Chapter 1501: Chapter 1418: No Longer Pure

In Wuyang, the imperial capital of Qin Country, on Ying Duo’s bedside table, there was a bottle of mysterious medicine of unknown origin, called Black Crow. It was said to be a divine medicine that could make the user feel immense strength.

This was a very rare medicinal substance, acquired by the nobility of Qin Country from Dorne, passing through countless checkpoints to reach the borders of Qin Country.

Many nobles in Dorne were taking this medicine, and its effects were indeed miraculous. This was probably the only new type of medicine that the Great Tang’s pharmaceutical companies hadn’t developed first.

Most of Ying Duo’s ailments were of the mind, so after taking this medicine, he immediately improved, and he was very grateful to the person who developed this divine medicine. He also knew very well who the developer was.

Indeed, he had maintained secret contact with Sofia and had even provided her with considerable assistance: he lent Sofia spies who operated in Dorne and the Eastern Continent to help her secretly build her power.

Of course, Sofia also rewarded Ying Duo: she secretly facilitated the alliance between the Dorne Empire and Qin Country, and also funded Qin Country to purchase many pieces of equipment, even going to great lengths to deliver the Black Crow medicine to Ying Duo in the end.

With this medicine, Ying Duo certainly felt much better. He could continue to labor for his country tirelessly.

“Your Majesty! The new front line will unfold around Shahun. Our troops have suffered heavy losses, with many heavy weapons lost, and our combat strength has significantly declined.” As Zhang Xuan explained the state of the war, his tone was very heavy.

He had been transferred from the frontline to the rear completely because of his failure in Shu Territory. How can a defeated general speak of courage? So he kept a low profile in court.

But everyone knew that the failure in this war wasn’t his responsibility alone; it was the entire Qin Country’s leadership, intoxicated by victory, that ultimately brought the empire to this irretrievable state.

As the saying goes, one wrong step leads to another, and at this point in the war, failure was inevitable.

“After occupying the Great West Pass, the Tang Army did not rush to attack but instead encircled and annihilated our retreating remnants…” As Zhang Xuan spoke, he marked the annihilated troops on the map.

Most of the Qin Army units, which did not have high mobility, could only wait to be annihilated on the spot. Abandoning the trenches was equally doomed, so they simply stayed put to delay the Tang Army’s attack.

These units were meant to be abandoned from the start, so Ying Duo wasn’t overly distressed. However, when he heard once again that the frontline troops’ total dropped to over 600,000, he furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

The million-strong troops painstakingly amassed by the Qin Army, the hard-gathered equipment, the layered defenses… all gone.

“We lost over 190 tanks, which is still acceptable due to the organized retreat. However, many paralyzed vehicles were abandoned on the battlefield, further reducing our troops’ mobility.” Zhang Xuan continued, as Ying Duo did not interrupt him.

“The logistical supply issues persist; trucks lack spare parts for maintenance. Holding ground is barely sustainable, but once the troops start to move… or even retreat, there will be a massive vehicle paralysis, rendering them unusable.” At this point, Zhang Xuan looked up at the Emperor across the table.

Ying Duo yawned, gradually showing a tired expression on his face. He impatiently rubbed his fingers, not noticing that Zhang Xuan had stopped talking.

In fact, Ying Duo was seriously contemplating whether he should distribute the Black Crow medicine to the frontline combat units. If he had enough Black Crow, he could keep his troops in excellent spirits.

As long as these troops were fearless and tireless, continuously fighting, could it solve the problem of insufficient forces at the frontline?

For the Qin Country, which had begun to draft 60-year-old veterans, using medicine to maintain soldiers’ high morale was far more reliable than drafting old men and children.

Unfortunately, Qin Country had now lost the Shu Territory and could no longer obtain the massive supplies transported from Dorne. If the Shu Territory hadn’t been lost… perhaps now Qin Country could import a large amount of Black Crow from Dorne to invigorate the frontline soldiers and fight the Tang Army to the death.

Emperor Qin Ying Duo sighed, realizing that Zhang Xuan hadn’t spoken for a while. If he hadn’t thought of Shu Territory and Zhang Xuan, who lost it, he might not have snapped out of his thoughts.

So, he looked up at Zhang Xuan: “Continue speaking.”

Zhang Xuan lowered his head and reported, “The matter of the 93rd Army has begun investigation, and the embezzlement of military supplies involves many people…”

If he were his past self, he would have named those people one by one and suggested Emperor Qin Ying Duo execute these parasites.

But now, having lost Shu Territory, he had to handle his relationships with the officials carefully, so he hesitated, becoming timid.

In truth, Ying Duo knew those names too, and one of them was even a Prince. Naturally, another mastermind was the noble who had contributed the Black Crow medicine to Ying Duo.

These people were among those Ying Duo favored, so when it came to dealing with them, he was also hesitant. Every time he thought of capturing and executing the bastards corroding his empire, he felt a struggle within.

Thinking of this, he unintentionally glanced at the medicine bottle on the bedside, containing the miraculous substance that allowed him to function fully on just a few hours of sleep.

“Speak of the frontline… can Shahun hold?” Ying Duo’s impatient voice came out of his mouth, even surprising himself slightly. He was subconsciously avoiding dealing with those related to Black Crow.

Hearing Ying Duo’s words, Zhang Xuan was also startled. He found the Emperor before him unfamiliar, to the point he almost couldn’t recognize him. The King of Qin he knew wasn’t like this.

If anyone dared to threaten this country, Ying Duo wouldn’t let it go easily. Strict laws and relatively pure execution power were the cornerstones of Qin Country! This nation could endure in the harsh Northwest and grow strong because of this pure pursuit of strength.

But now… the Emperor of Qin, who should be the purest… has changed.