I've Been Framed

This was the largest conflict that had erupted in the Shogunate since its establishment.

Since the Yilan-Tai'er incident, the increasingly strained relationship between Distant Harbor and the Council has intensified. In the past three months, from mutual attacks in public opinion to mutual economic sanctions, and even propaganda wars, espionage wars and small-scale conflicts have been taking place openly and covertly, and the winds of war seem to be blowing across the land.

The entire continent sensed the impending storm.

The Grand Merchant Guild reduced its business, nobles recalled their sons who were studying in the land of mages, wealth and people were fleeing for their lives, and the greedy hyenas were watching—carrionists are always good at profiting, and they were waiting for a gluttonous feast after both sides had suffered heavy losses.

The courts and military institutions of all nations are operating at full speed. Retired marshals and generals, prolific military strategists, wise and intelligent advisors and sages—all the elites have gathered at the king's court.

They provided the answers the king desired through arguments, deductions, and debates.

The kings wanted to know how this war, which seemed inevitable, would begin, how it would end, whether the flames of war would spread, and whether its scale could be controlled.

I also want to know what the war between the Arcane Council, from which half of the world's spellcasters originate, Dragon of Cathay, who wields the power of Forbidden Spell and the divine arts of alchemy, will ultimately bring to this world.

Is it a deep-seated, unforgettable wound?

After all, no one dares to firmly believe in the rationality of the Cathayan, let alone predict an unpredictable fate. If Kang De's Forbidden Spell were to go out of control, it would be a disaster for the entire world.

Or is it a turning point for a leap forward?

--Kang De's alchemy and ancient heritage, the Arcane achievements of the Council dominated the continent—if either of these were to collapse, their whaling would be enough to nourish the entire world?

Or was it a result that put the kings at ease?

No one liked Kang De. No one liked him for repeatedly stirring up trouble and making enemies of the great powers. No one liked him for his disrespect for the nobility, his bloodthirstiness, and his tyranny. No one liked what he did in the Distant Harbor. The vested interests despised Kang De for his lack of discipline and respect, and were even more afraid of the power he wielded.

How can a human being wield the power of killing and destruction over gods be allowed to remain in this world?

Even if we are powerless to change the outcome and can only accept it, we should at least suppress his ambitions, curb his rise, and teach him to be in awe and to abide by the order and rules.

"That is precisely why I believe we should proceed with caution."

Dong Tianming said in a deep voice, "The fear and suspicion that the various countries and kings have towards our lord, and even the hostility and fear of the noble class throughout the continent, have reached a dangerous tipping point. I have no intention of judging the right or wrong, gains or losses of our lord's past actions; I am merely stating a fact."

He looked at Kang De with a sincere expression. "The phrase 'having a just cause' is not directed at our own people, nor at the enemy nation, but rather at a third-party force."

"At this critical juncture, the Tula Xiaye Incident is bound to shock the world. For our lord to launch a surprise attack at this time not only risks taking the blame but also demonstrates our belligerence and radicalism to the world..."

"Give me a break!"

The Parrot slammed its hand on the table and said coldly, "Things have come to this point, can things really get any worse? Are we going to sit here and wait for the Council mobilize, declare war, and then passively fight back?"

"What third party? Do you think that if we don't attack them now, those stupid nobles and the emperor will think we're harmless? That they'll stop being hostile to us? That they'll become friendly with us?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Tianming frowned and said, "That's true, but taking such a risk is risky. If complications arise and the project fails, the consequences will be unimaginable— Distant Harbor's foundation is still too shallow."

"Shallow my foot, he..." Malegith pointed at Kang De, only managing to utter a few words before realizing her mistake and changing the subject, "I think you're just hesitant and have lost your edge."

Dong Tianming nodded frankly. "Indeed, I abandoned my family and career to become a deserter, wasting decades in the Western Lands. Finally, I have waited for an enlightened ruler, hoping day and night that you will achieve great deeds, unify the foreign lands, raise a million troops, cross the river to the west and return home to save the country from collapse. Of course, I am unwilling to stand by and watch you take risks! I am too afraid!"

The debate raged on, while Kang De pinched his brow and remained silent.

Iron Son and A Fu have already left. The two marshals are deploying troops and preparing for a surprise attack, but the final decision has not yet been made. A dispute has broken out in the Shogunate. The two ministers, who have made outstanding military achievements and have been through many battles, each have their own reasons and neither can convince the other.

Just today, something like a mix of 226, 911, and COD6 Tula Xiaye.

An "airplane" crashed into the Tower of All-Seeing, and a series of explosions occurred inside the power center of the Arcane Council. It no longer matters who orchestrated and planned all of this, because the blame will inevitably fall on Distant Harbor... With the capital city suffering such a severe blow, national dignity is paramount, Council surely vow revenge.

Even if the Distant Harbor side loudly protested, the Council would not listen. Even if they tried to explain themselves, the monks would definitely demand that Kang De come to Tula Xiaye himself to be interrogated and investigated.

Kang De was not a saint; the idea of "I, alone, endure humiliation, consider the greater good, and avoid war" is laughable and naive. Peace is never something to begged for; it is something to be fought for.

Therefore, the only possible outcome was war.

That's why Kang De made the suggestion: since the situation is beyond repair, since we're already in a difficult position, and since things can't get any worse... let's take action first!

However, Dong Tianming firmly opposed this bold proposal.

"This was just an attack under a pretext... it's very likely Council event by the council itself!"

The Imperial Tutor, holding the intelligence report, said, "It was just a plane crash into a residential area. Although the casualties were heavy, they were mostly civilians. As for the attack inside the Tower of All-Seeing, even if everyone inside died, only some administrative officials and councilors would have perished! The army protecting Tula Xiaye was completely unharmed!"

He pressed his hand to the table, his beard trembling, his expression extremely serious. "Our lord has mobilized a large army to launch a surprise attack on Tula Xiaye. We will then face the full force of the Tula Xiaye garrison! They will be filled with rage, their morale and fighting spirit at their peak. Do you intend to engage such an army head-on?"

"Besides that, there's the accumulated wealth and resources of the City of a Thousand Spells over thousands of years, from the Star-Bearing Titan atop the Tower of All-Seeing to the countless magical puppet statues scattered throughout the city, the numerous spellcasters studying there, and the magical artifacts in private and state-owned alchemy workshops... Is my lord ready to win this entire city's essence, its accumulated wealth, and its profound heritage?"

The Parrot frowned and said, "That's not how the accounts are calculated, we..."

Before she could finish speaking, Dong Tianming raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Let our lord speak for himself!"

Malegith was immediately enraged, but seeing the Imperial Tutor's unyielding gaze, she seemed to understand something, snorted sullenly, and turned her head to the side.

Kang De sat in his chair, eyes closed, deep in thought.

The ministers held their breath, for only Kang De could make this decision.

A few minutes later, Kang De opened his eyes and looked around at everyone.

He said in a deep voice, "Go!"

Silence reigned.

Dong Tianming, showing no emotion, asked, "Military affairs are of paramount importance to the state and should not be undertaken lightly. May I ask, my lord, what strategy and purpose do you have in dispatching troops to launch a surprise attack on the capital of a great nation?"

Kang De slowly said, "There are two strategies: one is to play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses, and the other is to act according to circumstances."

"There are four objectives: to gather intelligence, to probe the enemy's strength, to launch a decapitation strike, and to end the war." Kang De held up four fingers. "These four objectives are progressively more complex, and we must act according to circumstances. If things go wrong, we can flee at any moment."

Dong Tianming nodded slightly. "It sounds like you understand that this is a risky undertaking."

Kang De nodded and said, "That's right. Military strategy says that knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. But right now, we can only know ourselves, while knowing our enemy is very difficult. In any case, launching a surprise attack on a country's capital is extremely risky. Just as you said, we not only have to face the furious garrison army, but also the profound foundation that the City of a Thousand Spells has accumulated over countless years, and even the Council's secret weapons and hidden methods."

The Imperial Tutor asked, "Then..."

"Because we can't fight a war blindly."

Kang De's gaze was intense as he said, "If we pretend nothing happened and wait for the Council to clean up the mess, mobilize the people, and declare war on us, it would mean we've been completely in the dark from beginning to end, framed and betrayed, without even knowing who plotted against us... That won't do."

He stood up, clenched his fist, and said, "Besides that, war is a consensus between the two sides. We've tried everything these past few months, but we haven't been able to uncover much of the Council's trump card... I also want to take this opportunity to probe their intentions, to investigate, and see what methods the Arcane Council prepared."

"In this way..."

Dong Tianming bowed and said, "Your Majesty has made up your mind. Although this old minister does not agree, I can only obey."

He sighed, making no attempt to hide his worry. "Although it is said that a noble son should not sit under a dangerous roof, unless Your Majesty comes in person, no one can transport elite troops to a place thousands of miles away for flexible warfare. This old minister can only ask Your Majesty to keep in mind at all times that the rise and fall of these two continents rests entirely on Your Majesty's shoulders."

Kang De nodded and said, "I am well acknowledging your instruction."

He faced the senior retainers of the Shogunate, his expression solemn.

Everyone straightened up and listened attentively.

"Effective immediately, all entertainment activities in the Distant Harbor are suspended, all military leave is cancelled, the municipal government is raised to the highest alert level, and the doomsday-level evacuation plan is to be activated, with preliminary deployment drills to be conducted."

Kang De was cautious in everything he did, always considering failure before victory. His so-called doomsday evacuation plan was the ultimate contingency plan for situations where an irreversible disaster occurred, namely, when Kang De's situation on the mainland was in a state of complete failure, to the point that he could not protect the safety of the Distant Harbor and the people faced the threat of death.

At that time, the Distant Harbor City Government will immediately implement the doomsday evacuation plan. With its increasingly sophisticated grassroots execution and community control capabilities, it will primarily use drones for transportation, supplemented by human assistance, to distribute capsules made from Paradox Crystal to the public. Then, by neighborhood, it will raise the Holy Pillar Domain and carry out the evacuation operation—using Phase Teleportation to evacuate everyone to the White Mist World.

Hong San proudly declared, "I will not fail in my mission."

Kang De then looked at Tina: "I will explain the situation to Dairila, but you also need to clarify your position and declare your innocence to the Elf, Dragon Island, and Empire in your official capacity. In addition, you should also send a message to Danfeng Lucerne, saying that someone has framed Distant Harbor, Council very likely to launch a war, so please ask them to be prepared."

Tina nodded gently, and grasped the Eternal Tranquility's Protection on her chest through her clothes.

The ring on Kang De's hand also Cathay and trembled.

Her affection and determination were silent yet unwavering.

He smiled at Tina, "Time is of the essence. You'll be in my place to explain the situation to the people of Distant Harbor and reassure them... I'm leaving this matter to you."

Kang De then continued relaying orders, with each department fulfilling its duties. His final gaze fell upon Nixiyasi: "General, I need you to lead the way for the journey to Tula Xiaye."

The former Council leader nodded solemnly. "We're going to put an end to a mistake, aren't we?"

"Right."

Kang De pressed the communicator and spoke to A Fu, "Marshal Astolfo, please summon all combat units from the Council of Level Three and above. I want to address them and give a pre-battle mobilization speech... They will be the first troops to arrive in Tula Xiaye with me."

Nixiyasi was taken aback. "Them?"

Kang De simply told her to prepare herself, and then opened the Phase Gate.

"Soldiers, soldiers from the Arcane Council."

Just like the complex racial and ethnic composition of Distant Harbor, the composition of Kang De's army was also very complex. Take the Arcane Council faction as an example: the original soldiers who surrendered from the Azure Fleet after being captured in the Battle of Distant Harbor, in the past three months, "progressive elements" from the Azure Fleet who surrendered have also joined in. The two sides dislike each other and are basically hostile to each other as "the bastards who surrendered first" and "the shameless idiots".

And now, they are brought together under the same flag.

Kang De looked at them and said in a deep voice, "I have brought news. Before I tell you this news, I'll give you half a minute to make noise—about twenty minutes ago, Tula Xiaye was attacked. It is said that an airplane crashed into the Tower of All-Seeing, and there were also violent and continuous explosions inside the Tower of All-Seeing. Communication with the outside world has been cut off, the situation is unclear, and the scene is very chaotic."

As expected, the soldiers were in an uproar upon hearing the news.

The officer shouted sternly and even raised his stun gun, but it still took more than twenty seconds to completely silence the soldiers, whose uneasy eyes stared silently at Kang De.

"I've been framed."

Kang De spat on the ground. "You've been working for me for several months now, you know me. If I were behind this, what crashed into the Tower of All-Seeing wouldn't have been an airplane, but a meteorite the size of a small mountain, enough to make Tula Xiaye disappear above the horizon in one hit."

The soldiers laughed instinctively, but quickly realized the seriousness of the situation, and some of the more astute ones even made some very bad associations.

"See, you can all figure it out now, I wasn't the Council."

Kang De continued, "But this world has never been a world of reason. Most people cannot understand such things; they simply echo others' anger and vent their frustrations. And the intelligent people who can understand will not speak out, because in the face of the surging Sound of the Tide that converges into rivers and seas, the voice of the individual is insignificant, and the individual rational cries will be drowned in the ocean of anger."

"So, after hearing this news, I realized that things were getting bad."

"Because of war, war is now inevitable."

"An out-of-control war, a manipulated, hate-filled, out-of-control war, without a clear objective, without a rational leader, a chaotic war motivated by revenge and venting of anger."

"I must tell you, this is not the outcome I wanted."

"While I certainly want to teach the Council and show them that times have changed, this kind of annihilation war is not part of my plans."

"So, I want to do something."

Meeting those pairs of eyes, Kang De remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"I want to go to Tula Xiaye now," he said, "To leap through the Phase Gate with my army."

The soldiers erupted in uproar again, and even the officers stared wide-eyed.

"Because I want to find out who orchestrated this clumsy attack, who wanted to ignite this chaotic war—the logic is simple: whoever benefits the most is the conspirator!"

Kang De shouted sternly, "It's always like this! You're all prisoners! From the Azure Fleet to the Azure Fleet, weren't you all sent to my side to die by those high-and-mighty, shitty politicians?"

"And now, it's not just you, nor are you content with simply sending a few soldiers to risk their lives! You're placing the entire nation's soldiers and people, and the fate of the entire world, on the altar of this conspiracy!"

"Let me tell you! I've had enough of being passively attacked and then fighting back. I'm fucking fed up with being framed, having the Council war on me, and then having to fight back! They think they have everything under control, so I'll just jump right into their faces! I'll drag these scheming bastards out and chop them to pieces! I'm heading to Tula Xiaye right now. The advance troops are deployed, and I'll be there soon!"

Kang De raised his hand and pointed to the thousands of officers and soldiers below the stage.

I need you.

"I need you to come with me."

He softened his tone. "Among you, some were previously unsuccessful and decided to fight for a future in the Distant Harbor, some were forced to surrender and Council, and some are even spies. I know all of these things. I also know that you have had thousands of relations with the female relatives of the Council's bureaucratic members, both in your dreams and in your words. I know that if you had the chance, you would want to devour them alive."

"And I also know that no matter how much you hate, how dissatisfied, or how much you complain, you absolutely do not want to see this country plunged into the flames of war and terrible destruction, do not want to see those prosperous cities and countless crystallizations of wisdom vanish and be destroyed, and do not want to see innocent people like your family members fall into disaster."

"If that's the case, I order you to come with me to Tula Xiaye."

"We will do everything in our power to uncover the truth, end this war that should never have happened, and expose those conspirators who are high above, playing tricks, and sending soldiers to their deaths!"

Kang De stepped forward, his voice sharp and stern. "Then—who wants to come with me?"