Chapter 2193: Chapter 237: I Dare Not Speak Its Name (3)
Such a True Man of the Age, yet he appears somewhat hunched.
Chi Mengfu sits in the corner of the city tower without any semblance of his usual image, his gaze sweeping beyond the crenels, watching the distant sky, not responding.
"Applying pressure is acceptable, a small-scale war is acceptable, Yu Que actually making a move is acceptable, but if one wants to start a full-scale war now... Jinguo is impossible to have such determination."
Liu Xiyi continued, "Even this point will not be swayed by Ji Fengzhou’s will. Jinguo has dominated the world for nearly four thousand years, it is not the Jinguo of Ji Fengzhou alone."
"Jinguo will not come.
When it comes to a full-scale war with Qi Country, the only result Jinguo can accept is a resounding victory without harming its core. Once there are heavy losses, even if victorious, what follows will inevitably be a feast for the various powers to carve up the Central Region. It is both a victory and a defeat! This is the situation Jinguo, as the Central Empire, must face.
And wanting to achieve a resounding victory over Qi Country in a full-scale war, without losses, is an impossible feat.
No matter how much I dislike Jiang Shu, I must acknowledge a fact — he has not lost a battle yet."
"Hence, we indeed can only rely on ourselves," Liu Xiyi said.
Chi Mengfu silently reflected... Time truly does not spare anyone, even this irascible old fellow has started to become nagging.
Liu Xiyi glanced at the uneven, blood-stained stone floor, hesitated for a moment, and sat down.
Discarding the posture and constraints of a State Minister, he satisfiedly exhaled.
Chi Mengfu silently scooted a bit to the side.
Liu Xiyi did not get angry but said, "Zhou Xiong has been transferred from Long Luo. It is already very obvious what the Son of Heaven wants to do..."
If this statement were overheard, it would surely cause an immense uproar!
No matter Qi Xia or even the entire world, no matter the stance one takes, none would sleep peacefully!
What does Long Luo Palace encompass?
Long River spans the present world, flowing east into Summer, stopping there!
At the core of Long Luo Palace, there lies a bottomless cave, accepting the end of this Land Hanhai.
And what does this bottomless cave connect to?
In many legends, the Long Luo cave, located in the Summer Country, links to Saint Water!
What place is Saint Water?
It is the most ominous place of the present world, the complete negative of the present world, akin to the Withered South Abyss of the Mountain and Sea Realm!
To this day, it still requires the Triple Punishment Palace to guard it, and the Blood River Sect to manage it; its danger and peril are unmatched.
Figures like Liu Xiyi and Chi Mengfu in the empire’s higher-ups certainly know... the Long Luo cave able to connect to Saint Water is not merely legend.
As State Minister and State Preceptor, they further know a top-secret matter —
Before Emperor Xia Xiang fell, he had already found a way to unlock the connection between Long Luo cave and Saint Water, setting up a formation that could provoke Saint Water to invade the human world, unleashing an apocalyptic disaster!
But ultimately, until his downfall, Emperor Xia Xiang did not choose to initiate this final step.
Liu Xiyi continued, "Zhou Xiong is someone who is gentle on the outside but firm within. He will certainly not do something he thinks is wrong, regardless of pressure. Therefore, the Late King initially chose him to guard Long Luo."
"Among the marquises drawn from the east line, there happens to be one who is resolutely in the Emperor’s faction, willing to execute any command."
He turned his head, looking at Chi Mengfu’s still calm face, asking softly, "I only realized this now, when did you guess it?"
Chi Mengfu finally opened his mouth, "When King Wu said to me, ’Actually, when Jinguo will arrive is no longer important,’ that’s when I knew."
Liu Xiyi said with some difficulty, "So, King Wu also knew long ago... is that right?"
Chi Mengfu continued gazing at the sky, merely saying, "In the current situation, if Da Xia cannot unify internally, there is absolutely no chance of survival. Therefore, when the Son of Heaven suddenly shows such a strong desire for power... I completely understand King Wu’s silent consent."
He chuckled slightly, "Moreover, it seems there is no other way, isn’t it? Driving the Son of Heaven to desperation is indeed the State Preceptor’s responsibility."
Liu Xiyi let out a long sigh.
This old State Minister who has remained loyal to the Da Xia imperial family finally couldn’t resist uttering, "From ancient times, Tian Family has been callous, and incompetents especially so!"
Emperor Xia Xiang back then still chose to abandon the choice to bring Saint Water into the present world, preferring to die gloriously with several princes and princesses in battle. It’s not that he was an emperor without resolve.
Rather, such a choice truly evokes the wrath of both Heaven and man. Anyone who makes that decision becomes a public enemy of the present world, inevitably leaving behind a curse for all eternity!
And today...
With the city named "Noble City" firmly defended, abandoning the east line to aid the north line, the grand strategy is devised and executed by Chi Mengfu himself.
Events occurring during this process naturally must be orchestrated by Chi Mengfu!
The Summer Son of Heaven merely took an extra step in this strategy, triggering the Late King’s suppressed final contingency...
To become a public enemy of the present world is clearly Chi Mengfu. To bear an eternal curse is evidently Chi Mengfu. If by luck he survives, he will indubitably be subjected to execution by a thousand cuts at the Triple Punishment Palace, unmistakably Chi Mengfu!
Liu Xiyi’s critique of the contemporary Summer Emperor’s incompetence certainly isn’t very fair. At least his move was calculated, done silently, and executed fiercely!
Chi Mengfu calmly said, "If the Son of Heaven directly told me, I would agree as well. The reason I did not preemptively think of this step before the Late Kings is because it is indeed a terrible move. Even if this forces the enemy to retreat, it also destroys Da Xia’s foundation. Though Chi Mengfu could be utterly vile, can the world truly believe that to unleash Saint Water into the human realm is something I could decide alone? But since the Son of Heaven believes I can bear it, then I will try to bear it."
