Choice

While the lakeside of the Imperial Capital City remained silent, the bustling Wanxiang City was teeming with activity, but a luxurious private room in the eastern part of the city was eerily quiet.

Lou Ji, dressed in a black dress with green patterns, leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed.

"That's why my sister has to leave; this year has started off like a very eventful one."

"."

Xu Yuan didn't say anything immediately, but carefully looked at the latest "Grade A" internal reference that Lou Ji had just handed him.

Given his current status, he shouldn't be qualified to review internal reports of this level, but Lou Ji dotes on him.

She suddenly approached him earlier, saying she was quitting and leaving. After asking a few questions about the reasons, Lou Ji handed him the internal reference document in front of her.

Regarding the war in the Northern Border.

After a while,

As a wisp of blood-red flame rose, the paper in his hand burned to ashes, Xu Yuan frowned deeply.

Although the fighting in the Wanxing Mountain Range was intense, not a single war beast appeared, indicating that Ancient Abyss was merely testing the waters by depleting the number of Demon Beast in the mountains this year. If the Wanxiang Sect hadn't had ulterior motives, Shengshan County wouldn't have suffered too many casualties.

The Northern Border is now the only place in the Great Yan Dynasty that can truly be called a war zone.

Therefore, Xu Yuan from the Northern Border has always paid close attention to that area.

People always like to pay attention to these things, especially when you can get real, first-hand information.

When Xu Yuan arrived in Wanxiang City, he asked someone to obtain similar intelligence, and both the official gazette and the internal reports from the Prime Minister's Estate were full of good news.

It was either slaying two thousand barbarians on a certain mountain, or besieging the main force of a certain Barbarian Tribe on a certain river. In the largest battle, Wu Yuan slaughtered the entire tribe of seventy or eighty thousand people after defeating the main force of a large tribe.

Wu Yuan's idea this time is easy to guess: even if she can't wipe out the Barbarian Tribe tribe, she'll at least make them suffer for twenty years.

But now the art style has changed drastically.

The good news was gone. Wu Yuan's 40,000 Yulin Army, along with 20,000 elite soldiers from various clans and aristocratic Aristocratic Clan, were surrounded by the Barbarian Tribe Alien King at Dali Mountain.

After a brief silence, Xu Yuan stood up and paced around the room a few times, frowning.

"The defeat of the 40,000-strong garrison at Hejia Town, a vital transportation hub, has cut off the main force's land supply routes? Moreover, the two second-rank experts from the Spirit Water Palace, who were transporting military supplies and equipment with Sumeru Ring, were directly intercepted and killed by the Barbarian Tribe at Tianpu Cliff."

Xu Yuan felt it was somewhat absurd.

He still had a limited understanding of the world's warfare models, but he did know that there were three ways to transport supplies.

Besides conventional land and air transport, powerful individuals would carry several, or even a dozen, Sumeru Ring to travel quickly.

The Prime Minister's Estate transported most of its supplies and equipment for the attack on Wanxiang City via the latter.

This is also why Sumeru Ring so rare; they are truly strategic resources, capable of relieving the army of logistical pressure.

It's understandable that the supply lines were cut off, and there could be many reasons for the classic loss of Jieting, but the fact that high-level cultivators were intercepted and killed is a bit hard to believe.

Lou Ji sighed, a hint of helplessness on her languid face.

"Changtian, these things happened all at once over two days."

This statement carries a hint of implication.

Xu Yuan could certainly understand the implication.

The array pattern technology of Tianxun Source Crystal is currently only possessed by the Prime Minister's Estate, and its information security level is classified as top secret, among the highest level.

In other words, even if someone immediately relayed the information to Wu Yuan at the front lines, there simply wouldn't be enough time.

This meant that someone was giving Princess Wu Yuan absolutely no time to react.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan looked up at Lou Ji:

"Made by the sect?"

The internal report only stated the objective events that occurred, without providing any speculative information.

Lou Ji spread her hands:

"I don't know, but it's highly likely."

A strange sense of absurdity arose in Xu Yuan's mind:

"But the 40,000 troops guarding Hejia Town and the 20,000 elite troops around Wu Yuan are all from sects, not to mention there are two Origin Beginning experts among them."

Lou Ji walked closer, bent down, and gently patted Xu Yuan's shoulder, her phoenix eyes holding a profound meaning:

"Changtian, 60,000 people is a lot, but it's really not many for all the sects in the world. The same goes for two Origin Beginning."

silence.

Then,

Xu Yuan was somewhat puzzled. "What is the sect trying to do?"

Lou Ji did not answer the question directly, but only added some information:

"Several spies of the Black Scale Guard have been exposed, and it has been discovered that the supplies transported by Wu Yuan when he went north were not for 40,000 people, but for 100,000."

Xu Yuan, with a strange expression, asked, "You mean she's hiding someone else?"

Lou Ji smiled and waved her finger, saying softly:

"The Marquis of Martial Achievement has 200,000 Beifeng Army. A few years ago, due to some events, when that old man Li Yaoxuan transferred the Marquis of Martial Achievement back to the capital, he also brought four garrisons to guard the capital. However, after Wu Yuan broke through the Barbarian Tribe and advanced deep into the capital, three of the four garrisons in the Imperial Capital have been secretly transferred away. It is estimated that they will arrive in Beifeng City in about half a month. I only learned about this ten days ago."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan suddenly understood.

The Prime Minister's Estate is not the only force capable of secretly mobilizing troops in this world.

The Great Yan royal family also possesses this capability, but it seems their secrecy wasn't as effective as it was in this operation.

However, the emperor secretly mobilized so many elite troops to the Northern Border.

Xu Yuan rubbed his temples:

"Does the emperor intend to use this opportunity to eliminate the northern Barbarian Tribe once and for all?"

"It should be."

Lou Ji nodded with satisfaction, her tone tinged with nostalgia, as if recalling past events:

"Li Yaoxuan was an ambitious ruler who knew his days were numbered and wanted to eliminate some threats before he died, but the sect wanted to maintain the status quo. What a pity."

"."

Xu Yuan slumped back onto the heavy desk, his expression tinged with sarcasm.

"The sect... does this mean they understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'?"

Lou Ji shrugged her fair shoulders, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Everything became clear.

There are many intelligent people in the sect.

Although your royal family and the Prime Minister's Estate are now smiling and wanting to negotiate, the events of more than a decade ago are still there, and it's impossible to be unprepared.

It's possible to deal with the surrounding alien races, but it's unnecessary, because maintaining the status quo is in the best interest of the sect.

After all, who knows who will be next after you deal with the surrounding alien races?

The emperor was aware of the sect's thoughts.

If we can't do it openly, then we'll do it secretly.

The planning began several years ago.

The war in the Northern Border started poorly, with each side hindering the other and leading to a series of defeats until the Beifeng City was besieged, which was most likely with the emperor's tacit approval.

Because the emperor knew that Beifeng City could not be lost, because the sects would never allow Beifeng City, their bottom line, to be lost.

Therefore, they acquiesced.

On the surface, Wu Yuan led 40,000 Yulin Army to relieve the Beifeng, and also coerced sects to recover lost territory and launch retaliatory attacks against the Barbarian Tribe.

In reality, the grain and supplies had already been transported. Once the Beifeng Army arrived at the Northern Border, it wouldn't be a matter of retaliation, but rather a true extermination of the entire clan.

They slaughtered the entire Barbarian Tribe, leaving nine out of ten households devastated, and they would not be able to recover their strength for a hundred years.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan exhaled and said in the same way:

"It's truly a pity."

He wasn't some animal rights organization; he wouldn't have the slightest objection even if the Barbarian Tribe, this green-skinned and black-skinned alien race, were completely slaughtered.

If the emperor's plan succeeds, at least when he takes action against the sects in the future, he won't have to worry about the Barbarian Tribe invading from the south and becoming the boss.

but

Xu Yuan looked at Lou Ji with a hint of helplessness in his eyes:

"It seems I overestimated the bottom line of these sects."

By directly destroying your plan through drastic measures, there's no flaw left to exploit, and there's no justifiable reason to seek revenge later.

At most, they'll just put out a few targets for you to chop down.

Lou Ji wasn't surprised at all, and said with a charming laugh:

"Bottom line? What is that? Their very existence is a form of usurpation of the country. Besides usurping the country, what's so strange about betraying their own people for their own benefit?"

However, at this point, she raised her hand and gave Xu Yuan a gentle pat on the head, her eyes narrowing into two crescent moons—very dangerous.

"However, Changtian, this plan isn't over yet~"

Xu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this, but then he realized what was happening:

"Did Father also have a backup plan?"

"It's not your father, it's Zong Qingsheng. He sensed something was amiss during the previous battles and went to the Northern Border ahead of time."

Lou Ji curled her red lips, her tone somewhat disdainful, but her eyes held a hint of admiration. "I thought this roughneck only knew how to rob your sister of money at the end of the year, but it seems he's actually quite useful."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment and recalled this person.

These are all memories from a past life. This person is almost nowhere to be found in the memories of this life, because he rarely comes to the Prime Minister's Estate.

It's highly likely that he did this to avoid suspicion. He controls the entire army of the Prime Minister's Estate, and staying Prime Minister's Estate would make him more likely to run into other high -Prime Minister's Estate, especially Hua Hong, who controls the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce of Commerce.

It seems that the other party has a high level of political awareness.

However, Xu Yuan had a very deep impression of this person in Cangyuan.

Zong Qingsheng was one of the high-ranking Prime Minister's Estate who learned of Xu Yinhe's life or death in Cangyuan and chose to be buried with him.

A very powerful late-game boss.

"Did Mr. Zong bring troops with him?"

"Otherwise?"

Lou Ji replied matter-of-factly with a smile, "Old Master Zong can't even beat a second-rank cultivator with his military formation Cultivation Method. What use would he be if he went alone? He's taken 30,000 elite Black Scale Army and is holed up in a ravine by a river near Dali Mountain, waiting for news of your father."

"Did he bring the Heavenly Message Crystal?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Right."

Lou Ji nodded, a hint of resentment appearing on her charming face as she spoke, pouting, "Of the three Heavenly Message Crystal currently in the experimental stage, one is with your father, one is with that brat Xu Changge, and the last one is with the old man. I don't even have one, tsk tsk."

As she spoke, Lou Ji suddenly winked at Xu Yuan:

"Changtian, your brother has that Heavenly Message Crystal because he's the heir; he'll probably pass it on to you someday."

"."

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes.

here we go again.

Before he knew it, the old lady started asking him for favors.

In less than a month after they met, he swindled 15 million taels of silver from him, along with two rare and extinct Charm God Flower.

If it weren't for Xu Yuan insisting on saving the last Charm God Flower for Su the Succubus study, she probably would have already been driven crazy by this old lady.

Lou Ji leaned forward, her eyes pleading as she gently shook Xu Yuan's shoulder:

"Changtian."

"You want me to ask Xu Changge for his Heavenly Message Crystal?" Xu Yuan asked, glancing at her.

"Uh-huh."

Lou Ji nodded, her movements quite exaggerated, swaying along with the movement.

Xu Yuan grinned and pointed to the tip of his nose:

"No, sister, what makes you think Xu Changge would give me the thing? Because I'd get beaten up?"

"He dares?"

Lou Ji raised her eyebrows, then said softly to Xu Yuan, "I'll go with you. If he dares to hit you, I'll beat him up for you."

Xu Yuan glanced at her, completely unmoved:

"Heh, how come I remember when he used to hang me up and whip me, you were the one laughing the most?"

Impossible, absolutely impossible. Xu Yuan has been eyeing that Heavenly Message Crystal for a very, very long time.

Want it? It doesn't exist.

Lou Ji looked at Xu Yuan pitifully. "Sister really won't do it again."

Let's talk about it later.

Xu Yuan waved his hand to interrupt, using delaying tactics, but then seemed to suddenly remember something, and quickly brought the topic back to the forefront in a low voice:

"So, Father is planning to cooperate with the Emperor in this matter?"

Lou Ji knew it was hopeless, so she coldly snorted, sat down in the chair opposite her, and slammed her long, slender legs onto the table with a "thud." She crossed her arms and gave a curt reminder:

"Changtian, although there are rifts Prime Minister's Estate and the royal family, they cooperate more often. If the royal family were to become completely opposed to my Prime Minister's Estate, unless a major upheaval occurs in the future, the entire Great Yan will be gradually drained to death by those sects, eventually splitting back to the sect-based world of ten thousand years ago."

Upon hearing this reminder, Xu Yuan stared at those long, slender, fair legs, somewhat speechless.

He certainly understood that.

With the collaboration of Xu Yinhe and the emperor, two extraordinary men who appeared out of nowhere, the combined strength of the royal family and the prime minister's mansion was probably the closest the Great Yan Kingdom had ever come to any major sect in the 1,300-year history of the Prime Minister's Estate.

It's definitely impossible for a civil war to break out among comrades first.

In the many timelines of Cangyuan, during the turmoil up to the middle period, the royal family and the Prime Minister's Estate always stood together in the early stages.

He asked that question because if the Prime Minister's Estate intervened to resolve the situation at that moment, the Barbarian Tribe would most likely surrender immediately.

This doesn't fit the subsequent plot development at all. The Barbarian Tribe have a very low presence in Cangyuan because there is no female protagonist, but they appear in almost every storyline to some extent.

Now that the Barbarian Tribe has been wiped out, the entire subsequent storyline will be thrown into chaos.

In other words, within Cangyuan, this father likely did not choose to cooperate with the royal family on this matter.

There must be something hidden behind this.

Is it because of his existence?

Did the father change his choice at the last minute because he felt there was a new heir?

As for that so-called Ninth Princess Wu Yuan, she never appeared in Cangyuan at all, and it's highly likely that she died in the war against the Barbarian Tribe.

As Xu Yuan pondered these things, his thoughts began to wander.

"Changtian."

"Changtian."

"Changtian!!"

Lou Ji's voice suddenly brought Xu Yuan back from his thoughts. She pursed her lips and asked:

What were you thinking about just now?

Xu Yuan came to his senses and smiled:

"Nothing, just thinking about my father's choice."

Lou Ji looked somewhat suspicious, but didn't ask any further questions, only reiterating the previous one:

"Changtian, are you planning to come to the Northern Border with me, or go directly to the Imperial Capital?"