For some time afterward, the Divine Land remained peaceful.
Apart from Northern Li, it seemed none of the other nations had taken Ming's proclamation to heart. They continued doing as they pleased, carrying on with their affairs.
Meanwhile, Ming was making all manner of preparations for the Western Expedition at a gallop.
Under Yu Huatian's arrangements, the forces for the Western Expedition were divided into three branches.
The first was naturally the army headed by the Ming Imperial Court.
At Yu Huatian's suggestion, Sun Chengzong would serve as commander-in-chief and Sun Chuanting as his deputy, leading a total of five hundred thousand troops west to attack the Great Song Dynasty.
The second consisted of Ming's secret agents, primarily the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Led by Ma Jinliang, Ding Xiu, Cao Shaoqin, Dong Tianbao, Lin Pingzhi, E'erdou, and others, each would take a contingent and secretly infiltrate Great Song territory, coordinating with the military and supplying intelligence. Working together from within and without, they would destroy Great Song.
The third consisted of the various major sects and factions of the Jianghu.
Experts from the major sects were summoned in Yu Huatian's name to form the Jianghu Coalition Army. They would set out alongside the Ming army and invade Great Song, primarily to deal with the Great Song Dynasty's Jianghu factions.
Bai Yujing, Xie Xuan, Ye Gucheng, Lian Chengbi, A Fei, and the others would command them.
Of course, Yu Huatian also accorded the major Jianghu sects every courtesy.
Divine Saber Sect Master Bai Tianyu, Wudang Sect Leader Zhang Sanfeng, Supreme Alliance Leader Lei Qianhu, Sun Moon Holy Cult Leader Dongfang Bubai, Beggar Gang Chief Su Can, Divine Water Palace Mistress Water Matriarch Yin Ji, Iron Sword Sect Leader Daoist Master Musang, and Great Escort Agency Head Zhuo Donglai were all included among