131: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Twenty-Seven)

Xu Yuan did not look at those panicked or gloating courtiers. His gaze swept past the hall doors, as if piercing through layers of palace walls to see the war-torn Northern Border and the turbulent Southeast.

Then, he lowered his head, looked at the herald kneeling before the Imperial Steps, and gave a soft laugh.

The laughter was light, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.

"The clowns finally couldn't help themselves."

His voice was not loud, yet it entered everyone's ears clearly, like ice pearls falling on a jade plate.

"Very well."

Xu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his black ceremonial robes fluttering without wind. The Foundation Establishment pressure he had recently attained, mixed with his majestic Imperial Might, was like a sleeping dragon slowly awakening, enveloping the entire hall.

"Let us use this battle to—for my Great Shang—"

He paused, a purple light flashing in his eyes for a fleeting moment.

"—cleanse the dust!"

"Court is dismissed!"

Without allowing anyone to question or offer advice, Xu Yuan flicked his sleeves and turned, disappearing behind the Imperial Steps.

The assembly in the Nine Dragon Hall ended amidst surging undercurrents.

Xu Yuan's departing back was decisive and steady, leaving behind a hall full of officials with varying thoughts.

Those officials from Noble Families, though appearing terrified on the surface, hid a trace of hope and observation deep in their eyes. Some even sent secret messages, passing on the young Emperor's 'ambiguous' reaction in court as a signal of his being strong in appearance but weak inside and feeling fearful, quickly spreading the word.

However, they would never have thought that Xu Yuan's 'dismissal' was not a retreat, but rather a disdain for wasting his breath on pointless arguments.

True decisions never lay within the clamor of the court.

Half an hour later, deep within the palace, in the Imperial Study.

This place had been enveloped by several layers of Formations, isolating the interior from the exterior. Light passed through the glazed windows and was filtered by the Formations, casting a cold and solemn glow.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ambergris mixed with spiritual ink.

Xu Yuan had already changed out of his complex ceremonial robes and was wearing a set of black daily attire, which made his tall figure appear even more upright.

He stood with his hands behind his back before a massive map of the Great Shang territory, his gaze like a torch falling on the red-marked 'Qinglan Mountain Range' in the Southeast and the winding 'Iron Wall Pass' defense line in the Northern Border.

Wang Qingshan, the head of the Wang family, Grand Elder Wang Zheng Yuan, Third Elder Wang Zhengqing, and two absolutely loyal core Foundation Establishment Elders of the Wang family who commanded the Shadow Guard and part of the Imperial Guards, stood solemnly behind him.

The aura of the five people was heavy and concentrated, like unsheathed sharp swords. The air in the study slightly stagnated due to the presence of these Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"The situation is clear: the Northern Wolves are at the pass, and there is a rebellion in the Southeast. Everyone, what are your thoughts?"

Xu Yuan did not turn around, his voice calm.

"The Heavenly Wolf Dynasty of the Northern Border has valiant cavalry, but their State Preceptor is elderly, and there are internal disputes among their royal family. This attack on the pass should be primarily for plundering and probing, rather than a full national effort."

"Xuanwu is our Wang family's Hidden Pawn, with a Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation. Relying on the natural danger of the Iron Wall Pass and the 'Houtu Firmrock Formation' managed for many years, holding out for a month should be no problem."

Wang Qingshan was the first to speak, his voice as steady as usual.

The Grand Elder stroked his beard and added, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "The true major threat is in the Southeast!"

"The Xiao Family and the Shen Family have been entrenched for hundreds of years with a deep Foundation. Once their rebellion begins, several Southeast commanderies will respond instantly. If the Spiritual Vein water transport is cut and the rebellion isn't quickly extinguished, it will surely spread across the country and shake the National Fortune! Furthermore, since they dare to act this way, they must have colluded with the Northern Wolves, attempting to make us unable to attend to both ends!"

"The Shadow Guard has confirmed that the head of the Xiao Family, Xiao Huan, is at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Using the Xiao Family's ancestral 'Qingmu Grand Array' in the Qinglan Mountain Range, their position is easy to defend and hard to attack."

"The Shen Family, on the other hand, has used its wealth to recruit many desperate Loose Cultivators. They expect that since Your Majesty has newly ascended the throne and internal affairs are not yet stable, you will not dare to move lightly, much less fight on two fronts."

Xu Yuan listened quietly, his finger lightly tracing the map from the Royal Capital to the Qinglan Mountain Range, then to the Iron Wall Pass. Finally, his fingertip pressed heavily on the location of the Qinglan Mountain Range.

"Correct." Xu Yuan turned slowly, his gaze sweeping over the five people before him, a stern Imperial Might naturally radiating from him. "Therefore, I have decided to implement the strategy of 'Defend the North, Attack the South, with a quick battle and a quick resolution'!"

"Defend the North?" Wang Qingshan frowned slightly. "Yuan... Your Majesty, relying on Xuanwu alone, I fear..."

"Do not worry, Father." Xu Yuan interrupted him, his tone certain. "In the Northern Border, there is more than just Xuanwu."

"I will issue an order for the 'White Tiger' unit in the Western Border to draw its elites and secretly move east to help defend the Iron Wall Pass, under Xuanwu's command."

"Then, I will order the 'Azure Dragon' of the Eastern Sea to send out a harassment fleet to cruise along the coastline of the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty and pin down their rear."

"In this way, the Northern Border can be kept safe. For at least three months, it will be difficult for the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty to cross the line!"

A sharp light flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes: "This plan is feasible! This is secretly crossing the Chencang, attacking where the enemy must save. With our Wang family's years of planning, it won't be difficult to execute this strategy. Then, the Southeast..."

"As for the Southeast, what I want is not to repel them, but to crush them!"

"It is to plow the courtyard and sweep the caves, to eliminate the root of the problem forever!"

Xu Yuan took a step forward, his voice suddenly becoming sonorous and powerful, carrying the sound of clashing metal:

"I will go there personally!"

An Imperial Expedition!

"What?!"

Hearing this, everyone present could not help but be slightly moved.

After all, Xu Yuan's status was different now; he was the monarch in charge of a nation, and his every move concerned the National Fortune.

For a new monarch to leave the center of power while internal affairs were unstable and external enemies were surrounding him was inherently a great risk.

If he wins, his prestige will certainly spread across the land; but if he loses, or if the war goes poorly and falls into a stalemate, the newly gathered National Fortune might instantly collapse, and the forces watching from all over will surely swarm up, potentially causing the Great Shang Dynasty to be overthrown.

Wang Qingshan took a deep breath and was the first to step forward, saying in a heavy voice: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The Qinglan Mountain Range is the Xiao Family's old nest, managed for a thousand years. The 'Qingmu Grand Array' is no small matter, and with that old thief Xiao Huan, who is at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, presiding over it, it is exceptionally dangerous. The matter of suppressing the rebellion can be left to us! I am willing to sign a military pledge and will surely bring back Xiao Huan's head!"

Grand Elder Wang Zhengqing also advised with a sincere tone: "Your Majesty, the family head is exactly right. Now that the court situation has just been settled and the flames of war have risen again in the Northern Border, only by Your Majesty presiding over the center can the people's hearts be stabilized and the overall situation be coordinated."

"If Your Majesty personally leads the campaign to the Southeast, not to mention the dangers of the battlefield, if scoundrels in the Royal Capital take the opportunity to cause trouble, or if the war in the Northern Border changes, I fear you will be beyond reach!"

"..."

For a moment, the Imperial Study was filled with voices of dissuasion.

Xu Yuan listened quietly to everyone's advice, his face showing no displeasure; instead, a knowing smile appeared.

After the voices died down, Xu Yuan spoke slowly, his voice steady yet carrying an unquestionable penetration: "Because the court is not yet stable and external enemies are watching, I must personally lead the campaign to the Southeast. Furthermore, I must resolve it quickly, plowing the courtyard and sweeping the caves with thunderous momentum!"

"If we send a Great General, how many troops would be needed and how much time would it take to conquer a thousand-year-old noble family fortress guarded by a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator?"

"Our Wang family did not prepare in advance this time, and the rebellion of the Noble Families was extremely sudden. We cannot send Hidden Pawns to break the Formation from within as before. Therefore, we would need to mobilize at least a hundred thousand elites, supplemented by Formation Masters, and advance steadily. Even if it goes smoothly, I fear it would take half a year, and casualties would surely be heavy," the Elder in charge of the Shadow Guard replied.

"Half a year? A hundred thousand troops?" Xu Yuan shook his head. "Half a year is enough for the Northern Border to change, enough for other Noble Families to collude, and enough for the Great Shang's national strength to be continuously drained by internal friction!"

"I do not have that much time to waste with them!"