasant. But it was too late; after submitting one petition, the new emperor ordered that no more petitions from him would be accepted.

This was a clear indication that the new emperor was not short of capable individuals; what he lacked were vacant positions.

Unlike the previous emperor, who began to care about his reputation in his later years, the new emperor did not even bother with appearances. He let others say what they would...

Dealing with such an emperor, these stubborn ministers were at a loss.

Seeing that no ministers continued to nag, Bai Li Hongxuan's slightly furrowed brows relaxed. Looking at Prince Bei, he calmly said, "Prince Bei, rest assured. As long as I am here, no one in Great Shen will go hungry."

"Our men fear not victory or defeat; they fear dishonoring their homeland and the people of Great Shen. They fear failing to bring glory to our nation."

"Today, I declare that those who dare not fight cannot win. Our warriors must fight and strive. If you win, you bring honor to our nation; if you lose, I shall bear the blame!"

As the emperor spoke, the dejected Great Shen warriors gradually lifted their heads. Their eyes, once dull, now shone brightly, like stars emerging from behind clouds.

They looked at the young emperor, filled with indescribable excitement.

If even the emperor was not afraid, why should they be?

They feared losing, being looked down upon, and disappointing others. But by fearing so much, did they win? No, they still lost.

Being overly cautious only sapped their courage and spirit, leading to defeat before the battle even began.

Men should fear neither victory nor defeat. Winning brings glory to the nation; losing with all their might does not diminish their honor.

Seeing the emperor's words boost the morale of the Great Shen warriors, Prince Bei frowned.

This young emperor of Great Shen is indeed somewhat capable.

But he is merely overestimating himself!

Prince Bei sneered and glanced at Toba Xiao beside him.

Toba Xiao looked at the inspired Great Shen warriors with disdain, as if watching prey struggling before the hunt.

Seeing Toba Xiao's expression, Prince Bei felt reassured and raised his chin. "Overestimating himself!"

Xie Yuan, hearing this, showed no emotion but sarcastically replied, "We'll soon see who is overestimating themselves. Why is Prince Bei so certain that Great Shen will not win? I believe we shall prevail!"

"Yes, Great Shen shall prevail!" Xiao Silang's eyes sparkled like the sun.

His youthful face and infectious smile spread among the Great Shen warriors, who echoed Xie Yuan's words.

"Yes, Great Shen shall prevail!"

"Young voices rose in the Martial Arts Field.

The spectators on the platform were stunned, forgetting what to say, staring at the Great Shen warriors, wondering if their nation had a chance to win.

If they won, wouldn't it be a great humiliation for the arrogant Dongrong Country?

Just thinking about their disgraced faces brought joy to many Great Shen citizens.

Every year, they endured the insults of Dongrong envoys, feeling humiliated but numb from years of repetition.

Resisting would only anger the Dongrong people and invite punishment from their own country.

Such futile acts brought no benefit and only trouble. Who would risk it?

Only today did many Great Shen citizens realize that they truly had a new emperor.

Did this mean that Great Shen could finally stand tall against Dongrong Country?

Some of the older people suddenly felt a sharp pang in their noses, almost bringing tears to their eyes.

The younger generation hadn't quite felt this way yet, but they were all exceptionally excited.

These Dongrong Country people should be beaten up for showing off in front of them!

Gradually, apart from a few stubborn individuals, the attitude of the Great Shen people in the entire venue began to change. They started to truly focus on the martial arts competition itself rather than the potential gains or losses that might follow.

How could the Dongrong Country people not sense the change in the atmosphere around them? They were all stunned and momentarily at a loss for how to react.

The atmosphere was good, but it was hostile towards them. Moreover, these Great Shen people usually acted timidly, and even when there were many of them, it didn't show much. Now, with everyone's spirits high, they suddenly felt that despite standing together, they appeared particularly weak...

Prince Bei also sensed this change, but he was even more unsure of how to respond. He knew how to use harsh words to dampen others' spirits, but now the problem was that he felt that saying more would only further boost the morale of the other side, having the opposite effect.

Tobagan Xiao looked at the excited Great Shen people, his blue-green eyes narrowing, and sneered, "Overestimating themselves. We, the Dongrong Country people, speak only through our strength!"

Upon hearing General Tobagan Xiao speak, Prince Bei instantly felt a bit more confident: "Right, Xie Yuan, stop your nonsense and let your strength do the talking!"