Jing Yan, who was always expressionless, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
What was seen were that these two Wo women had pale faces, black teeth and red lips, and slender eyes. There were no eyebrows above their sunken eyes.
There was only a stroke of black powder on both sides of their foreheads that could barely pass for eyebrows.
But which normal person has eyebrows that grow to the top of their foreheads? No wonder they scared the dialects out of everyone.
This was what the Wo people called the "most beautiful and noble princesses." They must have came from the underworld!
Fortunately, it was daytime. If someone suddenly saw them late at night, wouldn't they be scared to death on the spot?
The Wo people were ugly but unaware of it. They thought the whole world shared their hellish aesthetic. They didn't expect to be slapped in the face on site.
Although Yamada Jintaro didn't quite understand the dialects the ministers were spewing, seeing everyone with frightened expressions, he also had some intuition.
They didn't appreciate his beauties?
But since he had brought the women over already, it wouldn't be good to take them back as they were.
So he still decided to try. He said to Jing Yan, the supreme chief: "Your Majesty, Emperor of Da Xia.
These are the two most gentle and beautiful princesses of our country. They are willing to offer themselves to Your Majesty, the Emperor of Da Xia, to be your bedside flowers, in order to bond our two countries forever."
Thanks to Jing Yan's high level of cultivation, he controlled his facial expressions well and did not break out laughing on the spot.
However, Yuan Yun, who had a fiery temper, couldn't stand it and immediately started scolding: "Bedside flowers your ass! They look more like she-devils to me.
Ugly as hell, yet still daring to dirty our Majesty's eyes. Keep them for yourself to sleep with, maybe you can have a couple more little demons to play with!"
Yuan Yun's words made the ministers roar with laughter. They highly praised Yuan General for his courage in saying what they didn't dare say.
Yamada Jintaro was so angry his face turned blue, but he still swallowed his anger and asked Jing Yan: "I wonder what Your Majesty's intentions are?"
Jing Yan looked coldly at Yamada Jintaro: "We have just had a grand wedding and share deep affection with the Empress. I'm afraid we have no fortune to enjoy such beauties. Mr. Yamada should take them back!"
Yamada Jintaro was unwilling: "We sincerely want to be on good terms with your country. Your Majesty's actions seem somewhat unjustified?"
Jing Yan's voice also turned cold: "What do you want?"
Yamada Jintaro said: "Marriage alliances are for the friendship between two countries. The choice of partner is not necessarily a certain person.
Since Your Majesty already has an Empress, we will not force you. But your noble young talents may also be paired up."
"You mean to select from among my ministers and nobles? That's also possible. As long as they are willing, We would be happy to see it happen."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the ministers who were just joking loudly immediately shrank their necks and fell silent like chickens!
Truly, they would no longer look down on the yellow-faced women at home. Compared to these female monsters, those women could pass for fairies descended to earth.
Especially the unmarried young elites like Jiang Yuchuan, who wished they could shrink their heads into their stomachs, afraid of being fancied by these two “female zombies”.
Jing Yan swept his satisfied gaze over the ministers, smiling ambiguously at Yamada Jintaro: "You see, they are also unwilling."
Seeing that the people of Da Xia were unwilling to compromise, Yamada Jintaro's face was completely embarrassed. He squinted threateningly: "So you mean Da Xia insists on becoming our enemy?"
Jing Yan sneered: "You have it backwards. It is you who have always been hostile against us. What's wrong with us being forced to fight back?"
"You Da Xia claim to love peace the most, yet you have successively conquered the surrounding small countries. How do you explain such actions?"
"We like peace. Going out on military campaigns is to make the whole world peaceful. When justice goes forth, what does it have to do with you?"
"You...are simply shameless!" Yamada Jintaro was so angry his face turned ash black. He had truly never seen such a shameless person.
Jing Yan slammed the table and stood up shouting: "I give you three days to consider. Either offer up your national seal in surrender, and become our dependency, paying annual tribute and acknowledging vassalage every year. Or we will raise the Da Xia flag on Pingguo Mountain and trample Ping’an City flat when our horses gallop in to enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms! It's up to you! Guards, show them out!"
After Jiang Yuqing came back and heard about this, she asked Jing Yan what his plan was.
Jing Yan said, "We should avoid armed conflict as much as possible. After all, armed conflicts lead to casualties. But I'm afraid that the Wo people are stubborn mules who need to be beaten up before settling down."
Jiang Yuqing thought of how in her previous life, after the Wo Country was hit by two nuclear warheads from the US, they became so obsequious towards the US, biting whoever the US asked them to, like an obedient dog. She couldn’t help sneering, "Indeed, they behave after being beaten up."
Jiang Yuqing then told Jing Yan about the sky-high crimes the Wo Country had committed against Da Xia in her previous world.
After listening, Jing Yan’s knuckles cracked from clenching his fists tightly as he gnashed his teeth: “In that case, we cannot keep them any longer. Eliminating potential threats early is the best way to avoid future generations suffering catastrophes!”
Jiang Yuqing asked if the treasure ships were enough to attack the Wo Country.
Jing Yan said, “Over the years, Da Xia has been building treasure ships. Combining the ones we built ourselves and the ones we captured, the large treasure ships in our coastal navies now number over four hundred. We can transport 300,000 troops in one trip to wage war overseas.”
“Then let’s fight! This malignant tumor needs to be removed sooner or later. Once we take care of it, our descendants will have an easier time.”
The Wo people were stubborn mules by nature. On the second day after Jing Yan issued his final ultimatum, they left the capital in anger and returned to the Wo Country.
As soon as they left, Jing Yan immediately ordered the coastal navies to actively prepare for war and get ready to attack the Wo Country’s Kyushu Island.
Jiang Yuqing volunteered to go to Fuzhou to organize a medical team to accompany the army.
Although Jing Yan was reluctant to be separated from his new bride, he also knew he couldn’t stop her and could only exhorted her to be careful before seeing her off with great dismay.
In just half a day after riding Bai Xiaoshi, Jiang Yuqing flew to Fuzhou.
First she met with several senior generals of the major camps, confirmed their approximate dispatch times, then started busy preparations for the medical team.
Speed was essential when going to war.
Taking advantage of the aftermath of another typhoon rain early July, 237 Fuzhou treasure ships of various types formed a huge fleet, carrying 60,000 marines and 40,000 land troops, sailing north straight towards Kyushu Island in the Wo Country.
At the same time, in the Liaodong Governorate in northern Da Xia, another equally large fleet, consisting of 200 large ships carrying 80,000 people, set off to kill towards Ping’an City, the Wo Country’s capital.
Logistical support during overseas operations was not as convenient as on land. The focus was on speed.
Before even landing, the Da Xia troops used the light trebuchets mounted on ships to madly bombard the Wo people’s temporary coastal defenses with thunderclap shells, easily tearing open a huge hole.
Kyushu Island had deep water ports that greatly facilitated the landing of Da Xia's fleet.
Especially Da Xia’s land troops. Although they might not be as adept at naval warfare as the marines, once ashore, they were like fierce tigers descending the mountain, slaughtering Wo soldiers like chopping melons and vegetables.
Most of these Wo soldiers were recruited after the war at Liju. Having never seen bloodshed before and being small and weak from long-term malnutrition, how could they compare with the ferocious Da Xia troops? At first sight, they were hacked into retreating without their armor, crying out for their fathers and mothers.
The over 30,000 Kyushu defenders were mopped up cleanly by the Da Xia army in just two hours. In contrast, the Da Xia side had very few injured, let alone deaths.
It was a complete victory.
The Da Xia troops' morale was high. They steadily pushed north all the way, soon reaching Shikoku. By late July they had attacked and entered Ping’an City.
After staying in Ping’an City for two days to avoid a storm, they continued west to join forces with the Liaodong Army that had entered Ping’an City, the Wo Country’s capital. Continuing north steadily pushing forward together.
The remnants of tens of thousands of troops did not even leave a trace of armor behind wherever they passed.
The smarter ones, seeing the situation was not good, unanimously put down their weapons and surrendered.
The Emperor and Shogun had already fled. Why should they still die for them?
The Da Xia people were quite benevolent. None of those who surrendered would be killed. As the news spread, more and more surrendered, some Wo troops even surrendered in formations.
This really angered Yamada’s people to death.
Back at Liju battlefield, they had already experienced the might of the Da Xia army. They still held on to a ray of hope, thinking that they would not come across the vast ocean.
Who would have thought, not only did the Da Xia people come, but also in such great numbers, so quickly!
Blowing them up at first sight without any chivalry whatsoever.
All sinister schemes were useless in the face of absolute power.
Not until the Da Xia army attacked and captured Ping'an City did they really become afraid. The Wo Country once again sent out Yamada Jintaro, hoping to negotiate peace with the Da Xia army.
The Da Xia army didn't give a damn.
Oh, now that even Kyoto has fallen, you want to negotiate peace with Da Xia? Where were you earlier?
No point negotiating anymore, it's over.
Thus, the Da Xia army pushed northward, while the Wo army retreated step by step until they were cornered on the last small island, completely surrounded by the Da Xia forces.
Now, willing or not, they had to surrender, including the Wo Emperor and Shogun, with no one missing.
Jiang Yuqing saw a line of Wo prisoners brought before her in shackles. Among them was the Emperor, Empress and other imperial family members, as well as the Shogun. The only one missing was Yamada Jintaro.
She asked around and found out that he had committed ritual suicide by disembowelment, showing at least some backbone.
While Jiang Yuqing looked over the prisoners, they sized her up in turn. This simply dressed yet stunningly beautiful young woman with extraordinary bearing was actually the Empress of Da Xia. Moreover, she was said to be an exceptionally skilled doctor.
For the sovereign of such a powerful country to join the battlefield in person as an army medic, it was no wonder the Wo Country lost.
On the third day of the eighth month in the first year of Zhenghe, the Wo Emperor surrendered after being captured, handing over the Imperial Seal of Wo. Henceforth, Wo Country vanished from history.
On the twelfth day of the eighth month in the first year of Zhenghe, given the elongated shape of the land resembling a worm, the court decreed that Wo Country be split into two and renamed Eastern Ocean North Prefecture and East Ocean South Prefecture, officially incorporated into the territory of Da Xia.
At the same time, a large number of officials were sent to take over administration, educate the common people, and station garrisons across the two prefectures.
As the Da Xia army withdrew, Jiang Yuqing made a special trip back to the former Ping’an City, now the prefectural capital of East Ocean South Prefecture also called Ping’an City. She lingered for a long time under the rows of cherry blossom trees in front of the former imperial palace. Then, to the astonishment of generals and soldiers, she grabbed a dark banner embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon and flew to the top of the palace, planting it firmly on the roof.
Seeing the dragon banner fluttering in the wind, Jiang Yuqing nodded with satisfaction. It was only a pity that it wasn’t cherry blossom season now, which was slightly regrettable!
