199: The dispute over the queen resurfaces, and Concubine Liang proposes a strategy to destroy the country

“Is the downfall of a Dynasty and the death of over a million people really something to celebrate?”

Ning Que was stunned by the question.

He scratched his head and said, “But Master, it was Liyang who provoked us first. This is self-defense, and besides, Your Majesty unifying the world, ending this chaotic era, and allowing the common people to live in peace and prosperity—isn’t that a good thing?”

“It is a good thing.” The Master nodded, then shook his head.

“But have you ever considered if that Li Chengqian truly only wants to unify this world and let the common people live in peace and prosperity?”

Ning Que was stunned again.

He remembered the words that young emperor had spoken in the academy.

“My enemies have never been Mortals.”

“What I seek to conquer are the myriad realms of the heavens!”

At the time, he only felt that this emperor, Your Majesty, was a bit too arrogant.

But now, with the Great Tang’s Cultivator army displaying god-like power, and with Liyang’s demise,

He suddenly felt that those words didn’t seem to be mere boasts.

“Master, do you mean…” A tempest surged in Ning Que’s Heart-Nature.

“He is playing a very large game.” The Master closed his eyes again and said leisurely.

“This world is merely his chessboard.”

“Liyang, Northern Liang, West Mausoleum… All of us are just his pawns.”

“He used a war, sacrificing millions of lives, just to draw out his true enemy.”

The Master’s voice was light, but it made Ning Que’s hands and feet turn cold.

Sacrificing millions of lives!

This… what kind of cold and terrifying Heart-Nature was this!

“Then… what should we do?” Ning Que’s voice even trembled slightly.

For the first time, he felt a deep fear for the future of this world.

“There’s nothing to do.” The Master’s voice remained calm.

“Just watch.”

He slowly sat up from the reclining chair, walked under the old locust tree, and looked up at the seemingly clear but turbulent sky.

“This world is sick.”

“Very sick.”

“Qing Wei and the others chose to ‘block,’ hoping to suppress that Heavenly Demon forever under the Demon Lock Tower. But they don’t know that a dam will eventually be breached.”

“And that Li Chengqian, he chose to ‘divert’.”

“He wants to actively draw out the impending flood, and then, with even greater power, completely evaporate it!”

“This is a crazy gamble.”

“If he wins, this world might usher in a new life.”

“If he loses, all of us will be doomed forever.”

When the Master reached this point, he sighed softly.

“The Reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao, the general trend, cannot be stopped by human power.”

“What we can do is, in this coming colossal wave, try our best to protect the people and things we want to protect.”

Ning Que looked at his Master’s aging back, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He understood.

The Master wasn’t unhappy; rather, he saw the greater crisis hidden behind that glorious victory.

A catastrophe that could sweep across the entire world.

And they were all in the center of this catastrophe, unable to escape.

“Master, I understand.” Ning Que took a deep breath, and a never-before-seen resolve flashed in his bright eyes.

“I will become stronger.”

“Strong enough to protect the people I want to protect in the future catastrophe.”

The Master didn’t turn around, but smiled with relief.

A teachable student.

Just then, a clear, bell-like voice rang out at the academy gate.

“Ning Que! Ning Que! Are you there?”

“It’s so lively outside today! Let’s go out and play!”

A small, dark-skinned girl, who looked like a little maidservant but had a strange glint in her eyes, skipped in.

It was Sangsang.

When Ning Que saw her, the solemn expression on his face instantly melted, replaced by infinite tenderness.

“Coming.”

He smiled and went to meet her.

Perhaps, the Master was right.

When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.

What he needed to do now was cherish the present moment and protect the only light in his life.

Night.

Chang’an Imperial Palace, Tingfeng Courtyard.

Li Chengqian returned here after handling a day’s affairs.

Xu Weixiong was sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, quietly reading a book alone.

The dim lamplight cast upon her exquisite profile, enveloping her in an intellectual and serene beauty.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Li Chengqian.

She slowly rose and bowed gracefully to Li Chengqian.

“Your concubine greets Your Majesty.”

“Dispense with the formalities.” Li Chengqian waved his hand, walked over, and sat opposite her.

“Still reading so late?”

“It is my duty to share Your Majesty’s burdens.” Xu Weixiong gently closed the book in her hand—it was a collection of strange tales about Liyang’s local customs, mountains, and geography.

“Oh?” Li Chengqian looked at her with interest, “Then tell me, what have you seen?”

“Your concubine has seen a vast Dynasty on the verge of collapse.” The light of wisdom flickered in Xu Weixiong’s eyes.

“I have also seen a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Your Majesty to completely resolve the hidden danger of Northern Liang.”

“Tell me about it.” Li Chengqian poured himself a cup of tea, signaling her to continue.

“Your Majesty, though Liyang is destroyed, the mess it left behind is a huge problem.” Xu Weixiong analyzed with neither servility nor arrogance.

“Liyang has been established for hundreds of years, and its local aristocratic families are deeply entrenched. Although they are awed by Your Majesty’s Divine Power and dare not openly resist, they will undoubtedly engage in constant covert actions.”

“And our Northern Liang, though nominally subservient to the Great Tang, still has three hundred thousand Northern Liang Iron Cavalry in my father’s hands. This remains an unstable factor for Your Majesty’s empire.”

Xu Weixiong’s words were incisive, directly addressing the core of the problem.

Li Chengqian said nothing, just listened quietly.

He knew that this woman was about to reveal her “earth-shattering plan.”

“Therefore, your concubine believes we can use Liyang’s ‘chaos’ to resolve Northern Liang’s ‘trouble’.” Xu Weixiong continued.

“Please, Your Majesty, issue an imperial decree.”

“Command my father, King of Northern Liang Xu Xiao, to lead the three hundred thousand Northern Liang Iron Cavalry south into the former Liyang territory, to be responsible for eradicating the unruly local aristocratic families and stabilizing the situation in Liyang.”

“This is an overt scheme.”

“Firstly, it allows the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry, this sharpest blade, to be used by Your Majesty to gnaw on Liyang, the toughest bone. Secondly, it can also move Northern Liang’s main force away from their stronghold, which they have managed for decades, making them rootless.”

“And your concubine’s plan is a covert scheme.”

A cold arc formed on the corner of Xu Weixiong’s lips.

“Your concubine will, in Your Majesty’s name, secretly contact those Liyang aristocratic families who have long harbored grievances against Northern Liang.”

“Tell them that as long as they cooperate with the Northern Liang army and put on a good show, after the matter is done, Your Majesty will not only pardon their past transgressions but also allow them to retain their original land and wealth.”

“What kind of show?” Li Chengqian asked.

“A grand play that will plunge Northern Liang into a vast ocean of people’s war.” Xu Weixiong’s voice became somewhat cruel.

“Although the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry are strong in combat, they are, after all, outsiders. Once they enter Liyang, they will inevitably generate various conflicts with the locals.”

“And we only need to, in secret, subtly fan the flames.”

“For example, create some ‘illusions’ of the Northern Liang army oppressing the common people and seizing women.”

“And for example, ‘inadvertently’ distribute the wealth of the aristocratic families annihilated by the Northern Liang army to the local populace.”

“In this way, the people of Liyang will utterly hate the Northern Liang army. And those aristocratic families who have gained benefits will, to protect their own interests, fight Northern Liang to the death.”

“By then, the entire Liyang will become a huge quagmire.”

“The three hundred thousand Northern Liang Iron Cavalry, deeply mired within, will be caught between a rock and a hard place, facing endless harassment and assassinations every day, bleeding every day, and being depleted every day.”

“Within a year, this once-renowned elite army will be dragged down and exhausted to death!”

“At that time, Father, besides completely handing over all military power to Your Majesty, will have no other path to take.”

“And Your Majesty, without shedding a drop of blood, can resolve Liyang and Northern Liang, these two greatest hidden dangers, in one fell swoop.”

“Killing two birds with one stone, achieving two goals with one arrow.”

After Xu Weixiong finished speaking, the entire courtyard fell into a profound silence.

Li Chengqian looked at the woman before him, who, with a casual remark, had so thoroughly outmaneuvered his father and three hundred thousand of his comrades, and for the first time, a true chill ran through his heart.

What a Xu Weixiong!

What a student taught by the venomous Li Yishan!

To achieve her goals, she could be so unscrupulous, so cold-blooded and ruthless!

"Your plan is excellent," Li Chengqian said slowly after a long pause.

"But why should I use it?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Weixiong showed no panic; instead, she smiled.

"Because this is the first and most important gamble I am making for myself in this 'Empress's Struggle,'"

She stood up and walked to Li Chengqian, her eyes, bright as stars, fearlessly meeting his gaze.

"Your Majesty needs a helper who can handle these dirty, unspeakable matters for you."

"As for Consort Nan, her blade is meant to slay gods and demons."

"Her hands should not be stained with this Mortal defilement."

"Therefore, these matters can only be handled by me."

"I am willing to wield the darkness of the human realm for Your Majesty, to become the sharpest and most insidious blade in your hand."

"And what I seek is the position that allows me to stand shoulder to shoulder with you at the pinnacle of light and darkness."

"The position of Empress."

Her words were full of ambition and absolute confidence.

Li Chengqian looked at her and suddenly laughed.

"Hahahaha!"

"Good! What a 'wielder of human darkness!'"

"Xu Weixiong, you truly have not disappointed me!"

He stood up and pulled her into his embrace.

"This matter, I leave to you."

"I grant you the authority to mobilize the Bad People and all the surrendered generals of Liyang!"

"I await your grand performance!"

"I obey your decree!"

An unprecedented light burst forth in Xu Weixiong's eyes.

She knew she had gambled correctly again.

In this game leading to the pinnacle of power, she had already surpassed Nangong Pu She by a step.

Just as Li Chengqian and Xu Weixiong were finalizing the 'Plan to Destroy Liang' in the inner palace of Chang'an, a plan that would once again shake the world.

In the distant western frontier of the Great Tang, a new storm was quietly brewing.

Shence Army camp.

Inside the central army tent, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, these two founding veterans of the Great Tang, were now frowning deeply, looking at the constantly changing situation on the sand table before them.

"Damn it! Where in the world did these charlatans come from?!" Cheng Yaojin slammed his fist on the table, his face filled with frustration and anger.

"No matter how we fight, they just won't die! They're like locusts!"

Half a month ago, they were ordered by His Majesty to lead two hundred thousand Shence Army troops to the western frontier, preparing to completely flatten the 'West Mausoleum Divine Hall,' which had dared to challenge His Majesty without knowing its place.

Initially, they didn't take these charlatans seriously at all.

In their view, in this world, besides His Majesty's Tiance Manor, what army could withstand the iron hooves of their Shence Army?

However, when they truly clashed with the 'Divine Hall Iron Cavalry' of the West Mausoleum Divine Hall, they realized how terribly wrong they had been.

Those Divine Hall Iron Cavalry were not numerous, only a mere fifty thousand.

But their combat power was terrifying, beyond everyone's imagination.

Every soldier of the Divine Hall Iron Cavalry wore a set of silver armor engraved with runes, and the defensive power of that armor was even stronger than the standard armor of the Tiance Manor!

Even more terrifying was that their bodies were enveloped in a faint, holy white light.

That white light, as if blessed by Divine Power, not only greatly enhanced their strength and speed but also healed their injuries!

As long as they weren't decapitated on the spot or had their hearts pierced, no matter how severe the injury, it would quickly heal under the illumination of that white light!

How could they even fight like this?!

Although the soldiers of the Shence Army had also Cultivated cultivation techniques, their physical quality far surpassed that of ordinary people.

But they were, after all, flesh and blood, capable of being injured and dying!

While the Divine Hall Iron Cavalry opposite them were like a group of tireless war machines with immortal bodies!

After half a month of fighting, the Shence Army not only failed to sweep through the enemy as expected.

Instead, under the enemy's fearless charges, they were repeatedly defeated, losing nearly thirty thousand soldiers!

This was a disastrous defeat, something the Shence Army had never experienced since its establishment!

"Shubao, we can't keep fighting like this," Cheng Yaojin said irritably, "If we continue to wear ourselves down, all two hundred thousand of us will be lost here!"

"I understand." Qin Qiong's expression was equally grave.

He looked at the sand table and said in a deep voice, "The power of these West Mausoleum Divine Hall soldiers seems to come from the 'Haotian' they worship."

"As long as that white light is not broken, they are immortal."

"I've tried," Cheng Yaojin said with a frustrated look, "I personally led a charge yesterday, used all my strength, and split an armored 'iron can' with an axe, but I only knocked him flying. That white light just flickered; it didn't break at all!"

"Even your attack couldn't break it?" A hint of shock flashed in Qin Qiong's eyes.

He was well aware of his old brother's strength; a full-force blow from Cheng Yaojin could even split a small mountain!

Yet, he couldn't even break through a layer of protective Divine Light on the opponent's body?

What exactly was the origin of this West Mausoleum Divine Hall?

Just as the two were at a loss.

A scout rushed in from outside the tent.

"Reporting to both generals! The West Mausoleum Divine Hall has sent an envoy!"

"Envoy?" Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.

Why send an envoy at this time?

"Let him in," Qin Qiong said in a deep voice.

Soon, a middle-aged man, dressed in a magnificent white divine official's robe, holding a golden scepter, and with an arrogant and sacred expression on his face, walked into the main tent, escorted by a squad of Divine Hall Iron Cavalry.

He scanned Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin inside the tent, his gaze as if looking at two humble ants.

"I am Long Qing, a Divine Official of the Judgment Division of the West Mausoleum Divine Hall."

He slowly spoke in a tone full of judgment.

"By order of the Grand Divine Official of Judgment, I come to offer you, these blasphemous false believers, one last chance for redemption."

"Lay down your weapons, kneel in repentance, and return with me to Mount Tao to accept the purification of Haotian's divine radiance. Perhaps then you may be spared the eternal suffering of falling into boundless darkness."

His words made Cheng Yaojin's temper flare up instantly.

"To hell with your purification!" Cheng Yaojin grabbed the axe from the table, pointed it at Long Qing's nose, and cursed loudly, "What kind of thing are you? How dare you play god in front of me!"

"Believe it or not, I'll chop off your bird-man head right now and use it as a chamber pot!"

Facing Cheng Yaojin's undisguised murderous intent, Long Qing's face showed no fear; instead, he revealed a compassionate smile.

"Ignorant Mortals."

He shook his head and raised the golden scepter in his hand.

"Since you insist on embracing darkness."

"Then, in the wrath of Haotian, turn to ashes."

As his voice fell, the scepter in his hand suddenly erupted with an incredibly dazzling white light!

That white light, in mid-air, transformed into a giant cross-shaped sword, entirely condensed from light!

Above the cross-shaped sword, an aura emanated, a sacred aura capable of purifying all evil in the world!

"God says, the guilty shall be judged!"

Long Qing's voice became incredibly grand, as if he were the spokesperson of a Heavenly God.

He pointed the scepter in his hand at Cheng Yaojin!

The giant sword of light, carrying world-destroying power, fiercely slashed down towards Cheng Yaojin!

The speed of this sword was extreme!

Cheng Yaojin didn't even have time to react!

It seemed he was about to be cut in half by this sword of light!

At this critical moment.

"Clang!"

A clear sword cry, without any warning, echoed within the main tent.