CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 186: WAR THAT THEY WILL ....LOSE?

"However....", Alex wanted to continue but just as the words were forming on his tongue, he suddenly felt a dry itch in his throat.

Wanting to drink something, he glanced at the table. Apparently there was only wine in front of him to drink.

Without thinking too much, Alex simply reached out to pick up the cup and took a sip.

And that was all to it, it was the last thing that should have happened today as he took one sip after another sip completely forgetting the occasion.

Meanwhile...

The Emperor was giving him a deep penetrating look. His mind was reeling with the implications of what Alex might say next.

Beside them the county magistrate and sheriff were also trembling in fear and swallowed hard.

They feared what else he was going to say.

Young Master Alex please do not say anything more! We are begging you!

How can ordinary people discuss important matters of state with such casual boldness?

And this was being said directly in front of the Emperor! And you still want to continue talking? Have you no sense of self preservation at all?

They felt intense anxiety about what would happen if they did not stop him in time. Their positions and possibly their lives hung in the balance of this conversation.

They wanted to stop Alex from continuing but how could their actions keep up with his words?

The more you think about something not to happen the more it becomes reality.

At this critical moment Alex’s voice rang out again.

After drinking several glasses in one go he was already feeling slightly tipsy. The wine had loosened his tongue further and removed what little caution he might have otherwise exercised.

"However....This battle is almost certain to happen but in my opinion the empire will definitely lose! There is absolutely no hope of victory!"

Magistrate Sai: !!!

Sheriff Bowen froze: !!!

The disguised soldiers positioned as ordinary guests: !!!

Oh no, he is dead for sure!

They never expected this development. As much as they were fearing that he might say something inappropriate, they still had some hope in their hearts that surely such a man who could solve droughts would not be foolish enough to say something so directly against the Emperor.

But they were wrong!..so wrong.

Apparently this person was incredibly bold beyond all measure!

Daring to say that the empire would lose the war to the face of the Emperor himself was beyond foolish. It was a straight ticket to execution.

If the Emperor became angry this person’s head would not remain where it was for long. All it would take was a single sentence from the Emperor.

However Alex remained blissfully unaware that the man he was speaking to was the Emperor himself.

So he continued with calm conviction. "In my opinion it would be better not to fight this war at all because we will definitely lose if we do."

"What?" Mr. Shah finally came out of the stupor from the earlier statement.

But then his face changed dramatically. The color drained from his cheeks as the full meaning of those words sank in.

He leaned forward urgently. "Alex! What do you mean by that? I would very much like to hear the details!" His voice carried a sharp edge that had not been there before.

Alex smiled faintly. He downed the wine in his cup in one swift gulp before speaking.

"Consider this carefully. Why did the Lesser Khan not seek out our empire before... but only now?

The conflict between the Greater Khan and Lesser Khan has always been extremely intense. It has raged for years with neither side gaining decisive advantage.

Yet why only now does he send envoys to us for an alliance?

Something significant must have triggered this sudden diplomatic outreach!"

Alex paused to let his words sink in. He wanted his audience to follow his logic step by step.

"For the past few months, I have been observing a pattern through merchants and caravans. With that I have also noticed something peculiar in the black markets recently through my channels.

Barbarian merchants who used to trade livestock and furs have stopped coming entirely for the past three months. Their absence itself tells a story.

The few who do arrive look desperately thin. They have the gaunt appearance of people who have not eaten properly in weeks. Their animals are also in terrible condition. Their ribs were showing through their hides.

All of this points to only one thing ..... massive livestock deaths across their territories."

Alex continued his logical chain with growing confidence.

"Furthermore the types of goods they seek have changed in dramatic turn of events. Before this season the Lesser Khan’s traders bought luxury items and weapons.

Recently, however, they buy only grain at any price they can afford.

Desperate people are even paying triple the normal rates without haggling. These are all clear signs of famine conditions spreading through their lands."

"I also observed the merchant caravans from the Greater Khan’s side. The contrast could not be more striking. Those traders still arrive with healthy animals and full supply wagons. Their horses are well fed and their goods are abundant.

The Lesser Khan’s traders arrive with half empty carts and starving pack animals. The horses can barely pull their loads.

This power imbalance reveals everything one needs to know about the true situation in the north."

"My conclusion is that the Lesser Khan’s territory suffered a severe drought. The same weather patterns that affected Ironhold must have devastated their grasslands. Leaving nothing but barren land where once there were green pastures.

Making it impossible for cattle and animals to survive on what little vegetation remains there.

Resulting in many deaths and massive losses to their herds which are the foundation of their entire economy and way of life.

Therefore when the Lesser Khan reached his limit of tolerance and found himself unable to defeat the Greater Khan alone, he seeks help from our empire. He is desperate and desperate men make poor decisions."

Alex’s expression became more serious. His voice took on a warning tone.

"Here lies another critical problem. If His Majesty would not investigate these conditions properly and rashly sends troops out in this extremely hot weather, our empire will surely lose the battle.

The possibility of victory is extremely small. That is why I said once the war starts we are bound to lose. Our soldiers will march into a wasteland where there is no food, no water, and no forage for the horses."

During this period of time Alex had not remained idle at all. He had been carefully collecting information from every available source.

Information was everywhere. It only needed a capable mind to sort it out and use it to benefit oneself.

Every piece of information was useful if he wanted to develop and prosper in this world. Knowledge was the foundation of all success.

He had already planned in detail about how to benefit from the upcoming war.

County Magistrate Sai could not contain himself any longer. His patience had finally run out.

He stood up abruptly. "Young Master Alex, as far as I know you have never been to the North!

How do you know that the barbarian lands in the North are suffering from severe drought? On what evidence do you base such confident claims?"

"Excellent question." The slightly drunk Alex continued without hesitation. "I not only know that the northern barbarian lands are suffering a severe drought.

I also know that our empire’s territory near the northern border has serious problems of its own.

The northern canal system near the barbarian territory has been drying up for months now. This affects an area spanning thousands of miles. Soon not a blade of grass will grow there and our own people will face the same famine just like the Ironhold again."

"What?!" At this moment the Emperor could no longer contain his emotions. He suddenly stood up from his seat. His face was filled with absolute shock and something close to panic.

He was the Emperor.

The Emperor who was about to wage war against the barbarians.

Now the news that Alex told him was too shocking and completely unexpected! If what this young man said was true then the entire military campaign was built on false assumptions.

At first he had been somewhat skeptical of Alex’s words. He was listening only to humor this supposedly brilliant young man.

However upon hearing that the water near the Northern Canal had dried up the Emperor could no longer remain calm.

He had read a report while he was here in Ironhold.

It mentioned that a large number of people from the northern territories were migrating to the Central Plains. Entire villages were abandoning their homes.

At the time the Emperor had not taken it seriously. He assumed it was the normal movement of people seeking better opportunities.

But now after Alex’s reminder he suddenly felt a tremendous jolt of realization crash through his mind!

Very likely the reason why large numbers of people from the north migrated to the Central Plains was because the Grand Canal system was drying up!

They were fleeing environmental disaster, not seeking opportunity.

"It is just a few observations and logical deductions." Alex said with a casual shrug.

"Why are you all so excited about this?"

"Come on let us keep drinking." He reached for the wine jar with a smile not knowing how much of a shock it had caused.