Lu Xiangsheng had not slept for several nights, turning over again and again as thoughts churned endlessly in his mind.
Whenever exhaustion finally dulled his mind, he would grab those military magazines and read them over and over, staring at the advanced weapons described inside with a mixture of awe and dread. The joy came from knowing the nation now possessed such terrifying tools, yet the fear came just as strongly because those same tools were in the hands of people who were clearly planning to overturn the Emperor himself.
He could not decide what he should do, and the more he thought, the deeper he sank into that helpless confusion.
Then, as if nothing had happened, it was time for court again.
Standing in the great hall, Lu Xiangsheng once more heard the endless arguing between the pro-war faction and the pro-peace faction, their voices colliding like waves crashing against each other without pause or resolution.
"Your Majesty, we must advance immediately and strike into Liaodong to reclaim our lost lands in one decisive campaign."
"Your Majesty, we must appease the Jian slaves, buy time, and stabilize the foundations of the state."
"Those advocating peace are ruining the country."
"Those advocating war are pushing Your Majesty straight into a pit of fire."
The arguments circled endlessly, and as they did, Zhu Youjian's mind swayed left and right like a reed in the wind.
Whenever the war faction spoke, he felt that war was the correct choice.
Whenever the peace faction spoke, he felt that peace was the wiser path.
An emperor without firm understanding was easily pulled in whichever direction the loudest voice happened to be speaking at the moment.
The shouting dragged on for over an hour before Zhu Youjian finally raised his hand and said, "We will stop here for today and discuss this again later."
"Again later?" Lu Xiangsheng could not hold back any longer. "Your Majesty, if we choose war, the opportunity will pass in an instant if we hesitate. If we choose peace, we must act quickly to stabilize the realm and adjust governance. If we keep delaying like this, neither war nor peace will be properly executed, and both military and civil affairs will remain stuck in limbo. Is this not harming the nation?"
Zhu Youjian waved his hand as if it were a simple matter. "Why not do both at once? Let the war faction prepare for battle while the peace faction focuses on building new factories and increasing tax revenue. Would that not be the best of both worlds?"
Lu Xiangsheng stared at him. "Then what are we even debating for? Isn't that exactly what we have always been doing?"
The entire court fell into an awkward silence, and strange expressions appeared on every official's face.
Yes, what exactly had they been arguing about all this time?
Lu Xiangsheng snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and left the court in anger.
When he returned to his residence, the frustration still burned in his chest, refusing to fade.
He was pacing back and forth, breathing heavily, when a servant hurried in to report, "Master, a letter has arrived from Cao Wenzhao, the commander of Jinzhou."
Lu Xiangsheng paused.
He already knew that Cao Wenzhao belonged to that hidden faction, the same group that was quietly reshaping everything behind the scenes. That made the letter even more puzzling.
Why send it to him?
Should it not have been sent to Sun Chuanting instead?
After all, the former Minister of War was the one truly controlling the situation at the front.
With that thought in mind, Lu Xiangsheng opened the letter.
Inside, Cao Wenzhao simply stated that he was about to begin an offensive against the Manchus and was informing the Ministry of War.
That was it.
Lu Xiangsheng let out a dry laugh. "This is not asking for approval. This is simply notifying the court after the decision has already been made."
The servant lowered his voice. "Master, Jinzhou has never really listened to the court anyway. In the past, they would not even bother to inform anyone before taking action. The fact that he sent a letter at all is already more respectful than before."
Lu Xiangsheng thought about it carefully and had to admit that it was true.
Zu Dashou had never obeyed the court's commands in the past, and the Pi Island forces had always operated outside central control as well.
"They can do whatever they want regardless," Lu Xiangsheng murmured. "So why bother informing me now? Do they still respect me? Why would they?"
Before he could dig deeper into that thought, another servant rushed in.
"Master, Wang Pu, the commander of Datong, requests an audience."
Lu Xiangsheng's heart skipped a beat.
Another one of them.
What did he want now?
Soon, Wang Pu entered, cupped his fists, and spoke respectfully. "Lord Lu, I have received intelligence from the front that the Jinzhou forces are about to launch a campaign into Liaodong. I would like to bring my troops to assist, so I have come to request a transfer order."
Lu Xiangsheng gave a cold laugh. "If I refuse to give you the order, will you not go?"
"I will go," Wang Pu replied without hesitation. "However, if I move my troops without authorization, it may alarm the officials in court. It would be better for everyone if I obtain a formal order from you."
Lu Xiangsheng understood immediately.
Whether he approved it or not, Wang Pu was going.
The only difference was whether the movement would appear orderly or chaotic.
If he refused, a border army moving on its own would terrify the civil officials.
If he agreed, everything would look proper and controlled.
"You people are going too far," Lu Xiangsheng said through gritted teeth.
Wang Pu sighed softly. "Lord Lu, I do not wish for things to be like this either, but please think about it carefully. If we do not act this way, when will the Manchus ever be dealt with? How long will it take for His Majesty to make a decision? Who can say?"
Lu Xiangsheng fell silent.
After a long pause, he let out a deep sigh and wrote the order, transferring Wang Pu to Jinzhou to assist in defense.
Even without a final decision between war and peace, as Minister of War, he still had the authority to deploy troops for defensive purposes, and the Emperor himself had said that preparations should continue on both fronts.
Wang Pu accepted the order and left.
Not long after, another servant rushed in again.
"Master, Hu Dawei, commander of Shanxi, requests an audience. He also wishes to obtain a transfer order to assist Jinzhou."
"Do not let him in," Lu Xiangsheng said tiredly, already writing another document. "Give him the order directly and send him on his way."
The servant hesitated. "He also plans to bring additional troops, including the garrison commanders Nan Feng from Pucheng and Wang Xiaohua from Pingyang."
"Let them go," Lu Xiangsheng said without even looking up.
No sooner had Hu Dawei been sent off than more names began to arrive.
"Hanzhong commander Zhao Guangyuan and Suiyan commander Shi Jian request orders."
"They are part of the same group too, aren't they? Let them go."
"Henan commander Gao Jie, Shangnan garrison commander Luo Xi…"
"Let them go."
Each name hit Lu Xiangsheng like a hammer strike.
"Anlu commander, Sichuan commander…"
Lu Xiangsheng finally realized something terrifying.
More than half of the Ming Empire's regional commanders were coming to request orders.
More than half.
These people were not scattered individuals.
They were a network.
A system.
A force moving in coordination.
His expression changed.
"No… I cannot just sit here and let them do whatever they want. I need to see this with my own eyes."
He rushed out of his residence and went straight to the imperial study, bowing deeply before Zhu Youjian.
"Your Majesty, the debate between war and peace will not reach a conclusion anytime soon. I request permission to personally lead troops to Jinzhou and guard the frontier for the Great Ming."
Zhu Youjian's face lit up with relief. "If you are willing to go, that would be excellent. I was worried whether Jinzhou could be held even after being reclaimed. With you there, it will surely be secure."
Lu Xiangsheng lowered his head, but his mind was no longer on the Emperor's words.
Because now, he finally understood something.
This was no longer about war or peace.
This was a system already in motion.
And he had just stepped into it.