Chen Chuan asked, "Has headquarters discussed this matter yet?"
"It is still under discussion," Sun Yangde replied. "Many are opposed, arguing that members of the former imperial house can no longer be considered human, that their terms of surrender cannot be accepted, and that they must be thoroughly purged.
"The other faction, however, believes that quickly ending the war is of paramount importance. As long as the former imperial house can be overthrown, bearing some costs is well worth it."
At that point, he shook his head. "On the surface, it seems they are considering the bigger picture. In reality, they are deliberately trying to use this affair to claim military merits they never earned on the battlefield, while simultaneously planting obstacles in our path."
The few people seated around the table wore cold smiles upon hearing this. They understood perfectly well who Sun Yangde was referring to—none other than the Conservative Faction.
Jiang Linghuai said, "Surrender? We cannot agree to that. Those people have long ceased to be like us. Once the Great Impact arrives, who knows what changes might occur? They must be completely eradicated!"
The moment he spoke, everyone present nodded in agreement.
Sun Yangde continued, "The ministers believe the same. We cannot compromise with them. However, that faction raised another question: if the former imperial house surrenders to us, how should we handle them?"
He lowered his voice. "Everyone knows the former imperial house would almost certainly never make such a choice. Yet this happens to be a grave political issue. When it comes to matters of this nature, they must be clearly defined and thoroughly debated. Thus, the proposal was formally placed on the agenda.
"Moreover, by shaping public opinion, they have drawn more mid- and lower-level personnel from relevant departments into this topic, forcing it to be discussed openly. In doing so, they have squeezed out agenda space, compelling us to divert energy to debate these matters."
A few people chuckled coldly on the spot. They knew all too well that the Conservative Faction, unable to halt them head-on, would resort to public opinion and procedural maneuvers to constrain them at every turn, thereby achieving delay and obstruction.
Jiang Linghuai shook his head. This was precisely why he despised serving in administrative departments and preferred stationing himself at the Ring of Worlds. Political tricks of this sort disgusted him to no end.
Chen Chuan said, "Regarding whether to accept their surrender, if headquarters asks for my opinion, I am against it.
"General Jiang has already stated the primary reason: these individuals are already aberrations, and their vitality-activation abilities are exceptionally contagious.
"Even setting that aside, most of them are worshippers of the ancient gods. We do not know whether those gods can alter them further, nor can we be certain whether they will undergo new mutations once the Great Impact arrives."
Sun Yangde's expression turned solemn. "I wonder if Commander Chen could draft a formal document regarding these points? I can carry it back to headquarters when I return."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement.
Sun Yangde gave a nod. "The Supreme Advisory Council will dispatch a representative here tomorrow to oversee the operations. Commander Chen, please prepare accordingly. Rest assured, however, that the council will not interfere with your specific tactical deployments. If necessary, they will enter the fray to assist in battle."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Understood."
Having covered everything he needed to convey, Sun Yangde rose to his feet. "Once Commander Chen finishes drafting the document, I will return to headquarters."
Putting on his cap, he added solemnly, "Commander Chen, we will handle matters in the rear. Everything behind the lines will be arranged by us, and we will never allow those affairs to interfere with you. Commander Chen, you need only focus on the battle before you."
He shook hands with Chen Chuan, nodded to the rest of the room, and took his leave.
After Sun Yangde left, Chen Chuan held a brief discussion with the others. Afterward, he returned to his temporary quarters and retrieved the jade token to examine it.
An ordinary person might not understand the patterns etched upon the jade token, but he could tell it was actually a topographic map of mountains and rivers. A red line marked on it, when compared against the local terrain, pointed straight toward that secret path discovered earlier—the one leading directly into the heart of Youdu.
Without a doubt, the other party had arranged to meet there, perhaps using this gesture to demonstrate their sincerity.
After some thought, he decided to meet this person in person.
However, he would not go alone. Even though he had absolute confidence in his own strength, he was now the frontline commander responsible for the entire war effort and naturally would not act recklessly on his own.
Headquarters proved remarkably efficient. Merely a few hours after Sun Yangde's departure, the covert intelligence department successively delivered gathered reports concerning Youdu.
Among them was actually a defensive layout map of Youdu, detailing primarily the outer ring of esoteric rituals and fortresses with extraordinary precision. With this map, they could focus strikes on key targets, saving an immense amount of time and effort.
Although there was currently no detailed intelligence regarding the inner palace city, acquiring this much within such a short window was already a remarkable feat.
The intelligence also revealed that across the territories directly controlled by the former imperial house, all but a few vital strategic strongholds had been abandoned. Most of the senior military commanders stationed there had been recalled, indicating that they were consolidating for a concentrated defense.
Glancing over the map, Chen Chuan already had a general concept of how to assault Youdu.
The following day, the two forces redeployed from the eastern and southern fronts arrived at Xianglan Pass ahead of schedule.
With that, the number of Dongxuan View martial artists gathered here surpassed twenty, establishing an overwhelming advantage on paper over the remaining forces of the former imperial house.
That same day at noon, the representative from the Supreme Advisory Council arrived as well.
A telegram had arrived beforehand: the advisory committee member commissioned for this mission was Fan Zhentong, who could be considered an old acquaintance.
Upon seeing him, Fan Zhentong said, "Considering that I have interacted with you frequently, the advisory council had me come this time."
Chen Chuan nodded. In truth, he knew full well that at the root of it, Fan Zhentong also held enterprising views.
Seeing that almost everyone was present, he assembled the group to hold a council of war, primarily to draft a concrete operational plan based on current intelligence.
Right from the start, Chen Chuan set the overarching strategy, stating, "From the pressure exerted on the Ring of Worlds, it is evident that the former imperial house has colluded with entities from the other world.
"Therefore, we must seize this opportunity to annihilate them here. In particular, not a single member of the former imperial clan, nobility, or senior military command must be allowed to escape, lest they cause us further trouble once the Great Impact arrives."
Hearing him speak, none raised any objections.
Chen Chuan's personal combat prowess was more than enough to command respect, and he was currently the supreme commander, having led them to victory in the preceding two engagements. Almost all the major losses suffered by the former imperial house's high command in recent years had been dealt by his hand; thus, when it came to dealing with the former imperial house, he possessed unparalleled authority and influence.
Next, Chen Chuan outlined the operational arrangements, all established in accordance with the covert department's intelligence.
The fine details were left to the staff officers and active conscious entities to draft.
At this juncture, that verified hidden path remained worthy of attention.
Initially, Chen Chuan had thought that if their forces were insufficient, he would have the main body pin down the front while he led a small detachment to launch a surprise attack along that path.
Now that he held far more cards in his hand, resorting to such a tactic was no longer necessary.
Still, he believed a frontal assault remained an inferior option. It was far better to press forward step by step, steadily mounting pressure on the former imperial house. If they found defense untenable, they would very likely choose to retreat along that path.
If so, they could easily set an ambush there to wipe them out in one stroke.
However, that route had been used throughout successive dynasties, indicating that it was the safest and most suitable avenue for retreat. The former imperial house would surely dispatch troops in advance to secure and hold it, so how to execute this required finesse and would need to be adjusted based on circumstances.
Even if the plan failed, it would not matter much; they would simply proceed with the original advance.
While they were conferring, a communications officer arrived bearing news:
"Report! A telegram from headquarters. An armed group organized by remnants of the Chang Dynasty has contacted us, expressing a willingness to join forces in attacking the former imperial house. Headquarters has left it to our discretion to handle."
Chen Chuan took the telegram and read it. The so-called Chang Dynasty was the preceding dynasty overthrown by the fallen Mo Dynasty, and some of their descendants remained active in the convergence zone to this day.
They claimed to have fought the Mo Dynasty for centuries, but in reality, they had merely used the vast expanse of the convergence zone to hide from the former imperial house's suppression campaigns.
While they possessed some strength, they were inherently aberrations, and very likely backed by ancient gods. Precisely because of this, he would never cooperate with them.
He said, "There is no need to entertain them. Reply to headquarters that I have noted the matter."
The officer saluted and withdrew.
The meeting room resumed deliberating the deployment. On the basis of the strategy Chen Chuan had proposed, the attendees offered additional suggestions and refinements. Once finalized, a tactical report was drawn up, submitted to operational command, and left awaiting headquarters' approval and unified mobilization orders.
Headquarters responded swiftly, sending back a telegram within just three hours confirming their approval of the operational plan.
Having secured authorization from above, Chen Chuan wasted no time and set out that very night, leading the forces aboard airships.
Along the way, they encountered harassment from a small contingent of the former imperial house's airships, but these were all shot down without posing any significant hindrance.
By daybreak, the forces had effortlessly captured a cluster of fortresses barely half a day's journey from Youdu. They halted there, assuming a posture of awaiting follow-up forces while fortifying the passes.
As the military might of Great Shun bore down, everyone in Youdu, from top to bottom, was seized with panic. Airships took to the skies one after another, fanning out across the surroundings, while esoteric rituals in every quarter were activated.
Meanwhile, atop Panquan Mountain not far from Youdu, a white-bearded Xuanist cast several glances at the former dynasty's capital shrouded in terror. With a series of cold sneers, he looked toward the position where Chen Chuan and his forces were stationed, stroked his beard with a nod, and turned, vanishing without a trace.
Chapter 1415