Chapter 659: Betting your future with the heads of nine generations! (Please subscribe)

The next second, Xie Ergai fell to his knees with a "thud," kowtowing heavily, his voice choked but incomparably firm: "Master! I understand! In the whole world, only you, Master, believe in me and cultivate me so much!

I, Xie Ergai, swear to heaven today that I will never fail your high expectations, Master! Either I lead the army to level the Holy Capital and earn a glorious empire for you and for myself! Or I will die on the road of the western expedition, my body wrapped in horse hide, without a single complaint!

If I fail, I will never dare to tarnish your reputation, Master, and will die to repay your kindness!"

His eyes were filled with determination, and there was even a flame of madness burning, but more than that, it was an almost blind worship and gratitude toward Li Chen.

Without Li Chen, he would have long been a pile of dry bones outside the Cold Iron Pass.

Seeing Xie Ergai show such strong will, Li Chen also nodded slightly.

His fundamental purpose in cultivating Xie Ergai was not about his success or failure.

If he succeeded, the Da Luo Dynasty would be replaced by his own puppet emperor; if he failed, it would also greatly consume Da Luo's national strength, paving the way for the Tian Ce Dynasty's future annexation.

Even if it took a few years, or even decades, Li Chen would destroy the Da Luo Dynasty.

He would never allow a powerful force hostile to Tian Ce to exist for a long time; they must either submit or perish.

But Xie Ergai's determination to burn his bridges was indeed rare, making Li Chen feel he could "invest" a little more.

So, Li Chen softened his tone and decided to give him a few more pointers.

After nightfall, the master and disciple talked for a long time under the lamp. Li Chen began to teach Xie Ergai some "worldly wisdom" and higher-level strategies he had previously ignored.

Li Chen said slowly: "Xie Ergai, you have been well-versed in military books since childhood, so I won't say much about battle formations. But you have long been just the son of a Andrei Dagong, your vision limited to one territory. Now, what you have to face is the political chess game of the entire empire."

"Rebellion, especially a successful rebellion, requires not just an army, but also a 'righteous' name and means of division and disintegration."

"Righteousness?" Xie Ergai was thoughtful.

"That's right. Your father, Andrei, fought for the Da Luo Dynasty all his life and made great contributions, but now he is being used as a scapegoat because of the Emperor's own strategic mistakes. This in itself is proof of Ivan's loss of virtue and trust!"

"You must publicize this matter widely. Not only must you make your subordinates share a common hatred, but you must also let the whole world know! You must question all the nobles and generals serving Ivan: Today Ivan can treat the meritorious Andrei Dagong Andrei like this, will he treat you the same way tomorrow? Is an emperor without faith or righteousness worth your loyalty? This is called 'attacking the heart is the best policy'."

Li Chen took a sip of tea and continued to point out: "Secondly, be good at using the contradictions within the enemy. Does Emperor Ivan have no enemies? His sons, especially those who are not the Crown Prince—do they have no thoughts about that throne? They dream about it!"

You can secretly send people to contact them and promise them this: you, Xie Ergai, are raising an army not for the throne, but merely to seek justice for your father and to purge the emperor's side of evil! As long as any one of them is willing to step forward and promise that, upon ascending the throne, they will rehabilitate your father and punish the sycophants surrounding the dim-witted monarch, you will be willing to support them as the new emperor!

"In this way, will those princes who have the heart but not the courage, or whose strength is insufficient, be tempted? Will they create trouble for you inside the empire, or even secretly help you?" ===== CHAPTER 660 =====