Chapter 687: Defying the Monarch as a Minister

In the Tianyuan Pavilion of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court:

Zhong Shan sat behind a desk, Bei Qingsi standing beside him. In front of them stood Shuijing and a young man in white, the young master of the Xuanwu Clan, Guise.

"Guise? This is our second meeting, isn't it?" Zhong Shan said with a smile.

Zhong Shan did not rise to warmly greet Guise, and Guise found this appropriate. If Zhong Shan had been overly enthusiastic, Guise would not have come. Zhong Shan's proper attitude, neither too humble nor too domineering, was what Guise expected, avoiding the master-servant relationship typical of the Longevity Realm.

"The last time we met, my Xuanwu Clan had just signed with the Yin Moon Dynasty. I had only been there a short time before your former dynasty used it as a stepping stone to destroy it. The memory is still fresh; how could I forget?" Guise said with a wry smile.

"If the Yin Moon Dynasty hadn't fallen, the Dazhi Empire wouldn't have survived. If the Yin Moon Dynasty still existed, you and I wouldn't be meeting today," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"Indeed, fate has its ways," Guise responded with an air of nonchalance.

"Since you've come today, I assume you've made up your mind?" Zhong Shan asked seriously.

"I want to know what you can offer me. What will be the future status of the Xuanwu Clan? It is said that Emperor Zhong's word is as good as gold, and I want to hear it from you," Guise demanded without hesitation.

Looking at Guise, Zhong Shan and Shuijing exchanged a smile.

"Very well, let's make it clear today," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"Alright."

"The national beast of the Dazhi Empire is the wolf and will always be the wolf. The Xuanwu Clan, if it joins the Dazhi Empire, can sit at the same level as the Phoenix Clan. As long as the Xuanwu Clan remains loyal, I can promise that as long as I, Zhong Shan, am here, the Xuanwu Clan will always prosper," Zhong Shan said earnestly.

Guise frowned and thought for a while.

"What guarantee do you offer?" Guise asked after a moment.

"This is my empress. You should be well aware that for her, I ventured into the trap set by the Longevity Realm without hesitation," Zhong Shan said, looking at Bei Qingsi beside him.

Hearing Zhong Shan's words, Bei Qingsi's eyes softened, and a deep affection she couldn't hide filled her gaze.

"Hmm!" Guise nodded.

"She will sign a contract with the Xuanwu Clan. Isn't that enough?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Alright, I agree," Guise said, looking at Bei Qingsi before finally nodding.

With Guise's agreement, Zhong Shan smiled faintly and said, "Since you agree to join the Dazhi Empire, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"Well, as expected, Emperor Zhong is as shrewd as they say. The truth is, this time, I was sent by the Supreme to pretend to be recruited," Guise admitted with a smile.

"You are mistaken. It wasn't me who saw through your act; it was this gentleman beside me," Zhong Shan said, pointing at Shuijing.

Looking at Shuijing in surprise, Guise sighed, "Mr. Shuijing is truly talented! Thinking back to our recent conversations, perhaps my decision was entirely guided by Mr. Shuijing."

"It was your own decision, unrelated to me. What Guishou thinks is unimportant; what matters is your firm decision to join the Dazhi Empire," Shuijing said, fanning himself.

"So, what do we do next?" Guise asked, looking at Zhong Shan.

"How many in the Xuanwu Clan are loyal to you?" Zhong Shan asked.

"There is one-third who are loyal to me and do not want any ties with the Longevity Realm, another third who are die-hard loyalists to Guishou, and the final third are undecided," Guise thought for a moment and said.

"Good. Then we'll have Shuijing work on persuading those undecided Xuanwu. Place the ones loyal to you in key positions and keep the loyalists to Guishou under close watch," Zhong Shan said seriously.

"Understood!"

"Shuijing, you go and make the arrangements. A fierce battle is about to begin," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Yes!" Shuijing nodded.

The Next Day in the Study

Yi Yan spoke the same words to Zhong Shan, "A fierce battle is about to begin!"

"A fierce battle? The four great dynasties attacking?" Zhong Shan asked with a faint smile.

"Indeed, these four great dynasties are launching a simultaneous campaign to attack Dazhi and vie for control of the world!" Yi Yan confirmed with a nod.

"Ten years ago, I would have treated this matter with caution. But does Dazhi need to worry now?" Zhong Shan asked with disdain.

"But the Longevity Realm's influence is evident in this. These four great dynasties are clearly puppets of the Longevity Realm!" Yi Yan said with a frown.

"The Longevity Realm? Their foundation runs deep! But don't worry, in this chaotic era, even the most powerful forces will face obstacles. The Longevity Realm couldn't hold me in the Frozen Dynasty, and they won't hold me here in Dazhi. I can leverage the might of Dazhi. In the entire world, there are fewer than a handful who can truly harm me," Zhong Shan said confidently.

"Hmm!"

"Regarding the four great dynasties, I have already sent Shuijing to handle it. The Grand Whale Swallowing Plan must be expedited," Zhong Shan said.

"Yes, the Grand Whale Swallowing Plan is proceeding very smoothly. No, it's going extraordinarily well. In the past six months, high officials have become deeply entangled, and the people of various dynasties are obsessed with recruiting downlines. The nine-level, three-tier system has led to the highest earnings, with one chancellor of an imperial dynasty now earning a million top-grade spirit stones daily, equivalent to a billion low-grade spirit stones. A billion a day! Who can withstand such an income? Even the firmest principles are being overwhelmed by this terrifying income. The economies of the dynasties are beginning to show signs of disorder, though still hidden beneath the surface, it's utterly insane. If unchecked, it will cause increasing damage," Yi Yan said with deep admiration.

"Hmm, then speed up the process. We must act swiftly. I have a feeling someone has already seen through the Grand Whale Swallowing Plan," Zhong Shan said thoughtfully.

"Oh? Who? That doesn't seem possible," Yi Yan said, frowning.

"The North."

"Da Qin's Lü Buwei?" Yi Yan asked, frowning.

"Yes."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will expedite the process!" Yi Yan nodded.

"Hmm. You and Shuijing should not concern yourselves with the Lingxiao Heavenly Court for now. Focus on managing the southern regions," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Understood!"

To the East of Dazhi, in the Eastern Lin Dynasty, the Imperial Court

"Your Majesty, Dazhi is powerful now. Our dynasty should not take risks by engaging them. If we go to war, we risk being targeted by neighboring dynasties. Should we fail to subdue Dazhi, we will face great peril," a minister said.

"Does anyone have a differing opinion?" the Eastern Lin Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, Dazhi borders our dynasty. A conflict is inevitable sooner or later. The stronger Dazhi becomes, the harder it will be to deal with them. We should join forces with the other dynasties now and suppress them while we can," another man, the crown prince, said.

"The crown prince makes a valid point. Does anyone else wish to speak?" the Eastern Lin Emperor asked again.

"Minister, support the Crown Prince. War!" "Minister, support the Chancellor. No war!" "Minister, support the Chancellor. No war!" "No war!" "No war!" ... The court became extremely strange. Except for a few, most ministers opposed going to war. The Eastern Lin Emperor's eyes were full of confusion. What had happened to his ministers' previous valiant spirit? Why had they become so cowardly?

"My decision is made. War!" the Eastern Lin Emperor said coldly.

"Your Majesty, reconsider!" the Chancellor said respectfully.

"Your Majesty, reconsider!" the ministers echoed in unison.

Defying the monarch? The Eastern Lin Emperor's eyes were filled with coldness. Why were they so unwilling to go to war against Dazhi?

"Hmph!" The Eastern Lin Emperor snorted coldly and left the hall.

The court meeting ended inconclusively, and the ministers split into small factions, each returning to their residences. In the Chancellor's residence, seven or eight officials had gathered.

"Chancellor, shouldn't we persuade the Emperor again? If war breaks out, our downlines will be affected, new members won't join, and our income will suffer. And if the war disrupts the supply of 'Scenic Jade Discs,' it will be like cutting off our lifeline!" one official said anxiously.

"Chancellor, why don't we manufacture our own Scenic Jade Discs? It's not difficult."

"We can't. The goods must be unique. If we start making counterfeits, it will lead to a flood of fakes, robbing us of our profits. Many people want to counterfeit, but who dares to do it openly? If someone does, it will be a threat to our earnings, and all members will unite against them. The Scenic Jade Discs have a unique anti-counterfeit enchantment. If counterfeits are detected, our downlines will break free from our control, and our income will stop accumulating," the Chancellor explained.

"Hmm, then our priority must be to minimize the impact of this war. It should cause no disruption if possible."

"Agreed!"

Thus, what was supposed to be a fierce court battle turned into a matter of protecting financial interests, becoming a war with more bark than bite. Such a war had no real strength.

In the other three directions around Dazhi, the situation was similar. Ministers opposed the war, defying their emperors, showing decreasing loyalty to their dynasties.

However, under the strong insistence of the four emperors, the war began as scheduled. As the war started, slaughter commenced on the borders of the Dazhi Empire.

Zhong Shan assigned this war to Shuijing, while he remained in the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, waiting for the mastermind, Raven Daojun, to make a move.

As expected, after two months of war, the four great dynasties achieved nothing against Dazhi, failing to capture a single city. Finally, Raven Daojun could no longer sit still and personally led a group of Heavenly Extreme Realm experts towards the Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

Their arrival was grand, comparable to the forces that confronted Nie Fancheng. There were seven of them: Raven Daojun, Nu Qinghui, Guishou, and four elders from the Longevity Realm.

"Master, without the Slaughtering Immortal Sword, the three of us setting up the formation might be..." an elder said, frowning.

"With the Execution and Slaughtering formations, having the Execution Immortal Sword is enough to set up the formation. I will personally take the southern position, replacing the Slaughtering Immortal Sword!" Raven Daojun said seriously.

"Yes!" the elder said no more.

As the seven peerless experts approached the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, in the Longevity Hall:

Zhong Shan sat on the dragon throne, eyes closed, fingers gently tapping the armrest. The court officials waited silently. Suddenly, a white figure flashed in the center of the hall—Emperor Xuansha had arrived.

"They're here?" Zhong Shan opened his eyes and asked.

"They're here, seven Heavenly Extreme Realm experts," Emperor Xuansha nodded.