allonlinenovel Chapter 152 Questioning and Growth
Chapter 152 Questioning and Growth
In the afternoon, dark clouds hung heavy over the palace, and a sweltering, oppressive atmosphere enveloped the court. Ministers whispered and argued endlessly, the tense atmosphere like a bowstring stretched to its limit, on the verge of breaking.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the female advance team will be of limited use and consume a great deal of resources. It's truly unwise." A minister with a stern face and gloomy eyes was the first to step forward. His expression was serious yet anxious, and there was a subtle cunning in his eyes. He stroked his beard, secretly pleased with himself. "Hmph, these women actually want a share of the military pie. They must be deterred."
"Recently, the women's advance team suffered a defeat in a certain battle, suffering heavy casualties. This clearly demonstrates their inability to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. Women are supposed to remain confined to the inner chambers, managing household chores. Battlefield duties are simply beyond their reach." His voice echoed through the court, like a boulder dropped into a tranquil lake, stirring a considerable commotion. While he spoke righteously on the surface, he secretly plotted how to use this incident to suppress the rising power and consolidate his own position.
"Furthermore, since ancient times, fighting on the battlefield has been a man's job. Letting women go into battle goes against common sense and may lead to the ridicule of the world." The minister's words became more and more fierce, and his emotions gradually became more and more intense. An abnormal blush appeared on his face, and veins bulged on his forehead. "Your Majesty, you must not break the rules of our ancestors and disrupt the order of the court because of a momentary thought!" At this moment, his heart was filled with fear of change and worry that the traditional order would be broken.
At this time, the conservative ministers in the court nodded in agreement, rubbing their hands, as if they had found an outlet to vent their long-held dissatisfaction.
"I second the motion!" Another minister, a bloated, fleshy figure, stepped forward with heavy strides. His face, thick with fat, trembled with every movement. "The training and equipment of the women's advance team cost a fortune, yet their military achievements were few and far between. This defeat further proves they are incapable of carrying out important combat missions." He squinted his eyes, a hint of disdain playing on the corners of his mouth. His voice was sharp and piercing. "Your Majesty, do not be misled by this temporary novelty. Women serving in the military is ultimately not the right path." He was jealous of the attention and resources the women's advance team received, believing it encroached on the interests that should have belonged to his faction.
The opposition's voices grew louder and more agitated. "Your Majesty, the Women's Advance Corps should be disbanded immediately to prevent further waste of national resources." Their faces flushed, as if they had already seen the outcome of the Women's Advance Corps' disbandment, their eyes gleaming with impatience. Most of them were trying to curry favor with their faction leaders, hoping to gain more power and resources by suppressing the Women's Advance Corps.
The emperor sat on his dragon throne, his face as gloomy as an approaching storm. His eyes, piercing, scanned his courtiers without a word. But his hands, gripping the throne's armrests, trembled slightly, betraying his inner turmoil. He understood the value and contributions of the women's vanguard, but he worried that violating traditional values would provoke further unrest, leaving him caught in a dilemma.
Upon hearing these remarks, Lin Yu, the leader of the women's advance team, felt a surge of anger in her heart, like a volcano about to erupt. She stood up in her armor, looking valiant and dashing. After a respectful salute, she said, "Your Majesty, although we lost a battle, the reasons were complex and cannot be generalized."
"At that time, our army encountered an elaborate ambush by the enemy. We were outnumbered, and the terrain was extremely unfavorable. But despite this, none of the sisters in the women's advance team retreated." Lin Yu's voice was firm and powerful, and her eyes flashed with an unyielding light. Her body trembled slightly, and she was obviously trying hard to control her emotions. She was filled with grievances and resentment, and she didn't understand why she and her sisters fought so hard only to be accused like this.
"Xiaofang's leg was pierced by the enemy's spear during the battle. She was bleeding profusely, but she still gritted her teeth and waved her sword, buying precious time for her teammates." Lin Yu looked around at the ministers with bright eyes, as if he wanted to refute their doubts one by one, his voice choked slightly, "She fell in a pool of blood, still shouting for us to continue charging. Isn't such bravery worthy of respect?" Lin Yu thought of Xiaofang's sacrifice, and his heart was filled with grief. At the same time, he became more determined to clear the name of his sisters.
"In order to protect vital intelligence, Xiao Min led the enemy away alone. She fought with the enemy in the mountains and forests for several days without eating or drinking, and almost lost her life." Lin Yu's voice trembled slightly, with admiration and heartache for her teammates, and her eyes were red. "If it weren't for Xiao Min's selfless dedication, once the intelligence fell into the hands of the enemy, the consequences would be unimaginable." Lin Yu knew very well that every sister's contribution was for the country and honor, but these ministers turned a blind eye, which made her furious.
"And A Yao, she led a small team deep behind enemy lines. They shuttled like ghosts under the enemy's tight defense, destroyed the enemy's food and grass supplies, and created conditions for our army's counterattack." Lin Yu became more and more excited as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, tears welling up in his eyes, "Aren't these achievements? Should we deny all our efforts and sacrifices because of one failure?" Lin Yu felt extremely angry and disappointed, and was full of resentment towards these ministers who only cared about the results and ignored the hardships of the process.
However, opposition ministers remained unmoved and continued to sneer.
"Hmph, these are just minor achievements, not enough to make up for the losses caused by this major defeat." A minister with a pointed chin and monkey-like face snorted disdainfully, his eyes full of contempt, "One failure may lead to the overall collapse. The women's advance team is a hidden danger in the army and may bring disaster to the country at any time." In his heart, he was actually afraid that the rise of the women's advance team would threaten his status and authority.
"That's right. Women are ultimately inferior to men in physical strength and power, making it difficult for them to sustain sustained combat on the battlefield. Their strength on the battlefield is merely temporary, and ultimately they can't be compared to men." Another minister said sarcastically, stepping forward and staring at Lin Yu aggressively. He was determined to uphold the traditional concept of male superiority and female inferiority, believing that women should remain obedient and law-abiding.
Lin Yu took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and continued: "Your Majesty, since its establishment, the women's advance team has performed its tasks excellently many times. In the battle against foreign invasion, we were the first to break through the enemy's defense line. The enemy's defense line was like a copper wall and iron wall. The male troops could not break it for a long time, but our women's advance team was not afraid. We bravely advanced under the rain of arrows and rolling stones. Finally, we successfully opened a channel for the army to attack."
"In the operation to rescue the people, the women's advance team was not afraid of danger and went deep into the disaster area. The plague was rampant and floods were raging in the disaster area. The men were all deterred, but our sisters in the women's advance team had no intention of retreating. We carried the injured people and walked out of the predicament step by step, rescuing countless injured people." There was a hint of grief and indignation in Lin Yu's voice, "Can all these be ignored? Just because we are women, all our achievements will be erased?" Lin Yu's heart was full of desire for fairness and justice. She didn't understand why the efforts of herself and her sisters were so insignificant in the eyes of these ministers.
The opposition ministers' faces became even uglier, but they still refused to give up and continued to argue.
"That was just an accidental success, it doesn't mean anything."
"Women are naturally weak and easily influenced by their emotions on the battlefield, which can affect the outcome."
The debate in the court reached a fever pitch, with both sides arguing with each other and refusing to give in. The emperor's expression grew increasingly grim, his brow furrowed as he fell into deep thought.
At this moment, a long-standing, revered minister, the emperor's mentor, stepped forward. He spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, this matter requires further consideration. The women's advance team's contributions cannot be ignored, but this defeat has indeed caused considerable losses. Perhaps we should give them a chance to prove themselves through their actions." The minister, with both respect for tradition and admiration for the women's advance team's courage, hoped to find a balanced solution.
Upon hearing this, the opposition ministers immediately attacked him: "Teacher, how can you favor the women's advance team? This goes against our ancestral laws and will plunge the country into chaos!"
The old minister looked at them calmly and said, "The laws of our ancestors are not static. Times are changing, and we should also keep pace with the times. If the women's advance team can once again achieve military merit, they will have proven their worth. If not, it will not be too late to deal with them later."
The emperor finally spoke: "My dear ministers, please stop arguing and wait and see how the women's advance team performs in the future." Although the emperor was inclined to give the women's advance team a chance, he was worried that he would not be able to quell the opposition of the ministers, so he could only wait and see for the time being.
Lin Yu secretly vowed in his heart that he must prove the value of the women's advance team with practical actions.
After returning to the camp, Lin Yu called the team members together and boosted their morale: "Sisters, those people in the court look down on us and think we are useless. But we must use more military exploits to shut them up! We must use blood and sweat to let them know that women are no worse than men!" The flame of revenge burned in Lin Yu's heart, and she wanted to make those who looked down on them take notice of her.
The women's advance team intensified their training and honed their tactics more diligently, starting their drills before dawn and continuing until nightfall, when the stars twinkled.
Soon after, the border was in crisis again, with the enemy advancing with great force, like wolves pouncing on their prey. The women's advance team volunteered to go to the front line.
On the battlefield, they showed amazing courage and tenacious fighting ability.
Xiaona single-handedly fought three fierce enemy generals, holding her own. Her nimble form and lightning-fast sword swung left and right amidst the enemy's siege. Initially aggressive, the three generals gradually panicked. One of them, seizing the opportunity, swung his sword at Xiaona. Xiaona dodged, leaving herself vulnerable, allowing another general to strike. In that crucial moment, Xiaona felt a flash of panic, but it was instantly replaced by a resolute resolve. She leaned back, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow, then seized the momentum and counterattacked, ultimately slaying all three generals one by one, leaving them lying in a pool of blood.
A Yao led her team on a surprise attack on the enemy camp under cover of night. They infiltrated silently, moving like ghosts between the enemy tents. With her agility, A Yao dispatched the enemy guards one by one. However, just as they were about to light torches to burn the enemy's supplies, they were discovered. The enemy quickly gathered and surrounded them. A Yao remained undaunted, though nervous. However, remembering the trust of her sisters and the safety of her country, she quickly calmed herself and commanded her team to put up a fierce resistance. After a fierce battle, they finally succeeded in lighting torches, burning a large amount of the enemy's supplies, and the enemy camp was instantly engulfed in flames.
Despite her wounds, Xiaofang charged forward. The intense exertion reopened her wound, staining her shirt with blood. An enemy soldier noticed her injury and attempted to attack her. Xiaofang, enduring the excruciating pain, turned to fight back, but exhaustion caused her to fall. In this critical moment, her teammates arrived and drove the enemy back. Xiaofang stood up again, her heart filled with a desire for victory and gratitude to her teammates, and continued to fight bravely.
Xiao Min, with her exceptional archery skills, repelled enemy attacks time and again. Her arrows never missed their mark, each one carrying a deadly threat that kept the enemy at bay. However, the enemy sent a team of sharpshooters to engage Xiao Min. Faced with immense pressure, Xiao Min, with her unwavering will and exceptional skill, ultimately overwhelmed the enemy's sharpshooters. Xiao Min was determined to hold the line for her sisters and not let their efforts go to waste.
After several days of fierce fighting, the women's vanguard successfully repelled the enemy and achieved a great victory. Their flags fluttered high on the battlefield, as if proclaiming their indomitable spirit and glory to the world.
When the good news reached the court, the emperor was overjoyed.
The opposition ministers looked at each other in silence. Their smug expressions disappeared in an instant, replaced by embarrassment and shame.
Lin Yu stood in the court again, with his head held high and his chest puffed out, looking at the emperor with a firm gaze: "Your Majesty, the women's advance team has proved themselves with their actions. We are not incompetent, but an iron army that can support the country!" Lin Yu's heart was filled with pride and confidence, and finally those who looked down on them shut up.
At this time, there was no more opposition in the court, and the ministers expressed their praise and admiration for the women's advance team.
The emperor said, "The women's advance team has made outstanding contributions. They should be rewarded and given more resources so that they can continue to serve the country."
From then on, the Women's Advance Corps' position in the military became more solid, becoming a vital force for the nation. Their heroic deeds spread across the country, inspiring more women to join the cause of defending their country and write their own glorious chapters.