Peace Order
Chapter 369 - 159: Dominating the World, Strategist Confrontation, Chen Country’s Secret Treasure, The Foundation of Establishing the Country_3

Chapter 369: Chapter 159: Dominating the World, Strategist Confrontation, Chen Country’s Secret Treasure, The Foundation of Establishing the Country_3

Tantai Xianming sighed, and said calmly, "I know."

"The position of the Emperor, a woman, even one who has been a childhood sweetheart, cannot compare, can she?"

"Now that it has come to this, the one doing this must be either Yuwen Lie or Xue Daoyong."

"Yuwen Lie’s combat skills are upright and tyrannical, but he also possesses tricky tactics. I suspect it’s Xue Daoyong... behind him, there must be a strategist, and I am merely assuming there is one here."

"This strategist, he anticipated you, me, and Yuwen Lie’s personalities."

"And then he set this trap."

"Situ Deqing, I, his Majesty, Yuwen Lie, even Xue Daoyong might just be pawns in the game, a horrifying genius of a strategist..." Tantai Xianming closed his eyes, replaying everything in his mind, an imaginary board of intrigue before him, as if he were confronting an unknown wise man.

Then Tantai Xianming almost spelled out all of Breaking Army’s strategies and plans.

Each layer of deduction was crystal clear.

But, at that moment, Emperor Chen sheathed his sword and said, "The Prime Minister makes sense, but what if this is just what you say to mislead my judgment?"

Ice and suspicion filled the Emperor’s eyes.

Tantai Xianming was stunned, looking at the Emperor, a scheming and seasoned monarch.

Such a monarch only trusts himself.

Emperor Chen, caressing his sword, said, "The Prime Minister is quite correct, but why would Situ Deqing kill my son, and when did Xue Daoyong kill Situ Deqing, why would the tenth ranking assassin under your command suddenly betray?"

"How would you explain these three points?"

Tantai Xianming replied, "What if Situ Deqing was killed first, someone took his Dark Gold Mask, and then murdered Chen Yuyun?"

Emperor Chen demanded, "Then why could Situ Deqing be killed, and why did Si Qing leave the Imperial Palace?"

"And if he was killed first, why does my son’s body contain his unique True Qi?"

Tantai Xianming fell silent, and answered, "These are just doubts, but doubts are not enough to overturn the conclusion." Emperor Chen laughed loudly, "What a doubt indeed, I too observe you, full of doubts!"

"Furthermore!"

"Do you truly not wish for your grandson to become the Emperor?"

Tantai Xianming slowly looked up.

In the Imperial Palace, the majestic Emperor stood before his throne, coldly looking down at Tantai Xianming, with just that sentence, enough to overturn all the explanations and strategy reviews Tantai Xianming had just provided, because the Emperor was determined to secure his empire at all costs.

He didn’t believe anyone would be indifferent to that position!

Impossible!

Emperor Chen believed that Tantai Xianming was aiming for the throne, first getting rid of Chen Yuyun, then using his hand to eliminate Xue Daoyong and the son of Noble Consort Xue, leaving only the Crown Prince. In the Emperor’s eyes, all the words of Tantai Xianming were merely part of his strategem.

Tantai Xianming suddenly felt weary.

Emperor Chen said indifferently:

"The Prime Minister has said, I will think over it more, leave the Prime Minister Seal."

"The Prime Minister has worked hard, now go and rest."

Tantai Xianming fell silent, the refined old man suddenly realizing that no matter what he said, the Emperor would not believe it. Chen Yuyun was already dead, and the Emperor wanted to use his death to formally begin stripping away ministerial powers, consolidating those powers within himself.

Tantai Xianming caressed the Prime Minister Seal at his waist.

Then he set it down, bowed deeply, and turned to leave the palace.

While wearing the Prime Minister Seal, he always smiled warmly, but now, as he put the seal down and walked out, his spine straightened bit by bit, his sleeves fluttering lightly in the breeze, looking at the palace and the world, reviewing the strategist behind the Xue Family, muttering to himself:

"A good scheme, one could say it was excellent."

"But, that is all it is, if I too had your complete trust in my lord, such strategies could be broken cleanly by me in a few words!"

"Or is it, that such a disposition of the Emperor is also within your scheme?"

If it were 60 years ago, at the peak of Tantai Xianming’s influence across the realm, when he was amongst the top ten strategists and scholars, establishing nations, making doctrines, then with a wise ruler by his side, they pushed the borders of Chen Country toward far-reaching ambitions, with such a ruler’s support, Tantai Xianming sweeping away such schemes might have been foreseen.

Unfortunately, now...

Tantai Xianming closed his eyes in silence, just thinking that the news of the illegitimate son came from Hou Zhongyu.

Li Guanyi was also a guard at the Qilin Palace, so, Li Guanyi knew as well.

Overseeing the entire situation.

The strategy was likely initiated by Li Guanyi.

Was it him, or someone behind him?

Tantai Xianming’s white hair fluttered slightly, and he suddenly smiled wistfully.

A major ceremony was coming, and this game of chess wasn’t over yet, Your Majesty.

Thank you for removing me from the game.

Let’s wait until the end to see the outcome of you and me.

......

At that time, Li Guanyi finally deciphered the secret of the landscape painting, which contained a technique linked to Mountain Shattering, named "Breaking Mountains," grand and overpowering, and instantly grasped the changes in Jin Qi after realizing "Mountain Shattering" and "Breaking Mountains."

The landscape painting changed before Li Guanyi’s eyes.

The Mystic Turtle plunged headlong into the transformed landscape, and suddenly, the landscape began to shift, twisting rapidly, gradually manifesting into a map with text emerging before Li Guanyi’s eyes.

’To the one who comes after, if you are a descendant of the Chen Family, versed in the art of war, you may behold my map.’

’I have a secret transmission that can defeat the Ji Family.’

’To the heir who obtains it, sufficient to split territories and establish a new dynasty!’