"What, the Capital is besieged!"

A startled cry erupted like a sudden thunderclap, instantly causing a commotion in Yingtian Prefecture.

"Extra, extra, Grandmaster Murong leads the grassland army..."

With the vigorous development of the South Zhili press, the battle reports from the Capital seemed to have sprouted wings, rapidly spreading throughout Yingtian Prefecture and even the entire South Zhili.

Surprisingly, the speed at which the people received the news was almost on par with the Court.

It's because those sizable news agencies had already keenly perceived the critical point of timeliness in information; whoever seizes the initiative will reap abundant benefits later.

Especially with crucial information like military news, the big names behind the news agencies spared no effort to use various connections just to profit from it.

Before the Court could discuss a countermeasure, someone had already dug up the old story of Grandmaster Murong leading troops straight to the foot of the Capital a hundred years ago.

A hundred years ago it was him, and a hundred years later it's still him, a mysterious sense of fate's cycle seemed to linger in the air.

But the current situation is different; the old Emperor has already left the Capital, leaving Prince Yu to hold the fort as the Regent.

The Wang Family Head in Yingtian Prefecture was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth within the mansion, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

His clan brother, Wang Gong, the current Minister of Personnel, was staying in the Capital assisting Prince Yu as Regent.

"What if my clan brother defects!" This thought haunted him like a specter, sending chills down his spine.

The Wang Family Head gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve, almost wishing to immediately send someone at full speed to the Capital, with orders: if there were signs of his brother surrendering, to "save face" for him.

He secretly mused in his heart, it was all for the family; if his clan brother knew in the afterlife, surely he wouldn't blame him. Even if he did, he couldn't care less!

But the distance between Yingtian Prefecture and the Capital was vast, and whether his orders could be timely delivered and executed was really hard to predict.

Ultimately, the Wang Family Head was a meticulous person and had a second plan ready.

If he found things going awry, he planned to publicly expose his clan brother. Wang Gong, having served as both Minister of Revenue and Minister of Personnel, had many black marks from years of navigating the officialdom.

Yet, no matter what choice he made, the Wang Family would undoubtedly suffer greatly.

The only thing the Wang Family Head could do at this moment was silently pray that such an event never occurred.

Aside from this, the civil and military officials and nobles of South Zhili held different views regarding the siege of the Capital.

Some believed that the Northern region had long become a heavy burden for the Great Yu Dynasty, unable to be self-sufficient in food, and constantly relying on Southern resources for support; people from the South had long wanted to sever ties with the North.

In the Court, an official abruptly stood up, angrily accusing the border towns: "Your Majesty, the siege on the Capital is certainly the doing of those border town generals of the Nine Borders..."

His words resonated with the general sentiment among the Court's officials.

The defense system of the Nine Borders has always been solid and couldn't be easily breached. Grandmaster Murong's mastery of Dao Skill in warfare is far inferior to the Martial Saints. For the defense lines to be broken so easily, there must be an inside job. A bit of reflection reveals the answer.

This official's statement immediately sparked intense discussions in the Court.

Currently, there are primarily two opinions.

One is to fully support the Capital and drive the grassland people out of the Central Plains.

The other opinion discreetly suggests this is a great opportunity for using one's enemies to solve the Northern refugees and the defiant border town issues.

Though the latter opinion isn't voiced loudly, it resonates with many.

Because in the theory of the Recovery Society, although the principle of 'everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world' is upheld, many prefer seeking excuses from the Heart Study of the Recovery Society for their selfish actions.

Simply put, everyone's moral burdens have lightened.

The lowering of moral standards, to some degree, is to adapt to the era of rapidly expanding industry and commerce, where everything is seen through a monetary lens; this is considered somewhat retro, as even in previous dynasties, high officials fought in the Court for wealthy widows.

Doing the math, abandoning the North seems beneficial in many ways. The South wouldn't be drained, and copious expenses like canal transport, military logistics, etc., could be reduced.

Moreover, the Southern nobles deem their firearms and mechanisms strong enough to no longer fear Northern archery cavalry.

Overall, people hope they can enjoy the money they work hard to earn.

Even though the Capital has yet to be breached, in some people's minds, it is already assumed as such, let the grassland people take what they will.

If this were before, while the Emperor was still in the Capital, everyone would have at least responded positively, traveling thousands of miles to support the King.

But now, many have noticed the old Emperor is not fond of Prince Yu; otherwise, why has there been no formal appointment as Crown Prince yet, and why was the Emperor's grandson brought to Yingtian Prefecture for upbringing, clearly as a precaution against Prince Yu.

Of course, there are many Northern people in the Court who firmly refuse to tolerate the Court abandoning the North, thus fighting their case.

The two factions stand firm on their positions, leading to a fierce verbal clash.

Oddly, the old Emperor has not made any decision regarding the disputes but has let the Ministers continue to discuss.

With such a significant event in the Court, Xu Qing had no choice but to return to Yingtian Prefecture in advance.

His heart was filled with regret; if not for the Northern upheaval, given more time, he could have completely stabilized the situation in the Southern Ocean.

But now, he could only barely suppress the undercurrents of the Southern Ocean, hastily rushing back to his base in South Zhili.

After all, it was time to return; truth be told, South Zhili was Xu Qing's foundation.

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