Chang'an, the capital.
Zhongjue Hall.
"An impressive chain of interlocking open schemes."
After receiving the news, Shan Liangcheng came to the palace. He carefully read through the battle report once more in detail, then casually held it over a candle and lit it, watching it burn to nothing.
He had originally been a true transmission disciple of Shengyun Sect's Golden-Wing Peak, and also one of the few second-tier formation masters in the sect. Moreover, unlike all the other cultivators who came to the Eastern Divine Continent, Shan Liangcheng had not come for cultivation resources.
As a true transmission disciple, he had long since applied for a quota for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
This time, the most important reason he came was to render service to his sect; second, to avenge a friend.
Han Xiang had been his chess companion for more than 10 years. There was no life-and-death bond between them, but with only the single word "friend," he still had to do his utmost. That way, he would at least have something to say before the cenotaph in the future.
"Immortal Master Shan."
Minister of Personnel Yin Mingchun said, "What should the court do next?!"
"Exactly!"
The civil and military officials fell into a mass panic.
In the Central Plains, the court now had actual control over only 3 prefectures.
Once the rebels crossed the Fei River, they could strike straight at Chang'an.
"Why are you all in such a panic?"
Shan Liangcheng's cold voice carried calmness. Word by word, he said, "Young Lord Zhou did not lose. Do not be fooled by surface appearances. The overall situation still stands on our side."
"Did not lose?"
Yan Maoxing froze, then said, "Immortal Master Shan, are you speaking nonsense? 400,000 troops reduced to ashes, and you call that not losing?"
"It is true that the 400,000 troops were wiped out, but they also bought us time."
Shan Liangcheng pointed his bamboo flute at the sand table. "While Chen Sanshi was exhausting every scheme trying to figure out how to win the battle of Chibi, the court's 1,000,000 troops have already finished assembling."
1,000,000 troops!
What a vast number.
Just mobilizing all the weapons and armor from the armories of the various prefectures required enormous manpower, material resources, and time, not to mention the follow-up personnel and provisions.
The original intent of the Battle of Chibi was to take the initiative, forcing the rebels to go to Chibi to fight, while the court used that opportunity to complete the mobilization of its grand army.
Even if Chibi was lost, the objective had already been achieved.
The more than 1,000,000 troops from 18 prefectures had all been transferred into the 3 prefectures around the capital.
This was... a war of the entire nation!
With years of warfare, provisions were scarce.
This time, concentrating so many troops into 3 prefectures, instead of stretching the front and fighting on multiple routes at once, was meant to use only a single best supply line to deliver materials and reduce wastage to the minimum.
Even so, the daily consumption of this million-strong army, both men eating and horses chewing, was a number impossible to estimate.
After this battle, win or lose, the national strength of the Great Sheng Dynasty would be completely drained!
It was, in truth, draining the pond to catch the fish.
Fortunately, not only Great Sheng, but Southern Xu, Eastern Qing, and Western Qi were all in much the same state now. Their treasuries had long since been exhausted as well. If it were not for the "Immortal Masters" pressing down, the Eastern Divine Continent would have descended into chaos long ago.
Sheng, Qing, Qi, Xu--who knew how many new dynastic titles would be added, how many heroes would rise up.
And it was precisely because Immortal Masters and high-realm martial artists were pressing down that this war did not matter even if it was draining the pond to catch the fish.
As long as... they could win.
In fact, only Shan Liangcheng knew.
From the beginning, Young Lord Zhou went to Chibi with the resolve to die, to buy time.
That was why he had said, "Great Sheng having Young Lord Zhou is Great Sheng's good fortune."
Only, in this fight to the death, the White Robe made Zhou Rong believe he would win.
That was exactly what made the White Robe terrifying.
He could command you!
And without you even realizing it, he would lead you by the nose!
That was also why they could not merely retreat and defend. They had to continue the previous strategy: choose the battlefield themselves and keep the initiative firmly in their own hands.
The battle of Chibi could be said to be the prerequisite for massing 1,000,000 troops.
Now that the prerequisite was met, what came next was... the final war of the entire nation!
"So Immortal Master Shan means we must continue fighting?"
After understanding Shan Liangcheng's meaning, the civil and military officials felt their hearts pounding with dread.
"Immortal Master Shan."
Minister of Personnel Yin Mingchun said cautiously, "Since we have sufficient troops, why not hold the passes and defend?"
"This prince supports Immortal Master Shan!"
Prince of Qin, acting as regent, let out a rough voice. "This battle at Chibi was preparation for what comes next. If we cower at this moment, wouldn't Young Lord Zhou and the 400,000 troops have died for nothing?!
"That Hunter Chen is formidable with sinister schemes!
"So we won't play his game. We'll crush him to death with pure force!
"Zhu Ming!
"Calculate it. What are the troop numbers for the final decisive battle between enemy and us!"
The 6 ministers could not be left vacant.
After Zhou Rong died, the court had no choice but to promote new people again.
Zhu Ming, like Zhou Rong, was a descendant of one of the 12 founding generals of Qilin Pavilion. He had no great talent, but his advantage was that he had served as the Ministry of War's Right Vice Minister for many years, and at least he would not drag them down.
And given the current situation...
Only by employing a large number of down-and-out meritorious nobles could they better steady the hearts of the scholar-gentry across the realm.
Great Sheng was still Great Sheng.
"Reporting to Your Highness!"
Zhu Ming had long since finished calculating. He spoke fluently: "Right now, the rebels appear to occupy more than 20 prefectures, with great momentum, but their actions have been hasty. In the vast majority of places, their foundations are unstable, and they still need to leave troops behind to suppress and garrison.
"In the end, the forces they can truly mobilize for a decisive battle against our army will definitely not exceed 300,000.
"In my humble opinion, it will probably be between 200,000 and 250,000."
"Did you all hear that?!"
Prince of Qin swept his gaze over the civil and military officials in the hall. His voice rang with iron as he rallied morale: "The rebels are nothing but a mere 200,000 men, and what about our court? We have a full 1,000,000 soldiers in armor!
"200,000 versus 1,000,000!
"Which side holds the advantage, do I need to say more?!"
The civil and military officials muttered to themselves.
Yes.
That was a full 1,000,000.
Everyone present
had probably never seen so many people gathered together in one place.
"1,000,000!" Prince of Qin emphasized. "Do you know what that means?
"Even if we merely threw the horsewhips in our army into the Fei River, we could dam the current like a great dike and cut off the river!
"A whip cast to sever the flow!
"So what is there for you to fear!
"This great battle!
"I will personally take command and go to the front to hold the line!
"You civil and military officials will all follow along!"
All officials will follow along!
Hearing this, the officials in the hall trembled.
"Your Highness?!"
Minister of Personnel Yin Mingchun asked blankly, "W-we civil officials have to go too?"
"Yes." Minister of Revenue Tian Guang echoed. "Your Highness, we are all scholars who cannot even bind a chicken. Even if some of us practice martial arts from time to time, we are only at the tempering blood realm. If we go to the front, I'm afraid we will be of no use at all, right?"
"Who says you are of no use!"
Prince of Qin said righteously and sternly: "When the realm is tottering and the court is in peril, this is precisely the time for you great lords to show loyalty to the court. Even if you die, you must die outside the capital!
"Only with 'the officials defend the nation's gate, the imperial clan dies for the altars of state' can we ignite the fighting spirit of the frontline soldiers!"
"Th-this..."
The civil and military officials erupted in an uproar.
"Hm?!"
Seeing this, Prince of Qin's eyes bulged with fury. He smashed the desk to pieces with one punch and nearly roared: "Aren't you all always boasting of yourselves as loyal ministers of Great Sheng? When the time comes that you are needed, you no longer dare?!
"I am telling you!
"Inside the capital, third rank and above, not a single one can hide!
"All of you will share life and death with the soldiers at the front, advance and retreat together!"
How could the civil and military officials dare to object anymore? They could only steel themselves and declare their loyalty one by one.
"We are willing to give our loyalty to Great Sheng!"
"Heh heh." Shan Liangcheng seemed to tease, "Your Highness is truly unafraid."
"What do I have to fear?!"
Prince of Qin, acting as regent, said with imposing calm: "Since we have decided to fight, then Immortal Master Shan, speak of it. How exactly are we to fight?!"
"As the saying goes, a heavy sword has no edge; the greatest skill is no contrivance."
Shan Liangcheng hardened his tone. The bamboo flute in his hand abruptly fell upon the Fei River region along Yuzhou's border on the sand table. "The same words as before: since we cannot defeat Chen Sanshi by playing with military stratagems and cunning schemes, then we will not compete with him on that ground. Therefore, the 1,000,000-strong army will all set out for the Yuzhou front. Our spearhead will press straight toward Kunyang Prefecture."
"What a fine 'a heavy sword has no edge; the greatest skill is no contrivance'!"
Prince of Qin nodded in sudden understanding. "We will arrange it exactly as Immortal Master Shan says!"
Kunyang lay at the center of many rivers. It controlled the waterworks hub for the entire Fei River basin, and it was also the rebels' only waterway supply route leading to the capital after they seized control of the Luoxiao River.
As long as Kunyang was taken, the rebels would lose the qualification to cross the river safely. They would be forced to retreat north of the Fei River and detour more than 500 kilometers to the western Fengzhou ferry crossing to cross. But if they did that, they would need to remobilize vast amounts of provisions and baggage, and even at the fastest speed, that would be a matter for 1 year later.
By then...
Emperor Longqing would have long since finished his closed-door cultivation.
This war would, for all intents and purposes, be won!
It could also be said that Fei River Kunyang was the battlefield that would decide victory.
"What are we waiting for?!"
Prince of Qin immediately made the decision: "We have 1,000,000 troops, Immortal Master Shan's formations, and in addition the Ling family's old ancestor. This time, we will surely smash the rebel bandits.
"The whole army, set out!"
With a single order, all the civil and military officials of every size and rank in Chang'an entered the final preparations.
"Senior Brother Shan!"
A Shengyun Sect cultivator stepped down from the sky and landed steadily. In the instant he touched down, he tucked his flying sword into his sleeve. With a grim expression, he strode into the hall. "There's bad news."
"Junior Brother Su, you were sent by the sect as well?"
Shan Liangcheng frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"It's Guiyuan Sect!"
Su Chun said heavily. "The sect received intelligence that Guiyuan Sect may be sending a big figure."
Yulu Prefecture.