Imperial Preceptor's Manor.
Min Youguo was discussing matters of the Western Border with Crown Prince Fei Heng.
When a report arrived from a subordinate, the expressions of both men changed instantly.
"Li Tianyue is rebelling, and Dongfang Liancheng has summoned the army to suppress it?"
Crown Prince Fei Heng's expression was gloomy.
He crushed the missive in his hand.
"The chaos in the Eastern Border army has reached this extent?
To think that since I assumed the mantle of Crown Prince, the accumulated rot has already reached such a state.
Li Tianyue rebelling? That is impossible.
I fear it is Dongfang Liancheng who intends to sacrifice Li Tianyue to stabilize the army's morale."
"Sigh." Min Youguo sighed.
"The Old General has no choice either; he must prioritize the greater picture.
The troops in the Eastern Border are all sent by various factions.
Li Tianyue commands the veterans; sooner or later, they were bound to be treated as outsiders to be purged.
If Li Tianyue were wise, she should have prepared to withdraw from the Eastern Border and ceased being a general long ago.
I truly do not know how things deteriorated to this point today."
Fei Heng frowned.
Min Youguo laughed lightly.
"This matter is also easy to resolve. The Old General is not stupid.
He will arrest Li Tianyue, reduce a major issue to a minor one, and send her back to the Li Clan.
The Eastern Border will remain the Eastern Border."
But suddenly, the two of them were startled.
An Emberwing Guard arrived to report—it was none other than Ah Hei, the subordinate by Min Youguo's side.
"Reporting to the Crown Prince and the Imperial Preceptor: There is unusual movement in the Azure Cloud Prefecture.
The members of the Dark Division of the Hall of Heavenly Principles have vanished without a trace.
Li Yaozu has emerged from seclusion and headed toward the Forgotten Immortal Lands.
That fellow Li Yaozu is the Li Clan's sword of slaughter, and the Dark Division are all natural-born killers.
I fear... they will not accept this outcome."
"Furthermore, there is the Liu Clan of Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Patriarch Liu Wuhuan is well-informed.
Upon hearing that his mother was being humiliated in the Eastern Border, he began conscripting troops.
Three thousand men have already set off for the Eastern Border ahead of schedule."
"As for Li Xinnian, he has also received the news, but he has made no move."
Hearing this, Min Youguo's face turned black.
He gritted his teeth and pounded the table. "Bastards! A whole family of obstinate rascals!"
Fei Heng rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"Pass down the order: If this matter is handled unjustly, this Crown Prince will hold Dongfang Liancheng solely responsible!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Ah Hei hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Your Highness, the Ministry of Works is looking for you. They also request that you handle the matter of the Eastern Border with great care."
"Hmm?" Fei Heng was stunned for a moment.
"What does this have to do with the Ministry of Works?"
"It is the Li Clan of Silver Moon. Patriarch Li Xinjue is furious.
He has joined forces with numerous aristocratic families and immortal clans involved in mining resources to submit a joint petition to the Ministry of Works.
They stated that if the matter regarding Li Tianyue is not handled justly, they will hoard the materials required for the Ministry's refining operations themselves."
...
"You want your 'greater picture' to justify bullying my aunt? Very well, my Li Clan will give you a 'greater picture'!"
"You want soldiers? Hahaha! From now on, go ask them for soldiers!
The lands of Azure Cloud Prefecture will never again dispatch troops to serve under your banner!"
"You want supplies? Go ask them for supplies!
From this day forth, not a single medicinal pill, artifact, or talisman funded by my Li Clan's taxes will ever be sent to you!"
"You want military authority? I will give you military authority.
But mark my words: never again will you command these veterans led by my aunt.
Your subordinates are nothing but a rabble, harboring sinister designs.
They fight not for the land that lies behind them; they are merely a pack of vile characters blinded by greed!"
The relentless stream of messages arriving one after another left Dongfang Liancheng feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.
Li Kuangren's words pierced the old man's heart like a sharp sword, leaving it bleeding.
He looked toward the battlefield.
His old subordinate, Li Tianyue, still possessed the same valiant and heroic bearing as in years past.
The two hundred thousand soldiers in her army were, without exception, fearless warriors.
Even surrounded by a million troops, not a single one retreated; their war cries were deep and resonant.
As for him, this Old General, he had long been dyed by the motley hues of the Eastern Border's "greater picture"—how could he possibly distinguish clear right from wrong amidst it all?
His rabble of an army was being forced into a retreat, losing ground step by step to Li Tianyue's generals.
"Hu! Hu! Hu!"
The chant of soldiers forming arrays.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Woooo—"
The beating of drums and the blare of horns seemed to be drifting away from his ears.
His soldiers possessed no courage; only fleeing cowards remained.
---
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