Xue Qinghe accepted the intelligence from Xue Ye with both hands and lowered his eyes to read it.
There were only a few lines on the yellowed page, yet he read them very slowly.
In truth, he had received this intelligence long before it was delivered to the palace.
But every subtle change in his expression was perfectly measured, as if he were reading the message for the first time. There wasn't the slightest crack in his act.
A few minutes later, Xue Qinghe gently folded the intelligence and raised his head.
His gaze settled on Xue Ye's sickly face.
"Father, I believe—"
He paused. His voice was steady, yet carried a hint of gravity.
"The news that a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone has appeared is a great blessing to most people, but for our Heaven Dou Empire alone, it is a calamity."
His words were decidedly pessimistic, even rather dispiriting.
But after hearing them, Xue Ye didn't reprimand him. Instead, he lifted his chin slightly, a trace of approval showing in his somewhat cloudy eyes.
"Go on."
He tightened the thick fox-fur cloak around himself and raised a hand to Xue Qinghe, signaling for him to continue.
"Nuoding City lies on the border and has always been a melting pot of all sorts. Now that news of the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone has spread across the continent, countless Soul Masters are flooding in from every direction. All kinds of people are gathering in one city, and the slightest misstep could trigger chaos."
Xue Qinghe's voice was not loud, and his pace unhurried, but his reasoning was exceptionally clear.
"But more than unrest among the Soul Masters, what concerns me is the Star Luo Empire."
He raised his eyes and looked straight at Xue Ye.
"Nuoding City sits right on the border. If chaos breaks out, the Star Luo Empire will surely take advantage of the situation and invade. The slightest misstep could see Nuoding City engulfed in the flames of war."
Xue Ye said nothing. He merely nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.
"Does the Crown Prince have a plan?"
He leaned forward a little, straightening his back against the soft couch.
"I suggest that Marshal Ge Long lead one hundred thousand troops to Nuoding City."
Xue Qinghe spoke clearly, his tone firm.
"On the one hand, Marshal Ge Long can take charge of Nuoding City, maintain order, and prevent the Soul Masters from rioting. On the other, he can strengthen the border defenses and leave the Star Luo Empire no opportunity to exploit. Marshal Ge Long's reputation precedes him. With him stationed there at the head of an army, even if Star Luo intends to cause trouble, it will have to think twice."
Having said this, he stood quietly in place and waited for Xue Ye's response.
After hearing him out, Xue Ye first nodded, then shook his head.
"The Crown Prince's plan is indeed sound."
He spoke with approval in his voice, though it wasn't quite unqualified approval.
"But you've overlooked one thing."
"Please enlighten me, Father."
Xue Qinghe showed no displeasure at being contradicted. He immediately bent forward, clasped his hands before him, and listened attentively.
Seeing Xue Qinghe's deferential manner, Xue Ye smiled, clearly pleased.
"The Crown Prince forgot four words—speed is of the essence."
As he spoke, Xue Ye slowly rose from the soft couch.
He pulled the fox-fur cloak back over his shoulders and shuffled to the enormous map hanging nearby. Raising a thin, bony finger, he pointed to Nuoding City.
"Nuoding City lies on the border, a thousand miles from Heaven Dou City. If we follow the Crown Prince's proposal and have Ge Long march there with a hundred thousand troops, gathering provisions and supplies alone will take several days. The army will move even more slowly. By the time Ge Long reaches Nuoding City, the day will already be lost. How could we possibly seize the initiative then?"
He paused and turned to Xue Qinghe, his tone taking on the calm certainty of an old emperor.
"So I plan to send Ge Long alone. With his strength as a Soul Douluo, he can travel at full speed and reach Nuoding City from Heaven Dou City in no time. Once he arrives, half the situation in Nuoding City will already be under control."
"As for the troops—"
Xue Ye's hand pointed from Nuoding City toward the Balak Kingdom, to its right.
"I will grant him a Tiger Tally so he can mobilize the Balak Kingdom's guards. The Balak Kingdom has the strongest military forces among the four kingdoms. They'll be more than enough to maintain order in one city."
"That way, we won't have to put the whole army through the ordeal of a long march, we can take control of Nuoding City at once, and we won't delay preparations along the border."
As he spoke, his voice rose slightly, and a long-dormant sharpness flashed in his cloudy eyes.
"When Ge Long's troops appear atop Nuoding City's walls, even if the Star Luo Empire truly has designs on us, the sight of that commander's banner will make them vanish like smoke."
Xue Qinghe listened in silence, but his gaze fell on another spot on the map.
He didn't immediately agree. Instead, he frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and pointed to a city north of the Border Mountains.
"Taking the guards from the Balak Kingdom to defend Nuoding City is indeed a sound plan, but I have another concern—"
His fingertip tapped lightly on the map.
"Sending away the guards will leave the Balak Kingdom's defenses thin. If the Star Luo Empire doesn't attack Nuoding City but instead takes another route, breaks through the Border Mountains, and attacks Suotuo City, how should we respond?"
Xue Qinghe's finger stopped at Suotuo City. His voice carried genuine concern.
"Suotuo City lies on a plain, with no natural defenses around it. If the Star Luo Empire's army crosses the Border Mountains, an open, flat plain will lie before them. By then, Suotuo City, left with insufficient troops, will be a piece of meat for anyone to carve up. Once Suotuo City falls, the Star Luo army can charge straight in and drive deep into the heart of our Heaven Dou Empire."
His brow furrowed even more deeply, and his tone grew heavier.
"The Crown Prince has considered this very carefully."
After hearing him out, Xue Ye showed no displeasure. On the contrary, he smiled.
"But you think too highly of the Star Luo Empire's people. The Border Mountains are nearly three thousand meters high, and few people ever go there. They're covered in snow year-round, and even birds can scarcely cross them. There are barely any hunting paths up the mountains. Even a Soul Master would find crossing them alone harder than climbing to the heavens, let alone a large army. They couldn't get through."
Xue Ye clasped his hands behind his back and turned his attention to the map again.
Candlelight fell across his profile, casting the deep furrows of his wrinkles into alternating bands of light and shadow.
"Even the Spirit Hall's Soul Master legions couldn't cross through there. The Crown Prince need not worry."
Xue Qinghe fell silent for a moment.
Then he bent forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty is wise."
Xue Ye nodded, wrapped his fox-fur cloak tightly around himself again, and shuffled back to the soft couch.
His health truly wasn't what it used to be. After standing for only a short while, his breathing had grown faint. He leaned back against the cushions to recover before speaking again.
"Also, I plan to send one of the princes to accompany Ge Long."