GBP Chapter 108: The Fall of Northern Qi
Chapter 108: The Fall of Northern Qi
The atmosphere in the Northern Qi Imperial Palace was tense and solemn.
The Northern Qi emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face pale and his eyes revealing deep worry. Several important officials stood under the palace, their faces anxious, and they were talking anxiously.
"Your Majesty, the situation is critical now. The army is coming with great force. I'm afraid we will not be able to resist." A minister said worriedly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, their military strength is far greater than ours, and the attack was too sudden. Our defense line has been disrupted." Another minister added anxiously.
The Northern Qi emperor frowned, knowing that this crisis was of great importance. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his excitement. However, his hands trembled slightly, revealing his inner panic.
"Evacuate the capital?" The Northern Qi emperor muttered to himself, as if he was weighing this important decision.
"Your Majesty, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no fear of running out of firewood. Let us evacuate the capital first and preserve our strength. It will not be too late to counterattack later." An old minister advised earnestly.
The Northern Qi emperor was silent for a moment, and finally made up his mind. He stood up suddenly and said firmly: "Okay! Pass the order down, everyone evacuate the capital, we will come back later to recover the lost territory!"
At this time, a general ran into the hall in a hurry.
The general's intrusion broke the tranquility of the palace, and the hall was instantly filled with tension and fear. With disheveled hair and bloodstains, he said in horror: "Your Majesty, the capital has been surrounded by the enemy. We are now like birds in a cage, unable to fly away. What's even more shocking is that the people in the city are actually helping the enemy!"
Upon hearing this, the Northern Qi Emperor's face suddenly changed, his eyes widened, and his face was full of disbelief: "How is this possible?! How could my powerful Northern Qi be defeated so easily?!" His voice trembled, revealing his inner panic and fear.
The general frowned, his face full of worry: "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case. We must come up with a response strategy as soon as possible."
The Northern Qi emperor seemed not to have heard his words. He just sat on the dragon throne with his eyes staring blankly ahead, as if trying to comprehend this sudden bad news. His body was trembling slightly, and he was obviously greatly shocked.
The palace maids and eunuchs around were so frightened that they fell silent, and the hall was dead silent.
At this moment, a loyal old minister walked steadily forward through the panicked crowd, with a firm light flashing in his eyes, as if he still maintained a rare calm and rationality in this turbulent moment.
He said to the Northern Qi Emperor in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself! We need to analyze the situation calmly and not be shocked by this sudden news. We must find a solution as soon as possible to stabilize the current situation."
The Northern Qi emperor took a deep breath and relaxed his tense nerves. He tried to calm down his panic and said slowly, "You are right. We cannot be swayed by panic. We must stay calm and come up with a solution as soon as possible. Pass on my order to hold an emergency court meeting immediately. I want to discuss countermeasures with the ministers!"
As the emperor's order was passed down, the palace immediately became busy. The eunuchs hurried out of the hall to convey the emperor's will and summoned all ministers to attend an emergency court meeting.
A discussion concerning the survival of Northern Qi is about to begin, and everyone understands that the decision made at this moment will determine the future of Northern Qi.
In the meeting hall of the imperial palace, all the officials gathered and discussed. Inside the hall, the atmosphere was solemn, the lights were dim, and everyone's face was filled with anxiety and worry.
"We must defend the capital and fight the enemy to the death!" A general stood up and slammed the table, his voice loud and full of fighting spirit. His face was filled with an unyielding fighting spirit, as if he was ready to fight the enemy to the end.
However, another civil official held a different view: "The enemy is strong and our army has lost the initiative. Holding on at this time will only increase casualties. In my opinion, we should surrender temporarily to save the lives of the people and officials." His voice was low and firm, obviously the result of careful consideration.
These two voices intertwined in the hall, as if two huge forces were colliding with each other. Some officials looked embarrassed and hesitant. It was obvious that they could not make a decision easily in the face of this life-and-death decision.
Other officials began to argue fiercely, each holding his own opinion and refusing to give in. The military officers waved their fists, while the civil officials argued with reason, and the hall was filled with the smell of gunpowder.
The Northern Qi emperor sat on the dragon throne, frowning, his eyes sweeping across the faces of every official. The balance in his heart was also swaying, whether to fight or surrender, this decision was related to the future and fate of the entire Northern Qi.
Just as the emperor and his ministers were lost in thought, a loud voice came from outside the palace. Da Congming was already standing outside the palace. His voice was clear and powerful, penetrating the thick walls of the palace and echoing in everyone's ears.
"Listen!" Da Congming said slowly, "You have been surrounded by our army, but my emperor is merciful. As long as you surrender, you will not be killed, and you can keep your original official position. As for the royal family, we can also guarantee that you will be rich and prosperous for life!"
These words were like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar in the Northern Qi court. The ministers in the hall looked at each other with astonishment on their faces.
They realized that everything seemed hopeless and Northern Qi was in a desperate situation.
The Northern Qi emperor's face also turned extremely pale. He understood what Dacongming's words meant.
Surrender means giving up resistance and leaving one's fate to the enemy; fighting is no longer an option.
The atmosphere in the hall became extremely oppressive and heavy, as if the air had frozen. Everyone felt unprecedented pressure and fear, and they looked at the Northern Qi emperor nervously, waiting for his decision.
They knew that the emperor's decision not only concerned their personal destiny, but also the future of the entire Northern Qi.
The Northern Qi emperor took a deep breath. He knew that this decision was crucial to the entire Northern Qi. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally made a choice.
"We surrender!" The Northern Qi emperor's voice echoed in the hall, "I hope you can fulfill your promise!"
The news of surrender quickly spread throughout the capital, and people were discussing this unexpected result. People actually began to celebrate. Dabai's army had strict military discipline and would distribute food to them, which was enough to show that if they followed Dabai, their future life would definitely be better than in Northern Qi!
Youyue, along with her guards and Nan Rongxi, slowly stepped into the Northern Qi Palace.