Chapter 719: Before the Sheepskin Map, Debating the Realm: Shattering the Old to Build an Iron City

In an instant, the air in the study seemed to solidify into tangible ice.

Yuwen Heng and Shang Ting both held their breath, daring not even a breath of air.

They knew that what Chen Zhuguo was saying at that moment was the most untouchable bottom line in Great Zhou's political system.

Non‑kin fief towns that have grown too large to be cut off are an iron rule born of countless bloody lessons throughout the ages.

Yet Yuwen Hu, seated on the main seat, showed no sign of being provoked.

His deep, sharp eyes, like a hawk soaring over startled lambs below, bore a cold, transcendent ruthlessness that pierced all worldly rules.

"Evil dragon?" Yuwen Hu repeated the words slowly, a thin, unabashed sneering smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He did not refute Yu Jie's theory on fiefdom separatism, but tilted his head slightly, his oppressive gaze like two cold knives nailed onto Yu Jie's weathered face.

"Chen Zhuguo, since you have spoken such heart‑piercing words, I will ask you a very concrete question," Yuwen Hu's voice was low but carried a soul‑shaking authority, "Do you think that if A Yan becomes this evil dragon, he would rebel against me? Or would he rebel against the Great Zhou Court?"

Yu Jie clenched his teeth, inhaled deeply, met Yuwen Hu's terrifying gaze, and without hesitation shouted, "Chen Zhuguo's loyalty to the Grand Preceptor is as evident as the sun and moon, known to heaven and earth! I am by no means doubting Chen Zhuguo's character!"

"But what I, the old minister, worry about is not Chen Zhuguo, but humanity! It is the unrestrained absolute power!" Yu Jie's eyes reddened as he shouted hoarsely, "Grand Preceptor, think of the former dynasties, think of those cautionary tales! Chen Zhuguo may be unwaveringly loyal, but what of the blood‑thirsty, arrogant generals under his command? When Chen Zhuguo holds the revenues of the Seven Prefectures and commands tens of thousands of armored troops, might his subordinates, seeking greater wealth, one night under a moonless sky, forcibly drape a Yellow Robe upon him?"

"If that time comes, whether he is forced to wear the Yellow Robe or whatever, even his own words won't count! Human nature cannot stand the test of overwhelming power!"

Yu Jie's words were indelibly striking, each sentence hitting the core, directly pointing to the darkest and most real side of political intrigue.

Yuwen Heng, listening nearby, nodded repeatedly, a hidden caution arising in his heart.

But Yuwen Hu, after hearing this generous discourse, remained unmoved.

He didn't even respond immediately; instead, he slowly straightened, circled the broad writing desk, and walked steadily to the massive Sheepskin Map in the center of the study.

The map depicted the terrain of Guanzhong, the Northern Border grasslands, and the Qi State's mountains and rivers.

"Yellow Robe? Arrogant generals?" Yuwen Hu, with his back to the three, tapped heavily on the time‑worn map, letting out a deep sigh.

"Chen Zhuguo, now is not the time to discuss the art of balance or the lofty ancestral standards..."

Yuwen Hu spun around abruptly, a murderous aura exploding in his eyes, pointed at the locations of Xiazhou and Lingzhou on the map, and roared, "Open your eyes and look! Is the Northern Border still the one that can be held only by balance?!"

"In the battle of Xiazhou and Lingzhou, although A Yan wiped out the 40,000 elite Qi troops, the outer fortifications of Great Zhou were almost completely destroyed! Dozens of military towns turned to scorched earth! Tens of thousands of civilians became Liuren! The local aristocracy either fled or died, and the entire Northern Border's administrative system has utterly collapsed!"

Yuwen Hu drew closer, his oppressive aura solid as a force pressing against the three, "At this moment, if I followed past practice and sent a steady, reliable official to be prefect, he would have to first draft an ornate memorial to Chang'an to repair the fortifications; the Tian Guan Fu, to approve a few county magistrates' posts, would have the noble families squabble for three months; the local administration, to allocate a hundred thousand shi of disaster relief grain, could find ten thousand excuses of an empty treasury to delay!"

"By the time you finish this nonsense of regulations, the Northern Border's Liuren will have starved to death! When the ice melts next spring, the Turkic People's sabers and the Qi State's spears will already be cutting down to the Wei River banks, cutting at our throats!"

Yuwen Hu flung his wide sleeves dramatically, his voice booming like a bell, "In times of great strife, one must break to build! In extraordinary times, extraordinary methods must be used!"

"You want me to follow the rules, but will Moheduo that wolf cub follow the rules? Will the madman Gao Xiaoyu follow the rules?! I intend to grant A Yan the Right to Confer Titles! To give him fiscal autonomy! I will give him a blade capable of cutting through all of Chang'an's red tape, a knife that ignores all shackles!"

"I want Chen Yan to become this ruthless living Yan King! To crush all the festering sores left by tangled roots! To rebuild the Northern Border with bold strokes! I want him to use the Seven Prefectures' money and grain, and in the shortest time, forge for me an ironclad defensive line! To train an invincible Iron Cavalry that can trample the grasslands!"

Yuwen Hu's thunderous fury and grand strategy, like a level‑twelve gale, instantly shredded all dissenting voices in the study.

Grand Marshal Yuwen Heng, as the chief of the warriors, felt his blood boil and his scalp tingle.

He understood all too well the pain of fighting bloodily on the front lines while being restrained by civil officials in the rear.

He leapt forward, fists clenched, his voice soaring, "Brother Gao, with your far‑sighted vision, you clear the clouds! I, Yuwen Heng, give my full support! If power is not granted, the Northern Border's defense is a bottomless pit. With A Yan's thunderous methods, given enough authority, within three years Xiazhou will become Great Zhou's most impregnable bastion!"

Shang Ting also bowed repeatedly, "Grand Preceptor, your wisdom; this is the sole good strategy to break the deadlock!"

Yet Yu Jie, kneeling on the ground, still kept his hands pressed to the floor.

Although he was shaken by Yuwen Hu's strategic vision, deep within, the noble families' innate dread of imperial power waning and fiefdom separatism still clung like a festering sore.

"Grand Preceptor… the strategy is indeed exquisite, but… what if… I mean, what if that overwhelming power truly makes Chen Zhuguo harbor ulterior motives, how then can Great Zhou balance this Northern Border behemoth…" Yu Jie's voice was weak, yet carried an almost stubborn despair.

The atmosphere in the study tightened again due to Yu Jie's steadfast line.

Seeing Yu Jie still wary, still clinging to humanity, Yuwen Hu's angry expression miraculously faded.

He slowly turned the Jade Thumb Ring on his thumb, a faint, inscrutable, masterful smile returning to his lips.

"Chen Zhuguo, it seems you still haven't seen through A Yan!" Yuwen Hu's voice became extremely gentle, yet carried a chilling certainty.