After the Grand Elder presented his five points of analysis, the seven cabinet ministers looked at each other and nodded slightly, including the Grand Duke Lieyuan had previously clamored for war.
In fact, the Grand Duke Lieyuan was not a reckless man who would not listen to advice. If what he said made sense, he would accept it.
However, it's quite difficult to get him to accept my opinions.
"The Grand Elder's vision and thoughtful consideration are a blessing to our Royal Court." The Left Prime Minister bowed slightly, and the others quickly followed suit.
The Grand Elder waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, alright, stop playing these games with me. Since none of you have any objections, the task of appeasing the people and the army is now in your hands. You must suppress your belligerence; a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan."
"We obey orders," the Left Prime Minister replied, then his eyes flickered, and he asked, "So, will we still hold this Martial Arts Tournament as scheduled?"
"Of course we should hold it, and we should make it a grand and lively event. In addition, we should improve the quality of the prizes and send more outstanding clansmen to strive for good results in the Martial Arts Tournament and suppress the fervor surrounding the Dragon Blood Clan's rebellion." The First Elder stroked the Scythe of Slaughter in his hand and spoke softly.
The Left Prime Minister nodded and said nothing more.
The Grand Elder surveyed the room. "The general policy is confirmed. As for the remaining details, you seven cabinet ministers can discuss them yourselves. I won't interfere. I'm leaving!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Grand Elder's figure gradually blurred, turning into a wisp of light and disappearing into the palace.
"We respectfully see off the Grand Elder!" The group bowed in unison.
A moment later, straightening up, Grand Duke Tielin looked at the spot where the Grand Elder had disappeared and sighed, "The Grand Elder was truly the best candidate to Gendaya King. Unfortunately, the Night Watchers swore an oath never to participate in the struggle for the throne, and I wonder when our king will be reborn..."
As soon as he finished speaking, several pairs of eyes flickered in his mind.
After a brief silence, the Left Prime Minister broke it, "Gentlemen, have you decided how to appease the people?"
"This... is simply the same as before: mainstream media guide public opinion, the Royal Court Network Information Department monitors in real time, and tries to suppress the news of the Dragon Blood Clan's betrayal as much as possible," said Grand Duke Fire Ash.
"That's settled then." Grand Duke Lieyuan nodded slightly.
The Left Prime Minister raised his hand and shook his head, saying, "No!"
"What do you mean?" asked Grand Duke Lieyuan.
"This situation is different from the past. We cannot simply apply past experience. We must understand that everything must be done according to the circumstances and the times. The betrayal of the Dragon Blood Clan is a major event that has shocked the Royal Court and even has a significant impact internationally. Under these circumstances, simply blocking information will only backfire and deepen public dissatisfaction with the Royal Court."
"Furthermore, as citizens, they have the right to know this news."
The Left Prime Minister looked around and spoke slowly.
Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Lieyuan frowned. "If we do it this way, the wave of demands for war from the people will likely be extremely strong. What will we do then? Fight or not? If we fight, it will conflict with our strategic policy. If we don't fight, the people's anger towards the government will probably be uncontrollable."
"Attack!" The Left Prime Minister narrowed his eyes slightly, his long, narrow pupils like unsheathed blades, sharp and incomparable.
However, the Left Prime Minister's words confused the Grand Duke Lieyuan once again.
"You were the one who said we wouldn't fight, and you were the one who said we would fight. So you've said everything? What are you really thinking? Explain yourself clearly. I don't have time to beat around the bush with you." The Grand Duke Lieyuan said impatiently. He was a martial artist, and intrigue and scheming were not his forte. He usually had advisors to help him devise strategies, but he couldn't possibly keep his advisors by his side. Therefore, his words were a bit too harsh.
The Left Prime Minister wasn't annoyed; he was already used to his old adversary's way of speaking. He slowly explained, "When I said 'no fighting,' I meant no war with Dragon Blood Island. 'Fighting' here refers to other regions."
"Just as the Grand Elder said, the White Wolf Kingdom and the Holy See have definitely laid a trap for us on Dragon Blood Island. However... the coastline of the Rising Sun Peninsula is over 100,000 kilometers long. They can't possibly guard every inch of it, can they?"
Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Lieyuan's eyes lit up. "You mean... let's use a feint attack?"
"Not bad!" The Left Prime Minister gave his old rival an approving look, his eyes seeming to say, "At least you're not completely stupid."
"We can openly deploy troops, feigning an attack on Dragon Blood Island, while secretly sending elite forces to raid the borders of the White Wolf Kingdom. It would be best to send several small but highly capable units, aiming to cause maximum damage with minimal casualties."
"The feint attack on Dragon Blood Island was obviously unsuccessful, but surely we can't expect to fail in all the other areas? As long as we win in just one, we can report back to the people."
The Left Chancellor's plan was not complicated, and could even be described as simple. However, the simpler the plan, the fewer loopholes it has.
Even if the White Wolf Kingdom learns of this strategy, it won't be a big problem, because the long coastline of the Rising Sun Peninsula is there, it's an objective fact that can't be changed. As long as the Royal Court is determined, it can always find a way to get in.
"You're always adept at these little tricks," Grand Duke Lieyuan sneered.
"Heh, so it seems the Right Chancellor disagrees with my approach?"
"Agreed. When did I say I disagreed? That's how it's done. I'll go and make the arrangements right away. Perfect timing, those little brats in the army need to stretch their muscles."