The king of Tang fainted on the spot.
For all his countless calculations, he had never imagined that the person who would betray him one day would be his own son.
His own fucking flesh and blood, at that!
Xu Qingxiao's heart was filthy-so filthy it was frightening.
He had played this hand of sowing discord, suppressing some and winning over others, with consummate mastery.
First came the night raid on the Fan Kingdom. Just when everyone thought he would accept their surrender, Xu Qingxiao slaughtered the surrendered troops, shocking the world and forcing the Hundred Kingdoms to swear a blood oath of alliance.
They had thought everyone could stand united. Who could have expected Xu Qingxiao to seek cooperation not with powerful kingdoms, but with weak ones serving as cannon fodder, allowing them to turn heaven and earth around at the critical moment?
This move-this move was called the stratagem of slaughtering the surrendered to force an alliance, then repeatedly sowing discord.
Inside Tang's royal palace.
The civil and military officials had lost every last shred of conviction.
First, their reinforcements had betrayed them. Now their own prince had betrayed them too. The Minister of Rites had been beheaded, the Minister of War had been stunned senseless, and the king had vomited blood from rage before fainting.
Even if they wanted to stabilize the situation, it would do no good.
They were dead this time.
Dead beyond all saving.
Even immortals could do nothing.
Ultimately, though, the blame lay with their arrogance-with Minister of War Lin Qiu's excessive confidence.
From the outset, he had looked down on Xu Qingxiao, believing a scholar could not possibly understand strategy.
Now look at them. Because of that arrogance, their home base had been wiped out overnight. In this battle, Xu Qingxiao had