One day later, the Zhongjing General Headquarters organized a military advisory liaison team to enter the Anbei Dao convergence zone, which subsequently stationed itself at the frontline.
Arriving alongside the team, besides several special commissioners and observers from headquarters, were liaison personnel responsible for detailed coordination and communication with the frontline.
Among them was Sun Yangde, current Senior Secretary of the Defense Department.
At the current frontline, because the earlier mobilization orders had not been rescinded and subsequent military operations against Youdu were still to follow, four more Dongxuan View martial artists transferred from the Ring of the Worlds arrived one after another.
Among these four, two hailed from the military, one from Wuyi Academy, and one from the Purist Faction; virtually all of them were members or supporters of the Enterprising Faction.
Including Chen Chuan, Xianglan Pass now boasted a total of seven Dongxuan View martial artists.
This force was formidable indeed. With such power present, not only was the pass itself impregnable, but they also possessed the strength to take the initiative on the offensive.
Upon arriving, Sun Yangde immediately went to see Chen Chuan first, stating that he was prepared to convey the higher-ups' directives to him and the others.
Chen Chuan promptly instructed the orderly staff to notify the other six. Once everyone had assembled, Sun Yangde handed him a prepared document from headquarters.
"This is the operational plan drafted in advance by General Headquarters. Commander Chen, please have a look."
Chen Chuan took it and glanced over the contents. A swift sweep of his eyes over the summarizing statements revealed that the strategy drawn up by General Headquarters called for taking Youdu as quickly as possible.
This strategic direction closely matched his earlier assessment.
He looked up and asked, "How many personnel can headquarters allocate to us this time?"
Although a fairly potent force had already assembled here, the present numbers were still far from enough to assault Youdu.
Youdu was the heart of the Former Imperial Household. Inside and outside the capital lay esoteric ritual fields so densely packed they made one's scalp tingle, along with numerous relics of unknown function. Even setting aside any ancient gods that might join the fray, there were at least seven or eight Dongxuan View martial artists stationed there in defense.
All in all, their combat capability remained formidable; it was merely that they could not project force outward at present due to the necessity of consolidating their rule.
Sun Yangde said, "Headquarters originally intended to annihilate the Former Imperial Household with overwhelming superiority, which would have been the safest course. However, circumstances have changed.
"That plan has run into an obstacle."
He paused, then added, "Certain essential forces originally slated for deployment may not be able to get into position."
Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present turned grave, each guessing the reason behind it.
Chen Chuan asked, "Is there trouble at the Ring of the Worlds?"
Sun Yangde said in a heavy voice, "Yes. Things are very tense over there. Certain entities on the other side have been watching us constantly of late. Yesterday, several even attempted to break through weak points, only to be driven back by us in time.
"We cannot guarantee they won't return. This is effectively opening up two battlefields at once."
Then he added, "However, Commander Chen, rest assured. Although we cannot easily reassign troops from the Ring of the Worlds for now, that doesn't mean reinforcements won't come. We will reassign personnel from other sectors to support you."
Chen Chuan pondered briefly, then looked up. "The east?"
Sun Yangde replied, "Yes.
"The Linax Federation's West Coast Faction has already initiated impeachment proceedings against the incumbent consul. They have their hands full just looking out for themselves right now.
"In particular, the West Coast Faction is focusing all their primary resources on the political arena, leaving them no leeway to act against us. At this moment, they are also keeping a close eye on the East Coast Faction to prevent them from launching a localized war.
"Therefore, we have been able to reassign a portion of our personnel from that theater."
Chen Chuan nodded. During his time at the Ministry of National Security, he had also paid attention to news on this front.
The Federation's designs regarding the Tianji Sect had failed, and Kawatua was a hard bone they could not chew through for the moment. Without external blood transfusions, they could only vie for interests internally.
Perhaps the East Coast Faction might consider instigating a local conflict to divert domestic friction at such a time, but the West Coast Faction would never permit that to happen right now.
At least in their theater, judging by the circumstances across all fronts, there was no cause for concern.
Sun Yangde added, "Furthermore, the Chiluojiaduo Confederation has recently run into immense trouble and has no energy to spare for us. Your Vice Minister Ren should be sending you specific intelligence on this matter shortly, so I won't go into detail.
"Due to the Confederation's internal turmoil, we've also been able to transfer a contingent from the garrison stationed there.
"Headquarters can currently guarantee that each assembled contingent will be no weaker than the force gathered here with you."
Chen Chuan gave an affirmative sound. In that case, even without factoring in his own combat strength, the forces they ultimately assembled would be roughly three times that of the Former Imperial Household—more than enough for a decisive battle.
Sun Yangde said gravely, "There is one more thing to emphasize. Whether at the Ring of the Worlds or along the eastern and southern fronts, holding the line may be manageable in the short term, but as time drags on, uncertainty grows. Pressures from all sides compel us to fight and win quickly."
Chen Chuan nodded. "It is precisely because of this that we must settle matters with the Former Imperial Household before the Great Impact arrives."
Every martial artist present agreed with his assessment. Even before the arrival of the Great Impact, the disadvantages of fighting on two or even multiple fronts were already glaringly apparent. If the Former Imperial Household was not dealt with swiftly, wouldn't the ensuing crises be all the more dire?
Sun Yangde agreed as well. He continued, "Of course, within the broad strategic framework, Headquarters has stated that it will fully respect your judgment regarding how specifically to conduct the assault, Commander Chen."
Chen Chuan was now the frontline commander-in-chief. Quite apart from anything else, he had fought the previous two battles with consummate brilliance, not only vanquishing the enemy but also preventing losses.
It could be said that when it came to opposing the Former Imperial Household, he was unquestionably the most experienced, most capable frontline commander and martial artist. Those sitting in the rear naturally had to heed his counsel.
After reviewing the entire report, Chen Chuan looked up and said, "What is the current situation in Youdu? I currently lack sufficient understanding of the place, so I will need some intelligence support."
During his time at the Ministry, he had intentionally browsed a fair amount of intelligence on the Former Imperial Household, but the most recent reports were already a year old. Until more up-to-date intelligence was provided, he would not jump to conclusions.
Sun Yangde said, "That is precisely what I was coming to next. We are stepping up efforts to collate and gather information on that front.
"Besides that, there is another matter. After the operation to overthrow the Former Imperial Household was decided upon, we apprehended Prince Chunxuan. He was very cooperative and told us everything he should.
"However, he was never a prince with real executive authority and held no fiefdom, so his knowledge is confined to matters within the imperial clan. He knows little about the Former Imperial Household's primary military forces, city defense systems, or esoteric ritual layouts.
"Fortunately, he did provide a crucial piece of information.
"There is a Xuan Cult Xuanist named Mingchengzi who once took part in laying out the most recent esoteric ritual in Youdu. Before Prince Chunxuan departed on his diplomatic mission, he met with this individual. If we can find him, we might obtain the most detailed intelligence possible."
With that, he brought out a jade talisman and handed it to Chen Chuan. "This is what Prince Chunxuan gave us, claiming it to be a token of trust."
Chen Chuan accepted it and inspected it briefly. Noticing that some of the inscribed patterns looked vaguely familiar, he felt a subtle stirring in his mind.
Sun Yangde said, "According to Prince Chunxuan, the Xuan Cult members who withdrew into the convergence zone at the time were primarily split into two factions: the Duanchen Faction and the Fulong Faction.
"The ones who took part in laying out the esoteric rituals and were deeply entangled with the imperial household were the Fulong Faction. However, that faction was later purged by the imperial household through various schemes."
"Purged?"
"Yes. According to Prince Chunxuan, before the current Last Emperor ascended the throne, the Fulong Faction attempted to back another imperial prince.
"In the end, they failed. Once the current emperor took power, he launched a fierce purge against the Fulong Faction, reportedly paying a heavy price to eradicate the entire group.
"Yet one person escaped: this Mingchengzi. From the looks of it now, he intentionally left behind clues so that he could make contact with us."
Jiang Linghuai chimed in from the side, "Now that's amusing. They set out to aid the dragon, only to end up subdued by the dragon."
Chen Chuan said, "Things aren't quite so simple. Ever since the incident with the Wuwei Xuanist during the Sheng Dynasty, the Sheng Dynasty remained wary of the Xuan Cult throughout its reign, while the Chan Sect occupied the position of state religion—which eventually led to the subsequent upheaval of the feudal lords partitioning the realm.
"Later, during the Feng and Qi Dynasties, the Xuan Cult experienced a resurgence. Believing that 'a sovereign's lifespan cannot endure forever,' every successive Xuan Cult Imperial Preceptor strove to ensure that the heir to the realm was not a martial artist. That way, once their natural lifespan expired, succession would pass smoothly to the next generation.
"This stance gained the backing of numerous nobles and dignitaries of the era. Thus, while the Fulong Faction claimed to 'aid the dragon,' they were in truth 'binding the dragon.'
"That was why the various factions previously spoke of abdication, and only later of direct succession. For the Fulong Faction to be targeted like this means the Former Imperial Household must have broken that convention."
Sun Yangde said, "Indeed. Word has it that Prince Chunxuan's elder brother was originally supposed to ascend the throne, only for the throne to be usurped by the current former emperor. Furthermore, this emperor is said to have been scheming all along to ascend to immortality. As to how far along he currently is, Prince Chunxuan himself couldn't say."
Chen Chuan remarked in a calm voice, "Regardless of what he plans, even if he truly becomes an immortal, he won't be enjoying a peaceful immortality."
Everyone present nodded in approval. These words were tremendously emboldening. It wasn't as if Great Shun lacked higher-echelon powers of its own; not to mention that you haven't reached the heights above yet, even if you truly reached them, we would strike you down just the same.
With the war having reached this stage, Great Shun's military morale and spirits were soaring high. Who didn't love winning battles? Having emerged victorious in the previous two engagements, the coming assault on Youdu would be a clash of sheer raw strength between both sides. At this point, the higher-ups could no longer halt their advance.
The unfinished endeavors of their forebears could be brought to completion in their generation. Not only could they earn merits and honors, but their names would also be remembered in history.
Putting away the jade talisman, Chen Chuan said, "I will establish contact with this Mingchengzi as soon as possible. Once I have a firm grasp of the situation, I will submit a report to the higher-ups."
Sun Yangde said, "Very well. I will also urge the rear to send over the information we've gathered as quickly as possible.
"However, there is another matter I need to discuss with you, Commander Chen, and to seek your thoughts on behalf of Headquarters."
He paused, then said in a low voice, "Some have raised that they have already made contact with Fan Gang, General Pacifying the West of the Former Imperial Household. They say he has exchanged letters with them multiple times and now intends to lead his forces in surrender. The higher-ups are currently deliberating whether or not to accept it."
Chapter 1414